Chapter 54

The restaurant was a charming little place on the outskirts of town, tucked away under the shade of sprawling trees. It wasn’t crowded, just a few other couples enjoying the quiet afternoon.

We chose a small table by the window, and Monique reached across, lacing her fingers through mine as we waited for our meal.

“I like this,” she murmured, her thumb brushing against my skin.

I squeezed her hand. “Lunch?”

She smiled. “Being with you. Just the two of us.”

The food arrived shortly after—a simple but delicious meal of grilled sea bass with fresh vegetables and a light lemon-butter sauce.

We ate slowly, enjoying the moment, our conversation drifting between playful banter and quiet confessions about how much we enjoyed being together. Monique stole bites from my plate, and I let her, pretending to protest just to make her laugh.

When the meal was finished, we lingered for a while, neither of us in a hurry to leave.

“Ready to go home?” Monique finally asked, tilting her head.

I smiled. “Lead the way.”

Back at the house, Monique stretched her arms over her head. “Alright, time to be responsible,” she announced. “I need to do some laundry.”

I groaned dramatically. “And here I thought I’d get to relax.”

She smirked. “Oh no, monsieur. You’re helping.”

I chuckled and followed her as we gathered our clothes. Despite my cast, I did my best to help, carrying small loads and folding what I could. Monique worked efficiently, humming as she sorted through our things, occasionally tossing a piece of clothing at me just to make me laugh.

As we switched loads, I leaned against the counter. “My negotiations should be over tomorrow,” I mentioned. “I need to be at the office by ten.”

Monique nodded. “I’ll drive you again.”

Then she hesitated. “Actually ... can I stay and wait for you?”

I thought quickly. “How about this—you meet the rest of my staff? See what we’re working on? You might enjoy seeing how an actual architectural engineering company operates.”

Her face lit up. “Really?”

“Of course,” I said, smiling.

She hugged me tightly. “That sounds perfect.”

As she prepared dinner, I sent Chantel a quick message:

Monique is staying at the office tomorrow. Let the staff know to keep her busy and show her around—without giving anything away. I’ll explain everything to them next week.

Her reply came swiftly: Understood. This is getting exciting.

I smirked, already imagining Monique’s reaction when I finally told her everything.