A/N: Thanks for reading. Enjoy!
C POV
"Christian, your mom wanted me to remind you about next Saturday.", my dad says as he and I have dinner. With my mom working a late shift at the hospital, I suggested that my dad come over to my place for dinner which was prepared by Gail. I draw a blank look. "I'm guessing you forgot about it. Saturday is the annual Bellevue Bontanical Garden Society's annual fundraiser. Your mom's one of the co-chairs of this year's event alongside Elena Lincoln.
"I'll be there.", I say, feeling bad that I forgot.
"And feel free to bring your girlfriend." My dad's face is plastered with a smile as he cuts into his chicken.
"Was it Elliot or Mia who told you?", I ask with my own smile. It's difficult to not be happy when talking about Ana. A week ago we had our first date, and it was a memorable one. We got to know each other more and shared our first kiss which was incredible. Since then, we've gone out two more times and have had several more kisses, each being better than the last. "Ana and I are seeing each other, but we haven't exactly defined what we are." While the term girlfriend used to be foreign, I now want to be able to call Ana my girlfriend. Ana, though, might not be ready for that step.
"A word of advice, never be afraid of putting your feeling out there. Things might go your way or they might not. You won't know unless you go for it. Your mom and I are prime examples. We went to school together and were friends for a long time. One day, I started realizing my feeling went beyond those of friendship. I was scared admitting how I felt would ruin our friendship, but I knew I couldn't not say anything. I got the courage to invite her to dinner during which I laid my feelings out. She didn't say a word at first, and that made me nervous. After what felt like eternity, she spoke. It turned out she felt the same way."
"I'm certainly glad you took that chance and step. Ana and I are taking small steps, learning about the other. I just don't want to rush her.", I say, taking a drink from my water glass.
"I won't pressure you into revealing more details about your relationship. Instead, let's talk about work. How are things at GEH?", he asks.
"Things are great. We've got several projects going and even more lined up. One particular project I'm eager about is the new business I just obtained." He looks up in curiosity. "Have you ever heard of Rawlins Motors?"
"I have. They've been around for several years, but I heard a while ago they might be going out of business."
"Not anymore. I met with Tom Rawlings and offered to buy the dealership, and he accepted although he'll be staying on to run the business. The Seattle Police Department will be purchasing ten new vehicles, and I put in a bid." Through a little digging I learned the SPD had purchased all their vehicles from Samual Donovan in recent years. I also learned they were planning on buying new ones soon, and that led me to make a few calls to contacts and put in a bid. My dad appears both impressed and shocked.
"Why did you decide to buy the business?", he asks.
"I'm always looking for ways to expand my horizons." And ruin fuckers who try to mess with Ana. "I've taken several major companies that were struggling and turned them around into successes. This is no different."
"Your mom and I have been considering a new vehicle.", he says.
"You're in luck because I know the perfect place.", I grin.
Once my dad has left, I sit in my living room with a glass of scotch and some paperwork. I bring the glass to my lips, wishing it was Ana's lips touching mine, but she's out celebrating the upcoming marriage of one of her co-workers. She texted me earlier and said she wasn't sure what their plan was for the night, and I texted back that I hoped she had fun.
A POV
"Take it off!", Julia shouts at one of the dancers on stage. He glances down and winks at her before ripping off his shirt. "That's what I'm talking about." She looks at me and giggles. "Are you having fun?"
"Not as much fun as you are.", I murmur. Kelsey, one of the receptionists at my work, is getting married in a few weeks and put her sister, Marcie, in charge of her bachelorette party. The result, dinner and a trip to Centerfolds, a male strip club.
"Ana, I had no idea Marcie was bringing us here, but it's not so bad.", Kelsey says. "I texted Will and told him, and he was ok with it." I'm glad that Kelsey's fiance is ok with what's happening, yet I'm still uncomofortable. This is my first time in a place like this, and I also feel guilty because of my relationship with Christian.
"I'm sure Christian would be ok if he knew you were here.", Kate says as she sips on her drink. "If not, then he needs to get over himself."
"Does Elliot know you're here?", Julia asks, not taking her eyes off the dancer on stage.
"I texted him a couple of minutes ago and told him. He hasn't texted back, but I'm sure he'll be ok." Kate's phone pings from the top of the table. "He said to have fun. Go ahead and text Christian the same." I pull my phone out from my purse and shift it back and forth in my hands.
