Hi all! I have not written in a loooong time. But figured now could be a good time to try and shake the dust off. I don't plan on making this too long of a story (maybe 10 chapters!). Enjoy!
Christian watched in shock as Ana grabbed her purse and hurried out the front door of his penthouse. Her words played again and again in his mind. She had told him that she did not want to be his submissive. That this was not the world for her. That she would disappoint him.
It was not often that Christian felt disappointed. It was not a feeling that he was used to anymore. He usually got what he wanted. "Taylor!" He called out as he entered the kitchen.
"Yes, sir?" Taylor asked, appearing in the doorway.
"Please see that Ms. Steele gets home safely." Christian asked, as he poured himself a glass of red wine and made his way to his home office. He settled in at his desk, intending to try and answer emails but his mind refused to focus. All he seemed to be able to focus on was Ana. He picked his cell phone up several times, wanting to text her but did not allow himself to.
It was nearly three in the morning when he ventured to his bedroom, where just a few nights ago they had made love together for the first time. He had let her sleep in his bed the whole night. He knew this was a big deal for him, but tried not to think about it too much, as he fell into a restless sleep.
***
It was Friday after work. Ana had just finished her first full week of work at SIP as an assistant. She was happy about her new job and enjoyed it, but couldn't help feel sad that other aspects of her life weren't going as well.
It had been several weeks since Ana had left Christian at his home and told him that she could not be his submissive, and it was still something she thought about every day. Although she had not known him for long, she missed him. She missed his handsome smile and sparkling eyes, and how he had made her feel. Maybe she should have continued with their "relationship" but then she was reminded of the Red Room of Pain, and told herself she made the right choice.
When she arrived home there was a surprise waiting for her on the kitchen counter. A beautiful bouquet of white roses, and an envelope with her name on it. She smiled to herself, thinking they must be from Ray! She set her things down and eagerly tore open the envelope. It was from Christian.
Ana, I hope you enjoyed your first week at your new job. Please respond to my messages. Christian
After she left Escala she had turned off the cellphone that he had given her and buried it in the bottom of her nightstand. She quickly dug it out and turned it back on. Christian had flooded the device with many texts and phone calls. She didn't want to admit it but it was very flattering that he was thinking about her this much. Maybe she hadn't lost him… but what should she do now?
She wandered back into the kitchen and admired the flowers again. They were gorgeous. It would be so rude of her not to at least thank him for them. She poured herself a glass of wine before allowing herself to compose a message to Christian.
Thank you for the flowers. They are beautiful. Hope you are well.She hit send and immediately cringed. It sounded so formal and like she was emailing her boss or something. She grabbed the remote and searched for a good movie to watch. Kate was away for the weekend with Christian's brother Elliott, so she had the apartment to herself for the weekend.
She was halfway through the movie and almost completely through her bottle of the wine when Christian texted back. Her heart beat out of her chest with excitement as she read it.
I need to see you this weekend. Please?Before she could talk herself out of it she was texting him back. She wanted to see him too. But on her own terms, somewhere neutral and public. She suggested a coffee shop in downtown Seattle. Tomorrow.
He texted her back almost immediately and agreed.
She was going to see Christian tomorrow!
***
Christian found himself nervous and excited to see Ana. It had been weeks and he ached for her. When he had asked if he could see her he was hoping she would come over to his place for dinner so they could talk somewhere more private, but he was just happy to be able to see her.
It was a beautiful and sunny Saturday. As he walked down the street toward the coffee shop he spotted her sitting outside on the shop's patio. She was wearing a red sundress and her hair fell around her shoulders in curls. She looked up and spotted him too and flashed a small but nervous smile. She stood up and gave him a brief hug before sitting back down. "Hello Ana."
"It's good to see you Christian."
"You too." She said, taking a sip of her latte. "I ordered you one too…" She gestured to the second cup on the table. "I hope that's okay."
"That's great. Thank you." He didn't usually drink lattes, but he was certain he'd enjoy this one.
"So… why did you want to meet?" Ana asked, deciding to skip small talk.
"I miss you, Ana." Christian admitted. "I feel as if I made a mistake by pushing my lifestyle and the contract on you. That was wrong of me and I want you to know that I realize that now."
Ana was silent for a moment. She didn't expect him to be so honest. "I miss you too."
The tension between them was thick. "Tell me about your new job."
Ana was caught off guard by the change of subject but went with it. "It's fantastic. It's at SIP… I'm just an assistant right now but I think there is room to advance. Everyone is so nice. I have my own desk."
"Are you Jack Hyde's assistant?" He asked.
"Yes." Ana answered, wondering where he was going with this.
"I know you're not going to like hearing this but I had Taylor look into him. Something isn't quite right about him. You need to be very careful around him." Christian warned. Taylor had given him the folder on Wednesday and Christian hadn't been able to sleep a wink since, worrying. Something about Jack set him on edge.
"Why am I not surprised that you looked into him." Ana said, annoyed. "You might as well tell me what you found…"
"He has been through alot of assistants in the past few years." Christian explained.
"That's it?" Ana asked. "I was expecting something like a criminal history, Christian. It's a busy position. Maybe the other assistants couldn't handle it. You worry too much."
"Can you please promise me that you'll be careful around him?"
Ana sighed. "Christian, you are not my boyfriend, and I'm not your- I'm not your whatever you call it. You don't get to have a say in things I do. Okay?"
Christian pinched the bridge of his nose. "I didn't come here to fight with you. I came here to tell you how much I miss you, Ana. And how much I want you back."
Ana took a sip of her latte before answering. "I will be honest. I miss you too."
"But?" Christian urged her to continue.
"But I can't be with you. Not right now anyway. I have chosen that I would like to focus on work right now. I know this sounds corny but… we could try and see what it's like to just be friends?"
Christian frowned. "You know… if you were with me you wouldn't even need to work."
"Yes but I want to work. I like SIP. I am starting my career. I need you to respect my decision."
Christian silently nodded his head. "OK. I will respect that. But can you please stop turning off your phone?"
"Actually, I have that with me." She dug into her bag and pulled out the iPhone. It was placed back in it's box. "I can't keep this. It is yours. You pay for it, and I wouldn't feel right keeping it."
Christian shook his head. "Keep it, please. Consider it a gift."
"You've already given me plenty of gifts."
"If we're friends now, you should just accept my gift and say thank you. So please keep it. I insist."
Ana hesitated. "OK. I will keep it. But don't go all FBI on me and track my phone or anything. Got it?" Christian smiled, and Ana's heart did a flip flop. "I'm serious!"
"OK. I won't track your phone. But feel free to message me anytime. I think that's something friends do, don't they?"
Ana laughed. "Yes, friends do text each other. And occasionally can meet for dinner to see each other." She suggested.
"I would like that very much." Christian replied. He was about to ask her if she wanted another latte when his phone rang. The caller ID said it was an investor… He could not ignore the call. He excused himself for a moment while he spoke. When he returned he was frowning. "I have to meet some business partners for dinner on the other side of Seattle. It was very last minute. I'm afraid I will have to go. Would you like Taylor to drive you home?"
Ana was disappointed but tried not to let it show. "That's not needed. It's a beautiful day… I'd rather walk. It was great to see you. Thank you for coming."
"Thank you for agreeing. And for the latte." He smiled at her. "I hope I can see you again soon."
"Yes… I'll text you." She gestured to the cell phone that was now back in her bag. She gave him a quick kiss on the cheek and he wrapped his arms around her in a goodbye hug before they pulled themselves apart and Christian left the coffee shop.