REMEMBER, I DON'T OWN ALL OF THE CHARACTERS. E.L. JAMES DOES. I OWN THE STORYLINE.
CHAPTER 36
CHRISTIAN POV
Taylor and I arrive at Sea-Tac and I see my shiny, new jet sitting out on the tarmac. One good thing about having your own jet: you don't have to fight the crowds inside the terminal, no baggage check, no x-ray, nothing. Stephan was right: it turned out better than even I expected. Taylor grabs our bags from the back of the SUV and we make our way up the steps and step inside. WOW. I look around at the cream colored leather seats with the GEH logo stitched into them, the several TV monitors that are installed around the cabin, and the new carpeting throughout the jet. I walk back to where the bedroom is and I'm amazed how much bigger it is compared to my old jet. The shower is huge. I made a last minute change and had a king size bed added instead of the queen that was already installed.
I walk back out to the main cabin and I'm greeted by Stephan. We shake hands and I ask him how he likes the new jet. This jet seats 14 people comfortably, where my old one seated 8.
"Sir, it is awesome. The cockpit is state of the art. I think it could even take off and land by itself and you won't even need me." We both laugh.
"Don't get any ideas, Stephan. You're not going anywhere. I need you. How's your arm?" We both laugh.
"It's just fine, Sir. Good as new. Thank you for asking." Sandra, the flight attendant that was also in the crash, has decided not to return to GEH. My new flight attendant, Angie, is onboard today. I didn't see her when we boarded but when I came out of the bedroom, she saw me and immediately blushed. Yeah, lady. Get over it. It's just another pretty face. She is an attractive blonde, just not my type, of course.
"Mr. Grey, I'm Angie, your flight attendant for your trip to Chicago. Can I get you anything to drink before we take off?" Oh for fuck's sake. I swear she is batting her eyelashes at me.
"No, thank you. Maybe after we are in the air." She looks disappointed for some reason. She won't last long if she keeps this up. I take my seat right in front of one of the TV monitors and turn it on to CNN. Yes, I have satellite TV on board my jet. I can also split the screen and have CNBC on as well. My cell phone rings and it's my Mom.
"Hello, Mother. How are you? What's up?"
"Hi, Christian. I just wanted to catch you before you left for Chicago to say thank you for dinner and to wish you good luck on your trip. How is the new jet?"
"The jet is better than I could have imagined. Maybe we all can fly to Aspen sometime as a family. How does that sound to you?"
"Oh, that sounds lovely dear. Maybe we can go when Linda gets out of school on a Friday afternoon and we can have two and a half days or even better, what about Friday, Saturday, and Sunday after Thanksgiving? I think that would be a good time to go as well. Would that be alright with you, Christian?"
"Sounds perfect to me. I haven't even seen a school calendar yet. I can look that up while I'm flying to Chicago. I have WIFI as well as satellite TV. I can't wait for you all to see this jet." Stephan comes out to tell me we are ready to take off.
"Mom, I have to go. Stephan has been given clearance to take off. I won't be home until Sunday. I'm stopping over in Oklahoma to surprise Linda. I will call when I get home."
"Tell Linda we said hello and we miss her. Have fun sweetheart. I'll talk to you Sunday. Bye Christian."
I decide to get online and test out the WIFI connection. It's not as fast as what I have back at Grey House, but it works very well. I pull up the website of Seattle Waldorf School and look at the calendar. There is a whole week in between the concert and the start of school and I'd like to take Linda on a trip so she can relax and wind down after all of the hard work she has put into it. I pull up a few travel sites and I find the perfect place to go to. It's warm, not too hot, sunny and the beaches are spectacular and the views are amazing. I'm just going to go ahead and reserve a private villa for us for 4 days. I've never been to where I want to take her, but I'm sure she will love it. Crap. I don't think she has a passport. I e-mailed Welch and asked him to fast track one for her. Now that I've planned the trip, I recline back in my chair and contemplate the next thing that is on my mind.
LINDA POV
I finally get out of the car and head over to Steve's final resting place. There was a new part of the cemetery that opened up in late March and I knew when I saw this huge oak tree nearby that this would be the perfect place. I kneel down in front of the headstone and place the daisies in front of it.
"I'm sorry it's taken me this long to come and see your final resting place. I know that your soul and your spirit are in heaven and that is comforting to me. I'm so, so sorry that I didn't come to the graveside after the funeral, but I couldn't wrap my head around the fact that you were gone and that I wouldn't see you again. It is nice and peaceful here, isn't it? Remember how we would go on picnics when we were dating and you wanted to find the biggest shade tree around to spread our blanket under? You always took care of me, wanting to protect me. It always made me feel cherished."
"I went up to Olympic National Park not long after moving to Seattle to feel closer to you and I wrote you a letter. I'm sure you know that. In it, I had said that our love was special and one of a kind. It still is and it always will be. You were my first love. I'm sure you already know this but I meet someone after moving to Seattle. We have gotten a lot closer in the last couple of months. I love him and he loves me. After the plane crashed in Colorado, I remember you came to me telling me that "it wasn't my time." Those words stayed with me while I was unconscious on that mountain waiting to be rescued. I did have someone to go back to, someone waiting for me, and that someone was Christian."
"I guess what I'm trying to say, Steve, is that Christian has my heart totally and I have his. He makes me happy, and he makes me feel loved and cherished. I hope you can be happy for me. I remember you told me before you died that you didn't want me to be alone, that you wanted me to find someone to love and that you wanted me to be loved. I'm honoring that wish. I love you and I will always love you. We will see each other again one day. I want you to know that I think of you often and that I may not make it back to Oklahoma for a while but I want to have flowers put on your grave each week. I think I can get Susan or one of our friends to do that for me. Goodbye, my love." I put my hand on his headstone in a loving gesture and smile. I stand and turn to go back to my car when I'm stopped in my tracks, frozen, staring into two angry eyes that I didn't want to see again. Fuck.
