Blame it on the Christmas Tree
by
Ava LeBeau
Chapter 10 – Snow Polo
"So, what are your plans for tomorrow?" Christian took another sip of his Pinot Noir.
"Snow Polo match at the club. Lobster and oyster bar. Lots of Champagne. Just perfect to recharge after the long flight today and everything," Elliot looked up from his plate, waving with his fork as he spoke. He glanced at Kate who smiled back at him.
"Long flight? It's been two hours," Christian laughed.
"Anyway, you guys in? Double date...," Elliot grinned.
"It's fine by me if Ana wants to go." Christian looked at her.
"Sounds good," Anastasia gave a half-shrug.
She'd never been to a polo match, let alone snow polo, and wasn't sure what to expect besides, as she'd just learned, oyster and lobster bars, champagne and probably loads of wealthy people.
Just play along and smile, she thought.
"Great," Elliot said and smiled, "Now, tell me, what is going on with you guys? Are you dating or what?"
Kate bit her lower lip, staring at Elliot who was sitting across from her.
"We're having fun," Christian said casually while he forked up a piece of broccoli, searching Anastasia's gaze with a smile on his face.
"I bet you are, but still...," Elliot continued.
Kate cleared her throat, now glaring at her boyfriend.
"All right, let me put it this way," Christian rested his cutlery on the plate, the fork's prongs facing down.
Anastasia studied his features, that line between his eyebrows was back and a muscle in his jaw jumped as he seemed to pick his words carefully, "...I for myself very much enjoy Anastasia's company and I am really happy she's here with me tonight. Also, I do hope that she feels the same about me and all this...," Christian looked at Anastasia again, she could feel a blush creeping up into her cheeks.
Absentmindedly she reached up, brushed her fingertips across the key on that necklace he had given her yesterday. Anastasia could feel his eyes on her, his gray gaze following the trail of her fingertips. Smiling at her, Christian continued, "...but... why put a label on it when there's no need to rush as long as we're enjoying each other's company, E?"
Anastasia's heart skipped a beat at his words, not necessarily in a good way.
Meanwhile, Christian reached over to his right to give his brother's shoulder a pat, asking, "Anyway, what about you two? Engagement party on the horizon for the new year now that you guys are playing house for like... uhm... three weeks? I think you should really go for it, E, you would make mom so happy. Plus, you look really… cute … together," Ana looked surprised, the hint of sarcasm in his voice surely was some sort of punitive measure to make his older brother shut up for good.
Indeed, the smile on Elliot's face had faded. Anastasia looked at Christian, toying with the stem of her wine glass. His face was impassive, his eyes bright, though.
Why put a label on it when there's no need to rush as long as we're enjoying each other's company?
Well, what a question Anastasia thought.
For a moment none of them spoke.
Seemingly out of nowhere his housekeeper had appeared, topping up their glasses, ready to take their plates.
"What's for dessert, Ms. Scott?" Christian asked, his voice cheerful and light.
Anastasia let out the breath she'd subconsciously held in and returned his smile when Christian looked at her.
"Tarte au chocolat with an orange and Cointreau drizzle, Mr. Grey. Coffee if you like," Ms. Scott smiled while she cleared the table.
"Sounds lovely," Christian said, "Ana?"
"Yes, please," Anastasia smiled.
"Ms. Kavanagh?" Ms. Scott inquired and looked at Kate who nodded, "Thank you, Ms. Scott."
"Sir?" she glanced at Elliot.
"Not really a dessert man," he stated flatly, "but thank you anyway."
The cake was dense, very chocolatey and lusciously moist in the center.
As per Christian's advice Anastasia had taken a sip of wine along with it, an advice proven to be superb as the wine and the rich cake complemented each other just perfectly, bringing out the nuances of the expensive wine even more.
"Smell it," Christian encouraged her, holding his own glass up against the light, Anastasia watched him curiously, intrigued by his enthusiasm when it came to wine, he was marveling at the wine in his glass as if it were some mysterious red liquid before he lowered the glass again to take a sniff, arching his perfectly manicured eyebrow.
