Thanks for reading and commenting. This was supposed to be a one shot... Haha. Guess what.. I couldn't let it go. I also figured there will be more elements from the book but in different context and order even though Ana is ooc. So with that said... here is the continuation of their story.
Hope you enjoy!
xx
The music is loud and people are almost standing on each others feet when I enter the bar.
Kate is a sentimental person through and through, so it was no coincidences she chose this location for her first birthday after being Elliots fiancé. Being this the location they had their first date after our graduation. She would be Kate Grey in no time at all.
Grey.
That name had turned my life upside down in the matter of hours.
But I didn't come here to think about what happened yesterday, the opposite. I came here to forget.
Hell, I might even get drunk tonight.
„Ana!" I could hear her voice over the music. She was squeezing herself through the crowds only to jump at me for a warm embrace.
Clearly Kate already had a few too many.
„Heeey, happy birthday!" I say and kiss her cheek, still holding her embrace.
Oh God I was getting emotional. Stop Ana. Abort mission.
Luckily she didn't catch that.
„Come!" she says and drags me to the back of the bar. I spot Elliot and I feel a huge lump in my throat. Next to him Jose with his new date or was she his girlfriend already? Ethan was in town, he was sitting close to a few of Kates work friends.
I need to focus. Try to forget everything and just enjoy the night, I say to myself.
So far the night was enjoyable after a few heavier drinks, I can feel getting light headed. Kate is giving me weird looks. I wasn't a drinker and she knows that.
Someone has even organised a cake with lots of candles for her to blow out. I feel happy for her, my best friend who has her life together. Unfortunately, I just can't be in the moment. No matter how hard I try to play along and act happy.
„There you are!" I hear her voice, I was standing in line for the toilets.
„Hey birthday girl! Long time no see! " I grin and she raises an eyebrow at me.
„How much did you drink tonight?" she asks in a motherly fashion.
I grin from ear to ear. Yup, definitely tipsy at this point.
„What's going on Ana? Is it because of Ray?"
My grin vanishes instantly.
„No, Ray's doing better… he'll be in rehabilitation soon I hope." Okay, now I can definitely feel the tears coming.
Ray's accident had broken loose so many things. Somehow I always took for granted that my parents were alive and well. His accident had put a lot of things in perspective for me.
His hospital bills are also the reason I met the most attractive man I have ever seen on Friday. And I had slept with him. Over and over again.
At this point Kate is staring at me with a questioning look. I open my mouth and close it, unable to vocalise what has been tormenting me since last night where I had run from his home.
„Kate! C'mon babe. We want to give you your presents!" Elliott says grabbing her by the shoulders. He winks at me before he drags her back into the crowds.
„Ana! We need to talk!" she almost yells over the music before she vanishes between the party people.
I let out a relieved sigh. I'll deal with her on another day.
When I come back from the toilet I was glad to see it was almost 1 a.m. The party was fully going at this point and I could push those paranoid thoughts aside that a certain grey eyed man would make an appearance.
I don't know why I thought he might show up tonight, but yesterday's events had me worrying nonetheless. For a second, pictures of the two of us in his bed come into my mind. How he had closed his eyes while he was buried deep inside of me, given sounds of ecstasy by doing so, while I was moaning his name, so close to the climax... Oh God. Stop Ana. You promised yourself to push those memories into a drawer somewhere in your brain and never to open again.
Right. Now I need to get drunk.
With that in mind I head for the bar and order a tequila. Ugh, I hate tequila. But that dude next to me orders me another one and what the hell. I just go with it.
How many drinks did I have? And what am I doing outside? Wow, I'm freezing.
"Ana! There you are!"
I turn around with the speed of light... Or maybe not. It doesn't matter, I am very dizzy when I manage to look at Jose who is approaching me.
"Jose! Did you know your name rhymes with Schmose?" Yeah I would know, I was an English Lit graduate after all.
"I didn't know that was a word." He said, grabbing my upper arms. Wow he was very close.
"You're very drunk." He says. I snort to that. Yup, drunk. And horny. But he couldn't know that. No one could know why I would be horny. Except Mr. Use You As A Coffee Table.
"Shhh!" I say to him and put my finger in front of my mouth to show him no secret would pass my lips. I stumble a little and crash into his chest.
He holds me closer, wow I am too warm now.
"Ana, I never had the courage to do this.." he says.
It's too warm! I feel the heat rising to my face and what is that awful feeling in my gut.
He takes hold of my chin and leans closer.
