Chapter 21 – The Self-Fulfilling Prophesy
"Sir, we contacted the first husbands of Ashford's ex-wives. They were both quite short with us. However, they did not allude to Ashford being the reason for their divorces. So we are back to square one," Taylor says to Christian in the car. The trusty employee is currently driving his boss to GEH this Tuesday morning.
"I talked to Welch early this morning as well. He's still coming up empty too. Maybe this Ashford guy is exactly who Ana thinks he is," Christian frowns. After some additional thought, Christian gives instructions. "Let's take him off the watch list for now. Preserve our resources for other tasks. Keep Sawyer on patrol with Ana for general purposes, but let up on Ashford."
"Sir, are you sure?" Taylor looks at Christian through the rearview mirror, bordering on confused.
"We have been exhausting our security resources for a month now and we came up with nothing. Ashford doesn't appear to pose any sort of immediate threat. All we know is that he seems very close with his daughter…according to all of the report-backs," Christian says.
"All right sir," Taylor says simply. On the outside, he knows that Christian's decision makes sense. However, on the inside, Taylor is not so sure that this is the best course of action. Taylor resolves that he'll just have Gail keep an eye out on what happens at home. There will need to be a pretty valid reason for Ashford to return on the watch list.
….
Stacie Silva's neglectful husband, Charlie Grant, has been very difficult for her to deal with. As a result, she has been spending even more time with her encouraging coworker, Bill Anderson.
It's Wednesday morning and Ana is working from home in her study. Up to her most recent reading of Bryan Ashford's manuscript, Ana felt upbeat. However, coupled with the season of her life where she longs for another child and has not conceived yet, the mood change of the book saddens Ana. However, she is encouraged when she reads about Stacie and Bill's growing friendship. 'Stacie really needs a friend right now,' Ana reflects as she continues to read.
Ana reads about the work trips to Europe where Bill has the opportunity to get Stacie's mind off of her troubles at home. Stacie starts to laugh again…something she has failed to do in quite some time.
Before leaving her study to go into the nursery to check on Ted, Ana stares at the manuscript cover. It finally dawns on her that Bryan has yet to title this latest piece. She pulls out a sticky note from her study desk drawer and jots down a reminder to contact Bryan concerning a title.
….
"So? Did you finish it?" Bryan asks Ana as they lunch in a bistro downtown on Thursday afternoon.
"I should be done with it by Monday, for sure. By the way…do you have a title?" Ana inquires.
"Yep," he replies, simply.
"Well, what is it?" she probes.
"I'll tell you when you're finished reading it." Bryan doesn't look in Ana's direction. He focuses instead on eating his tomato soup.
"Fine," Ana replies with a smile, releasing the topic.
"So, Savvy has a t-ball game on Saturday and she wanted me to invite you. And Teddy and Christian…if they would like to join you," Bryan mentions, hesitantly.
"Oh wow. I'd love to go, but Christian and I leave town that day," Ana replies, almost regretfully.
"Cool! Going anyplace fun," Bryan grins.
"Apparently, we are going to Belize for our anniversary," Ana smirks.
"Hey, you can't beat that!" Bryan smiles.
"So how are things? Is everything okay?" Bryan asks. Ana gives him a puzzled look.
"Yeah…sure," Ana smirks, not understanding the reasoning behind his questioning.
"Just wondering. You don't seem like your normal, upbeat self," Bryan says with genuine concern radiating from his eyes.
"It's just been a long year. Nothing in particular is currently taking the wind out of my sails," Ana laughs nervously. Her subconscious gapes, aware that this is not a completely true statement.
"Hey…what's your afternoon looking like?" Bryan asks all of a sudden.
"What do you mean?" Ana frowns.
"I mean what time is your next meeting?" Bryan clarifies.
"Well technically, I don't have any meetings scheduled when I return," Ana informs.
"Good. Let's tag on another hour. I want to meet at a different location. I'll drive," Bryan says.
