Chapter 16 The personal shopper.
Vivienne's POV
I hadn't expected to find him out here. Men like him usually don't come outside to relax and unwind after a tiring day, so seeing him standing there caught me completely off guard.
"The meeting with the board went well, thank you for asking. You really didn't have to check on me," I said, keeping my voice steady.
A small laugh escaped my lips.
"There's no need to thank me for that. I'm living in your house now, so of course I'm going to care about how things are going for you."
For just a brief moment, I caught sight of something different on his face. The corner of his mouth moved slightly, like he was fighting against a smile that wanted to break through. It was such a small movement that I almost missed it, but I saw it.
"Wait, is that a smile I just saw?" I asked, unable to hide the surprise and amusement in my voice.
Deep down, I knew what I wanted. I wanted him to feel at ease around me, to let his guard down. If I truly wanted that to happen, then it was up to me to show him how. I had to teach him that it was okay to be himself, to be relaxed and open with other people. Someone had to help him learn that he didn't always need to keep his walls up so high.
He smirked. “It's not a smile, it's just one of the ways my face reacts when it's tired,” he lied.
“Smiling actually looks good on you. You don't have to either fake it or don't even smile at all.”
I watched his eyes as he scanned me from my head to my toe. Probably asking himself, who am I to give him a word of advice.
“I’ll be going out tomorrow, do you need me to get you anything?” he asked.
“I need some clothes and some women's essentials. I can't keep repeating the same clothes every day.”
“Someone will come tomorrow, you will go with her tomorrow to the clothing store to get everything that you need.”
I was surprised when he said someone will be accompanying me tomorrow to do some shopping.
The night ended with little conversation but I know within me that something has shifted between us. It might be significant but it's definitely there.
I woke up to a knock on my door, it wasn't loud but it was disturbing.
After taking a few moments to make absolutely sure I was properly dressed and presentable, I walked over to the door and pulled it open. Standing there, shifting uncomfortably from one foot to the other, was George, the head of housekeeping. He looked awkward and uncertain, as if he really didn't want to be the one delivering this message.
"Yes? What is it?" I asked, still a bit groggy from being woken up.
George cleared his throat nervously. "I'm terribly sorry for disturbing you, Miss Vivienne. I really didn't want to wake you up like this. But the boss gave me specific instructions to come get you. He said you have a meeting scheduled with the family's personal shopper this morning."
The moment those words left his mouth, everything came rushing back to me. My eyes widened as the memory hit me like a wave. That's right, I had completely forgotten about the shopping appointment that had been arranged for me.
My right hand flew up to my forehead in embarrassment, and I let out a groan of frustration at myself. "Oh my goodness, I'm so sorry, George. I completely and totally forgot about that appointment. Please tell him I'll be down in just a little bit. I just need a few minutes to get myself together."
George nodded with visible relief, clearly glad that I wasn't upset with him for waking me. He gave a small, polite bow before turning to head back downstairs and relay my message.
A few minutes later, I went downstairs and met a young lady, dressed properly sitting on the couch, gaze was stayed fixed on me.
"Hi, you must be Vivienne? My name is Queeneth," she introduced herself.
"Hi, Yes, my name is Vivienne."