"I'm going to find a quieter and less distracting place to call him." I leave the table and head to the hallway by the restrooms. My friends are right. Christian shouldn't have an issue with me being here. I dial his number.
"Hey.", he answers. "Are you still out with your friends?"
"Yeah.", is all I say in response. "We went to dinner and then..."
"Then what? What else did you do?"
"Went to a male strip club.", I sigh. "That's where I am now."
"I see.", he growls over the phone. "Well, I hope you have a nice time." It's clear he's not sincere. "I was about to go to bed when you called so I should go. I'll talk to you later."
"Ok.", I murmur. On one hand I can understand why he's upset, yet I also don't think he has anything to be upset about. The latter makes me pissed off. I go back to the table and grab my purse. "I'm not feeling well so I'm going to head home."
"We'll go too.", Kate says.
"No. You stay and have fun."
I walk out of the club and start hailing a taxi since all of us were on a party bus. The phone call with Christian plays on repeat in my head. A taxi finally stops, and I get in.
"Where to?", the driver asks. I start to give my address but decide to pay Christian a visit. He said yesterday he'd like for me to see where he lives so I'm about to take him up on his offer, only I'm not in the best mood.
"Escala."
After arriving at Escala and paying my fare, I get out and dial Christian's number to let him know I'm here since I'm fairly sure I can't just march in.
"Ana.", he murmurs. "Hey."
"I know you said you were going to bed, but we need to talk which is why I'm standing outside Escala." I stand near the entrance and wait for him to respond.
"You're here? Now?", he stammers, sounding caught off guard. "I'll be right there."
Five minutes later, Christian walks outside and to me. He's wearing a black coat and blue pants. I'm angry as hell yet turned on by the man.
"Don't make fun of what I'm wearing. These are my pajama pants.", he shrugs as he holds his hand out for me. "Want to come upstairs and see my place?" I roll my eyes and take his hand.
"Ok, but I want you to know that's not why I'm here.", I say while we step onto the elevator and head upstairs to the penthouse. "We need to talk about the call I made to you earlier." He leans against the wall of the elevator and stares at me. "You weren't happy to hear where I was."
"You're right. I wasn't.", he snaps. The elevator comes to a stop and opens to the foyer. The walls are painted an off white tone and decorated with paintings that look like they belong in an art museum. He guides us into the living room where the same color scheme continues with ceiling to floor windows on the left side of the room. "Have a seat." He motions to an off white leather sofa.
"I'd rather stand. Nice living room, by the way."
"Thanks. I'd offer to show you the rest, but I sense you'd rather have the "needed" conversation." He shrugs out of his coat, exposing the simple white tee underneath and his broad chest.
"You're correct. I didn't know we were going to the strip club until we were there."
"You shouldn't have been there. End. Of. Story." I could tell him I wasn't comfortable there myself, but him telling me what I can and can't do is like throwing a match on a puddle of gasoline. "The idea of some sweaty guy swinging his dick in your face infuriates me.", he snarls, being smart by putting some distance between us.
"I suppose if it were your dick swinging in my face it would be ok?", I scoff.
"Now we're getting somewhere."
"You're being controlling which in case you've forgotten I'm not a fan of. I'm a grown woman who can go and do whatever she wants, and if you can't handle that, then maybe we need to rethink things." He lets out a deep breath as if I've just punched him in the gut.
"Is that what you want? You want to end things?", he asks while slowly stepping closer to me.
"No. It's not what I want.", I mutter as I finally sit down on the sofa. "I'm going to be honest by telling you I wasn't comfortable there tonight. It wasn't really my thing, but I was there to support my friend. Still, I wondered what you would think about me being there with guys who were dancing around with no clothes."
"Since we're being honest, I'm going to let you in on what my dad and I talked about during dinner. We talked about my relationship with you. My mom's co-chair of the Bellevue Botanical Society's annual fundraiser which is being held next Saturday, and she wanted my dad to tell me to invite my girlfriend." Christian sits down on the edge of one of the arm chairs. "I replied by telling him that you and I haven't defined what we are. Ana, I probably sound like a broken record when I say I'm new to this, but I'm new to this. You make me feel things that I've never felt before. When I'm with you, I get knots in my stomach. I leave from seeing you and immediately start looking forward to the next time I get to see your face. I believe that's why I reacted the way I did to you being at that strip club. If it had been anyone else, I wouldn't have cared, but it was you. It was the woman who I want to be my girlfriend. There, I said it. My dad told me to put my feelings out there, and I did. You might not want to be my girlfriend, but at least I got my feelings out." Christian Grey wants me to be his girlfriend? A few weeks ago, I would've laughed at the idea, but now I'm feeling the same knots Christian was describing. Why? Because I want to be his girlfriend.