CHRISTIAN POV
We land in Chicago just before 3:30 pm. Taylor ordered a car to pick us up from the airfield and it is waiting next to where the jet pulls to a stop near a hangar and we head to Palmer Johnson Power Systems to close the deal. The car stops in front of the building and Taylor and I get out and head inside. We are escorted into a conference room where 5 men and one woman are seated. Mr. Heneghan is already seated as well. He stands and shakes hands with me.
"Mr. Grey, it's a pleasure to finally meet you in person. I hope you had a good flight." I just nod. I'm not one to stand around and make small talk. I want to get this deal over and done with.
"Please, Mr. Grey, have a seat." I sit in the vacant chair next to Mr. Heneghan and Taylor stands against the wall behind me.
"Mr. Grey, you are aware that some concerns arose about the sale of the plant. The board met and informed me that they would like to take the plant "off the market", so to speak, and not sell at this time." My eyes immediately meet his and he flinches.
"Mr. Heneghan, we have been in talks for more than a month and I thought my offer was more than fair as I am willing to pay 5% more than the value of this facility. Your board voted on it and approved my offer. Now all of a sudden you want to back out of the deal. May I ask why?" Out of the corner of my eye, the two dumb fucks who are trying to broker a deal with Linc under the table actually have smug looks on their ugly ass faces. They see me looking in their direction and their smug looks on their faces disappear in an instant. I turn my attention back to Mr. Heneghan, waiting for his answer. So he is trying to play me as well. I guess I will have to pull out my secret weapon.
"Mr. Grey, the board feels that now isn't the best time to sell. They also had concerns about the possible job loss and what it would mean for this community." Lame excuses. Here we go.
I open my briefcase and pull out 7 envelopes, one for each board member and one for this dumb fuck Heneghan. I hand them to Taylor and he passes them out.
"Ladies and Gentlemen, in the envelope in front of you are copies of e-mails that two of your board members have written to one Lewis Lincoln, owner of Lincoln Timber in Seattle. I know about Mr. Lincoln's offer to buy your plant. It came in after my bid was accepted and voted on. Now, tell me. How do you think Mr. Lincoln knew how much to bid for your plant? I'll tell you how: he was told how much I bid and he countered. You have the evidence in front of you. Now think about what the consequences are for insider trading. Do you want to go to jail or do you want to close this deal today and we can go our separate ways? The decision is yours." Dumb and dumber at the end of the table are about to crap their pants. I have my fuck you smirk on.
The other board members and Heneghan are looking and reading over the evidence in front of them. They have their mouths hanging open while they read the e-mails. Heneghan looks up stunned and shocked.
"Mr. Grey, I'm appalled at what I'm reading. Our company was built on honesty and integrity and the actions of two of our board members does not reflect our beliefs. Could you give us a few minutes to discuss this new information. We will call you back in when we have a decision."
"Certainly. Take all the time you need. I will be right outside." I stand and Taylor walks over and opens the door and we walk out. I turn to Taylor and a slow smirk forms on my face.
"They will call us back in very soon. 5 minutes tops. Wait and see."
As predicted, 5 minutes later I am called back into the conference room.
"Mr. Grey, I want to personally apologize to you. I'm glad you brought this information to our attention. We took another vote and it is unanimous that we sell the plant to you for the agreed upon price, if you still wish to purchase it." Game, Set, Match.
I open my briefcase again and take out the rest of the paperwork for the sale, sign it, and pass it to Heneghan along with the check and he gives me the signed bill of sale. I stand, shake his hand and walk out knowing that I fucked over Linc Lincoln. He just thought he could outsmart me. Will he ever learn that he can't go up against me and win?
"As the new owner, I am hereby firing all of the board members that are present in this room. Mr. Heneghan, you may remain in your present position if you so choose." He nods in agreement.
"Good day everyone."
Taylor and I exit the building and get into our car and head back to the airport.
"Congratulations, sir. I was really wondering there for a while which way it was going to go. I guess the mention of jail time convinced them to sell."
"Thank you. They wouldn't have lasted a day behind bars. They would have been somebody's boyfriend very quickly." Now with that behind me, we can head on to Oklahoma and surprise Linda. I think I will call Sawyer just to see where they are and what she is doing.
LINDA POV
Why the hell is Jason here? How did he know I was here? Did he follow me? I have such a bad feeling in the pit of my stomach.
"Jason, this is a surprise. What are you doing here?"
"I was visiting Stacy's grave. It is up the road a little ways. I saw you from over there and just wanted to come by and pay my respects as well." The little hairs that are on the back of my neck are now standing up. It's the way he emphasized the word PAY that bothers me.
"I didn't realize she was buried out here as well. I really have to be going, Jason. It was nice to see you again." I start to walk past him and he blocks me from going to my car. I look up at his face and I have seen that smug look before: 32 years ago. Oh shit.
"Look, I just want to talk to you. I want to apologize again for the way I acted in San Francisco, but mainly for the way I disrespected you all those years ago. I was a stupid, selfish, horny jock that should have known better to treat someone that I had known for a long time like a piece of trash. We had our good times, didn't we, baby? We were really good together and I think we could be again if you would just give me a chance." He tries to touch me and I instinctively back up.