"No, no, no!" I stammer. Jose, I'm too hot, please give me some air to breathe. But I'm unable to speak, my drunken tongue in a knot.
"Ana, I know you want this too..." He says, now holding my face in an uncomfortably tight grip.
"J-jose...no." I push out but my lips are already squished together by his strong hands into an odd fish mouth, unable to speak anymore. I try to wiggle out. Shit, I'm so dizzy and my body doesn't feel like it's under my command anymore. I cannot fight him.
Panic. I suddenly realise very clearly what will happen if I couldn't make him stop.
I smell his breath. Is that rum? Ugh, I am so sick I need to vomit. Right now.
"She said No, fuckhead!" is all I can hear before someone or something yanks Jose away from me making me tremble backwards.
I vomit on the spot. Unable to see what is going on. There is some kind of commotion around me but I am busy poisoning the flowerbed next to the street walk. When I am done, leaning over in defeat and fighting for air, I feel a hand on the small of my back.
"No, don't touch me! Go away, Jose!" I say without looking up, my head more clear to build a comprehensive sentence, fighting with my arm over my head as if I was shooing away an obnoxious fly.
"Are you alright?" he says.
I know that voice. I jolt up to a stand, regretting instantly my fast motion which makes me loose balance completely. I'm going to faint... Oh no!
When I wake up I'm lying in a dark room with a huge window overlooking the Seattle skyline. Where the hell am I.
Oh my god. I'm naked. I look under the sheets, at least my panties are still there.
My head! It hurts so badly! Even though the room is almost pitch black the small light source stings in my eyes.
Where am I. What happened? What time is it?
I look around. I've never been here before.. But this interior.. And the Skyline. I don't know anyone who would be rich enough...
Christian.
How did he find me?
I jump out of bed to look for my clothes. I do find my purse but no clothes in sight. I take the bedsheet and wrap it around myself.
Unread messages from Kate. Oh no.
Where are you? 1.45 a.m.
Did you go home? Why didn't you say goodbye? 1.57 a.m.
I'm fine. Had a little too much to drink. Am at home. Goodnight. 4.25 a.m.
I don't want to worry her or make her suspicious. Nobody could know where I am or how I got here. Although I'm not sure this room belongs to Christian's apartment, my gut told me that it does.
Oh God. Had he... Taken advantage of my passed out state? What did he do with my clothes? I looked down on my wrapped body.
I grasp the sheet tighter around me and leave the room.
Yes, it is his apartment. But where is he and what has he done to me.. Does he think he could do whatever he wanted just because he had bought my company for a day? Christian probably is a philanderer who had Escorts come and go on a regular basis. He probably doesn't value woman as people and more like goods. But still if he really had done what I was thinking.. That is a real legal offence. Oh god, what if he didn't use protection?
Before my thoughts can disable me to move any further I push them aside. I need some answers now.
I silently walk on the hallway, barefoot, I don't make any sound. The apartment is quiet. Not even the sound of a clock or traffic could be heard.
I walk past several closed doors, no indication of light under them, I don't bother to check inside. I reach a staircase which leads down to the living space. Gladly, I recognise this and walk towards the kitchen.
Again nobody's here. I head for his bedroom.. Growing more and more insecure the closer I get to his door. It's slightly open.
For a second I wonder what kind of man would rape a girl and then let her sleep in his guest bedroom like nothing had happened? Surely one would try to get rid of all evidence and discard the girl somewhere in the streets?
Calm down Ana. You don't know if something happened. Maybe he didn't...
But I am almost naked... Wasn't I?
When I pushed the door open I see his unmade bed. Somehow it gives me a weird sensation to see where we had sex with consent over and over again. Now, it leaves a bitter aftertaste. I walk inside to see his walk in closet and bathroom. Both empty.
Maybe he wasn't home?
Without a second thought I take a t-shirt and some shorts from his closet to cover myself.
If it was true and he did take advantage of me… wearing his clothes to cover up would be the ultimate hypocrisy. I shudder at that thought.
I walk back to the kitchen. This place is huge and I'm not wasting more time looking for him. My headache greets me again after the initial shock of waking up in his apartment and fear while tiptoeing around had passed.
What should I do? I have to get out of here.. But dressed like this? To hell with it, I need to get out of here as soon as possible. I can take something to cover up and leave.
My throat is very dry at this point. There's enough time to have a glas of water before fleeing this awful place.
From the cupboard I take a heavy bottom glass to fill with water from the fridge. Closing my eyes to feel the sensation of the cold rim touch my lips, I take a small sip. Like rain to the desert.
