Chapter Two

Upon hearing his proposal, Ana pulled her hand away only to punch him playfully in the arm and he had to use all his self-control not to yelp and moan that it hurtttt.

But she knew. She began counting the seconds until he rubbed his arm (it was seven).

"This is not funny, Christian," she said with her back now against the kitchen counter. "What? Are we back in high school?"

At once, he bridged the distance between them. She huffed and tried to punch him again but he evaded her easily and grabbed her by the waist.

"Hey, hey…relax, what are you getting so worked up about?"

"I need you to stop it, stop playing games!"

"Hey," his eyes darkened and she immediately took notice he was serious, "I mean it. This is not a game, I would never joke about something like this. I really want you to marry me."

She pursed her lips, "But…"

"Ana, listen. You're my best friend. I would never do anything to confuse you or jeopardize our friendship. Even though this marriage will be fake, it should not change our relationship." He reassured her. She squirmed but then relaxed in his embrace as his words sunk in. Then, he planted a soft kiss on her lips which left her wide-eyed and confused. She turned and sat back down at the table and he followed suit.

"I'm completely serious about you, about us. You are perfect for the role, Ana," his eyes sharpened and it gave her a brief pause. "No one else will be able to pull it off or be ready in the time limit. Even if by some miracle I find a really good actress for the part, there are unknown factors that I can't control. Even the best actors let their masks fall at times. You know more about me than anyone and we already have a relationship, even if it's not the one we'll be presenting to everyone else." He said and was glad that she maintained eye contact with him the whole time. Ana had so much steel in her that he wouldn't have to worry about her being bullied by anyone, which was exactly what he needed.

"I can't, Christian. Not only does marriage-even a fake one, not appeal to me, but no one would actually believe you would want to marry me."

"My father would. He's the only one we really have to fool. He knows that you and I have stayed in touch all these years and even though he'd never say it out loud he really likes you. Please, Ana. I need your help…" He said taking a gulp of his drink as she looked away, a strained look in her eyes that made him feel a bit guilty for asking this of her.

She shook her head. "No," she mumbled resolutely looking away.

He sighed, rubbing the back of his head in thought. He was stuck and knew that if he couldn't convince Ana to be his fake wife he was sunk. There was no way he could find another woman who could play the part as well as she could. Just as he had said before, she met all the requirements. Furthermore, she was the one person he relied on to keep himself morally in check.

Even though he'd know Ana most of her life, they didn't become best friends until Christian's senior year in high school when she became his Spanish tutor. Ana, two years his junior, had grown up in a Spanish speaking household. Aside from that, she also had a knack for languages and a love of literature. While still in grammar school, she'd practically taught herself French and then, once she got to high school, the head of the Spanish department at her high school encouraged her to coach her classmates in her spare time.

Christian wasn't a very trusting person, but that year he and Ana had really hit it off. Her teaching style really appealed to him. For one, she didn't try to badger him or make him feel inadequate and secondly, she used a healthy dose of humor during their study sessions while at the same time, holding him accountable for his learning. She simply did not allow any excuses. It was still a mystery to him how he'd managed to teach him Spanish almost effortlessly and without him resenting the process even though back then studying had seemed like such a waste of time. Ever since then, he could rely on her to call him out on his bull and tell it like it is, she didn't try to sugar coat things for him or win his good graces.

He smiled as he remembered her sassiness even then. He studied her as she downed the last of her coffee drink, cleared the table, and sat back down again, knowing the look in her eyes was mirroring the guilt he felt. Both wanted to help the other, but both were stubborn souls. He thought harder about it as they remained silent. It really was selfish of him to ask this of her when she was facing her own problem. He glanced around her little consignment shop knowing how much it meant to Ana and how much she loved it. He had been here from day one when both of them rolled up their sleeves and repainted the walls with colors to reflect her taste.

His eyes narrowed as his thoughts began to swirl around a new idea. She had said she wouldn't take charity, even to save her shop. But there was no denying the fact that she needed his help just as much as he needed hers. He slowly brought his eyes to her and caught her watching him think. His eyes then widened, as the idea took full shape in his mind and slipped off his tongue.

"Who's to say we can't solve both?" He whispered and she frowned, not understanding where that had come from. He stared at her intently and noticed that the suspicious glint had returned to her eyes.

"What's going on in that mind of yours, Christian?" She asked. He brought his hands up and folded them under his chin as a sly grin spread across his face and his eyes sharpened into that of a predator's.

"Just killing two birds with one stone," he chuckled and she looked at him like he had lost his mind. He only grinned brighter and winked.

