Chapter 130

Back at Escala

Permission

Christian POV

I've been working a lot, trying to focus on other things to distract myself from the huge mess I created. To be honest, I really do feel terrible about everything. Especially knowing that an innocent person got hurt. A person that, according to Elliot, is very close and important to Ana. Where the fuck did this go wrong?

I'm caught up in my thoughts when I hear the ping of my elevator. Who could that be? Just as I finish that thought, I have the answer.

"Yo Bro! Where are you?" Elliot's obnoxious voice echoes throughout my apartment and I roll my eyes. Sighing, I get up and head toward the front room.

"I'm right here. What do you want?" I ask, forcing myself to be nice. I'm so irritated with him for hiding information from me.

He laughs, "Let's get something to eat. I'm starving. It's been a long day and you're not going to sit and work all night." He smiles his trademark bright smile and punches me in the bicep.

"Fine." I grumble. "I'm still pissed at you though."

"I get it but you'll thank me in the long run. Just trust me. OK?" He laughs but I can see the concern in his eyes. I choose to ignore it.

As we're getting ready to leave, my phone rings. Looking at the caller ID, I see it's Ana. My eyes light up briefly, then go wide, filling with dread. What the hell? Why am I suddenly worried to talk to Ana? I know why. I'm the person that caused this entire disaster. What could she want at this time? I glance at Elliot briefly then look back at my phone.

"Who is it?" He asks curiously.

Ignoring him, I slowly answer the phone. "Ana?"

Elliot smiles and motions for me to put it on speakerphone. Against my better judgement, I do. A few seconds later, I regret listening to him.

There's a brief silence, then a voice full of anger and sarcasm says, "No. This isn't Ana. THIS is Rhi. You know, the one who's vacation you've fucked up? Oh wait, you DIDN'T know because you DON'T know me. You don't know ANYTHING about me. Well, let me just tell you something and you better listen. Until I decide what information I WANT you to know, stay the FUCK out of my life. You'll learn enough about me at some point in the future, I'm sure. The ONLY reason I'm calling is apparently your four goons here need your PERMISSION to do anything. Does that include going to the bathroom?"

I hear sarcasm dripping from her tone mixed with something else that reminds me of a cobra. She's spitting mad. I don't know if she's waiting for an answer but I'm speechless.

Elliot's smile widens and I see him trying to stifle a laugh. I give him a dirty look and he snorts a little, covering the lower half of his face with his hand.

Her voice continues, "So, you told them they're officially not working and to enjoy themselves. Within reason, I presume. Am I correct?"

I still can't speak and remain silent. I'm stunned into silence.

I'm taken aback when I hear her growl, "When I ask a question I expect and answer."

That's the end of Elliot's control and he doubles over in laughter.

"Elliot? Is that you? How's it hanging?" She asks. The tone of her voice changes completely and she sounds happy and, dare I say, sweet?

Fuck. She must have heard him.

"A little to the right." He laughs. "Hey Rhi! How are the girls?"

His reply makes me cringe. What the fuck kind of answer was that? I give him a look that makes him laugh harder.

She laughs, "They're mighty fine. There's a slight breeze but thank god they're not flapping in the wind!"

She laughs harder and Elliot is almost on the floor he's laughing so hard. I'm not sure if it's at the expression on my face or whatever it was that she said. I'm confused as hell right now.

"Well hell, you know what they say, 'don't run with sharp objects, someone might lose an eye'!" He responds and I hear a huge laugh on the other end of the line.

"I'll keep that in mind. Thank you for the advice!" She laughs, "You know how hard it is to run in heels!"

In the background, I hear one female voice groan and a second one laugh loudly. I think I missed something here. I'm lost and confused and this whole conversation is insane.

"I'll see you tomorrow!" Her tone is still happy and friendly.

"Bye! Enjoy the rest of your vacation! Tell Kate and Ana I said 'Hi' and don't do anything I wouldn't do!" He replies, laughing.

What she says next throws me for a loop.

"Back to the issue at hand. You told these guys they're officially not working and to enjoy themselves. Am I correct?" Her voice is the complete opposite of what it was just seconds ago.

