Chapter four

After leaving the bar, Ana cycled back home, and he followed her on another bike he'd picked up from a bike rack. He'd found that many locals used the bike system which was available in selected locations. At this point, six days after his arrival, he felt quite sure he knew his way around the island. So far, he'd avoided using a rental car which would make his comings and goings traceable.

As usual, he hid in the nearest bushes and watched Ana go into her house. He was about to retire back to his hotel for the night when he saw Ana exit her house at around 8:00 P.M and visit her next-door neighbor, three doors to her left. Through observation, he had learned that home was occupied primarily by an older woman, much older than Gladys and her grandson. All week long he'd seen signs of suspicious activity-many different people coming and going even late at night- but this was the first time he'd seen Ana visit the neighbor's house.

The thing that Christian disliked the most about the island was the limitations on internet access which did not allow him to do a background check on the neighbors. However, a couple of days ago he'd been able to purchase an internet card and go into an internet center and do a search on Jose Rodriguez, the older woman's grandson who worked nearby as an auto mechanic in a small auto-shop. This Jose had the same name as the airport taxi driver but was definitely not the same person. Through the government-sponsored internet, Christian had learned that JOSE was a Political ACTIVIST who had been in prison for writing political propaganda against the government. Jose was the leader of a small group of revolucionarios. The national revolutionary police had discovered three bombs that had been set up in trash bins in the last month. The perpetrators had been called terrorists, traitors, delinquents, the criminal element. From what he read, Christian concluded that the targets had been inconsequential, more noise than effect.

…..

Inside Jose's house.

"I got you a little present," one of Jose's buddies said handing him a fancy department store bag.

Ana smiled, but her smile soon turned into shock as Jose unfolded a pair of pants and a knit shirt to reveal a small black pistol.

"Beautiful!" Jose slapped the other guy on the back. "Beautiful." He then turned around facing the dresser and pointed the gun at himself in the dresser mirror. "What a beautiful little bitch she is. You barely have to touch her, and she goes off."

"Jose! What kind of a gun is that?" Ana asked, stepping back, her heart beating fast. This was the first time she'd seen a weapon of that magnitude.

"It's a pistol. A Makarov. The magazine holds eight rounds. Small, light, easily concealed, reliable as your grandmother's cooking." Jose now held the pistol on the flat of his arm, showing it off. "Sexy, don't you think?" He said to Ana bringing it closer for her inspection. "You want to kiss it?"

The entire time, Christian had been watching through a window. The sight of the gun so close to Anastasia had surprised him, making him step into a string of tin cans that had been carefully lined up between the bushes which nearly made him trip.

…...

"Quien esta alli? (who is there?)" Jose barked at the clanking sound coming from the tin cans, pointing the pistol at the window while his three buddies ran outside.

While Christian's first instinct had been hide in the thick vegetation surrounding him, he knew it was already too late when he saw the men approaching. "Anastasia, soy yo, Christian Grey!" He shouted with his hands up in the air.

Ana gasped. "Jose put the gun down! I know him! He's the private detective my father sent from the United States!" Ana pleaded.

"What? Are you sure?"

"YES! Of course, I'm sure," She said rolling her eyes. "That's the name! That's the guy my father talked to me about."

In the next moment, Ana breathed a sigh of relief as Christian was brought inside the house. The first thing that struck her about him was how incredibly handsome he was.

Jose slowly put his gun down. "You got some form of ID?" Jose asked in Spanish, looking at Christian suspiciously.

Christian slowly reached toward his back pocket to retrieve his wallet, carefully earning Jose's trust with each one of his precise movements. He produced both his license and his concealed weapon as a gesture of good faith. He first placed the gun on the coffee table and then showed Jose his wallet before putting it back in his pocket.

"Christian Grey, huh?" Jose mumbled after comparing the picture on the driver's license to the person standing in front of him. "What the heck were you doing hiding in the bushes?"

