Chapter 11
Gemma
“Good morning. You are up early.”
“This is late for me. What time were you planning on leaving today?”
I wasn’t and I told him so and he sort of looked at me as if I was crazy again.
“What do you mean?”
“I was planning to stay the day at least, maybe until the end tomorrow. I can understand if you are not up for it.”
“It’s not that. I have to go to work. Don’t you work?”
That was a question I didn’t see coming and I certainly wasn’t going to answer that with my usual answer.
“Not really. I do art, but that isn’t really a job.”
Keenan didn’t seem to understand. He looked out of sorts and I was going to figure that it was because of the rough sleeping. The tent and makeshift bed wasn’t that bad, I’d certainly slept on worse, but I could see how for someone like him, it may be more than he can handle.
“So what do you do all day?”
I shrugged and wasn’t sure wat to say. “I don’t know. I go out with friends, do art, travel, I love the beach. I don’t know really, just what sounds good for the day. I like to let the day take me wherever I am supposed to go.”
“So you don’t go to school or work?”
Was he not listening or had the language changed outside of English and I didn’t know it?
“Well I have a Bachelor degree already. I don’t really know what I want to do and since I am not ready to become an accountant for a living, I am just winging it right now. I graduated last spring, so I figure a little time off was due. I didn’t take any time off before so I finished in 3 years. Now I am tired and I want to do what I want to do.”
This wasn’t the first time that I had been asked basically the same question. Keenan was acting shocked and the amount of surprise in his tone irked me in a way, but I was getting defensive as well. I was the type that didn’t care what people thought of me, so why was I so worried about what my husband thought? It wasn’t like he was really my husband anyways.
“I envy you Gemma.”
“Why? You are super rich. It’s not like you haven’t made enough yet. Why do you work?”
Now it was his turn on the hot seat and I could tell that he had thought about my question even less than I had thought of his.
“What do you mean? I have to work. That is what I am supposed to do.”
“Yeah, but why? I mean, it’s not like you don’t have enough for the rest of your life. You will never spend what you have, so why would you keep going to work every day when you don’t have to? It’s Saturday for goodness sakes Keenan. It can’t be that important.”
“You know, I suppose I have never really thought about it. It was always just something that I did. I don’t think I would know what to do with myself if I did like you and just winged it.”
I giggled at the sheer confusion on his face. I can’t believe that he had never considered that he had billions and needed no more. I guess if he was going to marry me for my father’s good influence, he was still not ready to imagine that enough would be enough. I don’t think that enough was ever going to be enough for him, and I think that thought process extended beyond finances. It was moments like this that I realized the vast chasm of difference between us. Here I was thinking that this could possibly work and now the realization that it never will. That was a hard one to come to grips with and I felt the smile fading from my face.
“Some people find it easier to have a plan. I have just never been one of those people I guess.”
“You seem like a free spirit.”
Another generic word that I was sure he had picked up from somewhere in his reading. I had been called that a lot, but it was people that actually knew me and knew what I was about. Keenan was still a stranger to me.
“Yeah I have heard that before. You can just take the car if you want.”
“No, I couldn’t leave you here stranded.”
I looked around the tent and told him that I wouldn’t be stranded. “There are thousands of people here Keenan, I won’t be stranded anywhere. I will just get a ride home. It really isn’t a big deal. I know you have a busy day scheduled. Do you always work on weekends?”
Keenan nodded, but didn’t say anything more. “I will just have Jimmy pick me up. I am sure this field will be fine to land on. I called him a few minutes ago. I just wanted to tell you goodbye before I left.”
My face fell and I don’t know why I was so bummed out about that. It wasn’t like I should care, but I did. We had a good time last night when he finally loosened up a bit and I remember distinctly, the way I felt sleeping next to his warm body. I slept so well and even waking up without him had the bad feeling a whole lot colder. Now he was leaving me again, but I would never say out loud that I didn’t want him to go. I had my pride after all.
“Well thanks for letting me know Keenan.” I was already turning away and deciding if I wanted to get back in bed. It wasn’t the same now that he wasn’t in it beside me.
“I had a really good time Gemma. Thank you for inviting me.”
“I will be here till Sunday if you want to come back. You know where I will be.”
“Tent 2237.”
“Exactly.”
