A/N: Thank you everyone for the well-wishes and support! :) I hope you enjoy this next chapter.
Disclaimer: I own nothing.
Chapter 29: New People
Ana
"Christian!" Dr. Grey welcomed her son into her home with a big smile on her face, pulling him into a warm, motherly embrace.
"Mother," Christian said fondly, hugging her back. He then pulled away and moved over to place his hand on Ana's back. "You remember Anastasia?"
"Darling," Dr. Grey's eyes lit up even more when she saw her. "Of course I remember her - how are you, Anastasia?"
"I'm good, Dr. Grey," Ana smiled when she pulled her in for a friendly hug. "And please, call me Ana."
"Well, if I can call you Ana, you can call me Grace," Grace said, smiling fondly at her, and Ana smiled back.
"Grace - this is my father, Ray Steele," Ana said, gesturing to her father on her other side, and Ray held out his hand for her to shake.
"It's nice to meet you, ma'am," Ray said kindly as Grace took his hand in her own. "Thank you for inviting me to your home."
"Oh it was my pleasure, Ray - any family of Ana's is welcome," Grace said graciously. "Please, come in. Some of our friends are here already, and more should be on their way soon."
Grace led them through to the spacious living room, where about half a dozen people were standing around and talking to each other while sipping drinks. Grace led Ana and Ray around, introducing them to the various people there - some of them, including her husband Carrick, were very kind and welcoming, giving Ana and Ray friendly hellos and greetings, while others seemed a bit more aloof and snobby around them. Ana figured that this was just normal behavior for a lot of these people who had grown up with money, and while it was a little aggravating to deal with, she was just grateful that Christian's mother at least wasn't like that.
Christian had disappeared somewhere else as Grace led Ana and Ray around, and soon after they had been introduced to the guests, he appeared by their sides again, but this time with a tall blonde guy and a pretty dark-haired woman in tow.
"Ana - this is my older brother Elliot and my little sister Mia," Christian introduced the two people beside him. "Guys, this is my girlfriend Ana Steele and her father Ray."
"Nice to meet you two," the guy named Elliot shook both of their hands, grinning widely at Ana in particular. "I've heard a lot about you, Ana."
"All good, I hope," Ana smirked humorously, and the others laughed.
"So, you guys are all siblings, huh?" Ray asked after he let go of Mia's hand. "Forgive me, but none of you guys look alike."
"Oh, we're all adopted," Christian spoke up before his brother or sister could, and Ray nodded in understanding. "Elliot's the oldest, and he was adopted first."
" …Then Chris was adopted, and I was last," Mia added, grinning brightly. "I'd sort of hoped Mom and Dad would have adopted another girl after me, but apparently three kids was enough for them."
"You were such a handful, Mimi, they just didn't want to have to deal with another kid," Elliot teased his sister, and everyone laughed. Ana met Christian's eyes, and they couldn't help but grin amusedly at each other.
The five of them continued to shoot the breeze for a bit - Ray, Christian and Elliot quickly bonding over their love of the Mariners - and more and more people began filtering into the house for the party. Grace went around greeting everyone like the gracious host that she was, and pretty soon, the whole place was filled with pleasant conversation and laughter. Ana was having a good time just standing around talking with her father and Christian's siblings, until Christian gently took her hand and covertly nodded toward the other side of the room.
"Excuse me, everyone - I need a quick word with my girlfriend," he said politely to the others. He then led Ana over to the window, where there weren't as many people hanging around.
"What's going on?" Ana asked, gazing at Christian in concern.
"Do you see that woman who just came in? The blonde in the blue dress?"
Ana glanced over toward the door, and immediately noticed the gorgeous leggy blonde in a navy blue, long-sleeve, indecently short dress walk in and greet Grace with smile and an exaggerated kiss on the cheek.
"Is she an ex?" Ana asked, turning back to him with her eyebrows raised.
"Not exactly," Christian said, looking a bit nervous. "That's Gia Matteo. She works at that club I told you about, Luxure."
Ana stared at him, her eyes wide with shock. "She's an escort?!"
"Shh," Christian shushed her quickly, glancing around. "Not publicly… to everyone else, she's a high-end architect from Montreal. I don't know how she's able to keep up that facade, but I actually know the truth - she's been an escort at Luxure for years now."
Ana felt a sick feeling grip her stomach. "Have you two ever…?"
