Chapter 73

By the time we arrived home, Monique was practically vibrating with excitement. She had been quiet in the car, deep in thought, but the moment we stepped into the kitchen, she let it all out.

“We need to contact my professor to arrange correspondence for assignments,” she started, moving around the kitchen with quick, purposeful steps. “And I have to let my friend in Boston know about my things in storage—maybe she can ship them over or at least hold onto them a little longer. And my parents, we need to tell them—oh! And—”

I sat back at the table, watching with an amused smile as she rattled off her thoughts, barely pausing to take a breath.

She was radiant when she was like this, brimming with energy and determination.

Finally, I held up my hands, and she stopped mid-sentence, blinking at me. “What?”

I chuckled. “Mon amour, slow down. We have time to figure everything out. It’s still a month away.”

She let out a breath, laughing at herself. “I know. I’m just ... I’m still a little in shock. This is huge for me, John.”

I reached for her hand, squeezing it gently. “I know. And you deserve it. But for now, let’s eat. We need our strength for all this planning.”

She smiled, nodding, and turned back to preparing lunch.

Lunch was simple—a spread of cold meats and cheese on fresh baguette, with a crisp white wine to accompany it. We sat across from each other at the table, enjoying the meal as I explained her role at the firm.

“You won’t be a gopher,” I said firmly. “No coffee runs, no making copies for other people. You’ll be a junior member of the team, assigned real work that Marc will oversee. Your tasks will be meaningful, and your contributions will matter.”

Monique sat up straighter, taking it all in. “I can’t tell you how much that means to me. My last work placement ... it wasn’t great. I learned almost nothing because all they had me doing was busywork.”

I nodded. “That won’t happen here. You’ll be expected to think, to design, to contribute ideas. You have talent, Monique. Everyone who has ever worked with you knows it.”

She bit her lip, emotion flickering in her eyes. “I promise to work hard. I want to make you proud.”

I smiled. “You already do.”

She exhaled, relaxing slightly. “Thank you for believing in me.”

“I always will.”

Monique looked at me for a long moment before breaking into a grin. “You know what I think we need?”

I raised an eyebrow. “What?”

“A little time to just enjoy this before we get caught up in planning everything. Let’s pack for Geneva now, then relax in the hot tub before dinner.”

I smirked. “I like the way you think.”