Ch. 3
I accessed my bank account from my computer after feeding Kate. Lo and behold, the $250k signing bonus was already deposited. I applied for a savings account and got it in 10 minutes. I moved a full 200 thousand into my new rainy day account, and planned to leave it there unless I got desperate or wanted to buy a small house or something. As for the rest, well, apparently I could afford to treat myself now. I'd still finish out my last few shifts at Clayton's, though, wouldn't want to leave them shorthanded. I was already quitting after graduation.
Then I did research into cars, making sure to check they had a good safety rating. Settling after a choice after 2 hours of research, I pulled out my phone.
Morning, Christian. I hope you enjoy your family dinner tonight. You told me to pick a car at earliest convenience. I would like a red Honda Accord, please.
His reply came within a minute. Good morning, Anastasia. Duly noted, but you're sure you wouldn't like an Audi A3 or something a little more sporty than a sedan?
Its job is to get me from point A to point B and not break the bank at the pump. Quite sure. How did you sleep? I asked.
I didn't, but I'm used to sleepless nights, don't worry, he replied. I thought a lot about what you said, and I ended up having an emergency session with my psychiatrist, Dr. Flynn. He's been insisting since he heard my story that Elena is toxic and I shouldn't have her in my life, but I never believed him. But hearing your words yesterday…
The text ended at the ellipsis. I waited a full 5 minutes before sending my own. What was your conclusion after talking with Flynn?
Would you be willing to come to dinner with me? I need to tell Grace and Carrick what happened, and I'm not sure I can do it unless I have you there to help me.
I was shocked, but in a good way. Meeting his parents on the second date was a bit fast, but I had the conceit that we'd end up husband and wife one day thanks to my precognition. I'd be happy to come to dinner with you. Where should we meet, at their house? When should I be there?
I'll pick you up at 4:30 from your apartment. Dinner is at our family house at 6:00.
I blinked and pulled up Google Maps just to confirm what I already knew. Um, it's impossible to drive from Vancouver to Seattle in 90 minutes.
We're not driving. See you later, Anastasia.
I was confused until I remembered he was a certified helicopter pilot. Huh, guess we'd be commuting in Charlie Tango.
I helped Kate to cram for finals, did my own quick review of all the necessary information I'd need to complete my undergraduate career, cleaned up the apartment, and started to get ready at 3:00. I went for the wholesome, all-American look, hoping to make a good impression on Grace and Carrick. Minimal make-up, my one good sundress, and 2-inch heels. I straightened my hair and spritzed on a little perfume and everything.
"What are you getting all dressed up for?" Kate asked suspiciously when I came out of my bedroom.
"Oh, didn't I tell you? Christian invited me to dinner with his family tonight," I said nonchalantly. I'd deliberately kept this information until the last minute to stop her from bugging me all day.
"WHAT?!" Kate exploded.
I luckily only had to endure five minutes of the Kavanagh inquisition before there was a knock at the door. I opened the door and blinked. "Are those roses?" I asked Christian.
"I'm copying my Dad when he's trying to woo my Mom," Christian confessed, looking mildly embarrassed at his own cheesiness. The dozen red blooms were in a clear glass vase he carried in both hands.
"This is very thoughtful, thank you!" I beamed, taking the vase and going to set it on the kitchen counter. I got back to Christian to find him shaking hands with Kate. "Pleasure to meet you, Miss Kavanagh," Christian said politely.
"Pleasure's all mine, Mister Grey," Kate grinned. "So, taking Ana to dinner at your parents' place?"
"Yes, I felt I needed her there," Christian said, shooting me a look. We both knew this was about him needing emotional support as he confessed to his mom and dad about his abuse at the hands of Elena rather than the romantic gesture Kate thought it was.
"Don't stay up too late, Kate," I said before walking out the apartment. I locked it behind me and turned to Christian. "So, let's get going."
He took me down to the parking lot for our building, where I was surprised to see Taylor waiting in the same black SUV as yesterday. "Hey, Mr. Taylor," I greeted after Christian opened the door for me.
"Just Taylor or Jason is fine, Miss Steele," Taylor assured me with a polite smile.
Christian got in, made sure I'd buckled my seatbelt, did his own, and then Taylor began to drive.
"Aren't you going to ask how we're getting to Seattle?" Christian prompted after a minute of silence.
"I was waiting for you to tell me. You're so rich you might have rented an F-22 or some top-secret government teleportation device," I said playfully.
"We're taking my helicopter," he chuckled.
"So, how's dinner going to go? Have you thought about how you're going to do this?" I asked.
"I've thought of nothing else all day," he confessed. "We'll get through the dinner with my mom, dad, and Elliot. Once he leaves, I'll take them aside and let them know what Elena and I did together. You're basically there to help carry me out the door once they disown me and I lose everything."
"Christian, they love you. They'll be horrified that she did that stuff to you. You might think you're culpable because you agreed to go along with it, but you were only a teenager. You were highly impressionable, not to mention so horny and full of hormones you'd have humped a dead moose. I won't even get started on how Elena had the inside track on how to manipulate you because she was friends with Grace and knew all your secrets. You were seduced and groomed, and even once you became legal it was still rape in my mind because you weren't in the right frame of mind to consent after 3 years of her claws in you. They'll cry, you'll hug, you'll all move past this," I assured him.
Christian looked down. "I've never hugged my parents. I have haphephobia centered on my chest and back. The only person I've ever hugged is Mia, and I don't know why she's the exception to the pain when I'm touched."
My heart broke a little. "Well, you'll comfort each other in some way, of that I'm certain. They're definitely not going to be mad at you, though."
"I hope you're right, Anastasia," Christian said softly.
The rest of the drive was made in silence. We got to Portland, Oregon and Taylor parked us at whatever building's helipad Charlie Tango was waiting. Christian and I took the elevator to the roof, and fuck me but that damn electric charge was still there even after yesterday. Christian and I exchanged heated glances, but he hadn't outright come out and said he wanted to try 'vanilla' with me, so I resisted the urge to kiss him by the skin of my teeth.
We walked out onto the roof and up to Christian's helicopter. He took great pleasure in strapping me into the passenger's seat, and then got into the pilot's seat. I put on those big headphones and listened as he did the flight checks and checked with air control for departure. We lifted into the air, and I felt a thrill of adrenaline as I saw the ground get further away. He turned us to the north and we took off at speed.
"This is amazing," I breathed.
"Wait until I take you gliding," Christian grinned.
