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========== Part 6 ==========
The morning started out disgusting for Miss Steele. Her head ached, her body ached. Having somehow torn her head off the table, the girl quickly woke up and pulled herself together. There was nothing unusual about spending the night right at work for Ana... Except for the unfamiliar jacket thrown over her shoulders. The girl sniffed the fabric.
Coffee, cigarettes and an orange…
Gray.
"Thanks, but you shouldn't have," Ana looked into Christian's office. He was smoking, standing by the window.
"Good morning to you too, Miss Steele," Christian smiled. "Have you eaten?"
"No, I wasn't even home," Ana handed Gray her jacket. "You understand..."
"You need to eat," Christian said sternly. "I sent Taylor to your neighbors, the Jaegers, to get you some food."
"How do you know where I live?" Anastasia asked in surprise. Could it really be that Gray was the one who followed her that night?..
"I asked Kate," Christian smiled. "And, yes, by the way, Jennifer Lopez sent four invitations to the Oscars ball."
"Are we going as a couple?" Ana asked.
Gray nodded. Suddenly his cell phone rang, so Christian left the office.
A couple of minutes later, Gray returned with a bag of food and two cups of coffee.
Ana and Christian sat down at the work table and began to eat.
"So what was that personal question you wanted to ask me at the cafe?" Anastasia recalled.
Gray looked at her carefully.
"Why would a pretty girl like you join the police? What's the reason?" Christian asked. "It's rare to find a pretty police officer barely older than a college graduate."
- Oh, it's because of my father. My father was a cop too, but only in Seattle. Raymond Still... - Ana smiled tenderly, biting into a cheese pie.
- Iron Ray... I've heard of him. I didn't think you were his daughter. He's a damn good cop, - Gray took a sip of coffee. - And your mother?
- Mom... Carla Still, former actress. Romantic, forever young at heart. She did something like that when I said I was going to Los Angeles... - Ana remembered her mother, and her soul immediately became warm and cozy.
"Haven't seen them for a long time?" Christian asked. He looked at Anastasia carefully and suddenly realized: Ana was insanely beautiful.
— Since 2019. That's when the war started. Occupation, underground, intelligence... I had no time for that. And now I'm planning to go to them for Christmas, — Ana sipped her coffee. — And you?
"What, me?" Gray didn't understand.
- Where is your family? - Anastasia was curious about Christian's parents.
"My parents were killed when I was seventeen," Gray answered briefly and looked down. Christian became so sad and sorrowful that Anastasia felt a pain somewhere near her heart.
"I'm sorry," Ana took Gray's hand.
Saturday came suddenly. That morning, Ana found herself worried. The girl could not choose a dress in which she could go to Oscar's ball. After sending a text message to Kate asking for help, Ana sat down at her laptop to check her mail. And there was a letter from an unknown address.
From: Christian Gray
To: Anastasia Steele
Date: 05.10.2024
Subject: Ball.
I'll pick you up at 5pm. Be ready.
Ana rolled her eyes. Gray's dictatorial tone sometimes irritated her. She decided to answer him, and at the same time irritate him a little.
From: Anastasia Steele
To: Christian Grey
Date: 05.10.2024
Topic: Heroic Dictators
Mr. Gray, are you on the wrong side of the bed? I get it. But I can get there myself. You are rude and mean. :)
Ten minutes later he answered her.
Topic: Obnoxious but funny female cops
Miss Steele, you don't know yet how evil I can be. No, I woke up well and even slept well. I just like to order and command.
Ana took a sip of coffee. A tyrant, a control freak and a dictator... And at the same time... he was flirting with her?
Ana's fingers flew across the keyboard.
Subject: Flirting?
Are you flirting with me, Mr. Grey?
The doorbell rang, distracting Ana from her correspondence. Kate stood on the threshold with bags that had "Versace" written on them.
"The latest collection, fall-winter 2024," Kate pulled out a brown dress that looked like fish scales from the bag. Ana quickly went to her room and changed.
The dress was the girl's size. Looking at herself in the mirror, Ana smiled. The dress hugged her figure and emphasized her assets.
"Kate, this is..." Ana smiled happily, hugging her friend.
- That means that you and I will fly to Paris Fashion Week in the winter! I will introduce you to the designers... - Kavanagh began to make plans.
"Kate, I don't like all these events," Anastasia sighed.
"But you're going to today's!" Kavanagh objected hotly.
"As needed," Ana countered, putting the pistol holster on her leg.
"Do you think something will happen at the ball?" Kate worried, seeing her friend's actions.
Ana remained silent. The fucking sixth sense that had never failed her was screaming danger.
Mr. Gray was punctual. At exactly five o'clock his silver Audi parked at Anastasia's entrance. Gray, in a tuxedo, stood by the car and smoked. Ana came out to him as if she were walking the red carpet.