Ana looked at Christian incredulously. So this was the man that had been stalking her, watching her every move for the last six days. No wonder, she'd had the distinct feeling of being watched more than once. "Why?" she asked him, her eyes conveying how pissed she was at him. "Why didn't you just meet with me as soon as you landed?"

"Look, I know this is not what you were expecting, but I had my reasons," Christian said in Spanish for everyone's benefit. "I had to gather some intel. Trust me, it was for the best."

"Nice cozy reunion," Jose said sarcastically, looking over at his buddies, trying to figure out what to do with Christian now. "So what's your plan, gringo?"

Christian arched a brow at the name. "I was hired to take Anastasia out of the country. I wasn't hired to get involved in your political warfare." He replied making steady eye contact with the other three men in the room. "You can go on and don't mind me."

Jose let out a laugh. "Wrong. You won't be able to get her out without some kind of political connection. It's inevitable, you must take sides."

Christian's gaze shifted to Anastasia. Jose had a point, but he wasn't about to admit to that. "I'm with Anastasia. Whatever cause she chooses to support is my cause too. Again, my job is not to get involved in your country's political affairs. My job is to return her safe and sound to her father."

In the next moment, it became clear that Jose had decided that it was actually safer to keep Christian around than out of sight. Perhaps, he could convert him over to THEIR cause. His gaze fell on Christian's pistol still sitting on the coffee table and then his eyes met Christian's, nodding. And then, while maintaining eye contact with Jose, Christian retrieved the pistol and slid it back in its holster.

Jose's grandmother emerged from her bedroom and offered everyone supper. She had leftovers from lunch which she could warm up in a moment's notice. The men were happy to accept the invitation, and so did Ana. Christian sat with them at their kitchen table as they ate, nursing a soda. Jose's mother discreetly disappeared to her bedroom once she made sure everyone had something to eat and drink.

"Are you blowing up any trash cans tonight?" Christian asked the group, revealing that he had been following their movements.

Nico, Jose's comrade, didn't like the slight ridicule in Christian's tone. "Our fireworks were just a little distraction. Nobody gets hurt. We don't bomb people, only things."

"Why are you doing this? What's your goal?"

"We want to eliminate General Garcia and make the whole political structure collapse."

"Really?" Christian questioned skeptically. "Just by taking one general out of the picture?"

"He's that powerful plus he's an easy target. Once he's down, it will create fear and fear is one the strongest motivators." Jose said simply.

"You don't have automated weapons, do you?" Christian questioned Jose. "All you got is a goddamned pistol."

"It's a challenge." Jose acknowledged with a shrug. "But all we have to do is get close enough to the general and put the barrel against his head."

"That my friend is suicide," Christian warned with a stern expression. He looked over at Ana, hoping he'd managed to effectively communicate the seriousness of the situation.

…...

At his first opportunity to get close to Ana, Christian pulls out a small jewelry box from his jeans pocket. "This is for you, it's from your father."

"Oh, my! Christian! These are so expensive!" She said to him in English, having decided to speak to him in Spanish when they were in a group.

Christian shrugged. This was, in fact, one of the most modest gifts from the lot that Raymond Steele had sent for his daughter. The hair clip had the shape of a butterfly and he guessed it's worth was probably about two hundred and fifty dollars.

Ana stared stunned at the open box for a very long time. She'd never seen anything so beautiful in her entire life. "What is it?" She murmured softly.

"It's a hair barrette." He cocked his head. "May I?"

Ana nodded, and Christian took the hair accessory out of its box and showed her the clasp. Holding her breath, she watched him draw nearer until their fingers touched as he handed her the barrette. It had all happened in gentle motion like a butterfly's wings.

"What's that?" Jose asked ruining the magic of the moment.

Ana stepped back and showed Jose the hair accessory. Christian realized at once that the murderous look Jose was giving him was nothing but good old fashioned jealousy.

"It's from my father," Ana said breathlessly. She'd unfastened the clasp carefully, a little afraid to break it. She pulled her hair into a ponytail and fastened the barrette onto her hair, giving her a girlish slightly punk look.

