He winks at me. “I usually do.”
Crystal pops back in, messing with the camera for another second before turning to us with a bright grin. “Ready to get started?”
“I was born ready,” Grayson says.
I nod, already with my game face on.
“Great. First question should be an easy one. Each of you write down where the other is from.”
Grayson and I both immediately start scribbling on our whiteboards, and even though it’s not a race, it’s important to note that I finish first. Crystal asks us to reveal our answers, and of course, we both come up with the correct responses.
The first few questions are softballs—first movie roles(which earns a round of good-natured groans), favorite colors, biggest accomplishments. Although I’m not entirely shocked when we each get them all right, it is a little surprising to see the evidence of our relationship, outside the bedroom, on clear display. If Crystal asked for all of my favorite sexual positions, I’d expect Grayson to come up with the correct responses, but it’s a little startling when he remembers the name of my favorite stuffed animal from when I was a kid.
Crystal flips through her notecards after we each correctly identify the other’s childhood celebrity crush. “I have to say, I did not expect you guys to be getting all of these right. Let’s make things a bit tougher, shall we?”
“Bring it.” I shoot Grayson a cocky grin.
“It’s on,” he responds, with a flex of his arms, and if he thinks I’m going to be distracted, he’s only partially right.
Crystal clears her throat. “All right, let’s get to it then. What is the biggest challenge Emmy has faced in her life?”
The question knocks the wind out of me a little bit, and I feel Grayson’s eyes on me. I meet them and answer his silent question with a soft smile. He immediately starts writing, and I jot down my own response quickly.
“Okay, let’s reveal those answers.”
Grayson flips around his board. “Emmy’s biggest challenge has been dealing with the loss of her father.” His words are quiet, with any hint of competitive spirit dampened.
Crystal’s expression softens. “Emmy?”
I flip around my own board, where I’ve written the exact same thing. I don’t say anything, because if I open my mouth there’s a decent chance I’ll start crying and that’sthe last thing I want on some dumb promo video. But I keep an it’s-no-big-deal smile plastered on my face, and when Grayson reaches over to squeeze my hand, I squeeze right back.
We wipe our boards clean.
“Same question. What has been Grayson’s biggest challenge so far?”
Grayson immediately starts writing, and I study his profile, trying to discern what it is he might be scribbling. Not that I don’t know about challenges he’s faced—his relationship with his dad, for one—but more so not knowing what he would want me to reveal. I take a chance, jotting something down quickly, just in the nick of time.
“Reveal your board, Emmy,” Crystal gently instructs.
“Grayson’s biggest challenge is overcoming the perception that he’s just a dumb jock.” That’s all I’ve written on my board, but I push on with an unprompted explanation. “I think people in this industry often see him as just a hunky action hero who’s good at stopping the bad guys while shirtless, but in reality, he is capable of so much more than that.” I chance a glance to my right, and something is shining out of those gorgeous baby blue eyes that I don’t want to think about or name.
“You think I’m hunky?” Grayson deflects the tension with his usual cocky swagger, flipping around his board to reveal his matching answer.
Crystal whistles. “You guys are too good at this. One more question, and we’ll see if we can break this tie! If the movie industry were not an option, what would your costar being doing instead?”
I inhale sharply. I immediately know Grayson’s answer—his honest answer, anyway. The day on the skating rink and his dad’s prescribed life plan for him left no doubt about that. I also know there’s no way he could possibly know mine. I could win it, right here, and take home the very enticing prize of whatever I want from Grayson. My mind can come up with a lot of possibilities for cashing in on that win.
But as much as I want to win, I don’t know if I want to do it at that cost. I doubt Grayson wants that wound—a reminder that he could have had a different life—reopened on camera. So I write down something totally off the cuff, knowing it doesn’t matter because he’ll never guess mine.
“Okay, time to reveal your final answers.”
I meet Grayson’s gaze over the top of our whiteboards and notice just a touch of anxiety swimming in his eyes. I flash him a reassuring smile before turning around my board. “If Grayson wasn’t acting, he would most definitely be an underwear model. Gotta put those abs to good use, you know?”
Grayson lets out a small sigh of relief that only I notice. “Ha! That’s a good guess, but if I weren’t acting, I would probably be a personal trainer.” He flips around his own board. “If Emmy weren’t acting and writing, she would be a teacher.”
My mouth drops open in total and utter shock. “How did you know that? We’ve literally never spoken about that.”
He shrugs and gives me a wink. “Maybe I know you better than you think, Harper.”
