Who Would've Thought
Chapter 2
"Kate Kavanagh!"
"Yea?!"
"Where the hell is our rent money!" Ana demanded while searching through the tin they put their money pile in. Her digging came up empty.
She stomped over to Kate's room, anger written on her face.
"Did you use it all?"
Kate laughed, "Ana, come here! Look at this new fingernail polish I found!"
"Are you listening to me? Did you use it all?" Ana interrogated her roommate.
"Yea, I mean, I got some good shit from Jose, and we had a party down at Rovers. You should have been there Annie." Kate shrugged and then burst into a fit of giggles.
"I cannot believe you! How could you spend all our rent money on drugs and booze? Is something wrong with you?" Ana was furious.
"I'm sorry!" Kate threw her hands into the air. "I needed a little pick me up," Kate shrugged and stood up from her bed, blowing on her freshly painted fingernails. She walked over to the sound speaker on her vanity. "Also, I may owe Jose a couple hundred more," Kate admitted in a rush before blasting music on her speaker.
"What!" Ana couldn't understand her friend's recklessness. She rushed over to the speaker and shut it off. "A couple hundred more! Kate, how are we going to pay for anything?!"
"Girl, calm down, we'll work somethin' out with Jose, besides it's my apartment." Kate traipsed out of the room, making her way to the kitchen.
"I know Kate, but I live here too." Ana followed her.
"Look," the blonde huffed and turned around mid-stride, "I helped you out when you were looking for a place to stay. If you're so worried about paying rent, why don't you just call Jose?"
"Because Kate! You know I love Jose, but I hate everything he does!"
"So.. do you hate me? I do the same stuff he does," Kate inquired, taking everything Ana said the wrong way.
"No, of course I don't hate you…" Ana didn't know what to say. She massaged her temples.
Kate grumbled. "I'll head down to the club tomorrow, make a few bucks, you call Jose, ok?" Kate continued her walk to the kitchen. She pulled out a purple jar that contained her stash of weed.
"You want some?" Kate asked after she rolled a joint.
"No, I don't," Ana sighed and stomped back to her room, slamming the door behind her.
It was twelve noon the next day when the girls walked in through the side door of Jose's nightclub. The dive's walls were painted black, absorbing every sin that occurred under its roof.
"My girls are back!"
"Hey Jose," Kate drawled. Ana stayed quiet, watching as a redheaded woman restocked glasses behind the bar.
"Yo, Stevie, pour a couple of drinks for Ana and Katie Kat, and get me a whiskey!" Jose hollered.
He patted his red striped suit and pulled out a cigarette pack, cracking it open.
"What youse doing here before night?" the young man lit his cigarette and motioned for them to follow him into his small office.
"Kate spent our rent money," Ana muttered as she and her blonde friend plopped down on the worn leather sofa. Stevie sauntered through the office door and handed out the drinks.
"How ya been, Ana? Haven't seen you in a few days." Stevie leaned against the door frame and hooked her fingers in her low rise jeans.
"I was doing good until I found out Kate," the brunette paused to glare at the other girl who was intensely studying her nails, "decided to spend our rent on drugs." She folded her arms, sweeping her cold blue eyes to Jose.
"Babydoll, chill." Jose took a big gulp of his drink, wincing as it went down. "She owes me 200 more, but I knew you girls could work it off in a night."
"That's not the point Jose!" Ana stood up, clenching her hands. "You're enabling her to be careless! Haven't you ever thought that maybe we," she gestured between her and Kate, "don't want to be doing this for the rest of our lives?!"
Jose leaned back in his chair, resting his legs on top of his desk. He steepled his fingers under his jaw. "The doors wide open, Ana. You can leave at any time."
"You know it's not that simple," she whispered and sank her gaze to the floor. Ana sat back in her spot, picking on the frayed cushion.
"Hey Stevie, could you get me another?" Kate requested, breaking the short silence as she held up her empty glass. "Ana, it'll be fine, you got any openings tonight Jose?"
