The Billionaire's Wife(29)

Chapter Fifteen





The room is still as we both lie on the bed staring up at the ceiling, our breath finally coming slower but both of us still tired. My mouth is parched and while I would do anything for a glass of water, I’m afraid that trying to get to my feet at the moment is out of the question. My trembling legs would hold me up for all of two seconds before giving way. I slide my tongue over my bottom lip and take a deep breath.#p#分页标题#e#



“Gideon…” He turns his head sideways to face me, “Ricky, well…I don’t know what to call you but do you think you could get me a glass of water?” He laughs and slides off the bed, heading towards the en suite bathroom. I wonder how he knows his way around the upstairs of this place so well while he fills a glass from the bathroom tap. “How do you know your way around here so well?”



“Hmm?” the tap turns off and he brings out my water, taking a drink of it himself before handing it to me.



“I said…” I gulp down as much water as I can, “how do you know your way around here so well?”



“Oh,” he takes the empty glass from my hand and sets it on the night stand before lying back on the bed beside me, “you know.”



“No?”



“Oh, right. Well, they always hold these things here; I’m something of a veteran donor for every cause under the sun. Usually they’ll put me up here so I don’t have to drive home if I’ve had too much to drink.” I roll over to face him.



“Why don’t you have a driver like, umm…the old couple we met downstairs?” He turns his head to look at me.



“I told you already, I can’t stand the richy rich lifestyle. I mean, I have two perfectly working arms and two perfectly working legs and if I get too drunk to drive I’ll call a cab or” he gestures around the room “crash at a hotel or something.”



“Oh. It must be strange being around so many people who do live that lifestyle when you choose not to though. I mean tonight I felt so out of my league with everyone asking me about being a billionaire’s wife and I just had no clue what to say. Hell, I couldn’t even remember the name of the building where you live!” Gideon laughs shaking the bed as he does.



“Well I can imagine that would be a little uncomfortable, why didn’t you let me know you needed ‘saving’?” I shrug, looking up at the ceiling wondering whether I dare ask him why I had to play his wife to all these people anyway.



“It was, and I didn’t know how because you were too busy talking to Howard. Besides, how exactly would a woman go about asking her husband what the name of the building they live in is called?” I wait for an answer; I wait for him to pick up on just how hurt I am that tonight I felt like nothing more than an actress. There’s something about having to pretend you’re someone you’re not that feels shameful, pretending that I’m his wife, the fact that he can’t admit that I’m his girlfriend.



Gideon doesn’t answer; his eyes turn back to the ceiling. After a few more minutes of silence I ask him,



“Do I look a lot like her?” I feel him turn his head again to look at me.



“What?”



“Your wife, do I look a lot like her? No one seemed to bat an eyelid tonight when you told them they’d met me before. I mean, I must look quite a bit like her in order for them to believe that they’ve already met me before…right?” Gideon gets quiet, he turns his head away. “I just…” I try to gauge his expression but I can barely see his face now. “Never mind.” Gideon doesn’t speak again, he lays still, we both lay still in silence.



After an uncomfortably long silence I slip off the bed and slide my dress over my thighs, pulling it up over my shoulders. Gideon follows my lead and gets up starting to dress himself too.



“Could you zip me up?” I don’t dare face him; I don’t want him to see that I’m crying like the stupid lovesick schoolgirl, the ‘bit on the side.’ He comes over and zips up my dress and as I feel his hands against my skin one more time, I can no longer contain the tears. They begin to flood down my cheeks and I can’t stop them. Stepping in to my heels, I grab my clutch purse and turn to face him. His eyes meet mine and I give him a sad smile before leaning in to kiss his cheek. “Thank you for a lovely evening, Gideon.” I wipe my tears from his face and straighten his collar. “I’m afraid I just can’t do this anymore. I can’t be something I’m not, no matter how much I might want to be. I can’t be your wife lookalike, I just can’t.” I can’t bring myself to look him in the eye as I say these final words. He says nothing and I head for the door.