CHAPTER 7

Ana was getting ready before getting picked up by Christian at six o'clock. She was looking in the gold framed baroque mirror over her two basin sink in her bathroom standing in a towel. She was thinking, 'I have to tell him all about Jack Hyde in detail so he understands where my head was at to even be on Alder Lake. That piece of filth was weaseling his way in and I'm glad my team put a stop to him. He is still out there being a predator though. I should haven't shut his way of life down. I'm not sure why I'm waiting, it must be instinct for some reason. There must be more to know or find out according to my gut feeling, but his day will come. Christian was so sweet and seemed excited to see me again. I wonder what he has to tell me. It seemed to bother him greatly. I hope whoever he was wasn't some freak like Jack was. I suppose I'll find out tonight.'

Ana was blowing her hair dry, then curled it. She was putting on her smokey eyes with a hint of purple and light makeup. She had on a dark purple lace La Prela underwear set with corset and panty with black lace top black hold up stockings. Gail came into her bedroom as she was laying her dark purple full back zipper sheath bodycon dress on the bed. Ana had paired it with her purple suede Christian Louboutin 24 holes 37 high heel boot shoes and her Michael Kors leather purple pom crossbody purse.

Gail asked, cocking her head looking at her, "Are you nervous?"

Ana said while putting her dress, "Can you zip me up? I'm a bit nervous. I know him being left alone in the hospital with a family he didn't know isolated him for a while. It seems he is resilient though. He said it's bad. I hope he is not a sexual pervert like Jack is."

Gail zipped her up to her shoulder blades. The silver zipper teeth went all the way around the dress neck into a sweetheart neckline dip in the front. It sculpted to her body shape. She wore her white gold oval faceted amethyst and diamond pendant, large studded earrings and bracelet. She always wore her round brilliant cut blue diamond ring inset in a wide filigree band in gold on the middle finger of her left hand. Ana's father had given it to her on their last Christmas together. It had 'My most precious gift -Daddy' on the inside. It never came off her hand the moment he put it there.

Gail said seriously to her, "Look at it this way Ana, he wants to tell you. No matter how bad it is, he doesn't remember it and was only told. Be patient."

Gail sighed and said, "In the meantime, I'll be working my magic on Jason, the sexy beast that needs some GML treatment."

Ana grinned at her. She folded her arms, sticking her hip out and asked, "GML? Gail's…. what treatment?" Ana thought, 'God I love this crazy woman. Never was a best friend so adorable.'

Gail smiled slyly and replied, "Gail's Mister Lucky treatment."

Ana laughed and said with her brow raised, "You know this is my date, right? You go schmooze that man with your womanly charms and make your own date with the future Mister Lucky. Maybe you could go share a kitten someday." They both laughed.

Gail said smirking, "He'll have enough pussy on his hands as it is." Ana fake smacked her arm as they were both laughing and walking into the living room."

Gail likes cats and has two huge males, one black and one tuxedo, in the security room area, supposed to be in her bedroom. They like hanging out with the team and the team likes them. The Dynamic Duo, MadMax and Terminator (Max and Term), like to sneak into the penthouse and find Ana from time to time. She gives them cat treats whenever they perform the Great Escape act into the penthouse.

Ana put on a black Holland Cooper Marlborough Shearling three quarter length trench coat. Ana and her two bodyguards and Gail went downstairs. The guys got the SUV bringing it around and Gail waited with her in the lobby with her own black leather trench coat on. Gail had on her black three piece tailored women's suit and a pair of wrap around Oakley sunglasses. It had a vest/shirt, pants and blazer jacket. Her hair was in a blonde braid down to the middle of her back. It had a vest/shirt, pants and blazer jacket. She wore her black Dr Martens lace up boots. She liked them for their traction and durability. She, as always had on under her jacket, her gun in the underarm shoulder holster today. This was her normal security clothes she dressed in on normal days.

Christian pulled up in his R8 Audi Spyder in gray pearl as his security in a SUV and Ana's security in an SUV moved in behind them. Gail walked her out with eyes on everything and everyone. Christian gave his hand and helped Ana in the car. Gail went to the second SUV and got in.

Christian got in and put on his seatbelt and leaned over, using his finger to give her the 'Come here' sign. She smiled and kissed him. He put the car in gear and they headed to Escala. He had already given Ana, through text, the security code for underground parking for her security. They pulled in and parked. Her security parked in visitor parking. They all got out and went up separate elevators. Christian turned to Ana and pushed her into the wall of the elevator and kissed her in a deep passionate way. She thought, 'My God, he's going to kiss the stuffing out of me.'