I laughed a little, but I didn’t feel like laughing. I felt like crying because he was leaving and I felt like an idiot for even feeling this way about him going. I knew how he felt about me, so why was I acting like this was more than it actually was? I should have known better. He was my husband because of business. That was all this was and my mind had to stop making it more.
***
The festival was great and I felt a little freer without Keenan there to judge me. But it wasn’t the same without him and I sort of wished that his stiff self was there. He was not as open about, well anything, but he was fun to be around and now that he was gone, I could really feel his lack of presence even more.
It was starting to get dark and though I’d had a good day, I was ready to get to bed and end it. The trip back would be long by myself and I just wanted to stop missing Keenan. It was really getting on my nerves. I wasn’t supposed to miss him. He certainly didn’t miss me.
“Thanks for walking me back Travis.”
“No problem Gemma. Do you want to go inside and partake in some of this green that I just got? It’s fire.”
I did, but Travis was giving me a look that I knew well and I wasn’t into him in that way. Truth be told, I wasn’t into him in anyway and even though I was sure it had something to do with Keenan, I wasn’t going to admit that to myself. I knew that he was going to see other people, so I should as well. I just didn’t have the desire. That was the difference between me and him.
“No, I think I am good Travis. I am tired and I am just going to head to bed.”
He moved closer and his dark blue eyes danced on mine. I knew what he had in mind, but I wasn’t feeling it and moved back to let him know that I wasn’t interested. The side of the tent stopped me from going any further back away from him and when he kept advancing, I put my hand up to his chest to ward him off.
“Not tonight Travis.”
“Why not Gemma? I know you aren’t a prude.”
That sounded a lot like a nice way to call me a slut and I took offense. He didn’t know anything about me or he would know how far from the truth that was.
“Not tonight or any other night.”
Moving to go into the tent, not willing to talk to him anymore, I felt his hand on my arm and I whipped around to say something. But the words died on my lips when I saw Keenan come out of nowhere to hit Travis. He said something about never putting his hands on his wife.
Travis was on the ground, bleeding from the side of his lip, giving me a dirt look. “I didn’t know she was married. She doesn’t have a ring. Sorry man.”
The curly-haired man got up and I watched his lanky frame move away.
“You didn’t have to be such a jerk. What are you doing here anyways?”
“I was invited, remember? I didn’t realize that I would be replaced so quickly by someone else if I didn’t make it.”
I moved into the tent after shooting him a deathly glare. This was not cute and while I was thankful that he had taken care of Travis since the man didn’t seem to get a hint, that didn’t mean that I was going to let him think he could dictate what I did because of it.
“I don’t ask where you are, it’s none of your business where I am or who I am with. This isn’t a real marriage.”
“Why aren’t you wearing your ring?”
“It kept getting caught on everything. While I am sure it is expensive, it is hard to wear. The diamond is just too big. It’s not very practical.”
“So where is it?”
“In a safe deposit box. I figured I would lose it if not and I would hate to lose something so valuable.”
“Thank you. It was my great grandmother’s.”
“You can have it back if you want.”
“I want you to wear your ring so men like that one don’t come onto you everywhere you go.”
I just shook my head and tried not to laugh. He was being ridiculous and this little spat of jealousy didn’t look so good on him.
“Get me something simple, like just a band and I will wear it.”
Keenan shook his head, his dark hair falling down his collar. “I didn’t think there was a woman alive that would tell me that her diamond was too big and she just wanted a simple band.”
“Maybe you have just been talking to the wrong women.”
“Maybe Gemma. Are you going to tell me who that guy was or what?”
I groaned inwardly and started to seriously wonder if he could actually hear me. “He was just a friend. Or I thought he was a friend, but he got a little too demanding for me all of a sudden.”
He looked at my clothes, his fingers touching the silk of the wrap I was wearing. “This is why. You can practically see through it. You shouldn’t dress like this Gemma. It will give guys like him ideas.”
I had heard enough and I told him so. He was trying to run my life and we hadn’t even been married a week.
“I like this, so I am going to wear it.”
Keenan blew out a breath and sat on the edge of the bed. “I would rather you didn’t. I don’t want men gawking at my wife.”
“Again Keenan. I am not your real wife and this isn’t a real marriage.”
“That is harsh Gemma.”
“Yeah and it’s true. I don’t ask you what you are doing or where you were and you don’t ask me. Okay?”
“No, that’s not okay Gemma.”