Chapter 8
The Song
"You have to tone it down. You look really . . . scary," I honestly told Kate.
Tonight's our annual bar night for Halloween. Kate, Ethan, and I usually spend it together, but I also invited Hannah and Noel over since they had nothing to do tonight. It would be pretty fun for my lifelong friends and work friends to meet too.
"Ana, come on! I'm just too excited!" Well, wasn't she obvious?
Kate's dressed up as a ghost bride, but she looked really scary. If there were an award for the scariest costume tonight then she would be the winner. The gown's soaked in (fake) blood and the makeup on her face created this illusion that someone split her face in half.
"Kate, you've always been excited about Halloween. I know it's your favorite time of the year, but you seemed like you had triple dose of caffeine."
She gave me a taunting smile (which made her creepier) when she told me, "I'm just excited because your future boyfriend's coming over too!"
"Future boyfriend?" I was confused but then again, I realized she was referring to Christian.
Right. Christian. I invited him over. I never really thought that Kate might make things awkward.
I reiterated for the millionth time, "Kate, he's just a friend, okay?"
She raised her brow, "Aren't you a fan of When Harry Met Sally? You should know, Ana, a guy and a girl will never be just friends."
I rolled my eyes and reminded, "Ethan and I are friends!"
"Ethan's a dork and Christian's a bae and I need to retouch my makeup. Wait for me."
Kate left me in our table and I just sighed in frustration. Something told me that Kate will do something embarrassing tonight. Damn it! Why didn't I think of this extremely high possibility before inviting Christian?
I was waiting for everyone to arrive. Well, it's still just 6:30 but the bar was getting full with adults in their Halloween costume. Bartenders were dressed like zombies tonight and I'm pretty sure everyone's just waiting for the karaoke stage to open.
Hopefully Christian will enjoy this place. He needed to feel better anyway.
Yesterday Afternoon ...
It was one of those lazy days at work and there was no reason for me to stay beyond my required hours. I checked the round wall clock and I immediately rushed to get to Grey Enterprises.
Christian sent me a text message this morning saying that he's ready to pitch in the new and innovated idea to the investor. He admitted that he was quite nervous, but I was able to cheer him on. Literally.
I sent a video of myself doing some cheerleader moves. I grimaced when Christian told me to stop dancing because it was a 'total cringe'. For all I know, he's laughing his ass off and it's making his day feel better.
The cab passed by a bakeshop and I decided to stop by to get a bento cake. Christian's not really much a dessert person, but I bet he would like strawberries. I also purchased a cake topper that had 'Congratulations' written on it.
His company was just one block away so I managed to be there on time. Well, on time meant he hasn't gone out of the building yet.
I found Taylor standing by Christian's very beloved car and he greeted me with a warm smile.
"Hello, Miss Ana," as always, he sounded fatherly.
"Hello, Taylor and come on now, just Ana," I reminded him.
Taylor and I became friends. One time I came over to Christian's condo unit to play arcade games and I found him in the kitchen with his wife, Gail. I instantly made friends with them. This couple was like the elderly couple in a far-flung neighborhood who would offer you shelter when you're stranded. That's the type of energy they gave off.
"Can you help me with this cake?" I asked and he was more than willing to do so.
"Sure thing, Ana." I smiled at that. I never want Taylor or Gail to call me Miss or Ma'am.
Taylor held the box and I placed the topper before taking the cake out and holding it. He then placed the box in the compartment of the car.
"You got a cake for Christian?"
I nodded.
"What if he won't seal the deal?"
I frowned. "Taylor, he will! I believe he will."
"This investor's one tough nut, you know. He's been giving the boys a hard time."
Taylor referred to Elliott and Christian as 'the boys'. It gave that sense of belongingness.
Out of curiosity, I asked, "How long have you been working for Christian?"
"Not really for Christian, but I've been working for Carrick for twenty years now. So, Christian's just twelve when I started. Technically, I've been his driver for seven years. Started since he was twenty-five."
I was amazed, "Really? That's been so long!"
Taylor shyly expressed, "Yeah, uhm . . . I was a bit of a rebel back then so I got arrested."
