It was Kristin’s first day back at work in 3 years and she was a little nervous. Why was she nervous? She had known every person in that office for six years and she could do whatever she wanted because, well, she literally did sleep with the boss! She thought about it for a few minutes and then remembered; Santa and Tyrique had gotten married three months ago and they wouldn’t be back from their honeymoon until the next day and Tommy had hired a new assistant while they had been separated that she had not yet had the chance to meet.

She adjusted her dress and walked purposefully through the door and into Tommy’s suite of offices.

“Well hello gorgeous!” said the man sitting behind the assistant’s desk; Kristin had never met him before.

“Hey,” Kristin said happily as she flashed him a smile before looking around the office.

“I’m Fabio,” he told her. “Tommy Ballantine’s fabulous personal assistant.”

”You are?” Kristin asked as she walked over to the desk.

“Last time I checked anyway,” he said; his voice had a tone of amusement that Kristin found immediately endearing. “Who are you?”

“I’m Kristin,” she replied as she reached out to shake the hand he had extended to her. “Tommy Ballantine’s fabulous wife.”

“Ah, the famous Kristin!” he said. “I had only heard stories until now; it is a pleasure to make your acquaintance, my dear!”

“Yours too,” Kristin told him with a smile. “Is Tommy around?”

“He is in his office,” Fabio informed her as he pointed to her belly. “And I believe that’s a ‘get out of jail free’ card so go on in!”

“Thanks,” Kristin laughed. “I like you!”

“Ditto hunny,” Fabio replied with a big smile. “Ditto!”

Kristin smiled to herself as she turned and pushed open the door that led into Tommy’s office. There he was, working hard as usual; it wasn’t easy to get a balled-up piece of paper into a trash can all the way across the room!

“Nice shot,” Kristin commented as she walked over to Tommy’s desk.

“I was just taking a break,” Tommy told her.

“You were right,” Kristin told him. “If I had been here for the whole day I would be stressed out.”

”I knew you’d see my side of things,” Tommy said as he stood up to give her a kiss and a hug in greeting.

“I’d be stressed out because I’d have to sit out there and do all of your work while you were in here trying to become the next Michael Jordan!” Kristin teased him.

“Touché,” Tommy replied as he sat down behind his desk.

Kristin was just about to open her mouth to ask Tommy a question when a rather flustered Tyrique burst into the office from the waiting area. Kristin laughed as he looked at her and his gaze quickly fell to her belly; she rested her hands on it and smiled at him.

“Hey Tyrique,” Kristin said as she walked over to give him a hug. “How was the honeymoon?”

“Fine,” Tyrique replied. “Where did that come from?”

“Tommy gave it to me about 5 months ago,” she informed him. “Nice of him, huh?”

“But I thought…” Tyrique began.

“He came back,” Kristin stated simply; her eyes filling with tears as she remembered what had happened. “And I decided it was time for me to come back here.”

”Hey!” Tyrique rejoiced. “We got Kristin back!”

Kristin laughed as Tyrique did a little victory dance before Santa walked into the room.

“Nice rack,” she said to Kristin as she looked at her friend.

“Thanks,” Kristin laughed before hugging her friend. “I thought you weren’t supposed to be back until tomorrow! And why didn’t you tell Tyrique that I was coming back?”

“He didn’t need to know,” Santa explained. “Besides, we were a little busy.”

“Hell yes!” Tyrique nodded in agreement.

“And we’re back early because there was going to be a big tropical storm or something,” Santa continued. “And we wanted to leave before it hit.”

“Awesome,” Kristin replied, smiling.

“Girl,” Santa said as she looked her friend over. “WHEN exactly did THAT happen?”

“5 months ago,” Kristin laughed.

“And you didn’t tell me because…” Santa allowed her voice to trail off as she tapped her foot and waited for Kristin’s answer.

“This is so much more fun!” Kristin replied.

“But I would have brought something tropical back for the baby from our honeymoon!” Santa complained.

”And where were you going to find something to bring back?” Kristin asked. “Unless it was a pillow mint, of course.”

