Total pages in book: 49
Estimated words: 47716 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 239(@200wpm)___ 191(@250wpm)___ 159(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 47716 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 239(@200wpm)___ 191(@250wpm)___ 159(@300wpm)
But why was her house clean? Ha. Well, it certainly wasn’t because she had any fucking time to clean it. Clarissa was a goddamn lifesaver. It didn’t matter how many times the woman was told she didn’t have to pick up after Demyan or take care of the baby, she did it anyway.
Viviana didn’t have the first clue what she would do without Clarissa.
“You look tired,” Clarissa said, pushing a steaming mug of coffee across the table to Viviana.
“I am,” Viviana replied, pushing the pads of her fingers to her eyes to relieve some of the pressure building.
“Drink, it will help.”
Yeah, and right along with it, the caffeine would keep her up past twelve. At six months old, Ana still wasn’t sleeping through the night, never mind the colic that girl seemed to constantly have. Problem was, Ana’s colic wasn’t soothed by her mother, but instead, her father. Anton, unfortunately, was so busy lately Viviana felt like he and she were two ships passing by in the night. Sometimes he’d be up and gone in the morning before she even woke up, and that was saying something, considering Viviana was awake by six at least to prep Demyan for preschool.
“Are those new clubs working out for him?” Clarissa asked.
The woman always seemed to know where Viviana’s mind was without asking.
“I guess, I think,” Viviana said, shaking her head.
One of Anton’s rivals in the club scene had decided to sell out. Maybe the guy was just over the work and hours, or maybe he was getting to a time in his life when he wanted to be home more. Viviana wasn’t sure and she didn’t care. Nonetheless, the guy offered Anton first pick of his clubs, and of course, Viviana’s husband bought all five of them.
The more Anton could own to dominate in New York, the happier he was going to be.
“I wish he would have just bought them and hired a full management team to take care of getting them ready for opening. I’m ...”
Clarissa smiled sadly. “Missing him?”
“Like crazy.”
Anton’s biggest issue stemmed from the fact he was a minor control freak. Really, minor was an understatement. He didn’t trust other people to do the job without him overseeing everything. The five clubs sported a host of employees, including management, but the way the clubs were run compared to the way Anton wanted them managed meant he needed to spend some time getting a whole new list of policies through to the workers.
He’d been getting them ready for reopening for almost two months now.
Viviana was dying without her husband.
Frankly, she couldn’t even remember the last time they had sex. That was just awful, and practically unheard of for her and Anton. They always—always—made time for each other. Regardless of how busy or distracted one of them was, the other would slip their way in to slow things down. Even it was only for a few minutes.
“Listen to that, Vine,” Clarissa said, drawing Viviana from her thoughts.
“Hmm? Listen to what?”
Clarissa looked upwards. “That.”
Viviana couldn’t hear a thing in the quiet, dark house. “There’s nothing to hear.”
“Exactly.” Clarissa shrugged, saying, “The children are sleeping. The house is clean. You’re tired. Take advantage and get some rest while you can.”
Viviana glanced down at the mug she was cupping. Without realizing it, she’d downed half the coffee. She felt like a fucking robot moving from one action to the next because her brain was ordering her to, not because she wanted to.
Fuck missing Anton like crazy. Viviana was going absolutely crazy without him.
“I should,” Viviana said faintly. “Sleep, I mean.”
“So go. And don’t fret about the babies. I’ll handle them if they wake up.”
“Clarissa, the kids aren’t your responsibility.”
Clarissa leveled Viviana with a gaze that she wasn’t accustomed to seeing from the older woman. She usually reserved it for Anton when he was being anal about something, or Demyan when he was acting bratty.
Never Viviana, though.
“I don’t like it when you tell me that,” Clarissa said quietly.
Viviana blinked, surprised. “I’m sorry?”
“That’s a good place to start. See, when you tell me the kids aren’t my responsibility to help you or Anton with, it makes me believe that perhaps you don’t see me like the family you say I am.”
“Clarissa—”
The woman held up her hand palm up, quieting Viviana. “No, listen. I know it’s not true, but it still hurts. I love to help with the kids. I enjoy cleaning up their messes, listening to Demyan sing his riddles and rhymes as many times as he wants, and even feeding Ana when she’s not squalling for her father. I truly love doing those things.”
Viviana nodded. “I know you do, but you already do so much for us and the kids ... well, they’re a lot of work. Maybe more than you need sometimes.”
“Maybe,” Clarissa agreed, smiling slightly. “But isn’t that the job of every grandmamma? Demyan’s called me that from the time he could talk. Ana babbles now, but soon she’ll be repeating what everyone else calls me. Grandmamma Clarissa. And I suppose, if we consider how close Nico and I were, I sort of am. Please let me help when I ask, Vine. They’re the closest to grandchildren I’m ever going to have.”