My eyes widened, "FOR MURDER?!"
"No," he shook his head, "I snuck into a house to steal things and got caught."
Why was I so quick to assume that it's because of murder? I've been watching a lot of crime documentaries. Christian was right; I could get myself dizzy since my top two genres are either romcoms or crime stories.
Taylor continued his story, "Well, after getting out, I searched for a job and to tell you the truth, no one wants to hire you if you have a record of stealing, but Carrick was kind enough to give me a chance. I've been really lucky. I got a job with bosses who trust me and when a new housekeeper was hired, we fell in love and got married."
That warmed my heart. Taylor's radiant smile just screamed gratitude.
He added, "I know Christian doesn't like it when I say this, but he is a lot like his father. That's a fact. Don't tell Christian I told you this, but he took Sophie as his scholar. She's a first grader in this expensive private school and we couldn't be more thankful."
"He really is kind," I uttered in admiration.
"For that, he deserves all the happiness and to be honest, he is happy with you, Ana. He really is. It's like . . . his life finally had color since you came around."
I was caught off guard by what he said. I reddened at that.
"Taylor, come on now, he's just making fun of me and we are friend and-"
"You're not just friends. When I drive you somewhere, I look in the rearview mirror, and let me tell you this: friends don't look at each other like that."
I was about to protest but we saw Christian come out of the building. I decided to brush off everything that Taylor said and stood up straight with the pink bento cake.
The energy was pumping up, but not until Christian walked closer to us and the look on his face said it all. His shoulders were droopy and his necktie loosened.
He stared at the cake and practically glared at the topper.
"We didn't get it," he stated the obvious.
I immediately took the topper off the cake and tossed it to Taylor. I grabbed the extra topper from my bag-the one I bought in the bakeshop earlier (because I was born ready). I placed the topper on the cake and lazily said, "Ta-da!"
The topper said, "Congratulations for trying your best! I'm very proud of you."
Although his face was sad, his lips languidly formed into a genuine smile. His eyes glimmered and out of the blue, he took one step closer to me and gave me a hug. The embrace wasn't tight enough to squish the cake between us.
When he finally pulled away, I asked knowing it will make him feel better, "So, uhm . . . let's dance-dance in your playroom?"
"We shall," he said.
Before entering the car, I glanced at Taylor and he gave me a knowing stare. He looked like he just watched his favorite TV show in which the couple he rooted for just had a sweet moment. I just shook my head. Taylor's thoughts were bizarre.
That afternoon, Christian and I danced-danced our way to making him feel better, but we never got there. After four hours of non-stop dancing, we sat and down and his facial expression was still such a bummer.
In an impulse, I asked, "So uhm . . . would you like to spend Halloween with me and my friends?"
He said yes.
Present Day ...
He should have said no.
The other thing that made me feel nervous was the fact that Christian's not really a sociable type. From what I've observed, he preferred to keep things to himself. He's the kind of person who would socialize if there's a need. He's not the type to hang out in a bar to meet people. He's more of a guy who would invite friends over for arcade games in his home.
The door swung open and this is it! I stood up and waved at Christian. He was able to spot me! As he was walking, I noticed that someone was with him-really buff and honestly good-looking man.
"Hello Ana. I hope you don't mind. I brought my brother. This is Elliott," he said.
"I certainly don't mind. Nice to meet you, Elliott!"
"Nice to meet you too," we shook hands.
You could really tell that the Greys had good genes. Elliott's about the same height as Christian's and his jawline's strong. He could be Batman. And let's not forget to mention his costume for tonight: he was a firefighter . . . a topless firefighter! He wore those yellow firefighter pants and bunker gear suspenders. Plus, his eight pack abs were rocking it! Yes, eight packs! Kate would drool! She'd really drool!
"Take your seats," I invited them over.
What the hell was going on? These two were clearly a CEO and COO. They seemed too posh or formal to be in this place. Nevertheless, they still looked like they're looking forward to a good time.
Christian sat next to me while Elliott sat across.
I eyed Christian and he was still in his suit and tie. "So, you didn't wear a costume?"
"Ana, this is my costume," he said with such offended eyes.
