.
Chapter Twenty Eight.
Deception.
Ana.
.
As my eyes open on Friday morning, after an easy night of Chinese, movies and girly chat, I feel like I'm ready for today. Last night, Leila started out edgy and apprehensive, but grew more adamant as the night went on. She admitted to being desperate to see her boyfriend tonight and shared once again, how she'd grown to love him, the life he leads and how she didn't want to lose that. The more she relaxed, the more she opened up and mused with us. She ended the night by declaring that this was the weekend, where she finally told her boyfriend how she truly felt about him.
I reluctantly held my tongue and didn't attempt to talk her out of it. Neither, did Kate.
Leila was confident, that once her boyfriend knew how much she loved him, he would let down his walls, reciprocate her feelings and want to stay with her. Hopefully, even marry her, someday. I don't know if she was trying to convince Kate and I, or herself more, but it didn't work. The only thought I had while Leila was doing all of this wishful thinking, was that if Christian hadn't opened up to her by now, hadn't proposed to her by now, then he never would.
Kate and I, kept our compassion and reasoning to ourselves, and nodded along in all the right places.
Kate shared with me, that Leila has been riddled with panic and upset this past week, because she never saw her boyfriend last weekend. She confessed, that apart from the odd business trip that he's had to take at the last minute, it's the first time in eighteen months or so, that they've not been together at the weekend. He chose to spend the weekend alone, with no explanation and for no apparent reason. Leila knows this is a bad sign, but sadly, she's still hoping for a positive outcome after her confession this evening.
I still feel guilty for what Kate and I plan on doing to Leila today, but if I thought for just one second that she and Christian shared a real relationship, or if I believed that she genuinely loved him, I would never dream of following Kate's crazy plan, but they don't, and she doesn't, so that helps eradicate my ever rising guilt.
Listening to Leila explain what they share and what she feels for her boyfriend, isn't love. Well, it might be in her eyes, but it certainly isn't in mine. It's a superficial, greedy type of love. A cold love. She doesn't know the man she thinks she loves. She only sees the power, the money, the cars, the houses and what he can do for her.
Knowing who it is that she's talking about, when she speaks about her boyfriend, lets me see the real Leila. She could be talking about any successful business man within a ten mile radius, not the man she's supposed to love and want to spend the rest of her life with.
Like me, Leila knows nothing personal about Christian, but at least I can understand him. Christian, has never trusted Leila enough to allow her to get close to him. He's always kept her at arms length, never shared things with her. How on earth can that be love? Leila, is a little delusional, and desperate, and I believe Christian deserves more than that. Even if he doesn't realise it himself, yet.
So now, as Dee Day arrives, the games are about to begin.
Rolling free of Kate's sofa, where I've surprising spent a comfortable night, I head for the coffee machine in the kitchen. After filling it, switching it on and gathering cups, I quickly slip into the empty bathroom to freshen up. Kate, is in the kitchen finishing our drinks and gathering cereal when I return. As we smile a greeting to each other, she hands me a clean bathrobe to change into.
"Are you sure about this, Kate?" I utter softly as I hear the patter of approaching feet.
"Definitely." she mouths, as Leila walks into the kitchen and greets us with a sleepy, "Good morning."
As I return Leila's greeting, I can't help but notice how tired she looks. It's obvious that her night has been restless, no doubt caused by the uncertainty of what tonight holds for her and her relationship. My gut rolls with indecision and shame as my eyes flit to Kates. She must see what I see, surely? I realise immediately that she does, when she steps in front of me, deliberately blocking Leila from my view. She wastes no time in handing Leila a cup of coffee and ushering her toward the shower.
Kate, turns to me the second we hear the water running. "Don't be having second thoughts, Ana. I know what you're thinking, so quit it." she states firmly, reading me like a book.
"But Kate, It's so unfair to Leila." I begin truthfully, unsure once again.
"Don't go soft of me now, Steele. Leila, will be fine. Think of it, as you doing her a favour." Kate interrupts me. Her tone flippant.
"A favour?" I utter, bewildered by her logic to all of this.
"You're saving Leila from herself, Ana." my brow lifts, wondering where she's going with this. "No woman likes to be dumped face to face," she explains. "We both know that her so called boyfriend, doesn't feel the same way about her. Christian doesn't love her and will no doubt explode when she tells him. It won't end well for Leila, You really are doing her a favour.
"I suppose I am." I mutter to myself, seeing her point.
"Christian, can call her, tomorrow." she adds convincingly and I find myself nodding in agreement.
