"Teddy!" I've just come back to work and my wife is nowhere to be found but I can hear my son running around in the yard.
"You're home." He runs towards me, arms wide. When I lift him, all I can think is how big he's gotten. It feel like just a few weeks ago I was holding him as a baby in the kitchen. That was seven years ago.
"Hey kiddo. Where's mommy?" I ruffle his hair and he pushes my hand off.
"She's in the baby's room." He picks up a ball and runs to the other side of the yard.
"Ana?" I walk back into the house and shout for her.
"In here!" She's in the nursery unwrapping diapers. I walk up behind her and kiss her on the side of her head. "How was work?"
"Work was work. I'd rather be home with you."
"I don't think so. I'm fine. You can go to work."
"How much longer until I get to meet my daughter?" I lay my hand on her stomach and she covers my hand with hers.
"As soon as the little lady decides she's ready."
"Well I'm ready as soon as she is."
"Mommy!" Teddy calls from outside.
"That's my cue." Ana waddles out of the nursery and I have to hide my laughter.
I head to the kitchen and take some vegetables out of the crisper. For the past few weeks, Ana has been craving vegetable lasagna and it's all she's eaten for the past two days. For her, I'd make it every day for the rest of my life.
"Mommy, I don't want any more lasagna."
Teddy walks into the kitchen holding Ana's hand. "It's okay. I can make you chicken nuggets."
She lifts him onto the bar stool. "Mommy, when the baby gets here can I hold her?"
Ana has five baby carrots shoved into her mouth so I answer. "Of course you can. You're going to be the best big brother in the world." His eyes light up and he dances in his seat.
"I wish she would just hurry already."
"Me too." Ana and I answer at the same time and he laughs.
After dinner Ana and I are watching TV in bed and she's humming to the baby
"You know she can hear that right?" I look down at her and her eyes are closed.
"Really?"
"Yeah. She can hear everything you hear. That means she knows that no one has ever loved another person as much as I love you." She looks up at me and I know what she wants. I plant a kiss on her lips and she sighs into my mouth.
"I love you too. Oh."
"Oh?"
"OH!"
"Oh? Oh! It's time?!"
"It's time."
I hop out of bed and run into Teddy's room. "Come on! Mommy is having the baby. Put your shoes on!" I run back into the bedroom and Ana is in the same spot I left her in.
"A little help here?"
"Oh Ana. I'm so sorry baby. I just got so excited."
"It's okay. Just get my bag and Teddy and the keys and let's go."
XxX
Fifteen hours later, baby Aria is here. Ana did perfectly. It amazes me that someone so small could be so strong.
"She's so beautiful."
"She looks just like her mother. Thank you so much for giving me her."
"Of course."
"I love you so much Anastasia."
"I bark you more Allison."
"What?"
"Bark bark. I love you too Allison."
Fuck! "Steth cut it out." I guess I fell asleep. A face licking isn't the most pleasant thing to wake up to. What was that dream about? Ana and I married? I love the sound of that but it's not realistic. I've seen her with Christian. She doesn't even remember him and I can tell they're meant to be together. The doorbell rings and Steth starts barking. "Who the fuck?" I mumble to myself.
I open the door and the face i saw made my heart drop. "Jocelyn?" I whisper.
"Miss me?"
"That dress looks amazing on you."
"Christian its three thousand dollars." I whisper as if the lack of sound would make up for the less than modest price.
"Ana, I can afford it. So can you."
I know. I checked all of my financials and I have over fifty accounts in my name with over six figures in each. Who know you could make this type of money pushing books?
"I feel weird. I feel like I'm using you." I know I have feelings for Christian but I still don't know him very well.
"You didn't ask, I offered. And now I'm not asking." He moves even closer to me. In this cramped dressing room, I'm surprised that possible. He places one hand on my hip and the other on the side of my face. "You're getting that dress and all of the other ones," He's speaking in the voice that made me open my eyes earlier. All of my will melts away at the sound of that voice. "Because I want to see you in them." His hand moves from my hip to my behind to pull me in closer. Usually this kind of touching would make me nervous and embarrassed but with Christian it's different. He kisses me and I become putty in his hands. His to mold into whatever he pleases.
He breaks out kiss to speak. "And I want to see you out of them." When his lips meet mine for the second time, his energy has changed. There's a hunger that wasn't there before. He reaches between my legs and brushes his fingers over the most intimate part of me. "Oh fuck. Ana, you're so wet for me."
I have pleased him and that pleases me. He lifts me off of my feet and wraps my legs around him. I lace my fingers in his hair and pull his face back to mine. He makes very little work of my underwear. As he's unbuttoning his pants, it hits me.
I'm about to lose my virginity.
"Christian, wait."
"It's fine, you're on birth control."
