All my characters are loosely based on and inspired by the main characters we have all come to love; Edward Cullen/ Christian Grey and Bella Swan/Anastasia Steele. I'd like to think that I have put my unique take on it. Enjoy.


"What did I tell you?" Andrew smirks, dipping his fry in the ketchup by the side of his plate before putting it in his mouth.

"You were right!"

"You owe me lunch"

"I'll buy this round" I say and offer him a light smile.

"The place is fucking gorgeous man" He says, almost to himself and shakes his head.

He is complementing The Scene of the Crime, one of the hottest nightclubs in Chicago and a club I'd never stepped foot in before this past Saturday. Ella, my roommate and long-time friend, had won the coveted prize just last month; one night full of limo rides, Champagne and VIP treatments at "The Scene", as the club is famously known as now. Unfortunately, her trip to Hawaii with her parents had trumped it and she'd reluctantly left me to substitute with my co-worker Lainey.

Oh! We'd had fun all right, but I'll mostly remember The Scene for what had happened...

Mark…..

To say the man had been infuriating at the beginning would definitely be an understatement; cocky, proud and arrogance all rolled into one freaking hot body. Then we'd had a major blowout, escalated by the fact that his friend had been hitting on Lainey and had forced us to co-exist in the same VIP booth. Maybe he would have been nicer if I hadn't stared at him earlier.

Don't get me wrong, again we'd had fun, just a girl's dream night out right until my eyes had met his just briefly and he'd looked away, bored and completely uninterested. When he'd looked back I'd still been staring and he'd shaken his head to stop me. He didn't want to be stared at. That was it. Everything had taken a dramatic turn then. Then we'd been forced to sit together…..

I sigh and glance at Andrew again "I'm surprised John has never been there"

"Hey, you have been in Chicago a year and just step foot in there" he says with a typical Andrew flare before giving an audible sigh. "He doesn't like the scene…not the club just the general idea of going out gives him the hives" he rolls his eyes and I giggle in response.

Andrew and his partner are complete day and night, total opposites. He is exuberant and loud while John is a little more subdued, the silent type. It is that combination that makes them work well as a couple. While Andrew and I have formed a very close friendship, John and I are more in a cordial professional relationship.

Both have been working together at Flaman and Sons for about 5 years now and had met right here at work, moving in together a little over a year ago just as I'd moved to Chicago. I've always asked Andrew how they manage to work and live together, seeing each other every day at work and home would have been something I would have struggled with.

We'd formed a sort of a social cycle around us, even got introduced to a few friends in his attempt to make me someone's girlfriend. Brad had been one of those attempts. I had cut it off the minute he'd wanted to get attached.

Give people a chance to get to know you My therapist had told me a while back during one of our sessions.

"By the way have you heard from Brad?" I change the topic immediately. I'd screwed him over this weekend.

"No" he said animatedly and his brow rises. "Should I?"

"He is not picking up my calls. I just thought you might have heard from him"

"Bad lay?"

I roll my eyes.

"Well what's the problem then?"

Mark…..Mark was the goddamn problem!

My heart skips again.

"It was sorta going to happen but it didn't. I cancelled it last minute" I glance at Lainey again, sitting like a zombie and eating silently and I scowl. Something is up.

"Oh I would be pissed too. Booty call rule number one. Don't ditch once you commit" Andrew responds, oblivious to my hesitation.

"I'll try to remember that next time" I say hurriedly and turn my attention to Lainey.

"Are you okay?"

Her eyes flicker at my direction and she gives a light sigh. "I really think I drank too much. I don't remember a thing, which sucks!"

What the hell? I frown. "No you weren't"

"I don't remember getting home Payton. I don't even remember leaving the club." she whispers and rubs her eyes with her palms "You have no clue how frustrating that is"

"You didn't use the limo service?!" My heart sinks.

"You guys didn't leave at the same time?" Andrew's voice holds a hint of panic in it and I understand. I'm definitely starting to feel the same way.

