Gray managed to enjoy the weekend. Chilling at home with Lily was a much needed distraction.But the beginning of the new week meant one thing.Work."Gray, come on! We're going to be late!"Mara's voice cut through the office as they scrambled to pull everything together. They had gotten so wrapped up in their own tasks that neither of them had noticed the time slipping away.Today, a representative from Jet2 was coming to the store. The visit was to check the setup and collect the inventory data and documentation on Gray's end.He was halfway through stacking folders when his phone rang. He grabbed it hurriedly with one hand. "Hello?""Good morning, Sir Gray. It's Ben." Ben's calm voice came through the line. "I just wanted to check in. What time should we expect the Jet2 rep? The staff and I have everything set up on our end."Gray glanced at the clock. His stomach dropped."Ben, sorry. Give us thirty minutes. We're heading out now.""Copy that, Sir. We'll be ready."By the time th

The tension finally eased the moment the door clicked shut behind Derek and his assistant.Gray let out a long breath. He dragged a hand down his face, then looked at the two people still in the room with him."Well," he said, his voice dropping back to something normal. "That was exhausting."Mara dropped into the nearest chair, arms flopping over the backrest. "That was intense. He looked so serious the whole time. Even his assistant was typing away right next to me." She stared at the ceiling. "My legs hurt. My soul hurts."Ben set his clipboard down and chuckled. "At least he didn't look disappointed. That's usually a good sign.""He at least didn't look disappointed," Gray said, leaning against the table. Notice how he always asked the right questions and stayed longer than he had to. By the looks of it, he liked what he saw."A short silence followed. Mara and Ben both nodded slowly, letting it settle. The relief came quietly, like a weight being set down rather than dropped.Gr

The dance floor wasn't exactly big, which didn't help with Gray's situation. The crowd shifted naturally as they joined, and Mara slipped into the rhythm almost immediately. Her eyes were half-closed, her head bobbing softly to the beat. She moved her hips, kept her arms loose, and smiled up at him like she didn't give a care in the world.Gray stood still for a moment.Then shifted slightly.Then swayed.Not much, but his pace began to pick up.Mara noticed right away. "See? You can dance."He laughed under his breath. "I'm barely moving."It did turn out easier than he expected. Maybe the drinks helped. Maybe it was just Mara, the way she gave a big smile each time he made a step. Little as it was. With her, little was enough. She just danced, and somehow that made it easy to follow along.After a few minutes, the song shifted to something slower and groovier. The lights dropped another shade. Gray did not notice Mara stepping closer until her shoulder bumped his."You're not so bad

Brother?" Gray's eyes snapped open.His brain was still clouded from last night's alcohol, but the sound of Lily's voice cut through it fast. He turned his head and there she was, standing at the foot of his bed, eyes wide, staring at the space beside him. "Lily—" He followed her gaze.Mara was still asleep beside him. Curled under the sheets, hair loose and tangled, face completely relaxed. Like she had not a single worry in the world. Gray's stomach dropped. "Wait. Lily, it's not what it looks like." He sat up fast enough that his head throbbed.But Lily had already gone red. She threw both hands over her eyes. "Ahhh! I didn't see anything! I didn't see anything!" She spun around and bolted from the room, still shouting as her footsteps hammered down the hall. "Lily, wait!" Her door slammed shut.Gray sat there for a second, heart still pounding. He dragged a hand down his face and let out a slow breath. The slam from the far end of the condo still echoed in his head.Then h

Thankfully it wasn't as bad as Gray had expected.After a few hours, the atmosphere had shifted completely. The early stiffness was gone. The careful politeness was gone. What was left was something looser and warmer, and for Gray, strange in a way that was oddly good. Lily and Mara fell into step with each other almost immediately after breakfast. The moment they properly started talking, the living room filled with laughter and loud stories pulled from years ago. They teased each other, interrupted each other, and laughed at things that made no sense to anyone outside of their shared history. It was as if the years between their last meeting had simply been folded up and set aside. Selina, who had been hovering slightly at the edge of it all at first, got pulled in before long. And once she was in, she fit. Within an hour, all three of them were talking over each other, sharing stories, and occasionally turning to aim a well-timed joke at Gray.He could only sit there with a face