"Are you serious? Have you forgotten what you did to me a month before we broke up? I should have left you after you hit me in the face with your fist. I actually thought it was my fault that I made you mad. You got so jealous and possessive of me having other guys as friends that you actually told me "I forbid you talking to any other guy but me." I really thought I could help you with your anger problems. Boy, was I wrong. I never told a single person what you did to me, even though I had a black eye and a bruised cheek. I just passed it off as me being clumsy, falling down and hitting my face."
"Baby, I apologized for that too. Why can't you let all of this anger go? I'd like to get back together with you. I want us to rekindle what we once felt for each other. I've thought about you a lot since Steve died. I looked and looked for you, I went by your house constantly, called you a hundred times, but I could never find you. Then I read about a plane crash in Colorado and your name was mentioned and it said you lived in Seattle now. When I learned about the press tour you were going on and found out you were going to one of the radio stations I represent in San Francisco, I took that as a sign that I was meant to find you." This guy has gone wacko. I have got to figure out a way to get away from him and fast. I can tell he is getting desperate.
"Jason, our time has passed. We aren't teenagers in love anymore. We are both grown adults that unfortunately have had to endure death and heartache over our spouses. We can't ever be anything more than friends. Ever. Please understand that. I really have to go. Goodbye, Jason." I step around him quickly and just when I thought I was home free, he reaches out, grabs my arm, and yanks me back to him. God, something just popped in my shoulder. Shit, it hurts.
"You aren't going anywhere. We aren't finished talking. I still love you. I know deep down you still love me. Fuck, Linda. We have known each other since Jr. High. That has to mean something. That was real love for me." He still has a tight grip on my arm.
"No, it doesn't mean anything to me. I found real love when I started dating Steve. He never once yelled at me, screamed at me, put me down with hurtful words, and most of all, HE NEVER HIT ME! I was stupid to think you cared about me. I knew our friendship would be ruined once we crossed that line and became boyfriend and girlfriend. I still think you used me to make Julie Patterson jealous. She was dating someone else at the time and I knew you really liked her but she wouldn't leave her boyfriend for you. So I guess I was just "convenient" for you, wasn't I? I knew it was too good to be true that you said you suddenly developed feelings for me. I was stupid. NOW LET ME GO! We will never get back together, EVER. I hated you for what you did to me then and I still hate you to this day!"
I try to pull away from Jason again, but this just agitates him further. He grabs my shirt and then his fist hits me HARD across my face. I never saw it coming. He sucker punched me. I fall to the ground dazed and confused. He yanks me up off of the ground by my shirt and pulls me to him again. I can taste the blood in my mouth.
"Don't say that. You don't know what you're saying. We can be good together. Just give me a chance. Give us a chance. I know deep down you still love me." I don't think he realizes he has even hit me. His eyes are evil looking, more so than ever. Just then, a car drives by and Jason is distracted. I kick him in the balls and he immediately drops to the ground screaming out in pain.
"You bitch! Why the fuck did you do that! You can't hide from me. I know where you live! I will find you!" I turn and run and jump in the car and take off. My head and face are killing me and I can barely see to drive. At a stoplight, I look at my face in the rearview mirror. My lip is cut, I have a cut and a bruise on my cheek and my eye is starting to swell. How the hell am I going to explain this to Luke? He will immediately call Taylor and Christian and tell them what happened. I knew I shouldn't have left the house without Luke. I'm so stupid! How am I going to get back in the house without Luke seeing me?
I'm about a mile from my house when I decide to call Susan. Maybe she can help me hide these marks.
"Susan. It's me. I need your help. I'm almost back to the house. Can I come over? Please?"
"Linda, what's wrong? What do you mean you are almost back to the house? Isn't Sawyer with you?"
"No, I talked him into giving me the keys to our rental car. There was somewhere I needed to go. I will explain when I get to your house. I'm just around the corner. Please. I really need you right now."
"Of course, park your car all the way up my driveway and come in the back door. Hopefully Sawyer won't see you. You have me scared Linda. What happened?"
"I'm pulling in now. I will be inside in just a second." Thank God she has a long driveway. I pull in and run in the back door. Susan is standing right there and her mouth drops when she sees me.
"Oh my! What happened? Did you have an accident or something? Come sit down." She leads me to the kitchen and has me sit down on a barstool. She gets a towel and puts ice in it, wraps it up, and hands it to me. I put it on my cheek and eye. I flinch. Fuck, it hurts.
I start to tell her what happened but instead I break down crying. She holds me and just lets me cry until I finally stop and can tell her what happened.
"I went to visit Steve's grave. I wanted to take some flowers and just sit and "talk" to him. When I got ready to leave I got up and turned around and Jason was standing there staring at me. Long story short, we got into an argument and he hit me. Remember me telling you about his temper he had in school? Well, it was worse this time. This wasn't the first time he has hit me. You're the only one who knows." I put my head down on the bar and start crying again.
"Linda, you have to tell someone now. Let me get Luke over here or I can walk over to your house with you. But Jason has to pay for what he did to you. You need to call the police." If I had only reported him the first time he hit me, maybe this wouldn't have happened again. I wonder if he ever hit Stacy?
"Can I just sit here for a little while? I'm not ready to face Luke. He is really going to be pissed at me. Christian, more so, when he finds out. Why did I have to insist I go by myself? I really thought I was safe. That was stupid thinking on my part. Who the hell attacks someone in a cemetery?"
"What was Jason doing there?"
"He said he was visiting Stacy's grave. I really thought for a split second that he followed me there." Susan looks at me sympathetically and sighs.
