Chapter 3 Unexpected Roommates

Vivienne’s hands were slipping down around the big box she was holding. Just as she was about to drop it, a pair of hands suddenly caught it and a mellow voice sounded overhead.

“I’ll do it.”

Vivienne looked up, and the man in front of her placed the umbrella he was holding in her hand. He took the big box from her and carried it into the apartment lobby.

She came back to her senses a few seconds later and hurried to catch up, then gave the man back his umbrella.

Damien had already looked into Vivienne’s situation, so he’d found out where she lived. He carried the rest of her things to the unit she lived in and placed them at the door.

“Thank you, sir. All my things would’ve gotten damaged if it weren’t for you. Do you want money? Or I can buy you a meal. I don’t know how else to repay you.”

Vivienne was nearsighted and not the best with faces, and she’d forgotten to wear her contact lenses today. She’d also lost her glasses in the rush to get her things out of the car, so she didn’t recognize the man standing in front of her as her new husband.

It's essentially only been an hour since they last interacted. They’d sent no texts over the last few days.

She was truly grateful for this man’s help. She couldn’t imagine how ruined the jewelry would be right now if it had fallen onto the ground and gotten wet.

Damien looked at Vivienne thoughtfully. “You don’t need to pay me or take me out for a meal. A drink upstairs would be nice, though.”

Immediately wary, Vivienne stared at him, her voice distant now. “I- I have a husband.”

Damien smiled and leaned closer. “I’m glad you haven’t forgotten. But you should probably take a better look at me.”

Vivienne’s eyes widened in surprise as he came closer. “Mr. Smyth… Uh… Smyth…”

She had forgotten his name. He looked helpless. “It’s Damien.”

Vivienne stepped back, flustered. “When did you get back?”

“Just now.” Damien stood up straight to explain. “I was busy, and I forgot to contact you.”

“It’s fine.”

He nodded. “Alright, then.”

That part didn’t matter much. She wasn’t used to being married, obviously, and she’d forgotten about him.

Still embarrassed, Vivienne tried to explain herself. “I-I’m not good with faces. I’m nearsighted, and I left my glasses somewhere, and it was dark, and… I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to mistake you for someone else.”

Her clothes were soaked, and they clung to her skin, perfectly outlining her figure. Under the brighter lights in the lobby, Damien could see her delicate features-bright eyes, white teeth, and fair skin. She looked like a flower blooming.

Damien lifted an eyebrow and put his own coat around her shoulders. “Go get changed. You might catch a cold.”

Vivienne looked down, her cheeks flushed with shame.

“Thank you.” Vivienne wished she could dig a hole and hide in it. “You’re all wet, too. Do you want to come in and change?”

She regretted asking the minute the words came out of her mouth. Would Damien misunderstand, and think she was implying something else?

Damien stared at her with a half-smile, watching the subtle changes in her expression. This woman blushed so easily.

Vivienne was completely different from the celebrities and models he usually ran into. She reminded him of a little wildflower growing on a cliff, standing strong against the wind and rain-nothing like those flowers growing in greenhouses. She had perseverance, but she had a girlish shyness about her, too.

After a long moment of Damien’s silence, Vivienne opened her mouth to add something else, but he finally spoke. “No, it’s fine.”

Vivienne closed her mouth, embarrassed again at being rejected. Damien hurriedly amended, “It’s too late for this to be appropriate. I haven’t met your parents, so I shouldn’t be so casual. I’ll prepare a gift next time I come by.”

It was inappropriate of her to ask, she thought. The elevator opened behind her, and Damien helped her move the big box inside. “Rest early and start packing.”

“What? Packing for what?”

Damien smiled at her blank look. “You and I are a legal couple now. Don’t you think you should move in with me?”

She’d forgotten about that, too. Married couples had to live. together. She hadn’t thought about that when they’d gotten the marriage certificate-that was all she’d planned for, after all.

Would they be sleeping in the same bed? Vivienne’s face formed a thoughtful expression. It wasn’t as if she could refuse Damien’s offer.

She’d been so happy to finally get a marriage certificate. Was she going to back out now?

“Okay.”