A few heads turn toward him, smiling.
“Oh, please!” I roll my eyes.
He shakes his head. “Let’s be clear, Jayne’s the engine behind this firm. Don’t let her modesty fool you. If you did something, it’s probably because she made sure you could.”
The compliment feeds the part of me starved for attention and acknowledgement. I try not to blush like a teenager.
“Thanks, Daniel.”
“Don’t thank me. Just keep terrifying everyone with your efficiency. It’s good for morale.”
Laughter again, and just like that, the meeting dissolves into motion. Associates peel away with coffee cups and laptops, the hum of conversation rising as the door closes behind the last one.
When the room empties, Daniel lingers. “Do you have a minute?”
“Sure.” I gesture to a chair across from me.
He sets his mug down and takes the seat. “You handled that beautifully. Dad used to tell me that managing a law firm was like conducting an orchestra. You always hit the tempo just right.”
I slide my notes into a folder. “You make it sound far glitzier than it is.”
“Come on.” He waves a hand around the room. “I’ve seen enough chaos to know how rare calm leadership is. You make hard things look easy.”
“Thank you, Daniel.”
He studies me for a moment. “How are things at home?”
Self-conscious as I had a nervous breakdown in front of him, I tried to lighten the mood with a quip. “That’s a loaded question before noon.”
He leans forward, rests his elbows on the conference table. “You know me well enough to know I wouldn’t ask if I didn’t care.”
“I know.” I nod slowly, considering my response. “Things are better. We hit a rough patch, but it’s…better.”
“Yeah?”
“Yeah.” I hesitate, then add, “We talked and that seems to have been just what we needed.”
He gives me a long, deliberate look. “I’ve never seen you upset, not like that, and it shook me, Jayne.”
“Me, too,” I admit softly.
He folds his arms on the table. “And that woman he was talking to?”
I meet his eyes. “He’s not having an affair, if that’s what you’re wondering. I don’t want anyone thinking that.”
Daniel’s expression softens. “I didn’t think that. I know Rhys, not as well as I know you, but he’s not thatguy. He’s not a cheater. And we can all see he’s crazy about you.”
That eases me. It’s one thing to know it; it’s another to have someone else believe it, too.
“I know you’re busy,” he goes on. “And he’s busier. But are you okay? Do you need time off?”
My throat tightens. “Am I…doing something wrong?”
He groans. “No, God, Jayne. Of course, not. I knew you’d jump straight there.” He smiles, exasperated. “You’re great. You keep this place running. I just don’t want you burning out while you do it.”
I laugh softly. “So, you’re telling me to take a break?”
“I’m telling you that you’re Superwoman.” He lifts his mug as if toasting. “You hold up the sky all day and still make dinner at six.”
