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I know this update comes late but I had my reasons. Really. I was ill and I was at my parents without my laptop by me. Long story short, I'm healthy and back to writing! Yay!
THIS IS A MONSTER CHAPTER! IT'S SO FREAKING LONG I CAN'T EVEN BELIEVE MYSELF THAT I WROTE THAT MUCH! I hope the length of this chapter will make you leave more reviews because I am greedy :D
What are we reading today? Mia's birthday party with Ben, Jack and Christian? Poor Ana ;) .
See you at the bottom.
NOT BETA'ED because I didn't want you guys to wait any longer.
DISCLAIMER: Not mine, not yours. Just for fun. And reviews. And I like to play with Christian. (man, that sounded dirty)
11. Happy Birthday, Mia!
"Ready?" Leila sticks her head inside my bedroom door.
I look up from my laptop where I have been writing my mum an Email.
"Yeah."
She smiles at me and tells me that we are leaving in five minutes before she leaves.
After turning my laptop off I get up from my chair and grab my coat which has been laying on my bed before heading out of my room. In the living room I find Christian fumbling with his tie with an annoyed frown on his face. The door to our bathroom is open and I hear Leila fiddling around with her make-up products.
"Dammit!" Christian swears suddenly, staring at me desperately. "Help me." He gestures towards his loose tie and I laugh at the knots he has made. Christian is wearing a black suit and a white shirt – Mia has announced that her birthday party is a black tie event -, looking incredibly handsome. His tie is gray, complimenting his eyes.
"Let me." I say and step closer to him. Skillfully I tie his tie, ignoring the fact that I am so close to him. "There. This is how it has to look like."
He looks down to his neatly tied tie and grins like a little boy. "Thanks, Ana."
"No problem." I say quietly before I step away. Leila emerges out of the bathroom with her make-up now applied. She twirls around in her shiny silver dress and her ponytail swept hair.
"How do I look?" She blows us a kiss. Her dress is knee-length and sequined in a silver tone. She has paired it with purple platformed heels and pink lipstick. Around her wrists she has strapped blue and purple shiny bracelets. Christian whistles reverently.
"Magnificent." He whispers and walks up to her. In a swift move he tugs her to his side so he can kiss her. I look away, the moment is far too intimate. Feeling awkward I look down at my feet and my black pumps. I'm wearing a forest green dress with a tight waist, elbow length sleeves and a v neck. My hair is combed away from my face and teased. Very unusual for me I have also applied winged eyeliner and a darker shade of lipstick. Leila has advised me that it would more dramatic this way.
"Oh! My camera! We have to snap pictures tonight." Leila scoots away to her bedroom. A second later she is back with her newest camera – a Christmas present from last year. She makes Christian and me pose while taking pictures of the two of us first. Christian puts his hand on the small of my back like the gentleman he is while I try not to squirm under his touch. Then Leila adjusts her camera so it takes a picture of all of us before she asks me to take pictures of her and Christian. I can't stop myself to think how attractive both are as I snap picture after picture of their various poses – Leila can be creative. The last pose I get is her kissing his cheek with pursed lips, leaving a pink stain of lipstick on his face. Christian mocks shock with 'o' shaped lips and widen gray eyes, looking incredibly handsome.
After our little photo shooting we hurry outside with our presents for Mia in our hands. I have found a funny and chic kitchen apron with 'will cook for shoes' written on it – in my humble opinion it fits Mia perfectly because it combines her two most favorite things: shoes and cooking – and a new set of pens she likes to use while she is at work. She swears that they are made to give good grades. Leila and Christian have bought her a new toiletry bag full of her favorite make-up utensils by brands that I can't even pronounce. And from Kate, Leila and me she gets a surprise Spa day before her wedding so she can get pampered for it. Tonight is also the night were Ethan will tell her about his plans of their honeymoon on Ibiza. Until now he has kept her in the dark which has driven Mia crazy because usually she likes to know about everything. She has pestered him in the last few months that she will never be able to get ready properly for their honeymoon if she doesn't know where they are going. But Ethan had mastered the art of keeping secrets so she had no chance to find out from him. Then she tried to get the answers from us because she knew that he had told us but we had swore on everything that we love that we wouldn't tell and even if Leila had made the mistake to get caught talking about the two layovers they had on their flight, we had managed to keep the great Ibiza secret to us.