"What? Where?" Ana says with wide eyes glaring.
"You'll see," Bryan grins.
A short time before 2 pm, Bryan pulls up in the parking lot of Skymania.
"Are you kidding me? An indoor trampoline park?" Ana snorts.
"Yep. Don't knock it until you've tried it. It's probably one of the best stress relievers out there. It's like bouncing off of a cloud! And it's an awesome workout too," Bryan says in his attempt to sell Ana on the notion.
"Luckily, I'm wearing slacks today," Ana chuckles.
"And they sell rubber grip socks here, so you're covered there. Let's go!" Bryan cheers.
After registering and purchasing socks, Ana and Bryan gear up for an hour jump.
"This is crazy!" Ana laughs, feeling like an adolescent. They sit on nearby chairs in order to change into their sock. Once complete, they place their loose belongings into a single locker. Bryan leads the two into one of the smaller trampoline rooms.
"Ana, you will thank me later for this. The next time you feel stressed out in the office, come here for some relief," Bryan grins. Ana smirks and remains skeptical.
"We'll start in here and get you used to jumping first. Once you get the hang of it, we'll go into one of the larger rooms and leap frog around the entire parameter," Bryan says.
Ana reluctantly starts to jump. She's fearful of falling. After a few tries, she does eventually fall. She laughs hardily. "See! That's the worst that can happen," Bryan beams at her. Ana begins to let go and becomes more adventurous, jumping higher and higher.
She sees Bryan piking and star-fishing in midair, so she mimics him. Bryan then jumps way up high, bounces off the trampoline with his bottom, and lands right on his feet. Ana is amazed.
Ana tries the move herself, failing miserably. She lands on her bottom but when she rebounds, her feet slip from under her, sending her back on her bottom instead of onto her feet. Ana then lies on her back and begins laughing uncontrollably. Bryan chuckles at her. "Just keep trying…you'll get it!" he encourages. Ana eventually gets back up to practice as Bryan leapfrogs from one trampoline square to the next, all around the room. Ana eventually gets the hang of the jump, pike and bounce, causing Bryan to cheer. Her next quest is to begin leapfrogging.
….
"Oh my God, Bryan! That was so awesome! I needed that. Thank you," Ana beams as they sit in the car after their one-hour jump.
"I knew you'd love it," Bryan sparks in return. He starts the car and heads back to GP.
"Yes, that's definitely a great stress reliever and a pretty solid workout," Ana slightly pants, still a little winded from all of that jumping.
"They have a sky aerobic class here too. It's a very tough workout, so I hear," Bryan says.
"I'm sure," Ana sighs, still reeling from the jump.
"I'm definitely bringing Christian and Teddy here one day. Do you come here with Savvy?" Ana asks.
"I haven't brought her here yet. To be quite honest, this place was my refuge. Especially when I was going through my last divorce," Bryan says, soberly.
"Oh," Ana coolly responds.
"Yeah, this place kept me sane. That was a very difficult time for me. It was a one-way street. I wanted our marriage to work…she didn't," Bryan finally reveals.
"Wow. I'm so sorry," Ana whispers sympathetically.
"It's okay. Shit happens. Savvy is doing great now and that's all that truly matters. I'm living in Seattle again full time and we are definitely making up for the lost time. She's a smart, resilient little girl," Bryan praises.
'"Absolutely. You did a terrific job raising her," Ana praises softly.
"Thank you. Her mother gets credit for that as well. We may not be together anymore, but she is still a great mom," he replies.
Ana smiles at Bryan's amicability towards his ex-wife. She also vaguely wonders what was the root cause of the ex-wife not wanting to try and work on her marriage with Bryan. Bryan seems like a dedicated, stand-up guy. Maybe the ex met someone else? It could indeed be any number of things.
"Hey, have you thought about finishing writing your book?" Bryan says, changing the subject.
"Actually, I have. On Monday, I went back and reread the first few chapters in order to get back in that frame of mind again so I could possibly pick it back up," Ana grins.
