Chapter 195: Saturday VI

Chapter 195: Chapter 195: Saturday VI

The rear door closed softly behind them.

For a moment, neither spoke.

Damian sat back in his seat.

Vivienne adjusted herself in the captain’s chair and reached for her seatbelt.

Her fingers had just closed around the strap when—

"Allow me."

She looked up.

Damian was already leaning toward her.

His hand reached for the belt.

His fingers brushed hers.

A brief touch.

Barely anything.

Yet Damian felt the jolt immediately.

The dream flashed through his mind.

The car.

The seatbelt.

Her sitting beside him.

His hand crossing the space between them.

Except this time...

It was real.

He swallowed.

Vivienne had gone still.

She hadn’t expected him to be this close.

His face was only a short distance from hers.

She could smell his cologne.

Something clean and subtle, but unmistakably him.

Her gaze flickered involuntarily over him.

The broad line of his shoulders.

The crisp pale-blue Oxford shirt fitted neatly across his chest.

The strong line of his jaw.

Why was he so close?

Her heart gave an unexpected little beat.

Then another.

Vivienne immediately felt warmth creep into her cheeks.

Ridiculous.

It was just Damian.

Damian.

Her friend.

The second male lead who was apparently destined to fall in love with Evelyn Sinclair someday.

He was just helping her with a seatbelt.

That was all.

Still...

He was very handsome.

That was simply an objective fact.

She had noticed it before.

Damian pulled the belt across her and clicked it into place.

"There."

His voice was quieter than usual.

Vivienne blinked.

"Thank you."

He didn’t move immediately.

For one dangerous second, their eyes met.

The dream returned to him.

You’re doing it again.

I know what you’re doing.

I like Christopher.

Damian forced himself to lean back.

No.

He wasn’t going to let his own dream dictate what happened.

Vivienne watched him settle back into his seat.

She touched her cheek lightly.

Still warm.

Stupid.

She turned toward the window.

If she reacted every time Damian decided to tease her, he’d only continue.

Better to ignore him.

She reached for her bag.

Then remembered.

It was still with him.

"Damian?"

He looked over.

"My bag?"

"Ah."

He picked it up and handed it to her.

"Here."

"Thanks."

Vivienne placed it on her lap.

Then she glanced at the dashboard.

10:07 a.m.

Her thoughts immediately shifted.

Christopher.

She wondered if he had replied to her last message.

She quickly opened her bag and pulled out her phone.

The screen lit up.

Her eyes brightened.

A message.

From Christopher.

She opened it.

Christopher: That’s good. Have fun. You too, enjoy your day.

Vivienne smiled.

He had replied.

She couldn’t help smiling at the screen.

Damian noticed.

Of course he did.

His eyes dropped briefly toward the phone.

He already knew.

Christopher.

Again.

He looked away.

Fine.

He had expected this.

He wasn’t going to let one message ruin his morning.

Beside him, Vivienne was already typing.

Vivienne: We’re heading to East Junction now. Have you reached the polo field already?

She sent it.

Then waited.

Damian watched her from the corner of his eye.

She was smiling again.

He exhaled slowly.

Apparently, he was going to have to work considerably harder than he had anticipated.

He turned toward her.

"Would you like to have lunch before we reach East Junction?"

Vivienne looked up.

"Lunch?"

"You forgot to have your breakfast last time."

She blinked.

He remembered.

Her stomach gave a quiet rumble at the exact wrong moment.

Vivienne’s cheeks warmed.

"Oh."

Damian’s lips twitched.

"I’ll take that as a yes."

She laughed softly.

"Fine."

"Good."

The vehicle continued smoothly along the road.

Vivienne glanced back at her phone.

Then began typing again.

Damian stared ahead.

He had managed to get her attention for approximately thirty seconds.

And somehow Christopher had already stolen it back.

He closed his eyes briefly.

Patience.

Julian had said not to be desperate.

He wasn’t desperate.

He was simply...

Being tested.

And apparently, the test had begun much earlier than expected.

--

The morning sun had climbed higher over the polo grounds.

Christopher dismounted as the round ended, removed his gloves, and handed the reins to one of the attendants.

"Break."

He nodded, stepping away from the field.

He was warm from the ride, his hair slightly disheveled beneath the helmet he had just removed.

An attendant handed him a towel.

Christopher wiped his face before taking a long drink from the bottle of water waiting for him.

He exhaled slowly.

They had been playing since nine.

The practice had gone well, but everyone needed a few minutes before they continued.

Christopher reached for the small table where they had left their things.

He reached for his phone, which he had left with his other belongings before going onto the field.

The screen was lit.

A message.

He picked it up.

Vivienne: We’re heading to East Junction now. Have you reached the polo field already?

A smile appeared.

Of course she remembered.

She had asked him about it that morning.

He opened the message again before typing.

Christopher: Yes. I’m here already. We’ve been playing since nine. We’re just taking a break now.

Christopher reached for his phone, which he had left with his other belongings before going onto the field.

The screen was lit.

A message.

He picked it up.

Vivienne: We’re heading to East Junction now. Have you reached the polo field already?

A smile appeared.

Of course she remembered.

She had asked him about it that morning.

He opened the message again and typed:

Christopher: Yes. I’m here already. We’ve been playing since nine. We’re just taking a break now.

He paused.

Then added:

Christopher: East Junction? What are you going to do there?

He sent it.

Christopher lowered the phone and took another drink of water.

A friend nearby glanced over.

"You’re smiling at your phone again."

Christopher looked up.

"Am I?"

"You are."

Christopher shook his head, though the faint smile remained.

"It’s nothing."

His friend gave him a skeptical look but let it go.

Christopher glanced down at his phone once more.

He was simply curious about what Vivienne would be doing in East Junction.

That was all.

At least, that was what he told himself.

--

Tbc