Free Charming You (Thirsty Hearts Book 1) by Kris Jayne Page B

down the street from their office. Walking in, Nick pointed a booth in the corner, and the pair grabbed a seat. Nick motioned for the waiter.
    "Slightly dirty martini, right?"
    "Normally, yes, but I think I'll stick with a glass of wine. The house red is fine," Micky responded. Nick ordered her red wine and a Scotch for himself.
    "What's tying you in knots?" he asked.
    Micky rolled her eyes. "Just work stuff. It's hardly worth rehashing. We're walking a tightrope on the budget for our annual sales meeting in Paris. We have some big announcements and some complications. My friend and I are just marching forward. This time of year, before the conference, the office is buzzing, and then the rumor mill churns up."
    "Rumors?" Heat crawled up Nick's neck.
    "You know how offices are. The rumor mill is always in overdrive," she said and waved her hand in dismissal.
    "Are people expecting big changes or something?"
    "We've been growing and are focusing on gaining new clients in new industries. Everyone knows that's going to take some changes. A lot of this has been in the trade press. People don't like change."
    "No, and you've mentioned that you've already gone through several acquisitions."
    "Yes. It's stressful and boring." Micky's eyes wandered over his shoulder, distracted.
    "When did you say you were leaving for Paris?" he asked, bringing her attention back.
    "Our event is the first week of November, and then my friend and I are staying over for a few days after to sightsee. Have you been?"
    "Yes. Quite a few times." Vivienne made frequent trips to visit some luxury home goods suppliers, but Vivienne was far from Nick's mind. Micky's eyes brightened, and she leaned in, excited.
    "I'm completely jealous. I'd love to be able to travel more. I'm not going to have much time there. Our event is Monday to Wednesday. I fly home Sunday morning. I have no idea yet what all I'm going to do. Taryn has an activity list on a spreadsheet, but no agenda yet," she said, laughing.
    "If I were you, I wouldn't put too much pressure on myself to see everything. It'll be impossible in three days. Each of the big museums can take an entire day on their own. The Louvre could take a week. Plus, it's the kind of city where you can do nothing, and it's something. Where do you have your event?"
    "The Palais de Congrès. On the west side of the city."
    "Near the Champs-Elysées."
    "I think so."
    "If you can get to some of the other neighborhoods, do it. You'll find fewer tourists and more local flavor."
    "We're changing hotels after the conference, switching to the left bank. I'll be there with Taryn, my good friend from work, but her fiancé is flying over so they'll be doing a romance tour, I'm sure. I want to hit the Louvre and the Musée d'Orsay. Other than that, I'm sure they'll want some alone time, and I'll be exploring on my own."
    "Depending on the weather, you can just sit at a café and watch the world go by for an entire afternoon and not feel like it was a waste," Nick explained.
    He could imagine Micky walking down the streets of Paris. She had an exotic look about her with her dark wavy hair and light eyes fringed with long, fanning lashes. Judging from the excitement in her face over the thought of going to Paris, she'd be positively ecstatic the first time she saw the Eiffel Tower.
    Nick wished he could see her taking in the city for the first time. He could show her all of his favorite spots, like the tiny out of the way bistro on the Left Bank that had the best duck confit and crispy potatoes, or the romanticism of the Ile de la Cité in the heart of the city. With Vivienne, trips to France were old hat. Micky was right. Paris was supposed to be a romantic adventure.
    The thought pained him. That kick of jealousy he felt the other night flooded back, confusing him. He couldn't lose focus.
    "I'll text you some of my favorite places. A lot of them are out of the way from the typical tourist areas."
    "Thanks. When were you last there?"
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