"No it's not that." He stops and pulls back to look me in the eyes.
"Are you okay?" I can tell he's afraid that he's crossed some invisible line and is worried I'll run.
"I'm fine really. It's just that, I know we've done this before but I haven't. I don't want my only memory of my losing my virginity to be in a boutique dressing room."
He gently puts me down and I straighten my dress and begin to pick the pieces of my underwear from off of the floor. "Ana, you're right. I'm sorry I didn't think about that."
"It's fine really. It's not that I don't want to do it. I think that fine display implies the exact opposite. I just don't want to do it here."
"That's understandable." We sit in awkward silence and clean up the evidence of our little show. "Did you want to continue shopping?"
"I'm actually kind of hungry."
"I can fix that." I change into one of the outfits Christian picked and wear it out of the store.
When we're hand in hand walking down the street, Taylor keeping a discreet distance, Christian pulls a pair of sunglasses out of his pocket.
"You always wear these on this street. The sun glaring off of the store fronts gives you a headache."
I was getting a slight headache but I didn't say anything because I didn't want to worry Christian and ruin our fun. He hands them to me and I slip them on and make faces like I'm posing for a camera. "How do I look?"
"Perfect. As always."
The restaurant Christian picks is really fancy and I think that's why he insisted I change. When we reach the host stand the man greets both of us by name. "I'll escort you to your booth." He leads the way and the other diners stare at us. Is this what it's like being married to Christian? I can hear them whispering my name. They all know who I am.
"Mr. Grey, Mrs. Grey, your waiter will be with you promptly."
"I take it we come here a lot."
"It's your favorite. You came here with Mia one day for lunch and dragged me here for dinner the same night. When you were pregnant with Teddy, you ate here at least once a day."
"That's a lot of pressure to put on these people. I feel terrible."
"I don't think they mind. Traffic in this place more than tippled when the tabloids got wind it was your daily hangout. Around the time paparazzi started waiting for you out front, someone else bought the place and built you this private room."
"That's awful nice of someone." Sheesh, it's not like I'm the First Lady or something.
Christian smirks and takes a deliberate sip of his water.
"You didn't!" I playfully throw my napkin at him.
"Can you blame a guy for wanting to make sure his wife can eat in peace?"
"You're so-"
"So what?"
"Infuriating. Extravagant. Sexy. Interesting. Exciting. Confusing."
"Yours."
"What?"
"Forget all that other stuff. The important thing is I'm yours."
"Mine?" I play around with the word and it fits. I like the idea of Christian being mine.
"Yours."
An overzealous waitress interrupts our conversation and I settle into Christian's side, content with 'Mine'.
"Thank you for dinner and my dresses."
"And your car."
"My what?"
Christian hands the valets fifty dollars and he says something into a walkie talkie. A few seconds later a grey car pulls up followed by a grey SUV.
"What did you do?" I look up at him and swat at his arm.
"Do you want the sedan or the truck?" He asks nonchalantly.
"I don't even- I have two cars already."
"You'll have three once you make a choice."
"This isn't negotiable is it?"
"Nope." He pops his lips on the 'p' and smiles.
"Um, the sedan I guess. I don't think I could safely drive something that big."
"Happy Birthday." Christian grabs the keys from the valet, hands me one and Taylor the other.
"It's not my birthday." I look at him puzzled.
"Well it was but it's really hard to drive a car while in a coma."
Oh. That's what today was. My fake birthday. Usually I'd absolutely object to anyone spending this much money on me but I can tell he really put a lot of thought into this.
"Thank you."
"Thank you."
"Thank me? I haven't done anything at all."
"For not fighting me."
"I thought about it."
"I know. Now, do you want to drive your new car or not?"
"Yes!" I all but run to the driver's side. Even though this is so unnecessary, it's exciting. When I get inside I'm instantly confused. "Is this a car or a plane?"
"It's a Tesla. The world's first electric luxury vehicle. It's all computerized."
"No engine?"
"No. It's all battery power. Push this button to turn it on and off. This display does Bluetooth connection, climate control, opens the sun roof, changes the radio, gives you diagnostic information, satellite GPS and On Star."
"So it is a plane?"
"Just shut up and drive." I stick my tongue at him and he rolls his eyes.
Diving that car is like driving on clouds. It not even driving it's floating. "This is the coolest thing that I can remember, that I've ever done." Christian smiles at me and I feel like I could live in this moment forever.
When we get back to Allison's house I don't want to say goodbye. We lean against my new car kissing for over ten minutes.
"We probably look like two love stricken teenagers right now." I giggle not even caring that Taylor is parked behind us.
"I don't give a fuck." Christian pulls my hips to his and lifts and spins me and I squeal. "God, I've missed that sound." He sighs. "I don't want to let you go."
"It's getting late and you have work in the morning."