"Linda, Stacy isn't buried in a cemetery. He had her cremated and half of her ashes went home to her parents. It sounds like he did follow you. Oh sweetie. I'm so sorry." Susan pulls me into a hug and holds me while I continue to cry. Christian was right. I'm not safe on my own anymore. My life isn't ever going to be the same again no matter where I live.
LUKE POV
I look at my watch and I notice that Linda has been gone for almost two hours. Crap. I have a bad feeling about this. I knew I shouldn't have let her go off by herself. She knows that being with Christian Grey means she is a target as well. I try calling her but it just goes to voicemail. I hang up and send her a text.
*SPIKE – CALL ME ASAP. LUKE
I wait for almost 10 minutes. Still no response or call. I look outside but I don't see the car. I walk down the driveway and look up and down the street. Something catches my eye across the street. Our car is parked in the driveway near the back of that house. That must be where Susan lives. I run over and knock on the door. Susan comes to the door.
"Mrs. Adams, I'm sorry to bother you, but is Mrs. Morrison here? I noticed our car parked in your driveway." She nods and steps aside to let me in. She walks me back to her kitchen where I see Linda sitting with her head down. I can tell she is crying.
"Mrs. Morrison, are you alright?" I whisper to her. When she raises her head I wasn't prepared for what I was about to see.
"Shit! What happened to you? Did you fall?" She just shakes her head but isn't answering me. I turn her face to look at her cheek and her eye. I can see a faint fist impression.
"Did someone do this to you? Did someone hit you? Tell me who did this!" I'm trying not to raise my voice because I know she is upset but I have to know. Just then, a sick feeling settles in my gut. Oh, fuck. Could this have been done by that Morgan fucker? I put my hands on her shoulders and turn her to me again. She winces when my hand is on her right shoulder.
"Tell me now who did this to you!" I'm looking her square in the eyes. I'm not putting up with her silence anymore.
"It was Jason. He evidently followed me to the cemetery. I was about to leave when I looked up and he was standing there staring at me. He told me he was there visiting his wife's grave. Then he started yelling at me and when I started to walk away, he grabbed my arm and yanked me back to him and then…he hit me and knocked me down." I'm standing there clinching my fists and anger is running through me.
"He pulled me up by my shirt but before he could hit me again, a car drove by and distracted him and I kicked him in the balls and ran to the car and drove off. I'm sorry, Luke. I didn't even think about him being back in town. I really thought I was safe. I guess I know for sure now that I'm not safe anywhere anymore by myself. Not Seattle and not my home town." Linda puts her head on my shoulder and softly cries again. I know I have to call Taylor and let him know what happened, but I'm holding off on that for a little while.
"Linda, let's get you back to the house so you can rest. Mrs. Adams, if you could, would you come over and sit with her while I retrieve the car? I would appreciate it. I just think I need to get her home." She nods in agreement.
"Yes, of course. Remember I told you not to have any plans for this evening? A welcome home dinner is planned in your honor and is being held at the Foster's Home at 7:00 pm. It was supposed to be a surprise. I think we can have you looking good as new by then. But if you don't want to go, we can cancel it. I'm sure they would understand."
"No, I don't want to disappoint everyone. I'll be alright," Linda says quietly.
All three of us walk back across the street to Linda's house. I see them safely inside then turn to walk back across the street to retrieve the car. I know I'm going to be royally reamed out by the boss. I'm sure he will blame me for letting this happen. I decide to suck it up and call Taylor.
"Luke, my man. What's up?" At least he is in a good mood: for now.
"It's going. How was the trip to Chicago? Any problems?"
"At first the board didn't want to sell to Mr. Grey, but then he pulled out the smoking gun, and well, let's just say, Mr. Grey now owns the Palmer plant in Chicago and we are now at the airport waiting to take off for Oklahoma. You didn't tell Spike we might come, did you? The Boss wants it to be a surprise." He'll get a surprise alright.
"No I didn't tell her. I can keep a secret, thank you very much. But there is something I do need to tell you. First, is the Boss nearby? Can he hear you talking?"
"Yes, but I can walk away. What's going on? You sound funny."
"Well, there was an incident earlier involving Mrs. Morrison. She is alright, but she has bruises on her face and she has a black eye."
"Fuck, Luke! What the hell happened? Weren't you with her when it happened?"
"See, that's the thing. I wasn't with her. She wanted some private time at the cemetery so I let her go by herself. Jason Morgan evidently followed her there, attacked her and hit her in the face with his fist. I'm sorry, T. I should have been with her, but we both thought she would be safe enough going to a cemetery for crying out loud. Who the hell attacks someone in a place like that? I'm sorry Taylor." Oh crap. I can hear Mr. Grey in the background asking Taylor what's going on. Shit, shit, shit.
"Are you going to tell him before you take off or after you land here? If I were you, I'd wait until you arrived here." That way Taylor won't have a crappy flight having to listen to the Boss rant and rave.
"I don't know. This really puts me in an awkward position, Luke. But I see what you're saying. Let me think about it. I'll have to make a decision soon. He is giving me his you-better-not-be-fucking-keeping-anything-from-me look. I hate to say this, Luke, but you really fucked up. I don't care if she was going to see the President of the United States. You should have been with her."
"I know. I'm sorry. I take full responsibility."
"I'll see what damage control I can do from this end. But be prepared for the wrath of Christian Grey."
"I am. One more thing. Susan Adams, Mrs. Morrison's friend who lives across the street, says there is a neighborhood party tonight at 7:00 pm in her honor. We will probably already be there by the time you and Mr. Grey land. The address will be on the table behind the couch just as you walk inside. Mrs. Adams said it is at the biggest house on the block. You can't miss it."
"Thanks Luke. See you in a couple of hours."
