Chapter 85: lunch 2.0

Chapter 85: Chapter 85: lunch 2.0

A soft chuckle escaped him.

"I believe..."

"...Maple says you’re welcome."

Vivienne turned so quickly she nearly dropped the grooming brush still in her hand.

"...How long have you been standing there?"

"Long enough."

Silence.

Very slowly...

She closed her eyes.

A long, quiet groan escaped her.

"...No..."

Her shoulders sagged.

"Please tell me..."

"...you only heard the last sentence."

Damian regarded her with remarkable seriousness.

"I’m afraid I heard all of it."

Another groan.

This one was louder.

Vivienne lifted a hand to cover her face.

"...Wonderful."

"...Absolutely wonderful."

Another quiet laugh slipped from him.

She peeked at him through the gaps between her fingers.

"...You’re laughing."

"A little."

"A little?"

"I believe that’s an understatement."

"I was merely appreciating the conversation."

"It was a one-sided conversation."

Damian glanced toward Maple.

"I’m not entirely certain."

Almost on cue...

The mare let out a soft snort.

Vivienne stared at her.

Then back at Damian.

"...You’re both impossible."

"I’ll let her know."

She sighed dramatically.

"...I’m never thanking a horse again."

"I think thanking the horse was appropriate."

He paused.

"...Doing it aloud may have been unnecessary."

Despite herself...

A reluctant laugh escaped her.

"...You’re awful."

"So I’ve been told."

The stable settled into a comfortable silence.

It lasted only a few moments.

Then Damian spoke again.

"Congratulations."

The teasing disappeared from his voice.

"You did well."

Vivienne blinked.

The smile on her face softened.

"...Thank you."

"I honestly thought I’d fail."

"I don’t believe Coach Margaret shared that opinion."

She glanced toward Maple’s stall.

"...I was terrified."

"I noticed."

"...Was it that obvious?"

"You spent most of the assessment looking as though blinking required careful consideration."

Vivienne looked at him in disbelief.

"I was concentrating."

"I know."

"...Was I really that stiff?"

Damian considered the question.

"...A little."

"A little?"

"The horse may have mistaken you for part of the saddle."

Vivienne stared at him.

Then laughed despite herself.

"I can’t believe you’re saying that after congratulating me."

"I can congratulate you..."

His lips curved into the faintest smile.

"...and still be truthful."

She shook her head in amused resignation.

"...You’re impossible."

"You’ve mentioned that twice."

"I meant it both times."

"I suspected as much."

That only made her laugh harder.

--

By the time they left the riding grounds...

The noon sun had climbed high overhead.

Students crossed the walkways in every direction as afternoon classes slowly emptied toward lunch.

For a while...

Neither of them spoke.

There was no need.

The quiet between them had long since stopped feeling awkward.

It simply...

Existed.

Vivienne was the first to break it.

"I still don’t like horses."

Damian looked at her.

"You thanked one."

"I was being polite."

"I see."

"There’s a difference."

"So there is."

She nodded with complete certainty.

"A very important difference."

A faint smile touched his lips.

"I’ll keep that in mind."

--

The university cafeteria was already bustling by the time they arrived.

The familiar sounds of conversation drifted beneath the high ceiling.

Students queued before the serving stations while others wandered between tables, trays balanced carefully in their hands.

For a brief moment, the two of them paused just inside the entrance.

Damian’s gaze swept across the dining hall.

"I’ll find us a table."

Vivienne nodded.

"I’ll get lunch."

Without another word, they separated.

Damian disappeared into the sea of occupied tables while Vivienne joined the steadily moving lunch queue.

By the time she reached the serving counter...

He had already found an empty table beside the tall windows overlooking the central courtyard.

After setting his notebook on one of the chairs to save the seats, Damian looked back toward the serving line.

It didn’t take long to find her.

Vivienne had just accepted her tray from one of the cafeteria staff.

As though sensing his gaze...

She looked up.

Their eyes met across the crowded cafeteria.

Damian raised a hand in a small wave.

Nothing more than a simple gesture...

Just enough to show her where he was.

Vivienne smiled faintly and gave a small nod in return.

Then, balancing her tray carefully, she made her way through the maze of tables.

She reached the window first.

Setting her tray down carefully, she slipped into one of the chairs.

A turkey sandwich.

Fresh fruit.

A bottle of water.

...

And another generous slice of strawberry shortcake.

She glanced toward the serving line.

Damian was only just collecting his own lunch.

Rather than begin eating...

