Chapter 282: Dinner plan

Chapter 282: Chapter 282: Dinner plan

By a little after four, Vivienne and the girls were back at the residence hall.

Claire and Amelia had settled themselves around the room while Vivienne stood in front of her wardrobe, staring at the growing selection of dresses spread across the bed.

She picked one up.

Held it against herself.

Made a face.

Then put it back.

"I don’t know what to wear."

"You’ve changed your mind four times," Claire said.

"Because none of them feel right."

"You’re going to dinner, not a royal banquet."

"I know."

"With Christopher."

Vivienne smiled.

"Yes."

Her phone vibrated on the table.

She glanced over.

Damian.

"Oh."

Claire immediately looked up.

"Damian?"

Vivienne nodded and picked up the phone.

She opened the message.

We won. You’ll be glad to know.

A small smile appeared on her face.

Of course they had.

She was happy for him.

Before she could reply, another message appeared.

I would have asked you to dinner, but our team manager arranged dinner for all of us tonight.

Vivienne blinked.

Then her expression brightened.

"Oh."

Claire looked at her.

"What?"

"He was going to ask me to dinner."

"And?"

"Well..."

Vivienne smiled.

"That’s convenient."

Apparently, Damian had been planning to ask her to dinner.

She hadn’t known that.

And somehow, knowing it made her feel strangely pleased.

She was already having dinner with Christopher, and Damian had dinner with his team.

No conflict.

Perfect.

She quickly typed:

I’m glad you won. Enjoy dinner with your team.

She sent it and set her phone down.

Claire was still watching her.

"So..."

Vivienne glanced over.

"What?"

"What happens if Christopher asks you to be his girlfriend?"

Vivienne’s eyes widened.

"What?"

"You heard me."

Amelia immediately joined in.

"Let’s say tonight goes really well. You have dinner, you talk, maybe he tells you he likes you, and then he asks you."

Vivienne stared at them.

"If he does..."

She paused.

"Well, I don’t know."

Claire raised an eyebrow.

"You don’t know?"

"I don’t know if he will."

"That wasn’t the question."

"I know."

Vivienne laughed softly.

Then she looked down at the dress in her hands.

"I mean... I like him."

"We know."

"A lot."

"We definitely know."

Vivienne smiled sheepishly.

"But I’m not completely delusional."

Claire laughed.

"Debatable."

"No, seriously."

Vivienne shook her head.

"Think about it. Every time we text, I’m usually the one who starts the conversation. When we call, it’s usually because I reached out first. And now I’m the one who asked him to dinner."

She shrugged.

"He likes talking to me. I know that. And I think he’s interested in me."

Her smile softened.

"But I’m not going to pretend he’s already as invested as I am."

Amelia nodded.

"That is fair."

Vivienne glanced down at her dress.

"Maybe I’m reading too much into everything because I like him so much."

Claire smiled.

"Probably."

"Thanks."

"You’re welcome."

Vivienne laughed.

"But if he actually asked me to be his girlfriend..."

She paused.

This time, there wasn’t much hesitation.

"I’d probably say yes."

Claire’s eyes widened.

"Really?"

Vivienne smiled.

"Really."

She looked down, her cheeks warming.

"I like him too much not to."

Amelia grinned.

"And what about Damian?"

Vivienne’s smile faltered slightly.

"Well..."

She sighed.

"If Christopher actually asked me to be his girlfriend, then yes. Things with Damian would have to end."

Claire nodded.

"Which means..."

She gave Vivienne a pointed look.

"Technically, Damian is your contingency plan."

Vivienne opened her mouth.

Then closed it.

She couldn’t even argue immediately.

Claire’s grin widened.

"You know I’m right."

Vivienne sighed.

"Fine."

The girls stared at her.

"Fine?" Amelia repeated.

Vivienne rolled her eyes.

"Technically."

Claire burst out laughing.

"I knew it!"

"But that’s not how I think about him."

Her voice became more serious.

"I don’t keep Damian around because I’m waiting to see whether Christopher works out."

