It was dinnertime when Kim and her family got back to the Excelsior from the train station.
Lily was hungry and cranky, making eating in the formal hotel dining room an ill-advised option.
Their daughter was small but her lungs were mighty, and when she was upset they resounded everywhere. She wasn’t at all badly behaved but when she was off-form she became very miserable and needed more attention.
Gabriel settled her back in the suite while Kim talked again on her phone outside on the terrace.
Hank had called back with some more information on the plagiarism claim.
“I just spoke to the lawyer. This person claims some of the affirmations were her mother’s. They were shared throughout the family for generations. She says you stole them.”
Kim’s heart hammered as she tried to get a handle on this. “Well, if it’s family stuff, did she give any idea of how she thinks I supposedly came by this information to steal it?”
“Her attorney’s being sketchy. I think he’s trying to feel me out. Rattle us, even, in the hope of a quick payoff. Don’t worry. I don’t scare easily. And I don’t lose either.”
“I know,” Kim replied. Then she paused. “Does anyone else in the company know about this?”
“You mean Antonio or the investors? No. Just you. I didn’t think you’d want anyone worrying, especially with the launch coming up. The only ones who know are the clerk who received the claim, my assistant, and me. Think it’s best to keep things quiet at this point until we fully know what we’re dealing with.”
“I knew I hired you for a good reason, Hank,” Kim commented. He was great at his job. She was sure she could trust him to handle this. If it could be handled. She sincerely hoped it could.
Her entire life could implode if it didn’t.
“Everything OK?” Gabriel called out gently from inside the room.
Kim turned and nodded, flashing what she hoped was a sincere smile.
He turned back to Lily, who was playing on the bed. “Mommy’s busy,” she informed him, rattling off what Kim recognized as her own familiar refrain. “Can I have chicken for dinner?”
She spoke so well for a three-year-old that people often commented on it. It even surprised Kim how smart she could be sometimes. Gabriel said she took after her, but she wasn’t so sure. She didn’t feel that Lily got anything from her, except her blonde hair. When she looked at her child she didn’t see herself at all. Just Gabriel.
“Kim? You still there?”
“Sorry, Hank, what were you saying?”
“Just that I’ve also hired someone to investigate these claims. It’ll probably be a couple of weeks before we can get better information. In the meantime, don’t you worry. I’ll make this go away—one way or another. Even if we just have to pay them off to get rid of them, but hopefully it won’t come to that.”
“Thanks, Hank, appreciate it.” She glanced back again at Gabriel and Lily, laughing together in the room. Barely an hour into their family reunion and already she’d abandoned them for work again. What must he think of her? “I need to go. Talk soon.”
She walked back into the hotel suite and set her phone down on the dresser. Lily pulled at her dress as she passed by, the bright pink color catching her eye. Kim sat down beside them on the bed and went to cuddle her daughter.
“Hey, honey.”
But Lily just ignored her. She was too preoccupied with her dad. Kim felt familiar rejection fill her chest, but she did her best to push it aside.
She could feel Gabriel’s eyes upon her as she rose from where she’d been perched. She walked toward the bathroom and closed the door behind her.
Why couldn’t she do this? Just be a proper mom. Why did it all feel so...unnatural to her? She could feel the usual sadness rise up and she couldn’t stop it.
Everything seemed to be falling apart just now. Just when it all should be coming together.
Tears glistened in her eyes and she shook her head to dismiss them, leaning against the sink vanity. She remained there for a couple of minutes before Gabriel’s voice called gently from the other side of the door.
“Honey, are you OK?”
“Sure!” Kim replied quickly and cleared her throat. “Just coming.” She flushed the toilet for effect and then moved back to the sink to splash some water on her face. She stared at her reflection in the mirror, and a tired, haggard face looked back.
Room service arrived soon after, and both Lily and Gabriel ate hungrily, though Kim barely touched hers.
When the meal tray was removed, they set about getting Lily ready for bed in the adjoining bedroom. She was fussy and difficult when Kim tried to change her into her pajamas, so Gabriel smoothly took over, telling his wife to head back out to the living area and fix them a drink.
A few minutes later, once Lily was settled, he joined her on the terrace, where Kim again found herself standing by the rails looking out over the water. It was so easy to get lost in the dark depths and forget her troubles for a moment.
Just for a moment.