What the fuck? I find my voice. "Yes, that is correct. Wha…"

I'm cut off mid-sentence. "That being the case, because they need your PERMISSION, they need to know if it's OK for them to have a few drinks this evening." She pauses. "So, do you give them PERMISSION so they can actually relax and enjoy themselves?"

I'm speechless once again. Apparently, I don't answer fast enough.

I hear an annoyed, "I asked you a question."

Elliot laughs again and I throw him a dirty look.

Clearing my throat, I answer. "Uh, yes, it's fine for them to, uh, have a drink. Uh, they're off until they return to Seattle tomorrow." I can't believe it! This girl, whoever she is, has me stuttering!

A clipped, "Thanks. That's all I needed." A second later, in an amused tone, she finishes, "Bye Elliot!"

The screen on my phone goes dark and I stare at the phone in my hand like it's some alien life form. " What in the fuck just happened? Who the fuck…?" I'm still in shock at the whole exchange.

"Bro, that was the infamous Rhi. She's awesome. God I love her sense of humor!" Elliot answers the question I didn't realize I asked out loud.

With each passing minute, my confusion threatens to morph into anger and Elliot seems to realize it because he warns me, "Bro, don't go there. You'll regret it. Just let it go. You'll have plenty of opportunities to deal with things when the girls get home. I'm pretty sure you'll have a chance to meet her, considering…" He lets the word hang in the air and I get his message.

However, no one has ever spoken to me that way. I can't let it drop. I have to have a conversation with this girl and let her know who she's talking to.

I'm getting ready to call Ana's phone when my phone rings and it's Ana's again. I hope it's Ana this time. Something tells me not to get my hopes up though. Sighing, I might as well put it on speakerphone because I know Elliot will ask questions that I probably won't know how to respond to.

Closing my eyes, I answer, hoping to hear Ana's voice. "Ana?" I'm immediately disappointed when the same voice answers.

Ignoring the question, she cuts right to the chase. "I forgot to tell you. Don't call or text anyone tonight. That includes Ana and Kate. They won't have their phones with them. They're all going to be busy having a good time because YOU gave them PERMISSION to do so. You'll get to talk to them tomorrow."

The phone goes silent and the call ends. That's it. No goodbye or even giving me the chance to respond.

HOLY FUCK. What just happened? Again! I decide to call Taylor for an explanation. His phone goes straight to voicemail. I try Luke, Ryan and Reynolds and their phones do the same. I even try Kate and Ana, only to get the same results. Fuck! She really had them turn off their phones! I can't believe it! Some unknown girl has taken control of everything and I'm left here in the dark with no way of contacting anyone. I'm so shocked I can't even get pissed yet.

Glancing at Elliot, who is still laughing, I mutter, "I need a drink." Walking over to the bar, I pull out a tumbler and a bottle of scotch. Usually I just have the traditional two fingers of the amber liquid but tonight I need double that amount.

"Pour me one too, bro. We'll get Drew to drive. You need to have a drink or two to relax a bit." I can hear the amusement in Elliot's voice and it doesn't help my situation. He has a point though so I call Drew and tell him to get the car ready.

D: Sir?

C: My brother and I are going to dinner. Get the car ready. We'll be down in a few minutes

D: Yes Sir

Pulling out another glass, I hand it to Elliot. I watch him silently, as he takes a drink, trying to figure out what the hell just happened.

Elliot urges, "Bro, just let it go. You're wasting your time and energy trying to figure her out. Obviously, she's pissed and now you've confirmed it. She's got an attitude and isn't afraid to put someone in their place."

At least he quit laughing.

He's trying to convince me about who she is. "She has the best sense of humor too. You'll love her when you meet her."

Unlikely.

Now he's trying to explain, "I'm sure that will happen rather quickly when they return. Just take these next couple of days to process and accept things."

I have to know. "Elliot, who the fuck is this girl? I can't believe the way she spoke to me. Does she not know who I am?" I pause to take a drink before continuing, "She's got some balls, that's for sure. Hell, I thought Kate was bad. I think she's worse." I'm absolutely stunned.

