“I’ll do my best,” Janet said, with no idea how she was going to manage it.
“Just be yourself,” Edward told her. “Mr. Armstrong already thinks you’re amazing. I happen to agree.”
“What time is the meeting?” Janet wondered.
“We have five minutes,” Edward replied, pulling her into another kiss.
Chapter 6
In a small loo next to the conference room, Janet reapplied her lipstick and ran a comb through her hair. When she emerged, Edward offered her his arm.
“Ready?” he asked as he led her to a lift.
“Not at all,” she replied as the doors slid open.
They rode in silence to the top floor. Edward escorted her down a long corridor to the last room in the hall. He knocked and then gave her an encouraging smile.
“It’s going to be fine,” he assured her.
The door swung open and Janet found herself staring at the business end of some sort of gun.
“Put it away,” Edward snarled at the man in the black suit. “You should know better than to have that out.”
The man shrugged. “Mr. Armstrong and I were talking about guns. I had it in my hand already.”
Edward frowned. “Ms. Markham, this is Mr. Harrison. He’s another member of Mr. Armstrong’s security team. Mr. Harrison, this is Janet Markham. She’s going to be working as a translator for Mr. Armstrong.”
“Excellent,” Bobby said loudly from across the room. “I was afraid the men in suits would scare you away,” he told Janet.
“This one very nearly did,” Janet replied, nodding towards Mr. Harrison, who was still holding the gun.
“Put the weapon away,” Edward said tightly.
Mr. Harrison shrugged and then slid the gun into a pocket or a holster or somewhere. Janet didn’t want to know.
“I hope the men in suits didn’t give you a hard time,” Bobby said to Janet. “I told them it wasn’t any of their business who I hired, but they didn’t seem to agree.”
“They were perfectly fine,” Janet assured him. “You should be pleased that they’re doing what they can to look after you.”
He shrugged. “I hate feeling caged in. I’d almost rather take my chances against whoever it is that’s trying to kill me.”
“If you keep sneaking out, you may find yourself doing just that,” Edward suggested.
Bobby shrugged. “I didn’t sneak out. I just went to get some coffee. Everyone else was jet lagged. I didn’t want to bother you. It didn’t seem like a big deal.”
A loud buzzing noise kept Edward from replying.
“It’s time for the meeting,” Bobby said. “Janet, this is simply a meeting between myself and the others who came to Paris with me. The entire conversation will be in English, but I’d like you to come along so that you can begin to understand what’s going to be happening in future meetings, the ones where I’ll need you to translate.”
Janet nodded. “I’m looking forward to meeting everyone, as well,” she said.
He shrugged. “My security team here seems to think that one of my entourage is trying to kill me. Maybe you’ll be able to work out who is behind the various attempts on my life.”
“I thought you had security just because that’s what wealthy people do,” Janet said. “Are you telling me that someone is actually trying to kill you?”
Bobby nodded. “Luckily for me, they’re not very good at it. Still, even amateurs get lucky sometimes. That’s why I have men with guns around me.”
“I can see why those men were upset that you went out alone this morning,” Janet said.
“I’ll be more careful from now on,” Bobby promised. “But we’re going to be late. Come and meet the team and learn all about our business strategy.”
He offered his arm and turned towards the door. “Where are we going?” he asked Edward.
“Conference room three,” Edward replied. “It was booked for eleven.”
“It won’t take more than an hour,” Bobby told Janet. “Because I’m starving. Actually, I was ready for lunch an hour ago.”
He led her and Edward to the lifts. Mr. Harrison remained behind in Bobby’s suite.
“So, Janet Markham, you told me that you own a bed and breakfast with your sister. Does that mean you aren’t married?” Bobby asked as the lift descended.
Janet froze for a moment. “Actually, I am married,” she said eventually. “My husband was supposed to be with me in Paris, but at the last minute something came up with his work.”
Bobby frowned. “You’re married to someone like me, a workaholic. How long have you been married?”
“Not long. My husband is supposed to be retired, but, as you say, he’s a workaholic.”
The lift doors opened and Bobby led Janet and Edward down the corridor. He stopped outside the door to the conference room.
“Everything we say in here has to be confidential,” he told Janet. “If word gets out about what we’re planning, it could ruin more than one deal.”
Janet nodded. “I understand.”
Bobby opened the door and stepped back to let Janet enter first. She smiled brightly as she walked into the room. There were five people already sitting around the table. Two of them gave her curious looks, but the other three were busy on their mobile phones and didn’t even look up. When Bobby entered, he cleared his throat. Mobile phones quickly disappeared and everyone sat up and looked at Bobby.
“Good morning,” he said. “After flying from Texas to New York and then New York to London and then London to Paris, I’ve lost all track of time. All I know is that I’m starving and ready for
