I realize this story is not going to be everyone's cup of tea. I want to go on record and say I LOVE the pairing of Ana and Christian. But the story has been done many times and done well. I wanted to write a story I have only seen a few times, a story that I find intriguing. The story of Carrick and Ana.
If that is not something you can wrap your head around I urge you to not read. If like me and the story piques your interest please do read and let me know your thoughts.
I have not decided exactly where I want this story to go, I am writing as thoughts come to mind. So if anyone has any ideas they want to share please do.
Again please review and let me know what you think.
APOV
I believe there are moments in a lifetime that define us. For me those moments would be the day I graduated from college, the day I married my husband, the day I graduated law school, the day I received my first job as a lawyer at a prestigious law firm, and the day I came to the conclusion that I would never be number one in my husband's life.
My name is Anastasia Grey and I am a 30-year-old wife and lawyer. I married my husband Christian when I was only 22 years old after only knowing him for four months. To say it was a whirlwind romance would be an understatement. We met, fell in love and got married faster than you can blink and in the beginning it was good, really good. He continued to build his business and I went to law school. My ultimate dream since I was a child was to be a lawyer and I was quite proud of myself for seeing it through. Yes, the hours and time I had to dedicate to law school were daunting but my husband put in just as many long hours, if not more, sustaining his business and making it prosper so it was a win win. As time ticked by and months turned to years I realized as much as I loved Christian I was a close second to his first love, his company. Now granted I was always out the door no later than 7 am and rarely home before 10 pm but my husband was even worse. If it weren't for text messages and email I don't know if we would have ever talked to each other. Granted we had moments of true happiness, on rare occasion we would take a trip and make each other priority one but in no way, was it enough at least not for me. None of this is to say that the blame rests 100% on Christians shoulders because as ambitious as he was I was the same. However, as I realized how little priority we had placed on our marriage I made a real effort to carve out time for just us but each time my efforts were shot down and after a while I just sort of gave up.
Then a little over a year ago I found myself noticing a man who had been in my life for over 8 years. I had spent more time with this man in the last few years than any other person in my life, I was an up and coming lawyer desperate to prove myself and he was a man who put his name and reputation on the line to get me the job. This was the man who mentored me, listened to me and believed in me. A man who was in a marriage similar to my own. Spending years alone and feeling more alone than any person deserved to feel.
He was without a doubt one of the most intelligent men I had ever met. From the beginning I found him both charming and caring and it didn't hurt that he was easy to look at. For an older man time had been very good to him and you could tell he put in real effort to do his part. Now while it's true that I always found him handsome I never felt anything romantic or sexual until a day a little over a year ago.
FLASHBACK
It was raining cats and dogs outside and I was fighting the wind and my umbrella at the same time when I finally made it inside. I called for the elevator and as I waited he walked up behind me.
"How are you doing today sweetheart?" Carrick asked as he kissed me on the cheek. For 7 years he had greeted me with the same greeting and the same kiss on the cheek. A mover I found comforting and familiar.
Smiling at him "Not to bad if you don't mind the rain. How about you handsome?" I always found it endearing the way he smiled whenever I called him handsome. A greeting I had used on him in turn for the last 7 years.
We got on the elevators together and somewhere between the 7th and 8th floor the elevator got stuck.
For the next half hour we talked and laughed about nothing in particular. It had been months since I had been able to talk so easily with another man and in the moment I saw him. A man who was looking to feel appreciated and heard. A man, like me, who was alone and didn't want to be. A man who derived to feel wanted and valued, the same way I felt I deserved to feel wanted and valued.
As the elevator doors opened we looked at each other and call me crazy but I think Carrick may have been feeling what I was feeling too.
