Chapter 52

As I stepped into my office, Chantel was already waiting for me, her arms crossed and an amused expression on her face.

“You’ve barely been gone a day, and what’s that phrase? You’ve got mail. “ she teased.

I smirked. “Hopefully, they’re good ones.”

Following me into my office, she said. “I hope so.”

After turning on my laptop, I opened the the first message. As I scanned the contents, a slow smile spread across my face.

“This is from my contact at MIT,” I murmured.

Chantel leaned on the edge of my desk, watching me intently. “And?”

I exhaled, feeling a surge of excitement. “They’re open to working with me to make this happen. They understand Monique’s situation and see no reason why she can’t complete her final work placement in France, provided the experience is equivalent to what she’d receive in Boston.”

Chantel grinned. “That’s good news. What about the second message?”

I clicked on that one and read through it, my heart lifting even more. “This one is from her professor. She’s spoken very highly of Monique’s work and abilities and has no objections to her gaining work experience in France.”

Chantel let out a low whistle. “So you’re telling me that if everything goes smoothly, Monique won’t have to go back to Boston for three months?”

I nodded. “Exactly. If I can finalize this with the school’s administration, she’ll only need to go back for two weeks in December to graduate.”

Chantel gave me a knowing look. “And then what? You follow her there, celebrate her graduation, and...”

I smirked and ignored the question, but Chantel knew the answer before she asked.

She placed her hands on her hips and sighed dramatically. “You’re making the rest of us look bad, John. What happened to the grumpy workaholic I used to know?”

I chuckled. “He met someone worth changing for.”

Chantel shook her head, but her smile softened. “Well, I’ll do whatever I can to help. Let me know what else you need.”

I glanced at the clock. “Monique will be here in an hour. I want to make at least one more call before she picks me up.”

Chantel nodded. “I’ll keep her distracted if she shows up early.”

As she left my office, I leaned back in my chair, tapping my fingers against my desk. The plan was falling into place faster than I had anticipated. If all goes well, I could have confirmation from MIT and the school administration by tomorrow. After checking my contact list, I picked up the phone and called the admin office to make an appointment for tomorrow with whoever would make the final decision, but the only time available would be early, I would have to rise early and hope Monique slept in. I’d still plan an office visit to keep the charade going.