CHAPTER 4

ALL CREDIT TO ELJ

THE NEXT DAY

ANA

I look in the mirror, unsure about what I'm wearing and what I'm doing. I was so excited about this date a last week when Adam asked me. Now, I just don't know. I don't understand what's changed, but I've lost all enthusiasm about tonight, and about Adam.

I take off the dress I have on and stare at myself in the long mirror. I stand there in nothing but a thong and a strapless bra. Before leaving for his parent's house, Jose had helped me pick out a short, white dress that hugged all my curves. I love the dress but don't want to wear it for this date. I don't want to wear this dress for Adam.

I'd like to wear it for someone else. Someone who gets my pulse and my heart fired up. Someone with penetrating eyes, soft lips and gentle hands. Someone with a hard body. Someone who commands a room without even saying a word. Someone who owns the room just by by walking in it.

No! I shake my head in an attempt to free me of those thoughts. No, Ana. Absolutely not. If Adam doesn't work, you can find someone else who makes you feel all those things. Someone who isn't him.

I put all thoughts of him out of my mind and go back to my closet.

I'm currently sharing a one bedroom apartment with Jose. It's his apartment, but he let me move in and gave me the couch to sleep on, and the coat closet for my clothes, which thankfully aren't much.

I find a pair of light blue, skinny capri jeans and a cold shoulder blue and white top. I quickly change into that and check myself out in the mirror. Not as sexy as the white dress, but this will do. In fact, I'm almost completely covered up. The top is long and covers my behind, which Jose calls my apple butt.

Next, I attack my hair. I straightened it earlier, but instead of leaving it down, I put it up in a ponytail. I put on some light makeup that includes mascara, eyeliner and a little bit of blush for my cheeks.

I look nice, but I feel nothing on the inside. I feel nothing about this date. I'd rather get out of these clothes, sit on the couch and watch a marathon of Snapped while I binge on cookies and cream ice cream.

Maybe I should cancel.

I can call him up and tell him I came down with the flu.

I look at time and realize it's too late for that. He should be here in five minutes.

Fuck! Fuck! Fuck!

Why am I just not feeling this all of a sudden?

It must be because of what Jose said about him being boring. Yeah, that's it. I'm not really in the mood to hear about his grandfather's stamp collection tonight, or whatever the fuck else he finds stimulating.

When I first met Adam, I found him to be good looking. He's a few inches taller than me, with a lean build and dark, curly hair and brown eyes. He's the cousin of the last guy Jose was dating, and we met when we all went to happy hour one night.

He was easy to talk to, though for the life of me I can't remember anything we talked about. Not a single fucking word. I sigh. I remember every word a certain someone else has ever uttered to me.

I should be happy. Not sighing like I'm about to go to the dentist instead of a date. A date I desperately need if I'm going to rid myself of my virginity by my September first deadline. I am not turning twenty four as a virgin. No fucking way. Going this long is without sex is sad enough. I'm getting laid this summer one way or another.

Someone is going to deflower me come hell or high water. It might even be Adam. Despite the fact that he doesn't have crazy ginger hair, or penetrating gray eyes, or broad shoulders, or a witty personality. Or a dimple in his left cheek. He might just put me to sleep while we're doing it, but at least it will get the job done. I don't need fireworks the first time, I just need penetration. I just want to be able to say I'm no longer a virgin, but deep down I know that's not true. I want to have that first time with someone that I have a deep connection with. Someone I care about, love even, but I don't think that's in the cards for me.

With new resolve, I go back and put on red lipstick, hoping that will help me feel more optimistic about this date. I look in the mirror and pucker my lips in an attempt to look sexy. It's a giant fail. I look nice, but I don't feel sexy. Not only that, I don't want to look sexy. Not for Adam.

I hear my phone vibrate and I look down to see a text from Adam telling me he'll be there in about two minutes. I take one last look at myself, remove the red lipstick and change it to something neutral, and head outside to wait for my date.


