Gray and Green // Michael Gray

Power Openings

"Ms. Green, it's 7:30. You have to be in the office at 8:30." My maid told me from my doorway. I groaned, turning over in bed and placing my feet on the floor and stretching. The sun was shining through the windows and onto my bare body. It was a great feeling.

After I had got dressed in my usual purple dresses with jewels attached. In my mind it was a high class piece.

James was waiting for me the moment I stepped out of my room. He handed me two letters, one from Michael Gray and one from John Hughes. I opened them up, seeing the one from Michael was an invitation to the opening of the Grace Shelby institute, the other was a threat from Hughes.

"Do not go to the opening," I mumbled, throwing Hughes' letter into the fire as I walked past it. It was hilarious.

"The opening is at five, you have three meetings today. They're with your workers and Father Hughes." He said. I closed my fist up in order not to smart mouth him. I do have respect for him.

"James, as long as you work for me, he is John Hughes. Not father." I told him as politely as I could. He nodded as we started driving to the company factory.

Once we walked on, I put the smile on my face and walked to my office. There were two letters waiting for me, so I opened them. Just like at the house, one from Michael Gray, the other from John Hughes.

The letter from Hughes was a second warning. The one from Michael was an invite to dinner after the opening of the Institute. I motioned my hand for James to come in my office, he came in immediately.

"James, could you please get me a pocket knife, a gun and my holsters from the basement." I asked him. He nodded and left the room, making me wait for the first person to come in today. Who to no surprise was Thomas Shelby.

To no surprise, he disrespected my staff and took a seat across from me, looking me up and down.

"Good morning, Tommy." I said smugly as he blew smoke in my direction.

"Have you contacted the Russians?" He asked. I nodded.

"I have a meeting with them after your opening of the Institute. There I will get all your money, and you will get my sister." I said. He offered me a cigarette, but I declined.

"How do you plan on doing it?" He asked.

"Seeing my sister is worth however much money your jewels are worth. Let me worry about that. How am I going to see my sister without stepping foot in France?" I asked. He reached into his pocket, pulling out a couple sheets of paper.

"I have sent a request to meet with Lisa and Pierre Green. I have sent a separate letter to Leonora about the plan to get her out. She wrote back to me, saying that she's been trying to get in touch with you over the past eight years. She wants to leave." He told me. It took everything I had not to let tears blur my vision.

"Thank you." I said, right before James came into my office and laid the things that I asked for. Tommy's eyebrows furrowed, he picked up the knife.

"Planning on doing something at the opening?" He asked. I shook my head.

"Hughes has been following me for days. I figured it'd be nice to have some protection since James won't be there." His eyebrows furrowed again.

"Why not?" He asked.

"He has a family. I'm not his top priority." I told him. He scoffed with a small smile and leaned back in his chair.

"You intrigue me, Doc." He said. I rolled my eyes. He's calling me Doc now, like I haven't heard that a million times.

"How is that?" I asked.

"Most women like you are arseholes. They go on and on about feminism like a bat out of hell, then there's you: not giving a fuck what anybody thinks." He started another cigarette.

"You don't care about other people's feelings towards yourself, why should I?" I asked. He shrugged.

"You shouldn't." He said.

It was quiet, just him looking at me with a smug look on his face. It was like he was about to pull a gun on me and shoot me dead in my own office.

"I shouldn't be discussing this with you, Anna, but my cousin Michael..." he sat forward, tapping his cigarette ash onto my hardwood floors. "He's in love with you."

I smiled, looking down and rolling my eyes.

"Lots of men claim to be in love with me, Tommy. They don't know what kind of things I can do if they cross me." I told him. He nodded.

"Alright. I thought you should know." He stood up, walking towards the door. "You have a nice evening, Anna." He finished then walked off. I've never known him to be the polite type of person.

--

I walked into the institute, immediately overcome by photographs and women. I smiled, obviously. Reporters came and asked questions, it was like I was a celebrity.

"Ms. Green, could you and Mr. Shelby get a picture together?" A news woman asked. I nodded as they led me over to Tommy who was smiling and acting like he was having a grand old time.

We stood by each other, about three inches apart as they took pictures. One older woman was swooning over how grateful she is that all the children in need will have places to go and be safe.

I took a second glass of champagne from a waiter and looked at the flier for the Institute. My name was right under Polly Gray's. I was the main 'financial provider'

"You look miserable," I turned to my left, facing Michael Gray beside me. His hand was slightly on my waist and he was looking over my shoulder.

"That's a good way to get smacked," I said, closing the book and turning around to face him. He had a smile on his face as he inched towards me.

"Being smacked by the most beautiful girl in here wouldn't exactly be bad..." he edged on, looking in my eyes. I smiled, grabbing his hand and pulling him into a more private area away from people.

"So Tommy came to my office in the middle of the night and talked to me about you," I told him, looking up into his eyes. He pinched the bridge of his nose and took a deep breath.

"What'd he say?" He asked.

"He said you were Henry Johnson, and that you were taken away from Polly," my hand was resting on his shoulder as I was speaking. I felt as if my heart were to bear out of my chest.

"Yeah. What about it?" He smiled as I hugged him. He smiled and he tightly wrapped his arms around my waist, pulling him close to me.

"I thought you died or something when I went to the church and you weren't there." I mumbled. His hand moved to the back of my neck, lightly holding onto it. "Hell I was actually going to try to talk to you." He laughed at that.

At the church we didn't talk. We shared glances with each other and said the words 'hi' every once in a while. The only time we really had a deep, meaningful conversation was when we're caught together outside in a hailstorm so bad we came back bleeding. We were 19.

He pulled away from me, looking me in the eyes. It wasn't long before we heard a voice behind us.

"Doc Holiday. What a pleasure to meet you again." An Italian told me.