Epilogue
One month later
Veronica was at her wit’s end. Every applicant they got for the administrative assistant position was a poor fit. They were nice enough people, but they either didn’t have the experience or the patience for the type of work that would be required of them.
Sighing heavily, she tried to focus on the spreadsheet on her screen. She couldn’t work late today because, as of tonight, she was moving in with Jasper. They planned to spend the weekend getting all her things brought over. Anything she didn’t want to keep was being sold or donated.
She had to get the work done before five because she would not be late for her first night of officially living with Jasper. And, just as he predicted, his parents had taken his side in regard to Jasmine. They were awesome.
Her own parents were ecstatic for her. Her mom was so excited that she finally met a man who loved her exactly how she was. Veronica was pretty sure her parents liked Jasper even more than they liked her. Well, maybe not, but sometimes it seemed so.
Also, as Jasper predicted, his brother and Prema had handled the issue of Jasmine well. Prema apologized for her sister’s behavior, though Veronica told her it wasn’t necessary, and explained that Jasmine had developed a pretty intense crush on Jasper as soon as the families had all met. She thought the wedding would be her chance to have him see her for who she really was.
According to Prema, Jasmine was embarrassed by her behavior and had started dating a very nice man that Milo met through work.
As she contemplated all of the this, the front door to the office opened and an older woman strutted in, her short auburn hair styled in a sleek bob. Pale skin glowed with vitality and there was nary a wrinkle in sight, but something about the way she held herself gave Veronica the impression that she was older than she appeared.
That and all her emotions were buried beneath a vault made of stone. There was no stray threat of anger or happiness hanging from her anywhere.
She walked right up to Veronica’s desk and held out her hand. Without thinking, Veronica put her hand in the woman’s and shook it.
“Hello, dear. My name is Zelda Forest and I’m here about the administrative assistant position.”
Veronica smiled, but she knew it didn’t reach her eyes. She was afraid to hope this woman would be the answer to their staffing issues. “Lovely. Well, why don’t we start off by having you fill out an application. Once that’s done, I’ll chat with my boss and see if we can do a quick interview this afternoon. Does that sound okay?”
The woman nodded. “It sounds great to me.”
She reached into her desk and pulled out one of the tablets they used to intake new clients. Veronica pulled up the employment application. This was a bit of a test. Supernaturals were often older than they appeared. Many older ones didn’t like technology, but it was necessary in our business because there was no way they could handle the workload without it.
She stood and realized the woman was much taller than she originally thought. Even though Veronica wore three-inch heels, she towered over her. She was even taller than Dominique.
“If you’ll follow me, we’ll get you set up in the conference room so you can fill out the application.”
Veronica led her into the room and handed her the tablet. “Take as much time as you need. If you have a resume to submit, I’ll give you my email address before you leave and you can send it to me online.”
Zelda smiled at her, her expression serene. “Of course, dear. Thank you for letting me do this without an appointment.”
“If you’re a good fit, I’m going to be thanking you. Profusely.”
Her smile widened and her eyes sparkled with humor and…magic. Veronica didn’t ask because it was the height of rudeness, but she did wonder what sort of supernatural Zelda was.
She left the conference room, shutting the door behind her, and went back to her desk. Veronica glanced at the older woman once and saw that she was navigating the tablet with no apparent issues, taking the stylus from the holder on the side and moving quickly through the screens.
Feeling hopeful, she turned back to her computer just as the front door opened again. Veronica froze completely when she looked up and saw the man entering.
He was beautiful. That was the only way to describe him. His hair was dark brown, almost black, and his eyes were a piercing blue. His face belonged in magazines and on television because the women of the world deserved to see it.
He prowled into the office with the air of a predator. He wore a glamour, but it was such a good one that she almost missed it. She could feel his “otherness” from his emotions though. Not that Veronica could get a clear read on him. He was fae, that much was clear, and her empathic abilities often didn’t work on them due to her fae ancestry. Their magic interfered with her sense of them.
Honestly, if Veronica wasn’t so utterly in love with Jasper, she would have been tempted by this man. As it was, she was nearly speechless due to his gorgeousness.
Finally, she snapped out of it. “Good afternoon. How can I help you?” she asked, rising and coming out from behind her desk.
The man stopped a few feet away. “I’m here to see Dominique Proxa.”
Holy cow, his voice was just as good as the rest of him—raspy, deep, and with a hint of a drawl. He sounded like Sam Elliott’s younger, gruffer brother.
Veronica managed to speak again without stuttering. “Do you have an appointment?”
“No, but she’ll want to see me.”
“Your name?”
“Ronan Byrne.”
Her scalp tingled at the name. It sounded familiar…then, it hit her. The Byrnes were one of the ruling families in the magic realm.
