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“Jonas!” I greet him warmly. “Good morning.”
“Good morning, Ms. Dalton. Oh. I guess it’s Mrs. Dalton now, right? Or did you change your name?”
I shake my head. “Nope, still Dalton. It would have gotten confusing with so many last names to deal with.” Not to mention the fact that it wouldn’t have been worth it to change my name, only to have to change it all back once we ended the marriage in a year.
All three of the men exchange a look with each other, and I frown, not knowing what that’s about. It’s not like I told Jonas anything I shouldn’t have.
Jonas nods with his usual friendly smile. “I understand that.”
I slide across the leather seats, leaving room for the others to get in as well. Jonas closes the doors and gets behind the wheel, backing down the driveway.
Jonas and I chat as he drives, and the more times I ride in the car with him behind the wheel, the easier it gets. I ask him about his family and find out about his sister, who has gone back to school because she wants to be a nurse.
“That’s really admirable,” I say, leaning forward so I can smile at him in the rearview mirror. “Going to school the first time is hard enough for some people, but going back when you’ve already got a life and everything has to be even harder.”
He nods, signaling and moving smoothly into another lane to take the exit for the office. “It’s a lot of work from what I understand. She uses a lot of words I don’t know, but she seems happy.”
“That’s what matters. Tell her I’m rooting for her.” I frown, catching up to myself. “If you don’t think that would be weird. I don’t know how she’d feel about a stranger wishing her luck.”
Jonas laughs. “At this point, I don’t think she’d mind luck from any corner. There’s a lot of reading involved.”
We both laugh at that, but before I can launch into another question, Tristan clears his throat pointedly. When I look overat him, he has a somewhat sour expression on his face, and I wonder what his issue is with me talking to someone else. It’s not like he wants to talk to me. It’s not like he says more than two words to me at a time most of the time. Maybe he’s just tired of hearing my voice this early in the morning.
Either way, I lapse into silence and the rest of the ride is quiet.
When we get to the office, Jonas wishes us all a good day, and I give him one last smile before getting in the elevator. It arrives at the right floor, and I get off, ready to go down the hall to my desk.
But Xavier snags my wrist before I can.
“Hold on,” he says. “You don’t work down there anymore.”
“I… don’t?” I frown. “What do you mean?”
He has a playful smile on his face, and his green eyes are alight with good humor. “Follow me.”
Tristan peels off to go to his own office, presumably, but Dominic falls into step with us, going down the hall to whatever Xavier wants to show me.
He stops in front of a door, and I’m about to ask what we’re doing there when I glance up and see the name plate on the door. It’s my name. Penelope Dalton, there engraved into the metal.
“Oh,” I say softly.
“Go on in,” Xavier replies.
I step inside, and it’s incredible. It’s nowhere near as big and spacious as any of the men’ offices, but they’re the CEOs, that’s to be expected.
The desk is dark wood, and the computer on top of it is nicer than the one I was using before, when I worked out with all the other assistants in the open area. The chair looks so comfortable, and the windows on the back wall let in enough light that the overhead light isn’t even necessary.
It’s cozy, rather than ostentatious, and it’s honestly perfect.
“This is… so nice,” I breathe. “Why?”
Xavier shrugs. “If you’re going to keep working here, then you deserve a nice office at the very least. Call it part of the benefits package.”
“Thank you,” I say, glancing at him and then at Dominic. “This is really, really nice.”
Dominic’s lips twitch in something that could be described as a tiny smile. “Can’t have anyone saying we don’t take care of our wife,” he says. He checks his watch and then makes a face. “Xavier, we have a meeting in five.”
“Right, right. Have a good day.” The last is directed at me, and I wave as the two of them head out to go do their big, important jobs, leaving me alone in my office. My office. I’ve never had a space like this that was just mine before.