Chapter seven

Seattle, present time, August 2018

"And so, how long have you and Mr. Christian Grey known each other?" the officer asked, this time without looking at the handbook.

"Three weeks," Christian answered from the doorway. "But they were the best weeks of my life," he smiled charmingly, his gaze shifting from the officer to Ana. "It was love at first sight."

To say that the INS officer didn't care for the sudden interruption was an understatement. If looks could kill, Christian was sure he would have been dead already. But the tall officer spoke shifting the focus of the other man's attention.

"Stanley, I've scheduled their CR1 interview to three weeks from now," the tall officer spoke with an air of finality.

"Very well, then," Stanley answered, looking at Ana. "You are free to go," he muttered reluctantly.

Ana immediately locked eyes with Christian, her relief was plain for all to see. Part of her was terrified of being sent back to Cuba. She'd been half-expecting for them to deport her and require she re-enter with the right documentation. After years of dealing with Cuba's red tape, she expected nothing less. Although now that Cuba considered her a foreigner for marrying an American man, maybe they wouldn't want her back...except perhaps to lock her up behind bars for her association with Jose.

"Vamos, muchacha," Christian mumbled extending his hand. She smiled at the sound of his voice, and clasped his hand, interlacing her fingers, as warmth and connection flowed through her. With a quiet sigh, she moved closer and leaned against him, very much aware of the INS officers staring at them. She felt safe now, and she hoped it showed.

Hand in hand, they passed an assortment of cubicles and people typing away at their desks as they were escorted back to the busyness of the airport. Ana let out the lungful of air she didn't realize she'd been holding.

"Saved by the bell," Christian smiled, recalling the look on the officer's faces when he'd strolled in assuring them of their love at first sight. "Let's get you to your father, muchacha."

Ana's heart beat with excitement as she scanned the faces of the crowd. At last, this was the moment she'd been waiting for all of her life. She spotted him before he did and started waving frantically.

"Daddy! Daddy!"

In the next moment Ana closed the distance between them, and grasped hold of his hands.

"Annie," her father's lower lip trembled with emotion as he pulled her into a warm embrace and kissed her warmly on both cheeks.

During those short precious moments, the world ceased to exist. It was a shock for Ana to see in person how much her daddy had aged, completely unaware of the tears rolling down her cheeks.

"I can't believe you're finally here, my Annie," he held her by the shoulders and then pulled her into another bear hug.

Christian watched from a short distance and waited to until Raymond Steele's gaze fell on him to greet him with a polite nod. He knew at once the man was very displeased with him. He wasn't terribly surprised, but he'd expected at least a measure of gratitude.

"I hope, for your sake, " Ray spoke to Christian with immeasurable scorn, "this marriage has not been consummated."

Ana blushed profusely, her gaze shifting between Christian and her father. She didn't expect this much antagonism directed at Christian and she naturally inched closer to him.

"Sir, I brought your daughter back to you safe in one piece. Maybe you're losing sight of what's important here."

"You're not answering my question. I didn't hire you to sleep with my daughter," his gaze shifted back to Ana. "In fact, I specifically asked you not to fall in love with her."

"Daddy!" Ana shook her head at a loss for words. This was not the homecoming she had envisioned. "Please?"

"And I didn't fall in love with her," Christian shot back, his voice escalating. "This has nothing to do with love. I believe it's called a marriage of convenience."

Ana winced at his words. It felt as if Christian had struck her, and she physically retreated from him.

"Blah, blah, blah," Ray sneered bridging the distance between them in an intimidating fashion. "Did you sleep with her or not? Just answer the damn question."

Christian noticed two guys in suits moving closer to them in attention. His bodyguards, he supposed. "The answer is no," his gaze shifted back to Ana; under his gaze, her cheeks had taken on the color of a ripe tomato. When he spoke again, he made sure to enunciate each word clearly. "No, I did not deflower your daughter, Mr. Steele." Unless someone else did before me, he wanted to add and had to bite his tongue to keep the words from spilling out.