"Smell the raspberries and cherries?" he asked, glancing at her over the rim of the glass.
Ana tried it and nodded, the aroma was fruity indeed.
"Now have a mouthful with the cake again," Christian nodded towards the slice of tarte on her plate.
Anastasia looked at him, her lips curving into a small smile while she savored another morsel of the cake and took a sip.
"Vanilla and...," an approving nod, enjoying the lovely taste, she stopped, closing her eyes for a moment, slowly she licked her lips and said, "... a hint of cinnamon perhaps?"
Ana opened her eyes again and beamed at him.
"Very nice," Christian returned her smile, winking at her while he took a sip of the double espresso Ms. Scott had brought him.
What a great finale for this lavish dinner, simple but delicious.
It wasn't long before Elliot announced that he and Kate would call it a night.
On their way to the kitchen to raid the wine fridge, Elliot said to Kate, "Something's terribly wrong with Christian."
Kate chuckled, "Why's that?"
"Well, him enjoying the sheer presence of a woman? Taking it slow... so unlike him."
"It's really none of our business, Elliot." Kate said, taking the wine glasses he was handing her.
"I don't know, Katie. Maybe he's as overworked as I am...," Elliot went on a deliberate tangent.
"Oh, poor you," Kate reached up to caress her boyfriend's cheek. "What can I do about that?"
"Well, I could think of a thing or two," he gave her backside a teasing squeeze, making Kate chuckle.
"Bad boy," she punched his arm playfully.
"Oww," he whined, mocking her.
"Come on, let's go upstairs, I really need to relax," he pulled her closer and nuzzled into her neck, muttering, "Mmmh," against her skin.
Kate rolled her eyes at him, "Not here, Elliot."
"Well, upstairs, I said," he took her hand, pulling her with him.
"They'll hear us."
"And? They're in the... uhm... west wing... and we're not."
"Elliot...," Kate sighed.
"Didn't know you're a screamer," he teased.
"Disgusting!" Kate gasped, making him laugh while he pulled her upstairs and into their room, swiftly kicking the door shut with his foot as he pulled her into his arms and kissed her.
In the dining room you could hear laughter from the hall.
"Another glass of wine?"
They were still sitting at the dining table and Christian had reached across to take her hand.
"I'm fine, thank you, Christian," Anastasia smiled.
"I hope you like it here and it doesn't feel as intimidating as you feared for it to be?"
Too blunt again for her taste.
"Christian, I... yes, I really do. Thank you so much."
"About the polo tomorrow..."
"I'll be fine, Christian."
"All right," he took the wine bottle and topped up his drink, "have you ever been to a polo match?"
"No, but it's not like I have to play or something, right?"
He laughed, "True."
"Do you come here often?" she asked, eager to deflect his attention from her and to finally learn more about him.
"Not as often as I probably should."
"Why?"
"Never really cared about this place, I guess," he shrugged.
"But it's gorgeous..."
"Never really had somebody to bring here. Never wanted to, actually." Christian brushed his thumb across the back of her hand while he studied her features.
"I see," Anastasia held his gaze, wondering who he had been with and why he hadn't wanted to bring them here.
She recalled that the tabloids had mentioned that he was very private about his life and very little was known about Christian Grey beside his business ventures and successes, the media branding him cold and ruthless in his approach.
And while Anastasia's gaze wandered over his chiseled features, taking in the deep gray color of his bright eyes, the soft curve of his mouth that stood in stark contrast to his square jaw that was now displaying the hint of a stubble, she wondered if there was more behind that cool demeanor, if there was more to that notoriously ruthless businessman.
Anastasia thought that she knew for a fact that there was so much more to learn about him, after all she had been afforded the rare chance to see another side of him, again and again. True, most of the time he'd been blunt to the point of making her cringe but on the other hand Christian had been nothing but courteous and gentle towards her. Caring. Kind. Understanding even.