"Then why?"

"Because I genuinely like him."

That answer came easily.

"I like being with Damian. I like how he makes me feel. I enjoy being around him."

She paused.

"And I don’t think he’s asking for anything more either."

There was a small silence.

Vivienne looked down.

At least, she didn’t think he was.

Damian clearly liked her.

She wasn’t blind.

The way he looked at her.

The way he touched her.

The way he’d been shamelessly seeking her out that afternoon.

He was attracted to her.

He cared about her.

But he had never actually told her that his feelings went beyond what they had agreed upon.

And perhaps that was part of why she found it so easy to continue.

Their arrangement was clear.

Friends with benefits.

Nothing more.

At least, that was what she understood it to be.

And perhaps some small, stubborn part of her still thought there was another reason Damian might be so drawn to her.

She couldn’t quite shake the feeling that he might simply be... very, very taken with her.

That was all.

She didn’t know if it went deeper.

She didn’t know if he even wanted it to.

And honestly?

She didn’t want to think too hard about it.

She liked what they had.

She liked him.

That was enough.

For now.

Claire watched her for a moment.

"So you’re admitting it?"

Vivienne sighed.

"I’m admitting that, technically, you have a point."

Amelia laughed.

"Progress."

"But I’m not treating him like a backup plan."

"We know."

"I mean it."

"We know."

Vivienne smiled despite herself.

Then Amelia suddenly asked,

"Okay. Where are you two going?"

Vivienne blinked.

"That’s the problem."

She looked around at the dresses.

"I don’t know."

"Did you ask him?"

"Not yet."

Claire immediately started suggesting places.

"What about that little French restaurant?"

Vivienne shook her head.

"Too romantic."

"The Italian place?"

"Too intimate."

"The hotel restaurant?"

"Too formal."

Amelia laughed.

"You’re impossible."

"I just want somewhere nice."

Vivienne thought for a moment.

"Somewhere Christopher would actually enjoy."

Then she looked toward Eleanor, who had been listening quietly from the other side of the room.

"Eleanor."

Eleanor looked up.

"What?"

"Where do you think we should go?"

"Why are you asking me?"

"Because you’re the sporty one."

Eleanor stared at her.

"How does that help?"

"You like fencing."

"Yes."

"And Christopher likes fencing."

"I suppose."

"So maybe you have similar taste."

Eleanor laughed.

"You’re asking me to guess what a fencing person wants to eat?"

"Exactly."

Claire snorted.

"That’s quite a theory."

"Just help me."

Eleanor thought for a moment.

Then she said,

"What about The Rowe?"

Vivienne paused.

"The Rowe?"

"Yes."

Eleanor shrugged.

"It’s nice, but not overly formal. Good food, comfortable atmosphere. You can dress up a little without looking like you’re trying too hard."

Vivienne considered it.

That sounded perfect.

"What do you think?"

Claire nodded.

"I like it."

Amelia agreed.

"Definitely."

Vivienne smiled.

"I think Christopher would like it."

She picked up her phone.

"I’ll ask him."

She typed:

Would The Rowe be okay for dinner?

Then she sent it.

A few moments later, her phone vibrated.

That sounds good.

Another message followed.

I’ll pick you up from the residence hall at six-thirty, if that’s all right.

Vivienne smiled.

"Six-thirty."

Claire looked at the dresses.

"Then now we know what you’re wearing."

Vivienne glanced down at her choices.

The Rowe wasn’t formal enough to require an evening gown, but it was polished enough that she didn’t want to look as though she’d simply thrown something on.

She wanted something elegant.

Pretty.

Effortless.

And, perhaps most importantly, something that would make her feel beautiful when Christopher looked at her.

She picked up a dress.

"This one."

Claire nodded immediately.

"That one."

Amelia smiled.

"Definitely."

Vivienne looked at herself in the mirror.

Her heart fluttered.

Six-thirty.

The Rowe.

Christopher.

She smiled.

For now, she wasn’t going to think about what it meant.

She simply wanted to enjoy the evening.