—--

On the service elevator, all five security guards are going up.

Taylor said in his all business serious way, "First things first, Sawyer and I will show all of you the layout, panic room and monitoring interior exterior cams and CCTV."

Gail said seriously, "That would be helpful being we may be spending a lot of time here." The doors opened. They filed out and followed Taylor and Sawyer.

Taylor took them into the security office and showed them the first and second floor areas on thesp on the back wall of the office. He then went through everything.

—--

When the elevator arrived, Christian stopped kissing her and took her hand leading her into the penthouse. She looked around and thought, 'What's with all of the white, neutral colors and glass furniture?'

He took their coats and hung them up. He gasped looking at the sexy zipper going down her back. He loved it. She looked at him and asked, "What?"

He said putting his arms around her and started pulling on the zipper on her back, "I love your zipper."

She laughed, playfully pushed him away and said, "You're such a naughty Christian! Don't unzip me!" He laughed and took her hand leading her into the living room area with the floor to ceiling wall windows.

She said looking out over the city, "Nice view."

He moved behind her and said softly in her ear as he put his arms around her, "I thought the same when I first came home. I just couldn't understand all of the Madonna art and being so white. I later found out it was Elena Lincoln that decorated most of it."

Ana asked him, "That's the creepy blonde woman last night right?" He nodded.

Christian said, shrugging, "I guess my former self has a business arrangement with her and stuff."

Ana asked curiously, "Stuff? Is that what you want to tell me about tonight?"

He said, frowning, "Yeah, it's going to be hard. I was surprised and dismayed at finding it all out. I led a double life, I guess, and it was buried in so much secrecy in layers." That had Ana a bit worried.

An older late fifties kindly looking black woman with salt and pepper graying hair braided and styled into a bun came into the room with her apron on and said, "Mr Grey? Dinner is ready."

He smiled at her and said, "Thank you Anita. Anita Bakersfield, this is Anastasia Lambert my guest. Anastasia, meet my House Manager and excellent cook, Mrs Anita Bakersfield."

Anita smiled big and shook Ana's hand Ana said, "It's a pleasure to meet you, Mrs Bakersfield."

Anita said, "Call me Anita, please."

Ana smiled and said, "Then call me Ana."

Anita said smiling, "This way." They followed her towards the kitchen.

Christian sat Ana down at the dining table and went to get a bottle of wine from the wine cellar appliance he had in the kitchen. Anita brought them into the dining room for their dinner. It was laid out beautifully Ana thought. There was Bourbon Pecan Chicken, cheese tortellini with garlic asparagus. A fresh salad of butter lettuce, kalamata olives, tomato and feta cheese with homemade lemon Dijon dressing.

Ana said looking up at her smiling, "This looks wonderful. My Chief of Security, Gail Jones and I like batch baking and cooking together over at my penthouse. The security guys are bottomless pits. I'm sure you know how all that muscle takes in a lot of carbs."

Anita laughed and said, "Don't I know, they never do stop eating."

Ana took a bite of her chicken that was so fragrant and said, "Oh God, this is so good, thank you."

Christian said smiling, "Told ya, Anita is culinary trained and I love everything she has made since the crash. I hope that 'other me' appreciates you?"

Anita laughed and said, "Oh I'm sure he did. Every plate was clear of food." They laughed. She said nodding, "Enjoy." She went back to the employee quarters.

Ana said, savoring every bite, "It's hard to find someone who can manage a penthouse full of security. I didn't have much luck. They never seemed to adapt, stay long or just not workout. I just started doing everything myself, cooking for myself and my staff. Gail is a good cook so we all benefit from good food."

Christian asked curiously, "Where did you meet your Security Chief? It's not common to have a female Security Head."

Ana said sipping her wine, "My dad met Gail in Afghanistan during his last tour of duty. They dated for a few years after they both retired. We became fast friends when I would come home from school breaks at Yale. When my dad died, she stuck with me like glue ever since. She helped me through my depression. She would always do or say something crazy or outrageous to make me laugh. We would spar and practice Krav Maga, military combat, and go to the shooting or archery ranges."

Christian said sipping his wine, "My Security Chief, Taylor said one of my security men, Luke Sawyer knows you."

