The Other Woman

He gave me a crooked grin when he glanced over, his sunglasses covering his eyes. "It is just us today. I wanted to introduce my other woman."

"What?" I cried, yanking off my sunglasses and looking incredulously at him. "Other woman?" I smacked away his hand that was heading for my thigh. "If you have someone else, I'm going to chop off your balls."

His loud laughter only made me angrier. He grabbed my arm just as I was going to open the door and leave.

He muttered "Wait" in between chuckles. "It isn't what you think." I gave him the stink eye as he began stroking the dashboard. "I was talking about my pretty car."

"Oh gosh!"

"Yes. And don't even make light of hurting my balls. I know you love them."

"Calling your car 'the other woman' is such a manly thing to do. Of course, that is aside from your tremendous overestimation of my love for your balls." I turned my nose up.

"This is not just a car!"

"I'm sorry, I slept through the class where cars driven by rich and famous people were discussed."

He put his hand on his chest to pretend to be hurt, and I couldn't help but giggle.

"Let me explain it to you in terms you can understand. Fuck, this car is fantastic. And this is only the second time since I bought her that I've taken her out."

"Are you implying that I should feel fortunate in some way?" He nodded firmly, and I rolled my eyes.

When we finally went off, I relished the sensation of the sun and air on my skin. Although he was keeping quiet, Nicholas reached out to take my hand and I noticed a faint smile on his face.

"Hey," he said and gave me a fleeting glance before returning to the road. "I want you to know that, as much as I enjoyed your jealousy, I would never cheat on you."

I was deeply aware of that. That would be the first worst crime in his eyes.

"I know." But I was interested in his prior relationships outside of Rosemary. " Can I ask you a question?"

"Sure."

"You cannot possibly have been alone since... Rosemary. Have you dated a lot of different women?"

His jaw tensed. "Are you sure you want to know? If you do, I won't lie to you."

That was worrying, but I couldn't help but be curious. "Yes."

"I haven't always been a saint." His sigh was loud. "I went through women like clothes for a very long period. I never misled anyone. They were given the heads-up not to expect anything romantic from me. No attachment would ever develop. Those encounters had no strings. I'm not pleased with it. That was just how I handled the situation."

I listened to what he said as my concerns were reinforced. Though it wasn't as though I hadn't anticipated it, it still stung to think about him with other women.

"However, you gave me all the perks of a relationship. Why the abrupt shift in how you think? Have you ever attempted something similar with someone else?"

"Like our arrangement?" he asked.

"Yes."

"No. The last two years, I made an effort to date a few women." He stopped and turned to face me. "I felt alone. But it was unsuccessful. Either I didn't trust their motives or they demanded more than I was willing to give. They were not what I wanted. I believe at some point I came to the conclusion that if I wanted someone for the long run, I would have to set the rules."

"And then you came across me." I scowled as I considered what he had said. "It makes me sound incredibly silly and naive."

"I wish you wouldn't approach it that way. The day you first contacted me, in my opinion, might have been the happiest day of my life."

The man could say the simplest things and make my heart flutter even without wanting to.

"Really?" I squeaked.

He raised my hand to his mouth and kissed my knuckles. "There is no other woman I could have imagined creating a life with other than you."

My heart thumped, and my cheeks warmed. Despite the fact that I wasn't as experienced with men, I had a gut feeling that Nicholas was my perfect puzzle piece.

He grinned and held our fingers together as I allowed those pleasant feelings to wash over me. We were leaving Quentin when I paid attention to my surroundings.

"Where are we going?" I asked.

He laughed. "We'll arrive there shortly. I promise you will have fun."

I soon understood where we were going. He pulled up in a parking lot next to the stadium.

"A game of football?"

He smiled and nodded. "Are you a fan of football?"

I sighed. "Really, I've never watched a game. Maybe with my dad when I was little."

"Well, a football game is impossible not to enjoy. You'll know soon enough." He stepped out and gave the young valet a large sum of money, pledging a sizable bonus if the car was returned to him in pristine shape.

I shook my head in disbelief. He really loved his car. The stereotype was not far off from the truth.

Nicholas took my hand and brought me to the VIP section. He kept prattling on about the origins of the game. The stands were crowded and there were people everywhere. While navigating the crowds and finding our seats in the front row, Nicholas kept me curled against his side.

"Is it always this crowded?" I asked.

"Not always, but we are playing our mortal enemies today."

I had no idea what that meant, but I listened to him babble on about rivalries, divisions, and overall hatred for the opposition. I was occupied with people-watching, soaking up the sun, taking in the music, and taking in the breathtaking view of the field.

It was the essence of what summer should be.

Nicholas began identifying the players as they emerged from the dugouts before the national anthem started playing. Even though I had no idea what was making him so happy, I nodded and grinned at his beaming face. Merely seeing him smile was sufficient for me.

I had a basic comprehension of the game, but as it continued, I found myself truly enjoying it. It was simple to become overexcited as the crowd cheered. Nicholas kept his arms around my shoulder throughout the game. He only put his hands away when we were buying snacks and food. I also noticed Nicholas covertly interacting with some of the players: sometimes nodding or waving at each other.

"To whom are you waving? He seems to know you. I believe I have seen him in a commercial."

He grunted and clung to me more tightly. He told me a name I of course did not know. "He's a friend of mine, and I think he is attempting to seduce you."

A short while later, as Nicholas' friend warmed up in front of us, someone handed Nicholas a message. He scowled as he read it.

He hurriedly scribbled something back and handed it to the guy once more before murmuring, "Cocksucker."

I inquired, "What did it say?"

"He asked for your phone number." He scowled as he turned to face me, but I could tell he wasn't really angry because he laughed. "See? I told you. I know that look in his eyes."

I made fun of him. "I'm certain he was teasing you. What did you write back, though?"

"I advised him to take his eyes off my wife if he wanted to continue playing with intact limbs."

I laughed and gave his pouty mouth a kiss. Even though I hadn't attended many sporting events—actually, ever—the rest of the game was a blast, and I was now more than willing to attend more. Half the fun was seeing Nicholas having a wonderful time.

Even better, Nicholas' friend kicked the football in our direction. When it was about to hit, I swung around like a fool and covered my face, but Nicholas caught it in midair. He handed it to me, and as I read the writing on the ball, I laughed while he groaned.

[Mrs. Rowe, congratulations on your marriage. Message me if you need tickets for my next game!]

I didn't even mind the traffic on the way back to our house after the winning game.

What started out as a horrible day turned out to be one of the best ones so far.

.

"Why don't you try this one out?" Courtney asked.

When I saw the dress she was holding, I wrinkled my nose. Even though it was already Thursday, I still hadn't found a dress for the wedding reception on Sunday.

"Red is improper for the occasion, in my opinion. I would choose something in white, champagne, or black... anything on that spectrum."

I received numerous calls for interviews from the local media and gossip magazines after our wedding announcement appeared in the newspaper. Everyone was curious about the little girl who "stole Nicholas' heart."

Despite what Nicholas had said, I had been tracking all the opinions on the internet. It was uncomfortable seeing my name thrown around, but I also didn't want to talk to anyone about my life.