Merry Misunderstandings

Taking the low road

Vivienne POV

Vivienne barely recognized her own side of the B&B by the time the sun began to rise. She sat on the edge of a chair in the lobby, staring at the scattered boxes and hastily placed decorations.

The night had been a blur. After realizing her side wasn’t ready for the Mayor’s visit, she’d made a desperate call to a local party supply store. The manager—thankfully a fan of her grandfather’s charm—had reluctantly agreed to open up after hours.

For an exorbitant fee.

“Don’t overthink it,” Chloe—her assistant—had said when Vivienne called her in a panic. “Just get it done, and we’ll tweak it later.”

So she had. Faux cobwebs draped over every conceivable surface. Lanterns with flickering faux candles lined the entryway. Centerpieces with small jack-o’-lanterns, autumn leaves, and plastic bats sat on the tables. It wasn’t elegant, but it wasn’t empty anymore.

She ran her fingers through her messy hair and groaned. It wasn’t bad—it just wasn’t what she’d envisioned.

Maybe they wouldn’t even notice. Or, better yet, maybe Grayson’s side would look just as rushed and last-minute as hers.

The thought gave her a shred of hope.

Her father’s latest voicemail, however, replayed in her mind, grating like nails on a chalkboard. “You’re wasting your time, Vivienne. You’ve always been too emotional for business. Come back to New York. Your mother has arranged a meeting with Henry Ashford and his parents. He could give you stability and a good life—” Vivienne hadn’t listened to the rest. The idea of her parents wanting to pawn her off to some cheating drunk made her skin crawl.

She wanted to prove them wrong. More than that, she wanted to show everyone—Grayson, the mayor, the entire town—that the Woods weren’t just a washed-up legacy clinging to past glories.

By morning, bleary-eyed and running on adrenaline, Vivienne stepped out of the elevator, only to come face-to-face with Grayson, who held a Styrofoam coffee cup in his hand.

“Good morning,” he said, his tone unnervingly pleasant.

She narrowed her eyes. “Good morning...”

“Don’t look at me like that,” Grayson chuckled. “I’m just trying to ensure the mayor’s visit goes well. A lot’s riding on this meeting. Look, I even stopped by Maggie’s to grab your favorite coffee.”

Her eyes widened slightly. “How do you know what I like?”

Grayson shrugged, a sly smile tugging at the corner of his mouth. “I pay attention, Foxy.”

She hesitated but accepted the cup. It was surprisingly warm in her hands, its sweet aroma wafting up to her nose. “Thank you,” she muttered, still unsure of his motives.

They walked in silence toward the restaurant, where the mayor and his team awaited them. They’d made an appointment the previous day to come back and check on the B&B--evaluate each side, to choose which side’s event hall they’d be using for the town's Halloween festival. It was a bid to boost tourism.

The tour started smoothly enough. Vivienne led the group through her side first, her voice steady as she recounted the history of the B&B. Her grandfather’s stories spilled from her lips with ease, painting a vivid picture of the building’s legacy. She pointed out antique fixtures and small, thoughtful details—like the original woodwork and faded wallpaper in the parlor.

The mayor nodded politely, his secretary, Grace, smiled warmly, and Sarah, the event coordinator, jotted notes on her clipboard. They were polite, engaged even—but the subtle lack of enthusiasm was hard to miss.

Vivienne’s hastily thrown-together decorations, despite her best efforts, couldn’t quite match the atmosphere she’d envisioned. Cobwebs draped across corners felt slightly out of place in the warm daylight, and the jack-o’-lanterns looked kitschy instead of charming.

And then there was Grayson, trailing behind the group with an unreadable expression. His silence unnerved her more than his usual jabs.

She pushed ahead, determined not to let his presence rattle her.

When they crossed into Grayson’s side, however, Vivienne’s breath caught in her throat.

His side wasn’t just decorated; it was transformed.

Elegant dried floral arrangements hung from the ceiling, their muted colors casting a gothic, sophisticated mood. Chandeliers bathed the room in a warm, ambient glow, illuminating antique furnishings and tasteful Halloween touches—a cluster of hand-carved pumpkins, a velvet armchair draped with a delicate cobweb shawl, and wrought iron candelabras flickering with flameless candles.

Sarah gasped audibly, her eyes wide. “This is incredible. It’s like stepping into another world!”

“Oh, this is just stunning!” Grace agreed, jotting notes furiously on her clipboard.

Mayor Wellington let out an approving chuckle. “Grayson, you’ve outdone yourself. This is a masterpiece.”

Vivienne’s stomach dropped.

Every detail was perfect, as if curated by a professional design team. She could see now—there was no way he’d done this overnight. This had been planned for weeks, maybe months. While she’d been scrambling, desperate to make her side presentable, Grayson had secured his victory long before the competition even started.

She forced her gaze to him, ready to confront his smugness.

But the look on his face wasn’t what she expected.

Grayson’s smirk was there, faint but fleeting. His expression softened as their eyes met, and for a brief moment, she thought she saw something else—regret? Hesitation?

It was gone before she could decipher it.

The mayor’s voice cut through her thoughts. “It’s clear your B&B is the perfect venue for our event,” he declared, turning to Vivienne. “Both sides bring something unique, of course, but this...” He gestured to the room. “This really captures the spirit of the holiday.”

Vivienne swallowed hard, her lips pressing into a tight smile. “I’m glad you think so,” she managed, though her voice sounded far away, even to her own ears.

The mayor and his team moved on to inspect the dining area, leaving Vivienne and Grayson lingering in the room.

Grayson shifted uncomfortably, his hands sliding into his pockets. “Vivienne, I—”

“You knew,” she interrupted, her voice barely above a whisper but laced with fury.

He hesitated, his jaw tightening. “It’s not what you think.”

Her laugh was bitter. “Oh, isn’t it? You’ve been planning this for weeks, haven’t you? While I was over there trying to keep up, you were already two steps ahead.”

“Vivienne,” he started, his tone low and conflicted.

But she didn’t wait to hear his excuses. Turning sharply, she strode out of the room, leaving him standing alone amidst his perfect Halloween masterpiece.

For the first time since everything had happened with Hayden, her family and sleeping with Grayson…Vivienne cried. She locked the office door behind her, while Grayson, undoubtedly, was wrapping things up with the mayor—boasting about how wonderful he was.

A deep sadness came over her. No one seemed to be in her corner. Not her parents, not her brother….and Grayson hated her.

But as Vivienne wiped away her tears, a malicious smirk curled her lips upward. It was time for a little payback—and she was ready to stoop to Grayson’s level to do it.

“Yes, hello, I’d like to order five dozen cockroaches. Hmm, yes, living ones…You know what—make that ten dozen,”

Taking the low road had never felt so good before.