"Text me when you land. See you later. Bye." I hang up from talking to Taylor and sigh. I walk back inside and I think I will go upstairs and check on Linda and see how she is doing.
CHRISTIAN POV
We have just taken off from Chicago Midway Airport and we are headed to Oklahoma. I could only make out bits and pieces of the conversation Taylor was having with Luke. What I could hear, I didn't like.
"Taylor, what's wrong? Is something wrong with Mrs. Morrison? Don't you fucking keep anything from me." I'm sure Stephan can hear me from the cockpit.
"Sir, Mrs. Morrison is fine, but…" Taylor never hesitates telling me anything. I have a bad feeling I'm not going to like what I'm about to hear.
"Taylor, for fuck's sake, just tell me. My imagination is running away with me!"
"Mrs. Morrison talked Luke into letting her drive herself to the cemetery. She wanted some privacy. When she got ready to leave, she turned around and Jason Morgan was standing behind her."
"Shit. Luke knows better than to let Mrs. Morrison talk him into anything that isn't going to keep her safe. What the fuck was he thinking? How the hell did this fucker know she would be there? What happened?!" I'm really about to lose my temper.
"He evidently followed her, started an argument with her and she tried to leave. Sir, he ended up hitting her in the face with his fist and she fell to the ground. But she was able to get away when he became distracted and she was able to kick him where it mattered and he went down and she ran to her car and took off. Luke found her at her friend Susan Adams house across the street from her house. She went there first."
"That fucking son of a bitch put his hands on her? I'm going to kill him when I find him. No one touches what is mine. How bad is she? Is she ok?" I'm barely holding it together. I get up out of my seat and I'm pacing the aisle of the plane.
"Luke says she has a bruised cheek and a black eye but seems to otherwise be alright." I hate to think of my beautiful girl hurt. I close my eyes and try to rein in my anger. I don't know who to be madder at: Luke or Linda. I grab my phone to call Welch.
"Welch, I want you to run Jason Morgan's background check again and get me a current address for him. Get it to me ASAP." I hang up and I'm running my hands through my hair. Taylor looks at me with concern.
"Sir, may I ask why you want a current address for Mr. Morgan? I don't think it's a good idea to take him on yourself. Let the police handle it."
"Taylor, no one touches what belongs to me. This guy is a loose cannon and he needs to be taught a lesson. You don't go around punching women in the face for God's sake. He will be lucky to piss straight after I get through with him."
"I understand, Sir. But think of Mrs. Morrison right now. She needs you. She doesn't need you behind bars charged with assault. That won't do her any good. From the way Luke sounded, he is more pissed off than you at the moment. Let us take care of Morgan and you take care of Mrs. Morrison."
I hear what Taylor is saying and I know he is right. Maybe I will let him and Luke take care of this. But Luke is going to hear from me after we land. I look at my watch and it's now 5:45 pm. We should be landing in about 40 minutes.
LINDA POV
After walking back to my house from Susan's I excused myself, grabbed Maggie, who had been keeping Luke company while I was gone, and went upstairs. I decided now is as good a time as any to go into our old bedroom. Susan said she would be back over in about 45 minutes to help me fix my face and get ready for this evening. It will be nice to see everyone again. This is such a close-knit neighborhood and everyone looks out for one another. The Foster's have lived in this area for over 40 years and are just the sweetest people. Their home is a mansion: it is huge. It sits in the middle of the block facing East. My house faces South. If you went West on my street, you would run right into their house.
I open the door and go inside. Right away I see the new bed that I ordered before leaving Seattle. I replaced the King Size bed with a Queen size as I didn't think I needed that big of a bed in here anymore. Our pictures are still on the wall, books on the nightstands and my cedar chest is at the foot of the bed. I walk across the room to the big picture window and look out at the backyard. You can just see Downtown Tulsa from our window. I sit down on the window seat and just familiarize myself again with my surroundings.
I head off to the other bedroom and decide to take a shower before Susan arrives. I still feel dirty from Jason's hands being on me. That man has lost it. The look in his eyes was one I don't ever remember seeing before. They were still the angry eyes I remember from all those years ago, but this time pure evil shown through as well. I find myself scrubbing my skin harder than usual, as it is now pretty red. I get out and dry myself off and put on my new cute pink board shorts and a T-shirt. I accidentally take a look at my face in the mirror again. Ugh. I swear it keeps getting blacker every time I look at it. No amount of make-up is going to totally hide this. I head back downstairs to see what Luke is up to. I finally found him sitting out on the front porch. He has his hands folded under his chin.
"There you are. I've been looking everywhere for you. What are you doing out here?" He looks like he's lost his best friend.
"Sorry. I just wanted to sit out here for a little while. Linda, I'm really sorry that I didn't force myself to go with you. If I was with you, that wouldn't have happened." He points to my face. I sit down next to him.
"Luke, I told you I would take full responsibility for going out on my own. This wasn't your fault or my fault. It's that fuktard Jason's fault. There is something that I never told you about him and I'm really sorry that I didn't. This isn't the first time that he has hit me." Luke's face hardens and his eyes narrow. Oh Lord. He's going to blow a gasket.
"Why the hell didn't you think to tell me that before? God, Linda. I cringe thinking what could have happened to you if you hadn't of gotten away from him. He's psychotic. If I ever see him again, he will be taking his last breath for ever hurting you. I do have to tell you that I did call Taylor and I told him what happened. He isn't very happy with either of us right now. Before you say anything, I know you said we would keep this between us, but that was before Morgan decided to hit you. Mr. Grey and Taylor would have found out some way or another. You can't hide anything from either of them."
