Chapter 37
As soon as everything from my dinner is cleared, I get my laptop out of my office and take it to the balcony. Ana sits on my lap and we continue to go through the journals. Momentarily we're reading every single entry from every braid.
"It looks like it started with the Eric and Sookie from Sapphire." I say to her, as they seem to have experienced the most skips or whatever you want to call them.
"Yes, their first encounter was with an Eric and Sookie who had the same kind of background. Although that cock-drip was in the way." Ana growls softly. "They probably skipped to help that Eric get his Sookie and help her establish a contact with Queen Sophie Ann."
"Do you think we will encounter ourselves?" I ask. It would freak me out, I think.
"There is a possibility. They haven't figured out how to stop it. I don't think it is stoppable." She sighs.
"It says here that Sookie will be turned into a vampire."
"Yes, there are even a couple where she's already one." Ana turns her face towards me, scrutinizing me for an unasked question on my part. "Why do you bring that up?"
"Is that normal for pets to become Children?"
"No, pets get some place to live, clothes, jewelry and whatnot. They need to be stand-by at all times for their Master or Mistress. You may be considered my pet in the vampire world, but that's not what you are for the inner circle. Pets are glamoured to forget all about the vampire when they get bored with them." Ana tells me, looking straight into my eyes.
"Do you want to turn me?" Even I can hear the sliver of hope in my voice.
"Do you want to marry me?" She asks in return.
"WHAT? NO! We just get to know each other. I love you, but I'm not ready to tie the knot." I choke out, though I'm not completely opposed to it.
"It's too soon to tell yet, but if your wounded badly enough for even me to heal, I will turn you. Besides that, marriage is superfluous as bonding reaches way passed that. Bonding is irreversible and marriage can be undone." She tells me.
We continue reading and discussing things we've read. Time passes too quickly again, it's getting colder as it gets later and I start to yawn. Ana stands up and I follow her inside. Closing the doors behind me, locking everything up and we retreat to the bedroom.
I fall into bed and my eyes fall close within reaching my pillow.
I wake with a start as I feel something brush softly through my hair. A whispered 'I love you' is heard and a heavy weight around my waist is keeping me hostage. As I rouse myself enough, I realize it was Ana saying goodnight before dying.
It's just before 7am and I pry Ana's arm away from me. Rolling out of bed to start my day. I have some meetings today and I want to make the most out of it, because I want to keep my weekend as clear as possible.
I arrive at eight-thirty and without any trouble make my way to the elevator. Luckily this time no-one is stepping into it with me. I go over my schedule for today and see that it will be a long day. A dinner meeting is planned at 8pm and I'm pouting, because it will cost me spending time with my Ana.
I can't cancel it, because the appointment was made weeks ago and I had to do everything I can to convince Mr. Roach to meet with me. His reluctance was annoying to put it as nicely as possible. I also want to interrogate him about the hacker from his servers.
As I approach Andrea's desk, I only see Angela bend over a stack of papers.
"Good morning, Angela." I greet her.
"Good morning, Mr. Grey." Angela looks me straight in the eyes without fluttering eyelashes "Andrea had to step out for a moment, but neglected to tell me how you like your coffee. Would it be too much of an imposition to ask you?"
"I like my coffee black with one sugar." I tell her and I'm pleased that she isn't one of these stuttering fools.
"Coming right up. The papers for your first meeting are on your desk, Mr. Grey." Angela says as she makes her way to the breakroom for my coffee.
The meetings are a bit rough around the edges, a lot of sniveling is going on and I distract myself with reading pieces of the journals I've transferred to my phone. Angela is working out just fine. Andrea has explained through email that she's happily married to a woman and that Ros is the one that could be targeted. Which made me laugh out loud, much to the consternation of the groveling mongrels.
Around four-thirty I feel a jolt and smile as I know that Ana is up. I send her a quick text that I won't be home for quite some time. As soon as I've send it, my phone rings.
"Hey baby." I chuckle.
"Hello son." I hear my mother on the other end, giggling like a schoolgirl.
"MOM! I thought you were Ana, because I just texted her and…." I trail off as I notice that I'm rambling.
