Fifty Shades Of Grey: My Years With Elena #Explicit [Fifty Shades] #fanfic

CHAPTER TWENTY SEVEN

March 2003

"No way, Christian!"
"But dad, I..."
"Why? Why do you think leaving Harvard and risking everything on some whim is a good idea?"
"IT'S NOT A WHIM!" I shriek.
Shit...
I take a deep breath. "Sorry dad." I lower my voice. "But it's not a whim. Ros and I have spent months on this. We've done our research. Henderson Holdings is on its knees. Ros flushed out Phillip Hale as the embezzler, Tom Henderson wants out A-SAP, so I need a hundred grand to buy shares whilst they are at rock bottom prices. Ros has already stumped up her own collateral to buy a large percentage of shares...she's risking her own livelihood because she believes in this so much. Together we can take this company to the next level and make it great again."
"Darling...it's not that we don't believe you...but why quit Harvard when you are doing so well? It might be better in a couple of years - after you graduate..."
"IT'LL BE TOO LATE BY THEN!"
FUCK! Now I'm yelling at mom!
"Mom, I'm sorry I yelled at you." I take a deep calming breath and stand up. "I'm sorry I yelled at both of you, but this is getting us nowhere. I need to get out of here for a while. Clear my head."
I grab my laptop bag and jacket and rush out of the house.

"Oh Christian...I'm not taking sides, but I can understand why your parents would be reluctant for you to leave Harvard - never mind the money issue."
I take a long slug of Linc's best Armagnac and run a hand through my hair in agitation. I had originally planned to head off to a hotel, but I somehow found myself at Elena's before I knew it.
"I can't do what I want to with Henderson's and stay on at Harvard too. It's not possible to stretch myself in both directions. I have to commit to one or the other and my gut says to commit to leaving Harvard and investing in Henderson's. I know that with Ros's help we can really make a go of it. She's got the experience and I've got the business acumen. She says it all the time and I believe her."
Elena cups my face. "I believe you." She says softly. She closes her eyes and takes a deep breath. Opening her beautiful eyes again she looks directly at me. "Wait here."
I nod as she stands and leaves the room. I relax back into the soft couch, tilt my head back against the cushions and rub the crystal tumbler with the Armagnac against my aching forehead.
I knew I'd face some resistance from my parents but NOT the 'this isn't up for negotiation' stone wall I came up against. Why don't they have more faith in me? I bet if it was Elliot asking they would have at least considered it before making a decision, and not just cut him off without a hope in hell! I sigh deeply.
Maybe they're right. Maybe I am being too impulsive and doing this on a whim. There's no guarantee that it will work, just my own stubborn self-belief - which they instilled in me!
What if it's the worse decision I ever make - to leave Harvard and take on an ailing business? If it all goes tits up then what? I start all over again?
"Christian."
I twitch in surprise, open my eyes and sit up.
"Sorry Elena, I was miles away." I down the remainder of the Armagnac and sigh. "Maybe I am being too impulsive..."
"Open that and then decide." She hands me a folded slip of paper.
I place the tumbler down on the coffee table and take the paper off her. Opening it out I gasp in shock.
It's a check.
A check for a hundred thousand dollars!!!!

"Say something," she whispers softly as she sits down next to me.
I blink rapidly a few times as my mouth catches up with my brain.
"I can't accept this, Elena. I mean, it's terribly generous of you..."
"You can and you will. I meant what I said Christian. I believe in you and in this venture. If you think you can make a go of it, then that's good enough for me."
I gasp in shock. "But how can you offer to just offload a hundred grand like that? Surely you need it for something?"
Elena looks away and I grasp her chin. "Tell me," I insist.
"It's the money Linc was going to invest into the Beauty Salon venture."
WHHAAATTT??
I push the check towards her. "No way, Elena. I'm not ruining your and Valena's dream."
She pushes my hand away. "Val will understand. Even she could see your potential."
Hopefully not through my jeans...
"But you've both been working so hard to make it happen. I can't be the cause of it falling through." I say in dismay.
"Christian - if your plans come to fruition, you'll be able to pay us back and the salon will only be on hold for a short while."
I stare at her, back at the check and then back towards her face at a total loss. She grabs my face.
"Christian...darling...it's okay. Please take the cheque and invest it into your future. A future I know you will be brilliant at and that you will make a great success of. Val's ex-husband is still playing hardball with the settlement so we weren't going to plough ahead in the next few months anyway. Linc won't look for the money until we're ready to go ahead, so he'll be none the wiser. Just tell your parents and Ros an investor came forward with the money who is happy to be a silent partner."
Fuck...that actually sounds doable...
"I don't know what to say..." I whisper.
"Say you'll take me up on my offer and take the first step towards becoming a successful businessman." She smiles.
Somehow I manage a weak smile back. "I will pay you back every penny - with interest - I promise." I mumble.
She strokes my lips with her thumbs. "I know you will." She says softly. She then arches an eyebrow. "Maybe there's a way you can start repaying me tonight."
"Name it." I blurt out.
Right now I would do anything she asks of me.
She lets go of my face and stands.
"Go up to the boudoir, strip naked and lie face up on the bed. I'm just going to grab a bottle of red wine."
"Red wine? Not the Sancerre?"
"Not this time. For what I have in mind, you'll need a good bottle of Barolo."
OH.
FUCK.