"No," Christian said immediately, shaking his head. "I never had sex with her. But ever since I stopped going to Luxure, I've had some of the people there try to… lure me back, so to speak."
"'Lure you back'?" Ana repeated, frowning at him. "What do you mean?"
Christian scratched the back of his head, looking uncomfortable. "You see, I was a high-paying customer back when I frequented that club. I spent a lot of money for their services - more than most people - and when I eventually decided to go there less frequently, they weren't making as much money. A lot of them weren't too happy with that, and once I finally decided to stop going there altogether, they did everything they could to try to get me to come back. Gia is one of the girls who's been trying to… seduce me... to come back," he finished awkwardly.
"Oh, come on - seriously?" Ana stared at him skeptically. "You really think that's why she's here today?"
She and Christian both turned to look back over at Gia, who was now on the other side of the room chatting with another woman and holding a glass of wine in her hand. As if sensing their eyes on her, Gia casually turned her head to look at Christian - she was an exceptionally beautiful woman, with long, curly blonde hair and flawless skin, and the sensual bedroom eyes she was currently throwing at Christian sent a very clear message. She slowly brought her glass of wine to her lips and took a long, delicate sip, never taking her eyes off of him.
"…Okay, yeah that might be why she's here," Ana said, turning back to Christian and scrunching her face in disgust. "God, and at your parent's house too! She has no shame."
"I'm sorry baby," Christian said sincerely. "I honestly didn't know she was coming today. I'll try to avoid her as best as I can, but if she gives you any trouble, just let me know and we can leave."
"I'm sure it'll be fine," Ana said, shrugging slightly. "As long as she keeps her clothes on in public, I won't be bothered by her. Why don't you expose the truth and tell people what she really does, though?"
"Everyone who goes to Luxure has to sign a non-disclosure agreement," Christian explained. "Technically, I'm not allowed to reveal to anyone the existence of Luxure or the names of the people who work there."
Ana widened her eyes, horrified. "But you told me all about it - isn't that against the law?"
Christian smiled. "It's fine, baby - I trust you. The club's NDAs aren't exactly airtight, either: they rely a lot on the honor system and customers' desire not to be sued or blackmailed. I mean, legally enforcing someone not to tell people about a business wouldn't exactly bring in a lot of customers, would it?"
"I guess not," Ana said, casting one last glance at Gia Matteo before looking back up at Christian. "Thank you for telling me."
Christian shrugged. "I love you," he said simply, as if that was his explanation for telling her anything. Ana's heart stuttered in her chest a bit as she smiled at him, and she leaned forward to give him a sweet kiss on the lips.
"I love you too," she whispered against him after a moment, a smile still on her face. Christian grinned before pecking her one last time on the lips and pulling away.
"I think I'm going to head over to the kitchen now," Ana said, looking over toward the hallway. "I saw your mother go in there earlier, and I think she could use some help making lunch for everyone."
"Sounds good," Christian nodded with a smile. "I'll just stay in here and get to know your father a little more."
Ana grinned up at him. "Sounds good."
And with one final kiss on the lips and a smile, the two of them then went their separate ways.
Gia
Gia was quite pleased with herself for finding out Grace Trevelyan Grey was having a little social gathering at her home in Bellevue today. Gia had been getting her roots touched up yesterday at the hair salon and luckily overheard some of the ladies there talking about it - a lot of their conversation was just catty gossip, but then they auspiciously revealed that Grace's son, the famous billionaire Christian Grey, was going to be in attendance that day. That info was enough motivation for Gia to get home right away to call up Grace and schmooze her way into getting an invite to her party.
She was in - this was perfect, because Gia knew that some of the other girls at Luxure would be sick with jealousy that she had such high connections with the socialites of Seattle. And with the Grey family, no less! The ongoing bet she had with the other girls at the club was a famous one, but it was one Gia was intent upon winning nonetheless. Trying to get Christian Grey to come back to Luxure seemed like an impossible task to most of them, seeing as it had been so long since he had last been there, but Gia loved a challenge. Especially if that challenge was as deliciously sexy and rich as Christian Grey.
Couldn't hurt to try, right?
Gia arrived at the Grey's home in Bellevue, and as soon as she walked through the door into the foyer, immediately spotted Christian standing and talking to a group of people. He looked delectable today in a casual blue cashmere sweater, a gingham collared shirt, and khakis. The ensemble complemented his chiseled jaw and sexy copper-colored hair, and Gia couldn't help but daydream a little about attending galas and charity events with him on her arm, wearing slinky ball gowns and smiling brightly at all the cameras flashing around her.
