Chpt. 48 APOV:
After the world wind week, Christian and I enjoyed a nice, relaxing, drama free day on Sunday. We slept in, which is rare for Christian I've learned, snuggled on the couch in the great room watching movies and just enjoyed time together. Christian rarely checked his email and made no work related calls which surprised me. Gail and Taylor both had the day off, for the first time in a while it truly felt like Christian and I were the only ones in the apartment even though I know that Sawyer was in the staff apartment he remained there the entire day. I tried a new recipe for dinner, making a vegetable lasagna which Christian declared was his second favorite dish which didn't surprise me because I know he loves macaroni and cheese.
"What are your plans this week?" Christian asks as we get ready for bed.
"Mia, Kate and I are going shopping for the Coping Together Gala on Wednesday," I explain.
"That should be fun," Christian jokes.
"I tried to get out of it but they insisted I had to go," I whine.
"Hopefully it won't be too painful," he laughs. "I have to warn you though Mia can shop for hours."
"I figured as much," I sigh. "She is just like Kate in so many ways. What about you? What is your week like?"
"Meetings, conference calls and more meetings I'm sure," he explains. "I know I have a couple late meetings scheduled this week so there will probably be a few nights I won't be home in time for dinner. Don't wait to eat for me, Gail knows to leave my dish in the fridge and I will just heat it up when I get home."
"I'll probably ask Gail to join me for dinner then, I hate eating alone," I say.
"Hopefully the meetings won't run too late," Christian sighs.
"It's not a problem Christian, really," I assure him. "I know your job is demanding and that there will be nights when you work late and other times when you are gone for days traveling."
"I love you so much," Christian kisses me deeply.
"I love you too baby," I reply in between kisses.
The next few days pass by slowly, as Christian said he came home pretty late and has missed dinner each day this week. As much as I wish Christian was working so late, I know the only reason his company is as successful as it is today is because of the long hours he puts in every day. Gail has dinner with me each night, Sawyer even joined on one night after we twisted his arm hard enough to make him realize that he can monitor the security of our apartment even when sitting at the table for dinner. I think he just felt weird because he was technically working but since Gail and I were both still in Escala there wasn't much that was likely to happen.
"Have fun today shopping," Christian says before kissing me goodbye the next morning.
"UGH don't remind me," I moan.
"Maybe it won't be as bad as you're thinking," he says hopefully.
"Have you ever been shopping with your sister?" I ask.
"Good point," he laughs. "At least try to have fun."
"Are you ready to go shopping?!" Mia screams as she walks into the great room a few hours later.
"As ready as I'll ever be," I try to smile.
"Oh come on Ana….it's going to be fun!" Kate exclaims.
"You ready for a day of shopping Sawyer?" Mia asks.
"Yes ma'am," Sawyer answers.
"Let's go!" Mia says happily.
We all pile into the SUV and Sawyer drives the short distance to the shops the Mia had insisted we go today. I can tell as soon as we pull up that these are the types of stores that only carry the finest things which translates into very large price tags. As we enter the first shop and begin to look at dresses, I quickly realize how right the first impression was. Every gown we look at costs at least $3,000 which doesn't includes shoes and jewelry. Of course Kate and Mia don't bat an eye at the cost; I don't think either of them even looked at the price tag before they ran to try dresses on. Even though it's Christian's money I'm using to buy the dress I just don't see the point in spending such a large amount of money on a dress I'm only going to wear for a few hours.
"Have you found something yet?" Mia asks coming out of the dress room with yet another dress that she has tried on.
"Not yet," I sigh.
"Stop thinking about how much it costs," Kate whispers.
"Kate, seriously $5495 for a dress I'm going to wear for a few hours?" I hiss.
"True, but every time someone searches for news about you the first picture that pops up is going to be of you in whatever dress you wear to the gala because that's when you are announcing your marriage," Kate points out.
"I suppose you're right," I sigh.
"Ana! I found the perfect dress for you!" Mia bounces towards us.
"Go try it on!" Kate ushers me into the dressing room before I've even had a chance to look at the dress.
I sigh as I begin to get undressed realizing Kate was right, since Christian is in the public eye it's likely we're going to be pictured in magazines, newspapers and even on the internet once word spreads about our marriage. Until Kate mentioned it, I had forgotten that we are supposed to meet with a reporter for a private interview before the Gala in exchange for their assistance with getting my journal back. As I zipper the back of the dress up I can't help but gasp at my reflection in the full length mirror. Mia certainly does have amazing taste when it comes to clothes; the dress she picked out is absolutely perfect. The gown is a midnight blue color with silver accents along the sweetheart neckline and on the hem of the dress. The dress itself falls just to my feet in the front but sweeps the floor in the back providing an added elegant touch. The back of the dress comes just to the middle of my back, it's just high enough to cover my scars.