“You know me too well!” Santa laughed.

“Well,” Kristin began. “What are friends for?”

Santa gave Kristin another hug just before Aldo came running at top speed through the door.

“Your assistant wants me!” he said as he skidded to a stop and the door swung shut behind him.

“Me too!” Tyrique exclaimed. “I nearly had to fake a heart attack just to get out of there!”

“Well I…” Aldo began; his voice trailed off when he saw Kristin standing there smiling at him.

“Tommy told me you’d changed while he’d been away,” Aldo told her. “But he didn’t tell me exactly HOW you’d changed!”

“Hey Aldo,” Kristin said as she walked over to him and gave him a hug. “I missed you.”

“Me too,” Aldo said as he put his hands on her shoulders and held her at arm’s length while he looked into her eyes. “Don’t let that pig keep you away ever again, ok?”

“Ok,” Kristin laughed as she gave him another hug and brushed a tear from her cheek. “I won’t.”

“Good,” Aldo replied. “Now we can get down to business!”

“What business is that?” Tommy asked.

“That new assistant you hired,” Aldo told him. “I’ve been telling you about him since the day you hired him. If you don’t fire him, I’m going to kill him.”

“Fine,” Tommy said as he threw his hands up in the air. “Now that Kristin’s back I don’t need him.”

“Thank you!” Aldo breathed a sigh of relief.

“Tyrique,” Santa said as she headed for the door. “I need to meet with you about something in my office.”

“Yes ma’am,” Tyrique said before turning to look at Tommy. “Duty calls.”

Tommy rolled his eyes as Tyrique followed Santa out of the office.

“I’m doing a Starbucks run,” Aldo said. “Everybody want their usual?”

“Sure,” Tommy said as he sat down behind his desk and began to look the papers on top of it.

”Make mine decaf,” Kristin smiled at him. “Thanks Aldo.”

“No problem,” Aldo said as he looked at the door and then back at Kristin. “Wish me luck!”

Aldo left the office as Kristin leaned against Tommy’s desk and looked at him.

“What are you doing?” Kristin she asked him.

“Looking for Fabio’s file,” Tommy told her.

“Why?” Kristin asked.

“Did you not just hear the conversation going on?” he asked her as he looked up.

“You’re not actually going to fire him,” Kristin replied. “Are you?”

“You’re back,” Tommy told her. “And he bugs Aldo.”

“So?” Kristin said. “Why does that matter? If he stayed he could help me and it would be less stressful.”

“Kristin,” Tommy told her. “He hits on Aldo every time he’s in the office; Aldo has been here for a lot longer and I’d rather loose Fabio than loose Aldo.”

“Aldo has been here longer than me too,” Kristin said as she began to cry. “Would you choose him over me?”

“Kristin,” Tommy sighed.

“You would, wouldn’t you!” she sobbed. “You’d much rather have your friend Aldo here than your stupid old wife!”

“I never said that,” Tommy said soothingly as he came around to the front of the desk and wrapped his arms around her. “I love you Kristin.”

“You’re just saying that,” Kristin cried.

“No I’m not,” Tommy said as he held her closer. “If you really feel that strongly about it, Fabio can stay.”

“Really,” Kristin asked as she lifted her head to look into Tommy’s eyes. “You’d do that for me?”

“Sure,” Tommy smiled down at her.

“Thanks Tommy,” Kristin said as she hugged him and stood on tiptoe to give him a kiss. “I’m sorry, I overreacted.”

“Don’t worry about it,” Tommy told her.

“I honestly don’t know what’s wrong with me lately!” Kristin said as she threw her arms up over her head. “Every little thing makes me so emotional and it’s driving me up a wall!”

“You’re pregnant,” Tommy told her.

“I noticed,” Kristin laughed at him.

“You know what I mean,” he said as he smiled at her.

“Yes I do,” Kristin said as she headed for the door. “I’m going to go get to know Fabio. Thanks for letting him stay.”

“No problem,” Tommy told her. “That’s what I’m here for.”