Page 59 of The Wife Deception
"Nothing," Luca said. "I was just thanking her for buying the villa."
30
Aire.
I've never been to a polo match before. I didn't know how the game was played, so I watched multiple YouTube videos to understand it. But all that work seemed pointless, because it turned out few people cared for the match or even came to watch the match. The event was mostly about mingling with other rich people. The match was just an excuse to network. No wonder Nolan hadn't been enthusiastic enough to come. If the gala was a naked display of sycophants slobbering all over him, this was worse. Everywhere we went, people wanted to speak to him. To ask him to be part of their next venture. To thank him for donating to their charity. Andalso to ask him if he has time to hear about their other new charity venture. And those were just the business people. Then there were the women who were so used to Nolan being the most eligible bachelor in New York society that they did not care that he was married now. Their advances towards him were embarrassing. It would have made me jealous, if he didn't reject them so cleanly.
"Is this how it's always like?" I asked him when one woman tried to get Nolan's personal number, only for him to give her his assistant's. She blushed when she realized what he had done, glanced at me as if noticing me for the first time, and then slithered away.
"The foxes are out in full force today, if that's what you want to know."
"No wonder you hate this shit," I said. We strolled to the seats and sat down in an empty row to watch the match. There were a few other people scattered in a few seats, but most people were milling about beyond the grounds.
"It's not my scene. And it seems like it's not yours as well."
"I didn't hang around in the polo enthusiast set." I hoped he took it to mean that I liked other rich people's sports or hated sports in general and not because I've never been to a thing like this before. His keen eye was starting to freak me out. The longer we stayed together, the more he wasgetting to know, not just the fake Aelin version I was trotting out, but the real me. I found maintaining the pretense of being my cousin constantly tough. It was so exhausting that I ended up being myself instead.
"Nor do you hang around the nightclub set? Or at least you do, but you don't like it."
My stomach tumbled. "What makes you say that?"
"You didn't look comfortable a few months ago at Hunter's club. It should have been your scene and yet you seemed a little lost. Like a fish out of water."
I whipped my head to face him, surprised by his insight. "I wasn't in the mood, that's all. Clubbing is my forte, don't you know? Just ask the tabloids."
"But you were in the mood for something else." His eyes darkened, and a thrill ran down my spine as I remembered that night. We had edged each other and continued that edging to Milan until it imploded. Nolan and I had slept with each other every night and had not stopped since. Even after his mother left, I didn't move back into the other bedroom. We hadn't spoken about it. It was as though speaking about the arrangement would solidify it. Make it into something that it's not. Turning it into something serious. Because what we had was just sex. Nothing more.
"I'm in the mood for the game," I said and turned to the men galloping around the field on horses.
Nolan scoffed. "Liar. Do you even understand what's going on?"
"Yes. It's soccer but on horseback."
He folded his arms. "There's more to the sport than that."
"Yeah?"
"Of course." Nolan launched into an explanation of the game. The rules of how it's played. His eyes shone as he spoke. His body leaning towards me, and my heart loving the undivided attention he was giving me.
"You love the sport."
Nolan leaned back. "Nah. Just a mild interest."
"Liar. You should see your face. You're practically glowing from telling me all about Adolfo Cambiaso's matches."
He crossed his legs and assumed a casual pose that did not fool me for a second. "One can't help but admire such an amazing career."
"Uh, huh?"
"Fine." He raised his hands in surrender. "I like the sport. Sue me."
I chuckled. "I'm just surprised you were acting like you didn't want to even be here."
"I like Polo. I don't like this." He waved his hand at the crowd of people beyond the field.
"The sycophants do ruin it, I have to admit."
He chuckled. "You saw."