"But this is how you dress every day," I stated the fact.
"Ana, I'm James Bond!" He explained and all I did was nod. It made no difference though.
Christian just sighed and asked, "So, what are you wearing?"
"I'm a woodland fairy," I gushed. I was really proud of my look. I wore this flower crown matched with a white lacy flowing dress that reached the floor. To make my gown more attractive, I sewn some purple, yellow, and pink flowers on it.
"You look beautiful," Christian said and I was taken aback.
"T-thank you," I managed to express.
I was reminded of his brother's presence when Elliott cleared his throat and began teasing, "It's finally nice to meet the girl my brother won't stop talking about."
"What the fuck, man?" I looked at Christian and he was turning red.
Elliott smirked, "What? You talk about her all the time. Ana, this. Ana, that."
Okay, I was the one blushing now.
"Don't listen to that man-child, Ana. I talk about you all the time because you gave me the idea about our new pitch. Don't let him make you feel uncomfortable."
I've seen a lot of Christian's angles, but this was the first time I've seen the side of him as a bullied younger brother. Elliott was making him miserable and Christian's face was too adorable from that.
"I hope we aren't late!"
"We're here! We're here!"
Elliott's teasing was interrupted when Hannah and Noel came over dressed as a hotdog and bun. Okay, Hannah was the hotdog while Noel was the bun.
"Where's the booze? Are we late for the booze?" Noel was hyperventilating.
"No, you're not. We're still waiting for Ethan," I said and Hannah let out a sigh of relief.
Noel and Hannah gave Christian a formal greeting and when they looked over at Elliott, their mouths formed into a huge O.
"Ana, who is this? You hired a stripper tonight?" Noel asked and I was immediately embarrassed.
"Noel, that's my brother, Elliott," Christian said with a slight tone hinting that he's kind of embarrassed too.
Noel and Hannah turned red. Of course, why won't they? They just thought that the son of our boss—who also happened to be a CEO of his bigger company- was a stripper I hired for tonight. To be honest, his costume could pass for a stripper. He should have just worn a full gear. Why didn't he wear a shirt?
"We're so sorry, Sir," Noel apologized.
Elliott brushed it off, "Oh please, that's a total compliment. Means I look good in my costume, huh?"
"You look hot," Hannah corrected innocently.
Then with that, Elliott began to talk about his hours at the gym. Okay, he's really big about his fitness. The thing is though he didn't sound narcissistic at all. He sounded more like a health-conscious gym enthusiast. Christian and I would glance at each other from time to time and I could tell that he was done with how his brother was giving this fitness lecture. I just gave him a mocking stare and he'd roll his eyes at me.
At the moment, Noel and Hannah were already sitting but Elliott stood up to demonstrate some fitness routines. Okay, this was weird. He was really into explaining the benefits of his stretches and crunches but for sure, Noel, Hannah, and the people next to our tables were just staring at his abs and biceps.
Christian rolled his eyes.
"Oh good, everyone's here!" Kate finally appeared after that really long retouch of her makeup. At the moment, her face really looked like it was split into two . . . vertically. She looked disgusting!
"Stretch! Stretch! Stretch your muscle- AAAAHHHH!" Elliott's demonstration was interrupted when he took a look at Kate and was mortified for his life. He was super scared and Kate looked confused by that.
"Hey everyone! Happy Halloween!" Ethan came out of nowhere and Kate screamed on top of her lungs.
Damn it! We were so loud.
I can't blame Kate for screaming that much though. After all, Ethan dressed up as her biggest fear: a cockroach.
A Few Hours Later . . .
We were drinking and just enjoying our conversations. It was pretty weird how we've all just gotten together today, but it didn't feel awkward.
"Cheers!" we clinked our shot glasses together . . . except for Christian.
I raised my brow, "You don't wanna drink?"
Christian said, "I'm fine with soda."
"Yeah, but you'll miss out on the fun and-"
"He can't handle alcohol well, Ana. He has low tolerance," Elliott explained.
"That's real sad," Kate said.
Christian just glared at Elliott.
