into any of the details, but she doesn't need to. I only knew Alex as a kid but I’ve seen him on social media years ago. He has always loved women. Many women.
After Emma leaves, I continue to sit at the picnic table staring at the dark ocean below. I give myself a few more minutes before I get up and go back inside.
“Liam! There you are!” Alex waves to me from across the room.
I see him trapped in a conversation with four older gentlemen who look like they play a lot of golf and I'm happy to come to his rescue.
“He’s one of my oldest friends. I've known this guy since middle school,” Alex says.
After we all shake hands, the guy in the round spectacles asks, “What do you do for a living?”
“Bit of everything,” I say, putting my weight on my back foot. “Now? A lot of woodworking.”
Silence falls between us.
Alex smiles at the corner of his mouth, amused by my approach to this very normal line of questioning.
I don't know if it's just a man thing or if women do this as well, but I've noticed that whenever I'm in a group of strangers we all seem to measure each other up by figuring out where we stand in the financial pecking order.
“Actually, Liam is here to talk to me about getting some of his money invested in the fund,” Alex cuts me off just as I'm about to open my mouth and say some more inappropriate things. “Liam, George here is one of my biggest investors.”
“Oh, yeah? What are your thoughts?”
I look up at a man with reddish blond hair and freckles, which gives him a boyish look.
“I wouldn't trust my money with anyone else,” George says.“Although from what I've heard, he’s not taking on any new people.”
“Where did you hear that?” Alex asks, taking a sip of scotch.
“Your father. I had a few friends that I thought would place their money with you as well, but when you were busy, your secretary put them through to your father and that's what he told me.”
“Yeah, we've had a few conversations about that. He wants to limit the number of investors that we bring in and increase the amount of money that they give to us. I think that there's nothing wrong with opening ourselves up to more money from friends and family. Please don't worry about that. One of these days, Father will let me run this thing the way that it should be run and everything will be fine.”
After George and his friends walk away to mingle with the rest of the crowd, Alex turns to me and laughs.
“I forgot how much you like to fuck with people,” he says.
“Why?” I ask innocently. “Did I offend him?”
Alex shakes his head and gets us another round of drinks.
“I just happen to think that there's more to us than what they have in the bank,” I say. “I'm sorry that George didn't agree with me.”
“That is something George will never agree with.”
Alex uses this as a lead way to start telling me about his investment fund. I know that it’s probably a good idea to put my money in there, he has an excellent reputation and that's technically why I came here, but I'm not really in the mood to talk about it now.
I glance over to Emma, who is standing against the wall, practically hugging it.
“I completely forgot.” Alex is ushering me toward her. “Let me introduce you to my fiancée.”
I hesitate but I have no choice. I decide to take her lead. If she pretends that we have never met, then I'll go along with it.
Alex introduces her by grabbing her left hand and showing me her big ring. From the outside, you wouldn't know that anything is wrong.
I guess that's the thing about pretending.
We all do it, right?
That's what everyone keeps telling me and that's exactly why I live out there on my acreage all by myself as far away from people as possible.
After we shake hands, Emma cowers into herself but remains standing before me. In the bright light of the room, she looks small and insecure, but still undeniably beautiful. She has big eyes and beautiful shiny hair that cascades down her shoulders.
Alex keeps talking even though neither of us give him much encouragement except for a brief nod here and there. Instead, our eyes stay focused on one another's and I realize just how difficult this moment is for her.
“Emma and