"I had just finished turning it on when I heard the back door," Cale assured her, accepting the cup sheheld out. He took a sip, sighed with pleasure, then moved to the desk.
"You got a chair," she said with surprise, noticing the desk chair behind the desk. Her desk chair, she realized, recognizing the dark brown leather model she'd ordered and been told was back-ordered and wouldn't show up for six weeks.
"I happened to find the bill for the chair as I was organizing your papers. When I saw that it was back-ordered, I called and made arrangements to have the display model brought over until your own chair arrives. It makes it easier to work than sitting on the floor."
"They agreed to that?" she asked with amazement.
"Oui. Once I pointed out that according to the receipt it was supposed to be delivered last week, and that delays and disappointments like this were bad business and might not make good press," he added with a devilish grin. "When I then suggested they bring the display around for you to use in the meantime, the manager agreed readily enough."
"Bad press?" she asked with amusement.
Cale shrugged. "I was tired of sitting on the floor. Besides, I could get it mentioned in an article easily enough if I put my mind to it."
"Hmm," she murmured, peering at the chair with a little sigh of pleasure. It looked as good as she'd thought it would, and her own model would look even better since it would be minus the few scuffs and scratches this one had.
"I took care of the paint matter as well," Cale announced, moving around the desk to begin sorting through papers on it. She recognized the bill for the paint when he pulled it out of the pile. "After the table and chairs arrived, I took the paint cans into the store and showed them that the cans read White Sand but obviously weren't White Sand. The manager agreed they'd been mixed wrong. He's going to reimburse you for the paint, as well as the cost of the painters, and asked me to give you his apologies."
"Wow," Alex murmured, peering down at the receipt he handed her. It had a bunch of incomprehensible scribbling on it now and what appeared to be a signature. Probably the manager's, she guessed, and then glanced to Cale as he began sorting through the papers again.
"Unfortunately, I couldn't do anything about the carpet. Your project manager signed for that despite its being the incorrect color. However, I stopped at the store where you bought the tiles. I pointed out that the fault was the salesman's, and that you shouldn't be expected to double-check his numbers. I also pointed out that while the numbers were wrong, the color written beside the numbers was correct, and that would have been what you checked. I suggested a judge would probably agree." He paused to smile at her, and then held out that bill as well, and said, "He agreed to reimburse you for the tiles."
"He did?" Alex breathed as the threat of bankruptcy receded in her mind. Dear God, with the return of the money for those damned expensive Italian tiles, she'd even have money in her savings again. Not much, but something.
"Oui. He did ... with a little persuasion and a couple of threats," Cale added dryly, and then cautioned, "You still have to eat the cost of both installations. He wouldn't bend on that, but since he was taking a big hit on what was essentially a mistake by his sales guy, I didn't push too-"
Cale's words died on an "oomph" of surprise as Alex suddenly launched herself at him with a squeal. She hugged him hard, then caught his face in both hands, kissed him on both cheeks, and proclaimed, "You are a god!"
Cale chuckled at her excitement and slid his arms around her waist. "Well, I'm glad you're satisfied with my work, ma'am."
"Satisfied?" she asked with a laugh. "I've never been this satisfied in my life. Getting reimbursed for the tiles is better than ... well, better than sex even."
"Then you've been ha**ng s*x with the wrong people," he assured her solemnly, and Alex was suddenly conscious of several things. That she was his boss and he an employee, that they were in her office, and that she was in his arms ... and shouldn't be. Geez, he could charge her with sexual harassment.
Suddenly flustered, she pulled away from him, aware that her face was flushing a bright red. He frowned but let her go without protest. Alex immediately turned toward the door, saying in tones as businesslike as she could manage, "I guess I'd better get to the old restaurant to prep before the dinner hour starts. And you should go home-well to your hotel and catch some sleep. You must be exhausted." She stopped walkingsuddenly and turned back with concern. "This is Saturday. You didn't have to give up any plans to visit family today to stay here, did you?"
"No," Cale assured her quietly as he moved to turn off the coffeepot. As he straightened, he added, "In fact, I had the day clear with only plans for a late supper with my cousin Thomas and his wife Inez."
Alex sighed unhappily at this news. "And thanks to me you've been up all night and day and will probably be too exhausted to enjoy the visit."
"I'll catch a nap before I meet them," he assured her as he retrieved his coat from the back of the desk chair. "It's going to be a very late dinner, and then I'm driving them to the airport. They came for the wedding," he explained, "but Inez needs to get back to work, so they're flying back to Europe tonight."
"Europe?" she asked with surprise.
"England," he clarified. "While it's only a two-and-a-half-hour journey there from Paris, and wouldn't seem far to a Canadian, to us it's considered an overnight trip, so we don't see each other much despite his being in Europe."
"Ah." Alex nodded with a faint smile, relaxing a little. "I remember that from being there. You guys have a different view of travel than we do."
Cale nodded. "Anyway, I'm visiting with them tonight, but I'll check in at your other restaurant at closing time and see that all is well."
Alex clucked and shook her head. "Don't be silly. You're not expected to work all hours of the day and night. Which reminds me, what days do you want towork?" When he hesitated, she pointed out. "This is Saturday, and normally I wouldn't think you'd be working Saturdays because the banks and most businesses are closed on weekends. You'll probably want to work Monday through Friday. Yes? "
Cale nodded. "That sounds fine."
"But you should also get a full weekend, so if you want this Monday off-" she began.
"No, no. I'll work Monday," he assured her. "I've been on vacation this last week, remember."
Alex hesitated, but then nodded. "Okay. I'll see you next week then."