Page 43 of High Notes & Hail Marys

“Not sure. I’m glad it’s over, though. Itisover, right?”

“Yes.” His voice sounds confident. “Definitely.”

Atop your bed, you shift, and your little snack collection topples. You curse under your breath, feeling fruit juice soak into your side. Red pepper, cheese cubes, and salami all spill across the comforter. Sterling asks if everything is okay.

“Yeah,” you grunt. “Just realizing that my mama was right.”

“What?”

“Never mind.”

There’s a comfortable silence. He tells you that he has arrived at his hotel and is waiting for Cal to pull up. His car was a little behind Sterling’s, and got separated by some traffic. He tells you that the hotel is called The Merrion, and describes the brick-and-column exterior, and the clever little nameplate in brass mounted by the door.

“Ster?” you say abruptly.

“Yeah?”

“You could write a happy song, you know.”

“Excuse me?”

“About us.” You are in the middle of stripping the bed that your housekeeper just made up, along with your shorts. Now youreallyneed a shower. “You could write a happy song about us. It doesn’t need to be a break-up song.”

You can hear the smile in his voice, along with the muffled baritone of Cal’s deep voice as he opens Sterling’s car door.

“That’s not a bad idea,” Sterling says.

***

@sterlinggrayson:Hiiii, Grayling Nation! Can I just say how much I LOVED seeing my Irish fans in Dublin? Thank you SO much for hitting a million pre-orders for ‘Golden!’ I can’t wait to take you on the journey this album has been—I hope you enjoy it as much as I’ve enjoyed creating it for you. I wanted to let you guys know straight from me that a deluxe version is coming as soon as my vinyl sources can get it pressed. I added a few songs at the last minute. Maybe I should have saved them for the next album, but I felt that they were dying to be heard. I hope my American friends have a great Thanksgiving! The Goalposts Tour is on hiatus until February. I can’t wait to rock out with you in the New Year! Be safe and be good to each other.

Chapter Eleven

STERLING GRAYS♥N IS H♥ME F♥R THE H♥LIDAYS!

(2019 Winter Edition)

Everyone LOVES a boy who can bake! Especially when that boy is Sterling Grayson. Teen Scene caught up with America’s favorite pop star at his home in Nashville to dish about his plans for Thanksgiving… and to share some favorite cookie recipes!

Q: Hi Ster! What are your plans for the holidays?

A: Hi! As you can see, I’m planning a quiet couple of months at home. I’ve got some studio time lined up, but otherwise, I’m just going to take it easy and have some friends over for Turkey Day.

Q: You deserve it! Who does the cooking for your Thanksgiving feast?

A: I do most of it, actually. I get all my recipes from my mom. I helped her in the kitchen from a young age, and now I don’t even need the cards. It’s just automatic.

Q: Aww! What’s on the menu?

A: You’ve got to have turkey, of course. My family is third- and fourth-generation New Englanders, so we make a quahog stuffing. I like garlicky mashed potatoes and onion gravy. Glazed carrots. Green bean casserole is a must—the kind off the Campbell soup can. It’s the only part that isn’t made from scratch. Wild rice casserole, stuffed sweet potatoes. Rolls, obviously. And that’s not touching the desserts. The desserts are my favorite part. I’m probably forgetting a few dishes. Basically, everything gets slathered in butter and my trainer threatens to fire me as a client.

Q: That’s why we’re here, though—dessert. I’m told you have a secret cookie recipe?

A: (laughing) It’s not much of a secret. They’re jumbo sugar cookies made with chai spices and an eggnog icing. My staff all go crazy for them. I don’t know why. I give away the recipe every chance I get.

Q: What makes them so special?

A: Well, you have to mix granulated sugar and powdered sugar to get the consistency right. That’s the closest thing to a trick. But I think the real secret recipe—God, this is so cheesy to say—I think the secret is love. I think about whomever I’m making them for, and I put all those good thoughts into the oven. I don’t know, okay? They come out perfect every time.

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