"Leila, will be fine." Kate insists, as she grabs her coffee and heads to the apartment door to answer the intercom that's just sounded. I stare after her, stunned by her excitement and disregard for Leila's situation, but understanding her reasoning, the more I think about it.
"It's show time." Kate sings, giving me a conspiratorial wink and a beaming, over exaggerated smile as she buzzes the caller up.
Once Kate has opened the apartment door, she takes my hand and leads me over to my make shift bed. Gathering all the bedding I've used from the sofa, she quickly tosses it onto the bed in her room and pulls me to sit beside her on the sofa. With our coffee cups in hand, we both have our eyes on the apartment door.
Fridays, are a type of ritual for Leila. The primping and preening for her weekend with Christian, begins at 10am sharp. As if by magic, a beauty therapist from a very expensive, high end salon, pushes open the door with familiarity and marches straight into the apartment. Instantly taking command of the room, she pays Kate and I no real attention as she begins setting up her things in the centre of the room. She's tall, regal, beautiful, but appears really intimidating as she starts barking instructions at Leila, who's just appeared from the bathroom wrapped in a towel, in a thick Russian accent.
Over the course of the day, Leila is laid out horizontally on a plush massage table, where she's preened, plucked, buffed and smoothed from the tips of her toes, to her newly touched up roots. It's surprises me that she's not a natural brunette but a dark ash blond, with her dark eyes, I never would have guessed.
Kate and I join in with Leila, and spend the day relaxing beside her. We gossip, chat and unknowingly delve, while working on and pampering each other. All the while and oblivious to what we're doing, the vile, thick, fruit and vegetable smoothies that Leila has been sipping through a straw all day long have been heavily laced with alcohol. Kate made sure that by four o'clock, when the therapist left, Leila was half asleep and legless, literally.
After we helped Leila, well, rolled her off the massage table, which the beauty therapist reluctantly left behind, but before she fell face down onto her bed, Kate did what she does best and went to work. She coerced Leila into revealing what the night with the love of her life entailed, and we got it all.
She let slip the code for the security gate, bragging, how it's the date of when her and her boyfriend first got together. She then growled out the code for the house, pissed. because it's the date of when her boyfriend got his fuckin dog. Kate hides her chuckles as she questions Leila further. All the while, dressing her and tucking her into bed.
Leila mumbles, sleepily, almost incoherently, about what she'll be doing tonight, what Christian expects of her, and where she has to go once she gets there. Kate and I share a worrying eyebrow lift, when we realise that Christian has a specific room where he entertains Leila. Apparently, she has her own bedroom, because Christian doesn't allow her to sleep with him, but what shocks us more, is that he has a so called playroom, and this, is where they spend their time together.
Especially on her arrival.
Poor Leila, she doesn't stand a chance with Christian. There's no love between them. Not at all. It's pretty clear that she's there for one reason, and one reason only. Kate's right, she's been right all along, and tonight would be heart breaking for Leila. Whether her love is superficial or not, she doesn't deserve to have it thrown back at her, like Christian would no doubt do.
Leila drunkenly mumbles into her pillow, before appearing to pass out completely. As she begins to snore softly on her bed in between Kate and I, our eyes lift from her and lock with each others. After what feels like an age, Kate breaks our silent exchange.
"It's time, you have to do this." she suddenly screams at me as she dashes away from the bed and into Leila's small, walk-in closet.
After rummaging around, she pulls out a light blue shirt and dark skinny jeans. Her eyes are wide and exhilarated as she crosses the room and throws them at me. As I hold Leila's clothes in my hands, the true realisation of what I'm about to do hits me and I feel myself freeze. My stomach rolls and my mouth becomes parched, and all I can do is stare at her.
"But, Kate..." I begin to murmur, looking down at the clothes and staring at them blindly.
The fear begins to rattle right through me as I think about what I actually have to do, where I have to go, and who I will ultimately be facing. The butterflies that I can feel swarming deep in my belly suddenly scatter and consume me from head to toe. Half of me is terrified, petrified of Christian's reaction and the possible involvement of the police. The other half, is excited at getting a chance to talk to him and very keen, to see this playroom of his. Not that I'd ever admit that to Kate.
"No buts, Ana. We've talked about this." Kate says firmly. "You need to confront Christian, talk to him with no distractions or interruptions. You also need to corner him in a place where he can't run from you. This, is your golden opportunity, this, is our Plan B." she states convincingly.
"Kate, as much as I want to see him, it's such an intrusion. What if he gets angry and calls the police? I have to break into is house and..." I begin to gush nervously, causing Kate to come around the bed and take me firmly by the shoulders.
