Chapter 4

At the sound of the phone ringing near her head, Kate cursed and rolled out from under the arm of her bed partner. Looking at the sleeping form, she couldn't help but wonder why she always seemed to end up with the poorer brother than the object of her affection and this one's not even that good of a lay, she thought as she shrugged into her robe and grabbed for her phone. "You beckoned?" she spit out as she hurried out of her bedroom, well aware of who was on the other end of the phone.

"Now Katherine is that anyway to talk to your mother?" the voice on the other end laughed, in what Kate was sure was supposed to be a breathy voice that called people to her.

"Don't you mean gestational host?" Kate shot back, unaffected.

"Now, don't you dare take that tone with me, young lady. Just because you can't manage to use your feminine wiles to land a man I make sure is in your path…"

Kate rolled her eyes as she went to start the coffee maker: "I have landed a very fine specimen in my bed; in fact you called me from his arms. So what the hell do you want?"

"I hear we have a defector…"

"She quit. No loss. I would've kicked her out years ago if it weren't for you."

"Ahhh, but it is a loss. She still has a part to play in this."

"Or maybe your feminine wiles just aren't up to snuff. I mean, who'd want a dried up old woman like you when they could have me- or even her- at their feet?" she laughed.

"He'll be in town on business. I've made an appointment with a stylist for you, for when you 'happen' to run into him."

Kate tossed back her hair: "he can't stand me. Even a new look won't change that! Besides, I like my new accessory."

"I'm sure you do like your new toy, Pet, but this has been the endgame for a long time now and as you haven't been able to procure another of equal standing…"

"Fine, I'll make sure our paths cross. Happy?"

"Not yet, but I have a feeling that I will be eventually," she intoned before disconnecting.

"If you think I'm letting one of your flying monkeys change this perfection, you old witch, you have another thing coming. As it is, listening to you backfired ten years ago. If I had just gone to his office to begin with he never would've fallen for little pure innocent Ana instead of at my feet," Kate muttered and then placed a wicked smile on her face as she heard movement in the bedroom. Shifting she made sure that the robe fell to bare her arms and tease at her chest as she walked back to the room. Christopher Vidal might not be his older half-brother but he had a trust fund and a society mother, for now it would have to be enough. He would just have to be her starter husband….

Christian ran as if he was trying to outrun the hounds at the gate of hell. However, what he was really running from was the past. As his feet pounded against the moving belt of the treadmill, he couldn't help but replay the moment he knew that Kate had won the game she was playing with Ana's head and his life…

"Ana, I can explain why I had to leave you here, alone with only Taylor for support," he had started; exasperated that she wouldn't look at him.

"Kate came while you were gone, Christian," Ana had gently chided him as she continued to place her things carefully into the small open suitcase on the bed in their suite at the Heathman.

"Ana, you know what I mean…"

Ana sighed as she shook her head: "she isn't making me do this, you know."

"Ana, please look at me," he had entreated. "I'm sorry…"

"You're sorry? Christian, I'm the one who owes you an apology. I took advantage of your kindness and generosity," she had admitted tiredly as tears started to form in her eyes. "I shouldn't have…"

"Ana, it's not taking advantage if it's given freely," he had told her as he went to take her into his arms.

"Christian, I can't do this. I don't want to keep doing this to you," she had sighed into his chest, and then reluctantly pushed back. "I don't know who I am. I'm not even sure what I want, aside from…"

"Aside from what?"

"Does it matter?" she sighed and then turned away, rambling so he couldn't press her. "I can't count on you to come and save me, even from myself. I have to learn to… there's no one right now."

"You'll always have me, and Taylor," he added trying to add a little bit of levity to the situation.

"Taylor, yes," she replied with a slight smile as she turned to face him. "He came through with all of this. So did you. If you two hadn't of been here for me…" she shook her head, "but I can't live in denial, Christian, I have to go back to NY and figure out where I go from here."

"I wish you wouldn't."

"I know," she sighed, and was about to say something when Kate came charging into the room: "we have to go, Steele," she had all but ordered. "I thought you would be done with packing by now!"

