Chapter 20

I never do see Rudy again as I suspected I wouldn't. I guess sailors with short leaves expect fast women. Anyone who tries hard enough can find something to complain about and I'm no different but I realize I have a lot to be grateful for, not the least of which is my darling Kent, my excellent girlfriends, and a great new job. Saying goodbye to any hopes for a relationship with Christian is incredibly difficult but it's not as if I have a choice. Another month goes by without any contact from him and cements my certainty that we're done. I focus on my trip to Australia with Kent and Jared. Kent lined up some well-heeled clients for couture dresses and is using me to model for him. I think he did it so he could pay my way without a huge fuss from me. As I'm fond of saying, he's one of a kind.

...

The Rehnquists meet us at the airport. We flew from Seattle to Cairns with two stops, one at LAX and one in Sydney. Direct flights are not available, I'm assuming for refueling reasons. We're staying four days in Cairns and then heading to Sydney to meet with Kent's clients. From there we'll fly back to Seattle.

I have zero idea what to expect. It's been over four years since I set eyes on any of them so they sort of feel like strangers. As soon as I see them, however, it all seems right again.

Kent and Jared hang back a little as the three Rehnquists crowd around me. "Ana!" screams Joline a second before she engulfs me in a bear hug. "I've missed you so much, you adorable twit. How are you?"

Laughing, I pat her pretty hair. "Is that the beginning of an Aussie accent I hear in your voice? How long have you been down under?"

She laughs from her belly, a throaty howl that makes me laugh harder. "Long enough to pick up bad habits."

"Ana, hello, darling." Ingrid is next up and gives me a hug also. "You look beautiful as always. We're so excited to see you," she says in her heavily-accented English. She steps aside to allow Hans to greet me. I get a good look at him as he steps up to eye me… and my mouth goes as dry as the Sahara.

Hans. Have I mentioned how dastardly handsome he is? If anything, time has only improved upon his looks. His skin is golden, his hair is golden, his eyes are Cerulean blue… and his lips are full and sensuous. Now I remember why I married him.

Kent and Jared step up to join us and Kent leans over to whisper in my ear, "Are you certain you want that annulment?"

I grin broadly, and introduce everyone.

"Now that we've all met, let's go find a good place to eat, my treat." Ingrid says, looping her arm through Kent's. "And you can tell me all about yourself and your partner while we walk," she says as she gives Kent her full attention. "Ana tells us you're a famous fashion designer in the States."

Joline swings her arm around me, Jared on my other side and we set off. We've only gotten a few feet before Hans wiggles between Joline and I.

"Hey! She's my friend."

"Yeah, well, she's my wife. Wife trumps friend, little sister."

Ever the gentleman, Jared relinquishes his position so I am now flanked by the Rehnquist siblings and I have to admit—I can't remember the last time I felt this happy just to be alive. It's so good to see these good-looking Swedes.

Although Ingrid practically threatens us with bodily harm if we don't stay at her home, Kent is adamant that we book hotel rooms. This is something we discussed on the plane and the three of us agreed we'd be more comfortable in a hotel. Kent insisted I also stay in the hotel with him and Jared since, he argued, I haven't seen these people in years. I was fine with it so we took a suite with two bedrooms again, as we did in Italy.

Now that I know about Kent's sister, I understand his protective instincts a little better and I also comprehend why he opts for suites rather than fully separate rooms. He wants to keep an eye on me so I don't come to harm. I know my parents would approve of Kent's caution and I do, too.

Hans is so very attentive to me at lunch that the years seem to melt away and I begin to feel very comfortable in his presence. He and Joline have me laughing in no time and I'm so happy to be in their company again.

Toward the end of the meal, Hans takes me hand. "Ana, you probably are wondering why I wanted you to come see me before we annulled our marriage."

"Yes, I was wondering. I mean, you offered to sign the papers without my visit but I'm assuming you had a reason for wanting to see me."

"Yes. The attorney handling the annulment was... what's the word?"

"Shyster," Joline helpfully informs him.

"Yes, a shyster, right. Anyway, he took fees from people and then ran. We never heard back so my mother assumed it went through. She tends to be naïve in these kinds of matters. When your attorney tracked me down and contacted me… well, that was the first I heard that we were still legally married."