Jose wasn't lying when he said Adam was boring. He's droning on and on about something. I think now he's talking about pamphlets.

I try to listen, but my mind can't help but drift elsewhere. I take a sip of my coke, put on a fake smile and do my best to listen so I can at least show that I'm interested. Except, I'm not the least bit interested in him or his pamphlets.

I can't help compare Adam to a certain someone.

I smile thinking about him, and Adam thinks I'm smiling at him. He smiles back and continues to drone on and on, not once asking a question about me.

I tune Adam out completely and think about dinner at Gail and Jason's last night.

Once the women came down for dinner last night, I tried to stay as far away from him as possible, but I noticed him watching me as I tried to have a conversation with Gail's sister, Susan. Dinner was served buffet style, and once I filled my plate and found a seat, he managed to find an empty chair next to me. We didn't talk while we ate, but I know he intentionally made contact with my arm every time he moved.

It was so difficult to concentrate on my meal. I can't even tell you what was served because I was so nervous. And turned on. I was definitely turned on. My cheeks were flushed. At one point, one of Gail's relatives asked me if I was ok.

After listening to the chatter around the table, and Gail and Taylor's plans for their honeymoon, I excused myself and went to the bathroom. I walked down the long hallway and went into the same bathroom I used earlier. I looked in the mirror and noticed my cheeks were completely red. My breathing is labored. I take a few minutes to calm down. Once I'm calm, I splash some cool water on my face. I look in the mirror again, and notice I'm still flushed, but not as much as before. I take a deep breath and open the door so I can go join the others for dessert.

Of course, he's watching me as I walk back to the table. I feel self-conscious with his eyes on me as I walk, but I pretend as if I don't notice him. As if that's possible. I take my seat next to him again. While I was gone, someone poured me a margarita and I take a long sip. I need a buzz to deal with this man.

"So, when do you leave, boss?" Gail asks. I noticed that they don't call him by his first name or Mr. Grey. It's boss.

"Tuesday afternoon. I'll be gone for about ten days." Interesting. Ten days. I feel a sense of disappointment at that thought, but I quickly check myself. I can breathe with him being gone for ten days. By then, maybe Adam and I could be a couple. For some reason, that thought isn't as comforting as I thought it would be.

I look at him, waiting for more information. Where is he going and why? Why so long?

"China," he says as if he's able to read my mind. "Ros was supposed to go, but she has a family emergency."

"Ros?" I ask.

"My number two."

"Oh," I say, disappointed for some unknown reason. I grab my drink and take another gulp, finishing it. I reach for the pitcher again, but he grabs it first, putting it out of my reach. He takes the glass from me, also putting it out of my reach.

Just then, some music comes on.

"Are you always such a party pooper? This is the second time you've taken my drink away from me?" I ask him.

"I don't want you to wake up with a hangover."

"Why do you care? If I wake up hungover, that's my business, not yours," I say to him, annoyed. Who does he think he is?

"That's where you're wrong. You are my business," he says to me, almost dismissively.

"Really? Since when, and says who?"

"Says me. And ever since I first laid eyes on you."

"Says you?"

"Says me."

I look at him then. We're both seated at the table, and I look into his eyes. I lean in closer to him, invading his space. He inhales, and if I didn't know any better, I'd think he was smelling me.

"Overbearing," I say to him.

"Valiant," he says back to me.

"Ana! Come dance!" I look behind Grey and see Gail's cousin, Amanda, waving to me. Amanda is in her early thirties and is just happy to be away from her husband and kids for a weekend.

I smile as I watch them all dancing to Usher's Yeah. I quickly get up and join them, not giving Grey a second look. Dancing to old hip hop songs is my passion, so I lose myself to the music.

Dancing and baking. The only things I'm good at. I move my hips and shake my ass. I guess that last drink did its job because I'm feeling bolder than usual. I look his way, and he's looking at me. His eyes roaming over my body. I see his Adam's Apple bob as he swallows, but he never takes his eyes off my body. The song ends, and Mariah Carey's We Belong Together comes on. His eyes finally meet mine as I continue to dance, slower and more sensual this time.

