Page 56 of Santa Daddies

I smile, though I don’t know who either of these men are. It takes him a second to realize the faux pas.

“Sorry about that. It’s rare for me to talk to anyone who doesn’t know them. Donovan, or Donny as he prefers, works for NightShade in the Talent Division. He’s actually managing the whole department since Tank is focused on security. His husband Grant is a lawyer and a friend of Tank’s. They met and fell in love in this building. Real sweet story. You should get him to tell you sometime.”

My nod is slower this time. It’s not that I don’t pick up what he’s saying. Detail has always been my strong suit. I’m morecurious why he thinks I’m going to be close enough to my new boss to be able to share all of this with him.

Never once in my life have I been friendly in a way where I’d ask anything personal like this. The fact that Chance gave it out so freely tells me more about this arrangement than ever.

Grant must be a friend of his too.That explains how I got this job so easily.

“Don’t frown like that,” Chance grumbles. “You’re too worried about all this stuff. The minute you meet Grant, and then Donny, you’ll get why this works. You fit here, Jerome.”

“Understood.”

At my brief reply, he sighs. I can tell he wants to give me more, yet he knows I won’t budge on this. I’m the type to believe it when I see it.

Inside the small office space, there’s an empty desk and a sign that says to pick up the phone. Chance bypasses it to knock on the largest door. When a voice shouts, “Come in,” he pushes it open and points for me to go first.

Never one to back down from a challenge, I step into the space with all the confidence I can muster. It’s only once I’m through that I spot the man leaning against the bank of windows showing off the gorgeous snow-covered city.

“Chance,” the man says in greeting.

“Grant,” my friend replies. “I’ve brought you your new paralegal slash assistant. Jerome here is exactly who you need.”

I clear my throat to break whatever weird standoff they’re in. When Grant turns my way, I step forward to shake his hand.

“Thank you for the opportunity, sir. I promise to do my best.”

His grip is firm, though not because he’s testing me. I know what those handshakes feel like.

“First rule I have is to drop the formal stuff between us. If you’re a friend of Chance’s, then there’s no need. Even most of our clients aren’t that formal,” he admits.

I nod, forcing my body to loosen. This will be something I have to constantly pay attention to while I settle into the role. I’m not used to being in any type of relaxed environment. Even the place meant for such was never that way for me.

“Since there isn’t anything else for me to do, I’ll leave you both to it. Text me later, and we’ll set up a time to do lunch this week.” Chance claps me on the shoulder before leaving the office. He closes the door behind him as well, enclosing me with this man who is now my boss.

Grant assesses me as he leans back against his large wooden desk. While the rest of the building is decidedly modern, his space is an ode to a more rustic life. It gives me glimpses of the man beneath the suit.

“I’m not sure what all Chance told you about the position…”

“He didn’t say much other than you were a good guy, and I wouldn’t have to worry here. There might have also been some talk about how I’d fit in well, though that could have been him having high hopes.”

His cool demeanor fades as he chuckles. “Sounds about right for him. You got your degree recently?”

“Yes, I did.” It takes everything in me not to call him sir. Grant smiles, as if he knows this and appreciates me trying to do as he asked.

“It’s none of my business, so feel free to tell me not to worry about it, but I’d love to know how a decorated officer becomes a paralegal this late in life”

The wince is involuntary.

“Do you want the long story or the short one?” I ask. It’s obvious I’m not going to get away with keeping details from him.

“Whichever you’re most comfortable with.”

His response is honest enough to push the last of my hesitation away. I’m not one to trust easy, but Grant Mooremight have already cracked through my defenses. No wonder he’s such a good lawyer.

“I’ll keep it short since I’m eager to get started. As you know, I was formerly in law enforcement. While I can’t explicitly say I was discriminated against because of my race, I do believe my looks played a role in why the rest of the men in my department wouldn’t take me seriously. No matter how well I did my job, they were always prepared to bring me down a few notches. With my last major case getting pulled by the Feds, I decided it was time to get out. They were never going to appreciate my hard work. Now I’m here.”

“Now you’re here,” Grant echoed. “And they’re all a bunch of fools for letting you go. Lucky for me, Chance is nice enough to send you my way. I hadn’t truly been looking for help just yet.”