"I know. It would have been worse if they found out and we didn't tell them. But I meant what I said. I talked you into letting me go. I will talk to Christian and Taylor and make them see this wasn't your fault. I still can't believe that bastard sucker-punched me! I didn't see that right hook coming at all. I guess we need to spar some more, huh? Remember the last time?" I laugh and punch him in the arm. That was when I connected with his eye. He didn't see that coming either.
"Don't remind me. That's the one and only time I've ever been hit by a girl. You got lucky." He punches me in the arm and I fake being hurt. We have a good laugh. I may have my work cut out getting the heat off of Luke, but I will make Taylor and Christian understand it was my idea to go by myself.
"I'm going to head back inside. Susan will be here shortly to help me cover my Mike Tyson face. You coming?"
"I will be inside in a little while. It's been a long time since I have just sat outside on a porch and admired the view. This really is a great neighborhood to live in. There are at least 6 different styles of houses on this street alone." That's the beauty of living in the Maple Ridge Addition. So many different kinds of houses in one neighborhood.
"See the big house down there where my street stops and you have to go right or left? That is where the Foster's live and that is where the party will be. You will die when you see the inside. It is spectacular. Italian marble, natural wood, you name it. It's in there. Benjamin is retired from the oil business and his wife Emily is a retired school teacher. You will really like everyone that lives here. You can even unofficially be "off duty" tonight. The only threatening things around here are the mosquitoes." I laugh and he rolls his eyes at me. Susan is coming across now and we go inside and head upstairs to get ready for the party. Susan has always loved playing dress up with me. I roll my eyes at the thought. She has always had better fashion sense than I do. I'm feeling much better than I was an hour ago. This is going to be a fun evening.
CHRISTIAN POV
We finally made it to Tulsa. We were going to land at Jones Riverside Airport but a last minute change was made and we landed at Tulsa International Airport. It's actually closer to Linda's house than the other airport, which is fine with me. I want to get to her as fast as possible and make sure she is alright. Taylor called ahead to Audi of Tulsa and they brought us a black 2014 Audi Q7 S Line Prestige SUV to use during our stay here. It was waiting for us on the tarmac where we taxied the plane to and parked it. I'm seriously considering replacing our current SUV's with this model. We just bought new 2013 SUV's at the first of the year but I don't care. These are pretty sweet.
The trip across town feels like it is taking forever, but it is a Friday night and there is lots of traffic around us. Linda has told me a little bit about the neighborhood she used to live in. It sounds very eclectic with all of the different types of architecture used and the many different styles of houses in this area. Taylor turns off of the street we have been traveling on and heads into the residential area.
"There. Her house is on the left." We see the Audi A4 Luke and Linda are using parked in the driveway and we park behind it. Luke is sitting on the front porch. He immediately stands and comes to get our bags.
"Luke, how is Mrs. Morrison? Is she any better?" I'm really proud of myself. I'm remaining calm and I'm not yelling…yet.
"Yes, Sir. She is. Mrs. Adams is with her upstairs. Go up the stairs and go the right and the room she is using is at the end of the hallway. Don't worry. I didn't tell her you were coming."
"Good. We'll talk later, Luke," I say as I make eye contact with him. He nods and lowers his head slightly. He knows he fucked up.
I take the stairs two at a time because I'm anxious to see Linda. It feels like a lifetime since I've held her. The door to her bedroom is open and I can hear her talking to her friend Susan. I hang outside the bedroom door for a few minutes listening.
"Ok, Elizabeth Arden, can you make my face look normal again? My eye is getting uglier by the second." Susan looks at me and laughs.
"Define normal. Have I ever seen you normal?" I smack Susan on the leg.
"Ha Ha. Very funny. You know how I am about make-up. I hate wearing it, but I don't want to scare people tonight looking like I went 12 rounds with Evander Holyfield."
"Stop. It doesn't look that bad but let's see what we can do with it." I take that as my cue to step in and see the damage for myself.
"She's right. It doesn't look that bad," I say and Linda and Susan turn their heads immediately to see who is talking. Linda smiles and leaps up and runs around Susan to me and I throw my arms around her and pull her into a tight hug.
"You act like you have missed me or something. Surprise." I lift her chin so our eyes meet and kiss her showing her how much I have missed seeing her beautiful face.
"I have missed you so much and I'm so happy you're here. I didn't want to ask you if you could come see me while I was gone because I know how busy you are and your schedule is always hectic."
"I had already planned on coming to Oklahoma after my business concluded in Chicago but I didn't know how long the acquisition would take. I didn't want to promise something and not make good on it. I never want to disappoint you."
"You could never disappoint me. Sorry. Where are my manners. Susan, this is Christian. Christian, meet my best friend, Susan Adams." I extend my hand out to shake hers.
"It's finally nice to meet you, Christian. I've heard so much about you that I feel like I've known you forever."
"Likewise, Susan. Linda has told me a lot about you. Thank you for being here for her. I appreciate it greatly."
"Not a problem. I'd do anything for her. I'll leave you two alone to reconnect." Susan excuses herself from the room and shuts the door. Alone at last.
I take a look at her face and cringe. I can see the imprint in the bruise of that fuckers fist. I swear I will kill that man with my bare hands. I gently run my hand over her eye and cheek. No one hurts what's mine.
"Does it hurt? Have you taken anything for the pain that I'm sure you must be feeling?" I ask while still staring into those magnificent green eyes.
"Not too much and no I haven't taken anything yet. I will before we go to dinner. One of the neighbors down the street is having a block party at their house. Susan says it is in my honor. I feel really embarrassed and uncomfortable with all of the attention I've been getting."