I know the others around me are dancing too. Taylor is holding Gail in his arms as they sway to this song, but I hardly notice any of them. My eyes are locked with the most intense pair of gray eyes I've ever seen. In fact, his eyes look damn near black now. It's as if some storm clouds have come in, giving him a feral look.

While his eyes are still locked with mine, he stands up and walks towards me. Like a hunter towards its prey, except I'm not afraid. I'm excited. He reaches me as Mariah Carey continues to sing. He grabs my hips and brings me closer to him. We move in perfect rhythm together. We're close, but our bodies are barely touching. I get a whiff of his scent. It's that same cologne I smelled in his office, now it's mixed with his own unique smell. I want to lay my head on his chest and drown in his scent. I try to move closer to him, but he keeps his hands on my hips, preventing me from moving closer.

Emboldened by the alcohol, I take my fingers and run them through his hair. He closes his eyes and inhales as if he's relishing my touch.

The song finally ends, and another hip hop song comes on. It's a faster song, but we just continue to stand there, looking at each other.

"I need to leave now. Right now." His voice is strained and quickly steps away from me. He goes to Gail and Taylor. I can't hear what they're saying over the music, but Gail and Taylor nod at whatever he says. He turns around and looks at me one last time before walking out of the house.

I run back to the table and pour myself another drink. I drink it quickly, in an attempt to put out the fire burning within me. It doesn't work.

I even dreamt about him that night. As I slept in one of Gail's guestrooms, my mind was full of thoughts of him. I tried to push them away. He's not what I want. He's too much. I'm a simple girl, and he's the definition of complicated. He's the opposite of simple. He's famous. Or infamous. However you want to look at it. He has a reputation. I have too much to deal with to deal with him. I could never handle a relationship with him. It would be like getting thrown into the deep end when you're just learning to swim. Nothing about this man is easy, and I need easy right now. Those are all the ways I try to convince myself about our incompatibility.

But there are so many other things too. There's a depth to him. Behind the mischief in his eyes, sometimes I see a sadness. He's caring. I can tell that he is. The way he is with his employees, and the way they love him. That's telling. In his own bossy, overbearing way, he was trying to take care of me. And contrary to his preferred way to have sex, I know there's a gentleness within him. He was gentle with me, and he's gentle to his nephew. He's also dangerous. I've read stories about his actions in the boardrooms. He's been involved in several hostile takeovers. Even though I'm not sure what that is and all it entails, the words hostile takeover sound pretty antagonistic.

But he employs thousands, and GEH has little to no turnover in his company. When everything happened, it was speculated that he would resign and let someone else run he company, but he didn't. He showed up every day and worked as if his life was not imploding. That takes guts. He could have left and let someone else take his place, but he chose to fight. That's admirable.

He's a damn contradiction.

Which is why I need to stay far, far away.

But the night of the shower, I had a dream. In my dream, when I stepped out of Gail's bathroom, he was outside the door, waiting for me.

I almost collide into him when I open the door. He pushes me back into the bathroom and closes the door behind him. I'm leaning against the sink panting.

"What are you doing?" I ask him.

"We were interrupted before we finished our conversation," he says as he approaches me. The bathroom is not very big so it only takes him two steps before he's right in front of me.

"No, we were done," I say adamantly.

"We're just getting started," he says.

"Contrarian," I say to him. He gives me a deep smile, showcasing that dimple.

"Intractable."

I open my mouth to speak, but he puts his finger against my lips, silencing me.

"Let's go back to domineering," he says. "We were so rudely interrupted just when things were getting good." He removes his finger from lips. I involuntarily lick my lips. He takes one more step, practically pressing himself against me.

"My dominance? I own it. I make no apologies. I promise you, you will love it." Before I can respond, he runs the back of his hand across my cheek. I nipples instantly harden, and a full a throbbing between my legs.

I find my voice.

"Autonomous, remember?"

