Page 56 of Some Sort of Happy (Happy Crazy Love 1)
He straightened up and approached me at the desk. “Hi. We have an appointment with Malcolm Pryce at three fifteen. Lucas Fournier.”
I noticed he had a slight accent. “Of course. I’ll let him know you’re here.” But after fumbling for a moment with the complicated phone on Lorena’s desk, trying to use the intercom, I gave up. “OK, forget this thing. I’ll just go back there and tell him.”
“Thanks.” He smiled, but quickly turned his attention back to his wife.
I went down the hall and knocked on Malcolm’s open door. “Your clients are here. Fournier?”
“Oh, right. Fuck. ” He pushed back from his desk, which was a mess. It drove me crazy how disorganized he was. How the hell could he find anything in this shit pile? “I need a few minutes. I’ll meet with them in the conference room. Can you show them in?”
“Sure.”
“Great, thanks.” He stood up and straightened his tie before stacking some paperwork together.
Back up front, I found Lucas Fournier seated next to his wife, her hand in his. “Malcolm will be right up,” I told them. “In the meantime, I’ll take you into the conference room. I’m Sebastian, Malcolm’s brother.”
“Nice to meet you.” Lucas got to his feet and shook my hand before helping his wife rise slowly from her chair. “This is my wife, Mia.”
“Hi.” She shook my hand as well. “Sorry I’m a little green in the face. This pregnancy is killing me.”
“Oh.” I wasn’t sure what to say. “Congratulations?” I tried.
She smiled. “Exactly.”
“This way, please.” I showed them to the conference room and got them each a water bottle from the fridge in the kitchen across the hall.
“Thank you,” Mia said gratefully, unscrewing the cap and chugging the water. “I’m so thirsty all the time.”
“It’s because you’re working too much,” scolded her husband. But he did it gently. “You need to hire someone to help you.”
“Yes, I know. I’ll get around to it. But I haven’t found anyone I trust yet, and I like things done a certain way.” She tipped back the water bottle again and probably didn’t see him roll his eyes.
“Yes, I know. But you said you’d hire someone by the end of the month, and if you don’t, I will.”
“What do you do?” I asked, mostly to be polite.
“We own Abelard Vineyards,” he answered, pulling out his wallet and handing me a business card.
“Oh, nice.” I studied the card, my mind clicking. “I’ve heard of it. You took over from another winery a few years ago, right?”
“Yes, and bought some property adjacent to it, which is why we’re here. There’s a dispute over the property line with a neighboring farm, and we’ve already planted the area in question.” Lucas glanced at his wife. “We’re also expanding our tasting room and events schedule this summer, which is why we need to hire more help now.”
She ignored him. “Can I use your bathroom please?”
“Sure.” I gestured behind me. “It’s just down the hall to the left.”
“Thanks.” She looked at Lucas. “Be right back.”
He watched her leave, shaking his head. “She just went at the doctor’s office. It’s insane.”
I had no fucking idea what to say to that. What possible appropriate comment was there to make about his wife’s bladder? Luckily, he saved me.
“This is our third, so you’d think I’d remember all this.”
“Wow. Three.” I’d never pictured myself with kids, and Diana hadn’t wanted any, so I couldn’t imagine life with one, let alone three.
“Yeah, that’s why she needs an assistant. But she’s so damn stubborn.” He shook his head.
“What sort of help does your wife need? I know someone who was the assistant tasting room manager at Rivard, but she’s looking to do a little more.”
