I already started a Fifty Shades fic about Phoebe, but I wanted Teddy to have his own story. So, here it is.

~*~*~*~ Trust your heart if the seas catch fire, live by love though the stars walk backward.

-EE Cummings ~*~*~*~

Ted

"This is so unfair," I proclaimed as I threw popcorn at the television screen. Katherine was cleaning my clock at Jeopardy!, and there weren't enough questions for me to make up the difference. It had been a rough day, and I hated to end it like that.

"Kellie Pickler," she said in answer to the next question on the screen, and of course it was the right answer and she gained two thousand dollars.

I threw more popcorn at the screen.

"Oh, stop," she said, and threw popcorn at me. "You're just jealous because you're getting your ass kicked. And you don't want to have to admit that I'm smarter than you."

"You're not smarter than me," I argued, even though I didn't believe it. Katherine Taylor was from the Taylor family, the family that every business circle whispered about. Her family came from a long line of math geniuses, and Katherine was no different. In fact, she'd been the only thing to get me through Calculus in college. In addition to what I had dubbed her "mad math skills", she also had a mind for memorization, which made her a killer lawyer. I was lucky to have her as my company's personal lawyer.

"Sure I'm not," she replied and patted my arm sympathetically, the way that you would placate a small child. When I pouted, she laughed and answered the next question. "Mandrill."

"You know what? I'm done." I stood and headed for the kitchen area, hoping to nurture my wounded pride. I hadn't even come close to her that evening, and it was killing me.

"Great. You can get started reading over those reports that I emailed you," she called, laughing because she knew that she was victorious. "You still have an hour or so left in the workday, anyway."

"I'm the boss," I reminded her, dumping out my popcorn kernels. "I don't have to work regular hours. You, however, are supposed to be. And yet, here you are in my office, watching TV."

"I'm playing a trivia game." Katherine sat up straight and put on her best lawyer voice, which had wooed many a jury into buying her side of the story. "It keeps my mind sharp, which enables me to do the best possible job for your company."

"That's why I hate lawyers," I grumbled, only half teasing. Aside from Katherine, I'd only met one other lawyer that I could stand for more than two minutes. "Never a straight answer; there always has to be some kind of explanation."

Katherine didn't dignify that with a response. Instead, she answered the final question, got it right, and grinned widely at the television. There on the couch in my office, legs curled up to her chest, holding a bowl of popcorn and grinning, she looked so much like a child.

That's what I adored so much about her. She'd certainly faced her struggles in life, but she always faced the world with a smile on her face. She had an incredible sense of humor that could lighten even my mood when I was feeling down, and she noticed the beauty in the world that others always seemed to pass by. That's why she had become – and remained, still – one of my very best friends.

We'd met at Harvard, in Calculus class. For reasons that I still didn't understand, she'd sat beside me in the back row, even though her brilliant mind belonged right in the front. Maybe even behind the podium. I'd been struggling with limits, so she had leaned over and explained in a one minute whispered conversation what had taken the professor a whole class period to explain. And I actually got it that time. So, she'd become my tutor and then my friend, and when I had started my own investment banking company, I'd wanted her to come on as my CFO. Unfortunately, by that time, she'd already made plans to become a lawyer, not wanting to be limited to a career in math by her family name. So, once she'd passed the BAR, I employed her as my company's lawyer, which everyone had said was crazy. But she'd done a spectacular job, and I had never regretted it.

"By the way," I called as I moved to my desk and logged into my computer. "We're going to Seattle in a week."

Her head shot up and she looked at me, surprised. "Seattle? Your home city? Why are we going to Seattle?"

I waved her over so that I could show her the email that I had pulled up on my screen. "Investment business. I need you to go with me in case he wants to sign a contract immediately. And, yes, my home. I may even introduce you to my family, Kat."

She read over the email with assessing eyes and then nodded. "All right; I'll be ready to go. I assume we'll be taking the jet?"

"Indeed." I grinned up at her. "Flying commercial is so… dull."

"All flying is dull," she said and though she put on a brave face, I knew that she was trembling inside. Katherine was terrified of flying. Always had been, as far as I knew. And giving statistics about how much safer it actually was than driving did no good whatsoever. It was one of those irrational fears with no cure.

"Don't worry, I'll make sure Arthur knows to keep it as smooth as possible." I moved on to my other emails as Katherine began to clean up her little snack center. We worked in companionable silence, another thing that I adored about Katherine Taylor. She didn't see the need to fill any silence with worthless prattle.

As I was about to ask her about her plans for the evening, there was a knock on the door. When I called for the person to enter, Donna, my PA came in. "Miss Jones is here to see you."

