Chapter Nineteen – You’re cool.
Damien finally got to the speakers’ table. He exhaled as he sat down, taking his phone out to call Debby as he didn’t see her seated.
On second thoughts, he decided to ignore her. It wasn’t her first time in that part of the US so she knew her way around. Also they hadn’t settled after she degraded his wife.
He looked up, trying to find his wife amongst the crowd. Lots of girls seemed to be wearing that color, pink and red. Perhaps the girls of the university had a dress code.
His eyes dimmed when he finally saw Arya but besides her was a young man, smiling at her. Her cheeks were red and she was trying to avoid his gaze.
They were speaking but he couldn’t make out the words well, he stared trying to lip read what they were saying. A frown rested on his face as he stared at the man.
“Tell me, Arya.” He lip-read from what the man was saying. What was the man expecting Arya to tell him?
Just as Damien wanted to stand up and walk to them, someone sat besides him with a huff.
He smiled seeing it was Debby. She didn’t meet his gaze and stared into space with a straight face. “Good morning.”
He glanced at Arya and the young man and it seemed Arya was saying something to him, but she was looking down so he couldn’t quite make her words out.
“Good morning, Debby. Were you making friends?” he asked, absentmindedly.
Debby turned to him with a small pout. “You know I can’t make friends. My English isn’t that great yet.”
“I think it is.” Damien replied, with a shrug. “Go make friends.”
He looked back at Arya then down. He remembered the contract and the call about some Seth being at the summit. Was that the young man?
“Debby, does that man look familiar to you?” he pointed at a young man staring at her.
Debby looked at the direction and shook her head. “No, who’s he?”
Damien frowned, he really didn’t have time for this. He glared at the man till the man walked away. “Don’t worry about it. Just stay close to me, okay?”
Debby smiled, “Sure.” She looked up at him and saw he was staring at the crowd. She followed his gaze and it landed on his wife, she frowned.
The light of the building suddenly lit on, signaling that the summit was about to start.
Arya looked up and the words leaving her mouth, begun to leave her head. “Um… as I was saying…”
“Yes, Arya?” Seth smirked.
Arya smiled back. She had already said she thought he was a really cool person and she admired that part about him, if she didn’t finish her confession then it’d be weird.
“Well, yeah, that’s what I wanted to tell you.” She said, regretting it before and after she said it. “You are cool.”
Seth’s shoulder slumped, quite disappointed. He didn’t expect her to end that way but he was relieved it wasn’t another confession that he’d have to reject.
“I feel confident and glad that you told me this, I’d try to be cooler in the future. Thanks, and I think you are cool too.”
Arya gave a fake smile. “Yeah, totally. And thanks. I wanted you to know so you won’t feel you don’t do enough. You know as the current governor’s son and all.”
It meant a lot to Seth as at that moment, he was trying to impress his father’s new cabinet. And weight of the family was on him. He stared at Arya for a while then nodded.
“Deeply appreciate this.” He said again.
Arya shrugged, perhaps she should end it that way since he seemed okay with it. She stood up when she saw Winx behind him. “I’d head out now. Take care.”
He nodded, standing with her. “Sure.”
She left before he’d say anything else. Seth swallowed down the remaining words, he watched her leave and smiled within himself.
If his girlfriend could be thoughtful like this with him, he’d love her more. He sighed deeply before changing seats as the summit was starting.
Meanwhile Debby watching the scene with Damien, had a smug grin on her face. Was Sir Damien’s wife flirting with a school colleague of hers?
“She is just few days as your wife and she’s flirting with guys already? I knew she was after your money.” She raised a brow at Damien, he didn’t react and looked away.
“C’mon, are you so in love with her that you’d ignore that?” Debby frowned.
But she didn’t understand, Damien knew it was part of the contract to find a partner within one year. He only didn’t know Arya had someone in mind already.
He hoped to prevent her from having one and being the one.
Also, from the conversation he lip-read, it seemed the guy was a governor’s son so he would surely be lots of girls’ dream.
“I can’t believe you.” Debby scoffed, folding her arms.
The host speaker climbed to the podium and began greeting the students. Arya gazed at the man, her thoughts flying around. “I should have just added, ‘I like you’ there, right?”
She asked Winx, who gazed absentmindedly with a disappointed expression. “Don’t you think? Now you only sounded like a fan girl or maybe a creep that notices him.”
Arya frowned, she had surely not sounded that way. He didn’t look like he misunderstood her. The only thing she should worry about was how to confess after all this.
“I don’t know, Winx. I am both regretful and happy about what I said. I just don’t know.” she flung her hands in the air and down.
As he brought her hands down, her phone beeped and she took it out. Winx’s eyes widened seeing her new phone.
It was a text she had received, from Damien. “The summit will be quite a long one. Do enjoy.” With a wink emoji.
She smiled, looking up to catch a glimpse of him but everywhere was so crowded.
Winx gave her a side eye, seeing he message “You guys are no longer awkward? This sounds like a sweet message. And the phone..?”
“Yeah, mine fell in water today cos of crazy paparazzi. He gave me this.” Arya swung the phone around, proudly. “I’d introduce you to him later.”
Winx nodded readily. “Of course you will. I’m basically your only friend.” she laughed and Arya followed her.
At the speakers’ table, Damien had been watching her since he sent the text.
He smiled when she smiled and chuckled while she laughed with her friend. He hoped one day she’d freely joke like that with him.