I just admired the sights as we took the very quick trip compared to conventional transportation to Seattle. We landed at Escala, and Christian helped me out of Charlie Tango. We took the elevator down to the garage and he tucked me into his Audi Spyder. He drove us to Bellevue, and we ended up pulling into the driveway of a mansion I remembered from reading Christian's memories.
"This looks like a nice place to grow up. A bit cramped, though," I said with humorous irony.
"It's a bit much, but it's home," Christian grinned.
He got my door like a gentleman and held my hand on the way up to the door. He rang the doorbell, and a sandy-haired woman in designer casual opened the door. She grinned ear to ear when she saw Christian, and then she noticed me. Her eyes almost popped out of her head. "Christian, dear, I'm so happy you were free to come! Who's this?"
"Mother, this is Anastasia Steele," Christian introduced, squeezing my hand.
"I'm a friend of Christian's," I said, by way of explanation.
"Oh, Anastasia, I can't tell you how pleased I am to meet you! Call me Grace," Grace beamed. 'Oh, could it be? Is he finally letting someone in?!' she thought excitedly.
Grace led us to what was undeniably a parlor, a room just for talking and drinking before or after meals. No TV, comfy couches and chairs, and a liquor cabinet. The burly blonde from my dream, Elliot Grey, was talking with a graying gentleman I guessed was Carrick Grey. Both looked up when we entered, and both had almost as big a reaction as Grace had to my presence.
"Holy shit! Chris, you brought a girlfriend?!" Elliot gawked.
"Don't call me Chris," Christian sighed, something I knew he'd said probably thousands of times to his big brother over the years. "And Anastasia isn't my girlfriend, we've only been on one date, we're still figuring out where this is going to go."
"You brought her here to meet Mom and Dad, dude, that says all I need to know," he said with a broad grin. He walked up to shake my hand. "Elliot Grey, the bigger, handsomer brother."
"Debatable. Nice to meet you, Elliot. Are you single? My friend Kate would be all over you, you're just her type," I chuckled. And seriously, now that I thought about it, Elliot and Kate would get on like a house on fire.
"I like you already!" Elliot laughed. "Sure, we can double date! Always thought there'd be three dudes there if I ever double dated with Christian."
"I am not, have never been, and will never be gay. You just assumed because I never bothered to introduce you to any of the women I dated," Christian rolled his eyes. Oh, so it was okay for him to do it, but not me? But we could have that talk later.
"Anastasia, I'm Carrick Grey. Welcome to our home," Carrick grinned, a bit more reserved than his wife and son had been but still beyond pleased Christian had brought a girl home to dinner.
"Thank you for having me. So, I hear you're in the process of becoming a Doctor of Juridical Science! That's very ambitious, especially after decades as a successful lawyer already," I said.
"You mean his mid-life crisis project?" Elliot chuckled.
Carrick blinked but smiled wider. "Yes, I am. I was getting a bit bored at work, and I figured the challenge would be stimulating. It's odd being back in school at my age, but also a pleasure to be learning new things again."
"We're very proud of him," Grace nodded, coming to kiss her husband's cheek.
"So, we have a lawyer getting a second doctorate for fun, the highest rated and recommended pediatric doctor in Washington State, founder and president of the fastest growing construction company on the West Coast, and, well, Christian. And you can't blame it on genetics, none of you are blood related. If Mia ends up getting 3 Michelin stars, I'll be convinced there's something in the water in this house," I chuckled.
The other 3 Greys blinked in surprise. I was reminded why I didn't try to flaunt my intelligence, Christian was the exception, not the rule.
He squeezed my hand and went for a joke. "You researched my family after I invited you to dinner this morning, didn't you?" he chuckled.
"I figured it would skip the whole awkward 'getting to know you' phase if I got some background on all of them," I confirmed.
"Anastasia is highly inquisitive, a Computer Science major, and a Mensan. I have no doubt she can work the internet to do research the way I can play piano. And on that note, she's a fellow pianist, not to mention an orchestral composer," Christian said, proud to have me on his arm. I won't deny I preened a little to hear him talking me up to his family.
"How impressive! We simply must hear one of your original pieces sometime," Grace said, getting back into her good cheer after a moment of disquiet.
"I'd be happy to," I assented.
"Damn, Mensa? Isn't that the worldwide genius club?" Elliot asked, eyeing me with admiration.
"Membership is open to anyone who scores in the top 2% of a properly administered, recognized IQ test. There's over 100 thousand members all over the world," I nodded.
"So, Anastasia, tell us how you and Christian met. And would you like anything to drink?" Carrick asked, remembering he was host since I wasn't part of the family.
"On the off chance you have Coke or Pepsi in this house, I'll take a Cuba Libre. Fun fact, it's so named because it was invented in the wake of Cuba winning independence after the Spanish-American War. Cuba was originally a Spanish colony used mainly for sugar plantations, so rum and cola were ubiquitous and cheap. Combining the two for a victory drink was a no-brainer, I'm sure," I said, Christian guiding me to sit on one of the couches.
"Huh, never knew that," Elliot said, taking his own whiskey rocks and sitting facing us. Carrick got back to me with my drink, a lime wedge added as garnish, and sat down next to Grace on the other couch.
"Anyway, my roommate Kate is on the college newspaper and got an interview with Christian for the graduation issue. But she got the flu, so I went in her place. Christian and I got to talking, and somehow he ended up offering me a job. Then he asked me out on a date for yesterday, which was nice and an experience I hope to repeat," I told them.
"We're at least having a second date. Or a third date, if you count tonight. You still haven't taken me bowling like you promised," Christian grinned.
"You're going to work for GEH?" Grace asked interestedly.
"Head Translator, or at least that's my official title according to Christian," I nodded. "I'm a hyperpolyglot, Christian seems to trust me for some reason, so he brought me on to handle the translations for all his foreign deals in a language I'm proficient in. From what I understand, my first big project will be that Chinese deal he used as a test."
"That's correct, it's on hold until you start in 3 weeks. I want you to review everything the last guy did, now that I know he was a plant I want to see if he left out anything else besides that clause you spotted," Christian confirmed for me.
"You speak Chinese?" Elliot asked with raised eyebrows.
"I'm fluent in Mandarin Chinese and Yue Chinese. I can carry a conversation in Min, Wu, and Gan Chinese. I know a little bit of Xiang and Hakka, but I'd probably get lost asking for directions," I told Elliot.
"I thought Chinese was Chinese," he said in confusion.
