Chapter 271: another call
Vivienne began typing.
Vivienne: Are you busy right now?
She sent it.
The reply came surprisingly quickly.
Christopher: We’re on a short break right now.
A second message followed.
Christopher: We’ll have to go back to the meetings later, though.
Vivienne smiled.
So he had a little time.
She felt an unexpected little flutter of excitement.
She had only been away from the university for a day, but somehow, seeing his name appear on her screen already made her feel as though she had been waiting much longer.
She typed again.
Vivienne: Then how is everything going?
Vivienne: Are you still dealing with the preparations for Sports Fest?
She paused.
Then added:
Vivienne: Or are you almost done for the day?
Christopher’s reply came a moment later.
Christopher: Still quite a lot to do.
Christopher: Especially after yesterday’s storm.
Vivienne frowned slightly.
She hadn’t even considered how much extra work the storm might have caused for the organizers.
She typed:
Vivienne: Did it cause a lot of problems?
Christopher: A few.
Christopher: We’re checking some of the outdoor areas again and adjusting a few things on the schedule.
Vivienne smiled faintly.
Vivienne: That sounds exhausting.
There was a short pause.
Then another message appeared.
Christopher: It is.
Vivienne laughed softly.
She could almost hear his voice saying it.
She hesitated before typing again.
Vivienne: Have you eaten anything?
The response came quickly.
Christopher: Not properly.
Vivienne immediately frowned.
Vivienne: Then you should eat something.
Christopher: I’ll eat later.
Vivienne stared at the message.
Of course.
She could already imagine him saying it with that calm, completely unbothered expression of his.
Vivienne: That’s what people say before forgetting.
There was a brief pause.
Then:
Christopher: You’re very concerned about me.
Vivienne’s heart gave a small, ridiculous flutter.
She smiled before answering.
Vivienne: Someone has to be.
She had barely sent the message when her phone rang.
Vivienne blinked.
Christopher.
Her heart gave a sharp little thump.
He was calling her.
Again.
She answered immediately.
"Hello?"
"Hi."
His voice was warm and familiar through the receiver.
Vivienne smiled without meaning to.
"Hi."
"I thought it would be easier to talk."
"It probably is."
"I don’t have much time before I have to go back."
"Oh."
She sat down on the edge of her bed.
"Then I won’t keep you."
"You won’t."
There was a smile in his voice.
"I wanted to talk to you anyway."
Vivienne’s heart fluttered again.
"Really?"
"Yes."
A brief pause followed.
Then Christopher asked,
"By the way, how was everything yesterday?"
Vivienne blinked.
"What do you mean?"
"The storm."
"Oh."
She looked down at her hands.
"It was quite bad."
"Did you manage to get back safely?"
Vivienne smiled faintly.
"Well, yes. Eventually."
"Eventually?"
"We were still in East Junction when the storm became too strong."
Vivienne paused.
East Junction.
Oh.
Right.
Damian.
For half a second, the memory flashed through her mind.
The hotel.
The suite.
The fact that she had spent the night with him.
And then...
Well.
Vivienne had to suppress a laugh.
I’m definitely not telling Christopher that.
Vivienne returned her attention to the conversation.
"But, yes. We’re able to return this afternoon."
Christopher went quiet for a moment.
"You stayed there?"
"Yes."
"Did you have somewhere to stay?"
"The Foundation arranged accommodation."
She kept her voice perfectly casual.
"We stayed there until the roads were safe enough."
Technically, that wasn’t a lie.
Just... an extremely selective version of the truth.
"I see."
There was a pause.
Then his voice softened.
"I’m glad you’re all right."
Something warm settled in Vivienne’s chest.
"Thank you."
"I was wondering what happened."
She smiled.
"You noticed?"
"Of course."
That simple answer made her heart beat faster.
"I’m glad you called."
There was a brief pause.
"So am I."
She smiled.
For a moment, neither of them said anything.
It wasn’t an uncomfortable silence.
If anything, Vivienne found herself enjoying it.
Just hearing his voice on the other end of the line felt strangely comforting.
Eventually, she asked,
"So, what will you be doing tomorrow?"
"Sports Fest."
"I know."
He chuckled.
"I suppose that’s obvious."
Vivienne smiled.
"Are you joining anything besides polo?"
"Actually, yes. I’m also joining the fencing competition."
Vivienne’s expression brightened.
"You are?"
"Yes."
She smiled.
"But... how are you going to manage both?"
"The events are running at the same time, but the individual matches aren’t. There are several polo matches throughout the day, and the fencing matches are scheduled separately."
"I see."
"So you won’t actually have to play both at once."
"Exactly."
Vivienne considered it.
"But won’t that still make your schedule difficult?"
"It probably will."
He paused.
"Assuming I don’t get eliminated in the first round."
Vivienne laughed.
"You’re already thinking about losing?"
"I’m being realistic."
"If you get eliminated, what happens?"
"Then I won’t have to worry about my matches for the rest of the week."
She shook her head, amused.
"That’s certainly one way to look at it."
"It’s a very practical way."
Vivienne smiled.
"Well, I hope you make it past the first round."
"I’ll do my best."
"I’ll be cheering for you."
There was a brief pause.
Then Christopher said,
"Then I’ll have to make sure I give you something worth cheering for."
Vivienne’s cheeks warmed slightly.
She quickly looked away, even though he couldn’t see her.
"Well... you’d better."
A brief silence followed.
Then Christopher sighed.
"All right. I have to get back to work."
"Oh. Okay."
Vivienne tried not to sound disappointed.
"Good luck, then."
"And don’t forget to have a proper meal after."
He chuckled.
"All right."
"You promised."
"I did."
"Good."
"Take care, Vivienne."
"You too."
"Goodbye."
"Goodbye."
The call ended.
Vivienne slowly lowered the phone.
For a moment, she simply stared at it.
Then a smile spread across her face.
She had only been away for a day.
And somehow, talking to Christopher again already felt like coming back to something she had been missing.
Then she remembered what had happened in East Junction.
Her cheeks warmed.
Well...
That was certainly something she wasn’t going to tell the girls just yet.
She glanced toward Claire’s empty side of the room.
Actually, no.
She absolutely had to tell them.
Just perhaps not every detail.
Vivienne laughed softly.
They were going to have a field day.
--
Tbc