A/N: Hey all! Sorry for taking awhile. I'm actually finding this story hard to write. And I greatly apologize for that. Well, I've finally got this all written, but I don't feel 100% in love with it. I really don't know what it is about this story, but I just don't find myself loving it so much. But maybe you guys do?

Nope. I don't know what it is, usually I love all my stories. Eh…well, thank you all for the support you've shown already. That is what encouraged me to get the next chapter up. So, let's hope you guys like it. And let me know what you think of the ending…that's the part I didn't know if I liked.

Thanks so much again!

Blank Space

Chapter 2:

Wide eyed and with a mouth slightly ajar, she stares impassively as his noble grey eyes glide past their table to the other end of the restaurant.

"Isn't that your boss?" Ana whispers to Brodie as the taller man passes their table.

Brodie gives a wavering nod. "It is," he sighs. "God, what's he doing here?"

She lets out a low chuckle. "Who would've thought you both booked the same place for reservations. That's just weird." Ana's eyes follow to where Mr. Grey is led off to by the servers. He stops at a small booth in the back of the restaurant and sits down, facing Ana and Brodie's table. She hasn't realized that she is still staring at him even as he gives a brief nod to her.

"And awkward," Brodie mutters. Shaking his head slightly, he coughs, snapping Ana back into attention. "Whatever, it's not even like he's here, right? He's like a bee. If you don't bother it, it won't bother you."

"Funny way to describe someone."

"Seriously though, you don't want to get stung by this guy. It won't ever end well."

"And why's that?" she croons. "C'mon, what the worst he could do?"

"Blacklist you! I don't know..." Brodie is growing more agitated by the second. "Look, I don't really feel like talking about my boss right now. Can we just pretend he's not here? Alright? I thought we were on a date."

Ana's eyes go wide and she sits back in her seat, wholly stunned.

"Sorry," Brodie mutters. "I wasn't trying to upset you."

"No, you didn't. I just...nevermind. I shouldn't have been talking about him anyway."

Brodie rubs his chin, smirking. "I hope you're not turned off by first impressions." He shakes his head. "This is going like I planned at all."

Suddenly, a real smile comes back to Ana's features. "Don't be silly, it's alright. You're supposed to be nervous on a first date. I mean, they're always nerve-wracking." She clears her throat over the words. "Well, for me they are...not saying that they are for you...but like for me, I get nervous. Ah, I'm just making myself sound pretentious. I'm gonna shut up now."

Brodie chuckles under his breath. "You're adorable." He sighs. "How did I ever get so lucky meeting someone like you?"

"I'm sure if I answered that, I would just sound pretentious again." She flits another smile, relaxing in her seat.

"You're wonderful, Ana. Now did you pick out something so we can order?"

She glances back at the menu one final time. "Yup."

"Great." Brodie makes eye contact with a waitress and waves her over but a waiter holds up a hand, motioning him to wait. "Well, someone will come soon," he says. His eyes run over to Ana and his gaze lowers. "Um...I think you're dress is riding up."

Ana looks appalled and drops her eyes to her chest. "Wait, what?"

"Yeah, just pull it down a little. The material is all bunched up."

With nervous eyes shifting around, Ana carefully shimmies her dress down, but it's so snug, it doesn't feel like it even moved. What the heck is he talking about?

"Just a little lower," he says again.

Ana adjusts the top part of her dress once again, face now reddening. Any lower and she might as well not be wearing a top at all. "Is it better?" she asks hopefully.

His eyes widen with a coy grin. "Much," he muses. "So...aside from writing what - "

"Hello," a sultry voice speaks, interrupting Brodie. This women has sleek red hair flowing down her back in a single ponytail. Her lips are dark red against a pale complexion which holds the most amused smirk imaginable. Her figure is stunning, Ana assumes she must be around 5'8'' without heels even on. When the waitress finally makes eye contact with Ana, her dark red lips form a scowl and she huffs just slightly. "My name is Alyssa, I'll be your server tonight." Her voice is low and methodical, likes she's practiced this hundreds of times - but she has, being a waitress and all - yet, her dictated and precise words seems forced, like she's hiding a hint of nervousness. "What can I get you to start?"

"Ana, honey?" Brodie says. "Why don't you go first?"

Honey?! What is this guy getting at? This is a first date, right?

But no matter how skeptical she was, Ana forced a smile to him and looked down to her menu. "Can I have the...Beef Bourguignon, please?" she asks, attempting her best to say the word in French.

"Ah, the Bourguignon," Alyssa repeats perfectly. "Excellent choice. And for you, sir?"

Brodie leans on his elbows, resting his chin in his hand as he looks to the waitress. "I love what you've done with your hair."