Christian's car is parked outside near the local supermarket. Like the true gentleman he is, he opens the doors for Leila and me and afterward he walks around the car to the driver seat. As he drives off, Leila reapplies her lipstick with the help of the rear-view mirror, throwing me a kiss afterward. I giggle at her. We chat a little about our days of work. Leila tells us about her boss's new determination to make her stay longer because apparently every single picture frame needs to be changed and someone – in this case it's Leila – has to look up when and from where the current frames were bought. Unfortunately the frames are as old as the museum itself so it takes Leila an eternity to find and decipher the bills. While Christian is talking about his newest colleague – a cool guy named Josh -, my phone rings.
I'm on my way.
Ben
After our date he and I had been messaging each other all week long. Everyday I would wake up to a 'good morning' message from him and every night the last words I would read were his 'good night' texts. I didn't hesitate to invite him to Mia's birthday party two days after our date. I wanted to see him again, I wanted to give him a chance. Our disastrous kissing incident left a bitter taste in my mouth, I wanted to remedy it. He deserved it. And I sure as hell deserved it too. I had the feeling that Ben would be the kind of guy you wanted to introduce to your parents, who would buy you flowers and take care of you whenever you felt sad. He was the perfect boyfriend. But I don't thing that he was perfect for me. Even though I knew that I was giving him false hope – and I really don't want to sound pessimistic – by inviting him on a second date I wanted to see where things might go. I was being selfish and I knew it. But I had been selfless long enough and I never had confirmed to him that we were going to end up married, with 2.5 children and a dog named 'Buddy'.
"Who are you texting with, Ana?" Leila's curious eyes look at me from the rear-view mirror as I type in an answer to Ben, telling him that we will be at Mia's in ten minutes. I look up from my phone and answer my best friend.
"Ben. He is coming to Mia's party." I may have not told my friends that I did invite Ben. I only had asked Ethan in silence if that would be okay because he is the fiancee of the hostess. He said it wouldn't be a problem and he would gladly keep the piece of information for himself if it pleased me. I was super thankful. Ethan knew best how impudent Mia could get.
"Oh. You have invited him?" Leila says in a weird tone. It sounds like she is trying to suppress her eagerness. I look at her questioningly. It's not typical for her to be this calm about something like this.
"Yes. I thought it would fun. What's with your face?" I ask when I see how she grimaces. I squeeze my eyes to get a clear view of her eyes. She looks anywhere but me from the rear-view mirror.
"Nothing. I'm just happy for you." She bites her lips in order to prevent grinning.
"What's up with her?" I ask Christian and he gives me a quick glance from the mirror before he looks back to the street.
"She is suspiciously calm. That's not normal for her." I explain to him. Leila sighs and shakes her head.
"I'm just doing what I am told to do." She mumbles under her breath before she looks out of the window of her door.
"What?" Now I am confused and curious. My phone rings again but I ignore it. My eyes wander back and forth between my best friend and her boyfriend who don't say anything.
"Leila." I hiss now because I have the feeling this is something I should know. She sighs again and looks quickly at Christian before she turns her head to look at me. My brows are furrowed and I think I look angrier than I actually am.
"It's just Christian pointed out that we as in Kate, Mia and me may or may have not pestered you with our eagerness. You know, about Ben." She explains to me with a sorry smile on her pink lips. "We didn't want to push you or make you feel uncomfortable, Ana. We were just happy that you go out again and Ben seems really nice. I was happy that you were giving him a chance."
Christian talked to them because he feared they were pushing me? I glance at the back of his head and notice how his ears redden. My cheeks do the same.
"Uh, thanks, Leila." I mumble under my breath because I don't know how to respond otherwise. Yes, my friends have been overly attentive and yes, I have been annoyed at some point. But I knew that their intentions were pure and they only wished for me to be happy. I had been pushing every guy away since the Paul incident a few years ago and thanks to my cheating exes I had got trust issues and ridiculously high standards. I shied away from every potential dating experience which lead to a few lonely nights.
"Thanks, Christian." I add quietly and earn a smile from him via the rear-view mirror.
"Happy birthday!" We say in unison when Mia and Ethan greet us at the door to their apartment. She is sporting a huge, all teeth showing grin. The birthday girl is dressed in a white, lacy dress with a tutu like skirt and a decollete on her back. Her black bob is neatly combed and on her head she is wearing a black tiara. Her shoes and accessories are also black. Ethan has matched her dress by wearing dark pants, a white shirt and a white jacket. Around his collar he has tied a black bow tie – I assume that was Mia's idea because Ethan doesn't even like normal ties. His green eyes are sparkling with joy when he greets us with a hug. We scoot in and give our neatly packed presents to Ethan because he was appointed to have the proud duty to receive the presents and take care of them.