"It's not breaking in, if you have the codes and know the people that reside there." Kate interrupts, looking me square in the eyes.
Her creeping grin, tries to calm and convince me, but her eyes tell me that she knows what she's saying isn't necessarily true, but I'll be okay. Her excitement is contagious and I want to swim along, but the apprehension that's bubbling is still out weighing my bravado.
"I have to enter his home without his permission, or him seeing me. How..." I try and lay out the hurdles I have to face, needing a lot more encouragement.
"Ana, Christian doesn't meet and greet Leila at the door. There's no security there right now, and he's expecting you. How hard can it be? Just follow Leila's normal routine and you'll be fine." Kate assures me, as she begins to pull at my robe.
"What if he sees me before I manage to get inside the house?" I interrupt, shooing her hands away.
"You'd pass for Leila from a distance, just wear her shades. Oh, and put your hair in a braid, Leila always braids her hair before leaving. If there's any sign of him, just rush in. Head straight for the room, second on the left at the top of the stairs and wait for him. Now get dressed." she instructs. I let my robe fall and begin to pull on Leila's clothes.
"Kate, I don't know if I can do this. I only want to talk to him, not strip naked, cover my head with a hood and wait for him to use my body." I feel my cheeks burn at what I've just said and the image it's conjured up. Kate quirks and eyebrow at me as I feel my flush spread down my neck.
"Oh come on Ana, that's got to be a perk to all of this, surely. This is Christian Grey we're talking about. Have you seen that body of his?" Kate says salaciously, before laughing at me.
I chuckle along, knowing she's right and it's very tempting, but I don't know if I can. I'd sooner bump into him in the kitchen, throw on the kettle and say hi to Tess. I don't think I'll be able to function if I'm naked. If he's naked.
Kate urges me to dress quicker, because I seem to have stalled. I find myself pulling up and buttoning, the jeans of another woman, that fit me amazingly well. As I pull on Leila's shirt she mutters and rolls in her bed. I look down at her and feel another ripple of shame for tricking and deceiving her.
"Kate..." Is all I manage to say before she is firmly talking over me.
"Ana, don't." she snaps.
"This isn't right, Kate. Leila deserved to spend her last night with her boyfriend." I insist, remorseful once again. "We can find another way."
Kate, surprisingly holds her tongue as she looks at me quizzically. I don't know what she sees on my face, but her eyes and demeanour suddenly soften. She steps forward and surprises me by starting to button up my shirt. My hands hang limply at my sides as my eyes follow her fingers.
"Ana, forget about Leila for a minute and answer me this. Do you think Christian will be disappointed that you've taken Leila's place tonight?"
I shrug, then I'm hit with a sudden thought. "He's not going to get laid." I state the obvious.
Kate splutters a chuckle, but otherwise ignores my childish remark.
"Ana, do you honestly believe that Christian shares Leila's feelings?" she asks.
I shake my head negatively.
"Do you think he will be upset about not seeing Leila...once he finds out about you?"
"No, but.." I answer automatically. Recalling how their relationship is only based on sex and how eased I felt, once I knew Christian was still alive.
"Then no buts, Ana." Kate says with determination.
She leans around me and takes Leila's purse from where it's sitting on her bedside table. Opening it, she rummages around then hands me Leila's car keys.
"Maybe, I could just go home. Knock on his door later, ask to borrow a cup of sugar. I know he'll be alone, tonight." I suggest, hopefully.
"Ana, don't try and talk yourself out of this. I know how much you need to get close to him. I know how much it means to you to talk to him...you were muttering his name in your sleep, last night." Kates says softly. Squeezing my hand as I accept the keys.
My eyes rise to hers, shocked and watery, because I don't remember dreaming last night. I feel gutted that I dreamed of him, and don't remember.
"Ana, Christian Grey, is bound deep within you." Kate says passionately as she lifts her hand and touches my scar through Leila's shirt. "You need to forget about Leila, forget about everyone and everything else and tell him who you are. You can do this." She states, and I can feel her positivity and encouragement.
"I can do this." I repeat. Clinging to the confident feelings that she's induced and growing inside of me.
"Go, Ana. Go get your man." she sings at me, while grabbing a hairbrush from Leila's vanity.
"He's not my man, Kate." I reply, rolling my eyes with a giggle.
"He soon could be, especially if you're brave enough and he gets to see you in your underwear." she teases, before planting a kiss on my forehead, spinning me round and pulling my hair into a braid.
.