She rose to her feet, needing to put some distance between them. "Christian?" She asked again, leaning her back against the counter of her little kitchenette.

He stood up and stalked around the corner, his eyes locking on her the entire time. She followed his movements, still wary of the look he was giving her. She was always able to see when he was plotting something and he appreciated that intuition of hers. He stopped directly in front of her and leaned forward so that her back hit the counter and his arms went to either side of her, trapping her there. She didn't shiver, didn't blush or get flustered as other women did. Instead, she fixed him with a sharp glare that would make the Devil himself freeze. Just more proof that she was perfect.

He and lightly cupped her chin, watching this time for her hands, not wanting a repeat of earlier. He gave her his best smile, hoping to calm her suspicions a little and was rewarded when the tension in her body eased.

"We can fix both if we work together, sweetheart. Both of our problems can be connected and snipped with a single stroke. Become my fake wife, Ana and I'll pay off your loan in full." He said and her eyes widened in shock. She quickly shook her head against the idea and looked up at him with her large eyes.

"I told you, Christian, I have to do this alone." She said and he balked at that.

"No, you don't have to. Listen, if it makes you feel better... think of it this way: You'll be paid to play the part of my wife, so it's not charity exactly. Just because it's coming from me doesn't mean you can't think of this as a little side job to help earn that revenue you're lacking." He explained and saw that he had hit a point with her in the way her eyes softened and looked away as she digested that tidbit. He grinned and shifted so that his arms wrapped around her, enveloping her in a gentle embrace. He leaned down and whispered into her ear.

"Come on Ana. I don't want you to lose this place either. So stop being so stubborn and just let me help you...and in the meantime, help me achieve my own dreams. I can't do it without you."

"That's not fair, Christian..." she grumbled, her slender arms finally lifting and wrapping around his torso, returning the hug. "How could I possibly say no and stand in the way of your dreams?" She'd always had a soft spot for Christian and encouraged him to achieve just like she'd done back in high school.

He smiled and held her tighter, chuckling lightly as he stroked her hair in a soothing rhythm. His smile softened when he felt her relax even further under his ministrations.

"I've never been one to play by the rules...You know that better than anyone, beautiful. You get me like no one else in the whole wide world. So..." He pulled back a little and placed his hands on her shoulders, waiting until she finally brought her eyes up to his. He could already read the willingness within their depths, and he smiled to himself.

"We'll fly to Vegas tomorrow...or the day after tomorrow," he said confidently. "We'll tell our families we just decided to elope."

Her eyes widened. "Wait-I haven't actually agreed to marry you," she whispered hoarsely.

"Your body just said 'I do', sweetheart," he chuckled and Ana furrowed her brow.

Belatedly, she realized that she'd been clinging to him as if she'd melted and stuck to his clothes. She stiffened a little at the realization of how warm and strong and solid he felt. Needing to put some distance between then, she pulled herself away and went to get herself a cup of iced water.

"It'll never work. How are we gonna be able to pull this off? Ana gave took a deep breath and sighed deeply. She drank half the glass in three gulps. "How about your parents? Everyone is going to know something's up."

"Only if you make it obvious," Christian shrugged, "you know...like by acting as though you're still single, ignoring me, refusing to sing Kumbaya and do trust falls," he joked with a straight face and she tucked her tongue in the inside of her mouth to keep from laughing.

"How long will we need to keep up this charade?" She wondered, thinking ahead of the next hurdle they would need to overcome to move forward with this half-baked plan of his. So typical of Christian to think that marrying her was the answer to all his problems, it just proved how warped his thinking was!

He thought about it for a moment. "Well, we would need to prove to my father that we're a stable couple…so I would say um..." he paused and frowned in concentration, "at least six months… he trailed off.

"And then what?" Ana quickly retorted, "We just get a fakey-fakey divorce?"

He chuckled at that and leaned back in his chair. "Well, life happens, he shrugged one shoulder with a 'what can you do?' attitude.

Ana rolled her eyes and returned to stand with her back against the counter.

This had been going back and forth for a while now; Ana couldn't help but feel the urge to smack him some sense into Christian and run. She didn't believe in divorce, and to her, the subject was no joking matter. However, ever since her broken engagement and her father's bankruptcy, she'd come to believe no man would ever want to marry her. The problem was, she didn't want to remain single for the rest of her life.

"We'll take it one day at a time...we can stay married if you want," he quickly added. "Unless of course, one day someone else enters the picture. But I don't see that happening on my account," he stated confidently. Honestly, he doubted he would meet another woman he would ever want to settle down with. "So...what do you say? We will live together with the understanding that feelings will be off the table...just fun and companionship."