"Ana! You look so pretty!" Kate gushes.
"That's it! You look perfect! You have to get this dress Ana!" Mia exclaims.
"I think you're right Mia," I giggle. "This is the dress."
"We have all found our dresses!" Mia announces happily.
"We should grab some lunch," Kate suggests.
"Why don't you guys talk to Sawyer about lunch while I change?" I suggest.
After quickly changing out of the gown and back into my jeans and t shirt, I pay for the dress and join Saywer, Mia and Kate near the entrance to the store. I tried not to look shocked when the sales woman told me the total cost of the dress but I'm sure the surprise was evident. I don't know that I will ever get used to spending this large amount of money on things. Christian seems to have no problem spending money, but I don't know that I will ever become that comfortable with it. Maybe it's because I struggled for so long and had to watch literally every penny I spent…
"Ana? Are you ready?" Kate pulls me from my thoughts.
"All set," I say.
"All of the purchases will be delivered later today," Sawyer announces.
"Perfect, we don't have to carry the bags around!" Mia exclaims.
"Thank you," I say.
"There's a small bistro a few stores down we thought we could go to. They have tables on the patio we could sit outside and eat at," Kate suggests.
"Sounds good," I reply.
As we walk the short distance to the bistro I can't shake the feeling that someone is watching us or rather watching me. I keep glancing behind me but I don't see anyone that stands out; Sawyer catches my uneasiness but I shake my head to indicate it's probably nothing. We manage to get two tables next to each other at the bistro as Sawyer insisted on sitting apart from us so he could keep a better eye on things he says but I can't help but think it's because he is getting tired of hearing all the girl talk. Mia and Kate have been talking nonstop the entire time about shoes, make up and jewelry they are planning on wearing to the gala.
"We should spend the morning at the spa before the gala!" Mia suggests as our food arrives.
"Oh that was so much fun when we did it for Ana's wedding!" Kate agrees.
"We just need to find a new salon to try," Mia points out.
"Why? Where did you go before?" I ask.
"We always went to one of Elena's salons," Mia answers.
"Oh," I say.
"I heard they closed all of her salons," Kate says.
"They still haven't found her?" Mia asks.
"Not yet," I answer. "They have the man who was driving the car, he is awaiting trial was the last thing I heard."
"I don't get how the police can't find her," Mia sighs.
"She has money, and money can buy you anything," Kate points out.
"Mia, maybe your mom could recommend another salon?" I change the subject not wanting to think about Elena right now especially when I can't help the feeling that we're being watched.
"I'm sure she can," Mia smiles.
The rest of lunch is spent talking about the gala, I'm surprised to learn how involved Mia has been in the planning process. Turns out her and Grace have been planning this gala basically since last year's was over; between seeking donors and meeting with new vendors this has been a long process. Mia proudly discusses everything that has been done so far for the gala and the few things that still need to be taken care of over the next ten or so days. Mia's entire face lights up when she talks about the gala, you can see how proud she is that everything is coming together.
"Have you thought about going into event planning Mia?" I ask.
"No," she pauses as if to think about it. "That's not a bad idea though…I've always loved helping mom plan the fundraising events."
"I thought you just finished culinary school?" Kate asks.
"I did," Mia sighs. "But I don't know that I want to work in a hot sweaty kitchen every day. I enjoy cooking but now that I've been working in a real restaurant it's not quite what I thought it would be. I have really liked planning the gala with my mom, especially over the last few weeks when it's getting closer to the gala and everything is falling into place. It's something to think about…"
"Should we head back to Escala?" I ask, hoping our day of shopping is over.
"We should go back and watch a chick flick!" Mia exclaims.
"Sounds good to me, I have dinner plans with Elliot tonight but not until later," Kate agrees.
"Are you ladies ready?" Sawyer asks as we gather our purses.
"We're going to go back to Escala," I inform him.
As we start walking back to the SUV, I still feel as if someone is watching or following us. I make it a point to walk closely to Sawyer even though I can't see anything that looks suspicious.
"Oh NO!" Mia screams as we reach the SUV.
The black SUV is covered in white paint and the tires have been slashed; Sawyer quickly calls Taylor and informs him of the situation. Taylor immediately leaves GEH and heads to the parking lot where we are all standing just staring at the SUV. Luckily we weren't far from GEH so Taylor arrives pretty quickly to access the situation.
