“Very nice.” Nicole took the offered cup from Monique.
“The boss believes in doing little things like this to keep us happy.” Monique shrugged as they sat down at one of the tables. “He’s really not bad once you get to know him.”
“Time will tell.” After adding cream and sugar, Nicole sipped her coffee and felt some of the tension leaving her. “He’s upset because I’m late.”
“You had a wedding to attend, right?”
“Yes.” Nicole smiled fondly. “My brother’s.”
“Well, you couldn’t miss that.”
“No, I couldn’t.” Nicole sighed. “I wish Mr. James understood that.”
“He’ll get over it,” Monique predicted. “Just wow him with your fabulous work ethic and tremendous talent.”
“I’ll try.”
“You’ll be fine, and like I said, I’ll help you in any way I can.”
“Thank you.”
“You’re welcome.” Monique squeezed her hand and winked. “We New Yorkers have to stick together.”
“Definitely.” Nicole returned her smile, feeling at ease for the first time that morning.
* * *
Victor James entered his older brother’s office without knocking. He chuckled at Alex’s raised eyebrow as he plopped down on the edge of his desk.
“Hey bro, what’s up?”
Alex frowned. “I’m trying to get some work done.”
“Well, that’s why I’m here.” At his brother’s confused stare, Victor reminded him, “You said your computer was, in your words, acting squirrely.”
“Oh, yeah.” Alex sighed, pushing away from his desk and motioning for Victor to come over. “I don’t know what’s wrong with this thing.”
“Let me see what you’ve done to her.” Victor’s sigh elicited a chuckle from his brother.
“She is right,” Alex disgustedly agreed. “This thing is as temperamental as any woman I’ve ever known.”
“You just don’t know how to handle her,” Victor chided as he continued typing on the keyboard, turning the screen completely black.
“I guess I don’t,” Alex agreed as he watched his brother work his magic. The man was a genius with computers.
Victor owned Delphine Computers and handled all the software needs for Alexander’s. At twenty-nine, he was three years younger than Alex, and the two had always been close, especially since their parents died five years ago in a plane crash.
“There you go.” Victor smiled with satisfaction a few minutes later. “She’s as good as new.”
Alex returned to his seat and tested out the computer. He heaved a sigh of relief when the blasted machine did what he wanted it to without fighting him.
“Thanks, man. You’re a lifesaver.”
“De nada.” Victor bowed before resuming his perch on the edge of Alex’s desk. “By the way, who was the honey I saw leaving your office with Monique a few minutes ago?”
“That was our new junior associate, which means she’s off-limits to you,” Alex warned.
“She looked mad. What did you do to her?”
“I didn’t do anything to her,” Alex denied with a frown. “She took her sweet time about getting here, and I let her know I didn’t appreciate it.”
Victor’s brows creased thoughtfully. “Is she the one from New York who had a last-minute funeral to attend?”
“A wedding,” Alex corrected around a chuckle. “Her brother’s, to be exact.”
“Well, that was a good reason for the delay.” Victor studied his brother’s sour expression. “Wasn’t it?”
“Yeah, I guess.” Alex reclined in his chair.
“But?”
“If she was as dedicated as she professes to be, she would have been here on time.”
“Come on Alex, it was her brother’s wedding.” He grinned. “You wouldn’t miss my wedding, would you?”
“Definitely not.” He twirled a pen in his fingers. “I’d be glad to be rid of you.”
“You know you’d be bawling like a baby at the thought,” Victor asserted.
“Yeah, go on and delude yourself.” Alex laughed. “Anyway, we’re not talking about me and what I would have done.”
“Okay, point taken. What did she miss, really? Tell me.” At his brother’s silence, he admonished, “You need to lighten up, bro.”
“I have a business to run, and I need dedicated people around me.” Alex refused to give an inch.
“Who says she’s not dedicated? She’s here, isn’t she?”
“Yeah.” She was here all right, upsetting his equilibrium.
“Give the kid a break, Alex.” Victor slapped him on the shoulder. “She’s in a new country, starting a new job, and then she has to run into your foul temper.” Victor sighed theatrically. “It’s just too much for anyone to have to bear.”
“Shouldn’t you be somewhere doing something useful?” Alex chuckled in spite of himself.
“Not until this afternoon.” Victor glanced without interest at his watch. “My morning’s free.”
“Well, I do have a lot of work to get through.” Alex pointedly glanced at his brother before picking up some sketches from his desk to review.
Victor stood. “Oh, is that your not-so-subtle way of telling me to get lost?”
“We both know subtlety doesn’t work with you.” Alex grinned as his brother walked to the door.
“Just so you know, I don’t appreciate being used and discarded,” Victor huffed.
“You should be used to it by now,” Alex good-naturedly rejoined.
“Sad, but true,” Victor lamented. “Hey, tell you what.”
“What?”
“I’ll take the babe off your hands and escort her to the fashion show at the end of April,” he magnanimously offered.
“No, I’ll take her,” Alex quickly asserted, having no idea why his brother’s offer irritated him immensely.
“Ah-ha!” Victor shouted, and Alex grimaced. “So you want to take her then?”
“No, I don’t want to take her,” Alex quickly denied.
“Then let me,” Victor offered again.
“It’s my responsibility.”
“You and your responsibility.” Victor groaned in disgust.
“One of us has to be responsible,” Alex drily asserted.
“You wound me, bro.”
“You’ll live,” Alex promised. “Now will you get out of here?”
“Okay, I’m going. I think I’ll see if I can spot...” He paused. “What’s her name?”
“Nicole,” Alex reluctantly offered. “Nicole Carter.”
“Nicole...Nicole.” Victor fit his tongue around her name with several different emphases. “Oh, I like that.”
“Goodbye,