Christian, seeing her, was speechless. Yes, he had seen beautiful women, yes, he had bathed in female attention, yes, he loved sex, but now Miss Steele seemed to him the most beautiful woman in the world.
"Good evening," Christian nodded to her and gallantly opened the back door. Ana gracefully climbed into the back seat, Christian sat next to her. Having done so, he nodded to his driver - a grim fellow who looked like Hugh Jackman - and he started the engine.
"You look wonderful," Christian smiled. "The first dance is mine."
"You're too self-confident," Ana nudged him in the side with her elbow. "But I'll save the dance for you."
Christian laughed quietly. He hadn't felt this good in a long time. This girl... She was so different, so bold and pure, she said everything in her eyes. He wanted to spend more time with her, and at the same time... he was afraid of getting carried away and losing himself... And he didn't like losing control.
An hour later, the car parked at the Dolby Theatre, where all the awards events were taking place. Ana saw a line of press and paparazzi.
"Oh my god," the girl groaned when she saw Kate and Jose posing for the press as if they were Blake and Ryan.
- Don't you like the press? - Gray helped Anya out of the car.
- I don't like it. Have you imagined tomorrow's headlines? - Ana chuckled and said with feigned pathos: "Hero of Africa and Guardian of Los Angeles: Friends or Something More?"
"Baby, I'm used to fame," Gray chuckled. "But if anything happens, tell everyone we're just friends. It'll work."
Gray took the girl by the hand.
"Your sense of superiority will be your undoing," Ana noted, but she didn't take her hand away.
Ana and Gray walked down the red carpet. Camera flashes, screams of paparazzi ruined the mood, deafened, blinded... But Gray's warm hand gave confidence and calmed.
Surprisingly, the paparazzi did not attack them and allowed them to enter the cinema without any problems.
There was a relaxed atmosphere inside. Guests were drinking, laughing and dancing. As if everyone here was just ordinary people. There was no pathos and glamour, there was warmth and sincerity.
Anu was surprised by this, but she decided to remain silent.
The music started playing and Christian led Ana out onto the dance floor. The girl recognized the track. "Secret Feeling" by Ricky Martin.
Christian took Ana by the waist and confidently led her in the dance. His movements were powerful and at the same time smooth and soft, like a cat. Ana relaxed in his arms. The girl completely trusted Gray.
"Where did you… learn to dance like that?" she asked when the man made a new move.
"I'll tell you someday," Christian didn't want to share anything personal. This girl was confusing him. Now Gray enjoyed their dance, but he knew it wouldn't last long.
========== Part 7 ==========
This girl was confusing him. Now he was enjoying their dance, but he knew it wouldn't last long.
After the dance, they stood at the buffet table and drank champagne. Out of the corner of her eye, Ana saw Hyde and Leila, who were chatting pleasantly with Steven Spielberg. Hyde, seeing his friend, saluted her with his glass.
"He's not indifferent to you," Gray whispered in Anya's ear.
- What? Who? - the girl did not understand.
"Jack Hyde," Christian smiled.
- No, he's just a friend. We studied together. He was from a dysfunctional family and tried to prove that he was no worse than others. He had to steal food to survive, and when we moved here, we joined a partisan unit. He was captured, suffered torture, but survived. Since the end of the war, he has given up stealing and works in some publishing house. There was never anything romantic between us, - Anastacia assured Christian.
"And Jose Rodriguez?" Christian persisted.
- Friend. I have never been in love and I don't strive for it.
Ana lied. What she felt for Gray was what she called love. She was inexplicably drawn to him, she liked challenging him, playing by his rules, but winning.
"Have you ever been in love?" Ana asked after some time.
- Love is for fools, Ana. I have loved three times in my life, and all three times ended badly.
Gray lit a cigarette.
Ana looked away and suddenly saw Benny Medina, Jennifer Lopez's manager, walking towards her.
"Miss Lopez is waiting for you upstairs," Medina said, bowing slightly.
"Shall we go?" Ana asked Gray.
"Go, I'll wait for you here. She doesn't trust me," Christian chuckled.
"When I return, save a dance for me," Anastasia whispered, and, as if by accident, she gently touched Christian's cheek with her lips.
The girl went upstairs, where Jennifer was waiting for her at one of the tables, dressed in a white dress. The star's hair was pulled back into a ponytail.
"Jennifer," Ana nodded to the singer and sat down opposite her. "Thank you for inviting me to this ball."
"Thank you, Miss Steele. You literally saved my life," Lopez smiled.
- I wanted to ask... What did the Light and Dark magicians of Hollywood disagree about? What are their differences? Well, besides sympathy for Hitler? - Ana asked in a whisper.