Ana hesitated. She finished her water and drummed her fingers on the empty glass, thinking of convincing arguments but he came back with the best argument of all.

"Ana, you and I are perfect for this arrangement. We understand each other, we want the same things," he went on and she raised her brows at this. "You get me and I get you," he reiterated, pausing meaningfully. "We both have been burned by love and have no interest in going back for round two."

Ana nodded, there was no denying the truth behind his words. Still, it was ridiculous to make a big decision like this one without considering every angle. "But...your family will never accept me as your wife…" she countered.

He narrowed his eyes and tilted his head. "And...why is that?"

"Because…because it's obvious..." she shrugged, "I'm Hispanic and you're white."

Initially, he was outraged at the suggestion but then he realized she was serious. It occurred to him that they'd never discussed racial discrimination before. But as far as he was concerned, there had never been a need. While Ana had Latin American roots and had been raised in a traditional household, she didn't really look Hispanic. In fact, her skin tone was as fair as snow. He doubted she'd ever experienced any serious form of discrimination, and if she did, she'd never shared it with him.

"Say what?" He gave her a wounded look. "My folks...actually, my dad mostly, can be opinionated, hard-headed, greedy and self-righteous…and whatever else you'd like to add to the list... but if there is one thing he's not is racist!"

"Maybe," she mumbled, "I know your mom was always nice to me...but one thing is being gracious and another thing is wanting her son to marry someone from a different race," she paused and they both pondered this for a moment. "So, if I'm right and you're wrong—" she trailed off.

Christian thought about it for a moment. Right now, the safest thing to steer the conversation in a different direction. "Okay, listen...If I'm wrong, which I'm not, I will bear the consequences. And yes, that means you have the right to strike me down with a band of wild horses and say I- told- you- so," he said screwing up the corners of his lips in a comical fashion.

She lowered her gaze and smiled, suppressing a chuckle of anticipation. As it was, she had one more card to play.

"It's not a real proposal without a ring," she replied giving him a long side glance, deriving some perverse satisfaction at the thought of watching him squirm a little. They both knew there was no ring. When she turned to fully meet his gaze, her expression took on a serious look but it was easy to see she was having a bit of fun with him.

"Fine," he retorted holding up his hands like a police officer telling a crowd to step back. "Stay right here, don't move."

Ana was still standing in the same spot with her back against the kitchen counter. "Close your eyes," he mumbled reaching for the loaf of bread behind her. Ana giggled and did as she was told. "Okay, open your eyes now," he murmured holding a plastic twist bread tie that he'd expertly shaped into a ring. "This will have to do for now," he went on sliding the object onto her finger.

She stretched out her arm as though admiring a real diamond. Suddenly, the absurdity of the situation did strike her as hilarious and she laughed so hard that she had to sit down.

"Oh, Christian, this is absolutely perfect!" She said as she got her breath back. but then again, she held out her arm and fingered the bread tie, going off into another gale of laughter. It took her a long moment to recover. "Wow, I really gotta hand it to you, it's the perfect fit!" She declared with a small smile.

"Quit screwing around and marry me already," he taunted. More than anything he loved to watch her laugh, it gave him the feeling that all was well with the world, "you know you want to."

Hmm..Speaking of crewing around...

"Okay," she humored him, her eyes bright with a new idea, "I'll marry you under one condition."

A slow triumphant smile curved his lips, "you name it."

"Promise me you will quit fooling around. Even though this marriage will be in paper only, you will forever say good-bye to ALL the bimbos in your address book."

Initially, his mouth opened in a surprised O, but then he forced his mouth into a crooked grin, hoping it might disarm her. "ALL three hundred and sixty-five of them?"

Her eyes were coolly amused. "You know what, your honesty is quite refreshing," she shrugged one shoulder, "take it or leave it."

"Deal," he quickly replied before she changed her mind.

So he thought it was going to be easy. "This means you will be one hundred- percent faithful like in a real marriage," she went on and he merely shrugged. Did he not realize that by marrying her he was basically signing a pledge of eternal celibacy? "From this moment forward, I will not let you out of my sight, Christian Grey, and you can take that to the bank!"

"That works for me," he quickly retorted.

Her comeback was quick and right on target.

"In that case...I can't wait to marry you," She sassed, thinking he really had no idea what he was getting into.

Author's note: You're response to this story has been stunning! I wrote this years ago and I recently started editing it as a distraction in these challenging times. I wasn't planning on posting it, but then I started making changes and adding a touch of humor to the story and then I thought, why not? Most likely the story will stay lighthearted. Hope you enjoyed, please stay safe and healthy. XOXO