My Family Is My Life

Market + Polo

Elena and Armand go to town. After walking through the crowd, and Elena convinces Armand to invite her to his place for dinner, she looks over his shoulder and gasps when she sees Alejandro. He ducks behind the watermelon stand, just as Armand looks back, curious to what had caught Elena's attention.

"What is it?" Armand says worriedly.

Thinking quickly Elena goes to the hat stand. "Oh," Elena exclaims. "Oh this hat... is breathtaking!" She picks up the hat and examines it.

Armand leans against the cart, grinning at her. "Shall I purchase it for you?"

She looks at him surprisingly. Then looking at the hat she frowns. "On second thought, who needs another hat?" She puts it back on it's holder. "What I really need is....." She looks around for another idea. "A pipe!" Elena says excitedly.

"A pipe?!" Armand exclaims.

"A pipe, si." Elena goes on. "Like my father used to smoke. I hope I don't repulse you with my unlady like habbits." She grins flirtatious at him.

"No, no. On contaré, you fascinate me," he laughs.
Elena laughs, looking back at the pipe trailer. "Oh there's a vendor," she points out, eyebrows raised.

"Wait here would you?"

"Si," she agrees.

Just as he walks off, Elena heads toward Alejandro's hiding place. "What are you doing here?" She demands.

Alejandro pops his head up. "Since when did you start smoking a pipe, eh?" He asks, obvious to the fact that he eves dropped on their conversation.

"I do not smoke a pipe! I said that to get rid of him, so I could get rid of you!" She explains.

"Well I have to talk to you about last night," he says pointing his finger at her.

"I forgive you. Now goodbye." She whispers, waving him off.

"No no no, not that. After," he says coming out from behind the watermelon stand. "I saw something in the forrest."

Elena's confused, "What are you talking about?"

"Yes what are you talking about?" Armand asks, walking over to them. He hands Elena her new pipe.

"Oh gracíous!" Elena says.

"An explosion," Alejandro answers him. "Close to your château in fact. Like nothing I've ever seen. I simply wanted to make sure you were both safe."

Armand looks at him with an unreadable expression. "Well as much as you had to drink last night, I'm sure your vision was... impaled."

Alejandro stares at him. "Yet, somehow it's all becoming clear."

"A word of advice, De La Vega: if you have any respect for the relationship you shared with Elena... let it die with dignity."

"I have to know I'm losing her to a better man," Alejandro says firmly.

"Oh, I can assure you of that."

Alejandro scoffs.

This conversation has gone far enough, Elena thought. "Alright, that's enough." She says. "Alejandro, time to go."

He stares at her.

"Elena, please." Armand says.

She looks at him, surprised he said anything.

"Alejandro has come here for a piece of mind, I'm obliged to give it to him. Perhaps we can... settle this like gentlemen."

Alejandro raises his eyebrows at that remark.

"You do play- Polo, I take it?" Armand asks him.

"Doesn't everyone?" Alejandro asks, matter-of-factly.

"I suggest we play as they do in Slovenia." Armand states.

"A fine city," Alejandro compliments.

"Country." Armand corrects.

"Naturally," Alejandro says.

Armand grins at him. The challenge had been accepted.

***

Alejandro and Armand had just charged at each other. The servant went to Elena, but before they could ask what she wanted she quickly said, "Double tequila, no salt."

Just then Armand nocks Alejandro hard in the chest off his horse with the Polo stick.

Elena gasps as he lands on the ground with a thud.

Alejandro groans holding his stomach, as Armand hits the ball into the net.

Armand rides up to Alejandro and says. "Perhaps a game of croquet would be less hazardous for your health."

***

During round two, Alejandro smacks Armand off his horse with his Pollo stick, and he hits the ball into the net. Then he rides over to Armand. "Did you drop something? Or you just resting?" Alejandro grins, glad he got him back for hitting him earlier.
He rides over to where Elena is. "You know? I think I like this game," he tells her.

"Promise me when you lose, you'll leave us alone," she says rushing up to him.

Alejandro looks at her curiously. "What makes you think I will lose?

"Woman's intuition." She grins half heartedly.

Alejandro scoffs, rolling his eyes at her.

Seeing that Armand broke the end of his Polo stick, Elena unbuckles the saddle strap on Alejandro's horse as he's looking ahead. Alejandro may have been in over his head, but Elena wasn't going to let him get hurt, not when she could save him. At least for today anyway.

After she goes back to the stand for her tequila, Armand and Alejandro start off again. Before Armand could get close to Alejandro, Alejandro's saddle slides sideways and he falls off. Armand hits the ball into the net. Alejandro grunts and gets up. Just as he picks up the saddle, Armand rides up to him.

"To the victor go the spoils."
And he rides off.

Annoyed Alejandro turns around, Elena runs up to him.
"Now keep your promise and go."

Dumbfounded, Alejandro says, "You cheated, so I'd take it back."

"Goodbye, Alejandro."

"What do you really know about this man? Huh?" He looks down.

"We were never meant to be together," she says, trying to change the subject.

Alejandro narrows his eyes at her. As she looks up, he searches her eyes. And there it was, the look she always got when she was keeping a secret from him. There's something she wasn't telling him.

He grins, shaking his head. "You don't love him. After 10 years of marriage... you cannot hide the truth from me."

As he walks off, Elena lets out a breath. It was true... she was keeping the truth from him. She wanted him to know what was going on, but given the circumstances, she couldn't... not just yet.