Page 28 of Enticing the Elf
“Okay, next?” I ask. I think I’ve got a handle on the first one.
Ari protests. “I have questions?—”
“No, you don’t.” I give him a warning look. Having a support team is one thing, and I’m grateful for it. Letting them take over isn’t happening. “If questions come up, can I ask later?” I check.
“Of course.” Dáithí answers before anyone else can. “Anytime.”
“Then let’s move on to the next task.” I look back at the list. “Take a shift at Dáithí’s job. Does that mean you wouldn’t be there?” I ask him. “I’m not qualified to do your job.”
He sucks in a little breath, and his eyes go soft.
“Awww,” someone breathes, and when I turn, I see all four members of Team Bro grinning widely. Caolan writes something down.
“Huh?” Niamh asks, and Ari nods.
“What she said.”
“We’ll discuss it later,” Jared tells them, but he and Noah are smiling too. I mentally replay what I said. There was nothing special there, but something caught their attention.
They wouldn’t be smiling if it was a bad sign for me. One thing I’ve become sure of since this conversation began is that we’re all on the same side and want the same outcome.
“Dáithí won’t be there,” Hagen says, “but you’ll be given a training manual beforehand on basic processes and how the equipment works. You’ll also have written instructions and access to another experienced receptionist if questions come up.Dáithí insisted.” He directs the last part to Raðulfr and Brandt. “He didn’t want to disrupt the office too much.”
“Who cares?” Brandt proclaims. “This is more important than the office!”
The king sighs and shakes his head. “Thank you,” he tells Dáithí.
“I don’t understand how Eoin doing Dáithí’s job for one day is going to prove his commitment.” Steffen’s frown is fierce.
I nod. “Yes. Could I have some context, please?”
Team Bro collectively shakes their heads. “No. Your team will be given the details they need for assessment, but no further context on this task is available to you,” Caolan says. “Sorry.”
Fuck. This is probably another of those situations where knowing details will impact my actions. I’m going to need to pay close attention in that training session—something they tell me will be what they assess me on. I scrawl another note.
“Okay, next… Clean Dáithí’s apartment?” I turn to him. “Every week for the rest of our lives, or?—”
“Just once for the assessment,” he assures me, and I shrug.
“Done.”
“This list is nothing like what I expected,” Ari mutters, taking his pen back to write something down.
“This last one is interesting,” Raðulfr muses. “Surprise Dáithí.”
Interesting isn’t the word I’d choose. “As in… buy him a gift? Or leap out of the closet yelling?”
“No further context on this task is available to you,” Caolan informs me. That probably means that the decision I make about what constitutes a surprise is as much a factor in assessment as the surprise itself. Some of my earlier anxiety comes back.
I exhale deeply and nod. “Thank you. I can work with this.” Ari’s not the only one who wasn’t expecting a list like this, but at least it’s not an impossible open-ended task, like moving everygrain of sand on a beach. These seem to be targeted, and while I could opt to take as long as I want with them, I could also finish them within a week if I chose.
The ones I know about, anyway.
It’s fine. I’ve got this. I’m going to prove to Dáithí that our happy ever after is inevitable.
CHAPTER TWELVE
Dáithí