"I caught on to that. You've never called me 'baby'." Still giggling and I can't help but laugh too.
"What can I do for you, mom?" I ask her.
"I want to know if you'll be at Sunday dinner again." She asks me.
"I would love to. Same time as always?" I hesitate for a moment, before I blurt something else out "Can we perhaps also have lunch Sunday, with Elliot and Mia? I want to tell them the short version of what happened between the Bitch Troll and I."
"Are you sure, Christian? Wouldn't it be difficult for you?" I hear the concern she has clearly.
"I'm sure. The first time I told it was the hardest. I was nervous to tell you, but it was easier than I expected." I say "Can you arrange it for me? I have another incoming call."
"Of course, son. I'll see you Sunday. Say noon?" Grace asks.
"That will be fine. I'll see you all Sunday." I hang up, looking at the screen, seeing a smiling Ana and swipe over it to answer. "Hey baby." I chuckle as I said this to my mom earlier.
"What has you so amused?" I can hear the smile in her voice.
"I answered like that minutes earlier and got my mother on the line. Thought it was you." That has her laughing for a few seconds.
"Another reason to always look at the screen. I read that you will be having dinner tonight. I have to go back to Bellevue. If you want, you can come over as soon as you are finished. I have some business to attend to and I had a message from Tyson in my mailbox." Now I feel an anxiousness that's not my own.
"What did it say? If you don't mind me asking."
"Apparently he wants to come visit me here." Ana says and that makes me thud into my chair.
"He's coming here?" I must have heard it wrong.
"As it appears he's already in the air and should be arriving tomorrow afternoon." Her voice a mixture of happiness and wariness.
"Do you want me to stay at Escala?" I don't particularly want to, but if she thinks it's better I will.
"That won't be necessary. I will give you the choice though."
"I will come over as soon as my dinner meeting is done. I love you, Ana." I reassure her.
"I love you too, Christian." We say our goodbyes for now and I'm pondering over what she just told me.
Jason is looking around him attentively as we arrive at the Mile High Club, where the meeting will be held. Ana and I have been in the press every day since Kavanagh printed her article. I was all for suing her ass off, but Ana said we should let it run. They would have found out who she was eventually and I know she's right about that.
Jason and I make it to the elevator without any disturbance. Entering it was another thing entirely. A group of women come in chatting loudly. They look up, see me and a hush falls over them.
"Good evening, Mr. Grey." They say breathlessly and I give them a stiff nod. This is going to be a long elevator ride it seems.
"So, Mr. Grey?" One of the hopefuls starts. I just look at her, annoyed at the tone that she sets. "Are you flying solo tonight?"
The horde giggles into their hands and I see Jason getting just as irritated as I am.
"What gives you the right to ask that?" I growl, only to be swooned at.
"We would love to keep you company. If that vampire can't keep up with a man like you." The hag smirks.
We arrive at the right floor and as the door opens, I see Ana standing there with a deadly glare. I can tell that she's flown here like a bat out of hell, because her hair is tangled and she looks positively feral.
"What do you think, Mr. Grey?" The hag continues and as they are only paying attention to me and not what's behind them, they are in for a shock.
Jason is doing his best to cover his laughter with coughing, but I just outright laugh to their faces.
"Please tell me what you think, Mr. Grey!" Ana growls lowly in her chest.
The horde jumps almost through the roof, spinning around in their shoes and gape at the sight in front of them.
"I think that I should really hurry up or I will be late for my business meeting." Not that I give a fuck about it right now.
I push the horde aside and make my way out of the elevator. They are still standing frozen and I 'accidentally' bowl them over. As Jason and I step out, the doors close again and takes the horde down with it.
"I've got to go again. I just couldn't resist. Being bonded to you is a chore, Mr. Grey." Ana breathes in my ear, but there is no heat in her words and as I can feel her it is confirmed that she doesn't think that at all.
"I will see you later tonight." I give her a quick peck on her lips and she's gone within a second.
"I like her, she's got spunk." Jason says to me.
"I know." Is all I say and I stare dreamily into thin air for a moment. "Well, I've got a dinner to attend to. I don't want anyone interrupting us this time."
"I will make sure of that, Christian." And I know that Jason will do just that.