I'm starting to understand all of a sudden. "And?" I prompt.

"Well, since I'm married to a U.S. citizen, I may be able to get into the country after all. Especially since we've been married for four years plus. My mom and Joline can easily go back to the States but I cannot… that's why we're here."

"But aren't you happy here? You all seem so settled in."

"We'd prefer to be in the U.S.—California, most likely. What do you say, Ana? Are you willing to hold off on the divorce for a little while longer?"

I look to Kent and he almost imperceptibly shakes his head. I think he's telling me not to answer too quickly. Of course I won't. I'll need to talk to a few people first. "Hans, this is something I really have to think about first… and discuss with my attorney."

"Will you at least consider it?"

He looks so sweetly earnest that I have trouble saying no to him. Breaking into a smile, I lightly pat his hand. "Yes, I'll consider it. Do you have any idea how long I'd have to wait?"

"No. This is all new to us, as well. I'd have to talk to an immigration attorney, too."

"So you knew nothing of the people who came after me for your debts?"

"Ana, those weren't even his debts," Joline adds. "A few of them may have been legitimate but those people were criminals looking to swindle."

With so much catching up to do, the time flies by. We've taken almost three hours to finish and the restaurant manager is giving us dirty looks so we finally part company with the Rehnquists with a promise to get together the next day. The three of us decide to take a nap before eating a late dinner so we go back to the hotel to get settled in. Once I'm lying in bed, I start to think about everything and replaying the whole thing in my mind, beginning with the phone call I received from the supposed U.S. attorney.

Shit. McEvoy had never sent me a bill for his services. Since I know he'd done quite a bit for me in this matter, he must have billed Christian for his time. I specifically told him to send the bills to me. I have to remember to call him as soon as I return stateside.

Christian. It's been nearly three months since I tossed him out of my apartment and he hasn't so much as sent me a text message saying hello. I still miss him and he frequently makes an appearance in my dreams. Sometimes I even wonder if I imagined the whole thing with him. It doesn't seem real anymore. Kate is after me to start dating again but my heart is definitely not in it. Seeing Hans again, though, is good for me. I could tell that he's still attracted to me and he still does it for me. Maybe, just maybe I could keep the marriage going for a little while longer and then who knows? Stranger things have happened.

...

After a lot of discussion, copious amounts of wine, and even some heated argument, I decide to postpone the annulment for a few months. I swear to Kent and Kate, the two opponents of the postponement, that I will restart the proceedings by the end of the year, regardless of whether or not Hans makes it to the U.S. by then. It seems to me he's very motivated and I want to help Joline and Ingrid as well. I still have a lot of affection for them.

So by December, things don't look good for Hans since his visa still hasn't come through. He calls me weekly to keep me informed and apparently his attorney swears it's in the works. I gave him a deadline of December 31st and it is fast approaching.

As soon as I returned from Australia over the summer I contacted Carson McEvoy about my charges for his billable hours. That was a conversation.

Getting him on the telephone had been next to impossible. I finally had to resort to threatening his receptionist with a personal visit if he didn't take my call. He finally and reluctantly got on. "Ms. Steele… or should I say Mrs. Rehnquist. What can I do for you?"

"You, Mr. McEvoy, can send me the bill for your services rendered, as I requested some time ago."

"Ana, my dear, our mutual friend took care of it long ago. Why don't you just accept it with grace and move on?"

The man was infuriating me. "Mr. Grey is not responsible for me or my debts. I would appreciate your sending the bill to me and reimbursing Mr. Grey for any monies paid. Unless you want to continually hear from me, you will comply with my directive."

"I will speak to Christian and get back to you. Good day, Ms. Steele."

Needless to say, I never heard from him again. I didn't pursue it because it was too upsetting. It had now been seven months since I set eyes on Christian. Sometimes when I can't push him out of my head, I play a game, comparing his attributes with Hans, and Rudy, the Navy SEAL. Alas, Christian always comes out on top. Hans is too slender, Rudy is too short, Christian is just right. In every way… except one: he's not interested in me.

Still and all, I have made progress. After seven months of not seeing him in anything but gossip magazines, I finally feel able to look at photos of him with glossy women draped over his hotness and not feel that old, sharp dagger of jealousy plunge into my guts. So be it.