He laughs, "Christian, you're just going to have to wait until she gives you the answers you want. I've told you from the beginning that I'm not saying anything about her. I made a promise to the girls and I plan on keeping that promise." He claps me on the back, "Now, let's go eat. I'm starving!" Turning, he heads toward the elevator and reluctantly I follow.

Resigned to doing something I'm not familiar with, I mutter petulantly like I'm a teenager again, "Fine. I'll try to forget things, for tonight. However, you know I need answers, and soon. You might want to let her know who she's talking to next time. I won't tolerate that again."

I hear Elliot laugh, "Bro, you have no idea, but I'll pass along the information."

I wish he would quit calling me 'bro.' It's annoying. He's enjoying this way too much.

We step into the elevator and for the entire ride down Elliot is laughing.

"For someone who wants to forget everything, you sure are keeping on about it." I look at him, rolling my eyes, annoyed.

"I'm just picturing little Rhi controlling the guys. I bet Taylor is going crazy without their phones." He laughs again and when he looks at me he says, "I'm sorry. I'll stop. Really." He snickers before adding with a grin, "For now."

We arrive at my club for dinner, heading toward our table and wading through all the patrons eating. We have the perfect view of the restaurant. I never have my back to the door, just as a security measure. I've made some enemies building my business, among fulfilling my private activities. I wouldn't put it past someone to try something.

We haven't been here five minutes when I see Elena walk in. We make eye contact and, unfortunately, she heads over to us.

"Fuck, Christian, get rid of her. I can't stand her. There's something about her that creeps me out." Elliot says, not hiding his feelings but at least he lowers his voice.

"Relax, she won't stay long." I quietly say. "I don't want her here either."

"Christian! It's so good to see you! Where have you been hiding?" She sounds like she's trying to chastise a child and it pisses me off.

"Elena, I'm not hiding, I'm just busy." I reply, my voice colder than usual. I'm not in the mood to deal with her after the conversation with Rhiann. She has me so irritated that I'm fighting to be polite.

I don't even stand up to greet her because if I did it would be a sign that I'm inviting her to sit with us and that's definitely not happening. "I'm eating dinner with my brother so if you'll excuse us, we can catch up another time."

The shocked look on her face slowly morphs into anger. I know she wasn't expecting that but I don't want to deal with her.

Elliot is smiling and I see a glint in his eyes. He looks too happy watching her get told to leave.

"Of course, Christian, don't let me interrupt your meal with your brother. Please, call me and we'll do lunch." Her voice is tight and I can tell she's fighting to be cordial. As she walks away, her posture is stiff and I can tell she's pissed. Oh well. I really don't care anymore. I've been trying to figure out how to get her out of my life for good. Maybe this is a good start.

Glancing at Elliot, "Not a word. Don't start. Let's just enjoy our meal and have a few more drinks. I need to relax, like you mentioned, and I don't want to talk about anything."

He smiles, "Not a problem. Thank you for ditching her."

We spend the rest of dinner talking about normal guy stuff and I'm actually enjoying the time with my brother. It's a strange feeling when we're even laughing at his antics and jokes. It's at that moment when I realize he's hilarious and has a huge heart. I'm lucky to have him as my family. I remember that I'm supposed to go to my parents' house in Bellevue.

"I'm going to spend the night in Bellevue and wait for the girls to return tomorrow. Taylor didn't want me to be without security and that's the safest place to be." I figured I'd let him know so we don't stay here too late. Mom and Dad wouldn't like me trudging in at midnight. I know how Elliot can be.

He smiles, "That sounds like fun. I'll join you. We can hang with everyone and enjoy each other's company."

While I can't match his enthusiasm, it does sound relaxing and it would be nice to see Mom, Dad and Mia. We spend the rest of dinner casually talking, avoiding a certain subject. Well, trying to.

Elliot's phone goes off and he smiles as he looks at a text. I'm curious. "What?"

He lifts the phone up and reads it to me.

R: Hey just a reminder, my phone is the only one we're going to have tonight. Everyone else's is staying in our suite. We're off to have fun! Don't wait up for us! ;p

He laughs and I want to throw his phone across the room. This is going to drive me crazy.

After getting my overnight bag from Escala, we're off to Bellevue.