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It’s not just any speaker, but one, according to the description, with LED lights and a fountain that changes with the music as it rains down on a tiny Hello Kitty figurine holding a red umbrella.

“It’s a little less dangerous than the lighter,” Monty remarks. “And we’re far enough away from the other desks that you can listen to it quietly during normal office hours.”

“Nice! And in non-office hours?” I ask with a grin.

“A little louder. As long as you don’t abuse it with non-stop Margaritaville,” he adds with a single arched eyebrow.

“Thank you,” I glance up and tell him. He may act like the dark cloud, but I know the truth now; he’s actually the umbrella. “This might be the best gift I’ve ever received,” I admit.

My brother Dylan tries to send me a funny card every year, but it usually doesn’t arrive on time since he’s in the Air Force.

Monty frowns even harder than usual as he looks from me to the speaker in my hands. “That’s impossible.”

“It’s so me, even though you…well, you’ve only known me for a day,” I remark.

“You’re welcome,” he says before stomping off to his office and shutting his door with a boom.

Monty obviously knows me well enough to have figured out there’s no one in my life who would buy me a cupcake for my birthday.

Oh.

My lips part on a gasp of understanding as I stare at his closed door.

Is that why he decided to start doing a monthly birthday celebration for staff?

It must be.

And that is just so freaking sweet.

Lily was right. There’s so much more to our grouchy boss than meets the eye.

4

Over the next six months, I get to know Monty so well I can anticipate what he needs before he even asks for it.

Can you pull the latest site plans for the Wilmington Harbor project?

They’re already on your desk.

Find me a hotel for the meeting with the construction team next week.

All booked up in a queen suite with a waterfront view.

Did you confirm the closing date with legal for the Downtown Greensboro deal?

I confirmed it yesterday.

My hard work doesn’t go unnoticed either.

Monty buys me lunch almost every day.

And I remind him to stop and eat dinner.

We text the whole time he’s out of town for meetings, and he usually brings me back something good to eat when he returns to the office, sweets mostly. I’ve warned him that he’s making my pants a little tighter with each dessert, but that’s one of the few things that almost makes him smile before he brings back twice as much the next time.

Oh, and thanks to what I like to think is my help with cutting fat from the budget, Monty only had to layoff ten people instead of twenty-four, half of whom were part time.

I’ve also started a new rule recently: I don’t leave the office until Monty leaves.