Back at the apartment I have barely walked through the door after my shift when I see Kate jump off the sofa and spring towards me. Not only is she not hungover but she seems fine. In jeans and a tank top, she storms toward me like a woman on a mission. I quickly dump my bag down on the table next to the door and head for the sofa. I don't quite make it as Kate stops me.
"Now tell me everything." She asks. This is full blown detective Kate mode. She wants information on a certain person.
"Can I at least sit-down." She nods her head and lets me move past her and I slump down onto the sofa. She turns a full hundred and ninety degrees and is staring at me her arms folded across her chest.
"Well? I'm waiting." I know if I try to argue how it will end so I stop before I even begin.
"What do you want to know?" I sigh as Kate jumps toward me excited.
"What's he like?" I replay our meeting in my mind before answering. "He is smart, mysterious, handsome, confident and one big riddle," Kate smirks at me she is up to something.
"Interesting choice of words let's start with handsome." I try to butt in as I see her mind working.
"Oh, no Kate." but she is already leaping to her own answers.
"You like him. He's one big riddle that you would love to unravel." She is grinning with delight.
"No Kate your so wrong." My argument doesn't even sound convincing in my own head.
"What did he ask you backstage for?" She changes topic area.
"I don't know," I reply sullenly.
"Did you not even ask him?" Does she really think that wouldn't be the first question out of my mouth? Saying that it was my last question I asked him.
"Yes, I did ask him as a matter of fact. His exact words were so many reasons, Miss Steele." I decide to leave out the goodnight part. Kate is nodding in silence listening to my every word. "I also told him I thought all magicians were conmen." Kate gasps.
"Tell me you didn't." I nod looking up at her. Her face was filled with both shock and a glint in her eyes. "Did he tell you how he did any of his tricks? Like your mom's necklace or his card."
I smile back at her ready to throw the magicians catch line at her. "Magicians never reveals their secrets."
She rolls her eyes before asking. "Did he say anything else?" It seems like Kate is a record stuck in the same place over and over again as one of the lines he said to me comes back.
"After I asked him about the card he said maybe one day I'll show you."
Kate almost flattens me as she dives at me. Pulling me into a hug as she pulls back smiling.
"Ana he likes you. He wants to show you his tricks. He invited you backstage. He wants you." I shake my head as she releases me and heads to the kitchen to make us a drink. Christian Grey likes me. No, Kate is mistaken. She is wrong, she has to be.
I Just make it out of the shower with a towel around my body and using my other white towel to dry my hair when I hear our apartment door open. The sound of Jose's voice comes through the wall as I hear his deep low voice chatting. Shit, I forgot Saturday night is our standard get together evening. Me, Kate, Jose, and James had been meeting up on a Saturday night ever since college. I quickly towel dry my body as I fish out some underwear from my drawer and slip my jogging bottoms on. I can't find any of my bras as I ransack my room and just throw a t-shirt on. I keep hold of my towel as I walk out my room drying my hair.
James sees me first as he sits down on the sofa. His smile is contagious as he jumps up. "Hey, Ana good to see you." He steps up and I embrace him.
He is hugging me back when I remember I'm not wearing a bra and quickly pull back from him. He grins at me handing me a beer. I take it from his hand just as Jose steps out from the kitchen with Kate a step behind him.
"Ana I'm glad you're here." His deep voice booming through our apartment.
I sit down as I take a sip of my beer and James moves next to me on the sofa. Kate flops down on the sofa across and Jose perches himself on the arm closest to me. I catch eyes with Kate who raises her eyebrows. I remember her comment about Jose and James liking me. It does give me pause how Jose didn't sit down next to Jess on the perfectly free seat.
"So you girls been up to anything good?" James asks in his soft-spoken accent.
It's difficult to realize that James and Jose are brothers. They are only two years apart but very different in looks. James is your typical boy next door in looks with blonde hair and brown eyes. Tall but slim. Jose, on the other hand, seems older and built with short black hair and brown eyes. His work at the garage helps him keep his muscle tone.
"Well, we went to see Christian Grey last night. He was very good wasn't he Ana?" Kate smiles over at me as I start to blush.
Jose see's the look she gives me as James pipes up. "You lucky girls. I bet he was amazing."
Jose looks over at me confused then he turns back to Kate. "Who the hell is Christian Grey?" His voice dripping with sarcasm.
