Chapter Twenty Six
Pintrest search: Red FanFic By 27Elliee
Thursday 16th June
"I have missed this lasagna so much!" Kate groans taking another bite, I remember all the nights we spent munching on lasagna curled up in one of our beds wearing our matching mermaid blankets binge watching something. We have to do that soon, I love living with Christian but I miss those moments with Kate.
"There's another one in the oven, once it's out I'll slice it then when it's cooled you can take it home and freeze it." I reply grinning.
"You're a goddess." She groans taking another bite careful not to drop any on her baby pink dress.
"Next time make enough for me as well!" Mia interjects before shovelling another bite in.
"Mia Grey, remember your table manners." Grace scolds before her voice softening to me. "Although this is the best lasagna I've ever had, did you make the garlic bread as well Ana?"
"I bought the baguette fresh from the bakers this morning and just put some crushed garlic and herbs on before baking it." I shrug. I look around the table, everyone here is my family and I love them all.
Kate, Elliot, Mia, Grace and Carrick are here for dinner to check up on me. I hate that I find it annoying, what happened with Hyde was horrible there's no denying that, and part of me is terrified to go back to work just to be in the same place again, however I'm dealing with everything well I think. Christian seems happy with them being here although I feel that has less to do with Hyde and more with him wanting to make up for not spending as much time with his family than he should have while he was under Elena's thrall.
"Did you make your special red velvet cupcakes for dessert?" Kate asks breaking my train of thought.
"I made some yesterday." I reply making Kate grin. "They're all gone. Christian ate five." I laugh.
"Seven actually." Christian interrupts.
"So what is for dessert?" Elliot wonders.
"Raspberry trifle." I say proudly, it looks beautiful.
"It's not got minced beef in, has it?" Mia asks a cheeky smile lighting up her face bringing a laugh to everyone apart from Grace and Carrick who both look perplexed.
"An episode of friends." Mia quickly explains.
Dinner passes by quickly until we're sat in the great room again with dessert and coffee, tea in my case. We're all thinking of the elephant in the room and only partially listening to Grace telling us about a newly qualified nurse who couldn't remember the presidents name when a patient with a head injury could.
"I know we don't want to hear about it, but she's temporarily closed Esclava." Grace mentions hesitatingly.
"How do you know?"
"I suggested that a few of my friends not go there after Saturday, everyone knew she left the gala early with a broken nose. Then I got a text earlier from Mary, who spoke to Elena yesterday and Elena said that she's going on holiday for a few weeks then is putting the salon through a complete refurbishment."
"What happened to her nose?" Mia asks
"I broke it." I reply proudly.
"How did I not know this?"
"I thought we said on Sunday." I shrug.
"The bitch deserved it." Carrick interjects before we all end up on a tangent.
"Did Elena go to the police?" Kate asks
"I doubt it, even if she did it's a case of he said she said and all witnesses are on Ana's side and would lie for her. Also, Elena would have to explain what happened leading up to her nose being broken which would open a can of worms no one wants opening." Carrick replies. I let out a breath I didn't know I was holding.
"It was a brutal break I heard from Andy, who was working on Saturday when she came in dressed to the nines covered in blood, and he mentioned that it needed to be broken again so it would set in the right place and that she may always have a problem with her nose that even the best plastic surgeon would find it difficult to sort without the high possibility of making it worse." Grace says openly grinning, I'm awarded with a high five from Elliot and a kiss on the cheek from Christian.
"That's my girl." He whispers into my ear.
"Do you still own part of Esclava?" Elliot asks Christian.
"No, I sold my shares to the bank." Christian says, he didn't tell me that I frown. "I sold them Monday morning." He explains.
"I hope when it reopens they actually do refurbish everything properly especially their bitchy staff." Mia huffs.
"What are you on about?" Elliot asks.
"Esclava is one of the most expensive salons in Seattle and the surrounding areas, yet they use cheap products that aren't good quality. It makes sense to use cheaper equipment if it works well but it doesn't. Their shampoos for example are dollar store and make your hair feel dry and stringy, the same with the nail polishes the technicians have to put way too many coats for the colour to be as vivid as it is supposed to be. And the staff are bitchy, when I went their on Saturday morning to get ready for the gala the girl who was working on my nails groaned when a customer came through the door and said she hated that customer because she was annoying." Mia rants.
"You love doing nails, and hair, and you have all these ideas for a business. Why don't you set up your own salon? I can help you out if you want. I think you would be great at it." Christian offers.
"You are wonderful sweetie." Grace says.
"You said you didn't want to be a chef, but want to keep cooking as a hobby." Carrick reminds.
"No thanks Christian, I'm not mature enough to run a business yet. I got my qualifications before I went to Paris as a beauty therapist and as a hairdresser I'm sending out resumes for other salons. I want to get a job myself on my own merit, get some confidence in my abilities and enjoy myself before I think about running my own business." Mia replies, I'm in awe of her.
"I'm so proud of you, Mimi. When you decide you're ready we'll talk." Christian promises.
Conversation flows from there to Kate and Elliot's vacation, Carrick's new intern until Christian brings up Hyde.
"Do you guys remember anything about the family I lived with before you officially adopted me?" He asks.
"They were called the Colliers, there was other kids who lived there with you. That's all I can think off the top of my head, Christian. Why?" Carrick asks Christian takes a sip of his coffee before looking to me.
"When Hyde had me in is office, he spoke about how it should have been him you chose, not Christian, and that I and everything Christian has should be his." I remember shuddering slightly.
"We already decided to adopt Christian before he went to the Colliers, the night Grace first saw you, Christian she knew you were her son. I met you the next day and knew the same, when Elliot couldn't stop talking about how awesome his new little brother was and how when he's better they'll be best friends you were ours." Carrick reminisces with a smile and a small tear rolling down his face. The beautiful moment is broken when Elliot starts laughing.
"What?" Kate growls annoyed he broke a such a tender moment.
"That moron Hyde. He has spent his life angry because he wasn't adopted, which is horrible and I have vague memories thinking that no family would want me but rather than using his pain to create something great like Christian did, he's turned himself into a bitter prick who now is going to jail." He laughs. I take Christian's hand, he could have become a bitter prick as Elliot put it. He was for a while.
"If it wasn't for Ana." Carrick smiles.
"If it wasn't for everyone in this room." Christian corrects kissing my cheek.