9. Anthony
ANTHONY
On Monday morning, I actually started the day early. First, I took Bella to school, then paid the grandmothers a visit at Fragrant Delights. Even though we met regularly, I liked to drop by their store and Mom’s gallery. They were more likely to share things when I stopped by in person.
The store wasn’t open to customers yet, so it was only the two of them as I stepped inside.
“Good morning,” Isabeau exclaimed. “What brings you here?”
“I just dropped Bella off at school. Figured I’d see how you two were doing.”
Celine was pretty high up on a ladder that was propped against the upper shelves. Swear to God, these two wanted to give me a heart attack.
“Celine, I can get whatever you need from up there.”
She looked down at me and laughed. “And what exactly do you think we do when you’re not around?”
“I don’t even want to know.”
“Do you need a refill of shower gel?” Isabeau asked, already heading to the back where they kept everything else besides perfumes .
“Why? You want to give me some more products with, what was it, ambrose?”
She turned to look straight at me, hands on her hips. “You came to mock us this early in the day, Anthony?”
“Not at all.” I cleared my throat. “How’s that antidote coming along?”
Celine started laughing as she carefully got down from the ladder. “We haven’t started yet, but it’s on our to-do list today.”
“Anything I can do to help move things along?”
“My, my,” Isabeau said. “Someone’s very eager for that antidote.”
Fuck yes, I was. “You usually need some info, right, for the people you make the custom perfumes for?” I felt ridiculous even suggesting this. What could I possibly tell the grandmothers about myself that they didn’t already know?
Isabeau shook her head. “You didn’t pay attention. The perfume wouldn’t be for you. It would be for Daisy.”
“Oh, right. Yeah. I forgot.”
“He forgot,” Celine said sarcastically. “If we didn’t love you so much, we would think that you don’t care about what we do at all.”
“I care about you ,” I said honestly. “So, when do you think you’ll have it?”
“These things can’t be hurried,” Celine said in a softer tone, “but we’ll make it a priority.”
“Thanks. Okay then, I’m heading to the office, unless you need anything else?”
Isabeau beamed at me. “We don’t, but thanks for stopping by.”
“Sure.”
Just as I exited the store, several customers filtered in. Isabeau and Celine definitely had a knack for business. The French Quarter was typically very sleepy this time of day. Most of the shops were empty except theirs .
When I arrived at work, I immediately went to Daisy’s office. HR had given her the one next to me, which was perfect.
She was sitting behind her desk, typing furiously. I had a fantastic view of her long legs. She’d crossed them and was tapping the foot that was in the air while she hummed to herself.
So much for being better at exerting self-control at the office.
On Friday, I hadn’t intended to spend that much time with her. I had gone to the festival with a goal in mind: chat with Gregory, give Daisy things to follow up on, and get out of there.
But once I saw her at the bar, I knew that wouldn’t happen.
“Hello.”
Daisy looked at me. “Good morning, Anthony.”
“Good morning.”
She smiled. “I checked the schedule, so it’s an office day today.”
I nodded. “The festival’s running smoothly, so there’s no need for us to stop by again. The jazz competition starts in two weeks.”
“I saw the list you sent me. I’m already halfway through today’s items.”
“You’re an early riser?”
“Yes. I’ve been here since seven thirty.”
I jerked my head back. “That’s not necessary.”
“I know, but I saw the list last night and was pumped to start working.”
“Daisy.” I walked up to her desk. “That’s not how we do things here. I don’t want you to risk burnout. I always preface my emails by saying that I’m sending at that hour because it’s convenient for me, but I don’t expect anyone to reply until they’ve clocked in.”
“I read that, but I still wanted to get started. The only downside,” she said on a yawn, “is that waking up that early in the morning means I’m ready for a nap now.”
I chuckled. “You and me both.”
“How come? ”
I looked away from her, out the window. Somehow, I had to fight my impulse to flirt with her. It seemed even stronger today.
“I volunteered to take Bella to school.”
“Your niece?”
