Chapter 25

Fathers, Daughters and Dresses

We had a wonderful day with Kate and Ava, she really is a delightful child a real credit to Kate and Elliot, after shopping we went to Christian's club for lunch where we had booked a private room as we felt this would make it easier to have a peaceful lunch with the girls without being interrupted every five minuets.

After perusing the menu for a while and giving Ava plenty of time to pick what she wanted with the help of her big cousin Asia, we finally decided on an entree of Melon balls wrapped in salami for us all, Ava wasn't keen on the Salami but ate all the melon, for my main I had Tomato and asparagus salad with a blue cheese dressing as did Kate and the girls picked Leek, mushroom and asparagus fricassee in puff pastry and iced sparkling water for us all. After which we went to Mia's best friends salon and all had a manicure and pedicure, it was Ava's first time and she loved it, at first she picked a sparkling black nail varnish much to out horror but Asia saved the day with "I would love us to have the same but the black won't go with my dress, do you like this one?" the one Asia had chosen was a pretty delicate pink, much more suitable we all thought, then Ava asked "Asia next time we come together can I choose the colour?" without a beat Asia replied "of course you can kitten" she is so good with Ava, so patient, which led me to thoughts of Christian and whether he does want another baby? After we finish up at the salon and go our separate ways, Kate and I promising to catch up on Monday to make sure everything is in place for her vow renewal.

As we walk into the great room, I am greeted by the sight of the most beautiful man in history studying a profit and loss account with such concentration he hasn't realised we are home, so I sneak up behind him and kiss the back of his neck, and then somehow I land in his lap "did you both have a nice day" he asks "lovely" I reply "Asia why don't you go try your dress on for your dad" she looks at me like a scalded cat, I think to myself well he will have to see it sometime and if he is going to go off on one, I want it to be long before we are leaving the apartment for Kate and Elliot's day.

Five minuets later she is back, I think we are both holding our breath; this could go either way with fifty, He just roars "NO" I ask "what's wrong with it" he reply's "Taylor, Sawyer and I will have to stand in front of her wielding baseball bats, she might as well have nothing on" "Oh Christian its not that bad" "yes it is, I am not having my daughter going out looking like a hooker" and then Asia dissolves in tears before screaming "I hate you" and running to her room. And I thought I might want another baby with the idiot I think to myself while making my way to Asia's room.

She has removed her dress it's now lying in a heap on the floor, and she is in her robe lying face down on her bed sobbing into her pillow, I sit beside her stroking her hair and say "you did look beautiful, but we both knew it could go that way" she sob's "I know, but it wasn't that bad, why can't he be normal, Ted would have been ok with it" what do I say to that?

I had seen a dress I liked for her when I was shopping with Kate, Mia and Grace so while she was browsing the make-up aisle I asked Amelia to wrap it in Asia's size so I know she has a dress her father will like, I really hope she does too it's a Burberry Prorsum it's knee length in silver lace with a round-neck, short sleeves and a matching silver silk lining with a strapless sweetheart-neckline featuring a fishtail back hem, and a deep V-back, not clingy or revealing at all, but I won't tell her about it today, I'll let her get over her disappointment of his reaction to the one she loved.

Then she says "I think I will go stay with Aunt Mia, he makes me so mad, I miss him like crazy when I'm in Boise and your both here in Seattle and I know I have to go back to Boise on Sunday night and by Tuesday I know I will be missing him so much it hurts" she sobs out.

Ana - "if you really want to go stay at Aunt Mia's I will ring her and see if you can"

Asia - "no, I won't hurt you cos he's been, well just himself"

Ana - "Oh Asia sweetheart"

We sit in her room for a while as I brush her hair she talks about how she thinks she is doing in school, and what grades she would be happy with and after she is finished school at the end of June can we go out and look at her house and maybe plan colour schemes, pick furniture and things, oh gosh she wants to involve me, I feel so blessed.

