Chapter 345: House party XV

Chapter 345: Chapter 345: House party XV

Damian knew coming here had been a bad idea.

Apparently, he was a masochist.

Because now he was sitting there, watching all of this happen, with absolutely no way of leaving without making it obvious how badly he was affected.

So he stayed.

And apparently, the evening was not finished humiliating him yet.

Vivienne was still blushing.

William noticed.

Of course he did.

"Oh, Vivienne."

She looked up.

"It’s your turn."

"Oh."

She blinked.

Then she remembered.

Her eyes moved toward Christopher.

His Adam’s apple.

The feature she had chosen.

Vivienne immediately looked away.

Christopher noticed.

A small smile appeared on his lips.

She glanced around the table.

Everyone was watching.

She swallowed.

Then she leaned toward him.

Quickly, she pressed a kiss to his Adam’s apple.

And immediately pulled back.

She sat straight again, looking down at the table as though suddenly finding it extremely interesting.

Her face was bright red.

A few people laughed.

Christopher chuckled.

Damian watched her.

Vivienne was not always like this.

He knew that better than most.

She could be confident.

She could tease people.

She could flirt without thinking twice.

But with Christopher...

She was different.

She was suddenly shy.

Self-conscious.

Almost like she was worried about what he thought of her.

And then Damian understood.

It wasn’t that Christopher made her shy.

It was that she cared what he thought of her.

She cared about how she looked to him.

What he thought of her.

How he saw her.

Damian had never had that effect on her.

And suddenly, he understood the difference.

He looked away.

He really wanted to be anywhere but there.

The game continued.

Christopher turned toward Eleanor and gave her ear a quick kiss.

Eleanor simply accepted it and moved on.

Eleanor kissed Ronald’s chin.

Ronald kissed Rhea’s hair.

Rhea turned toward Anthony.

She looked at his hand.

Her cheeks immediately turned pink.

Anthony noticed.

He sighed quietly.

Of course.

He held out his hand.

"Go ahead."

Rhea leaned forward and gave the back of his hand a quick kiss.

She sat back, still blushing.

Anthony took his hand back.

Evelyn watched from across the table.

Her expression tightened.

She did not like that.

Not at all.

Anthony then turned toward Elise.

Her temple.

He leaned over and kissed it quickly.

Elise blushed.

Anthony sat back.

Finally, Elise turned toward William.

His forehead.

She leaned over and kissed it.

William smiled.

"Well."

He touched his forehead dramatically.

"I feel appreciated."

Amelia laughed.

--

The first game was finally over.

William looked around the table.

"Good."

He leaned forward.

"Now..."

His smile returned.

"Who’s ready for the next one?"

Everyone looked at him.

"Never Have I Ever."

A few people immediately laughed.

William pushed his chair back.

"But we’re going to need drinks."

He looked toward Scott.

"Scott, come with me."

Scott stood.

William pointed toward Leo.

"You too."

Leo got up.

The three of them left the conference room.

A door at the far end of the room led into a smaller service pantry connected to the conference room.

It was clearly meant for exactly this sort of thing.

There were refrigerators along one wall, cabinets filled with glasses and serving pieces, and enough drinks and supplies for a large gathering.

William opened one of the refrigerators.

"Help me with these."

Scott started taking out bottles.

Leo gathered glasses.

A few minutes later, they returned to the conference room carrying everything they needed.

William placed the bottles on the table.

Leo distributed the glasses.

Scott helped fill them.

William looked around.

"Everyone has one?"

A few people nodded.

William picked up his own glass.

"Good."

He leaned back in his chair.

"Now we’re ready."

He looked around the table.

"Never Have I Ever."

Everyone raised their glasses slightly.

William smiled.

"Simple rules."

He lifted one finger.

"Someone says, ’Never have I ever...’"

Another finger.

"If you’ve done it, you drink."

He lowered his hand.

"And whoever drinks first gets to ask the next question."

A few people nodded.

"That seems simple enough," Eleanor said.

William smiled.

"Exactly."

He looked around the table.

"So..."

He raised his glass.

"Who wants to go first?"

For a moment, nobody said anything.

Everyone looked around the table.

Then Ronald lifted his glass.

"I will."

William nodded.

"Go ahead."

Ronald leaned back in his chair.

He thought for a moment.

Then he smiled.

"Never have I ever flirted with my professor."

There was a brief silence.

Then Leo drank.

Ronald looked at him.

Leo shrugged.

"Don’t judge me."

Ronald laughed.

Scott looked at Leo.

"You?"

Leo pointed at him.

"You’re drinking too."

Scott shook his head.

"Not me."

Everyone looked at Scott.

He was holding his glass.