"I left earlier than her and headed home" I run a nervous hand through my hair.

It was more like I ran out of The Scene really. Mark had called me halfway on my ride home in a cab and said he'd got my number from Lainey. I shake my head to bring myself to the present.

"I thought you'd use the limo" I whisper again in panic.

"Bad idea girls. Never ever leave your fellow soldier behind" he says with full hand gestures before gazing at me. "Why did you take off in a hurry?"

"I thought it was safe" I try to deflect the question. No way am I answering that.

"I'm just glad we are all okay" Lainey says beside and takes a sip of her water. "So when are you taking John?" she asks Andrew. I know she has decided to change the subject and secretly I thank her for it because he'd have wanted to get to the bottom of my quick getaway. Still, I'm not going to let this matter go.

"He is really not into it" Andrew responds.

"I'm sure you could persuade him"

He rolls his eyes "You don't get it. I could tell him the gorgeous Vic McCormack himself will be in the club and he might still not budge an inch"

My throat closes and I choke on my water instantly. A couple turns and glances at our table as I spurt some of it out and start to cough. Andrew reaches and pats my back incessaly as tears pool in my eyes and pour down my cheeks. I grab at a napkin.

"Are you okay?"

"I'll be okay" I wipe at my tears and take a deep breath "I don't know what the hell just happened"

"You heard Vic and choked" he says and laughs silently.

"So who the hell is Vic McCormack anyway?" Lainey chimes in and .

"Oh c'mon" he looks at both of us as if the name is supposed to ring some bell but all we can offer him are blank confused stares .

"You are girls you are supposed to know this shit. The owner of that club?" he says "Have you seen the owner of that club?"

"We can't say that we have, no" I answer.

He shakes his head and gives a dramatic breath before reaching for his phone perched on the table. "That man is sex on legs honeys"

Lainey and I look at each other and burst into a fit of giggles.

"Now I know why John might not want to go there" I say finally when our feats have subsided.

"He needn't worry about that. The man is hardly ever there and very far from gay" he smiles. "But if he was….." he lets us fill the blanks.

"You could never do that to John"

"I could be tempted" he says and continues fiddling with the keys on his phone. "I mean look at this ladies….…" he hands me the phone. I stare at the picture.

Holy Crap! 'Gorgeous' really doesn't do him justice. Deep blue eyes draw you in before the rest of him can, as if he is staring right into your soul. It's a bit simple picture, taken from what could have been a photo shoot, has him angled to the side. Matt black thick dark hair ruffled roughly is such a contrast to his blue eyes. He is tall; a definite over six feet of lean physique wrapped in a dark suit and a silver tie. The dark background pulls out the blue in his eyes, so striking I wonder how the photographer survived the intensity of that stare. My eyes come to rest on his mouth, so sensual, holding a hint of a smirk in it as if he is holding some hidden secret I wonder if he'd thought the photographer was an idiot or a genius as he took his picture. Yikes. I'm staring too long, analyzing a damn picture. I give the phone a shove hastily to Lainey, almost too roughly and Andrew gives me a light scowl. Suddenly my mood is in the dumps.

"Does he model too?"

His brow rises. "I wish cause then we'd have got to see what's underneath those clothes"

"Why couldn't he have been in the club on Saturday?" Lainey says and my heart sinks. Oh yeah, now I know why my mood has changed. The guy owns the damn club.

"We have to get back to work" Andrew pushes his chair back, standing and we both follow suit. I'd have to talk to her in length, just the two of us. Every second my panic escalates.

…..

"Hey wait!"

I call out to Lainey right when she reaches her car in the parking lot.

"Could we talk for a minute?"

She glances around. "Sure what is it?"

"Tell me you were just joking about not remembering much. Before I left you told me you were okay and you actually looked okay"

I would not have left her if I thought she was that drunk.

