揧ou are here,?I said unnecessarily.
揑 wanted to surprise you.?
揑 am surprised,?I said, laughing nervously.
I motioned toward our balcony. 揥hy don抰 we sit outside? The weather抯 still nice.?
Clifford glanced at Santino then nodded. 揝ounds like a good idea.?
Just like Clifford, I was eager to get away from Santino who looked ready to kill my fianc? And not just that, I felt strangely guilty toward Santino. As if I were cheating on him by talking to Clifford when it should be the other way around.
揧ou don抰 look happy. Am I interrupting anything??Clifford asked with a glance toward Santino as we sank down on the chairs outside. Because it was getting dark and only March, the temperature had dropped considerably from my stroll with Santino earlier. I shivered but rather freeze to death than bear the strained atmosphere with Santino and Clifford in one room.
揙f course not. I抦 just busy with fashion school, that抯 all.?I wasn抰 even that busy yet. Most of my courses so far were introductory because the Spring semester was only about to begin.
Clifford gave me a boyish smile. Maybe it was because I spent so much time with Santino but Clifford seemed too young. 揟hat抯 why I came on a weekend. I thought surprising your fianc閑 like that was a good start to a marriage.?
It probably was for a love marriage, which ours decidedly was not. The man I was close to falling in love with watched us from the sidelines and would never be my husband. And I feared that the man who抎 become my husband and I was supposed to love, would never own my heart, not in the way Santino already did. It wasn抰 love because I wouldn抰 allow myself to feel that way, but my heart was definitely beating for Santino in a way that wasn抰 healthy considering my planned future.
Clifford shrugged. 揑 suppose I was wrong. Don抰 worry. I抣l keep myself busy until my flight leaves on Monday.?
He really flew over all the way from the States for a weekend to visit me? It was kind of sweet. I couldn抰 help but feel guilty for not being a real fianc閑。 揑 thought you were seeing someone and being exclusive. Isn抰 it weird if you come visit me??
Though maybe she didn抰 mind. After all, they weren抰 dating and she knew he was engaged to me, which was strange in itself, but anyway.
揥e decided to not see each other anymore. It got weird with you now officially in the picture. I didn抰 want to risk emotions getting in the way on her part. A scorned woman is a dangerous woman.?
My gaze darted to Santino. With him, I didn抰 have to worry about word getting out. He was used to being the man in the shadows, but I could tell that he didn抰 like to be reminded of it. He was no longer watching us and preparing an espresso instead, but I knew he was very aware of what went on outside and he didn抰 like it one bit. I抎 always relished in his brief moments of jealousy, but not today.
揥e can have lunch tomorrow if you want. You came here all the way after all.?
揂 pity date??Clifford asked, sounding as if he was joking. But he had a point. It was out of pity.
揘o,?I lied. 揥here are you staying? Maybe I can come over so we抣l have lunch in the hotel restaurant??
揑n the Four Seasons.?
Of course. 揥e抣l meet in the lobby at twelve??
I wanted to get Clifford out of the apartment as soon as possible. It felt too awkward.
He nodded and stood with a knowing gleam in his eyes. 揋ood. Then let抯 meet there.?
I wasn抰 really looking forward to spending the day with him, especially because I knew how pissed Santino was going to be in the next few days.
I accompanied Clifford to the door and Clifford pressed a kiss to my cheek. 揑 hope he won抰 have lunch with us.?
I laughed tightly. 揇on抰 worry I抣l tell him to wait in the car.?
I closed the door and breathed a sigh of relief.
揧ou抣l tell me to wait in the car? What am I, a dog you can give orders to??
I huffed. 揑 had to say something. We can抰 risk making Clifford suspicious.?
Santino nodded, his jaw set tight. He was angry, but I could tell that wasn抰 all. He looked jealous and upset. I didn抰 even want to imagine being in his stead. I would probably lose my mind if Santino was promised to a woman and would meet her for lunch, but I wasn抰 sure what else to do.
揑 thought he didn抰 care if you fuck other men.?
I didn抰 like how callous he sounded all of a sudden. 揧ou and I have known each other for a long time. Clifford would realize that it抯 more than sex.?
揑s it??
I went over to him and touched his chest. He didn抰 soften, not his body or expression. 揅ome on, don抰 be like that. You knew I was promised to Clifford when we started sleeping with each other. It抯 not a secret. I thought you preferred the no-strings-attached sex.?