Dating Games(53)

“They may view love and marriage as a business relationship, one for profit, but I don’t. When I first met Christopher, I couldn’t help but feel a connection. He was smart, charming, funny, a breath of fresh air from all the stuffy people I’ve always known. My parents thought it was just a phase.” Her expression drops as she toys with the ring on her left hand. It’s stunning and a decent-sized rock, but not nearly as extravagant as some of the jewelry I’ve seen on other women here. “I think they sometimes think it’s still a phase.”

She smiles at Christopher, but it doesn’t reach her eyes this time. I sense she still struggles with the tension that must exist between her parents and the man she loves. I couldn’t imagine having to choose one or the other. I was lucky to have a boyfriend my parents adored.

“But that doesn’t matter. They can drop my social standing a few pegs all they want. It won’t change anything.”

“Then why do you still come to these things?” I wave my free hand around. “I could be wrong, but it sounds like you’re pretty fed up with the way things are and want no part of it.”

She leans toward me. “That’s true. But I love showing off the fact that I’m genuinely happy. Most of these people wouldn’t know happiness if it slapped them in the face. And it ruffles their feathers to know I’ve found it. That no matter what they do, they can’t take that away from me.”

“Wow.” I shake my head, absorbing Sadie’s story. “It all seems a bit antiquated.”

She raises her drink. “Welcome to the Hamptons, where the caste system is alive and well.” After she takes a sip, she returns her glass to the table. “So, did you two really meet in a bar?”

I’m about to confirm this when Julian’s voice cuts through. “We sure did.”

I turn my head, meeting his eyes. There’s still an intensity within, but it’s not as pronounced as it was. He pulls me close, his fingers tracing a delicate circle on my bicep. I attempt to melt into his embrace, wanting it to appear as natural as possible.

“Her ex had just broken up with her and she decided to share her story with the entire bar.”

Sadie’s eyes widen. “You didn’t!”

I blanche as Julian continues. “It was far more entertaining than any stand-up routine I’ve seen.” Pride drips from his statement, his hold on me tightening. “Guinevere has a gift with words. So I suppose I should thank her ex for being a complete idiot. If it weren’t for him, I wouldn’t be sitting next to this incredible, amazing, captivating woman who seems to have weaseled her way into my heart practically overnight.”

He speaks with such passion, such fervor, such affection, it’s hard to imagine this is simply an act. But as Shakespeare so succinctly put it in As You Like It, “All the world’s a stage, and all the men and women merely players.” Now is my time to play the part of Julian’s girlfriend. Come September, the curtain will close and I’ll go on to the next act of my life.





Chapter Nineteen





“And that’s Imogene Joyce,” Sadie says under her breath as we sit at the same table a while later. Julian and Christopher excused themselves earlier. I haven’t seen them in over an hour. At least they left me in good hands. Sadie seems to know the dirt on everyone. And being the Hamptons, there’s more dirt than usual. “She claims to be James Joyce’s great-niece or some shit.”

“Is she?”

Sadie shrugs. “Who knows? One can never be too sure of anything around here. People constantly say whatever they need in order to secure an invitation to the next big social event, or to make someone jealous, or to appear better than someone else. Hell, if you wanted, you could say you were a distant relative of F. Scott Fitzgerald and people would probably believe it. You’ll soon learn that everything out here is a fa?ade. Nothing is real. It’s all for show. The smiles. The clothes. The houses. It’s all a competition, a game we play every summer to see whose dick is the biggest.”

“Then why do you come year after year?”

As she relaxes back in her chair, she crosses her legs. “It’s too entertaining a show to miss. Not to mention it’s good for Chris to network, considering he works in wealth management. Plus, Julian asked me to hang out this summer, as a favor to him.”

“He did?” I furrow my brow.

“Yes.” She smiles warmly. “He didn’t want you to feel lonely. Thought you could use a little female camaraderie.” She’s silent for a moment. “He’s a good guy. A really good guy. Loyal to a fault. Caring. If you have a problem, he’ll do whatever he can to help you, regardless of what he has going on in his own life at the moment. He may look like he’s this tough bad ass, and he’s definitely perfected the mystery man persona he seems to exude, but to those of us who know the real Julian Gage…” She reaches across the table and clutches my hand in hers. “Well, you’ve hit the jackpot because there’s no one better.” She pulls back. “Well, except Christopher, but Julian comes in a very close second.”

She winks as she sips on her drink. It warms my heart to hear someone talk about Julian with so much affection. It solidifies my original assessment of him. He truly is a good guy, not the playboy con artist some would have me believe.