“Yeah. She’s the only one I wake up early for.” I looked back at Daisy.
Her expression softened. “You often do that?”
“No. But from time to time, we have some quality uncle-to-niece talk in the morning. Although, I will say she prefers to have that quality time over beignets at Café Du Monde.”
“Of course she does,” Daisy replied with a laugh.
“Not easy to schedule those, between work and her activities, but she needs to go to school every day.” I cleared my throat, determined to focus on work. “All right, so back to the to-dos…”
She nodded. “I already sent you the first three tasks. Now I’m starting on that sales report you wanted. I don’t have the data yet from Gregory, but as soon as I do, you’ll have it.”
“Thanks. You’re very efficient.”
She shrugged. “I like the job.”
Enough to keep it? a voice said at the back of my mind.
“Okay then, I’ll be in my office.”
“Perfect.”
She started typing again, but I didn’t move. “Did you have a good weekend?”
Daisy glanced up. “Yep. It took me a while to get going on Saturday, though.”
I started to laugh. “The cocktails were on the strong side.”
“Oh, really? I thought I was becoming a lightweight or something, or just getting old.”
“Nah. The Sazerac especially was too strong. Next time I’ll pass on the drinks. They’re fine for the festival—customers are getting their money’s worth—but the bars in the Quarter are much better. Anytime you want the real deal, just let me know. I’ll join you.”
She drew in a sharp breath. I was toeing that fine line .
“You think I need a personal guide to try a Sazerac?” Her eyes were dancing, challenging me. They were light green, almost gray—a color I’d never seen before. She was stunning.
“You might enjoy it more with me there to give you… background information.”
That was the most ridiculous excuse I could’ve come up with. I knew it, and so did she.
Daisy gave me a full-on smile. “I see.”
“But for right now, I’ll let you get back to work.”
“Very generous of you.”
Fucking hell. What was I doing, lingering—and flirting? It was the exact opposite of what I wanted; the very opposite of how I usually was with my assistants. Why was I forgetting all my rules because of Daisy? They were there in place for a good reason. I needed to remember that.
As I headed to my office, I felt a headache coming on. Right, change of plans . I didn’t just want that coffee—I needed it. So, instead of getting to work, I decided to go out.
“Everything okay, boss?” Dorothy asked as I passed her office.
Great. I felt like a kid who got caught with his hand in the cookie jar.
“Thanks, Dorothy. Just heading out for a bit. I’ll be right back.”
She looked at me like I was nuts. Maybe I was. Not sure why I didn’t tell her where I was going. I was the CEO, after all—I could come and go as I pleased.
I went downstairs and out onto Royal Street, then to Maria’s Coffee Shop.
I ordered a simple black roast as usual for myself.
“And I’ll have another one with caramel topping.”
Daisy was going to enjoy this, I was sure.
After a few sips of the caffeinated brew, I was in a much better mood and returned to the office. Fortunately, Dorothy was away from her desk, so I quickly headed straight to Daisy’s office. She glanced up the second I stepped inside.
“You’re back!” She glanced at the coffee cups in my hand. “And you brought treats?”
“Yep. Black coffee for me, one with caramel topping for you,” I explained as I put it on her desk.
She slowly looked from me to the cup and then grabbed it with both hands.
“To what do I owe the pleasure?” she asked as she brought it to her lips.
I tilted my head. “You looked like you needed a pick-me-up.”
Lowering the cup, she grinned. “So, I looked bad?”
I laughed, putting my own coffee down at the edge of her desk and leaning closer to her. “Never.”
I wanted to be even closer. Instead, I straightened up, grabbing my cup, and cleared my throat. “So, how’s everything progressing?”
“I’m all over the jazz competition,” she said, smiling broadly. “God, I love this job even though we’re crazy busy.”
“It’s not always like this,” I assured her. “I just decided to hold the jazz competition at the same time as the festival because it fits the theme.”
And so it went. We worked on the jazz competition for the rest of the week.
Since the festival was going great, there was no need for us to focus on it anymore.