"We will open them later when everybody is here." Mia says and leads us inside after we have stepped out of our coats.
I have always liked their apartment. Mia, Ethan and Kate live in Seattle's heart in a luxury apartment which they got from Mr. Kavanaugh as a graduation present. They have three bedrooms, each one has its own bathroom, a guest bathroom, a big modern kitchen, a living and dinning room with antique and modern furniture. The building has its own gym and garage. It's located near Escala – a super fancy apartment building where nearly all of Seattle's celebs live – and Ethan always talks about Mr. Trevelyan, the CEO of Trevelyan Enterprises, who lives close by.
When you walk in you are greeted by a secluded entrance area with an emerald green wallpaper and brown wooden furniture. Mia has placed a big wardrobe and mirror right next to the door so she can always check up on her outfit before she leaves. It's not necessary to say that the wardrobe only contains her and Kate shoes – poor Ethan has got only one drawer but he swears that's more than enough for him. A small hallway leads to the living and dinning area where the walls are painted azure blue and the furniture is mostly black and white. The wooden dining table is placed above a pedestal and it has fourteen chairs around it. Somebody – probably Kate because she is the master of table setting – has set the table neatly with silver plates and blue glasses. In the middle of it stands an antique vase with white roses in it. Mia's wish to have a dramatic Victorian chandelier had come true when her mother-in-law had found one in an antiques shop. It now hangs over the table, its blue crystals glistening and causing pretty shadows on the walls in the shape of its ornaments. I especially like the black and white flowered pattern of the chairs. They are comfy and fabulous. A well-stocked bar stands against the wall near the dining table where someone has set drinks ready.
On the right of the dining table there is the living room area where they have two big cream colored couches with cushions that show gray pictures of forests and skyscrapers. A high-tech TV unit faces the couches with two bookshelves beside it where Mia's cook books, Kate's ancient issues of famous articles and Ethan's books about history and politics are placed. A small table stands beside the TV where Ethan places our presents – he declares that this is the present table and it shall be protected like an own eyeball. A Persian carpet lays under the coffee table, it feels great on naked feet.
A hallway leads to the kitchen, the bedrooms and a guest bathroom. They also have a balcony which leads to the roof with the help of stairs where you have a great view of Seattle. In the summer we enjoy the time up there when Kate, Mia and Ethan throw their annual BBQ party. It's one of Leila's most favorite spots up there.
"You guys want a drink?" Ethan asks us while we greet four of Mia's colleague which are seated on the couches. We have met some of them already and we quickly introduce us to the two new ones. Susan, Johnny, Max and Caroline greet us wholeheartedly and engages us in small talk. They are fun to be around with. Max has a special dirty humor, it's really refreshing even if it makes me blush and squirm. She doesn't mince matters. Her best friend, Caroline, is the total opposite of her. They remind me of Leila and me.
Ethan hands us our drinks – the three of us wanted red wine – and I ask him where Kate is. He tells me that Kate is helping Mia in the kitchen.
"I will check up on them." I say and stand up with my glass of red wine in my hand. Leila and Christian stay with the rest while I walk up to the kitchen from where the voices of Mia and Kate can be heard. I find them preheating the food Mia has ordered from a caterer – she had wanted to cook herself but then changed her mind because her outfit had priority – while talking about Mia's dress.
"I got it from this chic boutique at the mall." Mia says with a happy smile as she brushes over her skirt with her hands. "The moment I saw it I fell in love."
"As did I." I surprise them with my appearance.
"Hey, Ana." Kate greets me with two kisses on my cheeks while she tries to place cheese stylishly on a wooden plate. "You look great." She nods to my dress and I thank her with a playful bow.
"Takes one to know one, Kate." Her blonde hair is curled around her head, making her look like an angel with blue eyes. But her dress is devilishly sexy. It has the color of the devil – shameless red – and is hugging her body tightly all in the right places. Her boobs look awesome and I'm sure a certain Mr. Grey will cum in his pants when he sees her like this.
"You know me, darling. I always look great." She purses her lips in a funny duck face making us laugh.
"Can I help you guys?" I ask Mia but she gratefully shakes her head.
