Chapter 7

Falling in love again?

September 9th 2012

I have had a very busy few months, I have visited Asia at her home with Rose and Ted in Boise most weekends sometimes mom or Kate comes with me sometimes I go alone, I don't think Christian has been to see her yet. It's a strange situation our family finds itself in, we all adore her but over time I think we have all apart from my mother accepted she is best off there, she is safe, well, looked after and loved oh so loved.

Rick and I went to New York at the beginning of August to do the tie-in shows with the Michelin three starred restaurants, what a fantastic week I had, I met some brilliant people and got three offers of work once Rick told them I want to be a pastry chef, and had spent three months in Paris

Last night we had a first show-night party at EM Fine Art's what a fabulous night everyone loved the layout, the cool, edgy feel to the place, the exposed brick, the artwork on the walls the lighting and the upstairs bar and blue room. And I may, just might have met someone, he was the DJ for the evening and his name is Grant, when we shook hands it was like been hit with an electric shock. He is taking me to lunch next Sunday.

Work has been fantastic lately; I have been promoted to official personal assistant to Mr Rick Stein, so as well as running errands for him I make sure everything runs smoothly for his show. The day before filming was due to start the society contact dropped out so I was asked would I like to try out and now I actually have a five minuet segment on the show where I promote restaurants, up and coming chef's, recipe books, etc, some weeks I have some celebrity in just to chat about their favourite food and places to eat. I love it, and maybe eventually I would like my own show but for now I am meeting some fantastic chef's and making loads of contacts, Master Chef Australia is coming to Seattle for the pre finals week and Rick has been asked to help out with a couple of episodes, he has featured in Master Chef's around the world, I will be accompanying Rick on these days I am so excited, I adore that show.

Sunday 16th September

I can't believe it's been almost a year since I was kidnapped and discovered the man I was hopping for the cottage with roses round the door and 2.4 kids with was pining for someone else

Today is phase two of getting my life back. I have my first date since all that happened, I spent most of yesterday in the salon, manicure, pedicure, facial, wax, buff and polish god I sound like a car I giggle to myself and then take a good look at myself in the full length mirror, as I stand just in my matching pink lace push up bra and thong set, yes the underwear stays, I like how I look in it, not that he is getting a look at it mind, but it gives me confidence knowing I look and feel good, then the doorbell rings it's Maddi my hairdresser.

OMG I love what Maddi did with my hair it's all tiny rings of curls framing my face with a big up-do, and after she does my make-up, very soft, muted tones and almost natural looking, I then go and put the dress on I bought yesterday it's a Rachel Pally Rib Stanley Halter Dress in coral

I think to myself Mia girl, you look amazing, go rock his world, and then I have a little giggle to myself.

He pulls up outside of the apartment just after 11am he is carrying the most beautiful bouquet of flowers all pinks and lilac's with just some flashes of white in among it. it's so beautiful and I just love the colours, after inviting him into the apartment for a coffee while I put my gorgeous flowers in water, as we have our coffee and some biscuits I made while unable to sleep during the night, we talk about allsorts what I like to do in my spare time, what it's like to work in TV, where he has DJed, It's really nice to be just sitting here talking to a man who gives you the impression he is hanging on to your every word.

He then asks me if I have any preferences for lunch as I am the one in the know, I laugh at that, but I do have a romantic little French Bistro in mind, Café Campagne is just a stroll away as it's located just along the historic Post Alley in Pike Place Market and it has the most amazing choices on the menu, I had already booked a private dining room there for us in the hope he didn't already have somewhere booked for us.

I tell him because of a past incident when I was kidnapped in order to gain access to someone I know, I always have two security guards with me but they are really unobtrusive and won't bother us at all, in fact most of the time I forget they are there. I haven't really lied to him; I just haven't told him who my brother is and the real reason why he deems it necessary. Is it too bad to want him to get to know and like Mia? Not the sister of Christian Grey, Seattle's billionaire. I will tell him if we get beyond more than half a dozen dates.

We leave the apartment quite openly holding hands and chatting away it's not long before we arrive at our destination. We are greeted by Gaston, my favourite maître de

He takes us through to our dining room it's one of the smaller ones with just one beautifully presented table in the centre with a perfect white starched table cloth and an arrangement of a silver 5 armed candelabra with pale blue taper candles which are lit and a ring of white and delicate pink roses around the base of the candelabra, the walls in this room are a delicate duck egg blue, it just all looks so delicate and elegant after Gaston sits us down and hands us our menu's, leaving us to decide on lunch. I notice Grant is just looking at me flabbergasted, I cross my fingers under the table cloth and say, one of the perks of my job and they will get a mention in next weeks show, something along the lines of "is it your mom's birthday soon? why not book up for a special Sunday Lunch and Mia's recommendation for this week is Café Campagne in Pike Place Market". A tiny fib, yes I will mention them on the show but that's not how I got the table.

We both decide to start with french onion soup followed by duck confit and for dessert Terrine Au Chocola and to wash it all down Special Cuvée Bollinger Aÿ

I am having a really nice time and hope he is too, the conversation flows really easily back and forth. We talk about our backgrounds, he tells me he was adopted when he was about 6 after his mother was killed and has an older brother somewhere, he is not sure if he wants to find him eventually or not, his brother was in the marines in Iraq when it happened but the family was estranged at the time, so he isn't even sure if his brother knows what happened to the family, his adoptive parents are great, really supportive and always have been. I tell him about my upbringing that I too was adopted, but I never knew my biological parents as my birth mom was only fifteen when I was born and I was adopted at birth but I'm not in the slightest bit curious, I have a mom, a dad and two older brothers and that's all I need to know, he says "tell me about your brothers?" I reply "the oldest one is a builder and the younger one works in mergers and acquisitions" I know I am being really economical with the truth, but I am so scared someone will want to be with me because of who I know, not who I am, Mia, silly, funny, flighty Mia.

We finish lunch and head out and walk down to the water front admiring all the beautiful apartment blocks and looking at the private boats moored up. He turns to me as say's "when I make it, I'm going to have a penthouse apartment right here overlooking the waterfront and a forty-five foot boat moored here too, and thumb my nose up at all the rich bastards that walk round with a pole up their arse thinking they are better than anyone else cos they don't need to work for a living just sit on their arse waiting for daddy to pop his clogs and they are millionaires"

I don't know if I want him to know I'm Mia Grey, whose parents live in a 12,000 sq ft home set in 15 acres with lake access in Bellevue. Who has one brother who just made his first million last month and another brother who is worth billions and made number five in the world's billionaires list in Forbes Magazine. I think for now I will use the name I use on the Show, Mia Black and see how thing pan out.