Chapter 322: Movie I

Chapter 322: Chapter 322: Movie I

Christopher glanced at her as they stepped out of the restaurant.

"So," he said. "Where would you like to go?"

Vivienne looked down the street.

"We could walk around."

Christopher nodded.

"We could."

She glanced at him.

He had just fenced that morning. He must be a little tired.

She thought for a moment.

"Maybe we could watch a movie?"

"A movie?"

"Mm-hm."

She looked around.

"There should be a cinema somewhere nearby."

"There is."

Christopher glanced toward the end of the street.

"There’s a mall not far from here. They have a cinema."

"Oh."

Vivienne brightened.

"That sounds nice."

"All right."

Christopher reached into his pocket and took out his phone.

Vivienne watched him.

"What are you doing?"

"Calling my driver."

She blinked.

"Your driver?"

"Yes."

He made the call.

Vivienne stared at him for a moment.

Then it occurred to her.

Oh.

Of course.

She could do that too.

Why hadn’t she thought of that?

She had a driver.

Her family had cars.

This wasn’t exactly something foreign to her.

She simply hadn’t thought about it.

The past two months had been so busy that she had barely had time to explore beyond the university, the residence hall, and the outreach program.

And with Damian, everything had been complicated.

They had been keeping things quiet.

Her engagement was still technically unresolved in her family’s eyes.

She certainly wasn’t going to have a family driver casually report that she had been going around town with another man.

And it had only been four days.

But now...

She looked at Christopher.

She was his girlfriend.

And there was nothing particularly strange about going somewhere with him.

Christopher ended the call.

"He’ll bring the car around."

Vivienne nodded.

"Okay."

A few minutes later, a sleek sports car pulled up beside them.

Vivienne glanced at it.

Well.

That was certainly one way to arrive.

The driver stepped out and handed Christopher the keys.

"Thank you."

Christopher nodded.

Then he walked around and opened the passenger door.

"After you."

Vivienne smiled.

"Thank you."

She got in.

Christopher closed the door, walked around the car, and took the driver’s seat.

Vivienne looked at him.

"You’re driving?"

"Yes."

"I thought your driver was driving."

"He brought the car."

"Oh."

She nodded.

"Right."

Christopher smiled faintly.

"Would you prefer him to?"

"No."

She shook her head.

"No, this is better."

He started the engine.

Vivienne settled into the passenger seat.

As they pulled away, Vivienne looked out the window.

She couldn’t help smiling.

Christopher noticed, and the corner of his mouth lifted slightly.

"Why are you smiling?"

Vivienne hesitated, suddenly aware of how obvious her happiness must have been.

"I just realized..."

She glanced at him, then quickly looked away again.

"I haven’t really explored this place that much."

There was a small, almost embarrassed laugh in her voice.

"And now I’m thinking about all the things I haven’t seen yet."

Christopher thought she meant the area outside the university.

"First year is quite busy. And it’s an adjustment period."

He glanced at her again, then back at the road.

"I think it’s good that you’ve been focused on your studies."

Vivienne blushed.

"That’s a nice way to put it."

A faint smile touched his lips.

"Why?"

She looked down at her hands.

"Because now I feel like a nerd."

Christopher chuckled softly.

"I don’t think there’s anything wrong with that."

"But... I’m not really. I mean, I’m not a nerd. It’s just that Saint Albion is quite demanding. Though you don’t seem like the type to spend all your time studying."

She smiled shyly.

"I study a lot too."

"Oh."

Vivienne glanced at him.

"I just mean... you don’t look like you do."

A small smile appeared on his lips.

"Is that a compliment?"

Vivienne laughed softly.

"Of course."

"Then I’ll take it as one."

She smiled to herself, her gaze returning to the window.

"There are probably so many things around here that I haven’t even seen yet."

"Then we’ll have to fix that."

Vivienne looked at him.

"We?"

Christopher glanced at her, one hand steady on the wheel.

"Why not?"

Vivienne’s expression brightened.

"Though, I don’t want to be a bad influence."

Vivienne’s smile faded slightly.

Christopher chuckled.

"Then again, I suppose going out once in a while won’t hurt."

"Once in a while?"

"Yes."

The answer was simple, but something bright stirred in her chest.

She tried to hide her smile and failed.

"I think I’d like that."

Christopher glanced at her.

"Then we’ll find some places you haven’t been."

Vivienne nodded.

"Okay."

She looked out the window again, her excitement bubbling beneath her shyness.

There were so many places she hadn’t seen yet.

So many things she hadn’t done.

And now she had someone to experience them with.

Her smile returned.

There was something strangely nice about hearing him say we.

They would go somewhere.

Together.

He would show her around.

She’d only been at the university for a little over two months, and somehow she had already managed to spend most of that time caught up in one thing after another.

Now she finally had someone she wanted to explore the town with.

She glanced at Christopher again.

He was focused on the road, one hand resting casually on the steering wheel.

Vivienne quickly looked away.

Her cheeks warmed.

She was his girlfriend.

And she was ridiculously happy about it.

--

The car was quiet for a while.

Not uncomfortably so.

Just... quiet.

Vivienne became increasingly aware of the fact that there was no one else with them.

No other students around them.

Just her and Christopher.

She shifted slightly in her seat.

Their shoulders were separated by only a small space.

She glanced at his hand on the steering wheel.

Then at his face.

Then quickly looked away again.

Why was she suddenly so nervous?

She had already held his hand.

She had already kissed him.

She was his girlfriend.

And yet sitting beside him like this somehow felt different.

Christopher glanced at her.

She was looking out the window, but he could see the faint pink in her cheeks.

A small smile touched his lips.

He didn’t say anything.

He simply kept driving.

The mall soon came into view.

It was a large, polished complex with broad glass entrances, upscale shops, cafés, and a cinema on one of the upper floors.

Vivienne looked up.

"Oh."

Christopher glanced at her.

"There it is."

She smiled.

"That was fast."

"It isn’t far from the university."

"Oh."

She looked toward the entrance.

The little bubble of privacy they’d had during the drive was already disappearing.

She wasn’t sure why that made her feel slightly disappointed.

Christopher pulled into the entrance.

A valet approached the car.

Christopher handed him the keys.

Then he got out and walked around to Vivienne’s side.

He opened her door.

"Ready?"

Vivienne looked up at him.

Then she smiled.

"Yes."

She stepped out.

Christopher closed the door behind her.

Vivienne stood beside him for a moment.

Then, almost instinctively, she reached for his hand.

Christopher looked down.

Their fingers slipped together.

He smiled.

"Shall we?"

Vivienne nodded.

"Let’s go."

And together, they walked into the mall.

--

To be continued