"Very good. Maybe we can touch base in a couple of weeks. I'll be happy to help you finish it. I'm also open to being a co-writer if you think that'll help," Bryan suggests.
"Really? I never thought of co-writing," Ana says with eyes agape.
"I figured that if I helped you with this first book and you build up the nerve to publish it, then you would feel more liberated and write again on your own," Bryan grins. Ana shakes her head, but she understands his logic.
"Okay, Mr. Ashford. That just may work!" Ana finally says at ease.
"Good. How about this: Let's see where we get with my manuscript. Then in three weeks, we can start writing your book together. I like the foundation of what you already have. We'll just build on that. We can incorporate some joint writing sessions. We'll talk about content and direction for each chapter," Bryan suggests.
"Great idea," Ana replies, excited once again to be back in the writing saddle.
….
It's Ana's first day back in the office after a blissful anniversary week in Belize with her husband. Hannah catches Ana up this Monday morning on last week's office happenings before giving her the rundown of her schedule for the new week.
"I saw your note from Saturday requesting to add a reoccurring time block on Mondays and Thursdays. Did you want me to title it?" Hannah inquires.
"No, it's fine the way you currently have it. Between us, I'll be out of the office for an extended lunch hour on those days. I've taken up a new hobby. It's a real stress reliever," Ana chuckles.
Hannah laughs, but instead of asking her boss to further elaborate, she moves on to the next item on her calendar.
For a brief moment, Ana realizes that since going to the trampoline park the week before last and working on her book again, she hasn't been worrying about conceiving another child with Christian. It's a welcomed relief. 'Distraction is good. Very good,' Ana's subconscious sings. Pregnancy talk from Kate, Martha and Hannah no longer irks her. She is better equipped to separate the joy of her friends from her own quest to conceive. And for the first time in a while, Ana looked forward to a Monday. On Saturday over email, her and Bryan agreed to do two jumps each week after lunch, starting today.
….
"So, I was quite surprised how the book ended. I really thought that Stacie would work things out with Charlie, even though he did have his issues. And even though they were very close, I could've never predicted that she and Bill would eventually end up being together," Ana laughs.
"Yeah?" Bryan grins.
The two enjoy a quick lunch at a pizzeria after their jump at the trampoline park.
"I'm sure when someone else reads the book, it would be more obvious to them… know what I mean? It wasn't as obvious to me. I guess coming from a place where I can sort of relate to Stacie, I would've thought she'd stick it out with Charlie," Ana says, almost with sadness.
"But don't you think that Bill made her a better person?" Bryan argues.
"You can say that. But you can also say that Stacie made Charlie a better person," Ana counters.
"And Stacie definitely made Bill a better man," Bryan adds.
"Yeah, this Stacie character is badass," Ana chuckles.
"I'd say," Bryan murmurs, smiling.
"Bryan, this is so different from anything you've ever written. This is going to shake up the critics…in a good way. Let's push this book forward right away. I'll present the synopsis at the next planning meeting. Don't know why we have to go through the motions because it will pass my board's vote with flying colors. Then, we can send this baby directly to print!" Ana says with exuberance.
"Fantastic!" Bryan laughs in delight.
"Now all we need is a title. Give me that along with a soft copy of the manuscript," Ana instructs.
"Her Best Life," Bryan says.
"What?" Ana says, puzzled.
"Her Best Life…that's the title," Bryan grins.
Ana chuckles, "I don't know why that sounds funny to me."
"The reader can decide on their own if Stacie indeed ends up living her best life. Like you mentioned earlier, readers may have their own individual perspective. That was what I was going for, and you definitely picked up on that," Bryan commends.
"That's a pretty good concept," Ana praises.
"So, different subject. Savvy wanted me to ask you again if you were free to go to her t-ball game this coming Saturday," Bryan sighs. Ana giggles.
"I'd love to go! Let me see what's going on this weekend. I'll let you know if me, Christian and Teddy can make it…no later than Friday," Ana responds.
