Wow is the only word running through my mind at the moment. I open my eyes after a short mid-morning nap feeling truly alive again. I roll over to see if I was dreaming about Christian coming to my hotel room this morning. Nope. Definitely not a dream. He is on his side, facing me, still asleep. How did this gorgeous man end up in my bed? I remember putting Christian's hand on my heart earlier, telling him it was because of him that my heart was beating with life again. It felt so good to have a man's touch again. His words of earlier come back to me: "Maybe this is too fast." That very well may be true. My journey to Seattle was supposed to be about me starting my life over after Steve's death and taking it one day at a time. I wanted to find a job, an apartment and rebuild my life and heart before, hopefully, finding someone to love and to love me back. No one will ever erase Steve from my heart, but I feel my heart is big enough to love someone else as well, but I'm not rushing it. You have to walk before you run.

My eyes move back over to Christian. I know there is more to learn about him. I'm thinking back on some of our conversations and I remember saying certain things that made him flinch. Liking Thomas Tallis, and only seeing Steve on Friday through Sunday while he was away at college. Why did the mention of those two things seem to affect him? I'm sure I'll find out, eventually. Or do I want to?

I look over at the clock and it is almost 10:30. I slowly turn and try to make my way out of bed when a strong arm pulls me back. "Good morning" Christian says sleepily and gives me a kiss. "Good morning to you, too" I say with a smile on my face. "Do you always make it a habit of showing up unannounced to hotel rooms?" Christian looks at me with a smirk on his face. "I only show up to the rooms of beautiful women." Did he just say beautiful?

CHRISTIAN POV

I open my eyes to see Linda looking like she is trying to get out of bed. I decide she needs to stay, so I reach out and pull her back down. "Good morning" I say and I give her a kiss. I like how my weekend has started off. She then asks me if I make it a habit of showing up unannounced to hotel rooms. There's that smart mouth again. "I only show up to the rooms of beautiful women." Oh, what I could do to that smart mouth.

I can't believe how fast we are taking this. Am I ready for a committed relationship? I've told Linda I'm not a hearts and flowers kind of guy, and that I don't do the "girlfriend thing". For once in my life, I want…more. I really would like to spend the day with her. I'm about to ask her when I hear my cell phone vibrating. It turns out to be Ros, my right hand at GEH. There is an emergency funding meeting at WSU in Vancouver today at 1:30. Crap. I don't want to get out of bed and leave her. I'm enjoying this too much. "Yes, Ros, I will be there at 1:30." Who the hell schedules a meeting on a Saturday afternoon? I'm donating $3 million dollars to the university to develop new farming techniques to help third world countries fight hunger.

"Our plans have unfortunately changed, Linda" I say.

"Oh?"

"I have to go to WSU in Vancouver for an emergency meeting at 1:30 today. I'm sorry, but I can't make lunch."

"That's ok," Linda says, as she is up getting dressed. I can see, as well as hear, her disappointment. I still want to bring her back to Escala with me this evening for dinner and who knows what else. "Would you still please have dinner with me this evening at my place? I'd really like to show it to you."

"Yes, that sounds nice."

I better call Gail now and tell her to expect another for dinner. I grab my clothes and put them back on. Damn, I really don't want to go, but I will see her again in a few hours. "I will call you with the time to pick you up for dinner. Is that ok? I'm not sure how long this meeting will take," I ask while I pick my T-Shirt up to put on.

"Yes, that's fine."

If I don't go now, I never will. I pull Linda to me to gaze into her eyes. I could look in them all day. I lean down to kiss her goodbye. "Laters, baby."

LINDA

Well shoot. I was really looking forward to lunch, but I got morning sex instead! You won't hear me complaining about that. Christian looks disappointed about the sudden meeting at WSU. Oh well. He can't help that. I walk him to the door and he leans down to kiss me goodbye. I just remembered that I needed to go look for furniture for my new place. I could always "camp out" until I find what I want and like.