"Actually, China is one of the most linguistically diverse countries in the world. There's over 300 distinct languages spoken in China, most of them mutually unintelligible. Someone who only spoke Mandarin speaking to someone who only spoke Yue would be like someone who only spoke German trying to talk to someone who only knew Swahili. While both tonal languages, they're as different from each other as Spanish from Polish," I explained.
"Wow. That sounds like a bitch, actually. So even if you move just from Hong Kong to Beijing, you have to learn a whole new language? At least most people in the US speak English," Elliot thought out loud.
"That's right. But they seem to be making do," I shrugged.
"How many languages do you speak?" Carrick asked.
"I'm fluent in 19 counting English, have a vocabulary of at least 1000 words in 37 more, and I'm currently working my way through American Sign Language for an hour every night," I answered.
"You really are smart!" Elliot gaped, staring at me like I'd just conjured fire out of thin air.
"But you're not a Linguistics major? You're studying Computer Science?" Grace asked, quite impressed with my talent.
"Well, Computer Science and Psychology, I'm a double major. I'll be getting a BS in Comp. Sci. and a BA in Psychology next Thursday, assuming I pass my finals this week," I said, blushing at all the attention being thrown my way.
"You'll ace them all, Anastasia, I have no doubt," Christian grinned, looking at me like there was no one else in the room.
"What's your favorite programming language?" Carrick asked, sipping his gin and tonic. 'She's a keeper. Sure hope Christian doesn't blow this, she's prime daughter-in-law material.'
I felt my heart warm that Carrick thought so highly of me already. "Python, but I know Java, JavaScript, HTML, SQL, and C along with its dialects."
"So you know how to write computer code too? How does all that shit fit in your brain?" Elliot asked incredulously.
"I'm not so sure myself, but it's working out so far," I chuckled. On the off chance I ever met a doctor I'd trust with my secret, I'd have to get an fMRI done to see just how my gray matter actually worked.
A woman with the air of paid help walked in. "Dinner is served," she announced.
"Thank you, Gretchen," Grace nodded, grabbing her wine glass and letting Carrick help her to stand.
We went to the dining room, which was its own room and not just a table crammed into the kitchen. You could fit 3 of Ray's house in the Grey Mansion and still have room without even counting the yard and grounds. We sat down, Carrick at the head of the table and Grace at the other end. There were 6 chairs set at the table. Elliot got into what I sensed was his assigned seat on one side, Christian pulling out a chair for me before taking his own.
Gretchen brought in a bowl of salad, plates of some kind of salmon dish with sides of potatoes dauphinoise and mixed vegetables. She poured all of us glasses of red wine I was sure was an excellent vintage and would pair with the food. She nodded and left the room.
"Anastasia, we usually say grace before dinner. You don't have to participate if you don't want," Grace told me.
My relationship with the divine was all but nonexistent. Carla had converted a total of 9 times before I stopped living with her, changing where she worshiped based on her flighty interest. Ray was Lutheran but only went to church for Christmas and Easter, and sometimes not even then. I found the whole institute of organized religion to be a bit suspect, given the atrocities people cited them to justify their actions. But I respected that it gave meaning and peace to the lives of billions of people.
"I'll hold hands so you can close the circle, but I won't say anything," I compromised.
I offered my hand to Christian and Grace and just listened as they bowed their heads and said "Bless us, oh Lord, and these thy gifts which we are about to receive from thy bounty through Christ, our Lord. Amen." Then we let go and grabbed the knives and forks.
"What's your spirituality, Anastasia?" Carrick asked.
"I'm a Deist," I answered readily. "I believe the Big Bang had to come from somewhere, and that the universe is too big and complex and awesome to have happened by random chance. There's a Creator or Creators out there, but I don't believe in miracles or divine intervention. Whoever he/she/it/they are, wherever they're watching us from, they're only observing. I personally subscribe to the idea that this is all a simulation running on some incredibly complex computer as part of some grand experiment beyond my understanding. Hopefully it doesn't ever glitch or go offline in my lifetime."
"So, what is your view of Jesus Christ exactly?" Grace asked, politely and genuinely wanting to hear my side. Points for being open-minded.
"First off, his real name was Yeshua ben Yosef. 'Jesus' is the Romanization of his native Hebrew name. Christ is from the Greek 'khristos' meaning 'annointed', and came to be synonymous with 'messiah'. As for the man himself, I certainly believe he was a great man who amassed a huge following, and he certainly did something to be remembered for the next 2000 years. But raising Lazarus from the dead, feeding a crowd with 2 fish and 5 loaves, and especially coming back from death… well, until we build a time machine, I can't confirm or deny he did any of those things," I told her.
"Well, at least she's not an atheist, Mom," Elliot chuckled with his mouth full. "Mom tries to be nice and inclusive to all faiths. But when you actively deny there is a God or even just gods looking out for us, it drives her nuts."
"I acknowledge there's things religion says that science has disproved. But there's things science hasn't been able to explain either. I just don't see how the rational mind can look at the world, at history, at all the amazing things in life, and think we're alone or that it's all random. Everything happens for a reason, I firmly believe that," Grace told me.
"Whatever works for you, Dr. Grey. But I won't be attending service with you anytime soon," I told her, unrepentant.
We focused on eating for a few minutes, then Carrick cleared his throat. "Did I hear right earlier? You two are dating, Christian and Ana?"
"I took her out to lunch yesterday before the meeting to go over her employment contract. And she's eating dinner here with us right now. I'm hopeful she'll agree to spending time together outside work after this. So, yes, I suppose we are dating, at least until one of us calls it off," Christian said, thinking morosely that this was doomed because he had no idea how to have a relationship with a woman without a signed contract.
"We'll figure it out as it goes along," I said, laying my hand on his knee and squeezing. He looked at me with a boyish grin that took my breath away.
"Best of luck to you both," Grace said, and bless her but she was already imagining what her grandbabies would look like. After my vision last night, I spent an idle few seconds joining her. They'd probably be redheads, what with Christian's auburn locks and my natural streaks. I only hoped they didn't inherit my freakishness, except maybe the whole supernatural intellect. I would be the first to admit it came in handy.
"So, bro, Mia's back in a week and a half. Going to make showing up for family dinner a regular thing or is this a one-off?" Elliot asked, hopeful that Christian would say he'd return. He missed his brother, had barely seen him since he started GEH, and he missed the blissful days of their childhood when they saw each other every day.
"That depends on if I stay invited," Christian shrugged, his mind on rather pessimistic outcomes of his talk with Grace and Carrick he'd be having after dinner.