"Sounds good. I'll keep Savvy posted as you keep me posted," Bryan smiles.
….
It's Saturday and Christian and Ted are having 'man time' at the zoo, leaving Ana home alone for some much needed alone time. After sleeping in and eating a late breakfast, she decides to go out for a drive in her R8 before recalling Savvy's t-ball game invite. Ana eventually stops by the park to surprise her. Savvy and Bryan were ecstatic to see Ana approaching them after her stellar game. After shooting the breeze for a bit, the three go out for a quick bite to eat before Ana returns home.
"So, what did you do while me and Ted were away?" Christian asks in their bedroom later that evening. Christian is sitting up in bed with his laptop while Ana lies on her side facing him.
"Oh…I slept in, then ate breakfast. Watched a little TV, then I got bored. So I got in the R8 and went for a little drive," Ana smiles.
"Oh?" Christian grins.
"Yeah, then I remembered that Savvy Ashford invited me to her t-ball game, so I stopped by to watch the last few minutes of her game. Then we grabbed a hotdog. I was only gone for two hours," Ana reveals. Christian's earlier smile wipes away.
"Just you and the girl?" Christian asked.
"And Bryan, of course," Ana says, raising a brow.
"Really?" Christian frowns.
"Christian, stop it. You know Savvy is a sweet little girl. She asked me to be there," Ana attempts to placate.
"I have no issues with the little girl...Savvy," Christian clarifies.
"Well, good," Ana says in relief.
Christian decides not to speak any further on the subject. However, Ana decides to mention the manuscript.
"Oh, I forgot to tell you, I'm working on pushing Bryan's recent manuscript forward in our next planning meeting. You know, the bi-monthly meeting that's on your calendar, but you never show up to," Ana grins. Christian chuckles.
"Ana, Grey Publishing is your company. I know that GEH is invited to your planning committee meetings as a courtesy. However, I wholeheartedly trust your judgment. So far, you have put out some great work. Therefore, I have no reason to be there. And according to you, your board has unanimously voted 'yes' on all of the books that you've personally championed. You're doing a wonderful job without me being there," Christian assures her. Ana beams in delight, comforted by the faith that her husband has in her ability to run her company.
….
Three weeks go by. Ana has been meeting with Bryan Ashford almost daily between their jump sessions at the trampoline park, lunch meetings, and co-writing sessions on Ana's own book. Sitting in her office on a Tuesday in August, it dawns on Ana that she hasn't communicated with Martha Newsome in over a month. She resolves to give her a call sometime this week.
After a morning meeting with Roach, Ana goes into her office to catch up on a few emails. Suddenly she hears the click of her intercom.
"Ana, I have Martha Newsome on the line," Hannah announces.
"I was just thinking about her! Go ahead and transfer," Ana responds. Ana's phone buzzes and she picks up the handset.
"Well, hello stranger!" Ana exclaims, happy to hear from her friend.
"Hey Ana," Martha says, dryly.
"Martha…is everything okay?" Ana says, concerned. She secretly hopes that it has nothing to do with her unborn child.
"Not really. Bryan just fired me," Martha pouts.
"What?! He can't do that!" Ana ignites.
"Well…he did," Martha sighs.
"But…but why?" Ana stutters, confused and in shock.
"Honestly Ana, I don't understand why. We had an all day meeting on Monday, and he apparently didn't like a couple of things I said," Martha breathes.
"Really? I mean…what did you say?" Ana asks with a sense of urgency.
"What I said isn't important. The fact is that he didn't agree with me and he didn't respect certain boundaries that I laid out, so he fired me," Martha says plainly.
"I just don't understand. Can't you guys work this out? We're getting ready to push his next book, for God's sake!" Ana snaps.
"I wish we could work things out, but that fact remains that Bryan did not respect my opinion or my boundaries that I laid out. I've seen a Bryan that I've never seen before. Truth be told, I'd rather not work with him anymore if he's going to be like that," Martha pours out in melancholy.
