“I don’t want her to have a new job,” I said, the words spilling out. “I can’t lose her.”
“You can’t keep her trapped here,” Marius said sympathetically. “And yeah, that was a deliberate choice of words.” He placed a folder on my desk. “Job openings Lexi would be qualified for. I put out some feelers.”
I stared down at the folder and didn’t take it.
“After you have the party with your brothers,” Marius said, “Lexi will see that you’re putting in the work, getting serious about addressing your repressed trauma, and she won’t take offense to the not-so-subtle hint that she can’t keep being your employee.”
“She’s going to be so upset.” My voice sounded hollow.
“If you want, you can tell her it’s my fault, that legal has an issue with it. If you’re really smooth, you can tell her that since you don’t want to be without her, that you’d like her to move in. Of course, you’d have to buy some furniture. I’ve been to your place—it’s tragic.”
“Lexi’s already purchasing furniture for the party,” I said with a sigh.
“Are you excited to see your brothers again?” Marius asked me.
“I’m terrified,” I admitted.
“I met Aaron once at a charity function that I covered for you, and he was very nice. This will be good for all of you.”
“He hates me.”
“What happened when you were kids is in the past.”
But Marius didn’t understand. No one understood except, ironically, my brothers.
Aaron still hadn’t confirmedwhen I left my study to wade into the rush of caterers and decorators. Apparently the timeline wastoo short and Lexi didn’t want to waste money on purchasing furniture, so she’d found a staging company. They’d shown up with everything you needed to turn the penthouse into a home.
Someone else’s home. The pieces weren’t what I would have chosen.
There were plants everywhere, random throw pillows, lamps, and curtains. In the grand salon, on a newly delivered mahogany buffet, the caterers were laying out a spread that seemed more in line for a party of a hundred, not just me and my five brothers. Well, four.
I opened the door to the casual living room off the kitchen. It was as barren as usual.
Lexi hurried over.
“It’s likeThe Wizard of Oz. Don’t peek behind the curtain. You have a big penthouse, so I just had them do the music room and the grand salon and spruce up the terrace a bit more.”
“It looks good.” My voice sounded far away.
“You ready?” she said in excitement, sliding her hands over the lapels of my suit jacket.
“I just want to get it over with.”
“That’s not the right attitude to have. A positive mindset makes any experience a party.”
She ran her finger down the list in the notebook she was holding.
“Your brothers should be here soon. There’s more than enough food, and extra drinks are in the kitchen fridge. The wet bar is fully stocked, so you shouldn’t have a problem. Remember to have fun.”
“You’re not leaving.” I grabbed her roughly by the shoulders. “You can’t leave me here with them; you’re the one who planned this party. You can’t just leave.”
“Okay, okay,” Lexi said, patting me softly on the arm. “Calm down, big boy.”
“I’m not a horse,” I snarled.
She didn’t take the bait.
“I’ll just hang back and man the bar. We’re all just going to go with the flow.”