"Kaylie's here?" I asked, surprised. Normally, my girlfriend called before she just showed up at my office. "Is everything all right?"

"She appears fine," Donna said and frowned. "Would you like me to ask her to wait?"

"No, no," I said and glanced over at Katherine, shrugging at her questioning look. "It'll be fine. Let her in, Donna. Thank you."

Donna smiled and then disappeared from the room, reappearing a few moments later with Kaylie in tow. My girlfriend was dressed to the nines in a pale pink dress that cut off mid-thigh and high heels that should have gotten her a charge for reckless endangerment. Her blond hair was perfectly curled, a halo around her oval face. Makeup done, she appeared ready for a night out on the town.

"Hi," she gushed when she saw me and rushed over.

"Hi, Kaylie." I stood and kissed her cheek, though I knew that she wanted me to kiss her lips. She didn't quite grasp the concept of discretion. I did, however, so I waved for Donna to leave. "Is everything okay?"

"Of course." She pulled away, pouting slightly. "I just wanted to come and-" But she broke off abruptly, eyes on something over my shoulder.

I turned and found Katherine washing her hands at the sink. Turning back to Kaylie, I frowned, confused. "Come and what?"

But Kaylie was looking at Katherine, a strange smile on her face. "Hello, Katherine. Good to see you again."

Kat tossed a nod over her shoulder, shut the water off, and reached for a towel. "Kaylie. Long time, no see."

"Yes," Kaylie murmured and then turned back to me, speaking softly so that Katherine wouldn't hear. "Could you dismiss her, Ted? I'd like to talk to you… alone."

My brow furrowed. "I thought you said that everything was fine?"

"It is," she hissed at me, her green eyes on fire. "I'd just like to speak with you alone, please."

But she needn't have worried, for Kat was already heading for the door. "I have a little bit more work to do before I go home for the weekend. Need anything specific, boss?"

I shook my head and shot her a smile. "Nothing I can think of. Have a good weekend."

She nodded and then walked out the door, shutting it soundly behind her. I looked at Kaylie and raised my brows, waiting. "Well? She's gone. What did you need me alone for?"

Kaylie's smile was suddenly amorous as she ran her hands along my chest, slipping one inside my suit jacket. She pressed her body against mine and I inhaled the scent of her Chanel perfume. "For this." She pressed her lips to mine and pushed me back slightly, forcing me to put my arms around her.

I pulled away, startled and disapproving. "Kaylie, I've told you before that the office isn't for public displays of affection."

She pouted and stepped closer once more. "This isn't public. It's your private office. No one enters without permission, right?"

"That's not the point." Besides, Katherine enters without permission all of the time. She was one of only five people that were allowed to enter my office without having to wait for my permission, the other four being my parents, my sister Phoebe, and my driver and security man, Marcus. "The point is that this is where I work, Kaylie. When I'm here, in this office or anywhere else in the building, I need to be focusing on work."

Her pouting increased, but she stepped back, so I considered it a victory. "Fine. I just thought I'd give you a little stress relief at work."

"Jeopardy! is my stress relief at work, Kaylie." I stepped away from her and sat down behind my desk, turning my attention to my computer. "Did you still want to have dinner tonight? I have reservations at Eleven Madison Park for seven."

She still wanted to pout, but I knew that she couldn't resist her favorite restaurant. "All right. Pick me up at six."

That would barely get us there on time, but I knew that's what she wanted. She liked to be fashionably late and draw all of the attention. "Six it is. Do I need to have Marcus drive you home?"

"No," she said. "I'll get a cab."

I knew that she wanted me to argue and insist that Marcus drive her home, but I was tired of trying to read her mind and give her everything that she wanted. "All right, then. I'll see you at six." I pressed a button on my phone. "Donna? Miss Jones is leaving now."

Kaylie frowned, but headed for the door anyway. Donna met her there with a smile that only looked to be half genuine. A few moments later, they had both disappeared and I was left alone in the office once more. As I looked around, I felt this desire for… more.

More of what, I didn't know, but it had been a repetitive desire over the last year or so. I worked harder, gained more clients, and got more money, but it never seemed to be enough. I was in a relationship with one of the hottest women in the United States, but even that wasn't enough. I didn't know what I needed; all I knew was that the desire wouldn't go away.

"Sir?" Marcus' voice came over the line of my phone. "What time would you like the car?"

I glanced at the clock, measured the amount of work that I would like to get done, and then answered him. "Let's say five-thirty. We'll need to go and pick up Miss Jones. I have a dinner reservation at Eleven Madison Park for seven."

"Very good, sir," he responded and then hung up.

More… I need more.