After it was over, we’d do a cost analysis of the event to better plan for next year, but that would happen in due time.
That meant this week, we were always in the office, and that proved to be difficult.
Last week, I’d done my very best to stay out of Daisy’s office, but now I was finding any excuse to go in. And I wasn’t even sorry about it.
Most of the time, I did have a good reason. Some things were simply resolved quicker in person. But sometimes I just passed by her door and found myself walking in instead of passing by, such as on Friday evening.
There was something about Fridays .
Daisy was sitting on her desk, her legs dangling as she scrolled on her phone, laughing.
“Am I interrupting?” I asked.
She looked up at me and then quickly back at her phone. “I’m off the clock, technically, so don’t yell at me.”
God, she was cute.
“I know. I’m just surprised you’re still here.”
“Oh, I’m just killing time until I pick up my best friend from the airport.”
I raised a brow. “You’ve got a visitor this weekend?”
“Yes. I can’t wait to see her.”
“Is she flying in from Chicago?”
Daisy shook her head. “No, I don’t have any friends left in Chicago anymore.”
There was a story behind that, I was certain, but now wasn’t the time.
“Annelise grew up in North Dakota, same town. She’s practically my sister, and she still lives back home, not far from where my parents are.”
“You’re showing her around New Orleans?”
“Yes.” She nodded excitedly. “I can’t wait to hug her and catch up with her. She knows me better than anyone. I want to pick her brain on some things.”
“Want to share?” I asked. “Maybe I can help.”
She smiled playfully. Something changed between us this week. I was far more forward, and she wasn’t really giving me any pushback. And I fucking loved it. Did I know it was a bad idea? Yes. Was I planning to stop? No way in hell.
“Well, I told you that I like to spoil my parents with a vacation every summer.”
“Yes, you did.”
“And I need to convince them to go away somewhere for New Year’s Eve as well. They work a lot, and they deserve a break. But I know they won’t take one unless they’re away, and they won’t go anywhere unless someone gives them tickets to go. But I just don’t know how to convince them.”
“Where would you send them?”
“New York. They’ve never been. Mom would love it. She always talks about seeing the Christmas tree at Rockefeller Center. Then they could see the ball drop in Times Square.”
“Yeah, that’s pretty awesome. What are you doing for New Year’s Eve?” I asked.
“Nothing. The budget is a bit tighter than usual. If I’m still in New Orleans by then, I’ll join some celebrations on the street or something. But I truly want to do something special for my parents.”
Fucking hell, I liked this woman more with every word she uttered. I’d never met someone so like me when it came to caring about their family. Never .
“Convince them it’s important for you .”
She perked up. “What?”
I nodded. “That’s what I do when I want to convince my grandparents of something they would say no to otherwise.”
She sucked in her cheek, as if she was biting into it. “Can you give me an example?”
“I told my grandfathers that it’s calming to me, too, when I go out with them on the bayou to fish. That nature helps me relax. If I told them that I’m just going to chaperone them, they’d throw a fit.”
“I’m not sure how I can do that in my case, but thanks for the idea.”
I shrugged. “It’s not always foolproof. Sometimes they catch on, and then I backpedal.”
“Really?”
“Well, usually I just fess up.”
She laughed, then glanced down at her phone. “The Flight Radar app said she’s landing in a few minutes. I’d better go.”
I was having an internal fight with myself. I wanted to tell her I’d take her to the airport and we could pick up her friend together. But there was no way to put a professional spin on that, so instead I just said, “See you at the jazz competition.”
“Of course! I wouldn’t miss the first evening after all the work we’ve done.”
“Then I’ll see you later.”
I made the mistake of glancing down. Fucking hell, I had a straight view of that pendant touching her breasts again.
I looked up immediately, chastising myself.
I’d had only one rule this week—not to look down.
Something about that pendant messed with my mind.
But as usual, my self-restraint had weakened by the end of the week.
I didn’t linger in Daisy’s office anymore. She needed to leave, and anyway, I was going to see her in two days. I was fucking ecstatic about it.