With the demonstration of my unexpected skills
After the pool, we all had lunch together and started getting ready for the bachelorette party. Lelija invited us for a picnic in the forest, so I decided to dress as comfortably as possible. I chose a long white skirt with small slits on the sides, sneakers, and a white vest. The temperature rose from 18 degrees to 21, but I couldn't allow myself to not throw something on top, so I picked a light sweater. Unlike me, Ella and Sara wore dresses, which I thought was rather inappropriate for a picnic in nature.
The sun blinded my eyes as I stepped outside, so I had to go back for my favorite black square sunglasses. Lelija was waving at me from the other end of the yard, where the forest began. We waited for the others (Miss De Ville was the last to arrive in a fabulous brown suit, but I thought it was too elegant for a picnic) and headed deeper into the woods. We finally reached a glade strewn with small flowers and spread out a blanket. I sensed that something was off because a few minutes later I turned around just in time to see the servants from the house bringing us loungers and parasols. For some reason, they had brought porcelain dishes and silver cutlery as well. It was all just a bit too much.
— Are we having a feast or is this still a picnic? — I was really bothered by this question because I wanted to take a break from all this luxury and formality.
— What's wrong with a picnic, Adelina? It's the same as a regular meal, just outdoors, — first of all, I was surprised by how Miss Loretto addressed me. Seriously? Adelina?! Why such formality? And secondly, isn’t a picnic supposed to connect us with nature? Though, looking at the outfits of my companions, one thing was clear - they knew all about it and were fine with it.
— Excuse me, what? — I raised an eyebrow. — You want to call this a picnic?
— If you don’t like it, you can go with the men, they’re playing golf not far from here, — Loretto nodded her head to my right. Indeed, Leo, Nick, Philipp, and Cam were waving their golf clubs there. — That would suit you better, — the woman almost disdainfully surveyed my outfit, although when we first met, she was dressed almost the same. I found it shocking how openly she was dismissing me.
Sara and Ella opened their mouths, their eyes wide with shock. Lelija just hid her face in her hands, shaking her head.
— Well, I’d rather play golf than consider this — gesturing to the porcelain dishes and delicacies, — a picnic instead of enjoying nature, — I turned and walked towards the men. Of course, I felt Loretto’s contemptuous gaze on me, but I didn’t turn back. My blood boiled, and I could feel my pressure rising.
My hurried walk was quickly noticed by the “golf club members”:
— Adel, what are you doing here? — Leo fired his question first.
— Are you okay? — the only sane one — Nick.
I snatched the club from Leo’s hands and headed to the nearest course.
De Ville looked at me in surprise and shouted after me:
— What the hell, Delly? — as I prepared to swing.
I was caught in a whirl of emotions that I couldn’t stop. His mother irritated me from the very first word. And why does she get to decide everything for Lelija? It’s her wedding, isn’t it?
I hit the ball so hard that it flew about seventy meters and landed near the ball Marco had hit before. Cheers erupted from the men, and somewhere on the left, the girls squealed and yelled. Ella jumped on the spot, Sara raised her hands in the air, and Lelija shouted — "Beautiful!". Only the dissatisfied woman in brown finished her wine and looked at me as if it didn’t concern her at all. I approached Leo almost up close and had to tilt my head back to look him straight in the eye since he was almost a head taller than me.
— What did you ask? Oh right, what the hell, Adel? Hell with your mother, “Benny,” — I jabbed my finger into his chest, clenching my teeth. Sara told me that Loretto wanted Benedict to be the first name of her younger son, but her husband objected. Yet she still favors that name and calls her son — “Benny,” which drives him crazy.
I thought my speech would at least surprise Leo and he would start asking a lot of questions, but I never expected this: a smile began to bloom on his face, followed by dimples. This smile calmed me down a bit because I knew it was genuine.
— What game are you playing, Miss Levytska? — he leaned in and whispered this in my ear, sending shivers down my spine and leaving something soft and warm in my chest.
— I thought you loved playing games, — I brushed him off, looking straight into his gray eyes, and in response, he just threw his head back and laughed, not replying to my comment.
— I was just waiting for this moment, but I didn’t think ma mère would get to you this quickly, — he placed his hands on his hips, snorting and eyeing me, which I tried to ignore.
— Why does she annoy me? Because I don’t care that I’m not what she wants? — I waved my arms, trying to vent my anger. — Who is she to treat me like I’m some trash? She acts like I can’t be your girlfriend! — I blurted this out and only then realized it was a mistake.
It was high time I learned to keep my tongue behind my teeth...
— Can’t be my girlfriend? Is that what she thinks? — oh-oh-oh, damn… I really went too far.
I urgently needed to do something, and the best thing that came to my mind was: — Listen, I know you adore golf, but aren’t you worried I might outsmart you in the competition? — the only way out — to change the subject and hit him where it hurts; it always works.