"Martha, I am so bummed! And I know that our team here is going to be so sad when they find out that you aren't working with Bryan anymore," Ana says, almost fighting back tears.
"Ana, honey…it's okay," Martha says, calmly.
"And what about work for you now? Bryan was your top client, and you have a baby on the way," Ana voices, deeply concerned.
"We're going to be okay. The good news is that I have another great author who's close to signing with me. Once she's onboard, I will be giving you a call," Martha replies with hope.
"I wish there was something I could do to help. I'm scheduled to see Bryan tomorrow for lunch. Maybe I can get to the bottom of things," Ana suggests.
"Ana, no. Please. This isn't repairable, I'm sorry to say. I'll leave it at this: Please, proceed with caution. Bryan is a phenomenal writer. However, as I am now finding out, he is full of surprises. So please, beware," Martha warns, ominously.
A frisson of fear overcomes Ana. 'Why should I beware?' she contemplates.
"Please Martha, tell me what happened. Is he being unethical?" Ana attempts to coerce some answers out of her friend.
"No, Ana…not at all. I can't put it into words for you to be able to fully understand. I just know that I am not the right agent for him anymore. If it were something putting you and your publishing firm at risk, trust me, I'd be the first to tell you about it," Martha smiles through the phone.
"Well good. Lady, I miss you. If you are free, let's do lunch sometime next week, okay?" Ana warmly suggests.
"That would be great," Martha smiles back.
….
"So, Ashford fired Martha today," Kate says dryly.
"What?! Why?" Elliot responds, in shock.
Elliot just arrived home and is just dropped a bombshell from his wife.
"Martha wouldn't say. We had a quick lunch this afternoon and she told me the bad news. She is extremely bummed…so is Ana. All of the blood, sweat and tears Martha put into this man's career, and he just tosses her out like last week's Chinese takeout!" Kate snaps bitterly.
"Wow," is all Elliot can say.
"Anyway, she wanted both you and I to do her a huge favor," Kate says, composing herself. She pulls out two thick stacks of paper from a shopping bag and places them on the coffee table in the front room.
"What's this?" Elliot frowns.
"It's Ashford's most recent manuscript. She didn't give any details. She asked that you and I read it as soon as possible. After we're done, she wants to hear our take on it. The catch is that we can't tell a soul that we've read it," Kate explains.
"Damn, what's in this book that's so important?" Elliot says, still frowning.
"Good question. She didn't say. She only said to read it. I've already started. So far, nothing stands out. It's an excellent book," Kate raves.
"Alright. I guess I've got some reading to do," Elliot sighs, taking one of the manuscript copies off of the table.
….
"Bryan let Martha go today," Ana says, somberly. Her and Christian are in the kitchen eating dinner with Ted.
"What?" Christian says, shocked.
"Yep. I don't know why. She didn't exactly say why. She mentioned that he changed and that she wouldn't want to work for him anymore anyway even if I tried to smooth things over between them," Ana says, almost with a lump in her throat.
"I wonder what happened. Are she and Steven doing okay? Financially?" Christian clarifies.
"I'm under the impression that they are. She said that she's days from signing another promising new writer," Ana informs.
"Martha has spunk, drive and passion. If she ever interviewed for a management position at GEH, I'd hire her on the spot," Christian states.
"I'll tell her you said that," Ana smiles.
"Please do. So, what exactly did she tell you?" Christian inquires.
"Not much. Again, she said that Bryan changed. She also mentioned that they had a disagreement and that he crossed the line with her. She didn't elaborate. All she said was that whatever he did, it wasn't unethical or anything. So that was a relief to hear. It sounds like they just had a difference of opinion. I'm not sure on what. I wonder if it has to do with his new book, although I don't see how. That book is stellar. Probably one of the best pieces that he's ever written," Ana raves.
"Oh?" Christian says with brows raised.
"Yep. I'll let you read it and see for yourself," Ana grins.