Merry Misunderstandings

Convention

Vivienne POV

Vivienne zipped her suitcase shut with a sharp tug, the sound slicing through the quiet of her room—shoving her phone in her back pocket. She couldn’t afford to think too much about the night before—the heat, the frustration, the way Grayson had pushed every one of her buttons in the most infuriatingly satisfying way. And then there was her father’s call, his words a thinly veiled jab at her ability to handle the B&B without embarrassing the family. Not that she’d let him see her sweat.

They only had two weeks left till Halloween would kick off the start of the holiday season, and Vivienne was getting quite nervous. She wanted to prove her father wrong about her—prove that she was capable of bringing the B&B back to its pervious glory.

She was dreading running into Grayson and was glad she was leaving for the hotel convention today. Never having been in the B&B business herself, Vivienne had had to use her family name to get one of the coveted tickets to get in. It was a very high-class gathering, so she had packed her bags full of designer dresses and shoes, along with a few business-chic suits.

She needed to stand out if she was going to make a name for herself.

She was halfway to the car when Marcus appeared in the lobby, holding a rolled blueprint. His face lit up with a grin that felt like a lifeline. “Starting on your side today. Shouldn’t take more than a week to get this area ready to go.”

Vivienne nodded, a spark of hope easing some of her tension. “Let’s make it perfect,” she said, glancing around the old lobby and picturing its future elegance.

Vivienne had asked him to get started on the revamping of her side of the lobby and the ten rooms she had. She and Grayson would have to come up with something for the restaurant, but she hoped the convention would give her some fresh ideas.

The exchange was brief, friendly, and professional—enough to remind her that at least one person was on her side. But just as she tossed her bag into the trunk, her heart sank.

“Leaving without me, Foxxy?” Grayson’s voice curled around her name, equal parts mockery and charm.

She turned slowly, her heart sinking as she spotted his suitcase. He dangled her car keys, the smirk on his face as insufferable as ever. “What the hell are you doing here?”

“Oh, didn’t I mention? I’m attending the convention, too.” He popped the trunk with maddening nonchalance. “And you’re welcome—I swapped out that tin can you rented for something with actual legroom.”

She clenched her fists, biting back the urge to scream. Of course, he’d muscle his way into her plans. But she wouldn’t let him see her flustered.

“Fine! But I’m driving the first half of the trip,” She snapped, snatching the keys from his hands. The convention was in Boston, and she’d wanted to drive not only to save money—since she didn’t want to recklessly spend the B&B’s funds—but she also wanted to clear her head after everything that had happened with Hayden and after the mistake she’d made last night.

“Works for me,” Grayson shrugged.

Vivienne gripped the steering wheel, trying to ignore Grayson who’d propped his feet up on the dashboard and had reclined his seat, putting his scarf over his eyes. Vivienne rolled her eyes as she took in the scene, but decided it would be good for him to keep his mouth shut for once.

She needed a moment to relax, to forget her father’s degrading phone call—reminding her the family name was at stake and asking her how the construction was going. Not one how are you Vivienne, but she expected nothing less.

She connected her phone to the car's radio and put on her road trip music. Her hands on the wheel loosened as she silently sang along to Taylor Swift. She was just feeling a bit more like herself when, suddenly, her song was interrupted by a phone call.

Hayden.

In her frustration, she accidentally pushed the accept call button and Hayden’s voice echoed through the small cabin.

“Vivienne, baby, please don’t hang up,” His nasally voice pleaded. Vivienne wondered if it had always sounded that way.

“Hayden, I told you to only call me if you were ready to sell the condo,” Vivienne bit back. She was getting tired of these phone calls.

“Vivy, baby, please, don’t hang up. I’m sorry! I made a mistake.” He whined.

“A mistake is when you accidentally take the wrong exit, Hayden, not when you fall into another woman’s v****a,” She snapped.

“You can’t blame me for everything, V, you have to take some accountability!” He shot back, his voice becoming snappier.

