Paging Dr. Steele

Chapter 7: Let Your Hair Down

This is my story--a fanfic I started in 201. The first draft can be found on Fanfiction. However, my current updates can be found at https://butterflysaga.wordpress.com/journey-of-miles/paging-dr-steele/ which is my personal website. I keep finding my story added to Wattpad by other writers and have decided that maybe, if I add it myself, they will stop doing it, so here goes... 

I do not own Fifty Shades Trilogy, or the characters. They belong to E. L. James. I am only exercising my right to exploit, abuse, and mangle the characters to MY discretion in MY story in MY interpretation as a fan. If something that I say displeases you, please, just leave. If you don't like this story or me, please don't spoil this experience for everyone. Just go away. For the rest of you, the saga continues...

Chapter 07—Let Your Hair Down

STEELE

I'm at the front desk of the Inn at the Market waiting for Ray to come down from his room. I'm wondering if his new girlfriend will be joining us right away. I would like a little time with my dad first, but who knows? I didn't really know what to wear tonight, so I settled on a gray Alfani sleeveless ruched blouse with the matching Alfani black skinny zip-pocket pants with gray kidskin stilettos with lightly jeweled platforms and heels. Ray is always kind of casual, so I'm not surprised when I see him step off the elevator in black jeans and white polo... alone.

"Hi Dad." I hug Ray as he approaches the front desk.

"Hey Annie. You're looking good." He returns my hug. "I've missed you."

"I've missed you, too, Dad. No more letting this much time go by again, okay?" Ray holds up three fingers close together.

"Scouts honor," he says with a smile.

Ray has reservations at Maché and the reservation is for three, so I assume that our guest should be joining us soon. I take this time to find out what has brought my dad to Seattle, besides the obvious.

"Well, I thought I'd kill two birds with one stone. I'm trying to get this new client. It could really make or break my business right now."

"I didn't the business was in trouble," I say bemused.

"I've been doing okay so far, more or less breaking even with a little profit, but you know I can't go on like that indefinitely. So, hopefully I'll get this contract which could lead to some other smaller contracts and everything will be okay."

"And what if you don't get the contract?" Ray sighs heavily.

"Then I might have to consider bankruptcy."

"Bankruptcy?" I ask, horrified. "Is that the only other option?"

"It might be, Annie. I tried to get a loan from the bank, but my financials aren't that strong, so the bank considers me a bad risk." I shake my head.

"Is there anything I can do?" I ask.

"Now, Annie," he says, his tone a little chiding, "I did not come down here for a handout." I knew Ray wouldn't accept any help from me. He's too proud, but I had to ask. "Don't worry about your old man. I'll be just fine." He smiles that warm smile that always makes everything okay. "So... tell me what's been going on with you lately? It's been a while since we talked."

I don't bother asking when our guest is going to show up because I keep expecting her to walk in any second. We order drinks and I tell Ray about the volunteer work that I'm doing at the community center.

"Well, it sounds like a really good thing you're doing, but... you don't sound really excited about it," he observes. I sip my wine and sigh.

"It's just not what I thought it would be." I admit, as I accept the fact that I am completely disillusioned about my work at the community center. "When I interned at CCFW, those people had real problems and they were looking for real solutions. These people..." I shake my head. "It seems like they just want to whine about where they are, but they don't want to change. You know I got into this because of... well... what happened to me..." We never talk about that in detail; we just kind of brush over it. Ray nods as he respects my feelings on that particular topic. "I wanted to make a difference, Ray, but it just seems like I'm wasting my time. There are so many people in this for the money. Don't get me wrong—the money is great, but that's not why I do this."