Also, she had admit to herself that she was really enjoying his company, that she was feeling safe in his presence, bodyguards waiting in the wings or not, it was him who made her feel safe and secure, yes, it was him who made her feel more and more relaxed.
Without any labels slapped on it, she thought and a smile danced across her lips.
"What?" Christian asked and she chuckled, he always wanted to be in control, that much was sure, and most certainly he hadn't liked the way she had studied him quietly without him knowing what she was thinking or so it seemed to her at least.
"Nothing," she smiled.
"I really like that stubble, you know," she confessed, making him laugh.
"Oh, you do?" with his thumb and index he traced along his jaw and she could hear the soft rasp as the pads of his fingers brushed across the stubble, also, she was wondering if she had just witnessed the slightest hint of blush ghosting across his cheeks.
"No need to blush, Mister," she teased, "It really looks cute. So relaxed."
"Cute?" Christian laughed, holding her gaze while he pinched his chin with his thumb and index before he let go.
"I happen to think there's nothing cute about me."
"How about manly then?" Anastasia tried, a grin tugging at the corner of her mouth.
Christian laughed again.
"Better?"
"A little."
Anastasia bit her lip, she still thought it looked cute and having him kind of squirming when she was only paying a compliment was endearing.
Who'd have thought it?
The notorious Christian Grey, anything but cocky and full of himself, blushing at her commenting on something as mundane as his stubble while they were sitting there in the middle of his glamorous dining room, sipping Pinot Noir, him holding her hand, up on Billionaire Mountain, overlooking Aspen.
Well, that was definitely a first.
Anastasia stifled a yawn, craning her neck to catch a glimpse at his watch. It was well past eleven and she was really tired.
"Tired?" she wondered if he could read her mind.
"A little," Anastasia smiled.
"There's always tomorrow. I can walk you to your room, if you like."
"I'd like that," she took his hand and they left the dining room.
Anastasia looked around, eager to take in as much of the surroundings as she could.
Christian had wrapped his arm around her shoulder, walking beside her through the crowd, greeting passers-by every now and then, Mr. Taylor by their side.
"What's that mountain called?" Anastasia asked, pointing at the massif that was towering over the field in the background.
"That's Mount Sopris. It reaches nearly 13,000 feet. There's a trail to the summit if you're interested sometime."
"Oh no, thank you, I was just wondering," Anastasia chuckled, Christian laughed and gave her shoulder a gentle squeeze.
"More into skiing, aren't you, Ana?" he quipped as they made their way towards the food stands.
It was early afternoon and the sky a perfect azure, yet the air was cold, but Anastasia was feeling perfectly warm, wrapped up in her coat and a fluffy scarf.
Elliot and Kate had managed to snag a bar table and Kate waved them over while Elliot was poised to approach the counter.
"Champagne?" he called, pointing at both Christian and Ana, looking intently at his younger brother who nodded and gave him a thumbs up.
"Perfect timing, Ana," Kate said and smiled at Ana when they'd reached the table, "We were just about to crack open the bubbly, yay!"
Anastasia noticed that Christian was scanning the crowd. When Kate handed her a champagne flute, Christian leaned closer to kiss her cheek and said, "I'll be right back, Ana."
She nodded quietly while Christian waved at a woman and left their table, Taylor by his side.
"Christian, I had no idea that you'd be here today," the woman smiled as Christian leaned closer to kiss her cheeks, his hand resting against her upper arm. Christian in return was quick to point out that his visit today was a private outing with friends and family and not work related in any way.
"You should join the awards ceremony anyway. I'm sure Jean would love to see you on the podium handing over the winner's cup, Christian," the woman suggested and smiled again, "You're one of the biggest sponsors after all."
"I'd rather we stick with anonymous donor, but thank you, Bev, I think I'll pass. Not today," Christian craned his neck, from where he was standing he had the perfect view of the bar table and Anastasia, he even spotted Sawyer, who was discreetly staying in the background yet looking alert as always.
"Too bad, but, if you should change your mind, just let me know, Christian. So, how's things in Seattle?" the woman continued.
