Chapter 215: Pool party V

Chapter 215: Chapter 215: Pool party V

Vivienne stepped into position beside Fred, while Claire took her place with Tom a few spaces away.

The second round was already gathering around the pool.

Vivienne glanced over the contestants.

Then she noticed a familiar face.

Julian.

She recognized him immediately.

Her eyes moved instinctively past him.

Was Damian here too?

She couldn’t see him.

Vivienne quickly looked away.

Never mind.

She had a race to win.

Fred glanced at her.

"Ready?"

"I suppose."

He crouched slightly.

"Piggyback?"

Vivienne laughed.

"That’s our strategy?"

"Unless you’d rather carry me."

"Definitely not."

She placed her hands on his shoulders and climbed onto his back.

Fred caught her securely behind the knees.

"Comfortable?"

"Yes."

"Then hold on."

The whistle sounded.

Fred immediately took off.

Vivienne laughed as she tightened her arms around his shoulders.

"You’re going too fast!"

"So we can win!" 𝘧𝓇ℯℯ𝑤ℯ𝘣𝓃ℴ

Fred laughed and dodged another pair.

For a moment, everything seemed to be going perfectly.

Then another team cut across their path.

Fred tried to avoid them.

His foot slipped.

Vivienne barely had time to gasp.

They went straight into the pool.

Splash.

Cold water closed over her.

For one stunned second, Vivienne disappeared beneath the surface.

Then she kicked upward, breaking through the water with a gasp.

She pushed her wet hair away from her face and immediately started laughing.

Around her, the other contestants were already making their way toward the finish.

Some had won.

Others were climbing out of the pool amid laughter and complaints.

Vivienne looked toward the finish line.

Then she noticed Julian.

He had already finished his race and was walking away from the pool, presumably toward the friends he’d been standing with earlier.

Her eyes followed him for a moment.

And then—

She saw him.

Damian.

He was standing a little farther away with Adrian.

Vivienne’s laughter faltered for half a second.

Oh.

So he was here.

Had he seen her fall?

She couldn’t tell.

She looked away before their eyes could meet.

Well.

That was interesting.

A tiny smile tugged at the corner of her lips.

Perhaps she had been wondering whether he was here for nothing.

Now she knew.

Fred surfaced beside her, still laughing.

"Are you all right?"

Vivienne looked at him.

"I’m fine."

"That was close."

"Your definition of close is interesting."

He laughed.

"At least we made it memorable."

Vivienne laughed again.

"That’s one way to put it."

They swam toward the edge.

Vivienne climbed out first.

And this time, she was very aware that Damian was somewhere behind the crowd.

So when she reached for the edge of the pool, she took her time.

Not excessively.

Just enough.

She pulled herself out of the water and stood, letting the water run from her hair and shoulders before reaching for the towel Claire was holding out.

She draped it loosely across her front, covering herself without quite wrapping it tightly around her body.

Then she pushed her wet hair back.

She didn’t look toward Damian.

That was the important part.

She absolutely did not look.

Because if she did, it would be obvious.

And she wasn’t entirely sure what she was doing herself.

She had simply seen him.

And now she was suddenly curious.

Would he look?

Would he notice?

Would he care?

Vivienne bit back a smile.

Ridiculous.

She turned toward Fred.

"Well," he said, still catching his breath, "I suppose that went well."

Vivienne laughed.

"We survived."

"Technically."

She shook her head.

"You were supposed to keep me from falling."

"I tried."

"You failed."

"Then I’ll have to redeem myself."

The way he said it was accompanied by an easy smile.

Vivienne recognized the tone.

Fred was flirting.

She didn’t particularly mind.

She didn’t like him that way, but there was no harm in playing along a little.

Especially now that she knew Damian was somewhere nearby.

She tilted her head.

"Redeem yourself?"

"Perhaps."

Fred smiled.

"Maybe I’ll have better luck with the next game."

Vivienne laughed.

"That’s optimistic."

"I like my chances."

She smiled back.

"Then I suppose I’ll see if you can actually prove it."

Fred’s smile widened.

Vivienne laughed again.

And only then did she allow herself one brief glance across the conservatory.

Damian was still there.

She looked away almost immediately.

Her smile remained.

Perhaps he had seen.

Perhaps he hadn’t.

Either way...

She couldn’t deny that she was having a little fun with it.

--

Damian could not help but notice the attention Vivienne had drawn.

He had already been irritated by the sight of Fred carrying her.

Now she was standing beside the pool with wet hair clinging to her shoulders, water still glistening along her skin as she laughed with him.

And Fred was still smiling at her.

Too comfortably.

Damian’s jaw tightened.

The man was flirting with her.

It wasn’t particularly subtle.

Neither was Vivienne’s response.

She wasn’t encouraging him exactly.

But she wasn’t discouraging him either.

She laughed.

She smiled.

She even tilted her head when Fred said something else.

Damian stared.

Was she enjoying this?

A few moments later, Julian returned from the pool, still grinning from his victory.

"Easy win," he announced, dropping back beside Damian and Adrian.

Adrian glanced at him.

"You almost fell twice."

"But I didn’t."

Julian reached for a towel and rubbed it over his hair.

Then he noticed Damian.

Or rather—

He noticed where Damian was looking.

Julian followed his gaze.

Vivienne.

Still beside Fred.

Still laughing.

His mouth slowly curved.

"Oh."

Damian didn’t answer.

Julian looked at Adrian.

Adrian had already understood.

"Oh," Julian repeated.

Damian finally glanced at them.

"What?"

"Nothing."

"You’re smiling."

"I smile all the time."

"Not like that."

Julian looked back toward Vivienne.

"You’re jealous."

Damian’s expression hardened.

"I’m not."

Adrian laughed.

"You’re staring holes through the guy."

P

Damian looked away.

"I was watching the game."

"The game ended."

Silence.

Julian grinned.

"We told you two days ago."

Damian frowned.

"Told me what?"

"That if you want her to see you differently, you actually have to do something."

Julian gestured toward Fred.

"Because standing over here while another guy makes her laugh isn’t exactly courting her."

Damian’s eyes returned to Vivienne.

Fred said something.

She laughed again.

Something in Damian’s chest tightened.

Julian continued.

"If you can’t beat them, join them."

Adrian nodded.

"Go play."

Damian didn’t respond.

"Get into the next game."

Still nothing.

"And if it’s a group game," Julian added, "make sure you’re standing beside her."

Damian’s attention remained fixed on Vivienne.

He knew they were right.

He had decided on Friday that he was going to pursue her.

He had spent the past two days deliberately creating opportunities to be near her.

Yet now another man was standing beside her, making her laugh, and Damian suddenly had very little patience for watching from a distance.

The host’s voice carried across the conservatory.

"All right! Everyone ready for the next game?"

The crowd cheered.

Damian looked toward the gathering participants.

Then back at Vivienne.

She was still smiling.

That settled it.

He started walking.

Adrian blinked.

"Well."

Julian laughed.

"Looks like he finally got the message."

Damian didn’t hear them.

He was already moving toward the next game.

Toward Vivienne.

--

Tbc

AN: vivienne you flirt!!’n i cant hahahahaha