She smirks to him with a discreet eye roll. "What would you like?"

"Mmm...The Red Snapper." He closes his menu and hands it to her. "And two more glasses of the Syrah for Ana and I, please."

"As you wish," she breathes before snatching the menu from Ana's hands and turning on her way. Brodie's eyes linger on the waitress even as she walks away.

Ana can't help but feel a bit intimidated by this Alyssa, but she shakes her head of the worries and smiles at Brodie. "So, you were saying..."

His eyes snap back to attention. "Right. I was asking what else you do? Besides writing...you know, do you have any other hobbies?"

She shrugs right as Brodie's eyes leave hers and travel back to the direction the waitress left. "Well, when I was little, my mom used to have me take dance lessons...but I seemed to grow out of that."

"How come?" he asks, still not looking at her.

"Just didn't like it much any more. I developed a real love for books and I always found myself in the library reading during school. I began to hate dance class - it wasn't like I was any good at it anyway, but my mom forced me to go until finally I told her off about it, you know, it was a funny story actually - "

"That's too bad," he says, looking back at her quickly.

She pauses, cocking her head to the side. "You mean because I stopped dancing?"

"Yup, right."

Ana, finally having enough of what was making him so distracted, turns her head to where he is looking. All she can see are many tables and patrons in front of her and a small hallway in the far back. There is nothing much that he could possibly be looking at. Then, she catches his eyes again. She is startled as she forgot he was sitting there, and this time, he is blatantly staring back at her. Flushing, she turns her eyes back to Brodie.

"What are you staring at?" she finally questions him quietly.

Brodie shakes like a leaf suddenly, bringing himself from whatever reverie he was just in. "Oh, nothing. Nothing at all."

"The waitress," she deadpans, "do you know her?"

Suddenly, Brodie flushes. "Nah, well I guess, I mean, we used to be exclusive."

Ana almost chokes on her spit. "And you call that 'I guess?'"

"Trust me, it's nothing important. But continue, you were telling a story?"

With a wary look, Ana finishes her story, feeling more like she is talking to a mirror rather than a man. He barely spares her a glance and he throws in a small comment every two minutes or so, but she knows his mind is elsewhere - but she just doesn't know where exactly. The minutes turn into nearly a half hour and Ana wonders if it is going to be like this all night - with her talking to herself.

"Look, our food is coming," Brodie announces, cutting off Ana from whatever she was just talking about.

The same waitress from before walks up to their table and places each of their plates in front of them.

"Thank you," Ana says kindly.

But Alyssa only responds with a curt: "Hmph." Brodie inspects his food as Alyssa clasps her hands together, a broad smile across her face now. "Well, if that is all - "

"Wait," Brodie says. "I can't eat this. You put rosemary on it. I'm allergic to rosemary." He shakes his head. "There was no mention of rosemary in the menu."

Ana's eyes are wide as she watches the exchange. Oh goodness, something else now to cause a scene, she realizes. This is going to be awkward.

"I'm sorry, sir," Alyssa replies. "I'll take it back to the kitchen right away." Eagerly, she picks up the plate and walks off.

Brodie sighs impatiently. "What are you looking at?" he snaps back at Ana. "Go ahead and eat."

She jumps back slightly, taken aback by his tone. "I'll wait for you. It's awkward eating alone." She runs her fingers over the napkin on her lap, smoothing it out meticulously. "I can wait, it's not a problem."

In response, Brodie just heaves another sigh and waits. This time, Ana doesn't bring up another subject to talk about. Their meal - or lack thereof - progresses on in silence. In another gauche fifteen minutes, Brodie pushes his seat back.

"I'm going to go see what is taking my meal so long. Yours is practically cold now," he says.

"But...um...you really think that's a good idea? They'll come back with it soon - "

"No. I'm going to go see. I don't care." He doesn't wait for a reply as he sheds the napkin from his lap and throws it on the table. "I'll be right back."

As he storms off, Ana is left alone - utterly alone - in the middle of a restaurant, on a first date with a cold meal in front of her. Her head falls into her hands on the table and she sighs. Quickly, though, she composes herself, fearing that her actions are making their own silent scene for the people sitting around her. God, why did all dates have to be weird for her? She hated this. There was always something. And even when she would overlook those little things, they always came back to bite her in the butt.

Relationships and Ana...they are equivalent to fire and gasoline.

Both destined to blow up and fail.

Ana leans back in her chair now as her eyes stare down the far hallway where Brodie last disappeared. As she looks for him through the mess of people, she catches those grey eyes as they similarly meet her gaze. Her breath stops for just a moment as she takes him in. He sits delicately with his own plate of food in front of him, nearly finished, and a glass of white wine. His eyes are enchanting, the sheer power of them radiating off like a glow. She can see what he's made of, she can see it in how the waiter constantly walks up to him and asks him about his food, and she can see it in how he stares at her, with no guilt in being caught, no embarrassment, no shame.