"Who would do this?" Kate wonders.
"We will find out," Sawyer vows.
"Let's get back to Escala, Sawyer arrange for someone to tow this thing out of here," Taylor instructs.
"I can't believe someone did that in the middle of the day!" Mia exclaims.
"Hopefully there were cameras in the lot, so we can find out who did it," I think aloud.
"You don't think it could have been Elena do you?" Kate asks.
"I wouldn't think she would be stupid enough to stay in the area but I suppose anything is possible," I answer.
I'll meet you at Escala –C
You don't have to leave work, we're fine –A
I will be there in a few minutes –C
Taylor is extra cautious in driving us back to Escala, I realize he has chosen to take a different route which is longer than the one we drove on the way to the shopping center. I see him and Sawyer frequently check the rear and side mirrors paying close attention whenever our vehicle comes to a stop. Mia and Kate are quiet, it seems we are all sitting on the edge of our seats afraid that something is going to happen at any minute. Finally we arrive back to Escala, once we arrive at the apartment we are let out a collective sigh of relief.
"What the fuck happened?" Christian says rushing towards us, pulling me close to him.
"Christian, let's go into the great room. I think everyone could use a drink," I suggest.
Gail quickly pours Mia, Kate, Christian and myself a glass of wine before setting out some light snacks nearby. Even though we just ate lunch we all help ourselves to the snacks; the food and wine are both helping to settle our nerves.
"Mr. Grey, we had just returned to the parking lot from having lunch when we found the SUV covered in white paint with flat tires. I immediately surveyed the situation and the surrounding area, there was no immediate threat that I was able to identify. I contacted Taylor who quickly arrived to transport everyone back here. The vehicle has been towed to the dealership," Sawyer explains.
"Barney is reviewing footage from the security cameras however he has warned that the images are very blurry and distorted as the cameras were some distance away from the SUV," Taylor adds.
"There was no one near the car when you approached it?" Christian asks.
"No sir," Sawyer quickly answers. "There were a few people getting in and out of cars but they were further towards the front of the parking lot. There were no cars parked on either side of us and only one parked in front of us."
"Has there been any movement on finding Elena? Could this be her?" Christian asks angrily.
"There have been a few sightings of her but nothing that anyone can confirm yet. The car that was used to hit Ana was found late last night in a deserted area," Taylor says.
"Why am I just hearing about this now?" Christian demands.
"The detective emailed me moments ago to confirm that the vehicle found had been the one that hit Ana. It appears the vehicle was purposely set on fire therefore they had to wait until the trace came back on the VIN number before they were able to confirm that it was the same vehicle," Taylor explains.
"Where was the car found?" I ask.
"A couple of hours from here in a deserted parking lot," Taylor replies.
"So that means she is probably still fairly local," I sigh.
"Or it means she had someone do this for her," Taylor suggests.
"Who else would she get to do it? Leila is safely in a hospital receiving treatment and this Murphy person is in prison awaiting trial," Christian points out.
"I don't know sir," Taylor admits.
"Why can't she just leave you both alone? What does she want from you?" Mia asks.
"To break us apart," I answer honestly.
"But why? What does she expect to get out of it?" Kate asks.
"I pulled all financial support from her salons; it's likely she would have to had to close them in the next couple of months if she didn't find another investor," Christian answers.
"And she thinks if she broke up you and Ana that you would give her money again?" Kate asks.
"I don't know what she is thinking," Christian frowns. "Never would I have thought she was capable of arranging for someone to try to kill Ana, yet she did."
"So what now?" Mia asks.
"We tighten security," Taylor answers. "The fact that she got to our one our vehicles today is concerning-"
"I think she was there today," I whisper.
"What? Did you see her?" Christian asks worried.
"No, not exactly," I answer. "But I felt like we were being followed or watched all day today. I couldn't shake the feeling no matter what I did. I didn't see anything though…"
"I scanned the area whenever we stopped as I could tell that Ms. Steele felt uncomfortable but at no time did anyone stand out. We were not followed that I was able to determine," Sawyer explains.
"Going forward, Ana I'm going to assign two security guards to you at all times when you are in public places. Once you start work at the hospital I believe Sawyer will be sufficient given the level of security already in place at the hospital. We will have at least three members of security directly with the two of you at the gala in addition to the security we already have in place for the event," Taylor explains.
"Maybe starting at the hospital right now isn't-" Christian begins to suggest.
