Chapter 29
Ros was pacing her office at GHE in annoyance, her stiletto heels hitting a veracious pace. "What do you mean you haven't talked to him yet Man? You got there HOURS ago and there's a shitstorm about to hit since he had to go and get involved in something at a BDSM club!" she complained, hoping against hope that this was just some sort of sick coincidence and her boss had reverted to the lifestyle that he didn't know she was aware he had led years ago.
"He was in with his friend when we got here and then Grace sent him to get his hand checked out and…"
"His hand, what the hell happened to his hand and who the hell is he involved with out there?" Ros spit out in rapid secession.
"An old girlfriend. Ana…"
"Steele," Ros huffed as she finished off the name of the only woman who she knew he had loved. "Still, we need to get ahead of this."
"I'm working on it Ros," Nula answered as she sunk into the waiting room chair. "Grace is with Ana and Carrick is with Christian. When Christian gets back he's going to want to be with her not talk about PR," she groused as she rubbed the bridge of her nose. "And frankly I don't blame him.
What the hell difference does it make where she was attacked, by Hyde of all people!"
"The press…"
"Will be dealt with. She is friends with owners of the club and was there prior to going to babysit for two of them. Christian is going to be harder to spin, but Taylor served with one of the owners. We'll come up with something."
"I don't like this. Grey needs to keep a good name without speculation and he's going to hit the roof if there are rumors about Ana, esp. if those rumors have to do with their sex lives."
"I'll handle it, Ros, that is what you pay me for."
"It's what we pay you and Mani for, but as per usual I don't see her doing any of the hard work."
"You know that I get along with Christian better…"
"You get along with everyone better," Ros huffed. "Just keep this as quiet as possible. We're going to start to get hammered with the innuendoes about the attack and then the police looking into him being connected to the murder."
"I have it handled. They are just covering their bases."
"So they questioned them?"
"Until Flynn had to ask everyone to leave. That was another reason I didn't get to talk to him."
"Why'd Flynn have to get rid of them? Christian do anything stupid?"
"No," Nula admitted as she slumped down further into the chair, the back of her head hitting the uncomfortable rise in the chair's back, but needing it for support. "I think it had to do with Ana and her injuries. They asked a couple of more questions in the hall from what I saw until Grace disbanded everyone."
"Great. So you have nothing concrete yet. Get something and get back to me. I need PR on top of all of this."
"Will do," Nula sighed as she hung up and then looked over to Sawyer as she put her cell in her bag. "What do you make of all this?"
"Usual BS outside forces trying to keep those two apart," he shrugged, slightly embarrassed.
"You knew her then?"
"Who Ana?" he asked as he straightened up a bit in his chair.
"Yeah. What she like?"
Sawyer took a moment to mull it over and then answered: "shy, but with an adventurous spirit. She likes simple things and quiet. Her books and work with them made her happy. She was polite, followed directions, treated security well…"
"And with him?"
"Honestly- he was the only one in the room when they were together."
"And vice versa?"
"And vice versa."
Nula smiled sadly at that: "I wonder what that would feel like. To be looked at like you were the only person in the room by someone."
"You don't already know?"
"Why would I?"
"All I can say is you haven't been looking at the right person, because there is someone who looks at you that way even though he probably shouldn't…"
"Luke…"
"I'm going to get a coffee you want one?"
"Sure," she sighed letting him shift the conversation that she didn't want to have anyway. Watching him leave she closed her eyes, seeing what he meant in her vision. Shaking away the image of Elliot watching her the night before she pulled out her notepad to start writing down ideas on how to spin things for GHE…
"Any news?" Elliot asked Mia as he bounded into the living room of Bellevue.
"Sawyer said that Ana was still having tests run. Mom was sitting with Ana when he called to check in."
Elliot raised an eyebrow at that: "Mom was? Where was Christian? He didn't get himself arrested, did he?"
"No, Lelliot," Mia said with exasperation. "Christian was having his hand checked per Mom's orders."
"His hand?" Elliot asked, then laughed. "As in hand meets…"
"Wall?" she said with him and then giggled. "I think so."
Elliot shook his head as he rounded the couch and leaped onto it with her: "how you doing?"
"I'm fine Elliot; you don't have to keep hovering."
"But I like hovering," he teased as he leaned his head back. "Chris didn't wear you out, did he? I didn't think to get up earlier…"
"One he was fine, two you were drunk," she countered.
"I wasn't…."
"You always drink when you two have to stay here with Manni, only it's usually Christian who takes on Christopher the next morning."
"I didn't drink that much last night, I was just thinking…"
"Was that before or after another battle in the war of the Greys?"
"You heard?"
"No. Christopher did. He came to the room and stayed with me and Luke."
Elliot cursed and rubbed his eyes: "I try, Mia, I really do. But I'm starting to think that the war isn't worth winning- hell it's not even worth fighting anymore!"
"Meaning?"
"I'm thinking of talking to… well as you know…"
"I'm guessing you're not talking about Flynn."
"She's been done with Flynn for a long time."
"Is it what you want?"
"Want? Need? Have to do?" he shrugged: "I don't know. I just know that I no longer have a choice. This isn't good for any of us anymore. I have to put an end to things."
"And move on?"
He sighed: "I don't know…."
"She's not going to make it easy for you."
"Who?"
"Either of them," Mia laughed as she tapped his hand with a laugh then started to push to her feet. "Hey, help me up. I need to pee."
"When don't you anymore?"
"Jerk."
"Brat…"