“What great news,” Bianca giggled, her lace-covered hand brushing his shoulder.
Vivienne had seen enough.Who does Bianca think she is?Something hot and unfamiliar surged in her chest. She clenched her mug, forcing herself to smile derisively instead of snarling outright.
“Is there something we can help you with, Bianca?”
Bianca waved a delicate hand. “Oh, don’t be jealous, Banner.”
Vivienne nearly choked.Jealous?
Bianca twirled a loose curl around her finger. “If you two are justfriends, then surely you wouldn’t object to Lewis saving a dance for me?”
Heat crept up Vivienne’s neck.I’m not jealous. Why would I be jealous?
“It doesn’t matter to me,” she snapped.
Lewis flinched.
She regretted it immediately.I shouldn't have said it like that,she tried to convey to him with apology in her eyes.
Bianca’s smirk widened. “How lucky for me, then.” She dragged her lace-gloved fingers along Lewis’ cheek, making his entire face turn maroon. “I’ll see you in two days.”
Vivienne nearly dropped her mug as her jaw fell open.
Bianca sauntered toward the exit, hips swaying with intentional movement. The layers of her dress rustled as she vanished into the street.
When the door closed behind Bianca, Vivienne spoke first. “What in the names of the gods did I just witness?”
Lewis groaned, setting down his spectacles to rub his eyes. “She’s been hinting that she’s interested in me for months.”
This has been going on for months?Vivienne scrunched up her nose.Interested in him?She found it difficult to picture her childhood friend attracting such a particular flavor of interest. "Hinted?" She quipped. "It's obvious to me in one interaction." She rested her chin on her hand. "I mean, the way she looked at you..."
"You mean the way a black widow looks at her mate before she kills and eats him?"
Vivienne pressed her lips together in a hard line to keep from bursting out laughing.
"It's flattering, sure," he admitted. "She's made her intentions for starting a relationship crystal clear."
Vivienne narrowed her eyes, studying him. “Areyouinterested in starting a relationship?”
Lewis blinked several times and looked away. The question hung in the air, heavier than it should have been.
She kept her tone light, but something about the way his shoulders stiffened made her wonder if she had wandered into dangerous territory. Lewis and Vivienne had both dated over the years, flirtations, short-lived romances, partners who never lasted long. Their deeper friendship had always been an issue with their romantic partners. People rarely understood it.
Vivienne knew, in the back of her mind, that eventually, one of them would have to make a choice. Someone serious would come along, and their friendship would have to shift. She had faced that reality once before, during her brief engagement. But once she had ended things, everything between her and Lewis snapped back into place, as if nothing had ever threatened to change at all.
Lewis exhaled, shifting his weight. “I mean… if I found the right person, sure.” He avoided Vivienne’s gaze.
He cleared his throat, stretching his arms out, as if the movement might shake off whatever had just crossed his mind. “But I’m in no hurry,” he added, too quickly. “And I’ve never done or said anything to encourage her.”
Vivienne closed her eyes, needing a moment to catch up. “To encourage Bianca?”
Lewis nodded, exasperation flickering across his face. “The last time I spoke to her, I talked about soil types and seedlings.”
She smirked, pressing a hand to her chest. “Soil and seedlings?” She fanned herself for effect. “My goodness, Mr. Blume, you sure can charm a lady.”
Lewis let out a long-suffering sigh, giving her a dry, unimpressed look. “If you're done making fun of me, I have some work to finish in the gardens.”
Vivienne grinned, squinting at him like she was trying to see through him. “I don’t know… are you actually going to work, or are you just trying to escape this conversation?”