Before we know it Christian is hovering in her doorway looking very sheepish, "would the two most beautiful girls in the world do their fathers the honour of allowing them to escort these girls to diner?" I just shake my head at him while smirking, 'smarmy bastard' "Princess I would be honoured if you would wear your beautiful new dress which I can see is in a heap on the floor, I will not allow you to wear to for Kate and Elliot's do, but this evening, please wear it for me"

Either he has hired a whole restaurant or a private room for us as I don't think he has done a complete 360 turn around in less than half and hour. I leave Asia to get ready and go to get myself dressed. I pick a sapphire blue Alexander Mc Queen it just floats around me it's a strapless draped silk chiffon bustier dress, and matching towering Louboutin pumps. I walk out to where Christian and Ray are waiting for us they look very dapper this evening in matching black tuxedo's and then Asia joins us she just looks so grown up, a vision with her hair in a loose up do with wispy tendrils floating down the sides of her face, she is also wearing towering Louboutin pumps as I look closer I giggle to myself as she has been in my room and they are the ones he likes hanging round his ears. I hope he doesn't notice that little detail.

We make our way out to the Bentley, Taylor will drive us this evening but I also notice Luke, Reynolds and a new guard I haven't seen before, entering one of the SUV's to follow us, and wonder if Asia has noticed this. We arrive at Copperleaf Restaurant at Cedarbrook Lodge where Christian has booked a private room for us we have an entrée of Fennel Nicoise and a main of Charcoal-Grilled Spanish Octopus served with English Peas, Chorizo, Epaulette Bouillabaisse and Green Almonds and for dessert we have Chocolate, baileys & praline roulade served with fresh cream and a bottle of our traditional Bollinger Grande Année Rosé Asia asks "any particular reason why you almost always have that champagne mum?" I answer "that's what we drank the night I agreed to date your dad" my subconscious chirps up "date? ye sure" Asia replies "your both dead romantic, I hope Samuel and I stay like that forever" I hold my breath while waiting for Christian's reaction to that, but there isn't one forthcoming and we move on discussing the upcoming summer and Kate and Elliot's vow renewal and everything that has happened lately.

Asia -"Grandpa Ray I'm so glad you are going to live near mum and dad so I will see more of you"

Ray - "well princess it's partly thanks to you I was able to move to Seattle so quickly"

Asia – "how so, Grandpa Ray?"

Ray – "I'm going to be helping to look after your house"

Asia – "My house? Grandpa Ray my house is in Pullman, are you coming to uni with me?" I think I have stopped breathing as I wait for his response I look at Christian who is looking as nervous as I feel.

Ray – "No princess, your house in Bellevue" she just stares at her father and says "I have a house in Bellevue have I?"

Christian – "would you like to go see it tomorrow before you go back to Boise" like it's nothing, like they are discussing a new pencil he bought her for school "yes I rather think I would" she huffs in reply and with that we finish our meal in silence and head back to Escala all of us lost in our own thoughts.

After breakfast, which was quite a fraught time with no-one talking we make our way out to the car, just one of the SUV's this morning, Taylor is driving, Christian is sitting in the front with Taylor and Asia is with me in the back, Ray though we should do this without him, he was so apologetic last night after we arrived back at Escala and Asia went to her room, but as I told him, he did nothing wrong, he didn't know we hadn't told her about the house. I have brought the plans with us to show Asia and see if she would like to change anything.

As we pull into the drive I feel her tighten her grasp on my hand and let out a gasp of astonishment I don't know what she had in mind maybe she thought it would be a little 2/3 bed or something I don't know. The car stops at the front entrance as we open the door and walk in, we follow Asia around, all of us in silence she just keeps stopping and shaking her head and then once we are in the upstairs den she stops turns to Christian and asks in a voice with so much vitriol in it "so when do I move in?" he answers with "the deeds transfer to you on your twenty-fifth birthday"

Asia - "why my 25th"

Christian – "in theory you will be coming to the end of your education and looking for a residency somewhere, maybe this will encourage you to move back to Seattle"

Asia replies with "dad while shaking her head, I will always come back to Seattle, to you" and with that she throws her arms around him, he says "the only reason you didn't know about it was I didn't want to overwhelm you too much after last week. I tell her about wanting Ray here with me and we found this house, her dad had being looking at properties partly with her in mind as the market is so depressed at the moment so it is the time to buy and when we found this one we knew it was the one and how I am planning to turn some of upstairs in-to a bachelor pad for Grandpa Ray "would you like to look at the plans" she replies "with yes I would please" so I roll them out on the table that's still in the upstairs den from the previous owners. She really likes the plans for Ray's pad and what we have planed for downstairs with the library and study then she notices the 'staff quarters' I tell her "we aren't doing that now" she replies with "just as well there would be nowhere for my children" out of the corner of my eye I see his hands go to his hair I shake my head and smile to myself, Oh fifty.