Ray nodded in satisfaction but his antagonistic stance didn't waver. "My attorneys already have drafted annulment papers," he spoke and Christian's gaze dropped to the suitcase the other man was carrying. God, did he really expected those documents to be signed on the spot? He risked his neck, going to Cuba to rescue his daughter, and this was the thanks he got? Just sign the damn annulment papers and get the hell out of our lives?

"Daddy! I just got here, and all you do is yell at Christian?" Ana asked in dismay. "I wouldn't be here if it weren't for him."

"Annie, I'm just clarifying things here. I hope he treated you fine and-"

"He treated me just fine," Ana replied, annoyed, not caring that there were now a group of people gathered around them watching. "He did what he had to do, and I don't like the way you're talking to him right now." She didn't know what came over her, except she felt defensive of Christian. Her gaze shifted between the two men, trying to wrap her head around the distrust that emanated from her father toward Christian. As if that wasn't enough to think about, she was also mortified by this open discussion of her sexual history; this was the one subject that was taboo in her book. Sure, there was a time, back with the nuns, when she'd enjoyed making the nuns blush crimson red with her sexually charged remarks; but that was a different situation.

"I'm afraid it's not as simple as you think, sir," Christian said, hiding a smile of satisfaction. His pride was wounded and he didn't appreciate being treated like scum off the man's shoe.

Ray scowled. "Huh?"

"Ana entered this country as my wife and we just have a nice visit with a pair of INS workers who kindly gave us a date for our CR1 interview," Christian went on with a pointed smile. Ray gave him a confused look. "That is a spousal interview."

Ray turned to his daughter for confirmation.

"The interview is three weeks from today. They gave us trouble, they complained my passport was under my maiden name."

"Getting an annulment right now is the wrong move," Christian said sounding cool and collected. "Unless you're looking for trouble with the INS."

"This is ridiculous," Ray shook his head. "Ana is an American citizen. I'm sure my lawyers will get this straightened out."

"Really?" Christian cocked his head just so which Ray interpreted as confrontational. "Easy as pie, huh? Last time I checked, marriage fraud is is considered a felony punishable with up to five years in prison for both partners."

"I think we're done here," Ray spoke, reaching to take Ana's hand. "My lawyers will get in touch with you. They will take care of the check and reimburse you for all travel expenses." He then turned to Ana with a crooked smile. "Let's go home, sweetheart."

"You are welcome," Christian said to Ray sarcastically, "It was nothing really. Call me next time you need my services again, and I'll make sure to go the extra mile for you," he mumbled, giving Ana a look of regret. There was truly nothing he could do if Ana chose to leave. "Bye, muchacha."

Ana's heart thundered in her chest. "Wait!" She called as Christian turned to leave. The thought of being separated from him was surprisingly devastating. "My father's words are not mine. We are married now, for better or for worse!"

Christian smiled one of his best boyish smiles just for her. And then, much to his delight, she came to stand by him in a stunning display of allegiance.

"Annie!"

"I'm sorry, daddy," Ana spoke in a tone that left no doubt she'd made her decision. "I wish I didn't have to make a choice right now," she said, her voice breaking a little. "But I'm going with Christian, I'm going wherever he goes."

Ray clenched his teeth. Part of him wanted to take back his words, but the other part, the stronger one, was too prideful to back down.

Without another word, Christian clasped Ana's hand, and together, they made their way through the crowd. Ana kept looking behind her, expecting her daddy to come after her, silent tears rolling down her face.

The drive out of the airport was overwhelming with new sights and sensations. Ana stared out the window at the vehicles whizzing by in awe. To her, they looked surreal and futuristic, much like straight out of an episode of the Jetsons, where people live in the sky and drive aero cars. Everything seemed to move at a much faster pace, it seemed, either that, or she was experiencing the effects of jet lag. On their way to hail a cab which looked like a regular car, they had passed by a vending machine that dispensed sandwiches and all sorts of snacks. After asking her if she was hungry, he had inserted a card in the slot, and he was rewarded with something he'd called a Nutri-grain bar. The only bending machines Ana was familiar with were in the Malecon and dispensed alcoholic beverages; half the time they didn't even work.

