Chapter 7...The real world.
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He checked the clock it was time to start wrapping up his day and head home. He wondered if Cristina was still at his place? Until it dawned on him that no she would be just on her way In to the club. Having a nocturnal girlfriend could be interesting. She being a free spirit seemed it live life to her own agenda! He double locked the filing cabinet and did a quick tidy of his desk and went off to bring the night shift up to speed.
He spotted his mother in the foyer waiting for him, he thought this was weird she never visited him at work unless she was in the area and that wasn't often, she didn't much like Hollywood.
"Mom, how long have you been here?" He greeted his mother with a kiss and a brief hug. "Oh not long, they said you were leaving so I waited for you, come on you can buy your Mother dinner and explain why you have a half naked women smoking pot in your swimming pool?" She affectionately cuffed his head, knowing her son had a soft spot for anyone in need of a helping hand.
He rolled his eyes, how the hell his mother found out he would love to know and he was going have a pretty stern talk with the young Ms Yang later about drugs at his Condo. He was starting to liken the young women to a teenager. The mess, constantly eating and her nocturnal habits. Still he escorted his Mom to his car and drove them to a burger restaurant in Downtown Hollywood. "Why don't you drive the Porsche your father and I bought you?"She didn't like the scruffy pick up truck her son insisted on driving and Owen preferred the truck it was more his style, As nice as the Porsche was.
They found a booth near the window, soon a waitress came over with water and they ordered drinks, Owen a beer and his mother a glass of wine. "Well it's nice to see you Mom," he said, hoping she wouldn't ask about Cristina, he wasn't ready to talk about that not yet.
"I will have a cheese burger and sweet potato fries," she out down her menu and looked at her son he was asking sheepish like the time he put his sisters barbie doll through the waste disposal. "Ok give me the bacon cheese burger and courgette fries please," they handed their menus over. Owen checked his phone, he frowned he had not heard from her in a while, sighing he put his phone away, she really was a free spirit that one.
"Son tell me about this girl? She seemed very...nice, I gave her a lift to her place of work." He nearly chocked on his beer..."You went to the club? She's a writer and she makes good money there..."
"Well actually she walked from the hospital but she told me about her writing, I told her I would like to read it sometime."
He could see his mom was trying to be nice, he was lucky although raised in the Hills he had been brought up by a sensible women who taught him the value of money and she had taught him kindness. Cristina may not be his mothers ideal idea of a girlfriend for him but he could tell she was trying to be accepting all the same. "But Owen really she shouldn't be smoking weed and take her to Rodeo Drive and get her some clothes that cover her various parts up more..." His mom was nice but she was also a well known women in the community for her charity work and it wouldn't do for this lady to be walking around dressed like that. "Mom stop, she is fine, she is fine as she is and the pot I will talk to her about...but you don't know her and you can't judge her by what she is or is not wearing."
He was relived when their food arrived, they ate and chatted about the family and eventually he drove her home. "Bring her for dinner one evening next week and I can meet her properly." Not giving him a chance to answer she slammed the truck door and went into her house.
He turned the key into the lock, he groaned at the mess that lay before him. Clothes, food lay over the floors and music was still blaring in the stereo. After cleaning up he took a shower. He spotted her notebook on the counter and picked it up, he realized it was her writing, should he read it? What if she got mad at him...he decided it was okay after all people had to read it for it to get published. Sitting back in his lazy boy he began to read a
all about a young women named Jasmine and how her life had unfolded, he knew from her telling him that Jasmine was based on herself. He only intended to read a few pages but, it got later and later and he was more engrossed by every page, it was different In many ways to her own life story but a lot of it was strikingly similar. He was determined to get this published, she was incredibly talented and everyone should read this and know about the strongest most challenging women he had ever met.
He must of fallen asleep reading, he awoke with a stiff neck and Cristina stood over him arms Folded. He rubbed his eyes trying to wake up, he looked at her head she had a nasty looking cut on her forehead. "What happened to your head?" She took her notebook out his hands and sat down beside him..."You read this?" She asked ignoring his question. "Um yeah...are you mad...and don't avoid, I saw what happened to your friend when she was in the ER. Who did that to you?"
She bit her lip, not wanting to lie to him but Sloan would fire her if she brought any kind of trouble to the club. "I got dizzy when I was dancing and I caught my head on the stage, it's fine I got some stitches and no I guess I'm not mad I just...I mean no one has read it before...did you like it?"
He didn't believe her for one second, he would just have to trust that she was dealing with it..."Cristina, I started reading and I couldn't stop, we need to get this seen your amazing...my mom who I understand you have met. She holds chantry functions all the time and she has contacts in all kinds of places.."
Cristina could feel herself starting to freak out inside, published? She would have to rejoin the real world eventually. she knew that but sometimes it was so much easier to be just a unknown girl in a club with no responsibly.
"I guess...Owen what If it's rejected? I have based my whole lifestyle on this book, I justify taking my clothes off for money with this book and if it's rejected then what? Then I'm just another stripper working in a seedy bar...I'm not sure I'm ready to face that.." He understood her fears, he felt that way when he was forced to quit the army. He pulled her close. "You have me and Im going to do everything I can to help and you know what it doesn't work out them you keep trying, look at the the Harry potter books, JK Rowling was rejected and now look at her!" He kissed her sore head, "I believe in you, I wish you wouldn't smoke pot! Especially in my house but I still believe in you. " she relaxed in his arms, looking up at him she stroked his face. "I am glad I found you Owen, you make me want to be a better person, I can try and stop smoking I guess..."
They lay in silence later in his bed enjoying each other's company, she thought back to her visit to the ER, how she had to make decisions about her future. About the baby she didn't know wether to keep or not and the man who loved her for who she was and didn't try to change her...it was all giving her a head ache and all she wanted to do was pick up and run again except she would still be pregnant and she would still have a book to get published and Owen would still find her.
The Doctor Meredith who had stitched her up and given her the news, turned out to be pretty cool and they ended up swooping stories about their crappy mothers. She had told Cristina to ring her and she thought maybe she would. She could use a sober, non stoned, non Owen person to talk it over with.
Owens gentle snoring broke her thoughts, he was a peaceful sleeper and she had to admit she slept much better when he was in her bed. She too started to drift off to sleep...TBC
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