"Looks rather fancy," Jose muttered under his breath with obvious disapproval.

Christian stared at Jose, trying to decide how much of an obstacle the man would be in operation Rescue Ana Steele. Obviously, the man was carrying a torch for Ana, a torch she didn't seem to reciprocate (based on her body language). While he pondered on this, he noted that one Jose's comrades had pulled a six pack of beer out of the fridge, stating that this was a special occasion.

"Care to join us?" Nico said to Christian.

"No, thanks," Christian said. Drinking on the job would be a big mistake. "I gotta get back to the hotel."

"You got yourself a sweetheart waiting for you, cowboy?" Jose said and the other men snickered. "If not I can take you to one, I know just the place..."

"I hate it when you all get like this," Ana hissed. "See you tomorrow," she said before turning on her heel and exiting out the door.

"They say the true measure of a man is how well he can hold his liquor," Jose challenged him.

Christian refused to take the bait. "Adios," he murmured nonchalantly before walking out the front door. He had to hurry if he were to catch Ana before she made it back to her house. It was after 10:00 pm and Gladys was usually in bed by 9:30. He wouldn't want to ring the bell at this hour and disturb her sleep.

"Wait, Cinderella!" Christian called just as Ana scurried inside her house but before she shut the door.

Ana froze, her hand glued to the doorknob. "What did you just called me?" She looked at him confused. The half-opened door acting like a barrier between them.

"I called you Cinderella," Christian said with an indulgent tiny-dimpled smile. "You left in such a hurry I was afraid you would lose your glass slipper." He added when all he wanted was to talk some sense into her. What the heck was she doing getting involved in a plot to take down a high ranking government official?

"Oh, yes. And so, who are you then? My fairy godmother ready to grant me my three wishes?"

"I think you got your fairy tales mixed up...I believe that's Aladdin and the magic lamp."

"My bad," she said with a pout. "I guess I didn't grow up believing in fairy tales."

Suddenly, he couldn't hold his tongue any longer. "What the heck are you doing with Jose and his band of thieves?"

"Jose is my childhood friend, that's all. But surely you knew that, didn't my father mention Jose? We've known each other since birth. My grandmother and his mother are friends."

"Does that mean you have to follow his little group?" Christian hissed. He was annoyed at Ana for her foolishness. It occurred to him that perhaps Ana was involved in Jose's activities because she was in love with him. The idea burned through his veins like fire and he suddenly wanted to lash out at her. It alarmed him thoroughly, as there was no reason for this feeling-whatever it was-he only known her five minutes. "Are you in love with this Jose?" He angrily demanded, running a hand through his hair.

Ana let out a gasp of surprise. She naturally let go of the door, and it opened wider. "In love?"

Christian stepped closer, crossing the threshold. They were so close now that their faces nearly touched. Ana held her breath at the sudden invasion of her personal space without coming anywhere close to touching her. Yes, touching her. Oh, how she wished he would, she suddenly realized.

"No.." she murmured at last, taking two steps back. "He...Jose...he's just a friend, I told you." They stood staring at each other for a long time until at last, she murmured a hasty goodbye and shut the door behind her, leaving him staring at the door, wondering what that was all about.

…...

The next day

At the crack of dawn, Ana was getting ready to leave for the convent. Mami was still in bed but, as was her routine every morning, Ana made coffee and brought it to her grandmother in bed.

"Gracias, mija," Gladys murmured. She took a deep sip and sighed. In the next moment, she let out a tiny squeal. "Ay, Mija, mira quien esta alli, (honey, look who's out there)."

Ana followed her grandmother's gaze out the window and was surprised to see Christian standing by a tree. As soon as he knew she had spotted him, he tipped his baseball cap. She thought about all the times he'd been watching her probably from that same spot, hiding in plain sight, except that now he was no longer hiding from her.

"Que tengas un buen dia, ( Hope you have a great day)," she heard her grandmother say while giving her a goodbye kiss on the cheek.

"Tu tambien, mami. (you have a good day too)."