Stevie shuffled over to Kate, taking the other girl's glass. "Looks like you got a fire to put out," the redhead jested at the young blonde before she left the room. Kate scoffed.
"Not at the bar, but I know a couple of chicks headed down south on Main. I could give them a call," he grabbed his phone off the wooden desk. "You both have seniority over them, it shouldn't be a problem."
Ana looked at her reflection in the grimy mirror hanging on her bedroom wall. Rock music was blasting through her room, making her orange walls and the mirror shake slightly.
"How much do you think we could rake in tonight?" Ana fixed a short blonde wig over her piled hair and peeked at Kate, who was plastering makeup on beside her.
Kate shrugged, "Depends on whether the bikers stop at Lucky's." Kate added an extra coat of mascara on her eyelashes before she closed the tube and reached for her raven-haired wig.
Ana groaned, thinking about the huge motorcycle gang that often drove through their small outskirt town.
"Great," the now blonde sighed sarcastically. Ana twisted a few rings she had bought at a cheap jewelry store on her fingers and clasped a small silver choker onto her throat.
The girls glanced at themselves one last time before they turned towards each other.
"Do I look absolutely flawless?" Kate paraded around like a runway model.
"Gorgeous, Kate," Ana giggled at the other woman's playfulness.
"And you, Sally dear, shall be praised for your stunning bod," Kate smiled coquettishly, but then burst out laughing. Ana laughed with her.
"Come on," Ana said, grabbing her bag. She stuffed an extra lipstick inside just in case, and her old cell. Kate ran to her room, "Hold on!"
Ana followed her and watched as the other girl opened a drawer. Kate shuffled through the contents inside before finding a small packet of white powder.
Ana quirked an eyebrow at her roommate.
"What? I might need it," Kate said as she stuffed the packet into her bra. "Got the keys?"
"Yea, Hannah and Liz should be in the lot by now."
The girls padded quietly down the stairs of the four-story walk-up, hoping their Landlord wouldn't appear in their descent.
Once they reached the outdoors, they both exhaled a sigh of relief.
"Hey babes!" Hannah was in the driver's seat.
"What's up? Hey, Liz," Ana called through the cracked windows.
Ana and Kate climbed into the back seat of the old car.
Lucky's Convenience Store was a service station on one side and a seedy hangout on the other. Neon lights flashed through the windows and vapor filled the area in the shadows.
Hannah parked the car next to the group of bikers, knowing they would get good business from the men.
The women shuffled out of the car, adjusting their outfits. Ana twirled a ring on her left hand while glancing around, a sinking feeling growing in her stomach.
Liz called the girls to the sidewalk. "We got a plan or are we winging it?"
Kate rolled her eyes at the novice. "We don't make a plan. You find a guy, you flirt with him, you do whatever the fuck he wants, he gives you cash, and your golden, K?" she huffed.
Ana stopped listening. She had spotted an R8 parked by a pump in the far corner of the lot.
"I'm gonna head over there," Ana pointed in the direction of the fancy car, "see if the owner wants a good time."
Hannah and Kate smirked. "Work it," Liz clapped.
"I'll catch you later," Kate winked.
Ana strolled over to the car, hearing a boy high on pot whistle at her. She ignored him.
She reached the car and glanced around for any sign of the owner. Quickly peeking inside the windows, she saw there was no one inside.
She circled the grey Audi, bending low to glimpse the sleek interior. The fast car had a beautiful design and an angular frame. She ran her fingers against the side door.
"Step away from my car," said a demanding voice. She took her time facing him, preparing herself for a middle-aged man with a big wallet.
"This car is awfully fancy for this side of town, you lost or something?" she drew a hand up her side while turning to face the owner. She was met by the piercing stare of the most beautiful man she had ever seen. His hair was dark, as were his eyes of molten grey.
She watched as he scrutinized the area around him. He was definitely lost, and even though he wasn't outwardly showing it, she could tell he was uncomfortable.
She prompted him again, wondering if his demanding nature had evaporated.