"Plenty of work to do, Bev," he could see Elliot pushing his way through the crowd and back to their table, carrying what looked like a plate full of shellfish.
"Is Doug here today, Bev?" Christian glanced at the woman.
"No, but the children are here with me. Doug got called back to Seattle. Issues at the publishing house, you know. Some executive up and left, Doug says, and now it's up to him to work things out. And quickly so."
"Oh?" was all Christian said, he narrowed his eyes ever so slightly all the while trying to win Anastasia's attention but she appeared to be busy with the food.
"Yes, I'm not pleased to say the least. I mean, he promised me to be here over the holidays. You know, Christian, now that Nathan was accepted into Harvard, we hardly ever see the kids, so our time here together really is non-negotiable for me. Doug knows that."
"I'm sorry to hear it, Bev, and I'm sure he does."
"But don't worry, dear, I'll make him suffer," she laughed, "St. Barths is already booked and you know how much Doug hates beach holidays."
Christian laughed, "Bad."
But then his gaze wandered back to Anastasia when Bev had her drink topped up.
"Ugh, not the oysters," Christian mumbled, more to himself, when he spotted Anastasia, watching in horror.
"Sorry?" Beverly asked, looking at him.
"Uhm, nothing really. Sorry, Bev."
Christian's eyes, however, were fixed on Anastasia, who was watching Elliot intently, holding an oyster in one hand, fork in her left, emulating Elliot's every move eagerly.
At first they loosened the oyster with the help of the fork, next bringing the shell to their mouths, tipping it slightly. It was when Anastasia started to chew that Christian, grimacing himself, witnessed her expression changing from curiosity to mild surprise to sheer disgust.
"Oh shit...," he mumbled and lifted his Wayfarers, now their gazes met.
Christian was quick to hold up a slice of bread with his left, napkin with his right, tilting his head in order to find out what she preferred before he nodded towards the champagne cooler on his table, the third option actually, waggling his eyebrows, puffing up his cheeks as if he was about to throw up, causing Anastasia to grin wryly, but it was only seconds before she clasped her hand to her mouth.
Looking alarmed, Christian grabbed the cooler, bread and napkin in his right, and uttered a quick "Excuse me, Bev, catch ya later," before he pushed his way through the crowd and back to their table.
Clunking the Champagne cooler on the table he touched Anastasia's elbow lightly when he reached them but she had turned away.
"Are-are you okay?" he asked and she shook her head.
"Here," he held out the napkin for her, "Just spit it out," he curled his lip.
"I'm sorry, Christian," Anastasia turned to look at him, the now scrunched up napkin in her hand.
"No need to apologize. Oysters are nasty little creatures and I hate them with a vengeance," Christian grimaced again, gently rubbing her back.
"My sentiments exactly," Anastasia chuckled.
"Go get Ana an Aquavit, Christian," Elliot called. "It'll work wonders. They have a Norwegian one here, it's outstanding..."
Christian, not really convinced, arched an eyebrow and asked Anastasia, "Do you want one?"
"I wasn't planning on getting drunk, Christian."
"Of course not," he nodded.
"Water?" he glanced at their table and reached for a glass and a water bottle.
"Thank you," Anastasia smiled while Christian poured it for her.
"We can leave if you'd rather...," he touched her arm again.
"I'm fine," she smiled and he looked relieved. VIP catering sure could be full of pitfalls.
Soon enough the oysters were long forgotten and they were watching the match.
During halftime, Anastasia excused herself.
"Where are you going?" Christian furrowed his brow, leaning closer, looking at her.
"The bathroom," she smiled.
"Okay," Christian nodded, "Sawyer can-"
"Christian, please don't..."
"You won't even notice."
"...that he follows me to the toilet? Oh, trust me, I will," she laughed, "But don't worry, Christian, I'm a big girl."
"Well, if you insist," he didn't look happy.
"Relax," she kissed his lips gently, "I won't be long."
And off she was.