“Hey,” she greeted softly as she turned to look at him. His shirt was off, his feet were bare, and the only thing he wore were the light chinos he’d had on when he arrived. She smiled automatically. He was such a huge guy, tall, strong and built like a rugby player, and she remembered thinking the first time she laid eyes on him that he looked as if he could easily lift her up with one hand.
She loved that, loved how he always made her feel so protected and cherished. All man yet so tender with it. The combination was irresistible.
She really was a lucky woman. And it had been some time since they’d last had a romantic moment together. Gabriel’s body was distractingly irresistible, but right now Kim just wanted to lose herself in his strong embrace.
“C’mere,” he called, both arms outstretched, as if instinctively knowing it was what she needed. She moved to him, resting her head upon his firm chest, the downy hair soft beneath her cheek.
“I’m so glad you’re here,” she said as she tried to suppress a sob.
“What is it, babe?” he questioned. “Don’t tell me ‘nothing,’ I know you better. Something’s wrong and you aren’t taking it well,” he said gently. “Usually when something goes wrong, you’re all action and solutions. I don’t worry then because I know you’ll figure it out on your own. Not this time, though. Tell me what’s happening.”
She looked at him. “You know me too well,” she admitted.
“Hey, it’s part of my job.”
She raised her hand to his face and stroked his cheek with her thumb. “I think someone’s out to sabotage me. And Villa Dolce Vita.”
His brow furrowed, Gabriel led her back inside to their bed and settled on it, gently pulling her down beside him. “Why do you think that?”
Kim took a deep breath and then explained about the increased social media negativity and backlash, as well as the recent accusations.
“If this gets out publicly, it’ll ruin everything.”
“Aw, come on, nobody takes notice of online trolls. It’s just keyboard warriors hiding in their bedrooms with nothing better to do. The bigger you get, the bolder they become. You know that.”
“It’s not just that anymore. The plagiarism thing... If the media gets wind of that, they’ll have a field day. Especially when there’s so much attention on us just now. Bad press for Villa Dolce Vita before it even opens for business will ruin it. And with pretty much everything riding on this being a success, it could also end up ruining everything I’ve worked for.”
Gabriel pulled her onto his lap and wrapped his huge arms around her. “You’re getting way too ahead of yourself now. Hank will work it out, do what it takes to make it go away. That’s his job, remember?”
“What if he doesn’t, though? And what if this person decides to go public with these accusations—or worse, has proof of them? I’m finished.”
“Babe, stop.” Gabriel’s gaze was fixed intently on her. “Stop working yourself into a frenzy about this. Let Hank do what he does best and you do what you do best. Everything’s pretty much ready to go now. Take some of your own advice. Don’t worry about what might happen. Deal with right now. Worry often gives a small thing a big shadow, remember?”
Kim smiled weakly. “You really have a way with words, you know that?”
“What are you talking about? They’re your words.” Gabriel smiled and Kim’s heart almost broke in two.
She couldn’t admit now that there was some truth to this person’s claims. Not when Gabriel was essentially using what he thought were her own words to make her feel better.
“Anyway, it’s true. Don’t let this get to you. You can handle this. You’ve handled worse.”
“Have I? It doesn’t feel like it.”
“Yes, you have. And I’ve been there. Every day since I first met you I’ve watched you fight for what you want, fight for your passion. It’s what you do.”
“Why do I, though?” The question was involuntary. Even though it had been rolling around in her mind, Kim hadn’t intended to actually say it out loud. “Why is it so important?”
Gabriel was taken aback. “What kind of question is that? What do you mean?”
“I mean, it’s not as though I set out to do this—be some kind of mindfulness expert. We both know I sort of just...fell into it, and it’s not like I have all the answers either. I struggle as much as the next person.”
“Which is exactly why you are so good at this. You’re relatable and down-to-earth, not some otherworldly Dalai Lama type. You’re just Kim, ‘warts ‘n’ all.’”
“You’re saying I have warts?” she laughed.
“I’m saying you’re just like everyone else. You have your good days and bad. This is just one of the bad ones and it’s inevitable given all you’ve had to do and think about these last few years. But it’ll be over soon and then you, me, and Lily can get back to being a proper family.”
Kim’s heart sank a little at his words. Could they ever be a proper family when she had no idea how to be a proper mother?
All she truly knew how to do was work, strive, and keep pushing for bigger and better things.
And for what?
Still, she couldn’t admit this to Gabriel. Definitely not now. No, she just had to keep going, and hope that what he said was true, that it would all blow over.
And Villa Dolce Vita’s grand reveal would be the pinnacle of everything she’d worked for and more.