“Call her now,” he says softly. I do, but there’s no reply, just the answering machine. I don’t leave a message. How can my own mother forget my birthday?
“She’s not there. I’ll call later when I know the results of the brain scan.”
Christian tightens his arms around me, nuzzling my hair once more, and wisely makes no comment on my mother’s lack of maternal concern. I feel rather than hear the buzz of his BlackBerry. He doesn’t let me stand up but fishes it awkwardly out of his pocket.
“Andrea,” he snaps, businesslike again. I make another move to stand and he stops me, frowning and holding me tightly around my waist. I nestle back against his chest and listen to the one-sided conversation.
“Good… ETA is what time?… And the other, um… packages?” Christian glances at his watch. “Does the Heathman have all the details?… Good… Yes. It can hold until Monday morning, but e-mail it just in case-I’ll print, sign, and scan it back to you… They can wait. Go home, Andrea… No, we’re good, thank you.” He hangs up.
“Everything okay?”
“Yes.”
“Is this your Taiwan thing?”
“Yes.” He shifts beneath me.
“Am I too heavy?”
He snorts. “No, baby.”
“Are you worried about the Taiwan thing?”
“No.”
“I thought it was important.”
“It is. The shipyard here depends on it. There are lots of jobs at stake.”
“We just have to sell it to the unions. That’s Sam and Ros’s job. But the way the economy’s heading, none of us have a lot of choice.”
I yawn.
“Am I boring you, Mrs. Grey?” He nuzzles my hair again, amused.
“No! Never… I’m just very comfortable on your lap. I like hearing about your business.”
“You do?” He sounds surprised.
“Of course.” I lean back to gaze directly at him. “I like hearing any bit of information you deign to share with me.” I smirk, and he regards me with amusement and shakes his head.
“Always hungry for more information, Mrs. Grey.”
“Tell me.” I urge him as I snuggle up against his chest again.
“Tell you what?”
“Why you do it.”
“Do what?”
“Work the way you do.”
“A guy’s got to earn a living.” He’s amused.
“Christian, you earn more than a living.” My voice is full of irony. He frowns and is quiet for a moment. I think he’s not going to divulge any secrets, but he surprises me.
“I don’t want to be poor,” he says, his voice low. “I’ve done that. I’m not going back there again. Besides… it’s a game,” he murmurs. “It’s about winning. A game I’ve always found very easy.”
“Unlike life,” I murmur to myself. Then I realize I said the words out loud.
“Yes, I suppose.” He frowns. “Though it’s easier with you.”
He shrugs, and I know he’s growing uncomfortable. “About some things, maybe,” he says quietly.
“I love philanthropic Christian,” I murmur.
“Just him?”
“Oh, I love megalomaniac Christian, too, and control-freak Christian, sexpertise Christian, kinky Christian, romantic Christian, shy Christian… the list is endless.”
“That’s a whole lot of Christians.”
“I’d say at least fifty.”
He laughs. “Fifty Shades,” he murmurs into my hair.
“My Fifty Shades.”
He shifts, tipping my head back, and kisses me. “Well, Mrs. Shades, let’s see how your dad is doing.”
“Okay.”
“Can we go for a drive?”
Christian and I are back in the R8, and I’m feeling giddily buoyant. Ray’s brain is back to normal-all swelling gone. Dr. Sluder has decided to wake him from his coma tomorrow. She says she’s pleased with his progress.
“Sure.” Christian grins at me. “It’s your birthday-we can do anything you want.”
Oh! His tone makes me turn and gaze at him. His eyes are dark.
“Anything?”
“Anything.”
How much promise can he load into one word? “Well, I want to drive.”
“Then drive, baby.” He grins, and I grin back.
My car handles like a dream, and as we hit the I-5, I subtly put my foot down, forcing us both back in our seats.
“Steady, baby,” Christian warns.
As we drive back into Portland, an idea occurs to me.
“Have you planned lunch?” I ask Christian tentatively.
“No. You’re hungry?” He sounds hopeful.
“Yes.”
“Where do you want to go? It’s your day, Ana.”
“I know just the place.”
I pull up near the gallery where Jose exhibited his work and park right outside the Le Picotin restaurant where we went after Jose’s show.
Christian grins. “For one minute I thought you were going to take me to that dreadful bar you drunk dialed me from.”
“Why would I do that?”
“To check the azaleas are still alive.” He arches a sardonic brow.
I blush. “Don’t remind me! Besides… you still took me to your hotel room.” I smirk.
“Best decision I ever made,” he says, his eyes soft and warm.
“Yes. It was.” I lean over and kiss him.
“Do you think that supercilious fucker is still waiting tables?” Christian asks.
“Supercilious? I thought he was fine.”
“He was trying to impress you.”
“Well, he succeeded.”
Christian’s mouth twists in amused disgust.
“Shall we go see?” I offer.
“Lead on, Mrs. Grey.”
After lunch and a quick detour to the Heathman to pick up Christian’s laptop, we return to the hospital. I spend the afternoon with Ray, reading aloud from one of the manuscripts I’ve been sent. My only accompaniment is the sound of the machinery keeping him alive, keeping him with me. Now that I know he’s making progress, I can breathe a little easier and relax. I’m hopeful. He just needs time to get well. I’ve got time-I can give him that. I wonder idly if I should try calling Mom again, but decide to do it later. I hold Ray’s hand loosely as I read to him, squeezing it occasionally, willing him to be well. His fingers feel soft and warm beneath my touch. He still has the indentation on his finger where he wore his wedding ring-even after all this time.
An hour or two later, I don’t know how long, I glance up to see Christian, laptop in hand, standing at the end of Ray’s bed with Nurse Kellie.