"See, this is where you misunderstand. I can be dominant and you and be autonomous. The two aren't mutually exclusive." He steps even closer to me. "We will be fire. Explosive." He leans down to kiss me, but I wake up before our lips touch.

I woke up sweaty, and more aroused than I've ever been in my entire life.

"So, I make all my own jams. What's your favorite? I can make you whatever you like," I hear Adam say, jolting me back to the hear and now.

What? Jams? Is this guy for real?

"Uh, strawberry or grape," I say. I take a sip of my coke. I decided on no alcohol today. I had enough booze yesterday and I have work tomorrow.

"I can make those for you," he says and starts telling me his step by step process. Maybe I will order some alcohol after all.

The waitress comes with our order. A cheeseburger and fries for me, and a bunch of wings and fries for him. I take a bite of my burger, barely tasting it.

As I try to listen to Adam talk about the salads he makes at his restaurant, I see a shadow on our table. I look up expecting the waitress, but to my surprise, it's not her. I'm stunned speechless when I see who it is.

"Gail? Jason? What are you two doing here?" I ask them. I stand up and hug them, relieved to see them.

"Everyone left to go back home and we thought we'd get out of the house for a bite to eat," Gail says.

"But here? You two don't strike me as the Buffalo Wild Wings type," I say. They hang out with a billionaire all day long. And I've gotten to know Gail recently. She prefers higher end restaurants. Everything she eats is organic or grass fed so why the hell are they here? And all Jason does is talk about Gail's cooking, and how he prefers that to eating out.

Out of all the restaurants in Seattle and its surrounding areas, they end up here at the same time as me. That's just odd. Too odd. They can afford any restaurant they want, so why would they come here.

"Well, I interned for them. I went to culinary school in Minnesota, where they are headquartered. In fact, I'm responsible for some of their sauces," she says.

Really? She's never mentioned this before. I think back to when I told he about this date. In fact, last night she asked me where we were going. When I told her I didn't know, she insisted I find out. When I simply shrugged and said I'd find out later, she kept pressuring me to contact Adam and find out right away. For the sake of safety, she said. A girl can never be too safe, she said. You have to let people know where you are in case something happens. It sounded like the safe thing to do at the time, so I texted Adam and when he suggested this place, I agreed. Gail didn't stop there, though. She insisted that I choose a time right then and there. I didn't think much of it. I figured she was being protective, so I did what she said. Being an only child, I was kind of amused by Gail's protective caring behavior.

Now, here she is. Huh.

But I'm so relieved to see them, I don't give it much more thought. I quickly introduce them to Adam.

I do the polite thing and ask them to join us, expecting them to say no, but the words are barely out of my mouth before they're sitting down. Adam doesn't seem too put out, not that I would care at this point. This date is a dud, and Gail and Jason just saved me.

Gail and Jason order a bunch of appetizers for the table. Gail talks to Adam about cooking and recipes, basically monopolizing him. Not that I care. Hopefully he won't bore her to death.

Jason focuses on me, and I tell him about my plans to hopefully register for classes for the fall this week.

"I have some financial aid, but I'm still a few thousand dollars short. I have an appointment with the bursar's office. Hopefully we can work something out," I tell him.

"I'm sure it will all work out. Don't even worry about it," he says as he reaches for another wing.

I grab my coke for another sip when I notice Taylor's phone start to vibrate. Boss flashes on the screen. I almost choke on my drink.

He takes the phone and they have the strangest conversation. He only answers in one or two words.

"Fine."

"As expected."

"Affirmative."

"No worries."

"Will do."

That's it. That's the entire conversation.

A part of me wishes he had put it on speaker so I could hear his voice.

After a while, I excuse myself to use the restroom, and Gail stands to follow me. She goes and gives Taylor a kiss on the cheek and she whispers something in his ear. He nods.

We're in the bathroom for longer than I thought. Gail takes her time fixing her hair and makeup. Not that there was anything wrong with her hair and makeup. She looks flawless with her short blond hair and minimal makeup. She's wearing a cute little blue sundress with white sandals.