"No, everything is ready. We will serve the food when everybody is here. Luke, Elliott and Jack still have to come." She explains to me right when the kitchen clock rings. Mia turns off the oven where what seems to be chicken wings and gigots with shallots and garlic were warming over. She opens the oven's door to check up on them. I notice the bowls full of various salads, pasta and different appetizers on the kitchen island. If I was a character in a comic book my hearts would get the shape of hearts at the look of the bacon wrapped smokies. Mia knows what I like.
"They are good to go." Mia says pleased. "Where are these guys? Hasn't Elliott told you something?"
Kate just shrugs and I notice how she frowns for a second before she has control over her expression again. "We haven't talked today actually."
Then I remember something.
"Oh. Mia, I have invited Ben. He should be here soon." I declare with a blush. Like I imagined Mia lets out a surprised squeal. She is so predictable. Ben had written me another text while I was talking to Leila and Christian in the car. He had written that he couldn't wait to see me. I wish his words made the butterflies in my stomach fly.
"Really, Ana? Oh my god!" She hugs me tightly, taking me by surprise. She seems to be genuinely happy rather than excited. "That makes me so happy, Ana."
I look confusedly at her. This is not the reaction I had predicted. She guesses my look rightly and purses her dark red colored lips. Gently she puts her hands on my shoulders, squeezing them softly.
"I know that sometimes I can react… strangely. And I know that I can be intimidating but I want you to know that you giving Ben a chance, going out again, is the best present you could get me, Ana. And if I ever gave you the feeling that I am trying to push you into something you don't want, then I am really sorry about that. I just want you to be happy." Her eyes are soft and I really realize that even though Mia sometimes seems to be self-centered or too energetic, she has nothing but good intentions when it comes to her friends. I know that her pushing me into social situations had the purpose of getting me out of my shell. But while Mia explains her intentions to me, I can't stop wondering why she felt the need to be this sensitive – not that she wasn't sensitive usually but today it's especially suspicious because she is the second person who is apologizing to me today because of their recent behavior. Leila had also apologized to me in the car. She also had told me that she only wanted my best and she felt sorry if she ever pushed me into something I don't want to. And then comes another thought: Christian had been the one who pointed out to Leila that they may made me uncomfortable. Had he been talking to Kate and Mia too? I mean, Leila was his girlfriend. It was perfectly normal for him to tell her if she did a mistake. But Kate and Mia? I didn't know how to feel about this.
"You know how I feel about being pushed, Mia. I'm a weirdo. I need my space and my time because I'm stubborn. But thanks for being a good friend, for caring." I hug her back tightly, the sweet scent of her perfume fills my nostrils.
"Okay, enough serious talk, ladies." Kate exclaims and claps her hands. "Mia, you go check on your other guests while Ana and I load the dishwasher." She points toward the dirty plates from the caterer. Mia who lets go off me throws us a kiss before she scoots back to the living room. I help Kate with the dishes.
"Ana, can you take the gigots and chicken wings out of the oven? We need to warm over the mini Quiches. They are in the fridge." Kate nods toward the fridge while she puts plates into the dishwasher. I quickly do what I am told.
"Hey, Kate? How are things with Elliott?" I ask her when I remember that she told us they didn't talk today at all. I'm not trying to think of the worst but I'm still curious.
I hear her sigh, my back is turned toward her so I can't see her. "It's complicated, Ana."
They had been on a date last Wednesday but I hadn't been able to talk to Kate since then. We also didn't talk about it in our chat group because all of us had been busy. Kate had only stated that their date had been good but that didn't mean they had a future.
"How so?"
"Well, at first it was weird. We barely talked and I was contemplating leaving early. And it was super confusing because I had great sex with this guy, Ana. Great, great sex. Sex so good it was out of this world." She sounds out of breath.
"Kate." I warn her. I really don't want to hear the details of her night with Elliott.
"Ups. Sorry, Ana. But it made me wonder if we are just made to have sex and not talk. Like fuck buddies." I turn around with the hot baking sheet of yummy food in my hands – I am wearing oven cloths – and place it on the kitchen island before I cover it with a corresponding lid. Then I put the new sheet with the mini Quiches in the oven. Kate closes the dishwasher and washes her hands in the sink before she turns around to face me with a pout on her lips.
"And I got really sad because before this whole dating fiasco we were easy going and I had no problem to talk to him. Why do I have to weird out when things get serious?" She whines and covers her face with her hands. Her head is bowed down.