"Why do you feel that way? You deserve to be recognized. Just go with the flow and it will be alright. The block party sounds fun. I've never been to one before."
"You'll have fun. We don't have to stay too long. I know you're tired from flying for most of the day. That way we can have our own fun, if you know what I mean," Linda says as she raises an eyebrow. Oh, I know exactly what you're implying. I lean down to kiss her and as soon as our lips meet, we're all tongues, hands, and heavy breathing. I'm ready to tell her to skip the party when we are interrupted by a knock at the door.
"Come in," Linda says while we are trying to catch our breath. It's Susan.
"Sorry, but if we're going to be on time for the party, we need to finish getting you ready. I still need to cover, what did you call it, your "Mike Tyson Eye?" I laugh at the Mike Tyson comment.
"I will go downstairs and put on a clean shirt and talk to Luke. See you in a few minutes." I give her another quick kiss and exit the room and head downstairs. I wasn't going to approach this subject now, but I need to put the fear of God in Luke's mind while we are at the party.
I make my way downstairs and see Taylor talking animatedly to Luke. He must be ripping into him as well. He is damn lucky that Linda wasn't hurt any more than she was or he would be looking for a new job right about now. I'm not going to fire him but I'm not going to let him know that at first.
"Luke, was your head up your ass? Why would you think it was a good idea to let Mrs. Morrison go off on her own when that fucker Morgan was running around angry as hell about what went down in San Francisco?" I'm just below screaming level.
"Sir, we both thought it was safe enough for her to go on her own. You know she takes her security seriously, but we both thought she was safe enough to go to a cemetery. I am sorry Mrs. Morrison got hurt and I take full responsibility for what happened."
"I will be escorting Mrs. Morrison to this party tonight. You and Taylor can have the night off. Luke, we will finish this conversation later and will you put my bag in Mrs. Morrison's room. That will be all." Luke retrieves my bag and takes it upstairs.
15 minutes later Linda and Susan make their way downstairs laughing and talking. She looks beautiful in her yellow sundress and yellow sandals. It's the perfect thing to wear since it is still 100 degrees outside and the humidity is just as bad. I don't know how anyone can stand to live somewhere where it is so damn hot but I guess if you were born and raised here you get used to it. I meet Linda at the bottom of the stairs and take her hand and bring it to my lips. Susan did a good job hiding the bruises to Linda's face.
"You look beautiful. Is this one of the dresses Caroline Acton picked out for you?"
"Thank you. No, actually it came from my closet upstairs. I bought this last summer and never had a chance to wear it. Do you like it?"
"I love it. It shows just enough of your back for me to touch. Shall we?" I motion towards the door and Linda and Susan walk in front of me. We walk hand in hand down the street towards a large mansion that sits at the end of the block. It just looks so out of place. When we arrive we are met by an older couple at the door. I'm assuming they are the Foster's.
"Oh, Linda. It's so good to see you again." Mrs. Foster pulls Linda in for a long hug. I can see that they are quite fond of each other as Mrs. Foster has tears in her eyes while she whispers something into Linda's ear. Linda breaks the hug and nods.
"Mrs. Foster, I'd like for you to meet Christian Grey. I met him not long after moving to Seattle. Christian, this is Emily Foster." We shake hands and then her husband introduces himself and shakes my hand as well.
"I'm Benjamin Foster. It's nice to meet you Christian. I'm glad you are taking care of our girl in Seattle. Emily and I are delighted she met someone and isn't all alone in that big city. We miss her terribly, but we know Seattle is her home now. Please come in. Most of the other guests are already here."
Benjamin pulls Linda away from Emily long enough to welcome her back with a hug and a kiss on the cheek. The old me would be in a jealous rage right about now because another man kissed what is mine, but he is older and is a respected member of the community. As we walk through this large, magnificent home we reach the parlor in the rear of the house and find at least 30 more people and a few more are assembled out in the backyard. There is a small tent and under it is the buffet and an open bar.
"I can tell they are used to throwing large parties. Look at all of the food, liquor and wine they have," I say whispering to Linda.
"They host parties at least twice a week. They are old pros. Come, I want to introduce you to more of my friends and neighbors." She introduces me to doctors, lawyers, teachers and businessmen and women. All were excited she had returned home and were equally thrilled she will be living out her life-long dream of being a soloist with an orchestra.
After an hour and a half, we walk back to the house, hand in hand. I can't remember the last time I just went out and took a walk. Once the sun went down, it did start cooling off to a bone-chilling 90 degrees.
"So what made you and Steve pick this neighborhood to live in?"
"I have always loved this part of town and two years after we got married, I was looking through the newspaper one day for houses to rent. We really didn't like where we were living at the time so I started checking the newspaper daily to see what was for rent. I saw that there was a 3 bedroom house for rent near the Tulsa Garden Center. We were elated and drove over to see the house. It was small, but we didn't care. It was in the neighborhood we loved. We moved in a week later."
"One night we were taking a walk, going up and down each street, looking at the many different styles of houses. We saw this cute little old lady named Francie, who didn't have any family living here, trying to bend down to pick something up near the street. We stopped, introduced ourselves, and asked her if we could help her and she said yes. We pulled weeds, picked up trash for her and moved some rocks she wanted put around the tree in the front yard. We became friends instantly. We checked on her constantly, took her to her Dr.'s appointments, ran errands for her, etc."
"Five years later, our phone rang one Sunday afternoon and it was Francie. She decided she wanted to move to South Carolina and live with her daughter. Long story short, she gave us her house. Her daughter didn't want it because she wouldn't have any way of taking care of it clear across the United States. Francie had taken out a small loan to update the wiring and the plumbing a year before and only owed a little over $5,000 to the bank. We paid off her loan and she signed the house over to us." That is incredible.