As soon as she stepped out the door she realized that Jose had beat her to it; he was already out there by the tree chatting with Christian.

"Buenos dias, Anastasia," Christian said in his best Spanish, appraising her with an approving smile on his lips. She was wearing a short tank top and a pair of faded jeans. She truly had an amazing body-except for being somewhat underweight- and those jeans fitted her curves flawlessly like a well-made glove.

"Buenos dias," She murmured holding his gaze.

"We were talking about a bird called the mock-bird and how it resembles some of us humans," Jose started. Just like the mockingbird, we sometimes have no originality and merely imitate other humans. Sometimes we have no natural talent of our own besides engaging in the art of imitation."

"Now Christian, is stalking people one of your natural talents or did you have special training in college first?" Ana also asked in Spanish for Jose's benefit.

"Now there, you got me all wrong, senorita," Christian said with a smirk. He then turned to Jose. "Is she always like this?"

"Snippy?" Jose asked him with a chuckle, revealing he certainly was in a good mood this morning. " Yeah, pretty much."

"Oh, my God! Jose!" Ana exclaimed, appalled. "Whose side are you on?" She then glared at Christian. "And you...are you sure you're the man my father hired on my behalf or did you kidnap him and stuffed him in a closet?" She first said it in rapid-fire Spanish and then repeated the last two sentences in English to make sure Christian understood.

Christian rolled his eyes. This was not what he was expecting, he was truly finding this woman more than just a little exasperating, which undoubtedly was making his job a heck of a lot more difficult.

In the next moment, Ana announced she didn't have time for any of this, they were expecting her at the convent. "Adios, Jose."

"Look," Christian said trying as hard as he could to sound reasonable as she started walking away from him. "I think you and I started off on the wrong foot." He told her in English.

"Do you think?" she retorted with a trace of sarcasm. "Do you think maybe stalking me for six days was not the best idea?"

"I was not stalking you, I was tracking you. There's a difference, sweetheart."

"Of course," Ana rolled her eyes, and Christian's eyes darkened in response. "How silly of me. I'm so happy you were TRACKING me," she said as they both continued walking side by side toward the convent. At once, she noticed her legs felt a little shaky. She felt strange. Maybe she should've had some coffee before she left the house, but she was trying to conserve. Last time, she had been lucky to have been able to bring a pound of coffee home from the convent, but she knew the nuns had a limited supply.

Christian reached out to steady her. "Whoa, I've been told I make girls weak in the knees," he said with a smile.

"Don't flatter yourself, Christian Grey," She yanked her hand away and wiped the imaginary dust off her tank top. She flattened her hair with her hand which actually made it worse since she felt like a sweaty mess. She focused on trying not to fall over.

"Are you okay? Do you need to sit down? You look pale."

"I'm fine."

"Let's get something to eat at a nice restaurant."

"No, thank you."

"You seriously don't look good."

"Ha!" She rolled her eyes again. "What every girl wants to hear."

Silence spread between them; they both knew they were at a stalemate. His gaze explored her face, and she decided to do the same.

"I think it's a little early in our relationship to start making threats," he said smugly.

Ana decided to ignore the word "relationship." They'd just met; obviously, they were not in a relationship of any kind.

"Look, you and I have a common interest, don't we?"

"I can't go to any restaurant with you. I have to fulfill my responsibilities, she said breaking the stare. "I have a job, I have responsibilities, Mother Superior is expecting me."

…..

Christian knew her routine quite well. She normally went inside the convent first and then went to take her place at the food line. So he waited for her outside the convent-sitting on a nearby bench with a paperback novel- for about half an hour until she finally reappeared. At once, he noticed this time she didn't have the baby with her, and he was more than just a little glad.

"So you're gonna follow me everywhere now?" She said walking past him. At once he followed closely behind.

"You would have had me at 'hello.'" He replied, but she decided to ignore that.

They had almost reached the food line when he finally caught up with her and said. "Anastasia, can you stop acting so snippy? I can get you the milk you need at the grocery store..." He told her reaching for her arm to get her to stop. She stopped but pulled her arm away and rolled her eyes at him. "Are you gonna tell me you'd rather suffer in the heat of the sun?"