“Let me see if she’s available. We may have to schedule an appointment for you later today or this week.”
His expression told her that he doubted he’d have to wait. That arrogance pierced through the spell his appearance had cast on her and Veronica barely suppressed the urge to roll her eyes at him. He must have sensed it because he smirked, as though she amused him.
Veronica went to Dominique’s door and knocked. After a moment, her boss called out, “Come in, Veronica.” She sounded distracted.
Normally, she would have just stuck her head in the door and told Dominique there was someone who wanted to see her, but she didn’t want Ronan overhearing any of their conversation. Veronica walked inside, shutting the door behind her, and came to sit in the chair across from Dominique.
“Give me just a sec,” her boss said, her fingers moving rapidly over her computer keyboard. After a few minutes, she turned toward Veronica. “What’s up?”
“There’s a man here to see you and…” Veronica trailed off. She wasn’t sure how to word her thoughts.
“Is he giving you trouble?” Dominique asked, her expression shutting down and growing cold.
“Not exactly. But he seems to think you’ll want to talk to him.”
“What’s his name?”
“Ronan Byrne.”
“As in the Byrnes in Magic?” Magic was the informal name for the realm of supernaturals.
“I think so. I don’t recognize the name but he’s definitely arrogant enough to be a member of the fae court.”
“All right. Show him in, but if I buzz you once, come in and tell me that I have to leave if I’m going to make my next appointment in time.”
“I can do that.”
Veronica walked out of her boss’s office. She shot a look over to the conference room, but Zelda was no longer sitting there.
“The woman left a note and a tablet on your desk,” Ronan said. “She said she would be in touch soon.”
A bit disappointed and confused, Veronica focused on him. “Dominique will see you now.”
His smug smile said that he knew that would be the case. Veronica wondered if he assumed they knew who he was. And wondered how much of a loop it would throw him for if she asked if he was a member of the ruling Byrne family.
She wouldn’t do it, of course, because that wasn’t her way, but that didn’t mean she wasn’t tempted.
Ronan followed her into Dominique’s office. As soon as he entered, her boss stood up and walked around her desk, smoothing the long skirt she wore over her hips. They both froze, stock still, staring at each other.
Simultaneously, they said, “It’s you.”
Veronica looked between them, confused. Did they know each other?
Dominique glanced at her, her expression calm and aloof as ever, but Veronica could sense how flustered she was. “Could you excuse us, Veronica?”
Curious, Veronica nodded and left the office, shutting the door behind her. With the soundproofing Dominique had invested in for the office, she wouldn’t be able to hear anything being said. Her inquisitiveness would have to remain unsatisfied unless her boss decided to tell her what happened.
Frustrated, Veronica went to her desk and picked up the sticky note Zelda had placed on top of the tablet.
Veronica,
I completed the application and I am very interested in a position. Unfortunately, I received an urgent call so I had to leave. I took the liberty of taking one of your business cards. Your email address is listed there, so I’ll forward you my resume later today.
Z
Zelda had signed the note with a large, ornate Z and written her phone number beneath it. Grateful that the woman hadn’t left because she decided she didn’t want the job, Veronica sat back down at her desk and began the process of downloading the woman’s application from the cloud.
Half her mind was still in Dominique’s office, wondering how her boss knew Ronan. And at her obvious reaction to him. Dominique very rarely got ruffled. And she never, ever lost her temper or raised her voice. She wasn’t laid back. Her demeanor was proper and almost cold with people she didn’t know well. With Veronica, she’d warmed up quite a bit, but there was still distance between them. Distance initiated by Dominique.
Veronica’s phone vibrated on her desk, and she glanced at the screen. It was Jasper.
Jasper: What time should I be at your apartment with the truck?
He’d insisted on hiring a small U-haul truck to carry her things to storage. She’d already brought several boxes of things she intended to keep to his home, but they were going to get the rest of it tonight.
Just like that, her mind was off her boss and the mysterious man in her office and on the man she loved.
Veronica: I’m leaving at four. Can you be there by five?
Jasper: Not before?
Veronica: I still have a few things to pack.
Jasper: I can help. The quicker you get done, the quicker I can take you home.
A thrill shot through her. Home. What was his house was now going to be her home, too.
Veronica: I’ll be at my apartment by four-thirty. See you then.
Jasper: Love you
Veronica: Love you too.
Veronica decided she’d tell Jasper about Ronan tonight and the strange interaction her boss had with him. Though he wasn’t empathic as she was, he was observant and insightful. Maybe he would be able to glean something from the situation that she hadn’t been able to.
Smiling to herself, Veronica got back to work. She wanted to get everything done and go home to the man she loved.