"Kate." I say softly when I walk up to her to stroke her back. "Doesn't weir-ding out and getting nervous mean that you take this thing with Elliott serious? I mean, remember your dates with others. Like Nate. Were you this nervous or 'weird' when you went out with him?"
She sighs with a shake of her head. "No, I was bored like you are whenever we watch a Marvel movie."
"Exactly." I try to sound cheery. "How was the rest of your night?"
Kate takes her hands away from her face so I can see the doubt in her pretty blue eyes. "It was awkward. We barely talked and if we did it was terribly boring small talk. Ugh, Ana. I don't know what to do when he gets here."
"Well, I know your dress is going to take his breath away." Pathetically I try to joke but unfortunately I don't succeed. Kate groans.
"He will probably think I am offering sex! I look like a whore! Maybe I should change?"
Oh dear.
"Are you crazy?" I exclaim fiercely and furrow my brows at her. "You look anything but like a whore! You are Kate Kavanaugh. You are the definition of beauty! And if Elliott assumes that you are offering sex just because of your dress then he sure doesn't deserve you!"
"But.."
I interrupt her. "No buts! And don't turn gray because of the awkward talking thing! Maybe you guys just need time and you need to talk about it. You have to find out what Elliott thinks about your date. This is your mission tonight, okay?"
Kate suddenly hugs me. "Thanks, Ana. You're a great friend."
I gently pat her back. "Now get out, Katherine Kavanaugh. Talk to that man."
"Yes, ma'am." She giggles into my ear, her breath tickles me. I let her go, pointing to the door with my finger with a playful dominant look on my face. Just before she leaves she turns around with an apologetic expression.
"Hey, Ana?" Kate says quietly.
"Yeah?" I look at her questioningly.
"I won't interfere into your relationship with Ben and I won't let the others interfere. I know you are smart enough to handle it yourself. We just wanted to help because… you know."
She is referring to my shyness and my determination to send every guy away.
I nod. "Thanks, Kate."
I check up on the mini Quiches – they smell delicious – and turn off the oven because they have been in there long enough. Uncertain if I should let them in there because there is barely room for the sheet on the kitchen island, my eyes wander around the kitchen to find another place for them. Kate, Mia and Ethan have a large kitchen. It has a U-shape and in the middle stands a kitchen island with the oven and stove. Mia has lots of kitchen utensils placed on the counter – she even has one of these freaking mixers who can knead dough – paired with fancy decor. The counters and cabinets are made of light blue colored wood with white rims. I decide to let the Quiches in the oven and leave the kitchen just when the door bell rings. I'm the closest to the door when I enter the living room and I tell Ethan who stood up to buzz the new guests on that I will get it. The others are enjoying drinks and making small talk.
When I open the door I'm faced with Ben's green eyes and his smile. Instinctively I smile back at him.
"Hi, Ana."
He is holding a bunch of flowers in pretty colors like pale pink and white and a bottle of champagne. Ben is wearing green shirt – it's the same shade as my dress – and a black jacket with black pants. He looks rather handsome.
"Hi, Ben." I greet him and gesture for him to come in.
"Where is the birthday girl? These are for her." He says and nods toward the flowers in his hands. I close the door and ask him if he wants me to hang his jacket. He declines politely.
"She is inside." I look at my feet, not sure of how I should greet him. I don't feel like kissing his cheek but I think a hug is appropriate. We hug quickly, a rather difficult task with the things he is holding in his hands but we manage.
"You look great, Ana." He mumbles into my ear. I blush deeply and thank him.
"We are wearing the same color." I point out when we are walking to the living room.
Ben laughs wholeheartedly. "Seems like we are soul mates."
My mood sours at the thought. Not that I don't think that Ben is great boyfriend / soul mate material. But I don't think he is great boyfriend / soul mate material for me. I furrow my brows. How can somebody know that he has met his soul mate? Does it happen like in the books I read? Like you take one look into their eyes and the world stops spinning? You get breathless just because you saw them? Or can someone meet his soul mate without knowing it at first? If that's the case, is it possible that Ben is my soul mate?
"Happy birthday." Ben wishes Mia and hands her over the flowers and the champagne. "I hope you like flowers."
"Thanks, Ben. I love them." She smiles at him before she hands them over to Leila so she can put them into a vase and the champagne in the fridge.
"This is my husband, Ethan." She introduces the two handsome men to each other. They politely shake hands. Mia's colleagues welcome him and I quickly introduce them. Ben and I take a seat beside Christian.