The unknown man confirmed her suspicions and moved to unhook the nozzle from the pump. She stood by the front of his car, closely watching his arms flex as he put the nozzle into the tank. He made pumping gas look like the sexiest thing in the world at that moment. She thanked the universe for giving her a man she actually wouldn't mind sharing a night with.
"What's your name?" he asked her, moving to sit on the hood of his car. She walked closer to him, hooking a hand around the strap of her bag. The street lights near the parking lot shadowed him, making his face appear sharper. The neon signs flashing in the station window flickered occasionally, blue and red reflected on his car. His stare was intense.
"I'm Sally," she gave her alias. "Do you work for the police?" She knew he wasn't an officer, but it was her standard first question per Jose's request.
"A bit of an unoriginal name to choose," he called her bluff. "Do I look like I work for the police?" He motioned to his expensive car.
"What do you do?" She knew he would avoid her question; he seemed like the type to shroud himself in mystery.
He smirked at her and breezed over her curiosity by asking her the same as his reply, exactly what she expected of him.
"Whatever you want me to do," she replied breathily but started giggling when she saw desire wash over his face. She had him right where she wanted.
"Well I need directions, can you give me any?" he inquired, standing up from his spot on the car. She quickly admired his backside.
"Where are you headed to?" she hoped it wasn't far away, or else she would have to up her seduction game. A man like him would be hard to persuade into staying at the cheap motel next to Lucky's.
"Seattle," he replied.
"Yea I can help you get to Seattle," she offered casually. It would be an easy night.
"So what's your name? Oh take a left here," she waved her hand to the left.
The man in the driver's seat signaled to turn left, Ana's words hanging in the air.
Once he made the turn, he ran a hand through his hair and swiftly glanced sideways at her.
"Grey," he stated curtly.
"Grey?" It had to be his last name.
"Yes, you can call me Mr. Grey."
"Ah, ok..." She felt out of her element with this guy. Most men weren't as stiff.
"Is Sally really your name?" he clutched the wheel with both hands as they rounded a sharp corner.
"It is to you," she sassed. "Take the entrance onto the highway there," she pointed out the window.
The silence between them grew. She twirled her rings nervously.
His voice sliced the air. "So how much are you girls making these days?"
"No less than a hundred," she said simply. He gave her another sideways glance. She hoped he wasn't about to lower his original offer of a thousand dollars. That could pay for her rent, Kate's debt to Jose, and groceries.
"A hundred dollars a night?" he questioned sounding surprised.
She shook her head. "Nah, 100 an hour. Unless told we can take less."
"Unless told you can take less?" he uttered in confusion.
"Yea, my, uh…, my manager, I guess you could call him that, sometimes tells us to give deals to the clientele that he's friends with," she clarified. Ana watched as his hands clenched on the steering wheel, his knuckles turning white.
"Are you from here?" He promptly changed the subject.
"Georgia."
"What brought you to Washington?"
"I wanted to go to school here, and also my dad lived in Montesano, but he passed away last year," she rattled softly.
"I'm sorry," he mumbled. "Are you still in school?"
Ana bleakly looked out the window. "No," was all she replied. A chasm of silence filled the car.
"You keep on this road for another twenty minutes," Ana piped up suddenly.
"What were you studying in school?" Ana noticed Mr. Grey liked to probe for information.
"I was studying to be an English Major. My dream was to work at a publishing house one day." Ana started twisting her rings again.
"What do you dream of doing now?" the inquisitive man asked.
"I don't know anymore," she replied wistfully. "You never did say what your work is," she observed the side of his profile.
He drew in a breath. "I own my own holding company."
"Ah and I take it by your car that it's not just some mom and pop business?" she teased, licking her lips.
He gave a small laugh at her jest, "You could say that."
"Do you like what you do?" Ana was starting to like learning about the handsome man beside her.
"It's my whole life," he asserted. His right hand had wandered over to the gear stick, wrapping tightly around it. Ana, yet again, watched as the muscles in his forearms flexed. "And you?" the dark-haired man coaxed.