"He is only the world's best magician. Dude, he is amazing. You got to check him out. I'm so jealous. How did you get the tickets?" James has put down his beer and seems so animated.
"A friend had two tickets and couldn't go so she gave them to me," Kate answers as I feel Jose's gaze back on me. I shrink down and drink my beer, it tastes good.
"Why didn't you ask me to go Kate? I'm a huge fan of his." James asks a little upset.
"Sorry hun I couldn't leave my girl at home alone. Though she did leave me to go backstage and meet him on her own." Kate tells them as James spills his beer. I pray to escape to my bedroom and safety.
Kate jumps up to get a cloth for James and Jose's eyes are burning into me. I risk a look at him, he seems tense his shoulders hunched his voice low.
"You went backstage to meet him?" In that split second I know Kate was right at least about Jose.
He seems angry which makes me defensive. "Yes, I went backstage to meet him. We had a drink and chatted so what?" My words come out stronger than I mean and I see Jose relax a little.
Kate comes back in with a cloth she throws to James. "Thanks, babe. I wish I could have met him. I could have asked him to sign my collection." He is dabbling his shirt trying to soak up the beer.
The rest of the evening is a lot more comfortable with all of us discussing our work as well as our lives. James keeps coming out with little jokes that have me and Kate in fits of giggles. Even Jose mellows out and relaxes. He does keep staying awfully close to me and asking little questions about what happened backstage with the oh so gorgeous Christian Grey. I'm grateful when Kate finally kicks them out around one in the morning. Kate begins cleaning up as I head into my bedroom to crash. I barely remember getting into bed.
I wake up late on Sunday. Rolling over I'm so glad I don't have work today. I glance at my alarm clock and see it reads ten past ten. Without even thinking I throw the cover over my head as my mind tells me, five more minutes.
I'm on stage in a beautiful silk cream backless gown with two spotlights on me. I can't see the audience, but I can hear the applause. I have no idea why they are applauding as I have not done anything. From behind me, I feel a hand trail over my bare back. The hand is covered in a soft glove, but the spark I feel on my skin is unmistakable. It's him. I want to move, but I feel paralyzed. The hand trails along my spine and down to the base of my spine.
I want to see him, I need to see him. My head is frozen in place as he moves in front of me. A black-suited figure in front of me. He slowly pulls at the glove to remove it and I can't see his face due to the damn spotlights. His bare hand is released from the glove and he takes his soft hand running over my face. Over my cheek as they flush crimson, moving down onto my neck. His fingers feel light as feathers. Then they are on my collar bone. I gasp wanting his hand to dip just a little lower.
I awake with a jolt all thanks to Kate dropping a pan in the kitchen. My breathing is ragged and my legs are wide open in bed. My pulse is racing and I look at the clock to see it ten past one in the afternoon. My inner devil is pissed at Kate, her arms folded and her horns glowing red. I lay back in bed wishing to continue my dream. Life is cruel however and I get no such luck. Ten minutes later and I'm up eating my breakfast which is technically dinner.
My mom calls me every Sunday at four like clockwork. I really believe she is missing dad. He works away a lot for the airline meaning mom is alone, sometimes for long periods. She likes to keep herself busy decorating and redecorating the whole house. The only room she never touches is my room as she likes to keep it just how I left it. I get informed that Chicago weather is dull and cold and has been for most of the week. I tell her San Diego has been in sunshine the whole week. Dad is currently in Seattle with the airline and has been for a week now. She ends the call letting me know to be safe.
The rest of the night is uneventful as me and Kate order Chinese food and then sit down to watch Troy. Kate swoons over Brad's Pitt's muscles asking me why men aren't built like that. My mind briefly flashes the image of Christian in my mind. Bite me I whisper under my breath. Meanwhile, I am trying to hold back from crying as Eric Bana says goodbye to his wife and baby. I manage not to sob into my ice cream. As soon as the film ends we both call it a night. I dive into bed already in my Pajama's hoping to dream of Christian.
(Think Ana will have another dream about Christian? Also got to meet Jose and his younger brother James. What is your thoughts on the new character? Thank you for all your kind comments about my story. Feel free to ask any questions if your unsure but I will only hold off answering if they impact the story later on. Please do review this. I love reviews. And remember to follow or favourite or both if your enjoying this story. Thank you. SJamesW.)