"You really want me to be your girlfriend?", I ask, feeling a smile form on my face.
"Yes, but I don't want you to feel pressured into taking that step." I stand and pad over to him.
"What if I want to take that step?" I sit on his lap and kiss the corners of his mouth. "What if I want to be your girlfriend?"
"Then that would be great.", he whispers against my lips. "Of course it would mean that I'm the only one you're kissing."
"And I'd be the only one you're kissing.", I reply back.
"Only you." We kiss a few more minutes, and then he eases me off his lap. "Now can I show you the rest of the place?"
"Lead the way."
C POV
Ana's holding my hand as I give her a tour of the apartment. We go to every room, but it's the library that definitely grabs her attention. She stands in the middle of the room, smiling at the literary works surrounding her.
"Kate's always teasing me about how many books I have, but this is a lot. Have you read all of them?", she asks.
"I wish I could say I have, but I haven't. I've read a lot of them though." She glides over to one of the walls and admires the books closer. "You're more than welcome to have any book you'd like." She spins on her heels to face me.
"Christian, some of these books are first edition classics. I can't take them."
"Then borrow one or two or twenty. I love how your voice heightens when you talk about your love for reading. You've got passion."
"I've seen most of the place, but you've yet to show me your bedroom.", she says. I've purposely avoided showing Ana my bedroom for a reason. Being around her is tempting enough, and being in the bedroom will be even more of a temptation.
"I'll show you.", I murmur. We walk down the hallway to my bedroom. "It's nothing fancy." I open the door, and she raises a brow.
"Nothing fancy? Your bedroom is bigger than my entire apartment.", she giggles, stepping further into the room which is decorated in a soft blue tone. I remain planted in the doorway while she stands next to the bed. "Why are you standing all the way over there?"
"Because seeing you in my bedroom is like seeing water in the dessert. It's enticing, yet I'm worried it might be a mirage. I never thought you'd go out with me let alone be standing in my bedroom." She wiggles her index finger, inviting me to come closer. Under her trance, I do so. I'm soon standing right in front of her.
"It's not mirage. I'm really here.", she whispers before crashing her lips onto mine. She wraps her arms around my neck and deepens the kiss. The momentum of our lip lock causes her to fall backwards and onto the bed. She raises herself up on her elbows and giggles. "I like kissing you. I like it a lot, but I think we should stick to that for now. Is that ok?"
"Of course it's ok."
"You really think you can salvage the business?", Tom Rawlings asks me as we sit in his office the next morning.
"I don't think can salvage it. I know I can.", I say with confidence. "You started out as one of the best dealerships around, but your business has declined over the last few years. Businesses go through ruts, however, they can become great again. I noticed you stopped running as many ads on both tv and in newspapers." He leans back in his chair and stares at a picture frame on the desk. He turns the frame around so I can the face of a young man, appearing to be in his late teens.
"That's Evan, my son. My wife and I saw him as our everything. He was eighteen and had just graduated high school, but he still had time for his parents. One night, he was on his way home from a friend's when his car was hit head on by a guy who had been drinking all night. The bastard got to live. My Evan wasn't so fortunate. He died at the scene. I can still hear the last words he said to me, "Dad, I love you." Mr. Rawlings reaches into his pocket and pulls out a handkerchief to wipe away his tears. "My wife and I were devastated."
"I'm so sorry for your loss."
"Thank you. It's been three years, and even though deep down I know Evan would want me to continue living, I often find it difficult. I think that's why I let the business decline. I stopped caring. Now that I see what I've done, it might be too late to fix things."
"It's not too late. I give you my word that things are going to turn around. Putting in the bid for the police department vehicles was a start. We can also get your advertising going again. I hear Nelson Advertising does wonderful work. Perhaps we should look into having them do our advertising."
"Let's.", he replies as his tears fade.