Ryan
1233 Words
Vivienne POV
Vivienne woke up with a pounding headache and a mouth as dry as sandpaper. Her tongue stuck to the top of her mouth. She groaned when she tried getting up.
“Woah, careful there, Foxy,” Grayson’s voice had her sit up—way too fast. She held her head and pinched her eyes shut.
“What are you doing here?” She managed to grate out.
“I thought you might need something for the hangover,” Grayson smirked, handing her a banana and a sports drink, but Vivienne held her head and sighed dramatically.
“I’m never drinking again,” Vivienne groaned. Why had she drank so much? Suddenly flashes from last night entered her mind. She’d accidentally opened her phone’s photos and stumbled upon pictures of her and Hayden in better times—that in combination with Grayson’s childish behavior…and then there was Ryan…
“Yeah, that’s what you said last night, multiple times—while I held back your hair.” Grayson said, making a face. Vivienne’s eyes widened.
“I threw up?” She asked, feeling embarrassed. “What else happened?”
Vivienne groaned again, pulling the covers up over her face. “Please tell me I didn’t make a complete fool of myself.”
Grayson leaned against the dresser, sipping his coffee with a smirk. “Define complete. You danced, you flirted, you threatened to start a karaoke battle, and then you—”
She peeked out from under the blanket, narrowing her eyes. “I did not.”
“You did.” He nodded solemnly, taking another sip. “It was adorable, really. Until the puking started.”
Vivienne groaned again, rolling onto her side. “Why didn’t you just leave me to die?”
“Because I’m your business partner,” he said, placing the sports drink on her nightstand. “And because someone had to make sure Bryan didn’t carry you off into the night.”
That got her attention. She pushed herself up slowly, her head pounding. “Ryan? What happened with him?”
Grayson’s face darkened, just for a moment, before his smirk returned. “Don’t worry, Foxy. Let’s just say he won’t be bothering you again.”
Her stomach twisted, not from the hangover but from the weight of his words. Did he do something to Ryan? Why did she feel… relieved?
She suddenly realized that Grayson had sacrificed his own night’s sleep, or a night with one of the ladies he’d spent yesterday afternoon with to take care of her. Vivienne’s cheeks burned. She wasn’t normally like this. She was a calm and collected person.
“I—um—I just wanted to say….thank you,” She mumbled, avoiding Grayson’s gaze. She could only imagine the cocky smirk on full display.
“I can’t have my business partner dying, now can I?” She could hear the smile in his voice and couldn’t help but look up. Their eyes connected.
“You could have been doing anything else…sleeping, screwing one of those women you spent the day with,” She shrugged, pushing away the bad taste she got in her mouth at the mention of him with another woman.
“Why would I want a boring night with one of those superficial women when I could listen to your true feelings about me?” He smirked. “Oh Grayson, you are so good in bed and you have a huge penis.” He spoke in a high voice, pretending to be Vivienne.
“I did not say that,” She glared, but the corners of her mouth lifted despite herself. He was such a goofball sometimes.
“Hmm, yes you did,” Grayson smirked, coming closer. They looked in each’s other’s eyes for a beat too long, the smirk slipping from his face. For a moment, Vivienne thought he might say something serious—something that would undo all her careful distance. But then he shrugged, the mask slipping back into place.
“I guess I’m just a great business partner,” he said lightly, grabbing his coffee and turning for the door.
Vivienne groaned. What was going on between them? She was supposed to hate Grayson. He was a Blackwood for crying out loud!
After drinking her Gatorade and eating her banana, she took a quick shower and slipped into one of her more formal suits. She’d undoubtedly made a fool of herself last night, and now it was time to be a Wood. And that meant sweeping it under the rug and pretending it never happened.
Vivienne took the elevator down to the lobby. She wanted to participate in the breakfast seminar, though she didn’t know she could stomach food.
Vivienne stepped into the lobby, the sound of her heels echoing against the marble floors. Her stomach churned, and it wasn’t just the hangover. She squared her shoulders, reminding herself that she was Vivienne Wood.
She had nearly reached the breakfast room when Ryan’s voice cut through the air.
“Vivienne.”
Her steps faltered. She turned to see Ryan striding toward her, his smile sharp enough to cut glass. A memory from last night flashed in her mind—his hand gripping her arm too tightly, his voice low and insistent.
“Ryan,” she said, her voice measured but her stomach tightening.
“I wanted to apologize for last night.” He stopped just a little too close, his presence looming.
Vivienne folded her arms. “Apologize? For what, exactly?”
His smile didn’t waver. “For... misunderstanding your signals. You were laughing at all my jokes, touching my arm—”
Her stomach turned. “I wasn’t sending any signals, Ryan. I was drunk, and you—”
Ryan’s expression darkened, his smile slipping. He stepped closer, forcing her to take a step back. “Come on, Vivienne. Don’t act like you weren’t enjoying it. You’re not the ice queen everyone thinks you are.”
Her heart pounded as she tried to steady her voice. “You were trying to take advantage of me.”
“Take advantage?” He laughed, low and humorless. “Don’t flatter yourself. I was being a gentleman. Do you think anyone else would have looked twice at you last night?”
“Vivienne.”
Grayson’s voice was calm but firm, cutting through the tension like a knife. He appeared from the breakfast room, his sharp blue eyes locking on Ryan.
“Is everything okay?” Grayson asked, his tone mild, but the weight behind it unmistakable.
Ryan straightened, the mask slipping back into place. “Of course. Just a friendly chat.”
Grayson stepped closer, his height and calm demeanor exuding quiet authority. “Funny. It didn’t look friendly from where I was standing.”
Ryan held his ground, but his eyes flickered with unease. “No need to get involved, Blackwood. Vivienne and I were just clearing the air.”
Grayson smiled, a wolfish edge to it. “Good. Then you won’t mind clearing the room.”
Ryan hesitated, his jaw tightening before he turned to Vivienne. “We’ll finish this later.”
“Not likely,” she said, her voice steady now.
As Ryan walked away, Grayson turned to her, concern flickering in his eyes. “You sure you’re okay?”
Vivienne nodded, but her hands trembled slightly. “Let’s just... go home.”
- Writer