“Some accountability?” She asked incredulously.

“Yes, Vivienne, you were always working. I was lonely!” He had the audacity to sound hurt.

“We were both working a lot! We were working on our careers so we could start a family!” The thought of their dreams being shattered caused a clog to form in her throat.

“And we can still have that, Vivy, please, come home,” he pleaded.

“No. We’re done!”

“You know what? I wanted to spare your feelings, Vivienne, but now that you’re being rude, I’m going to say it anyway. I cheated on you because you were letting yourself go! Your ass was getting a bit…blubbery,” Hayden yelled.

Her cheeks burned with a mixture of embarrassment and anger.

“You know what, Hayden. Since you were so honest, let me return the favor.” She began, an evil smirk forming on her lips, “You lacked in the bedroom, and when I say lacked, I mean you were f*****g boring. No one wants to do it in missionary every f*****g time!” Hayden spluttered to respond, but Vivienne silenced him.

“I’m not finished. But…oh, right, I forgot, you don’t actually care if your partner finishes or not. You know what I did last night? A real man with an actual functioning d**k made me c****x twice!”

“Vivienne!” Vivienne pushed the end call button, laughing like a lunatic. It felt good to let out some of her frustration. Though it would take a while for her to get over Hayden.

“A real man with a real d**k huh? Careful, Foxxy, you’ll give me a big head—well, bigger.” Grayson’s deep chuckle caused her eyes to widen. She’d been so caught up in her fight with Hayden, she’d completely forgotten he was there.

Her cheeks heated—yet again—but this time out of utter and complete humiliation.

“Don’t start, Grayson. Last night was a lapse in judgment. It won’t happen again, and we are never talking about it. It was a mistake.” She quickly said, avoiding his cocky smirk.

“A mistake? Foxxy, if that was a mistake, I’m starting to think I should make a lot more of those.”

“Stop it.” She snapped. Nope, it was never going to happen again. His large rough hands would never slide over her body again…Vivienne! She reprimanded herself.

“Though those rules of yours were pretty hot,” he spoke huskily, causing her to glance sideways.

“No kissing, and only from behind….I love seeing that ass jiggle when I—”

“Grayson! Stop it! There are no more rules because it is not happening again.” She sighed. This man was exhausting.

“Speaking of rules…aren’t you forgetting something?” He asked.

“Spit it out, Grayson, I’m getting tired of these riddles.”

“It’s Friday, where is your ponytail?” He asked, grinning. “Breaking the rules means one extra dinner….” He spoke in a singsong voice.

“I’ll put one in later,” She said, rolling her eyes. Soon after, they stopped at a gas station to take a break before switching sides.

Grayson started the car, putting it in drive. As they sped down the highway, Vivienne searched her bag for a hair elastic, before quickly putting her hair up. Grayson glanced sideways—his signature smirk forming.

“What is it with you and ponytails anyway?” She asked, taking a sip of her coffee. They’d bought one at the gas station.

“I have my reasons,” he chuckled. Vivienne decided to watch the scenery.

"That Hayden guy...he sounds like a real douche." Grayson said after a while—his voice was light, casual, but his eyes flicked to her for a reaction.

Vivienne stiffened but kept her gaze out the window.

"You don’t know him," she muttered, but even she could hear the lack of conviction in her voice.

Grayson pressed on, his tone less teasing now.

"How long were you with him?"

Vivienne hesitated, torn between brushing him off and venting some of the frustration still bubbling in her chest.

"A little over four years. Too long, honestly." She let out a bitter laugh. "But it’s over now."

Grayson raised an eyebrow, his grip on the wheel tightening briefly.

"And yet, he’s still calling you."

Vivienne sighed, turning to glare at him.

"What is this, twenty questions? If you must know, we’re sorting out selling our condo. And he doesn’t take no for an answer." Her voice softened.

Vivienne pushed away happier memories of her time with Hayden. They were tainted by his actions now. It was time to move on.