"This is our home, Christian, and you are our son. You are ALWAYS welcome," Carrick said firmly, reaching out to pat Christian's arm. I knew most fathers would have gone for the shoulder, but Christian had that touch issue to his whole torso from his birth mom's pimp using him as an ashtray.
'You say that now, Dad. Wait till you hear what me and Elena got up to under your nose,' Christian thought but he grinned and nodded to his dad's face.
When our plates were clear, Gretchen returned to take them. I noticed that the Greys all left their fork and knife on the same side, and the etiquette lessons I'd absorbed from Christian's childhood let me know that meant they'd enjoyed the meal. I made sure to mimic them. Gretchen brought us little ramekins filled with creme brulee and asked if we'd like anything from the bar. Carrick got a glass of port, Elliot got a refill of his whiskey, Grace opted for ice water. I'd sipped my Cuba Libre to almost the bottom, so I asked for more. Imagining the emotional talk I'd be helping Christian get through with his parents, I asked for a double. Christian asked for vodka rocks.
"Gretchen is an excellent cook. Is she just in charge of the kitchen or is she also a maid?" I asked after a bite of the custard with a torched surface.
"Gretchen's domain is feeding us. We have a cleaning service that comes every Monday," Grace answered. "I help out for the holiday feasts, and when we throw parties she has as many reinforcements from whatever catering service she picks as she can want."
"So, Elliot, I notice that you're rather fit, and you work in construction. I'm guessing you don't just sit behind a desk and bark orders at your teams," I observed.
"The boss who stays at the rear takes it in the rear," the man chuckled. "I'd be bored out of my mind just running things at the office like Christian does. I'm the foreman of my best team and I get down and dirty right alongside them."
"What are your hobbies outside work? Besides working your way through every unmarried woman in greater Seattle, from what Christian tells me," I added as a joke.
Elliot burst out laughing. "Yeah, I'm a bit of a man slut, but I don't cheat. When I'm with a girl, I'm with her. And I like going on hikes, exploring nature. I'm also an avid rock climber. I'm going to do Everest before I turn 40!"
"Maybe you could recommend a good climbing gym in town. When I move here, I won't be able to do my Zumba class in Vancouver anymore and to be honest I'm getting a bit bored of it. I'll need to exercise somehow, maybe you could give me a few pointers," I offered. If Christian and I were going to end up married one day, then Elliot was good as my brother too. I wanted us to have something to bond over.
"Oh, there's a few good places! I'd be happy to show you the ropes! You're a total beginner, right?" Elliot grinned. He reminded me of a Golden Retriever, down to the golden hair and the friendly cheer.
"As a GEH employee, you have access to the gym on the 4th floor of Grey House. You can work out there," Christian said. And damn it, he was actually jealous. I'd have my work cut out getting him to realize that just because I spent time with another male didn't mean I was going to leave him.
"Sure, Christian, but I would like to at least try rock climbing and Elliot seems happy to volunteer as my teacher," I comforted him.
"Dude, I'm not going to steal Annie here from you. How bad do you think I am?" Elliot asked, honestly a bit hurt.
"Aw, my Dad calls me Annie," I chuckled, trying to move past the moment.
"I'm sorry, Lelliot. I'm just… in a mood, tonight," Christian apologized to his big brother.
The use of the nickname from when Christian first met his big brother seemed to do the trick, because Elliot was back to his happy self and explaining to me the merits of rock climbing as a sport and how the different grades worked.
We finished dessert and went back to the parlor. We talked until 8:00, when Elliot stood up and stretched. "Well, it's about that time. Thanks for dinner, Mom and Dad. Christian, great to see you, and Annie! Meeting you was the highlight of my day! Hell, my week! Take good care of my brother, and be patient with him. He's emotionally constipated, but we love him anyway," Elliot said brightly.
Christian hesitated, grabbing my hand and squeezing. "Actually… you need to stay. I was only going to tell Mother and Father this, but I see now you deserve to hear it too."
"Hear what, Christian?" Grace asked in concern.
"Is there something wrong with GEH?" Carrick asked.
"No, no, it's not about work," Christian said. Now that he'd reached the moment of truth, he had serious stage fright and cold feet.
I decided to lay the groundwork. "After the meeting where I signed the contract, Christian took me to Escala and disclosed certain details of his sexual history to me so I could understand what he expected out of our relationship. I gave him my unfiltered view of the circumstances of how he was introduced to sex, which clashed heavily with what he'd led himself to believe. He had a meeting with his psychiatrist last night, and now he feels ready to disclose those details to you himself."
"Dude, I do not need to hear whatever freaky shit you get up to behind closed doors," Elliot snorted, but he was frowning. He sensed this was serious, but he was trying to lighten the mood with humor.
"Christian? What do you have to say? You can tell us anything, dear," Grace said, grabbing Carricks' hand. She had a sinking suspicion that she was about to hear something she'd wish she'd be able to forget.
Christian looked from his family and back to me. Finally, he hung his head, closed his eyes, and forced the words out. "Elena Lincoln seduced me when I was 15. It was a BDSM relationship. We were together 6 years. Anastasia and Flynn tell me I was raped. What do you think?"
I watched as if in slow motion as that information filtered through and was processed by each of them. Carrick turned pale as a sheet. Grace burst into tears, great heaving sobs as Niagara Falls started to pour out her eyes. Elliot shook his head like he was sure he'd misheard, but then his face twisted in horror when he saw the shame in his brother's stance.
"Oh, my baby! I'm so sorry! I'm so, so sorry!" Grace managed to say first.
Christian looked up. "Why are you the one apologizing, Mom?" he asked, truly unable to understand her reasoning.
"This is all my fault! I'm a pediatrician, I'm trained to recognize abuse victims! And I've been friends with a fucking pedophile for years and let her into my home where she could get to you!" Grace sobbed.
"I consented–" Christian tried to say.
"Stop right there, Christian. You were a minor when it started. Legally, you couldn't give consent. In the eyes of the law, and in MY eyes, it was rape," Carrick said, looking like he'd aged 20 years in the space of a few seconds.
"No, no, no, no, no, no," Elliot was saying to himself. "Please be lying, Christian. Please let this be a sick joke!"
"I'm sorry, Lelliot," Christian said simply, unable to look his brother in the eye.
Elliot grabbed his hair and screamed as loud as he could. "Fuck! I knew I should have said something! I knew it wasn't right but I fucking brushed it off! Fuck, fuck, fuck!"