When we return to the table, Adam is gone, and Jason is signing the check.

"Did Adam go to the bathroom?" And why did he stick Jason with the check?

"No. He had to go. He had a work emergency?" Jason says.

"But he said he had today off? What kind of cooking emergency could there be? He makes salads, for goodness sakes." How rude! He doesn't even have the decency to tell me to my face. He leaves and sticks my friend with the check and leaves me here knowing he was my ride home? I reach for my purse.

"How much do I owe you, Jason?"

"Nothing. Put your money away. We crashed your date so it's the least we can do."

"Yes, put your money away, Ana. Jason's got it."

"You guys don't have to do this," I say.

"We insist. I've already paid and I'm not taking any money from you," Jason says putting an end to that conversation.

"Thank you."

Since I have no car, Jason offers to give me a ride home.

"He was kind of boring," I say on the way home after Gail asks me about the date. "Not what I'm looking for," I say. What the hell am I looking for? Whatever it is, Adam does not have it.

"You two are lucky to have found each other. It's hard out here for the rest of us," I say jokingly.

"I'm sure you'll be part of a couple in no time," Gail says. "As beautiful and sweet as you are."

"Well, you're biased because you're my friend. I'm convinced I'll be alone forever Gail. Or I'll be stuck with Jose and an apartment full of cats since neither one of us can find a significant other. Seattle's a big city. It shouldn't be this hard to meet someone. You know what? I'm going to set up that dating profile this week."

"Who knows? You've probably already met him," Gail says as Jason pull up in front of Jose's apartment building. I see Jose's car parked in the lot.

"Yeah, right. Gail, what do you think of eHarmony or Match?" I say out loud.

"The boss will be gone starting Tuesday. Let's do lunch this week and we'll talk about it. How about Friday?" Gail asks.

"Works for me. Are you going with him, Jason?"

"Not this time. Gail and I are working on some last minute things for the wedding."

We say our goodbyes and I run inside. I spend the rest of the night telling Jose about my strange weekend, and the strangest date I've ever had.

"I told you his ass was boring. You should listen to me next time. I know what the fuck I'm talking about." I roll my eyes after hearing that for the dozenth time in one night.


"Gurl, you should be celebrating. Not sitting around here looking like that! Your problems have just been solved. Well, our problems since I'm moving in with you," Jose says as he grabs a box and starts throwing in random shit in it.

"But, it just doesn't seem right. Something definitely is not right about this, Jose," I say back to him.

It's Monday night and we're at home waiting on the pizza we ordered.

I left work early today to go to the campus to figure out a payment plan and register for the fall classes, but I got the surprise of my life when I got there.

I was told that I qualified for a scholarship, and not only did it cover my tuition, but it also provided me with a stipend. A twenty five thousand dollar stipend. I sat there dumbfounded as I was handed a check. The biggest check I've ever received in my life.

"It's right. If the university decides it's right and they hand you a check, it's right. Those assholes aren't in the business of giving away money. Those blood suckers love to take money from us."

"I can understand the scholarship, even though they were really cagey about it. I couldn't get a straight answer out of the guy. He told me it was in the computer and if I wanted answers, I'd have to talk to his boss, who conveniently was out of the country. What I don't get is the stipend for that amount. The tuition isn't even that much. How do I qualify for a stipend that's more than the tuition? And how the fuck did I get a scholarship I didn't apply for?" I run my fingers through my hair, feeling so frustrated.

"I don't know. Maybe it's part of the endowment, whatever the fuck that is. Who cares! We're rich!" I roll my eyes at him.

The money is a godsend. I owe about eight thousand dollars in taxes from the house I inherited from my mother. The house is paid for, but the taxes are due. I was going to try and work out something with the county, but now I can pay it in full and still have something left over. I can even furnish the place.

Maybe put a down payment on a better car. This solves a lot of problems, but it's seems fishy.