Oh, that would be the life.
Gia kept a respectable distance from Christian for the first hour or so of the party, but always kept an eye on him, waiting for her chance to approach him away from the others. He spent most of the time talking to either his brother or an old man Gia had never seen before in a tacky sport coat. Christian was sipping from a bottle of beer and smiling a lot, looking much younger than his actual twenty-eight years - while Gia did enjoy looking at Christian's handsome smiling face, it did strike her as a bit weird that he was looking so happy. The Christian Grey she had always known was a hard-driven businessman who took everything he did seriously and never smiled no matter what the circumstance.
Gia watched as the tacky sport coat guy excused himself to go to the bathroom, and Christian began to head over to the kitchen by himself. Seeing her chance, Gia followed him down the hallway under the guise of going to refill her nearly-empty glass of wine.
Showtime.
There were a couple people milling around the kitchen, including Grace, who was standing at the island by herself plating antipasto. Christian had walked up to his mother and said something to her before pecking her on the cheek and walking over to a brunette woman wearing a pale pink dress standing at the stove and stirring something in a pot. He immediately moved behind the girl so his chest was pressed up against her back, and he wrapped his arms around her waist in a back-to-front hug while pressing his lips to the side of her head. The woman giggled, turning her head so that she looked up at him and smiled sweetly; Christian whispered something to her that Gia couldn't hear, and he reached forward to take the spoon she was holding in his own hand too. They were holding the spoon together, and Christian slowly and deliberately brought it back down to the pot and they began to stir it together. They were both smiling and giggling throughout this, like the two little lovebirds they were.
What. The. Fuck.
Gia could only stare at them in shock and disgust. Christian Trevelyan Grey had a girlfriend now? Seriously? Who the fuck was this girl, even - she looked like a nobody! If Christian wasn't currently groping her, Gia would have honestly thought that she was just one of the staff Grace had hired to help out with this party.
"Can I get you a refill, dear?"
Grace finally noticed Gia standing in the doorway, and Gia quickly tried to mask her look of shock with a smile. "Oh no, that's alright, Grace - I can get it myself. Where do you keep the zinfandel?"
"There's an open bottle over there, dear," Grace directed over to the marble-top counter beside her, where several expensive bottles of wine were placed beside some fancy crystal stemware. "Help yourself."
"Thank you," Gia said, moving toward the wine while keeping her eyes on Christian and the brunette skank on the other side of the large kitchen area. Gia glanced over her shoulder and noticed Grace watching them too, but with a small smile fixed upon her face.
Time to get a few answers from mother dearest.
"…I hadn't realized Christian was dating again," Gia said conversationally to Grace after she had refilled her wine. She nodded toward the couple. "They look very happy together."
Grace looked over at Gia before glancing back at her son, a smile still on her face. "Oh yes - he and Ana haven't been dating for very long, but they are very happy together." she said, gazing fondly at the young couple. "I've never seen Christian look so happy before - it's so wonderful to see him like this."
Gia ignored that last comment. "I don't think I've ever met her before," she said, glaring at the girl named Ana. "Is she new to Seattle?"
"Fairly new, yes. But she's just a secretary - I doubt you would have met her otherwise," Grace said, turning back to plating hors d'oeuvres.
Gia almost choked on her glass of wine - this girl was a fucking secretary?! Well, no wonder she looked like a nobody! Gia was about to ask Grace where on earth Christian happened to meet a secretary when about five or six people entered the kitchen, obviously having just arrived to the party and greeting Grace with joyful hellos. During this little welcoming party, Gia turned and saw Christian finally extract himself from his kitchen skank and kiss her on the cheek before making his way back out of the kitchen, still smiling.
Gia scowled to herself, taking another gulp of wine - well this was just fucking fantastic. How the hell was she supposed to seduce Christian when he was so clearly falling over this simple little brunette girl? She wasn't even that hot! Why did guys find this whole "girl next door" thing so attractive anyway? Gia didn't understand it, and she definitely didn't understand why Christian was behaving this way when he had never been the type to go after girls like this Ana bitch…
A sudden idea occurred to Gia at that moment, and a small smile spread across her face… Little Ana probably had no idea what her billionaire boyfriend used to get up to. She certainly didn't seem to know anything about clubs like Luxure… perhaps Gia could give her a little warning and put her on her guard?
Ladies gotta look out for each other, after all.
