Chapter 203: the ride back

Chapter 203: Chapter 203: the ride back

By the time the meeting ended, the sun had already begun its slow descent.

The thirty representatives had gradually divided into smaller groups, and Vivienne and Damian spent the better part of the afternoon moving between them.

Some businesses declined immediately.

Others were interested but needed to discuss the arrangement with their partners.

Several could offer surplus, but not in quantities large enough to justify individual collection.

A handful, however, showed genuine interest.

By the time they finally left the meeting facility, they had a much clearer picture of what East Junction could offer.

They had more than six promising establishments.

A few others were still considering the proposal.

The next step would be to narrow the list, confirm their actual volumes, and begin working out a collection schedule.

It wasn’t a finished system.

But it was enough to begin the pilot.

And, for the first time, the initiative felt like something that could actually work.

--

The drive back to the Foundation was considerably quieter.

Vivienne sat by the window, the folder resting closed on her lap.

She looked outside.

The streets of East Junction gradually disappeared behind them.

For several minutes, neither spoke.

Then Vivienne sighed.

"I’m tired."

Damian glanced at her.

"From the meeting?"

"From thinking."

He smiled.

"That bad?"

"You heard some of those questions."

"They were reasonable."

"I know."

She leaned her head lightly against the seat.

"That doesn’t mean I enjoyed answering them."

Damian laughed softly.

"You did well."

Vivienne looked at him.

"So did you."

The compliment was simple.

But Damian felt strangely pleased by it.

"Thank you."

She smiled.

Then looked back out the window.

Her hand drifted toward her bag.

Her phone was still with Damian.

She had remembered it several times throughout the afternoon.

At first, she’d wanted it back immediately.

Now...

She wasn’t quite as desperate.

She could text Christopher later.

There was no need to spend the entire ride staring at her phone.

Especially not when Damian was sitting right beside her.

And, if she were being honest with herself, she was enjoying having his attention.

She glanced at him.

He caught her looking.

"What?"

"Nothing."

He smiled.

Vivienne turned back toward the window before he could see her own smile.

She could already imagine her friends’ reactions if she told them what had happened today.

She couldn’t wait to tell them everything.

The bag.

The seatbelt.

The hair.

The phone.

Lunch.

The broccoli.

And, of course...

Damian.

She still wasn’t entirely sure what she was going to do about him.

She liked Christopher.

That hadn’t changed.

But now that she knew Damian liked her—

Well.

That changed things.

She smiled faintly to herself.

She was going to need Claire, Amelia, and Eleanor’s opinions.

Preferably all three.

.

The rest of the journey passed surprisingly quickly.

By the time the Foundation came into view, Vivienne had already started imagining the interrogation that was waiting for her.

The car stopped in front of the foundation’s entrance.

Damian stepped out first and opened her door.

Vivienne climbed out.

He retrieved her bag from the car and handed it to her.

"Thank you."

"My pleasure."

Then he reached into his pocket.

Vivienne immediately knew what he was holding.

She extended her hand, palm up, and looked at him expectantly.

"My phone?"

Damian looked at her open hand.

Then at her face.

A small smile appeared.

"Ah."

Vivienne tilted her head.

"You weren’t planning to keep it, were you?"

"I was considering it."

She laughed.

"Damian."

He placed the phone into her palm.

Their fingers brushed.

Neither moved away immediately.

Vivienne looked down at the phone, then back at him.

"Thank you."

"Try not to spend the entire evening texting."

Her eyebrows rose.

"Are you still worried about my concentration?"

"I’ve learned my lesson."

She smiled.

"Have you?"

"Not entirely."

That made her laugh.

She slipped the phone into her bag.

"Well, I’ll try to be responsible."

Damian gave her a look that suggested he didn’t believe her.

Vivienne smiled sweetly.

They started toward the entrance together.

Damian glanced at her.

The day had gone better than he’d dared hope.

She had flirted with him.

She’d let him feed her broccoli.

She’d told him she was glad he was her senior coordinator.

She hadn’t pulled away.

And now they were back at the Foundation.

He didn’t want the day to end yet.

Maybe he could ask her to dinner.

Just the two of them.

Nothing complicated.

He slowed slightly.

"Vivienne, would you—"

"Vivienne!"

She stopped.

Damian did too.

Claire was standing near the entrance with Amelia and Eleanor.

They had apparently just returned as well.

Claire waved enthusiastically.

"There you are!"

Vivienne’s face immediately brightened.

"Claire!"

She turned toward Damian.

"I’ve got to go. Bye, Damian."

The abruptness of it caught him completely off guard.

"Bye?"

"Thank you for today."

She smiled at him.

"I had fun."

His heart gave a small, hopeful jump at that. ℴ

"Me too."

Vivienne gave him one last smile before hurrying toward her friends.

Damian remained where he was for a moment.

He had been a few words away.

Would you like dinner?

He sighed quietly.

Another time.

Vivienne reached her friends.

Claire immediately hooked an arm through hers.

"You’re finally back."

"Yes."

Amelia looked at her.

Then at Damian, who was still standing near the entrance.

Then back at Vivienne.

Eleanor’s eyebrows rose.

Vivienne noticed both expressions.

And instead of feeling nervous about the inevitable questions, she felt a thrill of anticipation.

Finally.

Girl time.

She had been waiting all day to tell them.

"I have so much to tell you."

Claire’s eyes widened.

"Oh?"

Vivienne nodded enthusiastically.

"So much."

Amelia exchanged a look with Eleanor.

"Something happened."

"Several things happened."

Vivienne hugged her bag closer, already feeling the excitement building again.

She had spent the entire afternoon behaving herself.

Now she was finally among her friends.

She could tell them everything.

The strange behavior.

The flirting.

The phone.

The lunch.

The broccoli.

And, most importantly—

Her suspicion.

Damian Blackwood liked her.

Really liked her.

And Christopher was still Christopher.

Vivienne’s smile grew.

She had no idea what she was going to do about any of it.

But first...

She absolutely needed to tell her friends.

And she couldn’t wait.