She can't say the same for her cheeks which are burning bright red under his gaze.

But oh, this man is something. There are a million words trapped behind his eyes alone and she doesn't want to take her eyes off of him. She can hear the words in her mind already: Saw you there and I thought, Oh my God, look at that face...

It is something like a pull between them - she feels it and she knows he does too. But she also knows better than to look at him for too long, she's on a date with Brodie, for goodness sake, she should not be making eyes with another man. This is just too much, so she tears her eyes away, feeling completely awkward now. But you know, on second thought, why doesn't she go to the bathroom? Yeah, it'll save from an awkward engagement. But should she leave the table? What if Brodie returns while she's away? Is that first date etiquette? What if he thinks she left him? Oh man, that will be a bigger mess than she needs. But then again, Brodie has been gone an awfully long time. And if she has to go to the bathroom, so be it.

She stands up, knowing his eyes are still watching. But she doesn't spare him a glance as she brushes past his booth and down the far hallway - a little sign for Les toilettes point her in that direction. She passes the Men's room, rounding the corner and instantly, her heart drops.

Right in front of her is Brodie. A women's hands clawing all along, up and down his back, his face suction-cupped to hers, his hips grinding her into the wall. Ana can't see the woman's face, but she see that unmistaken dark red hair and she knows exactly what is going on.

Her heart burns.

The mere thought that he would do such a thing to her cracks her heart. She was nothing more than a toy to him - an object, used for the simple sake of making another jealous. She pities herself suddenly, sitting all by herself for the past twenty minutes as innocent as ever all while her date had his hands up the waitress's shirt. The pity of herself, the self-hatred for being so stupid, the regret for this night - that's what makes the tears prick her eyes. It's not a hurt for Brodie - he can burn in hell for all she cares - but the fact that she fell for his game, that is what hurts the most.

"Brodie," she says. Oh, she will make him feel the guilt for what he's done.

Like lightning, he jumps away from Alyssa, head spinning around, meeting her iced glare. "Ana..." he begins, holding out a hand as if to show his openness to explain. "Please...it's not - "

"Don't talk to me," she spits. "Screw you...and her for all I care. We're done."

She turns around, stomping off even as Brodie calls her name. But he only takes two steps after her - then no more. He won't chase her and she knows that. She was never what he wanted anyway.

"Ana," a voice says.

"Go away," she hisses, not even bothering to see who the voice belongs to. She doesn't want to talk to Brodie, she won't fall for his weak attempts to change things, she won't fall for his game.

The patrons in the restaurant are staring at her rush out of the restaurant in a fit of oncoming tears. She hastily grabs her purse from her chair and takes off once again. Feet are treading behind her, but she's running to escape it - she doesn't even care about her untouched meal now, she won't pay for it, she's never coming back here again.

The cool night air hits her like a truck as she barricades the door open. It is only when she is briskly halfway down the sidewalk that a hand catches her arm.

"Ana," a gentle voice says.

She turns up to see who the hand and the voice belong to and she should've saw it coming. She should've known. It's those wonderful eyes that have captured her soul. He is looking at her, calm and collected, not a wrinkle on his pristine suit.

"What do you want?" she finally finds the words to utter, but they come out cold and harsh.

He looks down suddenly, just for a brief moment, and she can't see his eyes anymore and she realizes how much she doesn't like that. "I just...I saw what happened in there," he begins.

"Oh? You saw? Well, thanks, I don't really need to be reminded of the event." She turns and walks off, but he grabs her again.

"Well, yes, I saw. It doesn't really take a rocket scientist to put it all together. I heard them from my seat."

"Well, then if you saw me going towards them, why didn't you stop me?" She sloppily brushes away a stray tear, gulping in a breath of air and hardening her eyes once again.

He pulls back appalled. "You're mad that I didn't stop you? Would you really have been okay with him lying to you then?"

Ana looks down to the ground, this time at a loss for words.

"Everyone prefers the truth," he breathes knowingly. He takes a step beside her as ushers her into step with him. "C'mon," he says in a calm, cajoling tone. "Perhaps we can still salvage your night."

Immediately, Ana jerks out of his grasp. "No, okay? I'm not going anywhere with you, I don't even know you. I want to go home." She regrets the words coming out of her mouth, she knows how much he has captured her just from his eyes already, but she's too distraught to want to do anything with him right now. All she wants is to go home and lie in bed with a bottle of wine and a tub of ice cream. She wants to tell Kate about this night, tell her how Brodie was just another mistake and laugh about him until she passes out from exhaustion. That's all she needs right now - not some knight here to pick up her bruised heart.