"Hey, man." They do the manly handshake thing guys do. I remember how Christian greeted the bartender at Seatdown when I first met him. It doesn't feel like two months have passed since then.
"What can I get you?" Mia asks Ben. "We have beer, red and white wine, and other stuff."
"Red wine, please. Whatever you have." He answers her politely and she scoots to the bar to get his drink. Leila returns from her mission to put the flowers into the vases and sits down beside her boyfriend.
"It's nice to see you again, Ben." She is all over him with a grin on her beautiful face. Christian wraps his arm around her shoulders and pulls her closer to himself. I notice how his fingers play with her ponytail. He barely looks at me or Ben, his eyes are on his girlfriend with a loving look. I wonder if he loves her. He hasn't said it to her yet but I sometimes notice his intense stare at her and I think only someone who is in love can look that way. I wonder if Leila is his soul mate. Is he my soul mate? I think the first moment I saw him is soul mate material. Since the very first moment I had laid eyes on him I had been thinking about him, my stomach fluttered and my heart pounded. Did I love him? I frown at the thought. Now is not the time to think about that. Actually it's never the right time to think about that. I can't dream about him because he is the boyfriend of my best friend. He is taboo. He is a dream I can't dream about. "It does not do to dwell on dreams and forget to live". It's a favorite quote of mine from Albus Dumbledore, the headmaster of Hogwarts in the Harry Potter books. I think a quote has never been more fitting.
"Your drink, Ben. Ana, where is yours?" Ethan's voice takes me back to reality as he hands Ben his wine.
"Uh, I think I forgot it in the kitchen." I make a move to get up but Ethan says he will get me a new one. I thank him.
"So you are a personal trainer? At which gym?" Leila asks Ben with a curious look.
"It's called 'So fit'. You know it?"
"Oh, the one with the Spa?"
"Yes, we have a Spa. If you girls are interested I could help you get a discount if you should ever decide to visit me at work." Ben looks at me with blushed cheeks. It's obvious that he wants me to visit him at work.
"I'm sure we can arrange that." I say with a flirtatious smile. At least I hope it's flirtatious.
"I would be happy. Maybe you could come to see my boys play next week. You know, the basketball team?" He asks me shyly.
"I would love to." I nod. From the corner of my eye I see how Mia's colleagues are making small talk with Ethan, Mia and Kate. Kate, Max and Johnny are standing by the bar where Johnny seems to be joking around, making the two girls laugh. Mia and Ethan have engaged Caroline into a conversation about the recent events at school.
"You play basketball?" Christian asks Ben curiously.
"Yeah, I play and I coach a team."
"I used to play basketball at college." And soon Ben and Christian are talking about basketball and Ben's work at the gym, leaving Leila and me speechless. I'm speechless because I wouldn't have guessed that Ben and Christian would get along. But I should have known because both of them are friendly guys. And I think Leila is speechless because she probably didn't know that Christian used to play basketball. She winks at me and I grin back at her.
"In my last year I injured my leg so my basketball career ended unfortunately." Christian tells Ben with a frown. I think he enjoyed basketball a lot. I can't stop wondering how he looks playing basketball. Damn. Stop thinking about that, Ana.
"That's tough, man. But you could still play for fun. You know, we are searching a new member for my team with my friends. If you want to you could give it a try." Ben suggests after he takes a sip of his wine. Meanwhile Ethan has brought me a new one and Luke has arrived. He greets us all with a loud 'Hello' before going straight to the bar because he claims that he needs a drink as soon as possible. We had a rough day at work today. Robert has been cracking the whip all day because of this brand new young author whose books he wanted to publish. Our boss claimed that the books of 'Alex Carter' were going to be the next Harry Potter. I doubted that.
"What are you doing at Thanksgiving, Ben? Visiting your parents?" I ask him when Mia mentions their plans for Thanksgiving. The Kavanaugh's are going to visit their grandparents at San Francisco. Grandma Kavanaugh made a huge scene a few months ago on the phone because she missed her grandchildren and they barely visited them. She used the guilt trip to get what she wanted. Classic grandma Kavanaugh.
"No, I won't go to Denver. I'm already planing to visit them at Christmas so I will spend Thanksgiving here with my cousin. She and her husband live in Seattle." He answers me. "What are your plans?"