"What are you talking about?" Christian asked in confusion.
As an impartial observer, or at least the most so out of everyone in the room, I knew what Elliot was about to say. "Elena made a move on you too," I said, not asked.
"Christmas when I was 14. She gave me my first real eggnog, cornered me under the mistletoe, kissed me. I told her no thanks, I wasn't interested in banging someone my mom's age. She let it go, we laughed, I didn't think twice about it. If I just fucking told Mom or Dad she'd have gone to jail like she deserves and she wouldn't have gotten to Christian," Elliot said, utterly miserable, pacing to let off some energy and resist the urge to throw something at the wall.
Christian looked like he wouldn't have been more shocked if Elliot had slapped him in the face with a dead fish. "She… she kissed you?" he asked in disbelief.
"She told you you were the only one. That you were a special exception. That you were just so handsome or beautiful that she couldn't resist," Grace said, her tears starting to slow down but sounding like part of her had died inside. Carrick pulled out a handkerchief to offer his wife and she wiped her eyes and blew her nose.
"How did you know that?" Christian asked, shocked to his core as his mother parroted what Elena had indeed told him at the beginning.
"I've treated more underage girls and boys raped by their relatives or neighbors or teachers than I care to count. It's like the fucking child molestors have a script they share with each other. I've heard it all before, Christian," Grace said dully.
Christian looked at all his family, none of whom blamed him and all of them blaming Elena. And that's what finally made him realize the truth. "Fuck," he breathed. "So I'm a victim twice over? When I was a kid and again when I was a teen?"
"I'm afraid so, son," Carrick said, draining his glass in one gulp.
They all just sat or stood there a few moments, as the horrible reality cemented itself in their minds. I finally spoke up. "There's time to fix this. Christian's only 27, and Washington state law is that he can press charges against Elena until he turns 30. You'll build a case, she'll get arrested, she'll end up in a cage where she can't hurt anymore boys or for all we know girls too. And in the meantime, Christian will go to therapy to unlearn all the shit Elena programmed into him and you'll all be happier and closer for it. This WILL have a happy ending, I promise."
"God bless you, Anastasia," Grace breathed, nodding as she took comfort from my words.
"Fuck yeah, she's going down," Elliot growled.
"Son, we need to involve the police. In a civil suit, all we can get from her is money and you don't need that. If Elena is to go to prison, you'll need to talk to a detective and they'll have to get an arrest warrant for her from the DA," Carrick explained gently.
"I'm a man, she's a woman. It's not like I'm still 15 or we're still together. What jury would believe that she's the one at fault?" Christian asked morosely.
"A bribable one, if it comes down to it," I said frankly.
"Fair point, Miss Steele," he chuckled.
Grace got up and went to Christian. With slow movements so she wouldn't surprise him, she grabbed his face and kissed both cheeks. I knew this to be a long-standing way for Grace to show Christian affection given his issues with touch. "I don't blame you. She's the only one that did anything wrong. I only hope you can forgive me for not protecting you like a mother should."
"She lied to both of us, Mom. I won't blame myself if you won't," Christian argued.
"If I ever see her again, we won't need the cops. Though I might need an alibi," Grace growled, and I finally got to see a proper mother's reaction to learning her child had been hurt. I'd marry Christian just to have the right to call Grace 'Mom' myself.
"I'm putting her on the proscribed list at GEH, she won't be able to make it past the door. You, as unofficial queen of Bellevue, can blacklist her to all your other friends and cut her out of the social scene. I'll pull the backing for her salons. Her life is going to crumble right up to her ending up in cuffs," Christian promised.
I glanced at my watch. "I hate to ruin a touching moment, truly I do. But my first final is at 9:00 tomorrow morning. Christian, if you're going to fly to Portland and back, we should probably go soon."
"Given I'll have to be at the university next Thursday anyway, I'm setting up camp at the Heathman hotel. We just have to get to Portland then I can drop you off at your door," Christian told me.
"Well, if you'll be in town, I really can take you bowling. Just let me know when you're free for the night. You can properly meet Kate, and we can get Jose to round out the team, or Taylor can take the fourth spot. There's an alley with a full bar in Portland," I said eagerly.
"Sounds like fun," Christian grinned.
"This was a pleasant evening, Anastasia, the end notwithstanding. I hope you'll come again," Carrick said, hugging Grace from behind as she looked between me and Christian with pure hope.
Christian said his goodbyes to his family, and then he took me out the front door and back to his car. We drove back to Escala in silence, and in a matter of minutes we were flying in Charlie Tango.
"I think that went well, all things considered," I finally said, unable to bear the silence anymore.
"Better than I dared to hope," Christian nodded, his eyes on the instruments. The sun having set, he was using them to know where he was going more than line of sight.
"You know, if she isn't smart and takes a plea deal, you'll have to testify. What she did to you will become public record," I brought to his attention.
"Her current sub, Isaac, is barely out of high school. And now that I know I wasn't the exception to her rule, she probably has been with him since he was a minor too. And God only knows how many victims are out there, before and after she was focusing on me," Christian said darkly. Now that he'd accepted the truth that Elena was a predator, he was blaming himself for not speaking up when he was younger and stopping all the pain she'd inflicted since.
"The past is set in stone, the future in sand. You can't go back and change things, so make do with what you have and craft what you want to happen," I advised.
"Good advice," he agreed.
We landed at Portland and Taylor was waiting in the parking lot. For all I knew, he'd stayed there the whole time we were in Seattle. He drove me and Christian back to Vancouver and to my apartment building. He walked me to my door. Reaching for reserves of boldness I hadn't known I had, I went on tiptoe to grab his face and pulled him down so our lips could touch. I only let it last a couple seconds, but it was still the highlight of the night to me, even better than flying had been.
"Thank you for a great second date, Christian. Get back to me about bowling this week," I grinned up at him.
"I don't suppose you're free tomorrow night?" he asked, eyes hooded and focused on my lips.
"Sure thing," I agreed. I actually had a shift at Clayton's tomorrow night, but fuck it, it was my last week. I'd be a no-show and they could fire me.
"Goodnight, Anastasia," he said my name like a prayer. He darted in for his own kiss, his lips swiping mine in a lightning-fast move before retreating. He turned and walked away, and I may or may not have stared dreamily after him until he turned the corner.
I remembered how to open the door and let myself in. Kate looked up from cramming on the couch.
"You will tell me what I want to know," she said in a low, dangerous tone. "The choice is whether you will tell me before the pain… or after."
