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“I can multitask. You should utilize the staff to help you.”
“I don’t mind doing things myself,” she said as she slapped her mascara in the palm of her hand.
“You need to learn how to delegate.”
“Says the man who works eighteen-hour days,” she scoffed.
“I used to work twenty. You need to know what can be passed along so you do the things only you can do.”
She made a face in the mirror.
“I saw that.” He snatched a towel and scrubbed his hair before draping it around his neck. “Use the resources available to you. That’s what they’re there for.”
Before she could think of a reply, he strolled out of the bathroom.
She shook her head. Roth didn’t realize she needed mundane tasks like putting away her clothes and wrapping gifts to keep her grounded. So many aspects of her life were out of her control. If staff put away her clothes, she wouldn’t know where they were. After so much change, she was trying to create a safe place and nest. She considered explaining that to him but doubted he’d understand.
She was putting on a sultry brown lipstick when he reentered the bathroom, pants undone, buttoning a fresh shirt. He went to his vanity, which was opposite hers. She rubbed her lips together, watching him in the mirror as he brushed his teeth and ran a comb through his hair and beard before he headed for the door.
“I’m ready when you are,” he said.
She whipped her head around. “Excuse me?”
He paused. “Aren’t you having dinner with your family?”
“Yes.”
He tugged on his cuff. “Then so am I.”
“I thought you had another engagement.”
“It’s Thanksgiving. That’s a family holiday, isn’t it?”
“But you...” she sputtered and then shook her head. “I don’t think my family expects you. They’d understand if you had to work.”
“I rescheduled my last appointment so I could attend.”
She opened her mouth to ask how he knew what time dinner was before realizing what a stupid question that was. “You think paparazzi will be waiting in the cold to see if you have dinner with my family?”
“No.”
“Then why...?”
He closed the distance between them and planted a hand on the vanity. “We’re married.”
“I know that.”
He cupped her chin and raised her face so she couldn’t evade his piercing gaze. “You don’t want me to go?”
“I didn’t expect you to. I know how busy you are.”
“I said things were going to be different this time around.”
“But...”
He kissed her before straightening. “Don’t worry. It’s going to be fine.”
She gaped at his retreating back. The last time he and her family were together, he’d choked Thea. If her run-in with Lyle in Portugal was an indicator of what to expect, this dinner was going to be strained and uncomfortable. Now that she knew about Ariana’s addiction, Rami’s past, and Colette’s bad business decisions, she wasn’t sure how she’d interact normally with them. Her plan was the same as always: ignore the adults and focus on the kids. She was dying to see how much Polara had grown and couldn’t wait to see Kye and Bailey’s reactions to their gifts.
