Saint’s smile returned, and it reached his eyes. “I do.” His smile became wicked. “I think you’ve both found your match.”
Jay chuckled and climbed out of the car. They certainly kept each other on their toes. “Thanks, Saint.”
“Anytime.” Saint locked the car and handed the keys to Jay. They headed inside the building, greeting the security guys as they put their stuff through the X-ray machine.
“Hey, Rodrigo,” Jay chirped at the large, bearded man behind the controls of the X-ray machine. “How’s Mariana doing at the new job?”
“Oh, she loves it. Thank you for the flowers, by the way. She was so happy.”
“I’m glad.” Jay stepped through the metal detector. “Good morning, Pat.”
“Morning, Mr. Starling.” Pat waved the wand over Jay, then stepped to one side, his smile bright. “Daniela loves her castle. Can’t get her out of that thing.”
“Well, she does have a kingdom to reign over,” Jay teased.
Pat laughed. “Tell me about it. Her mother and I are her subjects. Does her father get to be her knight in shining armor? Nope. She picks the dog.”
“I mean, I would pick Olaf to be my floofy white knight, too.” Jay wished them a good day as he and Saint headed for the elevator, where Jay tapped his ID card.
“How do you keep it all together?” Saint asked, sounding awed.
Jay shrugged. “It’s my job, but I love connecting with everyone here. We’re a family. That means treating people like they’re family, not just saying it. Actions speak louder than words.”
The gifts came from Four Kings Security, but everyone knew Jay made all the arrangements. He never said as much, but as amazing as their bosses were, everyone knew Jay kept them organized and informed. His job was to make their jobs and lives easier, which meant taking care of things like birthdays, anniversaries, engagements, and graduations so the Kings could focus on what they did best: providing safety and security.
Upstairs, he went to his desk and tucked his bag under it. After making himself his second tasty morning latte, he returned to his desk and logged into the system. Everything for the day was set. He was always several months ahead of schedule and spent most of his days dealing with adjustments, new appointments, cancellations, and ongoing contracts, among other tasks.
Jay hummed as he took a sip of his latte. These minutes before everyone arrived and the day officially started were everything. He could sip his latte in blissful peace, the morning sun shining through the blinds in the many windows around the floor.
Over the last few years, he’d added various potted plants and flowers. He’d read several studies discussing how having plants in the workplace could help improve mental health, increase productivity, and enhance focus. The plants hadn’t just made their space more aesthetically pleasing, but everyone seemed a little lighter. Jay had even caught Ryden checking the plants on more than one occasion. Now he understood why.
Soon, the floor was bustling with staff. They all greeted him cheerfully or stopped by his desk for a brief chat. Jay checked his many emails, shot off replies, and prepared King’s files for the day. He opened his desk drawer to grab a notepad.
What the…?
Jay pressed his lips together and stared at the fuzzy little green thing inside his desk drawer. He took it out and did his best not to laugh.O.M.G., he didn’t.
“Jay, can you—” Saint tilted his head. “Um, what’s that?”
Good question. Jay studied his desk’s new occupant. “It’s a chameleon, I think.”
“What’s it made of?”
“Pipe cleaners.” Jay flicked the fuzzy red tongue and snickered. It even had big googly eyes.
Saint opened his mouth, then closed it. “That’s…interesting. Is this something you do now?”
Jay laughed. “No, it’s something your best friend does.”
Saint blinked at him. He shook his head. “I’m sorry, for a minute there, I thought you said Ryden made that.”
“He did.” The imagery of Ryden sitting at his kitchen counter with a bunch of pipe cleaners, making this tiny guy, was almost too much for Jay’s heart. The man was adorable.
“Why?”
“I was teasing him about having a collection of pipe cleaner animals.” Jay glanced up at Saint. “Did you know he gardens, too?”
“I knew about the gardening. He and my dad talk about plants all the time. It’s weird. I didn’t know about…that.” He pointed to Jay’s little friend. “Not gonna lie, I’m a little concerned.”
