“Oh, shit,” Jo says, from the other side of me. I couldn’t agree more.
Preston eventually arrives (it’s not a short walk across the field) and greets us all to no shortage of giggles.
“I’ve always loved horseback riding,” Preston says, “and I love a good competitive sport, but I’ve never gotten the chance to do both at once. So I was really excited to meet with some friends from the Los Angeles Polo Association”—he gestures to the guys behind him—“and set up this fun date for all of us.”
I want to look back at Nate and arch an eyebrow at the thought of Prince Charming actually sitting down and ironing out the nitty-gritty of a polo competition date, but I refrain, trying to focus on Preston.
“I know many of you haven’t played before or maybe haven’t ever ridden a horse,” Preston continues, and Jo and I look at each other in commiseration, “but these guys are pros and will show us all what to do. So lets go play some polo!”
We all cheer. Even me, because hell, I’m on camera, and isn’t this what I wanted? Something different than my normal life? Something adventurous?
Check and check.
We’re assigned horses and given basic riding lessons. It’s not actually as scary as I had thought, though my horse seems to have a delayed start response. Madison and Londyn are both good at riding, but the rest of us are a pathetic lot, which ends up being really funny—they’re getting lots of footage of us shrieking at every jostle of the horse or (in my case) trying desperately to get my horse to actually move.
After that, we’re told the rules of polo, the only part of which I remember is “get the ball between the other team’s goalposts.” My team consists of Jo, Londyn, and Daisy. On the other team is Madison, Addison, Yasmine, and a tall blond law student named Sheree.
Addison immediately claims the captain position on her team, which turns into a clenched-teeth debate with Madison over who is more qualified to lead their team to victory. Meanwhile, my team all looks at each other.
“Not it,” Jo says. I open my mouth to say the same, but Daisy jumps in.
“I think Becca should be the captain,” she says brightly. “She’s the oldest. By far.”
Oh my god.
“I don’t know,” I start, “Londyn can actually ride and—”
“Becca, don’t let your age define you,” Daisy says very seriously, taking my hand in hers. “You can do anything we can.”
“I’m not—You’rethe one letting my age define—” I shake my head and pull my hand back. “Never mind. I’ll be captain.”
We get our mallets and head over to our horses. I can’t help but look over at Nate. He’s smiling, and then he signs, “Good luck.”
My breath catches. Did he really learn some sign for me? I mean, it’s just a small thing, a little phrase, but he didn’t have to do that.
“Thanks,” I sign back, my heart doing acrobatics in my chest.
We mount up and start playing.
Well, we mount up and start riding at various speeds and in directions we aren’t entirely meaning to and only occasionally getting anywhere near the ball. It’s actually kind of a blast. We’re laughing and cheering for anyone who manages to even come close to the ball, no matter whose team they’re on (the exception being Madison and Addison, who might be on the same team but are clearly only competing with each other). Preston’s in the game, too, supposedly switching from team to team every so often, but considering teams are essentially useless at this point, it doesn’t really matter. He’s pretty bad at the game himself and isn’t taking it seriously, laughing right along with us. At one point Yasmine manages to actually get the ball between the posts, but it’s the wrong goal and it’s because her horse accidentally kicked it in.
It doesn’t matter; we all scream and air high-five like she won the world cup.
It’s crazy, but this does feel like a fun adventure. Maybe even more, like a break from the responsible Becca I’ve had to be ever since I got married—the Becca who was just a wife and a mom.
Now I’m Becca, mom and student, but it’s nice, for once, to just be Becca and nothing else.
I know I must not look fantastic, sweaty and red-faced under my helmet, and I’m not impressing anyone with my athleticism, but when I reflexively look over to grin at Nate and see him grinning back at me, I feel downright beautiful.
When we get back to the mansion, we’re told that we have an hour and a half to get ready for the second part of our date, which is a private party in the gardens for Preston and the eight of us. All the girls are excited to get some more one-on-one time with him, but I’m still just smiling from the fun of today—and yeah, the way Nate looked at me.
I had a short interview with him, too, right there on the field, and that went much better than the last one. It was easy to talk about how hilarious this all was and who I thought actually won (“Everyone who got to sit back and laugh at us”), and whether I thought anyone made a “love connection” with Preston over polo (“We did talk a lot about his big mallet, if that counts.”)
I can’t deny it—I wish I could be more to Nate than a girl he’s paid to interview, or even a friend. I wish I could have something real with him, everything I came on this show to find and maybe more.
God knows I wish I could feel his body against mine, his hands hot on my skin, his breath ragged in my ear—
But I can’t.To any of it.