Ana slowly exhaled. "I guess," she paused. "I mean I have safe sex almost every night, condoms always. I get checked so often at the clinic down the road from my apartment that the employees know me by name. Not only am I better in the sack than an amateur, but I'm probably also safer."
"That's real good, you should have that printed on your business card," he joked with a smirk and briskly looked her way.
Ana smiled, "Plus I make a decent amount of money and I learn a ton of interesting things," Ana wiggled her eyebrows.
"Oh? And what things have you learned?" he gave her a goofy grin, focusing back on the road.
Ana paused for a moment, thinking. "Did you know that your foot's the size of your arm from your elbow to your wrist?" She showed her arm to the grey-eyed man. He chuckled.
"And you know what they say about foot sizes," she jeered, glancing at his forearm. She bit her lip to stop from giggling as his chuckle blossomed into a belly laugh.
"I didn't know that," he said after he calmed.
"Yea, well, it's a little trivia I picked up along the way. Oh!" She had forgotten that she was giving directions. "You need to take the next exit." He took the exit reading 6th Avenue.
"Ah good, now I know where I am," he beamed. She looked at the clock on his dash, it had taken them less than an hour.
They drove in comfortable silence until they pulled up in front of a sleek high rise, the name Escala above the entrance. He drove around the side of the building, steering his car into an underground gated garage. In silence, he pressed a button on the sun visor that opened the gate.
She quietly fiddled with her bag as he parked his car in one out of many reserved spots marked GREY. The rest of the reserved spots all had fancy cars in them, ranging from SUVs to sports cars. "Are those all yours?" she gestured to the other cars.
"Yep," he popped and smirked. "Come on."
She opened the car door and hopped out, following him to a nearby set of elevators. In the center was a muscular man standing in an impeccable black suit.
"Taylor!" Mr. Grey barked. "Where were you when I needed you two hours ago?"
"Sir?" the man named Taylor appeared surprised.
"Nevermind," he rolled his eyes and grabbed Ana's hand, dragging her into the elevator.
They stood in silence during the elevator's ascent, staring at one another. Ana bit her lip, and the man leaning on the wall across from her breathed out heavily.
Ana felt her skin prickle in pleasure. She clenched her fingers around the strap of her bag, refraining herself from mauling him.
The elevator dinged, indicating they're arrival to whatever floor the guy lived on. She glanced at the buttons on the panel and saw the letter P flashing. Ana's eyes widened. Penthouse.
He grabbed her hand once more and tugged her into what she suspected was the foyer. The room had white walls with a few elegant paintings, marble floors, and a table in the center that held a vase.
They continued walking into a huge space. Ana was surprised to see the man that was in the garage standing by the entrance of a room that opened from the main area. A woman, who appeared to be in her early forties, stood next to the muscular man. What astonished Ana, even more, was that two adults were up in the middle of the night, seemingly awaiting orders from Mr. Grey.
"Gail, would you please get," the dark-haired man glanced her way, raising an eyebrow in rebellion, "Sally, here, a glass of water?"
"Yes, Mr. Grey," the lady, who she now knows to be named Gail, turned around into the entrance of the door, disappearing.
"Taylor, you watch her for a minute," he motioned towards Ana, "I need to fetch some things from my office." Mr. Grey left Taylor and Ana alone.
Ana took the time to regard her surroundings. Veined marble flooring covered the room. The seating area included two huge sofas and a wooden coffee table in front of a double-sided fireplace. Behind the living room was the great room, a massive area that housed a grand piano and a wall made entirely out of floor to ceiling windows. Stunning views of Seattle peered back at Ana every way she looked.
Gail rushed back in with a glass of water, handing it to Ana.
"Thank you, Gail," Ana said appreciatively.
Gail smiled, "Your welcome." The older woman rushed back into what Ana assumed was the kitchen.
She glanced at the man named Taylor.
"Hello," she greeted him. He was eyeing her, though not in the judgemental or lustful way that she usually received.