I rolled my eyes and went to sniff the roses he'd gotten me when he picked me up. "We flew to Seattle in his helicopter, which he piloted himself. I got to meet his mom, his dad, and his older brother. Elliot is just dying to meet you, by the way, once I mentioned I had a hot, blonde, single friend."
"So we could potentially end up as sisters-in-law?" Kate asked excitedly.
For a second, I wondered if I'd missed the signs that Kate was a mind reader too, before I realized she was joking and wasn't referencing my vision last night. "We've been on two dates and you haven't even met Elliot yet. Next you'll be saying Ethan should hook up with their little sister Mia."
"Oh, he should! Then you really could be the little sister we always wanted! How younger are we talking here?" Kate asked.
"Mia's our age, I believe. She's studying cooking in France, but I'm told she'll be back in the country sometime next week. Ethan will be at graduation, right?"
"So he promised," Kate nodded. "So, how'd Mr. and Dr. Grey like you?"
"Grace would be okay if I had a third eye and webbed feet so long as I made Christian happy. She's an amazing mom. Carrick is a bit more reserved, but I'm pretty sure I heard him mutter 'daughter-in-law material' at one point so I'll take that as a sign he approves. And Elliot is sweet and goofy, still a little kid, but he could probably model for a fitness magazine. He lifts sacks of cement mix for a living, he runs his own construction company and hates office work," I relayed to Kate.
"Yummy, hope he has a big dick too. I mean, out of face, body, cock, I'd take the first two, but all three is even better!" Kate cheered.
I thought to myself that I didn't have anything to worry about in any of those departments when it came to Christian. Based on what I saw when I read his mind, he was the size of a can of Pringles. I was actually worried he might be 'too' big for me, but maybe my body's inability to be hurt would come in handy for once.
Kate insisted on hearing every word exchanged between me and the Greys, which I recounted up to the point Elliot got up to leave. Kate being read into Elena's raping Christian was up to Christian, assuming she and Elliot hit it off and she stuck around long enough. Then I went to take a shower and get ready for sleep.
I got a text from Christian while I was getting tucked in. I know this is a big thing to say, and I'm probably saying it too fast. But you're the best thing to ever happen to me, Anastasia. Please be patient with me as I figure out how to be 'vanilla' for you and give you the boyfriend you deserve. Sleep well, good luck with finals, though I doubt you'll need it. I'll count the hours until we meet for our third date.
For a man who had never done 'hearts and flowers', he was doing a damn good job of it. Guess he was just talented at everything he tried his hand at. I felt a surge of inspiration and went to grab my laptop. 3 hours later, I uploaded 'Christian's Kiss' to my Youtube channel, a piece I'd written while thinking of how he made my toes curl and my heart beat faster whenever we touched. I sent him the link as my response to his earlier text, and went to sleep.
When I woke up the next morning, I saw I had a voice recording from Christian. "Thank you, Anastasia," was all he'd said, but the emotion in those three words had me grinning like an idiot up until my final started.
I got out of my first final and grabbed lunch before my second. When I got out of that, I grabbed my phone. Just got out. I'll be waiting at the apartment for you to pick me up once you have the time. I'll talk Kate into coming and check if Jose is free so you can meet him. And since I know you're new to this and just discovering the green monster of jealousy, know that I wouldn't pick Jose if he was the last man on Earth. And that you're the only man I dated who ever inspired me to compose something just for him.
I got a reply by the time I reached Wanda. Expect me by 5:00 at the latest. They serve food at bowling alleys, right? We can do dinner there and as many games as you want. I'll reserve judgment on this Jose character until I meet him, but if he doesn't get the message that you're mine now, I can't be held responsible for my actions.
A feminist part of my brain protested that I didn't belong to anyone but my own damn self, but my inner goddess purred at knowing Christian considered me 'his'. I split the difference between the two and texted back And you're mine. This goes both ways, Christian. And this is getting far too heavy for the lead up to a third date. See you soon, prepare to lose tragically, I've been bowling for years and you know my learning curve is steep.
Looking forward, Anastasia. Funny, when Carla called me Anastasia I felt annoyed or like I was in trouble. When Christian uses my full name, I feel like the Russian princess I'm named after meeting her handsome prince.
Kate was onboard for bowling, and when I called up Jose to see if he was up for bowling with 'me, Kate, and this guy I've been seeing,' he was all aboard. I was reading the comments I'd already gotten for 'Christian's Kiss' when I distinctly heard Jose's and Christian's mind voices enter my range at the same time. I went to the window and opened it a crack, focusing on the parking lot visible if you craned your neck. I blocked out my other senses and Listened once I saw Christian and Jose were indeed walking up to the building's door at the same time.
"You wouldn't happen to be Jose Rodriguez, would you?" Christian asked.
"Yeah, who the hell are you?" Jose asked confrontationally.
"I the hell am Christian Grey, the most powerful man in the state of Washington. And I'm telling you that if you ever make Anastasia uncomfortable, if you even stroke your tiny cock thinking about her, I will happily ruin your life. She's off the market. You had your chance, you blew it, and now it's my turn. Unlike you, I won't screw it up by pushing too hard too fast. A little delayed gratification is good for you, you know," Christian said in that sharp, polite way of his that made you worry he had a guy with a bead on your back.
"Look man, I don't know what she told you, but I didn't do shit!" Jose protested.
"And you'll continue to do shit, or you'll find yourself unemployable in the northern hemisphere. Now, I believe we're meant to be bowling this evening." Christian went to the front door and let himself in, uncaring if Jose followed or ran away crying.
I rolled my eyes at male pissing contests and closed the window.
Christian knocked on our door a couple minutes later. I opened the door and pretended I hadn't observed the confrontation in the parking lot. "Hello, Christian. How'd you like your song?" I asked.
"I cried. I can't remember the last time I cried," he told me honestly.
"Not quite the reaction I was going for, but I'm glad it moved you," I chuckled.
I let Christian in to wait for Jose, who took another 5 minutes to knock on our door. Kate was all ready to go, so we left for Portland. Christian offered to let me ride in the SUV with him instead of driving Wanda. I tried not to laugh when I heard him seriously debating hiring someone to steal it in the night and leave me dependent on safer transportation until my Honda Accord was available.
I gave Taylor directions to the bowling alley I always went to when I wanted a fun night with my friends. We discussed it and decided to do 2 games and see if we were up for more afterwards. I had brought my own bowling shoes, which let Christian know he was in trouble. He shamelessly sent Taylor to the counter to get us our food and drink orders and just watched my face as I focused on programming the board.
