Chapter 210: across the restaurant II

Chapter 210: Chapter 210: across the restaurant II

Eleanor arrived a few minutes later, still looking slightly flushed from practice.

"Sorry," she said as she slid into the empty seat. "I had to change."

"We noticed," Claire said dryly.

Eleanor laughed and looked toward Vivienne.

"You came quite early."

"Of course."

Vivienne smiled.

"I wanted to see what fencing was actually like."

"You looked like you were enjoying yourself."

Vivienne glanced toward the other side of the restaurant.

"I was."

Claire followed her gaze.

"Of course you were."

Vivienne ignored her.

The waiter soon arrived with their food, and the four women settled into lunch.

Conversation moved easily from fencing to classes, the approaching midterms, and Amelia’s invitation to the pool party that afternoon. Eleanor talked briefly about practice while Claire complained about how little free time they were going to have once midterms arrived.

Vivienne listened.

Mostly.

Her attention kept drifting toward the table across the restaurant.

Christopher was there with several of his fencing teammates.

She tried not to stare.

She really did.

But every few moments, her eyes found him again.

He was talking with one of his friends, occasionally reaching for his glass or leaning back in his chair.

Vivienne smiled faintly.

A strange thought occurred to her.

What did Christopher look like when he texted her?

Would he smile when he saw her messages?

Would he immediately reach for his phone whenever it vibrated?

Would he read her messages with that same calm expression he wore when they spoke in person?

She glanced at him again.

He certainly looked relaxed now.

It was almost amusing to imagine him sitting among his friends, casually checking his phone and finding one of her messages waiting for him.

Vivienne lowered her eyes, hiding a smile.

She was becoming ridiculous.

She had spent the morning sitting beside him, and now she was across a restaurant wondering what his face looked like whenever she texted him.

She picked up her phone.

She opened a new message.

After a moment, she typed:

Did you recover from practice?

She sent it.

Then she looked up.

Christopher’s phone was lying beside his plate.

It vibrated almost immediately.

Vivienne’s attention sharpened.

Christopher glanced down.

He picked up his phone and read the message.

She watched him.

Would he smile?

He didn’t.

Not quite.

But the corner of his mouth moved faintly before he began typing.

Vivienne’s own phone vibrated.

She looked down.

Barely.

She bit back a laugh.

Then she looked at him again.

Christopher had already put his phone down.

He picked up his glass, took a sip, and returned his attention to his friends as though nothing had happened.

Vivienne smiled.

So that’s what he looked like.

She had expected him to smile.

Apparently, Christopher Archibald was much better at hiding his reactions than she was.

She typed:

That sounds serious.

Then she sent it.

Her eyes immediately went back to him.

His phone vibrated again.

Christopher glanced down.

This time, she caught the faintest smile.

He read the message, shook his head almost imperceptibly, and began typing.

Vivienne’s phone vibrated.

It was exhausting.

She looked up.

Christopher was still holding his phone.

His thumb moved across the screen as though he were rereading something before finally putting it away.

Vivienne wondered what exactly had made him smile.

She glanced down at her phone.

Then typed:

Then perhaps you shouldn’t have spent so much time showing off.

She sent it.

Across the restaurant, Christopher’s phone vibrated.

He picked it up.

His eyebrows rose.

He looked at the screen for a moment.

Then he looked faintly amused.

Vivienne’s heart gave a little flutter.

His fingers moved.

Her phone vibrated.

Showing off?

Vivienne smiled.

She looked up again.

Christopher had lowered his phone, but there was still a trace of amusement on his face.

She typed:

I don’t know. You looked rather impressive.

She paused.

Her eyes drifted toward him.

He was listening to one of his friends now, but his phone remained in his hand.

Vivienne smiled mischievously.

She added:

For someone who apparently spends his Sundays hitting people with swords.

She sent it.

Christopher glanced down when his phone vibrated.

He read the message.

His lips curved.

He actually laughed under his breath.

One of his friends looked at him, apparently wondering what was amusing him.

Christopher merely shook his head and typed something.

Vivienne’s phone vibrated.

That is a very inaccurate description of fencing.

She laughed quietly.

Claire glanced at her.

"What did he say?"

"Nothing."

"You’re smiling."

"I know."

Vivienne looked across the restaurant again.

Christopher had already put his phone down.

He was saying something to the man beside him, but there was still a faint smile on his face.

Vivienne found herself wondering whether that smile had anything to do with her.

She picked up her phone again.

Then, because she couldn’t resist:

For someone who barely recovered, you look rather well.

She sent it.

Her gaze immediately lifted.

Christopher’s phone vibrated.

He reached for it.

His eyes moved across the screen.

Then stopped.

His expression changed.

Not dramatically.

Just enough.

His eyebrows lifted slightly, and his gaze flickered away from the phone.

Vivienne’s heart began to beat faster.

