Blood In The Cut (Wattys 2017)

Chapter 4

When 12 o'clock finally came, I made sure I was dressed appropriately yet comfortably. I had on a black flow skirt, a pink shirt tied in the front, a white, soft cardigan, and I paired the outfit with a small choker and my black high top Converse with long black socks with two white stripes at the top that came up to my knee.

I walked out to find Patrick with a blue button up on with the first two buttons undone, some black jeans, and his black Converse as well. "You cleaned up pretty nicely, Pat. You ready?" I said. He nodded and grabbed his leather jacket off the chair along with his keys.

"Bye guys," we yelled out to the rest of the crew who were now sitting in my living room, gathered around the television watching The Amazing World of Gumball as they ate Lucky Charms and Captain Crunch. I love those guys because they could be just as childish as me sometimes.

We hopped into Pat's Mustang and he blasted some Kings of Leon as we sped down to the Heathman. When we arrived, there was a tall, built guy with a buzz cut waiting for us as we walked through the doors.

"Miss Steele, Mr. Louis. Please follow me this way. Mr. Grey will be just through these doors," he said as he led us to two doors on the farther side of the hotel. He opened the door for us and there he was in all his glory. A god himself. Mr. Christian Grey.

"Good afternoon, Miss Steele, Mr. Louis. Please take a seat," he said while eyeing me. We were in a large conference like room. I took the seat right across from Christian and let out a breath.

"So," Pat started, "what's your offer, Mr. G?"

"Well, as I mentioned to Miss Steele here, I'd love to have your band perform every weekend or every two weekends. Last night drew in the largest crowd I've ever had at the Mile High. So, in exchange for working there, I'd pay you $3000 per performance," Grey said, smirking at me.

$3000 per performance?! What the hell?!

I could tell Pat was just as shocked as I was. Before I had a say in anything, Pat jumped up and grabbed Christian's hand. "Deal," he said.

Christian turned to me. "Mr. Louis, shouldn't you discuss this with your girlfriend first?" Why did he growl out the word girlfriend like that?

"Oh, this kid," Pat began to laugh, "She's not my girlfriend. We just act like that on stage just to draw in crowds. We're nothing more than friends. More like siblings." I nodded in agreement.

"I agree with Patrick. Um, it's a deal," I whispered as I stood and shook his hand. "Deal, Miss Steele." He winked at me and let my hand go.

"Ana, I was actually wondering if you'd like to have lunch with me," Grey said. Holy fuck. Was he serious? I searched his face for playfulness and nope. There was none there. I knew for a fact that if I tried to speak, I'd probably choke on my own tongue, so I just nodded.

"Um, Pat. You can go home without me. I'll catch the bus there afterwards," I said to Pat.

"Nonsense. It's okay, Mr. Louis. I'll take her home," Christian interjected. Patrick just nodded and made his way out to his car.

Christian then grabbed my hand and we walked out to the noisy air. He led me to a small cafe close by and we took our seats. I'd been here plenty of times before, so I already knew what I'd want. "What would you like?" He asked. "Um, could you get me a turkey sandwich with lettuce, tomato, and a dab of mayo?" I asked while pulling out my wallet.

"Of course, but I'm paying," he said as he turned around and walked away from me.

I sat there just watching him from a distance until I felt my phone vibrate. It was a text from Kate.

Holy shit. You're on a date with Grey.

It's not a date.

As I locked my phone, I saw Grey walking towards me with a tray. He placed it down onto the table and sat opposite of me with his eyes blazing right through my soul. Oh, boy.

"Here you go," he said passing me the sandwich wrapped in tinfoil. "Thank you," I muttered while keeping my eyes down.

"So, tell me more about yourself." That stopped my breathing. Why does he want to know more?

"Um, well, I got into rock music because my step - father raised me in an environment that included the best music of that time. I also sing indie pop and other genres as well. I totally just adore music and...tacos," I laughed out the last part. I looked up at him and he had amusement in his eyes and broke into a smile.

"Tacos?" Christian asked. I nodded. "Tell me more about your family."

"Well, like I said I was raised by my stepfather, Ray. My birth father died when I was a baby. Um, my mother, Carla, is currently on husband number four because she's an incurable romantic." I shook my head at my mother's antics.

"Would you consider yourself romantic?" He asked surprising me.

"Um, well, I am in college for English - Lit, so I kind of have to be romantic for that. But, I haven't exactly gotten the opportunity to express that romanticism."

He looked confused but decided not to press on. "Eat," he demanded. I rolled my eyes which made his eyes darken and began unwrapping my sandwich while he ate a salad. "So, tell me about your family."

I wasn't gonna be left hanging here. "Well, my sister, Mia, is in France right now studying under a French chef. My brother, Elliot, is in construction. And, my mother is a pediatrician and my father's a lawyer." That's pretty narrow.

"And do you have any hobbies?" I said after swallowing a piece of lettuce.

Christian looked up and began staring at me. "I enjoy flying and...working out."

When he said that, my breath caught in my throat which made me gasp and choke on the next piece of lettuce that was going down my throat causing me to cough. He sort of looked amused as he reached over and began patting my back.

"Are you alright? You're pretty red right now?" He asked with a smirk on his face. I nodded and waved him off.

"So, what kind of music do you like?" I asked.

"Older music with sultry voices, some indie, and one of my favourite bands are Kings of Leon."

"You aren't just saying that to impress me, are you?" This time I was the one smirking.

He smiled. "No, I actually listen to them. But, now I have a new favourite band."

"I'm sure I can guess who it is." I said biting my lip.

Suddenly, he stood up and reached out his hand. "Come. I have to get you home. Your friends will be worried about you."

I think I just fucked things up for us. Stupid me.

I got up and took his hand keeping my eyes down. He walked me to a black SUV where the guy with the buzz cut held the door open. The whole drive was silent as I felt the suspense in the air.

We arrived at my home sooner than I expected. As I climbed out of the car, Christian stopped me by grabbing my arm. "You really need to stay away from me. I'm not good for you," he said and let me go. I watched the car take off and as soon as it turned the corner, I let out the loudest scream ever. Apparently, my friends must have thought I was being murdered and they came running out.

"What the hell is wrong with you?!" Pat asked. I just shook my head and walked past the group of confused musicians. What the hell, Christian Grey?!