CRPOV
I am a 62-year-old man but I have been told by almost everyone I come in contact with that I don't look a day over 50. I married Grace when I was 22 and she was only 19. In many ways we grew up together. We met when she was 17 and I was 19 and from day one I was attracted to her. She was intelligent, thoughtful, caring and beautiful. She had aspirations to be a doctor and I found that noble, when we married I had just started law school and she was in her second year of college majoring in pre-med. The years went by and we both succeeded in our respective fields. I was her biggest cheerleader and she was mine. Eventually the time came along when we were ready to expand our family, but due to circumstances beyond our control on both our sides we were unable to conceive a child of our own so in the end we adopted. We adopted three children in total all of whom filled our lives with joy and occasional disappointment. Ultimately turning into fine adults that any parent would be proud of. Anyway, as I was saying the years ticked by for Grace and me and somewhere along the way we became more roommates than spouses. She was more interested in the ways of proper society and being a part of the upper crest, I was more interested in playing golf and having an occasional bear when my case load permitted. I guess you can say at some point Grace and I became two ships passing in the night. Do I love her? Absolutely. However over the years it became a simple, companion kind of love.
Yet something happened 8 years ago when my son Christian brought home by far one of the most beautiful girls I have ever laid my eyes on. When Anastasia walked into our home I nearly felt the wind knocked out of me. Her kindness and her intelligence were truly enduring. I learned she had aspirations to be a lawyer and she and I bonded immediately over our shared passion for the law. I was thrilled that my son had found such a sweet girl but I will admit a part of me was envious. So Christian and Ana got married; Christian continued to be consumed by his business and Ana whizzed her way through law school. As she approached graduation I offered her a job at my law firm. Granted it was an entry level position but I had no doubt through hard work and determination she would work her way through the ranks and damnit if I wasn't right. Watching her succeed and grow filled me with pride and knowing I had a fellow Grey at my firm didn't hurt matters either.
Now comes the part of the story where I know some, if not most, people will look upon me with disgust. A year ago, Ana and I were working late one night on a case together…
FLASHBACK
It was approaching on Midnight and Ana and I had been working on this case for days and getting no closer to a resolution.
"We need to take a break. My brain has left the building on this one. I swear all of this is beginning to look Chinese." Ana said as she ran her hands through her long brown hair slowly working her fingers into her temples trying to relieve the tension that continued to build. She stood to stretch her limbs and walk around a little. She was wearing a beautiful, simple, midnight blue dress with 6-inch Louboutin heels, minimal makeup and she never looked more beautiful. As she walked closer to the window that overlooked the Seattle skyline she turned and asked.
"So, isn't Grace going to be wondering where you are?"
Deciding to stand myself and walk to the other side of the window so Ana and I were only 5 or so feet apart I answered. "I highly doubt she even misses me."
At that Ana gave me a half smile and said. "I know a little something about that."
Based on the number of hours we worked and the fact that we had a standing weekly lunch date I knew of some of the problems that had been brewing in my sons marriage. I knew Ana was feeling lonely and at times neglected, I also knew she was too proud to say anything. As she told me on more than one occasion "I made a commitment to Christian and I will stick to my word but I would be lying if I said I wasn't lonely." Each time she would confide in my I found myself become angry. Ana was too young, beautiful, kind and smart to be feeling so alone. She deserved to be with someone who knew how amazing she really was.
In that moment we looked at each other and I said first "Christian doesn't know what he is missing out on."
Followed by Ana saying "Grace doesn't realize what she is missing."
At that moment she bit her lip and I don't know what the hell happened but it felt like I had to be closer to her. Slowly I started walking closer to her and I found myself with my hand resting on the base of her neck "If you were mine you wouldn't feel alone. Do you know just how beautiful you are?"
She looked at me for the longest moment and for a second I feared I had crossed a line we would never be able to come back from. Then she surprised me by resting her hand on my hip and coming just a little bit closer to me and said. "You are the one person who makes me feel like I am actually not alone."
Don't asked me who leaned in first because I don't think I could answer that. In an instant I had Ana pressed against the wall, leaning all my weight into her and I was kissing her. My mouth sought her out and to my surprise she didn't resist she opened her mouth and our tongues dueled for control. My hand pressed tighter around her throat while my other hand cupped her ass. Her hands were just as unforgiving. One hand still resting on my hip and the other circled around my waist pulling me deeper into her we kissed for what felt like hours both feeling wanted for the first time in years …