"I'm afraid you're right. Come have lunch with me at the office tomorrow?" He gives me puppy dog eyes and it's adorable.
"It's a date." I give him one last quick kiss, grab my shopping bags and run to the door. When I turn around he's watching me and it doesn't make me uncomfortable. That excites me.
When I walk into the house, I'm greeted by a very happy Steth. "Hey boy. Where's mommy?" I don't see her in the living room or kitchen and there's no dirty dishes laying around so I assume she's been gone all day.
I bring my dresses into my room to hang them up and Allison appears out of thin air and there's a woman following her.
"Ana!" She's way too excited to see me. I was here with her six hours ago. She runs to me and throws her arms around my neck and I awkwardly hug her back. "Call the police." She whispers in my ear so swiftly I almost think I imagined it. When our eyes meet I notice the hint of panic. "This is Jocelyn."
The woman steps closer and offers her hand. "Hi. It's so nice to meet you! I'm Jocelyn, Ali's girlfriend. Ali has told me all about you." Girlfriend?! "I see you did some shopping. What'd you get?" She makes herself comfortable on my bed and obviously expects me to put on a fashion show. I can't tell what's going on but Allison is acting so jumpy. I know this can't be good.
"Oh let me show you!" I guess it's best to play along until we can figure something out. I dig my hand into my purse looking for my phone and tying to not be obvious about it.
"Is this your phone?" Jocelyn hold my iPhone up and I can see Allison grow more afraid.
"Yeah! Will you take pictures of me in the dresses?" I don't want her to get upset so I don't ask for it back.
I start trying on dresses and posing for Jocelyn to take pictures as Allison sits next to her. She looks so drained. Her usually bright face is grey and her eyes are stone.
'My Love is King' rings out from my phone and my head snaps to Jocelyn.
"Someone named Christian is calling you." She hands me my phone.
"Hello?"
"Oh Christian how are you?" I answer a little too brightly on purpose.
"Ana?"
"Yep!"
"Are you okay?"
"Oh no. Not at all don't worry."
"What are you talking about?"
"Haha. Christian you're so silly."
"Is something wrong?"
"Oh totally. That sounds like fun."
"Is someone there? Is that why you're talking like that?"
"Mhm."
Jocelyn interjects, "Get rid of him. It's girl time." I smile and give her a thumbs up.
"Ana, I'm calling the police and I'm on my way."
"Okay sounds great. See you soon." I hang up and hand the phone back to Jocelyn.
"Ok where were we?" Allison looks at me and I can't risk trying to shoot her a look when Jocelyn is so close.
"Wow Ana. This is great." I served her some of my left over beef stew in an attempt to stall.
"She's been spoiling me." Allison add with zero emotion. I can't stand seeing her like this especially since I still don't know exactly what's wrong.
"I can tell you've gained a few pounds." She pinches at Allison's sides and Allison just looks at her hands. This bitch is really starting to grind my gears.
There's a knock at the door and I instantly volunteer to answer it. I look through the peep hole and it's Christian. Thank God.
I let him in and he hugs me. When we separate from each other he looks into my eyes and I mouth that I'm fine.
"Woah. Who's this hunk?"
"This is Christian. My boyfriend."
"I'm Jocelyn. I'm Allison's girlfriend."
"Nice to meet you." He doesn't shake her hand but waves to them. "Hey Allison."
"Hi." Her dry retort even puzzles Christian.
"I think I have your shirt in my room Christian." I pull him into my room and this time I lock the door.
"What the hell is going on?" He hisses. "Who's that woman and what's wrong with Allison?"
"I don't know. I came in the house and she was here and Allison told me to call the police but Jocelyn had my phone. She was taking pictures of me and then you called." I realize that I'm crying.
"Ana it's okay the police will be here soon."
Out of nowhere there's a huge crash. "Allison!" I scream and run out of the room.
There's blood water and glass on the floor. I search for anything that'll give away what's going on and I see Allison balled up in the fetal position in the corner silently weeping. I run to her and when I have her in my arms she breaks down.
"Police open up!" Christian opens the door and once the cops see Jocelyn on the ground they have guns pointed at all of us.
Once Christian explained what happened they took statements from all of us. Apparently Jocelyn is Allison's ex. She used to beat Allison and rape her. Allison got her arrested and got a restraining order but Jocelyn was released early for good behavior.
The paramedics took her to the hospital and the police officer said that she violated her parole by contacting Allison and that she won't be on the streets anytime soon.
I thank Christian for coming and put our lunch date on hold. Once all of the police and news reporters leave Allison is in her bed. I go and sit next to her and stroke her hair.
"Do you want to talk about it?"
"Honestly, no not really. I just want to move on from it. Can you tell me about your date with Christian?"
"Sure."