"This war is as old as the world, Anastasia. It's been going on for millennia. The forces of Darkness strive for power, and we, the Light, try to stop them. If the Darkness gains the upper hand even for a moment, the consequences will be terrible for everyone. And I'm talking about real Darkness now: for example, about those bastards who led the Third Reich," Lopez answered.
"Is the Hollywood Darkness led by a monster like that?" Ana asked, feeling goosebumps running down her spine.
- Yes. We do not pronounce his name. A devoted apostle of Darkness, cruel and bloodthirsty. His face is a mystery even to his puppets. He calls himself "Academician," Jennifer lowered her voice.
"Is he behind the robberies?" Ana seized on the final phrase.
- Yes, he does. He needs chaos. All the dresses that were stolen belong to the light ones. That alleged theft of mine was a trial run. He wants… - Lopez began, but she was interrupted by shots and screams that suddenly rang out from below.
Ana rushed down, taking out her pistol as she went. In a flash, she was downstairs. At the entrance to the hall stood people in masquerade masks and Nazi uniforms. They glanced around the hall and headed towards the guests.
Kavanagh and Jose rushed to intercept the robbers, Ana pointed her gun at one of them.
"Everyone stop! I'm Miss Steele! Police!" the girl screamed.
"Stupid man," laughed one of the robbers and waved his hand. Snakes crawled out of the ground and attacked Anastasia. But Blake Lively rushed to the girl's aid, burning the snakes with a stream of icy fire.
Steele smiled gratefully at her and shot the attacker in the chest. A fight ensued. Out of the corner of her eye, Ana saw Christian, who was fighting fiercely with the two attackers. The girl rushed towards him. Standing next to Gray, Ana covered his back.
"Ana, I can handle it," the man assured her, taking out his gun. However, the attacker (a woman, judging by her figure) waved his hand, and vines fell from the ceiling onto Gray and Steele.
Gray deftly dodged them, managing to grab Ana and push her away. Out of the corner of her eye, Ana saw the robbers approaching the guests of the evening. But they threw magic spells at the robbers.
"We are powerless here," Gray sighed.
Ana looked at the exit, where her friends were desperately fighting the dark ones.
- You, people, are powerless before us! The era of the great Academician is coming! - the one who set the snakes on Ana shouted fanatically.
"That's unlikely," Ana shouted back.
"Let's go!" the robber shouted, and the dark ones retreated.
- You're screwed! - Ana ran after them. She saw the robbers getting into the jeep. In the parking lot, the girl noticed Jose's motorcycle. It was good that her friend forgot to remove the ignition key. Ana knew how to drive motorcycles and had a driver's license. Another thing is that she preferred to walk to work.
Starting the motorcycle, the girl rushed in pursuit. The jeep flew at a crazy speed, breaking all the rules. Ana tried to keep up with it.
Soon the car left the city and headed for the hills. Ana pressed the gas as hard as she could. She almost caught up with the mages... but suddenly the jeep disappeared. The girl cursed.
"I missed them! I missed them!" Ana raged in Roach's office. Kate, Jose and Gray looked at her silently.
- Excellent! They screwed us like blind mice! And these are the best cops in the city and one war hero! Bravo, guys! Excellent! - Anastasia growled.
- Yes, blame it all on us! - Gray couldn't resist. - By yourself?! You think you're Joan of Arc! Who asked you to chase them? Alone! So brave?!
"I saw that I could help people!" Ana cried. "And you? Where were you?"
- Helping the victims! Kate was almost hurt! And you! - Christian was furious. How dare this girl blame him for all the sins?
- I was doing my duty! - Ana was breathing heavily. Suddenly the girl froze and clutched her heart.
"Again?" Jose spread his hands.
Kavanagh quickly called someone and ran out of the office.
- And does she do this often?
Dr. John Flynn, an elderly, distinguished-looking British man who resembled Colin Firth, listened to Ana through a stethoscope.
- Constantly. This week twice. She's had it since she was a child. I remember we were coming back from a disco in Seattle at Christmas, three tough guys came up to us. Well, Ana greeted them with her heels to the jaw. Her mother then gave her two weeks of treatment, - Jack looked at Ana with sympathy.
"She needs peace and rest. At least for a week. Although, I doubt that she will sit quietly at home for more than two days," the doctor chuckled. "Can someone look after her?"
- I can.
Gray stood up and walked up to Anya. "I'll take her to my place. Luckily, I have a big house."
"I won't stick to the regime. Not with him," Ana looked angrily at Christian. "I'll stay home…"
"I'll come to you and check," Christian persisted. "Every evening. And tell you about the investigation."
"Then bring food and drink," Ana said defiantly.
- It's coming.
Gray enjoyed annoying this woman.
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