The image of a billionaire CEO wearing an Armani suit and rented bowling shoes simultaneously was enough to crack me up even before I had my first Cuba Libre. I bowled a near perfect game for the first go, and I only got a spare on the last round because the alcohol was starting to kick in. Don't ask me to explain why I could imbibe outright poisonous chemicals without ill effect but ethanol somehow managed to affect my brain, I'd long since stopped trying to find the logic behind it. Kate got more gutter balls than the times she actually hit the pins, but she had fun anyway. Jose was trying too hard to impress me, but he barely got over 100. Christian had literally never bowled a day in his life, but he was a fast learner and determined to excel. His score for the first game was literally twice Jose's. At least he didn't brag about it out loud.
We took a break to eat our burgers and nachos and curly fries before the second game started. We had fun, aided by the hard drinks we were imbibing, and after the second game decided to shell out for a third. When that ended, we went to the arcade section to try out the games. Christian saw me eyeing a stuffed animal in the crane machine and spent a full $5 trying to get it. I felt so bad for him that I used my telekinesis to help him finally catch it on the last try. He handed it to me with pride, and I cuddled the stuffed lion knowing I'd keep it forever.
When Christian tucked me back into his SUV to drive me back to Vancouver, he pulled out his phone. "Just so you know, we're in the Seattle Nooz. I got the alert from my PR department this morning."
I focused through my inebriation to read the short article lamenting the fact that the unofficial king of Seattle was apparently off the market, snapped up by an unknown brunette. There was a high-quality photo of us talking to each other through the window of the Capital Grille to go with it.
"Huh. I'm in the news, even if it's just the gossip column. And once we're seen together on other dates weeks or months from now, actual reputable publications will take notice. Nobody girl from Montesano with the billionaire? It's like a real life Cinderella," I mused, handing him back his phone.
"You're hardly a nobody. You're literally twice as smart as half my team," Christian snorted. He got less refined when he was buzzed. Plus he was truly relaxed in my presence instead of rigidly maintaining his self-control as Elena had taught him to do.
"Yeah, well, I won't let this bother me. I just hope Elena doesn't call you about you being out with me in public. She'll assume I'm your Submissive and that you went around her to find and make a contract with me," I pointed out.
"Fair point well made, as per usual, Miss Steele," Christian groaned. "I didn't even think of the Elena angle. I can just imagine her building a head of steam and trying to walk into my office to confront me. When Security throws her on her ass out the door, she'll really be confused."
"Have you thought about when to go to the cops to press charges?" I asked, trying hard not to slur. I could still walk a straight line, but my usual clarity of thought was muddled.
"I have a meeting with the Chief of Police and the District Attorney on Thursday," Christian answered. "I want to hear from the DA whether I have a chance of convincing 12 jurors to take a female-on-male sexual assault seriously, and if I get even a soft 'yes' I want at least 6 detectives investigating her full-time. I want her to go to prison and them to throw away the key."
"I hate to say it, but the BDSM factor will be in your favor. If she'd just seduced you and you had a 'vanilla' affair for six years, you'd have even less chance of convincing anyone she was in the wrong," I mused.
"There is that," Christian agreed. "But once it gets out that I was blindfolded, handcuffed, and pegged in high school, I predict business with others in the industry to get more complicated."
I blushed. "Erm, I know we haven't even had sex yet, but did you enjoy the butt stuff, or did you just go along with it because Elena convinced you to let her?"
"I've fingered myself of my own volition, prostate stimulation is distinct but just as pleasurable as penetration, at least to me," Christian said with a straight face.
"Duly noted," I nodded, and tried very hard to pretend Taylor was deaf and hadn't listened to every word.
Christian walked me to my door along with Kate. Kate took the hints I was sending and left us alone at the door to go to her room.
"Would you like the tour?" I asked.
"I'd be delighted," he grinned.
I took him to the kitchen. "This is where I spend most of my free time, idle hands do the devil's work after all. When I'm not cooking for me and Kate, I'm making treats for our friends and neighbors. Kate's allowance from her dad is insanely high, so I can afford all the groceries."
"Can our next date be a simple meal, here or your new place in Seattle or even just at Escala? I'd love to try your cooking," Christian asked hopefully.
"Sure thing, but bring your own wine," I chuckled.
The living room took 2 seconds, and then we reached my bedroom, which is where I'd really wanted him to end up. I laid the stuffed lion I'd helped him win me on my bed. "Thank you again for Eddie."
"What is with you and your habit of naming inanimate objects?" he chuckled.
"Just one of my many idiosyncrasies," I shrugged.
Christian's eyes went around the room. "You read these for fun, don't you?" he asked, looking at my shelf of academic textbooks, most of which weren't even about my two majors.
"A mind needs books as a sword needs a whetstone, if it is to keep its edge," I quoted. "Tyrion Lannister, one of the few redeemable characters in A Song of Ice and Fire. If I had HBO, I'd love to see how Peter Dinklage is portraying him in the new show."
Christian reached my more casual nonfiction section. "What's 'The Singularity is Near'? I know Ray Kurzweil by reputation for his inventions, but I didn't know he was an author," Christian asked.
"He's a famous futurist, and he has some sound data to back up some of his more ambitious predictions. His model is called the 'Law of Accelerating Returns'. He argues that Moore's Law is just an expression of a deeper principle inherent to all technology, that progress doubles in a fairly consistent time frame throughout history. He's projected what computers and other technologies will be capable of well into the 21st century and wrote this book to explain to the layman why the Singularity will probably happen by 2045, give or take a decade."
"I thought a singularity was a black hole," Christian said, confused.
"It's a term in physics that is defined as 'the point past which all the old rules cease to apply'. It's used in computer and AI research to describe the point at which a computer becomes smarter, in terms of both hardware and software, than the smartest human on Earth. At that point, we'll be replaced as the dominant lifeform on the planet Earth, and there's no way to know what will happen. I think Kurzweil is too optimistic and doesn't account for human error, greed, or general stupidity. But I agree with him that the Singularity will happen in my lifetime. That's why I want to be part of the effort to help make the special computer that will reach it," I laid out, sitting on my bed since my feet were tired.
Christian nodded and reached my fiction shelf. "You have eclectic taste. ASOIF, I expected since you quoted it. Victorian romances, I can see where you're coming from. But who's 'Dante Valentine' and what are the 'Dresden Files'?"