That was an interesting story. Two days ago Christian had announced that his parents had invited him and Leila to have Thanksgiving at their place. Leila who had yet to meet the Grey's had freaked out at the thought because she was intimidated by their wealth. Since she had heard that Christian's parents lived in Bellevue – which was famous for its wealthy inhabitants – she had feared the day she would get to met them. Christian had told her over and over again that his parents were laid back people, she didn't need to be intimidated. Even I had tried to convince her that Grace, his mother, was nice and friendly because I already had met her on my book fair trip with Christian. Leila who couldn't imagine getting out of there alive and without embarrassing herself had asked me if I could accompany them because she needed my support. Originally I had planned to have Thanksgiving at Luke's parents at Portland because I wasn't planning to visit my own parents at Savannah – my mum had tried to use the grandma Kavanaugh guilt trip on me but like Ben I had promised her to visit them at Christmas so no chances there – but when Leila begged me and Christian assured me that his parents would be happy if I accompanied them – apparently his mother liked me – I had accepted the offer. Now Christian, Leila and me were going to have Thanksgiving dinner next Thursday at his parents' place.
"We are going to Christian's parents." I explain to him simply. I don't think he needs to know the long version. Leila mouths me a 'thank you', referring to my support at next Thursday. I smile at her.
"An Audi R8? The CEO of the company I work for has one." Christian and Ben have started to talk about cars and when Ben tells him that his dream car is an Audi R8, Christian tells him about his boss's boss's boss's boss's car.
"Really? Oh my god! I would die to see it live!" Ben cheers with cheeks reddening from excitement.
"I see it every time I go to the garage. I try to park far away from it just in case. I don't think I would survive if I scratched it accidentally." Christian jokes. "Have you heard of the R9? It's going to be released next year."
"Yes! I heard they are going to feature it in the motor show on January."
"In Seattle?" Christian's eyes widen.
"Yes!"
"Oh boy. Ana, I think we should run away. I don't think I can't listen to car talk any longer." Leila whines playfully making me laugh.
"Sorry, ladies." Ben apologizes with a cute smile and brushes over the side of his head with his hand. "Got carried away."
"Leila just doesn't understand the greatness of some cars." Christian says playfully and she rolls her eyes at him.
"If cars are so great maybe you should sleep in yours tonight." I think she is joking.
"Throwing me out already?" Her boyfriend grins at her.
"You guys live together? I thought, Leila and Ana lived together." Ben asks dazedly.
"Yes, we do. But Christian is staying at our place so often that I should make him pay rent." I joke with a smirk which Christian returns. I enjoy it when we joke around. That's our thing. The only thing Christian and I can have.
"I can pay rent in form of books, Ana. Each month I could buy you five books. Would that be okay, Ms. Steele?" He winks at me.
"Only five?" I mock with an offended expression. "At least ten."
"Hey! He is my boyfriend. Why is he paying rent at you? I live at that place too." Leila exclaims fiercely and crosses her arms at her chest.
"Because I pay you in another way, remember?" Christian whispers, the double innuendo in his words making me blush. I frown at the thought of them having sex. Not that I didn't know already that they were having sex but every time I think about it, I feel like someone is stabbing my back with twenty knives. Even if I can't dream about him, the reality in front of my eyes still hurts. I remember the first time I have been a witness to them having sex. I had heard them one night when I couldn't sleep and I cried harder than I ever had before. The next morning I had to have breakfast with them and it had been the most difficult thing to do. I had felt like going back to my room and into my bed like a little girl. Thanks to my surprisingly good acting talent they had been unobvious to my thoughts and feelings.
I feel like suffocating again and the need to run away surfaces. I need to take a breath and have a moment to myself.
"Excuse me." I mumble and get up to go to the bathroom. I place my glass on the coffee table and leave quickly. The ring of the bell interrupts my great escape.
"Ana, will you get it?" Mia asks me from the bar where she is standing with Luke and Max. I notice how Kate practically runs away to the kitchen. I quickly wonder why but then I remember that Elliott and Jack are the only missing guests. Oh dear.
"Yes, no problem." I answer her and go to buzz them in.
Elliott and Jack stand before me when I open the door.
"Hey, Ana." Elliott grins at me and hugs me. "Nice to see you again."
"You too, Elliott."
I'm surprised when Jack hugs me too. In fact he even presses a kiss on my cheek. Weird. I don't know why every one else likes him so much. I find him creepily nice.
"Ana, you look enchanting." He purrs with a flirtatious smile. His eyes wander from my head to my toes. I feel the pressing need to hide behind something. I couch slightly and get away from him.