"So you mean to tell me you got this house for $5,000? That is amazing. She must have really loved you like family to just give you her house. I'm sure she appreciated all of your help. You have the best and biggest heart of anyone I have ever met, Linda. I mean it. You give so much and you never ask for anything in return, ever." We are standing in the street in front of her house and I pull her in for a hug and I lightly brush my lips on her forehead. I love this woman more and more every day.
We go inside to find Taylor and Luke watching a baseball game on TV. Of course it's the Yankees vs. Mariners. Linda walks closer to the TV to see the score and smiles. That doesn't set well with 3 big Mariners fans.
"Seems like the Yankees are beating your Mariners 10-6, bottom of the 8th. I guess it's safe to predict who will win." She is actually taunting us. I quickly tackle her and toss her on the couch opposite Taylor and Luke.
"Stop making fun of the Mariners. We should feel sorry for them, not laugh at them."
"Remember, I told you and your family the first time I met them that I was a Yankees fan. Yankee fans mock. It's just what we do." She starts laughing again and I quickly cover her mouth with mine. I have to shut her up so kissing her is a good idea. But before this gets out of hand, I break the kiss and tell her we need to go upstairs. I've waited five long, agonizing days to see her and be with her and I'm not waiting another second.
"Excuse us, gentlemen. I need to teach her some manners." I pick her up and throw her over my shoulder and climb the stairs. I can hear Taylor and Luke laughing behind us. We get inside the bedroom, I put her down and shut the door with my foot.
"Now, Mrs. Morrison. You have committed an unspeakable crime: laughing at the Mariners expense. How do you plead?"
"Not guilty by reason of insanity?" Oh, how I have missed that mouth.
"No, you are guilty and now you must receive your punishment. I close the distance between us, put a hand on the back of her neck and pull her to me and kiss her, hard. My other hand is on her back, slowly sliding down so it is now resting on her fine ass. I find the zipper in the back and slowly pull it down. I then slowly take the straps and gently slide them off of her shoulders and let the dress fall to the floor. Well, well, well. What do we have here? Or should I say, what don't we have here?
"No bra, Mrs. Morrison. I like that." My mouth finds hers once more. I can feel Linda's hands on my buttons to my shirt. I have always been the one to take off my own shirts, but I'm aching for her to touch me. I decide not to stop her as she slowly unbuttons my shirt. God. How many buttons are there?
Linda stops and looks up at me confused about something.
"What?" I ask.
"You're not stopping me from unbuttoning your shirt. You always do. Why not?"
"Because I want, no, I need to feel your hands on me. I'm aching for you to touch me. It's time I got over my fear of touch. Please don't stop." I ask before kissing her neck behind her ear. I can feel the heat of her hand over my chest then I feel her hand over my heart. My breathing has increased but I don't stop her. I need this. I break the kiss to look into her eyes. I feel her other hand now on my back and my breathing picks up again. She stops and pulls her hands away.
"I don't want to do this if it's going to hurt you. I don't want to hurt you," Linda says while looking up into my eyes. I feel her gaze all the way to my soul.
"No, I need this. I need you." After taking her hands and placing them on my back, I slide my shirt off and hold her hands there for a few seconds before letting go. My skin feels like it is on fire but I don't care. I love this woman and I want to do this for her, as well as for me. I walk us backwards towards the bed until my knees hit the mattress. I turn her around and push her onto the bed. I crawl up on the bed and am now hovering over her, looking longingly into her eyes again.
In a barbaric move, my thumbs push through her lace panties and I rip them from her body and toss them aside.
"I'm glad those weren't my favorite," Linda says with an eyebrow raised and giggling.
"Not now with the mouth," I say and recapture her lips with mine and the intensity of the kiss picks up. Our tongues are doing their usual dance in our mouths. I kiss her neck and slowly make my way down to the valley in between her breasts. She loves being kissed there. Her hands are slowly making their way back to my chest and my back. Her touch means so much.
I rise up quickly and remove my pants and my boxer briefs and throw them on the floor. I have waited five whole fucking long days for this moment. I kiss her again, part her legs with my knee and slowly enter her. This is where I need to be, buried deep inside of her. She moans in my mouth and that only adds fuel to the fire burning deep inside of me, causing me to move faster.
I love this woman so much it hurts. I start moving in and out faster, listening to our breathing increase. I feel her hands on my back again, pulling me to her.
I never allowed my subs to touch me, ever. If any one of them tried, we would go to the playroom and they would be tied to the cross and beaten with a cane. I never had feelings for my subs. Ever. I took care of them, but that was it. No love and never any affection. But with Linda, I want so much more. I have this deep connection with her, to her, that I can't explain. I want her with me always. I have thought about this all week. I never want to let her go, EVER.
"Baby, open your eyes. I want to see you." She opens her eyes and I still swear she can see straight to my soul. My hands are holding her head while I look into her eyes. She is meeting me thrust for thrust. I am so close and she is too. She clinches around me and finds her release before I do. A few more thrusts and I soon find my release. I pull out and we just lie there together in silence for a few minutes while we both catch our breath.
"God, I've missed you so much this week. I don't want us to be apart from one another this long ever again, okay?" My question sounds like a plea. In a way it is.
"I've missed you too and no, after this trip, I don't want to be apart from you this long ever again," Linda says as she kisses me deeply again.
I guess this was her way of saying "Welcome to Oklahoma."
A/N Don't forget to visit my Pinterest page! www dot pinterest dot com/ladymartin1965
Until next time!