Page 4 of Please, Stay

“Oh.” Her face warmed the longer he held onto her shoulder.

“Don’t print that.”

She tilted her head slightly, her ponytail wobbling and reminding her how bad she probably looked. “Of course not.”

Grayson rubbed his thumb back and forth on her shoulder. His eyebrows drew down into a frown, and she wished she could see his eyes behind the glasses. “You’re different, Juliana.”

Whispers of Grayson’s name caught their attention at the same time. A group of teenage girls began to cluster together in the corner, pointing at Grayson and huddling close together like they were plotting their next move on a football field. One girl held up her cell phone.

He sighed. “Time for me to go.” He looked back down at Juliana, his lips twisting to the side. “It wasverynice to meet you.”

“You, too. Thank you for the elevator interview.”

He squeezed her shoulder before dropping his hand and backing up with a smile that caused a slow warmth to spread through her limbs. “Thanks for showing me a very nice way to use pink icing.” Then he left.

Juliana blinked at the spot he stood a second earlier. Had he complimented her butt? She straightened her shoulders. This ended up being quite an exciting day. Even with the pink icing incident.

Too bad the next time she saw Grayson would be in his latest movie. She’d be an idiot to think he had any type of connection with her. He was an actor after all. Better just to chalk up the extra time with him to one of those journalistic perks.

Back to Statem and back to her own reality. Her mind still hadn’t settled after announcing that she’d take over theStatemDispatchas the owner next year when her dad retired because of his health.

She caught her reflection, smiling. Grayson thought he’d heard of her little town. Not a chance in the world. No worldwide traveling for her like Grayson Moore.

Her future included a sweltering Southern Christmas with her father, who always seemed to be in a crabby mood. It could be theperfectChristmas if she could manage to have her entire family there, including her sister, Eliza

Juliana walked out of the lobby and to her car to drive the three hours back home. Her father and sister hadn’t spoken since she skipped their mom’s funeral to elope with a drifter that she’d met a few weeks before. Getting her dad and Eliza back together might take one of thoseAs Seen on TV,elusive Christmas miracle. If only she could order one of those off Amazon.

* * *

Grayson bench pressedanother rep while his agent and now manager, Trevor, flipped through a magazine. It’d been a week since Grayson had returned to California after his cross-country media tour for his last movie. But not to his own home. He didn’t own a home or rent an apartment. Nothing permanent. That’d suited him for the past decade, and he had no plans on changing.

“You know, I’d spot you if you’d like to take a turn lifting.” Grayson set the bar on the rack and sat up, reaching for his sweat towel. The studio wanted him a specific size for his next film. At this point, he only had to maintain. A lot easier than the nine months he’d already suffered through on grilled chicken, no bread, and working out three hours a day. Not that he’d complain. He practically fell into acting, and if someone wanted to pay him to work out, then he’d do it.

Trevor glanced at him from over his magazine. “Naw. I’m good.”

“Do you do anything for exercise? You used to be an elite football player.” He grabbed a water bottle and walked to stand in front of Trevor. “I mean, your baby sister can run circles around you.”

“Addie was a track star and can probably run circles around you, so don’t compare me to her. Even at my height of football stardom, she could outrun me. And I do run. I went for eight miles yesterday.” He turned a page in his magazine. “Just because I don’t feel the need to get all big and buff doesn’t mean I’m not in shape.”

“Lifting could never make a scrawny ass like you big.”

Trevor tossed the magazine down and started taking a couple plates off the bar. “I’ll do a few sets to get you off my back.”

“You can’t be my agent if you get soft and overweight. It’ll look bad.” Grayson laughed when Trevor threw up his middle finger. “Fine. You keep getting me good deals, I’ll keep you on even if you can’t fit through the door.”

Trevor grunted as he pushed out twelve reps before it clanged on the rack. “I forgot to tell you they won’t start filming your next movie until January.”

“I thought it was in a couple weeks.” He would’ve worked right through Christmas. And New Year’s. Didn’t bother him. He hardly celebrated Christmas growing up, and the tradition continued. Hard to find a reason to care without any family.

“It was supposed to.” Trevor laid back down under the rack. “I renegotiated the contract to give you a break. You need a break.” He started a second set.

Grayson held a hand under the bar, pretending to spot. Trevor was strong, no matter how much Grayson harassed him.

“A break.”

A break might be nice. His television series set in England started filming in March. The movie in January was in Australia. No, he didn’t think he’d have another break until next summer.

“Where do you think you’ll go for Christmas this year? Bora Bora? Tahiti?” Trevor grunted out his last rep and sat up.

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