"I'm sorry" she says sadly "I didn't mean to make you feel bad but I swear I'm not making this up. I just don't remember much. The last thing I remember is you talking to that guy…what his name Joe or whatever"

"Mark"

"Sure" she frowns then sighs. "It's all bits and pieces and it's frustrating me"

"Do you remember giving him my number?'

"Yes"

I sigh. "So it's just about fitting some puzzles in the middle"

"And right in the end. I don't remember anything after you'd left. It's like I completely blacked out"

I rub my eyes in stress. "You don't think you were drugged do you?"

"I don't think so. I mean nothing…happened. At least I don't think it did" she finishes, slightly hesitating and I take a breath. My guilt is suddenly reaching new heights.

"Are you sure?"

"I'm sure" she nods. I don't know who between us she is trying to convince the other.

"So you just woke up and were at home?"

"Basically yes"

Shit! I close my eyes. "Do you remember the guy you were with? What he looked like?"

"I think his name was Martin and- "

"No his name was Chris. I remember that. He introduced himself to us" I say it and immediately see the dejected posture when she gives up completely.

"What the hell is going on? Do you think I was drugged?" I can see the sudden fear in her eyes. "Should I report this?"

"Were you assaulted?"

"Do I have to be?" she asks harshly and glares at me.

"I'm sorry that's not what I meant…I'm sorry" I stutter, feeling like a complete jerk. I should be more sensitive. "I just meant if you…I'll support you with whatever decision you make of course" I finish. I suddenly tired.

She sighs. "Do you remember everything?"

"Most of it yes"

"The guy you left with..." she gestures to me. "Mark, how does he look like?"

"Average height, blue eyes and dark brown hair" I say quickly. I remember the most prominent features that come into vision every time I've thought of last weekend.

"Payton be serious" she says and startles me.

"What?"

"He didn't have brown hair. He had black hair"

What? "No he had brown hair"

"No"

"Are you sure?" I stare at her as if she's dropped an atomic bomb on my heart. It's a minor detail. Surely it's of no consequence.

"And the man was tall. You even commented on it"

"Stop" My heart skips "I don't want to know anymore".

I'd brought this man to my house. I know for a fact I remember how he looks like, and no, he hadn't drugged me. He'd left shortly after. She sighs and opens her car door and I step aside to let herslide in. I know she's had enough of the conversation and suddenly so have I.

"Goodnight"

"Night" I respond and walk towards my car. Sudden fear cripples in and chills my bones. I'm glad I'm getting my roommate back this evening. Maybe things will go back to normal.

"Hi Shawn"

I walk in hastily past the front doors and greet our young night guard. I haven't been able to look Shawn dead in the face since Saturday night when Mark had walked in through those doors, backed me against the wall and kissed me senseless before he'd asked what unit number I lived in. That starts to seem like a million nightmare years ago. I press the elevator button and glance at him again. Wait! Of course he'd know! I make my way back towards him.

"Shawn…"

He gives me a gentle smile and I blush. Of all the time I've lived here I haven't acted the way I did that night. When he'd picked me up and kissed me I'd lost all my inhibitions. I take a quick glance at the wall.

"You remember the man ….." I hesitate. "The man I kissed here last …"

He just stares and frowns. "You kissed someone where?"

"Here" I hesitate. I'm not going into details!

He shakes his head before responding. "I don't remember anybody like that. What did he look like?"

"Well that's what….." I hesitate and take a deep breath "You were just here. I was talking to you when he walked in…."

He still gazes at me and shrugs.

"Are you sure it wasn't Anthony?" he refers to another young guard who works most nights.

"Quit playing with me Shawn"

"I swear I'm not!" he defends and I shake my head in frustration.

"I wasn't even here when you came home" he adds and I instantly take off for the elevator, my chest heaving from panic. I feel like I'm walking in the twilight zone. If he is joking he has a sick sense of humor, but if he's not the implication is much worse and definitely marks the end of my going out.