"The others are inside." I point toward the living room area. "If you will excuse me."
Staying away from Jack will be my main mission tonight.
"Hey, Ana?" Elliott stops me with his curious voice. "Is Kate here?"
I notice the hope in his eyes. Maybe Mr. Grey does like her more than she thinks.
"Yeah, she is here." I smile at him knowingly and he winks at me.
On my way to the bathroom I stop by at the kitchen where I find Kate sitting on the kitchen counter with a worried look on her face.
"Jack and Elliott have arrived, haven't they?" She whispers to me and chews on her lip, smudging her lipstick.
"He has asked for you, Kate." I tell her with a pointed look.
"Really?" She asks hopefully and I nod. With renewed purpose and a confident grin she jumps down from the counter and excuses herself to greet the new guests. Oh boy.
I quickly freshen up at the bathroom before I return to the living room.
Now that Jack and Elliott are here too we sit down around the table after Leila, Mia and Kate – I wanted to help them too but Leila told me to have fun with Ben instead – serve the food. Unfortunately I am sat right beside Jack who tries to engage me in a conversation while trying to ignore Ben who sits on my other side. I find it incredibly rude whenever he interrupts me and Ben. Ben seems unobvious to Jack's real intentions, like everybody else he is charmed by him. But I notice the mean look Jack gave him when I introduced them. Christian who sits on the other side of the table and I exchange a look whenever Jack tries to take the attention away from Ben. Me being polite makes it easier for him to engage me into a conversation. I feel super bad because poor Ben is unobvious to what's going on but I don't have the courage to call Jack off. Luckily, Christian comes to my rescue.
"Jack, haven't we talked about proper behavior at social events the last time?" He asks loudly, making everybody shut up. The cold tension between them could be cut with a knife.
"I can't remember you being my dad, Christian." Jack hisses. I don't like the look in his eyes. Inconspicuously I try to move my chair closer to Ben's.
"Well, but I feel like I should remind you that there are other people around this table who you could talk to. Poor Ana has been trying to be polite but you chewed her ear off."
I don't like the sound of 'Poor Ana'. He has been saving my ass a lot today. I feel like I owe him something and I fear that he pities me. I hate pity. It irks me. I can't help to narrow my eyes at the thought. I think I should talk to him about that.
"I apologize to Ana if I annoyed her but I think she is old enough to speak to herself. Ana, did I annoy you?" Jack turns to me with a sorry look. I think he uses the opportunity to ask me in public because he knows I won't be able to say that he annoyed me. He is clever and cunning. He is a Slytherin.
"Of course not." I mumble and blush when I feel everyone's eyes on me.
"Does anybody want some Quiches?" Mia asks suddenly, trying to change the topic. She succeeds. Jack doesn't give up though. He still insists on talking to me but luckily Ben is by my side because this time he is the one interrupting Jack. I smile thankfully at him.
I can't help but notice how Kate and Elliott, who are sitting beside each other, keep whispering. They are probably following my advise to talk. I am dying to hear about it later from Kate.
After dinner we gather around the present table where Mia opens her presents. She reacts gleefully at most of them. Only one of Luke's presents, a Breaking Bad DVD set, gets a frown but when she opens the other package she finds a new pair of Jimmy Choo brand high heels from him. She squeals like a little girl and dances around.
And when she hears about Ethan's surprise Ibiza honeymoon, she practically screams and jumps around, thanking him over and over again. When she hugs him tightly and kisses him frequently, I think that if there are two people who are soul mates then it's Mia and Ethan. They are different from each other, yes, but they complete each other.
Isn't that what a soul mate should do?
Long, long, long, suuuuper long chapter for you ;) I hope you liked it.
Christian playing basketball? That's a hot image. (random trivia: I had a super hot gym teacher in high school and believe me when I say, basketball shorts are super hot 3)
Anyway, what did you think? Jack is creepy, huh? Why are these guys still hanging around with him then? We will find out soon. Creepy doesn't mean evil occasionally. We will see about that.
What's next? Thanksgiving dinner at the Grey's with Grace, Carrick, Elliott, Leila, Christian, Ana aaaaand…. Dun. Dun. Duunn. ELENA FREAKING LINCOLN! The bitchtroll makes an appearance, ladies and gentlemen. And remember, in this story she is the same age as our gang.
Until next time (I don't know when though)
Melii xoxo