"There you are." He says and I squeal out of surprise and fear. Letting the glas fall from my hands onto my foot and it shatters into thousand pieces.
"Ow! Oh my God. You scared me!" Unconsciously I step back, right into a piece of glas. I hurts like hell. Why didn't I see or hear him coming? Was he half human, half panther or something? Would explain his predatory character.
"Hell, Ana! What are you doing!? " He tries to step closer but stops in his tracks. He's also barefoot and glas has scattered all over the place.
To my dismay I look down on a now very bloody foot, a clean cut on the back of it. And a feisty little thing in my sole throbbing badly. Blood was mixing with the pool of water around my feet. Oh no. I'm not good at seeing blood.
Don't faint, Ana. Don't faint. You see what happens when you do..
For a moment I'm frozen in place. What shall I do? Walk and risk stepping on more glas?
"Wait here. Don't move." He says and leaves me.
No shit Sherlock. What else am I supposed to do?
When he comes back he's wearing slippers and has a first aid kit in hand. He steps closer to me and I instantly flinch away.
He notices my actions and lifts his hands as if at gunpoint.
"I'm just trying to help. Come." He says and without waiting for an answer hoists me up and carries me to the kitchen counter close to the sink.
His touch makes me nervous and my heart rate increases.
I hope all of this is just a misunderstanding and you are not a fucked up rapist who is too rich to fall under any prosecution in this country. I hope my gut was right and you aren't what this looks like, I think to myself. Trying to calm down.
Christian places my foot in the sink and opens the faucet to run water over my wound.
"I'll manage." I say shortly because I'm still not sure of him. When I lean forward to rub the blood off the cut, he snatches my wrist mid air.
"Don't. There still might be shreds in there. .." He says. His eyes... They stare into mine and for a moment I can't look away.
How can he care so much about me when he had just...
Enough.
I need some answer now.
"Christian, what did you do to me?" I ask and I know this sounds extremely accusing.
"Do to you? I saved you from that dude in the bar.. " he says and leans back. I turn off the faucet.
"Don't mess with me. I was strung out and... I woke up naked. In your home."
His eyes become slits and he takes a step back.
"So the only conclusion is that I took advantage of you?" his voice makes me shiver. This man could be really scary.
"You abducted me from a bar! You took me to your home where nobody I know could find me. You undressed me!" I was furious at this point. What a weird sight... me sitting on his counter, my foot in his sink..
"I didn't.. Touch you. Alright? Yes.. To all those things you said! But it wasn't that way!" he blasts back at me, taking a step forward.
I need to calm down. I am alone at a strangers place and nobody knows I am here. That's how crime stories begin normally...
"Tell me then, what happened?" I say in a more muted tone.
"Some guy was all over you and I punched him in the face." He says. Oh my god, Jose?!
"The moment I got to you, you passed out on me... And I really didn't know what to do with you. I couldn't just call Elliot or his fiancé because... Well officially we don't know each other."
"I couldn't just leave you there. So I took you to my place... I know that wasn't the smartest thing to do. Maybe I should have just gotten you a hotel room but.. " he looks me longer in the eye than I was comfortable. "I just had to make sure you were alright.."
"And then you thought, why not use what you have at hand?!" I couldn't believe I was having this conversation in the first place.
"Ana, I'm actually fucking pissed at you for not taking my word that nothing happened! If you don't believe me.. Fine! I'll drive you to the hospital. They can check you if you've had any unwanted sexual encounter. "
All colour drains form my face. The hospital?
I eye him from head to toe... If I was honest... I would believe his story. Just the fact that he left me without clothes..
"Why did you undress me."
He smirks. "You were full of vomit and I almost gagged twice because of that. It's not my fault you only wore a dress with almost nothing underneath.."
Yup. Maybe this is the most embarrassing moment of my life.
"And then you thought it would be suitable to leave me naked. Do you think I'm stupid?"
"You wouldn't let me." He says and his eyes have a mischievous glint out of sudden.
"What do you mean.. Wouldn't let you?" I brace myself for the worst.
"Look. Given the fact that you think I raped you, which is just... "he shakes his head. "I wish you'd known me better.. You'd know that consent is my most valued virtue." He says and I'm getting even more uneasy about the story he's about to tell me.
"What did I do?" I say and it's almost a whisper.
"It actually would be funny if you didn't think I am the molester."
Oh no..
"Just spit it out, Christian."
He leaned back on the opposite kitchen counter and ruffled his hair.