Christian had checked the license plate before approaching the driver. Ana was amazed that the driver knew his name. Christian explained that he had scheduled the ride online. So that's what he was doing on his cell phone. Wow. It sounded complicated, and yet it had only taken him a minute or two to do that.

Ten minutes later, the driver dropped them off at parking structure. Christian paid the driver in cash while the driver was taking out Ana's suitcase from the trunk. A security guard approached them, and Christian pulled out his wallet and ID. While the two men made small talk and the driver drove off, Ana took everything in. If Seattle looked this amazing at night, she could only imagine what it looked like during daytime hours.

It started to drizzle, which promptly put an end to the conversation. She and Christian walked to his car, a black Lexus Rx350. The first thing she noticed was the silver door handles popping out with the touch of a button. She was too stunned to notice Christian smiling to himself as he opened the door for her.

She peered inside, uncertain. Again, the interior looked pristine, out of this world. Christian graciously ushered her in and adjusted the seat for her comfort. At first Ana did not know what to say in response to his questions. Seriously, the seat was perfect the way it was and needed no adjusting. She tried to say something to that effect, but it must have come out wrong because he stopped to look at her curiously.

As they drove off, Ana stared at the flashy screen mounted on the dashboard. The radio came on, and the voices spoke at the speed of light. Ana struggled to make sense of what they were saying. The experience was rather humbling. Here she was thinking her English was flawless, and yet, she could only understand half of what these people were saying. The funny thing was, English was supposedly her native tongue; her own mother had only ever spoken to her in English from the minute she was born. American English was just as part of her identity as Cuban Spanish. It occurred to her that if a basic fact like her mother tongue could be brought into question, then, what about other beliefs her mind had classified as indisputable facts?

While they drove, she held the Nutri-Grain bar in her hand. Where she was from, pastries came straight from the bakery down the street.

"You're not going to eat it?" Christian asked expectantly, his eyes darting back to the road.

Ana looked at the packaging. It was too pretty to mess up, she thought; besides, she would hate eating in his cool car and leaving crumbs everywhere. She stared at the man beside her, feeling free to study him closely now that he was focused on driving. He was incredibly handsome...and she was married to him! The thought of what the future held in store for them sent delicious shivers of excitement in every fiber of her being. From the look of things, they were spending the night together under one roof and with no chaperone in sight. Imagine that!

In the next moment, her excitement turned to sadness when she thought of her father staring after her. The fact that he had not moved a muscle to prevent her from leaving was particularly devastating, considering how much she had looked forward to their reunion. How could her father had been so cold and careless was beyond her.

Christian asked her something about driving, pulling her out of her reverie. Her? Driving? She'd never seriously considered it.

"No. We never had a car, not even while my mother was alive. We always walked or took the bus. Hmm...we also rode our bikes."

During the silence that followed, Ana opened the wrapper and took a bite of the Nutri-Grain bar. It tasted just like she thought it would. Artificial. She stuffed the rest of it in the only purse she owned, a soft leather crossbody bag that had once belonged to her mother.

They parked in an underground garage and headed for the elevators. He took her hand as they entered the elevator, and the people inside moved to make room for them. Ana wondered how many people lived in the building. The elevator stopped at the penthouse.

The penthouse housed two residents on opposite sides of the building. After they exited the elevator, Christian explained that the other floors had four apartments per floor. Ana nodded in awe of everything.

"It's after midnight. We better try to get to bed. Tomorrow I'll show you around," Christian said in a tired voice as he unlocked the door to his apartment.

Ana scanned the room as the lights came on. The place was huge and starkly decorated. Two large bookcases ran from one side of the wall to the other. So, he was a reader. Good. She followed him to the bedroom. He took off his backpack and deposited her suitcase on the black and white comforter.

"Is this your room?"

Christian turned to look at her with amusement in his eyes. "Our room, you mean?"

"I don't think-"

"Let me remind you, the interview is in three weeks. It may sound like a long time, but it's not. We only have three weeks to become very intimate with one another," he glanced back at the bed. "What side of the bed you want? I usually take the entire bed, so it will be quite an adjustment for me."

