Merry Misunderstandings

Grayson

Vivienne POV

Vivienne groaned as the sound of her phone ringing brought her out of her peaceful sleep.

Hayden. Yeah, she wasn’t going to answer that. The asshole had been calling non-stop since she’d gotten here. Maybe she should change her number?

Now that she was up, there was no time like the present to get ready to explore the town. Was it still as she remembered with Maggie’s diner or Elena’s bakery? She sure hoped so, she’d been craving a slice of Maggie’s pies since she’d arrived. Well, technically, Maggie bought them from Elena, so…

Speaking of pies, Vivienne suddenly remembered she needed to stop at the gym first for a membership.

Vivienne took a quick shower and got ready for the day. Coming downstairs, her grandparents were already up.

“Vivvy-pie, I have a meeting this morning, but how about after we meet up at the B&B, around ten, and I can introduce you to everyone and explain a few things.” Her grandfather, William, suggested.

“Perfect.” Vivienne smiled, heading toward the door.

“Where do you think you’re going without a proper breakfast, young lady?” Her grandmother asked, her hands placed firmly on her hips.

“I wanted to grab something from the diner, that way I can let people know I’m back,” She smiled, while her grandmother gave her a wary look. They had always been like this. Ever since her parents had died in that car crash, her grandparents had taken on the role of caretaker for her and her older sister.

“Alright then, but I’ll be ringing Maggie to ask her about that,” Her grandmother wagged a finger.

“I promise I’ll eat,” Vivienne laughed.

As she walked through the small, bustling town, with its many tourist attractions, Vivienne took the time to take in the beautiful scenery. The vibrant colors of fall were everywhere—the scarlet and orange leaves swirling around in the cool breeze, some still hanging in the trees, while others crunched underfoot. The town felt alive, with the faint scent of cinnamon and fresh bread drifting from Elena’s bakery, and the soft murmur of voices filling the streets.

She passed by City Hall, still as she remembered it. A white-washed historical building with a little bell tower, standing proud in the center of the square. The gazebo was there, too, still rusted in places but charming, as it had been during the summer festivals. She could almost hear the music from those long-ago days of childhood, when she'd run around the square with friends. Christmas time around here was something special—they always had a fun holiday market for the tourists, where locals could sell handmade crafts and treats. She could almost taste the gingerbread cookies and the hot cocoa now.

“Good morning,” She spoke to a woman wearing yoga pants who held open the door for her as she entered the gym.

The gym was small but very modern, with it’s clean lines and wooden accents. It had light gray walls, which matched nicely with the other interior details. One side of the gym was lined with cardio machines, while the other had yoga mats and weights.

Vivienne walked to the counter and was surprised to find a young handsome fitness trainer instead of the old man who had run it when she’d lived here, but then again, it might just be an employee.

“Good morning,” she spoke, leaning on the wooden counter, catching the man’s attention. “Would it be possible to apply for a gym membership.”

“Absolutely,” The man smiled charmingly. “I’m Liam Stone, the gym owner,” he said, holding out his hand.

“Vivienne Wood,” She smiled.

“Wood, would that be related to William Wood?” He asked, still holding her hand.

“It would,” Vivienne chuckled at her own pun. “What happened to old man Gary?” She asked, looking around as if to spot the previous gym owner.

“Oh, that was my pop’s. He retired a few years ago. That’s why I came back to town, to help him for a while, but then I decided I like it here, and I took over,” He shrugged.

“Well, it’s nice to meet you, Liam.” Vivienne smiled.

“You know, I offer personal training sessions if you’d like a one on one,” Liam offered, leaning forward. Was he flirting with her? Vivienne couldn’t tell—she was awkward like that sometimes.

“That sounds interesting,” She nodded. After filling out the form for the membership, Vivienne said goodbye to Liam. She headed to the diner. She didn’t want her grams on her case about breakfast again.

When she entered, it was as if the room went silent. It was as if people were looking at her and whispering to their neighbors. She didn’t know why she felt that way—probably because that was literally what was happening.

She glanced around, confused, until a familiar voice brought a smile to her face.

“Ignore them, love, you know how these small towns are—people love gossiping about others, especially if they have an occupation that’s a little out of the ordinary,” An older lady in her fifties suddenly came up to her.

“Maggie! Is it really you?” Vivienne smiled and hugged the older woman. It was as if she hadn’t aged one bit.

“In the flesh,” She smiled. “Now why don’t you take a seat, and I’ll bring you some breakfast. Your grams already called in,” she chuckled, heading toward the kitchen. Vivienne could still feel eyes on her while whispers seemed to follow her as she took a seat at the bar.

What the hell was going on?

Then, her eyes landed on the guy who’d driven her in his Uber. Oh. No. It hit her like a ton of bricks.

‘Especially if they have an occupation that’s a little out of the ordinary’ She’d not given Maggie’s comment a second thought, but now, it was so obvious what was going on.

She visibly paled. If her gut instinct was right, people probably thought she made adult videos.

“So, what brings you here?” Maggie asked, setting down a plate of bacon and eggs and a cup of coffee.

“I’m moving back to help Gramps with the B&B. He’s been asking me for ages, so you know, I thought I’d give it a go,” It wasn’t a whole lie, she was here for that also.

“You know, Maggie, just for the record, I’m not making adult videos.” She said silently, her cheeks flushing.

“Oh, I know dear, I’m sure it will blow over soon.”

After her breakfast was finished and Vivienne had mentally prepared herself to walk out of the diner, her eyes fell on a familiar face smirking at her.

Grayson Blackwood.

God, he was still so annoyingly handsome.

There was no time like the present to face her competition.

“Good morning, Grayson,” She nodded, as she approached the table where he sat.

“Good morning, Vivienne,” he smiled charmingly, “or should I say, Foxy Viv,” His smirk only got wider.

“What?” She asked, her confusion already turning to anger.

“That’s what I imagine your p**n star name to be,” he chuckled.

“You know, I wanted to be friendly about it, be the nice competition, but you had better watch your back, Grayson. It’s on!” She scoffed.

“Oh, is it now?” His grin widened even more— Cheshire Cat style.

“Vivienne, please,” He suddenly spoke loudly, as if he was offended—Vivienne’s eyes widened when suddenly, the whole diner was staring at them. “No matter how much you pay me, I’m really not interested in playing a lead role in one of your adult movies,” He shook his head dramatically.

“Well played,” Vivienne grated out, before she fled the diner—as red as a tomato.

Grayson Blackwood was a dead man.