Feeling a renewed sense of purpose, Gia made her way back to the living room, determined to wait for her moment to catch Christian Grey's little plaything alone.
Oh, this is going to be fun.
Ana
Ana was having a great time at the Grey's party today - Grace was such a lovely woman, and Ana already felt very comfortable around her and the whole Grey family. Ana wanted to repay Grace for her kindness, so she insisted on helping her with preparing lunch - the Grey's already had some staff helping around the house, but Ana insisted on helping out with some of the sauces, since that was something she was particularly good at. Grace was very sweet about it, and she thanked Ana for her help.
Working in the kitchen kept Ana occupied for a good half hour or so, and it was pretty fun, especially when Christian decided to sneak up behind her and surprise her with a sweet hug and a kiss. He had then told her that Ray had gone to the bathroom, so he had a couple minutes to come in here for a little TLC, which Ana couldn't help but laugh at. How she had managed to snatch up such a sweet and caring boyfriend was totally beyond her, but she hoped very much that she would never have to let him go.
Once the sauces were done and Christian had reluctantly gone back to the party, Grace thanked Ana for her help and insisted she go back to the party too and mingle for a little bit before the food was served. Ana agreed, but on her way back to the living room, she decided to take a detour down another hallway, coming across a wall full of old Grey family pictures. Ana amused herself for a couple minutes, trying to pick out all the pictures of Christian - he was easy to spot, due to his copper-colored hair and silvery gray eyes. He was so handsome, even as a child...
"So you're the Ana I've been hearing all about."
Ana turned around, and felt her blood turn cold as Gia Matteo approached her, walking slowly from the other side of the hallway, her long, high-heeled legs going on for miles underneath that short dress. Ana almost couldn't believe how people hadn't figured out yet that she was a sex worker.
"I'm so sorry - I haven't introduced myself," Gia said when she stopped in front of Ana, flashing a wide, fake smile. She held out a manicured hand for Ana to shake. "Gia Matteo - Prime Associates Architecture."
Ana took her hand and forced a smile. "Nice to meet you," she said politely. Now please leave.
"…I really do love the Grey Estate," Gia said conversationally, gazing around at the walls and ceiling. She meandered past Ana and brushed her fingers against one of the nearby doorframes. "It's a gorgeous structure, and I've always had a soft spot in my heart for these old high-end colonials."
Right, because you're an architect, Ana couldn't help but think vindictively, inwardly rolling her eyes. She remained silent, however, as she turned back to the wall of family pictures.
"…of course, Grace has invited me here many times before," Gia went on with a little laugh. "But sometimes I just can't help myself but take a look around. Have you ever been here before, Ana?"
"No," Ana answered simply.
"You haven't?" Gia sounded insincerely flabbergasted. "But aren't you dating Grace's son?"
Ana said nothing, but felt her heart get stuck in her throat. Dammit, she knows.
"Well, I guess that's not so surprising then," Gia went on, in a tone of condescending superiority. "Christian has never been one to get very close with any of his girlfriends - very few of them have gotten the privilege of meeting his family. I suppose you think that makes you special, doesn't it?"
Still, Ana remained silent. She knew Gia was trying to goad her, and it wasn't going to work.
"Christian is a very reserved man," Gia said, walking slowly around to Ana's other side, like a predator circling its prey. "For good reason - a businessman like him has a lot to protect. The secrets he's kept and the lies that he's told have to be completely hidden, where no one - not even those closest to him - can find them out."
She stopped to gaze sympathetically at Ana, and Ana looked back at her, her expression impassive. "…Now, I don't want to presume to know your and Christian's relationship," Gia said silkily. "But I also don't want you to be blindsided in case one of his little secrets happens to get out. I mean, we don't want there to be a mass media scandal, now do we?"
Ana stared coldly at her - this bitch was seriously trying to drive a wedge between her and Christian? It was a weak shot, since Christian had been completely honest with her from the start about Gia. It was time to put this bitch in her place.
"Whatever 'scandal' you say Christian wants to cover up, I'm sure it's not as bad as being a sex worker at Luxure and telling everyone you're an architect," Ana said coolly to her, her heart pounding wildly in her chest.
Gia said nothing, but the stunned, frozen look on her face said enough. Ana turned around and walked away without another word, suddenly having an urge to go find Christian.
A/N: Hope you all liked this chapter! And thank you all for your kind words and support - my first day at work went very well. I already got complimented on my writing style lol.
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