But he hadn’t taken a sip.

Leo looked down at his own glass.

Then he realized.

"Oh."

Ronald laughed.

"You’re the only one."

Leo shrugged.

"Still counts."

William smiled.

"Fair enough."

He looked around the table.

"Leo."

Leo looked up.

"Your turn."

Leo thought for a moment.

Then he raised his glass slightly.

"Never have I ever..."

He paused.

His eyes moved around the table.

"...gotten drunk at a university event and regretted it the next morning."

A few people immediately laughed.

Scott drank.

Ronald drank.

William drank.

Even Amelia took a small sip.

Claire looked at her.

"You?"

Amelia shrugged.

"The other day."

William smiled.

"I remember that."

"You were the one who encouraged me."

"I was being supportive."

"You were being a bad influence."

William grinned.

"That too."

More laughter went around the table.

Then William pointed at Scott.

"You drank first."

Scott looked at him.

"I did."

"So you ask the next one."

Scott nodded.

He thought for a moment.

Then his eyes moved around the table.

"Never have I ever liked anyone romantically in this room."

The atmosphere changed.

Only slightly.

But it did.

For a second, nobody moved.

Then Evelyn quietly lifted her glass.

She took a drink.

Her eyes stayed lowered.

Across the table, Rhea noticed.

Then Rhea glanced toward Anthony.

She hesitated.

And drank too.

Anthony saw it.

His expression barely changed.

Then, after a moment, he lifted his own glass.

Anthony drank.

Vivienne looked at him.

Anthony lowered his glass.

Their eyes met for a brief moment.

Then Vivienne looked away.

She didn’t know what to make of it.

Her fingers tightened slightly around her glass.

Beside her, Christopher looked at her.

Then, without saying anything, he took a drink.

Vivienne looked at him.

A small smile appeared on her lips.

She drank too.

Damian had been staring down at his glass.

He knew exactly what the question meant.

And there was no point pretending.

He lifted his glass.

He drank.

Vivienne saw him.

For a moment, their eyes met.

Neither said anything.

William looked around the table.

"Well."

He smiled.

"That was more interesting than I expected."

"Apparently we have a lot of romantic tension at this table."

A few people laughed.

Anthony remained quiet.

Evelyn looked down.

Rhea suddenly became very interested in her drink.

Damian said nothing.

Christopher simply rested his arm on the back of Vivienne’s chair.

Vivienne glanced at him.

She smiled.

Scott looked at Damian.

"You drank first?"

Damian looked at him.

"No."

Scott frowned.

"You were one of the first."

"So?"

Scott shrugged.

"Nothing."

Damian took another sip of his drink.

"Then stop looking at me."

Scott laughed.

"Fine."

William looked around the table again.

"Who drank first?"

There was a pause.

Then Evelyn spoke quietly.

"I did."

William nodded.

"Evelyn."

She looked up.

"Your question."

Evelyn thought for a moment.

Then she smiled faintly.

"Never have I ever confessed my feelings to someone and been rejected."

The room became quiet again.

This time, Vivienne immediately drank.

She kept her eyes on her glass.

Damian drank too.

He did it without hesitation.

Vivienne noticed.

Her expression changed slightly.

She looked at him.

Damian didn’t look back.

Across the table, Anthony remained still.

He didn’t drink.

Neither did Christopher.

Evelyn didn’t drink either.

Rhea looked around.

Then she took a small drink anyway.

Scott raised an eyebrow.

"You?"

Rhea shrugged.

"Don’t tell mom."

Scott shook his head.

Everyone laughed.

The tension eased.

Vivienne looked down at her drink again.

She knew exactly what her answer meant.

Anthony had rejected her.

And Damian...

She didn’t know what to call what had happened between them.

She had told him she would think about what he wanted.

Then she had chosen Christopher.

She felt a small pang of guilt.

Damian still didn’t look at her.

William pointed toward Vivienne.

"You drank first."

Vivienne blinked.

"Oh."

She looked around the table.

Then she smiled.

"Fine."

She thought for a moment.

"Never have I ever snooped through someone else’s phone."

Immediately, several people laughed.

Scott drank.

Ronald drank.

Leo drank.

Claire drank.

William drank.

Amelia looked at him.

"Really?"

William shrugged.

"Curiosity."

Amelia shook her head.

Rhea took a drink too.

Eleanor did the same.

Vivienne looked around.

"So many."

William leaned back.

"Apparently we’re all terrible people."

Vivienne looked beside her, Christopher didn’t drink.

Christopher saw her glance and raised an eyebrow.

She smiled almost guiltily.

Christopher’s expression softened.

Damian looked away.

Then took a drink.

--

Tbc