He stands stunned for just a moment before his calm demeanor casts over him again as a shadow. "I thought you recognized me from before. Forgive me, I'm Mr. Grey."

"No, I know that," she snaps. "I know who you are but I don't know you. And I'm really not in the mood to go anywhere with you right now. So if you'll excuse me." Ana pushes onward and continues walking down the sidewalk.

He is right on her again, keeping up with her swift pace. "My apologies again, Miss Steele. I wasn't intending for anything like that. It's just that I know Mr. Lemmon, I know how he treats women - "

"So what?" she flares. "You just go around picking up his garbage? God..."

"Miss Steele, I assure you, it's nothing like that." Man, this girl is infuriating. He has never met one with such a headstrong personality before. Goodness, the things he'd like to do to her to calm that wrath of hers. But he is beginning to think that maybe it is due to her emotional situation right now more so than just her actual personality...so, he will let it go for now. He can play the hero, there is never any harm in that.

"I don't need a rebound guy right now, okay? You can just leave me alone."

His face falls for just a second, almost about to admit defeat when he realizes there is still one more thing to try. "At least let me walk you to your car? It's not safe out this time of night. Especially alone."

"What? You think I can't take care of myself?"

His jaw sets and he cringes at her words. If she keeps this up...

"I trust you can, but you have to understand, I could never forgive myself if I at least didn't walk you to your car."

She heaves a sigh, stopping short. "Brodie drove me," she says, suddenly remembering. "I'm gonna have to walk, I guess..." she mutters as her feet begin walking again.

"No, Ana," he says, catching up to her once again. "I can't let you walk home alone."

Ana rolls her eyes and he has to resist that growing urge inside of him. "Why not? I'll get home eventually. Thank you very much for your consideration, but honestly, I don't need it."

"Please, my driver is on stand-by, he can be here shortly. I can have him drive you home."

Ana turns around abruptly, and stares into his deep grey eyes. "I'll take my chances walking."

In one bold step forward, he narrows his eyes and glares at her. "Let me."

Instantly, her boldness wanes away and her breath catches in her throat. He is standing so close to her, it's almost unbearable. She shakes her head and then she hears it, one small word from him.

"Please."

She almost melts at that little word. And she stares at him, eyes wide. "Fine," she huffs. At least she'll get a free ride out of tonight - if that's the only good thing she can take away. She isn't happy about it, but she folds her arms across her chest and doesn't walk any farther.

He pulls his phone out from his inside suit pocket and taps in a number. "Taylor? I'm ready, you can come pick me up. There will be someone else I need you to drop off for me as well...Very good. Thank you." Hanging up the phone, he deposits it back into his breast pocket. "Thank you," he says quietly to Ana. "See? That wasn't so bad. I don't see why you're so adamant about refusing help."

She unfolds her arms in vexation. "And I don't see why you're so adamant about driving me home. I don't even know you!"

"Well, we could change that, couldn't we?"

Her eyes dilate, standing astonished. "I don't know what you're getting at, Mr. Grey - "

"Look," he starts, turning his whole body to face her, finally sighing in defeat. "In all honesty, I feel bad. I know this is none of my business - "

"Exactly."

He ignores her, sucking a very deep breath. "But Mr. Lemmon is my employee, I knew about his on and off again relationship with his girlfriend and somehow I feel like this is my fault for not warning you earlier this evening. I had the perfect opportunity to say something to you, but I didn't. I would just like to do something to make this up to you. No one deserves to be treated the way you were tonight."

"So, this isn't about you just trying to get an easy rebound?" she nearly smirks.

He pauses. Perhaps it will work out that way, he internally catches himself saying. "Of course not," he says aloud. "But I know you didn't eat tonight, you must be starving. I can take you somewhere to get food. And I didn't get to finish my entire meal...what do you say?"

Ana reluctantly looks to the ground under his potent gaze. "I still want to go home."

He holds his hands up in show of vanquish. "Then I'll take you home and that's it. You have my word."

A smile finds it way onto her lips all of a sudden. Right then, a black Audi SUV pulls up along the curb in front of them and the ominous sound of the doors unlocking is heard. He walks up to the car, leaving Ana to assume this is his driver's car, and opens the heavy backseat door politely, gesturing for her to get in.

She pauses before stepping inside. "Thank you, Mr. Grey." She pauses in contemplation. "Thank you," she says again, meaning it fully.

"Please, call me Christian."

The smile on her face turns into a smirk as he grabs her hand and helps her up. Oh this is it, she can't help but think. She knows exactly what this all means.

You look like my next mistake...