"I'm sure that was the alcohol speaking. You were like "I want you Christian, I want you so badly'... gave me those 'Fuck me eyes'. Actually hard for me to resist. You kind of... let's say.. wrestled me.. so I gave up and let you sleep. " He laughed at that and stopped immediately when he saw my face.
"I said it once and for all. Nothing happened!" Wow, such a quick change of mood.
A decision must be made. Do I believe him or not?
"I believe you. T-thank you.. "
He doesn't say anything to that. Instead, he comes close to me again to lift my foot out of the sink. I had forgotten about that.
Without saying anything he opens the first aid kit and takes out some stuff.
I'm watching his every move like a hawk. At this point my foot has started bleeding again, running down the sides of it and dripping on the counter.
He pats it fairly dry with a piece of gauze.
"There might be still some shards in the wound. Unlikely though as its not very deep. Do you want to show this to a doctor? " He puts an ointment on it and starts to dress the wound. I shake my head.
"You're very good at this." I say. He smiles at that and I cannot help but wonder if he's one of those men who like to take care of their loved ones.
"My mother is a doctor.. Might have learnt a trick or two from her." He winks.
"Christian.. Why did you come to the bar last night?" I ask when he's about finished.
I can see the corner of his mouth twitching..
"I had to see you again."
Oh my. Totally oblivious to the course of our conversation and the events of last night my heart starts beating very fast.
"You could book a meeting through the agency..." Claire was more than pissed that I had left my client unhappy and had made it very clear that this behaviour was unacceptable. So I knew he had talked to them about me.
"We both know that you don't have the intention to see me again... On those terms." He said and I wondered how he could see right through me.
"Maybe you should just accept my decision then..? "
I hope he doesn't. Please don't, Christian!
I'm so confused.
"Yeah I should... I just... Couldn't stay away." He confessed and it made my heart beat even faster. Christian Grey wants to see me again!
Then don't. I wanted to say. But the moment I open my mouth I feel a bang of hurt.
I probably am a new challenge for him. Like a toy. Surely he would jump to the next Escort the moment I had given him everything I had to offer. The problem is that I am far too invested at this point to walk out of this unharmed.
He actually could hurt me. Without even laying a single finger on me. I shudder at that thought.
From the window I see the sun rising.
Work! I have to be at work at 8! Oh no!
"I need to go!" I suddenly exclaim and try to jump off the counter.
"What? No! Don't go running again, Ana!" he says and the genuine hurt on his face makes me believe for a second that it's not just sexual pleasure he wants from me. For a second, at least.
„I have to be at work in a few hours. Where are my clothes?" Funny how I say clothes where it's only a dress full of vomit..
I try to walk away from him with my bandaged foot. It hurts so I begin to limp out of the kitchen.
„Are you out of your mind? You cannot go to work with that!" he gestures at my foot.
Stupid billionaire with their stupid lifestyle…
„Christian, I have to work. I need to make a living. Do you even know in what kind of trouble I'll get if I won't show up at work?"
„You won't be in trouble if they hear you simply cannot walk. You cannot even put on a shoe, let alone drive!"
Well.. It wasn't untrue. But it didn't change the fact that..
„I need that job! I have rent to pay."
„They won't kick you out for missing a few days.." he says.
„Actually they would. I'm a nobody there, totally disposable. Hundreds of people waiting in line to get my job and climb up the career ladder. I'm not like you… master of your universe with nobody above you to decide about your fate." At this point I had reached full rant mode.
He was taken aback for a moment.
„I'll call the agency and tell them we will spend the day together. 5000$ are surely more than you would earn there this month."
„This again? Why are you trying to give me your freaking money?!"
Surprisingly he doesn't jump on my anger train and remains calm.
„Look, I brought you here. And I frightened you. It's my fault you were hurt. See it as some kind of personal injury compensation."
Are. You. Kidding. Me.
This man is going all out to be close to me. I feel a smile play around my lips when suddenly a thought makes me anxious again.
„Oh God. The agency! I will be in so much trouble if they find out we met…"
„They don't have to know." He says and takes my hand.
What are you doing to me, Christian. You are turning my life upside down. I hope you know what game you are playing because I am definitely loosing at it.
I look down at my foot which at this point has bled through the bandages. Maybe a doctor should have a look at that.
„Alright." I say. His argumentation was on point but then he wasn't a CEO by chance. And a very small part of me was so eager to be with him. It was ridiculous.
My words put a broad smile on his face.
„Really?" he asks. His joy and insecurity surprise me. And without knowing what the hell we are doing we lean into each other and kiss.
I'm so screwed.