"I just don't want this to bite me in the butt. I don't want to spend the money only to find out it was a mistake and I have to pay it back."

"Ana, those cheap bastards at WSU would not hand you a check for that much unless it was authorized by the high ups. I got a stipend my first year there, but not that much. Nobody came chasing after me to pay it back. This is a good thing." The bell rings and, Jose goes downstairs to get our pizza.

He's right. This lifts a huge burden off my shoulders, but something about it is off. There's a nagging feeling in the back of my head, but I can't entertain that right now.

Maybe I should listen to Jose and look at this as good news.

As much as I dread moving into Carla's old house, I know it's time. I've put it off for almost a year now, and with Jose's lease coming up, it's time to go. I've been sleeping on his couch for six months now. The deal was that he would let me stay here until his lease was up, and then we would move into the house together. I'll need the rent he'll pay, but the idea of moving there causes so much anxiety.

The relationship between me and Carla was not good. In fact, I had cut her out of my life completely years ago. We went three years without speaking, most of which was due to me not taking her calls and refusing to speak with her whenever she would show up at Ray's.

I was angry and refused to hear anything she had to say. Now, I regret that every day. I hate that I wasted so much time, and now there will never be an opportunity to make things right between us. I hate that I'm responsible for her being gone.

"Food's here," Jose says. My stomach growls at the smell of the pizza. We stop talking about the money and eat while we watch some mindless show on tv.

"I didn't get my G-Money fix today. His sexy ass didn't come in at all," Jose says as he takes a drink.

"He's going to China for ten days starting tomorrow. I'm sure he's busy." I don't mention that I looked for him this morning too and was disappointed when I didn't see him.

"Look at you. All in the know."

I simply shrug my shoulders at him.

"Gurl, you should see the suit I'm wearing to the wedding. It's Armani. Courtesy of the thrift shop." He giggles. Actually giggles. All of Jose's clothes come from the thrift shop. I don't know how he manages to find the stuff he does.

"I still have to find something."

"We can shop this weekend, but I'm gonna look so damn good. There's got to be one gay Grey that I can get with. Fat bank account an all." I roll my eyes at him.


"Lemon poppy seed," I say as I look into those piercing gray eyes.

He's back today. Looking sexy as sin in a gray pinstripe suit. I guarantee that that didn't come from the thrift shop.

"What happened to blueberry?" He asks.

"We're offering something new now, sir," I say. His eyes darken instantly. What the fuck did I say to cause that reaction?

"Well, in that case, get me a lemon poppy seed muffin. I'm always open to new things," he says his double meaning clear. I get him a muffin and a large coffee.

It doesn't escape my notice that Jose is watching us like we're a television show. His arms are crossed and he's looking from me to him, and back again.

I hand him his purchase, but he doesn't move to the cash register.

"I'm leaving for China today."

"Ok." I make no mention of the fact that that's all I've thought about since I first learned about his trip.

"I'll probably have to go back there again sometime early next year. Probably around the time that you'll be on spring break."

"Okay?" Why the fuck is he telling me this?

"Do you have a passport?"

"No."

"Get one."

"Why would I do that?"

"Because you'll be coming with me next time."

He sounds so sure of himself.

"Really?" I ask.

"Really," he says back.

"Thank you for planning out my future for me," I say sarcastically.

"You're welcome." He smiles, showing off that damn dimple. He finally goes to the register where Jose rings him up. Surprisingly, Jose hasn't said anything, but he's entranced by our conversation.

"Presumptuous," I say as he starts to walk away. He stops, turns around and pierces me with his gray eyes.

"Undeterred," he says as he walks away.

"What the fuck was that, Ana?" I hear Jose say as I continue to watch Grey walk away. "You're keeping shit from me and I don't like it. Talk! Now!"

A/N - I hope you enjoyed this chapter. In the next chapter, we will meet Grace Grey and the rest of the Grey clan.

I wonder what Jason said to Adam to make him leave as soon as Ana's back was turned. Hmm….

Thank you for reading, reviewing, following and favoriting.