Ana said excitedly, "Skywalker? He is? Is he here? I want to see him. I have seen him in…. Holy shit, fifteen years. I went off to Yale and he went off into the Marines. We used to have fun both having military fathers that were friends. It was nice being I was an only child and so was he. I didn't relate to kids my age all my life. Luke was seven years older than me. I wasn't the dolly type, not that I didn't own a few. I was more a nerdy tomboy. I remember tutoring him in school and teaching him French when I was six years old."

Christian said admiring her, "You had quite a full childhood going to college at eleven years old."

Ana blushed and said, "Yeah, my nerdy side surfaces from time to time."

He chuckled and said, "That's ok. Like your multifacets. You are definitely not boring." She giggled.

They had finished eating and he led her into the living room by the fireplace with a full glass of wine for each of them. They both got comfortable and Ana took off her shoes and had her knees bent and legs up on the couch sitting sideways facing Christian. She sipped her wine and leaned over putting it on the coffee table in front of them.

She smiled and caressed his face and said, "Ok, I'll tell you why I was on Alder Lake being reclusive and why I stayed away. He stood up and put his glass on the table and sat sideways facing her with his leg bent in front of him and the other on the floor.

He faced her up close and said, reaching out and caressing her neck, "Ok, ladies first."

She smiled and said, "I was in seclusion when you crashed into me on Alder Lake. About three months before I met a man innocently enough on vacation in the Caribbean in St. Thomas in the Virgin Islands. I was taking a break from work from sitting in on negotiations with a company I was trying to buy that was a bit complicated. I took a little trip after. This man I met there was the reason I went into seclusion. It was an accidental friendship completely gone wrong. I did not have a romantic relationship with him or want one after the much deeper digging into background check was completed by her people. It turned out though he appeared friendly enough, was a total serial sexual predator that hid his crimes very well. He also frequented the BDSM and sex clubs in the greater Seattle area to take out his violence. Upon a deeper probing investigation, it had revealed that he had been doing this for years traveling from place to another as he relocated. The man had a pattern since he was a child even in foster care of molesting the children in the homes he was in and being moved constantly from home to home without it being reported or investigated. He had become focused on me after a few months returning from the vacation. I had kept in contact and had dinner three times with him. He started making advances at the time that the information started coming into my security. He made it clear wanted a sexual romantic relationship and got pissed off when I shut him down. My security guards went undercover tailing him. He was overheard bragging to some guy in a sex club that he had a big fish on his pole and was going to be set for life with my money once he could get in my pants. He told the guy that he would either teach me submission or beat me into submission. I told him the day after that I wanted him to stay away from me completely or I would break something on him. I knew he thought he found his free ride to all the money he ever wanted and there was no way in hell he was getting it from me. It was the only reason a person like him who obviously hates women would zero in on me. Women were trash to sexual psychopathic predators like him. He thought he could still be a sexual predator at work, then come to a naive wealthy woman to use, dominate and hurt. I am so far from stupid or naive he would get a nosebleed in comparison. He started following me and showing up in public at places I would go to shop or eat. It got creepy. When I told him to leave my home one night, after he used the codes to gain entry because I forgot to change them, he blew up in front of me after pleading for me to be his girlfriend then friend. I said no and he flew into a rage that surfaced that he hid from me. I fought with him, punched him in the face and pinned him face down on the ground with both wrists locked behind his back while pinching his pressure points making him scream. It happened so fast I think he was shocked I was capable of taking him down. My security had called the cops to my penthouse. The police charged him with trespassing, unlawful entry and attempted assault with the video evidence. He's looking at three years in jail and I made sure they didn't give him bail. I have exmilitary friends of my fathers and Gail in state and federal positions in the government. They put him in custody after I went into seclusion and pressed charges. I have enough information on him now to implode his entire life but my dad taught me to always hold my hand of cards close to my vest before playing them. For some gut instinctual reason I'm waiting. After all of that, I chose to fade into obscurity once again for a few months until you landed practically on top of my head. After a while I discovered that your behavior was very reclusive too and gossip thought you were gay. I figured I would back off, not complicate your life if you were gay and let you have some time to find out an piece it together for yourself either way. So I waited before I approached you again."

She sighed and said, "I guess I was also afraid to get involved with a man again or with someone not knowing their full background that a background check wouldn't tell. I found what was on public records about you and know you had a rough childhood but that's all I found."

Christian had been silent the whole time listening to her. He thought, 'Oh God, the guy was a sexual predator in BDSM sex clubs. What the fuck is she going to think of my story? Well I guess I'll find out now. Get your shit together and get it over with, Grey. Fuck! I don't want to lose her!'