"Cheers, Christian?" I raised my shot glass at him. I didn't want him to feel left out because he doesn't drink alcohol.
"Cheers!" He smiled before clinking his soda can with my glass.
"Now I'm up for some karaoke. Where's the stage again?" Ethan asked.
"Over there, Bro," Elliott pointed at the stage (which was just in front of us). Okay, Elliott didn't just point it out. He really stretched his biceps when he did that.
Karaoke was really fun though!
As usual, Ethan sang the most. He really wasn't a good singer, but he just loved singing. He was singing some Tom Jones song while the hotdog and bun pair, Noel and Hannah served as his backup dancers. They were too drunk to remember they were twerking with the song 'Sexbomb'. Ethan was having the time of his life and the bar was supportive about that.
When 'A Whole New World' played, I ran up on stage with him to sing Princess Jasmine's part. Together, we sang a duet. Okay, the duet was only 15% because he was singing the female parts too. I only sang the instrumental parts. I felt like I was the magic carpet and not Princess Jasmine. Ugh! Ethan!
When I got back to our table, Ethan sang one more song before giving out from the exhaustion of singing.
I sat next to Christian and he asked with a smirk, "Are you okay?"
"Yes, I am. How about you? Are you okay?"
"Why wouldn't I be okay? I'm not the one who came onstage to sing nothing," he said.
"I'm fine, Christian. What about you though? You don't drink, you don't sing, are you even having fun?"
"Don't worry, I am," the assurance in his voice and eyes comforted me.
"Happy Halloween, everyone! Now time for me to sing!" a voice boomed from the stage.
Christian closed his eyes in pain, "Now, I'm not okay."
We looked up on the stage and it was no other than Elliott in his shirtless firefighter outfit imitating Elvis Presley. Boy, he was feeling it tonight.
The music started playing and we braced ourselves for such embarrassing singing, but he was . . . really good. In fact, he had a nice voice. Christian's eyes widened, but he looked proud. Elliott sang the Elvis song, hitting the right notes and from time to time, trying to imitate the King's charisma.
I glanced at Kate and asked her, "Hey! Why are you sulking? Don't you love karaoke?"
She frowned, "Ana, he's gorgeous and he can sing too!"
"Elliott? Yes, he can and-"
"And he would even look at me!" Oh, that's true. When Elliott needed to glance at her direction, he would cover his eyes.
I told Kate, "You look hideous, Kate." That's what I tell her every Halloween but now that wasn't a compliment.
Kate made a crying noise before taking more shots of tequila.
Elliott was feeling it:
You were always on my mind
You were always on my mind
Tell me, tell me that your sweet love hasn't died
Give me one more chance to keep you satisfied
I glanced at Christian and he was mouthing the Elvis song. He was already looking at me and that made my heart beat faster than it should. I gave him a smile and sang the song audibly. Christian just mouthed the words, but it felt more of a duet.
After Elliott finished the song, he came back to our table and squeezed next to Christian and me. He really avoided sitting next to Kate.
"Now, more shots?" asked Kate.
Another Hour Later . . .
We let go of karaoke for a while as we just engaged in our conversation. Despite the loud singing, we were still able to talk.
Kate got a few more drinks for herself when she revealed to everyone that she resigned from the dog grooming company she worked for. She was close to crying, I know.
"Look, the owners weren't snobbish but the dogs were! I mean, that bulldog clearly thought that he had better life than me. To be honest, he does, but it didn't mean that he had the right to be mean," Kate cried out.
"Well, at least your face is not pushed in like the bulldog's. Your face is just . . . split in half." That was Elliott's attempt to make her feel better and he still wasn't looking at her!
I cleared my throat and comforted her, "Kate, come on. You're doing fine. At least you almost didn't die from a horrible date. In fact, it wasn't even a date!"
"Huh?"
Oh, this must be the booze. I just spilled it out.
I told the group about going out with Brady and how he left me there to die in a burning building. I also emphasized that it wasn't even a date since he just needed to recruit a friend for a free mug.
"That motherfucker! I'm going to kill him!" Noel was raging.
"What happened? How did you get out?" Hannah asked with voice filled with concern.
