Page 116 of Fierce-Trent

“Oh,” Janine said. “That makes more sense. I’ll let you know if I hear anything else that is going on, but it’s been quiet. I mean it’s not like Trent is hiding the fact he’s dating. Roni comes up now and again on her lunch if Trent is around, but I don’t talk to her as much as I’d like.”

“It can get frustrating,” Carolyn said. “More so when you want some information, but the good news is we are right on track.”

“I’m glad it’s working out,” Janine said. “Trent seems so happy. He deserves it. He’s always been the one that just wants to help and it’s nice to see that karma is coming back to him in a good way.”

“I like that,” Diane said. “One of us should change our name to Karma.”

“I don’t think so,” Carolyn said, grinning. “But it is a funny thought.”

A minute later they heard a door and then voices, both of them turning toward the hall where Trent came around the corner with a woman.

“Diane, Carolyn,” Trent said. “What do I owe this lovely surprise to?”

“Happy Valentine’s Day,” Carolyn said. “We had to bring you and Janine some cookies.”

“And did you drop some off at Roni’s too?” Trent asked.

“Of course we did,” Carolyn said. “We are going to Zander’s next and then we’ve got to hunt down a few crews for them to get theirs. There are two other offices we are dropping some off to also.”

“Not everyone?” Trent asked. “That doesn’t sound fair to me.”

“Don’t get Trent started,” Janine said. “Everyone should be treated equally in his eyes though we all know that isn’t possible.”

“No,” Diane said. “At Christmas all the tenants received cookie platters delivered.”

She’d had Payton’s deli cater and deliver. The smaller offices received one size, the bigger another, but they didn’t go so big that it was so every staff got so many cookies. It’s not like they even knew how many staff were in an office most times.

But she didn’t have a stake in those offices as she did with some of the other ones.

“Which is very nice indeed,” Trent said. “Now if you’ll excuse me, I’ve got a call to make.”

She watched Trent go back to his office after he’d opened the box of cookies she’d put on the counter and taken one out.

“He does seem happy,” Diane said. “Now it’s time to just observe rather than push.”

“I’ll keep that in mind. Enjoy your day,” Janine said after she reached in for a cookie too. “I know I’m going to.”

38

Getting There

At the end of the day, Trent locked the door after Janine left and went back to his office. Roni said that she was taking care of dinner and bringing it upstairs. He was going to argue they could go back to her place or his, but he was letting her do what she wanted since she said she had it covered.

His cell phone rang and he saw it was his mother, so he answered it. “Hi, Mom.”

“Happy Valentine’s Day,” his mother said.

“I’m a little old for you to be saying that to me, don’t you think?”

“You’re never too old for it,” his mother said. “Do you have plans today or does Roni have Eli?”

“Eli is with Jeff. Roni and I are having dinner,” he said. “Did you talk to Diane today?” There was silence on the other end. “Or was it Janine?”

His mother sighed. “I might have spoken to them both.”

He laughed. “They just can’t give up, can they?”

“They feel they’ve worked hard and want to make sure everything is good,” his mother said.

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