He looked up.

Vivienne immediately lowered her eyes.

She waited.

Then risked another glance.

Christopher was looking around the restaurant.

His gaze moved across the tables.

And then—

It stopped on her.

Vivienne froze.

Their eyes met.

For a moment, neither moved.

Then Christopher’s mouth curved into a slow, knowing smile.

Oh.

He’d figured it out.

She felt the heat rush into her cheeks.

Her phone vibrated.

She looked down.

So you are here.

Vivienne pressed her lips together.

She typed:

Apparently.

Then she looked up.

Christopher was already reading her reply.

The corner of his mouth lifted.

Then his fingers moved again.

Vivienne watched him type.

Her phone vibrated.

I hadn’t noticed you.

Vivienne blinked.

She glanced toward him.

He was still looking at her.

Of course he hadn’t noticed her.

She had been sitting behind the partition, after all.

She smiled and typed:

I noticed you.

She sent it.

Across the restaurant, Christopher read the message.

His eyebrows lifted slightly.

Then he smiled.

Vivienne’s stomach fluttered.

She watched as he lowered his gaze to his phone again.

His thumb moved across the screen.

A moment later, her phone vibrated.

I noticed.

Vivienne stared at the message.

Something about it made her pause.

She looked at him.

He was still watching her.

She wondered what he meant.

Did he mean he’d noticed her noticing him?

Or—

No.

She was probably overthinking it.

She typed:

How?

Christopher read it.

This time, his smile became a little more amused.

He glanced toward her before looking down at his phone again.

He typed.

Vivienne watched him the entire time.

Her phone vibrated.

You weren’t particularly subtle.

Vivienne covered her mouth to hide her laugh.

Claire immediately looked at her.

"What?"

"Nothing."

"You’re texting him."

Vivienne gave her an innocent look.

"Maybe."

Claire’s eyes widened.

Amelia leaned closer.

"What happened?"

Vivienne lowered her voice.

"He knows I was looking for him."

Both girls instinctively glanced toward Christopher’s table.

Vivienne immediately caught Claire’s wrist.

"Don’t stare."

Claire turned back, laughing.

"Fine."

Vivienne looked at her phone again.

Another message had arrived.

Though I was curious why you kept looking toward the entrance earlier.

Vivienne’s smile slowly disappeared.

Earlier.

The gymnasium.

Oh.

She looked across the restaurant.

Christopher was watching her.

Suddenly, she understood.

He hadn’t meant that he’d noticed her just now.

He’d noticed her this morning.

He’d seen her repeatedly looking toward the entrance.

He’d seen the disappointment on her face every time someone else walked through.

And he’d apparently figured out exactly who she had been waiting for.

Vivienne’s cheeks warmed.

He knew.

He actually knew.

And somehow, instead of being embarrassed, she felt a strange little thrill.

She typed:

Perhaps I was waiting for someone.

She sent it.

Then immediately watched him.

Christopher read the message.

His expression softened with amusement.

He looked up at her.

Then back at his phone.

His fingers moved.

Her phone vibrated.

Were you?

Vivienne smiled.

She looked directly at him.

Then typed:

Perhaps.

She paused.

A mischievous thought occurred to her.

She added:

But I didn’t know if he’d come.

She sent it.

Christopher read the message.

This time, he didn’t immediately reply.

He simply looked at the screen for a moment.

Then his gaze lifted toward her.

A slow smile appeared.

Finally, he typed.

Vivienne’s phone vibrated.

I’m glad I did, then.

Her heart skipped.

She stared at the message.

Then looked up.

Christopher was already watching her.

Neither of them looked away.

And suddenly, Vivienne realized something.

This was the first time they’d ever had a conversation that felt like this.

Not at a formal gathering.

Not during some carefully engineered coincidence.

Not surrounded by other people.

Just—

The two of them.

Even if they were sitting at separate tables, somehow they were having their own little conversation across the restaurant.

Vivienne smiled.

Small.

Almost shy.

But unmistakably pleased.

Then Eleanor’s voice broke through the moment.

"Vivienne?"

She blinked.

"Yes?"

"You’ve been holding your fork in the air for about thirty seconds."

Vivienne looked down.

Her fork was indeed suspended uselessly over her plate.

Claire burst out laughing.

Vivienne finally lowered it.

"I was thinking."

"Clearly," Amelia said.

Vivienne shook her head, trying to compose herself.

Across the restaurant, Christopher was still smiling.

Her phone vibrated once more.

She looked down.

Enjoy your lunch, Lady Beaumont.

Vivienne smiled.

She typed:

You too, Senior Archibald.

She placed her phone beside her plate.

But she couldn’t stop smiling.

Neither could she stop wondering what exactly that smile across the restaurant meant.

And, perhaps more dangerously—

what would happen the next time she deliberately went looking for him.

--

Tbc