I lifted the drain. “You’re done. Let’s get you changed.”
She visibly pouted and splashed around, getting water all over me. “I’m still playing.”
“Okay, you guys handle this. I need to go downstairs to check on the crew,” Brad said, finally leaving, followed by Mason.
Honestly, we didn’t need that many people in the bathroom. I had this handled.
“Mary, you’re done. Get out.” Charles’s voice was stern, brooking no argument, but it was as though Mary hadn’t heard him. “Mary,” Charles said, voice heightened.
I couldn’t even rinse the girl because she had the bucket and she kept filling up her mini pool for her Barbies.
“Mary, honey. We have to get going, so we can continue making your cake.” Yes, I was bribing her and playing her game, but right now, she was on top of the leaderboard.
“You guys ready soon?” Brad yelled from the bottom of the stairs.
“It’s been literally one minute since he left,” I deadpanned, my annoyance showing through my tone.
“Mary, out.” Charles stepped around me and bent down to lift her.
I placed a wet palm against his shirt. A bad move since he was dry but, considering he was going to chuck a fully soaked and not rinsed Mary out of the water, I needed to stop him.
“You’re going to get wet,” I said, standing. I used my elbow to push the hair out of my face. I was already fully wet, so there was no need for the both of us to get ourselves soaked.
“It’s fine. Mary …” He sidestepped me and turned on the faucet, running the clean water into the tub.
“I’ll do it. Mary, can I have that little bucket, so I can rinse you?”
Mary was being extremely difficult today as she continued filling up her pool.
“You’re not listening!” Charles growled, making me jump. “You’re grounded.” He yanked the bucket out of her hands and tried to lift her from the tub, grabbing under her one arm.
“I’m not done, Daddy.” Her pout was on full display.
Charles gritted his teeth, and the muscle in his jaw jumped. When he spoke, it was like the earth shook with the authority in his tone. “You’re done when I say you’re done, and you’re done now.”
Mary’s tears streamed down her face as he rinsed her, dumping water over her head and over her body. There was no doubt that Charles would need to get changed before the shoot because he wasn’t only a little wet; he was a lot wet.
“I have it, Charles.”
“No, it’s fine.” He plucked her out of the tub, but because she didn’t release her Barbie pool, she took the pool full of water with her, tipping it over and all over the floor.
“Fuck.”
“Oh no.”
“What’s going on here?” Brad rushed into the bathroom.
I was about to warn him to be careful until he stepped into the bathroom and wiped out, slipping and falling to the ground.
“Great,” Charles grumbled, wrapping a crying Mary in a towel. “Now, we all have to get changed.”
“Why me? Why now?” Brad lay there for a few seconds, staring at the ceiling, and then he began to laugh.
Charles placed Mary on her feet and grabbed a few towels, layering them on the floor. I assisted but stepped on a puddle and slipped. Strong arms wrapped around my waist, twisting toward the tub, steadying me, but too bad we both fell in a heap over the towels, me on top of Charles.
My breath caught as I felt every inch of him against me—his chest against my chest, his hip by my hip. I pushed at his chest but ended up getting tangled up and head-butting him.
Ow …
I expected more anger, more frustration from him, but out of nowhere, he let out a deep rumble of laughter that eased my insides.
Then, I started laughing. Brad was laughing. All the adults were laughing.
What a day. And there was no way it could get worse, right?
Wrong.
Suddenly, from the door, a bright light caught us all off guard as the flashes from the photographers began.
Chapter 19
Charles
Every king, even the powerful, almighty ones, fell.
And I fell.
Hard.
For the first time in a very long time, I was sick. Not just a little cold, but a full-on type A flu. It had been confirmed by the doctor. It had also been confirmed that since I had gone too late, I couldn’t take Tamiflu.
Good God. My only saving grace was that it was the weekend, but I felt like utter shit.