"They're both urban fantasy. I know I'm a scientist at heart, but I love the idea that magic has existed the whole time and the modern world is just ignorant or willingly blind to it. Dante Valentine is set a few hundred years into the future, after 'the Awakening' when psychics came out of the shadows and magic and technology began to mix. The lead is a necromancer for hire who gets hired by Lucifer himself and ends up falling in love with a demon. There's plasma guns and anti-grav skateboards to go along with goblins and runes. Dresden Files is set in modern-day Chicago and follows the only wizard in the phonebook. Butcher is a better writer than Saintcrow, but they're both some of my favorite series," I explained.
He reached my DVD shelf. "I can't even read half these titles," he chuckled.
"Most of them have English subtitles. And if you ever want to listen to me drone on for an evening, I can interpret while you watch for those that don't," I offered.
"Hearing you speak French was the sexiest thing I'd heard all year," Christian said, frank both from his natural character and the alcohol in his bloodstream. "Say something in Yue, I can't wait until we have that first call with the company in June."
"你想讓我咩話?" I asked. 'What do you want me to say?'
I didn't need enhanced vision to see him pitch a tent. "Fuck," he moaned. "You have a talented tongue, Anastasia."
Blame it on the drinking, blame it on the confidence I had that he'd someday propose to me and I'd say yes, but I decided to go further than I ever had before with a man. "You can't really say that yet, can you? You haven't felt what I can do with it."
Christian may have had a few glasses of scotch, but he got my meaning. "Are you sure?" he asked, even though he was clearly hoping I'd say yes.
"I'm sure. Now get over here, I can't blow you from all the way over there," I said with a sultry grin, or at least I hoped it came off that way.
He all but ripped himself out of his suit that could pay my yearly rent. He finally stood before me, gloriously naked, and quite obviously hard. Precum was even dripping from the dip to hit the floor. I drank in the sight of him, and even though my inner animal was ready to roll over and present for this alpha male stud, I couldn't help but notice the scars from where the pimp had burned him.
He saw I was looking at his chest and not his crotch and sighed. "Not tonight, Anastasia. I'll tell you in due time, but not tonight."
"Okay. Can you come closer?" I asked.
He stepped up until his legs were brushing against mine as I sat on the edge of the bed. Given our height difference and his massive size, I was actually in a good position to take him like this. I reached up to cup his balls, which were each the size of a McIntosh apple, and braced myself. Mentally rereading every article of Cosmo I'd ever seen in regards to fellatio, I took the head into my mouth, trying hard not to scrape with my teeth.
It was salty and musky, and in a very real way reminded me of sucking on my thumb as a little girl, just bigger. I lapped at the slit with my tongue, and was rewarded with a twitch and an audible moan from Christian. Emboldened, I held my breath and went down as far as I could go. I had to stop when my nose began to smush up against his groin. Well, what do you know? Not having a gag reflex was proving useful for once.
"Christ, Anastasia," Christian groaned, and I saw his hands curl into fists out of the corner of my vision. Reaching out, I grabbed them and guided them to my head. I hoped the message was clear, my mouth was rather full at the moment.
He began to guide me up and down, making sure I had breaks to catch a breath. It ended up taking so long I would have worried I was doing it wrong if I couldn't hear him swearing and moaning above me. Finally, I heard him say "Ana… I'm gonna…"
Curious, I pulled back until the head was resting on my tongue. I sucked strongly and brought up a hand to grab him. He felt so hot and full in my hand, and I began to stroke, my palm slicked by my own saliva.
Christian threw back his head and I felt him start to twitch in my grip. Spurts of a thick, almost nutty liquid hit my tongue. I swallowed them down until they stopped coming about 10 seconds later. Once I was sure his orgasm was over, I pulled back until he fell out of my mouth, his male organ shrinking to a still-impressive size.
Christian seemed to come down from whatever cloud I'd sent him to. He sat down on the bed next to me and just focused on regaining his breath.
"How'd I do?" I asked, nervous despite myself.
"I want to castrate every fucker you ever practiced on, but that was easiliy in my top 5," he chuckled.
I blushed at his praise. "Um, you're actually my first."
He might have gotten whiplash, he turned to face me so fast. "What? How is that possible?"
"I repeat, before you I'd had 11 dates between 5 guys. Third base is the furthest I've ever gotten, and that was 15 seconds ago," I explained to him.
"You're a virgin?!" he gasped.
"Keep it down, you'll wake Kate. Assuming she wasn't listening through the wall the whole time," I added. I tuned into her thoughts. Thankfully, she was asleep.
"Ana, men must throw themselves at your feet!" Christian said, though thankfully at a lower volume.
"Never one I really wanted until you came along," I said honestly.
He processed that and gave me a crooked grin that made me melt. "I'm honored to be your first, then." Then he got a look of pure embarrassment. "Christ, I showed you my playroom!"
"I'm a red blooded American with internet access, I didn't see anything I hadn't researched in my own time. And you haven't seen the books I hide under the bed yet." I yawned, all my tiredness hitting me at once. "Thank you for a great third date, I had a lot of fun tonight."
"Thank YOU, Anastasia. I may be 27, but I don't feel like I properly started to live until you came into my office last week," he told me.
"I'm too tired to react properly to how sweet you're being. Crap, I actually got to get up to lock the door behind you," I sighed.
Christian hesitated before setting his shoulders. "You shared a first with me. I'll share one with you. Let me sleep here tonight. I've never slept in a bed with another woman."
I blinked. "Not even Elena?" I asked, reviewing his memories and finding he was actually telling the truth. Apart from crawling into Grace's bed after a couple nightmares as a child, he'd never shared a bed with a woman for sleep, not sex.
"Especially not her. She's the one who taught me that intimacy was for the weak and stupid," he frowned.
I eyed his naked body and decided to even us out. I slipped off my shirt and pants, and slid out of my underwear. I never shaved, seemingly hairless below the scalp and eyebrows. For once, I was happy to be a bit abnormal, as I saw Christian look me up and down in wonder and no small amount of lust. I grabbed Eddie and laid back so my head rested on my pillow. I patted the space of my twin bed next to me. Christian laid down beside me. We just stared at each other for a few seconds before I giggled. I was still fairly drunk after all. "Um, what do we do now?" I asked.
"I guess we go to sleep," he said, sounding just as clueless.
I leaned in to give him a peck on the lips. "Nighty-night, Christian," I said before closing my eyes and slowing my breathing.
"Nighty-night, Anastasia," he said under his breath.