"Don't say it," I warn. "I am starting at the hospital on Monday, I don't care what is happening at that time. I am not putting my life on hold because of this bitch!"
"I don't think the hospital is going to pose a risk, Mr. Grey. I have already reviewed the floor plans and identified the area that Ms. Steele is going to be assigned to. This only one entrance to the area the publication department is placed in which will allow Sawyer to monitor everyone who comes in and out of the area," Taylor explains.
"I still don't like the idea," Christian grumbles.
"I'll be fine," I assure him.
"Ummmm….I know this isn't the best time but I need to head home. I have a date with Elliot in an hour that I need to get ready for," Kate interrupts.
"Of course, Sawyer will drive you and Mia home," Christian says apologetically.
"I can call a cab Christian," Kate suggests.
"No, of course not. Sawyer?" Christian asks.
"It's not a problem ma'am," Sawyer confirms.
After dinner, we review the video footage that Barney was able to obtain from the shopping center. As Taylor warned the footage is essentially useless. The video was taken from so far away that you can't make any details out about the person. What we do see is an individual who is wearing a long sleeve jacket with a hood and baseball cap approaching the SUV about an hour after we arrived. They seem to just appear on camera carrying a duffle bag, you never see them exit or enter a vehicle. We watch the person throw a container of paint at the SUV and then slice the tires with a sharp knife. The person packs everything back into the duffle bag and walks away as if nothing happened. Christian rewinds and forwards the footage several times but it only makes him more and more angry as he realizes he cannot identify the person. My gut says it's Elena but without a better view we can't confirm it.
The next day, Christian reluctantly returns to GEH; he tried insisting he should remain at Escala with me just in case something happened. I was finally able to convince him that he should go to GEH when I promised that I would not leave Escala today. I didn't have anything planned anyway so it wasn't as if I was cancelling plans to stay here. Gail and I spent the day preparing a roast for dinner; we both enjoy cooking and decided to try out a new recipe that Gail had found. It was a lot of work just to prepare it, but once it started cooking you could tell just by the smell that it was going to be a delicious meal.
"Ana, you have a delivery," Sawyer announces as Gail and I finish our lunch.
"I didn't order anything," I say cautiously.
"Mr. Grey and Taylor cleared it," he says.
I walk into the foyer and find at least a dozen bags from Neiman Marcus with new clothes, new shoes and even new jewelry. I immediately text Christian knowing that he is behind the new clothes.
Do you know anything about a delivery? –A
I thought you might need something to wear to work next week –C
I'm sure I have something in that massive closet I could have worn –A
A new job calls for new clothes –C
You're spoiling me –A
I intend to do that for the rest of my life –C
After this no more….I don't even want to think about what all this costs on top of the dress I bought for the gala yesterday –A
Then don't think about it –C
You drive me crazy –A
You love me –C
That I do –A
I love you too –C
"What's all this Ana?" Gail asks.
"It seems my husband thought I needed new clothes for work next week," I laugh.
"That was very thoughtful of him," Gail says.
"Yes it was," I smile.
"How about we take these upstairs? I can help you put it all away if you want?" Gail suggests.
"Thank you," I reply.
After nearly an hour, all the clothes are unpacked and hung up in our closet. Christian ordered so much that I could probably wear a different outfit every day for three weeks without having to do laundry. I know this is something I'm definitely going to have a difficult time adjusting to, the man literally seems to just throw his money around. I have no idea what is financial situation is but I can't help but worry given how careless he seems with it. I'm sure he has financial advisors but still…
"There you are," Christian walks into the library a few hours later.
"Hi," I set down the book I was reading and kiss him.
"Did you like your delivery?" he asks.
"I did," I smile. "But I wish you would stop spending so much money on me."
"Baby, it's nothing," he says.
"I just spent a lot of money on the dress for the gala, now you buy me more clothes than I could possibly need, not to mention the wedding in Vegas which I know must have cost a fortune-" I begin.
"Baby, it's not an issue. Trust me," he interrupts.
"It's a lot of money to suddenly spend Christian," I point out.
"I have more money than I could ever spend in a lifetime Ana," he explains. "I closed a deal yesterday that put more than four million dollars into my pocket. That was from one deal, one project – forget the deals that I have closed in the last year which all typically result in a rather large profit. I could retire right now, continue living at my current means and still die at a ripe old age with billions of dollars in the bank. Trust me when I tell you that spending money on the wedding, on the dress or on a work wardrobe is nothing. Hell all those combined don't cost half of my weekly salary."
"Oh," I say surprised.
"See, nothing to worry about," he smiles before kissing me again.