The way he was looking at her made her blush, so she turned her head, flustered. "I still don't think we should sleep in the same bed. We can just ask each other questions in preparation for the interview," she said, her hand clutching the zipper of her suitcase.

Christian clucked his tongue. "Huh huh. That's not how it works. This, this marriage of ours has to be real. I'm not risking it. I'm not doing jail time for this," he spoke, putting his hands on top of hers. "Hey, I really appreciate you standing up to your dad. It must have been hard for you," he said, looking intently into her eyes.

For a minute there she thought he was going to lean down and kiss her. She shook her head to get rid of any naive romantic notions; after all, she had heard him tell her father that he wasn't in love with her and that theirs was a marriage of convenience.

"Just so we're clear...I still hate you, you know," she said, her voice barely above a whisper.

Dios (God)! The words came out of her mouth just in time. One more second alone with this man, she wouldn't have been able to hide how much he affected her. She had no idea how she was going to survive the night sleeping next to him, let alone the next three weeks.

Christian stepped back, stung. Why was it that every time they got close, she made sure to put a barrier between them? "Crystal clear," he spat, pulling back the covers on the left side of the bed. "I call dibs on the side closest to the bathroom," he glared at her. "And we're in this together for better or for worse, so you better be taking notes and my likes and dislikes," he added while stepping off his shoes and pulling his shirt over his head. It landed somewhere behind him. "Oh, and don't you worry your pretty little head, I don't sleep in the nude," he added, knowing full well it would make her blush. But heck, it was payback time.

Her gaze froze on his naked chest and admired his defined six pack. Oh, Dios mio, the sight of him took her breath away. She looked away, pretended to busy herself looking through her suitcase. How on earth was she going to able to sleep next to him? But she had no choice. He did have a point; she didn't see how she could get out of this without appearing like the greatest fool.

At last, she found her nightgown. It was nothing spectacular, just plain white and scantily made, reaching all the way down to her ankles. She hurried into the bathroom before he decided to finish undressing in front of her or something crazy like that.

Crazy? Was it really crazy? After all, this was supposedly their first night alone together. Not their wedding night. No. They had spent a couple of nights after the civil ceremony sleeping in the guest room at the embassy so technically, this was not their wedding night.

Twenty minutes later.

"Are you ever coming out?" Christian banged on her door. He was exhausted and wanted to get to bed, but she was taking forever.

Ana opened the door a minute later. She had taken a shower, and her hair was dripping wet.

He frowned. Ana noted he was wearing a pair of long string pants and wondered what he would look like in his underwear. The thought brought a flush to her cheeks.

"You're not going to bed with your hair soaked wet like that, are you?'

"What choice do I have? Do you have a hair dryer?" She said and he shook his head no. She continued drying her hair with a towel. "I'm sorry, she mumbled with a guilty expression.

"Sorry for what?"

"I spilled some of your shampoo trying to get the lid off." She was behaving like a bad guest. She had used his towels and shampoo without his permission.

Christian shrugged. "It's okay. Climb into bed," he mumbled, turning to get under the covers.

A moment later, Ana climbed in bed beside him. He reached to turned off the bedside lamp and stayed in that position with his back turned o her.

"Good night," she mumbled.

"Good night."

Ana stared at the ceiling, wide awake. She tried to meditate and clear her mind of unwanted thoughts but was failing miserably. He looked so incredibly sexy-in the softly lit room, his hair mussed from tossing and turning on his pillow, trying to get comfortable. From his movements, she could tell he was still angry at her; all of a sudden, she had the urge to wrap herself around him and tell him she was sorry. Maybe he was thinking about their near kiss. Ay, Dios! What was wrong with her? She needed a reality check. He couldn't possibly be thinking about kissing her; her lips couldn't possibly be more special than his countless other women. There was no doubt about it. A man like him attracted women like honey, and it was foolish of her to even think he liked her in that way.

Trouble was, the reality check didn't work. She tossed and turned and dreamed of their kiss in the attic of the embassy all night long.