I opened my mouth to answer but before I could, Christian joined the conversation, "I got her out of there. I had a bad feeling and I went there. Luckily, I was able to get her out."
Then, the table went silent. I could tell that Noel and Hannah cannot find the right words to say while Ethan and Kate mirrored their reflection. Meanwhile, Elliott stared at Christian as if he was wondering if he's real or not.
"So, yeah . . . Christian, saved me," I awkwardly said.
Then Kate burst out crying, "Oh, Ana! I am so sorry! I didn't mean to make you feel bad. I didn't want you to die! I am so sorry!"
"Kate, it's okay, I-"
"Look, I didn't want you to go out with just anyone, okay? I wanted you to go out with Christian. I want him for you!"
This was what I'm talking about. Kate just made things awkward.
"Kate, stop-"
She interrupted me, "I know. Christian's not your type."
"Ouch," I heard Elliott.
Kate then looked at Christian and made things awkward in a way I never thought would happen, "Christian, thank you for saving my best friend's life, and I promise not to be so pushy about you and her anymore. I almost killed her! I should have believed her when she said that you're not her type!"
"She said that?" Ethan asked.
I was too dumbfounded to speak.
Kate drank more beer, "Yeah, little brother. Why are you surprised? A kind of man that saves Ana from a burning hotel will never be her type. She goes for cheaters, liars, and phone snatchers."
I had foreseen that Kate would make things awkward by teasing us or pushing us to be together, but this was bad. I instantly regretted saying things too soon. This feeling was not good.
I was quiet and when I looked at Christian, I mouthed, 'sorry'.
The look on his face was unreadable but he still gave me a nod.
Kate stopped her crying when Ethan opened a new topic about the vehicles he fixed. The reason why everyone was interested in the conversation was because of the gossip behind it. As Ethan narrated the story of a man caught with his mistress that caused the accident, Christian started to drink . . . and Elliott let him.
He obviously wasn't a drinker. He winced a lot and his skin reddened from just half of the shot.
The gossip went on and on just like Christian's drinking.
I couldn't take it anymore.
"I thought you don't drink, Christian," I reminded.
"I drink now," his words slurred and when he glanced at the now empty karaoke stage, he declared, "I sing too."
Christian stood up and Elliott was able to catch him. Okay, this was bad. He was so drunk that he could barely walk. I froze like a statue until he reached the stage.
"Happy Halloween everyone! I'm singing tonight."
He dramatically pointed at me, "Ana, this song is for you!"
I couldn't move. My eyes can't believe that this is happening right now.
You're just too good to be true
Can't take my eyes off of you
You'd be like Heaven to touch
I wanna hold you so much
Just like that, it felt like a movie brought to life. There he was in his suit and tie singing the song Heath Ledger sang to Julia Stiles to woo her in 10 Things I Hate About You. I thought he fell asleep when we watched it. I was confused.
At long last, love has arrived
And I thank God I'm alive
You're just too good to be true
Can't take my eyes off of you
When he was singing, everything around me faded-the chatters, the people, the sound of drinks poured on their glass. It was just him serenading me. The rest of the world turn into a black and white movie while we were in technicolor and I cannot blame the alcohol.
I love you, baby and if it's quite alright
I need you, baby to warm the lonely night
I love you, baby, trust in me when I say
Oh, pretty baby, don't bring me down, I pray
After the song, Christian gave me one sweet smile before he fell facedown. Elliott rushed on stage immediately and we followed after.
As Elliott carried him back to our table (firefighter's carry, of course), I can't help but stare at him. He was no Heath Ledger. He just fell down. He did not believe in romance. He was far from my type.
But in this moment, after the song, I've come to realize, I was being in denial.
I am falling in love with Christian Grey.
Author's Notes:
This chapter is inspired by music.
Music used are:
1.) Always on My Mind by Elvis Presley
2.) Can't Take My Eyes Off You by Frankie Valli
3.) Elvis Song by Maisie Peters
Thank you so much for reading. Your sharing your favorite romantic comedies in the reviews section is so meaningful for me. I grew up watching romcoms and I just love that you're enjoying my writing now.
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