She folded her hands loosely in her lap and waited.

It would have felt impolite to start before he returned.

A few moments later...

Damian approached carrying his own tray.

Grilled chicken.

Brown rice.

Roasted carrots.

Broccoli.

A mixed salad.

A bowl of vegetable soup.

Fresh fruit.

Water.

Balanced.

Exactly as she had expected.

"Sorry to keep you waiting."

Vivienne shook her head.

"I’ve only just sat down."

He took the seat opposite her.

As he settled his tray onto the table...

His eyes drifted toward her lunch.

At almost the exact same moment...

Vivienne looked at his.

"..."

"..."

Their gazes met.

"You made a face."

"So did you."

"I did not."

"You frowned."

"It was a thoughtful expression."

"The kind that says, ’How can anyone survive on cake?’"

A corner of Damian’s mouth lifted.

"I was wondering whether the sandwich felt neglected."

She glanced down at her tray.

"It has fruit."

"It does."

"And water."

"It also has water."

She looked back up.

"So it’s practically balanced."

"Practically."

She narrowed her eyes.

"...You’re judging my cake."

"I am evaluating your lunch."

"That’s even worse."

A quiet laugh escaped him.

Vivienne noticed.

...He’s laughing a lot today.

The thought came and went almost as quickly as it appeared.

She was still deciding whether she ought to defend her dessert...

When Damian’s gaze returned to the cake.

She followed it.

"...Don’t."

"I haven’t done anything."

"You were thinking about it."

"I was."

"...Damian."

Without another word...

He reached across the table.

Vivienne watched, unsure whether she should stop him.

He picked up the dessert fork resting neatly beside her plate.

Cut away a small piece of strawberry shortcake.

Then calmly ate it.

He chewed thoughtfully.

Nodded once.

"...Still good."

For several seconds...

Vivienne simply stared at him.

Around them...

Lunch seemed to continue uninterrupted.

Students chatted.

Chairs scraped softly against the tiled floor.

Someone laughed from a nearby table.

The ordinary rhythm of the cafeteria carried on...

"..."

"...Did you just steal my cake?"

"I’m afraid I did."

"And you admitted it?"

"I don’t believe denial would be convincing."

She looked genuinely appalled.

"...Give it back."

"I’m afraid that’s no longer possible."

A laugh escaped him again.

Then...

As though remembering something...

He picked up his own fork.

Lifted two neat florets of broccoli from his plate.

Without the slightest hesitation...

He placed them carefully onto the edge of Vivienne’s plate.

The movement was so casual...

So matter-of-fact...

It almost looked like something he’d done countless times before.

"There."

He looked quietly satisfied with the exchange.

"...Fair enough?"

Vivienne looked down.

One bite missing from her cake.

Two innocent pieces of broccoli now sitting beside her sandwich.

Slowly...

Very slowly...

She raised her eyes to him.

"...You stole my cake..."

"...and paid me in broccoli."

"I took one bite."

"You took the best bite."

"I believe that’s subjective."

"And I gave you two pieces."

He inclined his head toward her plate.

"I’d say we’re even."

She looked back down at the broccoli.

Then up at him again.

"...This is a terrible deal."

"I thought it was rather fair."

"It isn’t."

"It seems fair to me."

She let out a soft, exaggerated huff.

"Hmph."

With all the enthusiasm of someone fulfilling an unfortunate obligation...

She stabbed one lonely broccoli floret.

Held it in front of her.

Studied it suspiciously.

"...Happy?"

"A little."

She sighed.

Then popped it into her mouth.

Chewed.

"...It’s still broccoli."

"I wasn’t expecting it to become cake."

She tried very hard to remain offended.

She truly did.

But the corners of her mouth betrayed her first.

A reluctant smile tugged at her lips.

Across the cafeteria...

More than one student glanced their way.

A few lingered for only a heartbeat before moving on.

Others looked twice.

The sight of Damian Blackwood casually eating someone else’s cake...

Then replacing it with broccoli...

Was not something one saw every day.

Neither of them seemed to notice.

Or perhaps...

Neither thought there was anything unusual about it.

Vivienne shook her head.

"...You’re impossible."

"So I’ve been told."

Outside the tall windows...

The afternoon breeze stirred the trees lining the university courtyard.

Inside...

The lunchtime bustle continued as it always had.

And somewhere between a stolen bite of cake...

Two pieces of broccoli...

And laughter that came a little easier than before...

Another ordinary afternoon quietly became a memory neither of them would think twice about.

Not yet.