Christian glanced at Sawyer and nodded. Taylor's right hand was quick to follow her.
On her way back to the stands Anastasia stopped at one of the food counters, asking if they had tea. The sun had gone down and it was getting really cold.
The bartender told her that he would have to ask in the kitchen to see if they had any. Anastasia nodded, folding her arms in front of her chest, shifting from one foot to the other, waiting.
When the barman returned he said, "Unusual order."
"Really?" Anastasia was surprised, smiling at him, "It's getting cold and I was sure you guys would have tea or something."
"No, not really," the guy laughed, glancing back at the cooking area for a moment he smiled and said, "But let me see what I can do. I'll be right back."
"Thank you," Anastasia buried her hands in the pockets of her coat.
"There you are," she felt a hand on her shoulder.
"Christian," Ana turned and looked at him.
"Everything okay?"
"Sure, I just wanted to buy some tea," Anastasia smiled sweetly.
"Are you cold? You could've told me-"
"Here we go," the barkeeper said and paused when he noticed Christian, "Oh, good evening, Mister Grey, I didn't know that... I mean, is green tea okay, Mrs. Grey?" he glanced at Ana.
"Mrs. Grey?" she chuckled but let it go. "Yes, green tea is perfect, thank you so much," she smiled and reached for her wallet.
"Let me take care of this, Ana," Christian pulled out his wallet and paid the hot drink.
"Your wife? Now, that was quick," sipping the hot tea, Anastasia took Christian's hand and laughed as they made their way back to the stands.
"We can leave if you're cold, Ana. Kate and Elliot will be perfectly fine without us, you know," Christian glanced at her, looking anything but amused.
"I have my tea now and I'm good. I love to drink a cup of tea in the evening. It's kind of a ritual for me. Also, I really want to see who wins, Christian."
When he spoke, she wondered if he'd even listened to her before, "You want my scarf?"
"Wow, you can be really persistent, Christian," Anastasia laughed again.
"Could you... I mean, please, I'd feel so much better if you wouldn't worry about me all the time. I get that you're probably not used to people saying no to you... But I've never... never really had to justify every step I take. Not even when we lived with Ray," Anastasia chuckled.
"So, how about I... I promise you, that I'll tell you if I need anything? Is that okay, Christian?"
"Just as you did with the tea?" Christian grumbled.
"Oh, come on," she rolled her eyes and chuckled again.
Silence ensued.
"Remember how you told me to relax on our way here, Christian? I guess it's my turn now to tell you. I really love your company, I love how much you care, Christian. You're such a... such a nice guy, so smart and sweet. Funny. Adorable," she side-glanced him and he nodded quietly, yet his frown didn't go unnoticed.
"And I really, really appreciate how observant you are. But please don't treat me like I'm a little girl, okay? I despise being treated like child."
"I'm sorry, Ana, I... I didn't mean to... uhm... make you feel like you're being patronized or something."
Anastasia stopped and looked up at him.
"I know you only mean well and, as I said, I really love how much you care, Christian. I just need a little room to breathe every now and then. And it's not like someone's gonna try to kill me or steal me away, right? I'm right here, Christian. With you."
She smiled, amused how surprised Christian looked, but all she was giving him was a taste of his own medicine, right? Also, Ray had told her to always be straightforward when it came to men and their little games how he had called it. An advice she'd taken to heart.
"Kiss me?" she asked, beaming at him, anything to ease the blow, "Please."
Rising up on her tiptoes Anastasia leaned closer when Christian moved to kiss her eagerly, cupping Christian's cheek with her free hand, her thumb brushed across his jaw. Yes, she loved the feeling of his strong arms around her.
A/N:
As always, thank you so much for your lovely reviews and concrit. I hope you all enjoy the new chapter.
The next chapter is already almost finished. Please do note that unfortunately updates may be slow for the upcoming three weeks due to work commitments that are going to take up most of my time.
Thank you for you patience in advance and for bearing with me. I promise to be back soon with the next chapter and to complete this story as planned.
Take care and have a lovely day. x