"Ma'am," he replied. Ana guessed that he must be some kind of security, recognizing a military stance anywhere.
"Ex-military?" She questioned out of curiosity.
"Yes, Ma'am." He gave her a small grin, but his posture remained rigid.
"I could tell, my father was in the military too."
Before the older man could reply, Mr. Grey rushed over to Ana, holding a few bills in his hands.
"Here's a thousand for directions," He said, handing her the cash. Ana cheered internally for making the money she needed in just one night. Even better, she didn't have to have sex with a stranger for it.
She folded the cash and stuffed it in her bag.
"No problem," she grinned. He placed a hand on her back and walked her to the elevator.
"Seriously though," his expression grew earnest, "I don't know how I would have made my way back home if you hadn't helped me out. Thank you."
"Well, thank you," she said while they got into the elevator. He pressed the button with an L on it. Lobby, she thought. "You made my night extremely easy."
"You're not going to work anymore tonight?" He asked out of curiosity.
"Nah, this is gonna pay for my rent and groceries for the month. Plus, I don't love sleeping around with strangers every night. Gets dangerous, ya know?"
He nodded, but she knew that he had no clue what it was like.
The elevator stopped on the first floor and they stepped out in sync. Ana marveled once again at the luxury building's interior. Must be nice, she thought.
"So how are you going to get back home?" He asked, grabbing onto her arm and spinning her towards him. She bit on her lower lip, unsure.
His gaze darkened; she could see the individual grey flecks in his eyes.
"Um, I'll probably call Jose and see if he could send a car or someone to pick me up," she hadn't thought about it.
"And if no-one can pick you up?" He raised an eyebrow.
Ana shrugged, sure she would figure something out.
"Probably see if there is a bus running."
"Ok," he breathed out, stuffing his hands in his pocket.
Ana looked over his shoulder, spotting a woman with styled blonde hair sitting behind the front counter. The lady's eyes bounced between the two, appreciating Mr. Grey and judging Ana.
"Goodnight," Ana whispered. She gave him one last glance before sauntering to the lobby door.
"Wait!" he called.
She turned to face him.
He walked to her. "Can you at least tell me your real name before you leave?"
She smirked and pushed open the lobby door, walking out into the street after repeating her goodnight.
She walked to a bench near the street that had a bus sign next to it and sat. Ana brought her bag up and dug for her phone.
Scrolling through it, she found Jose's contact and pressed the call button. Voicemail.
She tried one more time and was sent to voicemail again. Ana sighed. She even tried Kate, but it resulted in nothing, just as she expected. She would have to wait for the bus. At least it wasn't freezing cold, she thought.
"A hundred dollars an hour, you said?"
Ana turned around to see Mr. Fancy Car standing close behind her. If he had been standing there while she made her calls, she hadn't noticed.
"Yea, although premium charges may apply," she quipped.
"And what are premium chargers, exactly?" He chuckled.
"Depends," she shrugged. "I'd have to let you know when you're ready to pay." She giggled.
"Well, I was thinking, if you don't have any prior engagements" he paused glancing around, "I'd very much like it if you accompanied me back into my house."
"Your penthouse?" She asked, tongue in cheek.
"Yes, my penthouse," it was his turn to smirk.
"You got it," she jumped up from the bench and laughed.
"The stipulation, however, is that you must tell me your real name." He took his hands out of his pocket, holding the door open for her.
"It's a requirement?" She giggled out. They walked into the giant lobby.
"Yes, ma'am."
She hesitated, but then stuck her hand out to shake with his. "Anastasia, but my friends call me Ana."
"Anastasia…?" He pulled the same trick she used on him earlier in the car.
"Ana Steele." He shook her hand.
"And yours?" She inquired. Across from her, she saw the front desk lady roll her eyes when she noticed Ana back in the lobby.
"Christian Grey."
Hello Everyone! Thank you for reading. Please let me know if you see any mistakes so that I can fix them! Hope you all are staying safe and indoors!