"I…" Ana had started. "Oh please, I know. Master of the Universe here distracted you."

"If I was Master of the Universe, Ms. Kavanagh, you would have been banished to another one by now," Christian had shot back, causing Ana to choke back a laugh: "I have to grab a few things from the bathroom. If you can put the other things from the drawer in the suitcase for me, Kate?"

"Sure," Kate had replied with narrowed eyes as Ana had rushed into the bathroom, before she turned with a smirk on her face: "dropped the ball long enough for me to come in and grab it, didn't you Grey?" she had said amused.

"I had a family emergency of my own to handle."

"Timing certainly sucked for you," Kate had retorted as she scooped Ana's remaining items of clothing out of the drawer and tossed them into the suitcase.

"Next time I'll check to make sure it's scheduled at a time that won't help your plans," he had shot back tensely as Ana returned.

"Give us a minute, Kate?" she had asked as she frowned down at the clothing lying on top of the suitcase.

"Why? So he can convince you how you can't live without him?"

"I'm going back to NY with you, Kate. Can you please just get over yourself for a minute and…"

"You really didn't just go there! Ana, I took time out of my busy schedule to fly out here to be with you in your time of need and…"

"And I appreciate it, Kate. Christian knows that he can't change my mind. Now can you go downstairs and wait? I'll only be a few more minutes."

"I'll get a cab," Kate said testily.

"Sawyer's driving us," Ana had corrected distractedly as she tried to fix the damage Kate had caused to her packing.

"Like I said, I'll hail a cab."

Ana rolled her eyes: "then you're paying for it, because I don't have the money to throw around when we have a free ride to the airport because you don't like who our ride's boss happens to be."

"He'll just report back what we say…"

"He's off duty," Christian cut in. "He's volunteered of his own volition."

"Fine then!" Kate said as she threw up her hands. "I'll be downstairs. You better not cause us to miss the flight. Either of you," she continued as she stormed out.

"You didn't have to lie about Luke," Ana chided Christian once the outer door slammed shut.

"I didn't. Sawyer said he wouldn't take payment for driving a friend to the airport. Of course, I'm not docking him for the time he'll be gone either," Christian told her.

Ana only shook her head as she added her toiletries to the suitcase and then shut it and secured the zipper. "I do wish things could be…"

"Hey," he had said as he walked over to her and put a finger under her chin, forcing her to meet his eyes. "They are what they are. Whether you're my more or just my friend, I want you in my life, Anastasia Steele. Yes, I would've liked to have had the chance to talk you out of leaving, but I know you know your own mind, even if you don't."

"Christian," she had sighed in exasperation as she clasped his wrist in her hand. "I shouldn't have made you think that I might have. My emotions where all over the place since I got that phone call. I took advantage…"

"Maybe I'm the one who took advantage, Ana. I have to say I liked having you in my arms again."

Ana smiled at him: "I'm the one who begged…"

"First," he interrupted with a smirk. "Someday, we'll have our time. You'll see…"

Exhaling a curse as he mistepped, Christian shook himself out of the memory.
Years had passed since then.
Both had been with other people- people who hadn't been the other.
They talked at least once a month.
He had tried to meet her when he had been in NY on business trips, but more and more she had started to cancel. He had never learned why, but he had his suspicions…

Stepping off the treadmill, he tried to regain focus as he wiped his face with a towel.
There had been an almost more once. She was a friend of his sister-in-law, Manny, and he had been with her for almost a year. But, when it came down to it, even with his family's support, she hadn't been what he had really wanted and he had let her go, never explaining why.
Instead, he had continued to go to major events with Ros as his date when he couldn't get out of it or on his own. He had dated in the public, but never brought another woman home to his family. He was starting to think that he never would.
Only now, he decided to face the one woman he had ever loved.
This time he wouldn't let her cancel on him.
He would see her, even if he had to sit outside the blasted extended care facility and wait for her to visit it.
A plan in mind, he headed to the showers, hoping that he had worked himself into enough of an exhaustion to sleep. Perhaps, he'd even dream of her when he did….