She stood there for the longest time staring at him, tapping her foot nervously, contemplating her next move. It took her a full minute, but her demeanor started to soften, hanging on to her dignity and pride by a slender thread.

"Okay, so is that a yes?" He clicked his tongue impatiently. "I guess I'll take that as your answer. Follow me, you foolish woman," he said, and her pride blistered as she obeyed.

Together they arrived at a quiet little restaurant known as Cafeteria La Rampa. It was American style diner that appealed to tourists. "Let's eat first and then we'll go get milk for the convent at the bodega. I don't know about you, but I'm starving," he went on as they ventured inside.

They sat down at a 60's style booth across from one another, and he took off his baseball cap. His hair was a little damp, she noticed. The wet look looked good on him. A chatty waitress greeted them in English, and they had a short exchange before she decided to give them a few more minutes to look at the menu. Ana welcomed the distraction; the man before her possessed an intensity she found disconcerting.

"I highly recommend the pancake-omelet meal," Christian said pointing at her menu. This place reminded him so much of Denny's back home, it was ridiculous. Ana simply stared back at him, and it occurred to him she'd never been at a Denny's, she'd never been in America. It was easy to forget that since her English was flawless. And yet, she was still foreign in many small ways. It truly fascinated him. "So...What's going on with you? Cat got your tongue?"

This was her first time eating at this restaurant as it was a dollars-only-establishment reserved for tourists and she was certain Christian already knew this. Letting her eyes wander over his face, Ana decided that in her entire life, she'd never met any man nearly as attractive as Christian and who exhibited so much sex-appeal.

"I don't know what to order," she admitted in a thin voice, overwhelmed by all the choices.

"Don't you worry your pretty little head, sweetheart. I'm here to help you make good choices."

"You're being smug again," Ana said.

"I am?"

"I hate it when you're smug."

"You hate it when I'm right. You don't exactly have the best track record for making good choices in life, do you?"

The waitress was coming over to check on them and then turned on her heel, but Christian called her back. "Two number four's please," he stated, and the waitress nodded in acknowledgment before disappearing into the kitchen.

Ana glared at him. How dare he order for her? "Wh-what?"

"Two examples come to mind. First, you're running around with a political activist like Jose...and secondly, risking your life by attempting to leave the island on a flimsy tugboat."

She straightened up her torso, meeting his gaze. He was laughing at her, wasn't he? What did he really know about her life and what she had to go through? "Leave me alone."

"That may be what you want, but it's not what you need."

"It is what I want!" She yelled glaring at him defiantly. Christian met her gaze. Those bewitching eyes of her surely made his pulse pound all the harder.

The other customers were staring at them, but she was beyond caring. In the next moment, she scanned the table for her belongings, but there was nothing. Her coin purse was safely tucked in her jean pocket.

"Are you planning a dramatic exit?" He noted, his lips twitching in a perfectly infuriating way, she thought.

"Now that you mention it, I don't think I'll give you the satisfaction!"

"So you're staying here then?" His lips had stopped twitching and had formed a full-blown, smug smile.

She ended up staying, and the waitress brought their meals in record time. They ate in a silence so thick he felt like screaming. He had the overwhelming desire to shake the woman until she agreed to let him do the job he came here for: return her safe and sound to her long-lost daddy in Seattle. Clearly, she was in an impossible situation, her days in Havana were numbered and yet, she'd never admit to needing anything, least of all his help. She was obviously the most stubborn, infuriating woman he'd ever met, and she obviously didn't know what was good for her.

He gazed over at her and discovered that her mouth had settled into a stern line. Perversely, he wanted to kiss her until her mouth curved into a lazy, sensual, satisfied smile. Yet, he had the feeling that if he tried, she would slap him hard across the face.

A/N: What did you think of the dynamic between Ana and Christian? What do you see happening next between them?

Until next time, have a great week, XO