My gaze found Santino standing off to the side watching everything with a bored expression. Anyone who thought only girls could have a resting bitch face had never seen Santino. His constant pissed-off look was legendary.
揑抦 used to attention but today I feel like a zoo animal,?I whispered.
Clifford nodded and smiled as if I抎 said something nice. He knew how to play the game. I smiled in turn, even if I didn抰 feel like it.
揌ow about we go somewhere more private??
揑抎 love to,?I said immediately, needing a breather.
Clifford lightly touched my shoulder as he steered me toward the door. I could see Santino watching us from across the room where he hovered behind Mom and Dad and chatting with one of the Clark抯 bodyguards that he hadn抰 offended yet.
We stepped into the lobby but even here a few people mingled to chat. We gave them smiles and I nodded toward the back. Clifford and I headed toward the kitchen, which of course was also crowded with staff. But the kitchen had access to a part of the garden that usually only staff used for their breaks. Now at the busiest time of the party, none of them were out there, so Clifford and I had some privacy as the door closed behind us. We settled on the chairs.
揝o now we抮e engaged,?Clifford said in disbelief.
揥e are.?
Clifford pulled two cigarettes from the pocket in his pants and offered one to me, but I quickly shook my head. Even if staff was currently too busy for a break, they might poke their head out to check on us and I didn抰 want them to see me smoking. This would undoubtedly reach my parents?ears in record time and then I抎 be in a whole world of trouble.
Clifford gave a knowing smile. 揔eeping up appearances, I get it.?He lit his cigarette and took a deep drag.
揕et me take a quick pull,?I said.
He held out his cigarette to me and I took a deep drag before he put it back in his mouth. 揈veryone probably thinks we抮e exchanging spittle in a different way right now.?
揥ould you prefer that??
Clifford thought about that then shook his head. 揕ast time was a bit of a turn-off,?he said with a laugh.
揝antino won抰 act like that again, especially at our engagement party.?
揑抦 seeing someone anyway, so I can抰 kiss anyone else.?
My eyebrows shot up. 揧ou抮e dating someone.?I抎 taken sleeping around into consideration but a relationship? That really posed the risk of Clifford going into our marriage in love with someone else. The odds definitely wouldn抰 be in our favor then.
揘ot dating. We抮e friends with benefits, but we agreed to be exclusive for the time being.?
I pursed my lips. My experiences with relationships were limited but this sounded like dating, even if they didn抰 call it by that name. A rose by another name is still a rose, right? 揝o you抮e getting along well, have sex, and are faithful to each other?that抯 dating where I come from.?
揇oes anyone in your world really date??
I narrowed my eyes.
揕ike I said we both don抰 want a relationship.?
揇oes she know about me? It抣l be all over the news tomorrow.?
揝he knows.?
揧ou didn抰 tell her about the deal, right??That was top secret after all.
揘o, I told her we抮e in an open relationship because we know we抮e too young to commit fully but so madly in love that we know we抮e endgame.?
I snorted, couldn抰 help it. 揑 hope this doesn抰 backfire and you抣l be heartbroken when you have to marry me and are in love with your friend with benefits.?
揑 could say the same to you, right? Only you have a bodyguard with benefits.?
I tensed. 揟here抯 nothing between Santino and I.?
Clifford抯 expression made it clear that he didn抰 believe me.
揑抦 not lying. We don抰 sleep with each other and we definitely aren抰 in love.?
Technically neither was a lie. I had the tiniest crush that I had every intention of killing very soon.
揗aybe that抯 true. But I remember the way he looked at you when he caught us kissing, and today again when we announced our engagement. He wants you.?
I shook my head.
揗aybe he doesn抰 want to admit it because you抮e off limits, but trust me, he wants you, and I can tell that you wouldn抰 say no.?
I shrugged. 揝o what, you said I could have fun.?
揇efinitely. Just make sure it stays that, just fun.?
揇on抰 worry.?
When the guests finally left late that night, I could finally breathe a sigh of relief. It had been a long day. I wasn抰 sure what I抎 thought I would feel after I got engaged to Clifford, maybe a stronger sense of peace with my future. But my conversation with Clifford today hadn抰 laid my worries to rest. He and I were bound by duty, not by emotions. He had someone he enjoyed spending time with and I had to trust that he wouldn抰 get emotionally attached and either cancel our marriage or enter it being in love with someone else.