I’m checking myself out in the mirror one last time when there’s a knock on the door. Since Ben told me he’d pick me up on the way down, I grab my purse so he doesn’t have to wait, but when I swing the door open, I find not one but two guys standing at my door.
On the left is Ben, dressed in his crisp expensive gray suit that looks like it was tailored for him, and to the right of him is Brody, dressed in a pair of navy-blue dress slacks and a white button-up shirt with a blue, white, and maroon vest, complete with a matching tie. And in his hands is a… “Why do you have a plant?”
Both guys laugh.
“It’s for your office,” Brody says, handing it to me. “For good luck.”
I take the plant from him and hold it close to my chest as Ben takes over. “It’s a money plant. The guy at the store said it’s supposed to enhance the energy of wealth. And since you deal with money…”
“You bought me a plant?” I choke out, suddenly filled with raw emotion. “For good luck?”
They both nod in unison, looking at me like I’m borderline crazy.
“Nobody’s ever bought me flowers… or a plant before,” I explain. “Thank you.” I pull Brody into a hug and then Ben. “This means a lot to me.”
My eyes sting with unshed tears, but I keep them at bay, not wanting to scare the guys away. I’ve learned over the years that men hate women who cry.
“I hope you have a wonderful first day back at school,” I tell Brody a few minutes later as he steps into the hired car.
“Thanks. See you tonight.” He looks at his dad. “Thank you again for getting me back in.”
Ben nods once. “Have a good day.”
Once he’s gone, Ben snags us a cab. We stop in at the deli to have breakfast and coffee and then head into the building.
“You look nervous,” Ben says, handing me my plant. Being the gentleman he is, he held it for me while we were walking so I could finish my coffee.
“I am. I want to be great, and this is all I have left. If I’m not great at this, then…” My words trail off, and Ben lifts my chin with his thumb and forefinger.
“You’re going to be great. But remember it’s your first day, so you’ll probably be a little overwhelmed, and if you’re not great today, it’s okay.”
His words relax me slightly. “Thank you.”
The moment I step off the elevator, I’m met by David, who greets me with a smile. We spend the first part of the morning going over my job in detail as well as the expectations, and the second half is spent in what he calls the Monday morning meeting. Apparently, once I get the hang of things, I’ll be running it for the accounting department. Everyone is warm and welcoming, and the morning flies by. Before I know it, it’s after noon, I’m in my office running numbers, and my stomach is rumbling.
I’m about to ask Florence, the accounting department’s secretary, if she knows of anywhere good to eat when there’s a knock on my open door.
I glance up and find Ben standing in the doorway with a brown bag dangling from his fingers. My stomach tightens, but I push the feeling away. “Figured you might be hungry,” he says with a small smile. “I brought Greek.”
“I was just about to attempt to find somewhere to eat,” I tell him, standing to greet him.
“Whenever I get busy with work, I forget to eat.” He walks over to the table and sets the food down. “How’s it going?”
“Really good.” I sit while he dishes out the food. It all smells delicious and has my belly growling in want. “I was a little worried because the company I used to work at was owned by my ex-father-in-law and ex-husband, and both of them were horrible, and then the other day when I ran into your meeting…”
He chuckles. “So, you were scared every company comes with an egotistical, cold-hearted asshole?”
I shrug. “If it’s worth anything, you’re different outside of your boardroom.”
He nods. “I’m not always like that. I was having a bad moment. I bought my team breakfast this morning to apologize.” He pops open a can of sweet tea and hands it to me. “So, you were married?”
“Yeah. Stupid decision on my part. We’re divorced now. It’s the reason I moved here. For a fresh start.”
“Savannah, I’m going to grab—” David pokes his head in, and when he sees Ben, he stops his train of thought and grins. “Oh, I’m sorry. I didn’t realize you had a lunch date.” He steps in, and Ben stands to shake David’s hand, but he’s pulled into a hug instead. “I heard you were back.”
“I am. It’s good to see you.”
“You, too. How’s your dad? I haven’t seen him at the club lately, and he’s missed the past few men’s nights.”
Benjamin frowns. “Really? He wasn’t with you this weekend?”
David’s brow furrows. “No… Did he say he was?”
“I must’ve misunderstood him,” Ben mutters, but his tone conveys something is wrong.
“I’m leaving on a business trip tomorrow, but when I get back, we’ll have to do dinner.”
“Sounds good,” Ben says. “I’m sure Brody will love to see you.”
David laughs. “That’s right. I heard from Lucas he’s living with you. How’s he doing?”
“He is.” Ben’s face lights up. “He’s doing better. Was going through a rough patch, but I think we’re getting through it.” His eyes land on mine, and the corners of his lips spread into a sexy smile, making my heart beat faster.
“Good, good. I’m sure he’s no worse than you and Lucas were at his age.” David chuckles and glances at me. “It was a full-time job just to keep those boys out of trouble and in school.” He clasps his hand on Ben’s shoulder. “I’ll let you two eat your lunch. I wanted to make sure Savannah was settling in okay and taking a break for lunch. But I can see she’s in good hands.” He turns his attention to me. “In case I don’t see you before you leave today, Lucas and Brianne will be back in tomorrow, as I’m sure you know, so if you need anything while I’m gone, let them know.”
“Thank you,” I tell him. “Have a good trip.”
Once he’s gone, Benjamin and I continue our lunch, but he feels off, sort of distant. He’s not rude, but his mind is clearly elsewhere. When his phone goes off with a text, he doesn’t even notice until I point it out to him.
“It’s Brody,” he says. “The football coach invited him to join the team for practice after school, so he wants to know if he can stay.”
“That’s good. He said he wanted to play, and if I recall, participation requires good grades.”
He nods absently, typing on his phone. “Yeah. I told him he could.” He collects the trash and shoves it into the bag.
“Thank you again for lunch,” I tell him as I walk him to the door.
“You’re welcome. Enjoy the rest of your day.”
He saunters out of the office with a confident swagger most couldn’t pull off, and I can’t help but notice all the women—and even some of the men—stare.