Read Online Her Best Match: A Romantic Comedy (The Best Girls Book 1) by Tamie Dearen - Free Book Online

she was really protecting those critics from imminent disaster by postponing the change to her awkward dress shoes.
    Slipping into her heels and stashing her running shoes in her oversized handbag, Anne glanced at the clock on her computer. Only seven fifteen. She was really proud of herself. She started checking messages and emails, knowing she needed to finalize the plans for the gala on Friday night. Her first big event. She was glad Katie was still helping her. She felt the pressure to make everything perfect.
    Not only did she have to prepare for the party, but she also had to make travel and hotel arrangements for all the company’s internationally stationed executives. The first ones were due to arrive in New York on Monday morning. Steven Gherring would be holding meetings with international clients all week, but the huge formal party would happen on Friday night. Katie was only working Thursday and Friday this week, so Anne had to handle all the crises in the early part of the week by herself.
    This would be a hectic week for all the employees at Gherring Inc. In evidence of the impending increase in workload, employees poured out of the elevators, hurrying off to get an early start.
    Although she’d only been at Gherring Inc. for a week, Anne was already well liked. Calls of “Morning Anne!”, “Hey Anne!”, “Hi Anne,” kept her looking up to respond.
    Anne liked pretty much everyone, unless they were purposefully rude. She’d always been taught to give people the benefit of the doubt and not to take offense unless she was certain the offending person meant to be offensive. Consequently, anyone who met Anne felt she was a friend, and a number of folks who didn’t have many friends were especially grateful to be on the receiving end of her smile and encouraging words. There were other elevators that serviced the top floor of Town Center Economic Tower, where Gherring Inc. was located, but most employees took the central elevator in hopes of seeing and being seen by Steven Gherring, unless they were late in arriving.
    “Hey Anne,” said a timid male voice from the edge of her desk. Anne looked up to see Tanner West, a thirty-something financial consultant who had moved from Dallas six months ago to join Gherring Inc. “Are you and Sam still having lunch next door today?”
    Anne had invited Tanner to join her and Sam at Papa’s Place after she was forced to admit Mr. Gherring was not going to be Sam’s match-made-in-heaven. Tanner was extremely shy and hadn’t agreed to join the lunch pair immediately. Obviously, he’d gained courage over the weekend.
    “Actually, Tanner, I’m going to be working through lunch every day this week.”
    Tanner looked disappointed, but nodded and turned to go. Anne stopped him.
    “Wait. I was going to ask if you could go with Sam, and y’all could bring something for me when you come back?”
    “Um, sure… if you think she would want to go with me… without you… I mean, I don’t know if she’ll want to go.”
    “I’ll ask her and let you know. I really appreciate it. You’ll be doing me a great favor.”
    “Well, I’ll bring you lunch even if she doesn’t want to go with me.”
    “You’re so sweet, Tanner! I’ll call you later in the morning.” She hoped Sam would agree to go to lunch with him. She’d hate to dash his ego now he’d gotten the courage to meet Sam.
    Anne returned to her work, so absorbed she didn’t notice when a tall brown-haired man with a neatly trimmed goatee walked up to her desk. He stood quietly for several moments, observing her with unabashed interest.
    “ Bon jour, Mademoiselle . Tu est tres jolie !”
    She looked up in surprise at the handsome man in the well-tailored suit that emphasized his broad shoulders. Well, handsome was not an adequate word. He was mouth-watering, smokin’-hot, drop-jaw sexy!
    “ Merci beaucoup !” She couldn’t help being flattered by the attention.
    He flashed a warm smile with even white