I decide to sit down for a while and practice. This is my escape. This is what I love to do. I need to also start thinking about what I'm going to wear for the concert. I might just have to make a trip to Neiman-Marcus to look and see what is in style for this Fall.

I take a break from practicing to call my good friend Susan, who is taking care of my house back in Oklahoma while I'm here in Seattle.

"Susan? Hi. It's Linda."

"Oh my gosh! How are you? How is Seattle?"

"Seattle has been interesting so far, Susan. I got a job at the Seattle Waldorf school starting in the fall and I found the most awesome place to live. You also won't believe what else has happened."

"What?"

"I met someone. Someone with the most intense gray eyes and the most beautiful baritone voice you have ever heard."

"WHAT?!" I have to pull the phone away from my ear due to her shouting at me.

"I WAS NOT looking to meet anyone this soon. It just happened. A man came over to my table the other day here at my hotel and introduced himself to me. His name is Christian."

"Wow" is all Susan can say at the moment. Wait until I tell her about today.

"That's not all. We had made plans today for lunch. I actually asked him to have lunch with me and to show me some places to look for furniture for my new apartment. But I developed cold feet this morning and sent him a text canceling. He shows up at my hotel room this morning."

"AND?"

"Long story short, we ended up in bed together."

"NO WAY! You have got to be kidding me, Linda! You have never done anything like that."

"It shocked me too. But Susan, it made me feel alive again. Don't get me wrong. I love and miss Steve EVERY SINGLE DAY. It's lonely here not knowing anyone. Well, except for Christian. I think it is a sign that it could be time to start moving on with my life. I know Steve would come back and haunt me if I kept myself under lock and key. He would want me to be happy. Do you think it was too soon?"

"I'm not the one to answer that, Linda. I know you miss Steve terribly. I know he wanted you to move on and to be happy. I don't think there is an actual time limit for these kinds of situations. So how was it?!"

"Amazing."

"Wow." I'm a little uncomfortable talking to her about this.

"Changing the subject. How's the house? Anything in the mail I need to know about?"

"The house is fine. There was something that came in the mail yesterday. It was from the State Medical Examiner's office. It was the death certificate for Steve."

That hit me like a ton of bricks. I had forgotten all about it. I need the certificate to send on to the insurance company so they will pay me the life insurance money I'm due. I start crying softly.

"I'm sorry, Linda."

"I know."

"There was also a letter from the insurance company for the charter bus company. Do you want me to open it to see what they want?"

"Sure."

"They would like to get with you on July 8th to settle the wrongful death claim. Oh my God, Linda, they have made an offer."

"What is it?"

"$2.5 million"

"HOLY SHIT!'

"Would you mind faxing me that letter? I'd like to see it."

As it turns out, the charter bus company was at fault for the accident. The bus had a major suspension malfunction, as well as bad tires, that contributed to the crash. I also found out it wasn't the first time the company had been accused of negligence.

"I will."

"When do you think you might come back to Oklahoma? I miss hanging out with my best friend."

"Maybe in a couple of weeks. I'll come a day or two before July 8th. I'm not sure. I miss you too."

"But I haven't told you the other big news either. I will be playing along with the Seattle Symphony in September!"

"That's awesome! I'm so happy for you! Will you be playing the Mozart piece?

"Yes."

"New job, new apartment, and the best opportunity ever given to me will happen in September. I'd say life is pretty good right now."

"I'd say."

"I better go. I'm having dinner with Christian tonight at his place. I need to figure out what I'm going to wear."

"Ok. It was so good to hear from you, Linda. You need to tell me about Christian sometime."

"Google Christian Grey and you can see pictures of him. He's gorgeous, sweet, funny, sexy. The list is endless. It's been good to talk to you too, Susan."

"Tell everyone I said Hi. Bye!"

"Bye!"

I miss her. She has been my best friend for so long.

Guess I better turn my focus to having lunch, furniture shopping and wondering what to wear to impress Christian this evening.