Carrick Grey had been eagerly anticipating the release of the next issue of Time Magazine. For the first time since the early days of GEH, Christian had given the esteemed publication an interview. Well, it had something to do with the fact that the magazine had named him Person of the Year. He had constantly advised Christian to get his face out there but to no avail. Regarding GEH, Carrick's advice always fell on deaf ears. He was not ignorant of why Christian paid him no mind, even if he behaved as such. Carrick, in his impatience, read the interview in his car.
"Harvard was not for me, and I knew that before I went, but my parents would not hear of it. After a year, I couldn't do it anymore and dropped out. I had a trust fund due me after I graduated from college; that was the condition. I had a business plan that on good authority knew was solid. It meant nothing where my father was concerned. He did not even read it; he threw it back in my face and told me to go back to college." He straightens his already straight collar, and I suspect, to buy himself a few seconds. When he looks back at me, it is clear whatever transpired next with his father still hurts.
"The papers hit my face and then scattered across his office floor. I knew it would be difficult to convince him. I never once considered his arbitrary dismissal of my plan. There was no way I was getting that trust fund. Carrick was desperate for someone to follow in his footsteps, and he had pinned that hope on me. So, it mattered little, how good my ideas were, he had no interest." He chuckles, but there is little humor in it or the man.
"He made it clear that I was not getting that trust fund unless I went back to Harvard, and with no intention of doing so I picked up my bags and left the house. Luckily for me, someone else believed in me. I admit my belief in my plan wavered after that encounter with my father.
Carrick tossed the magazine aside in his fury. Christian had humiliated him and not one he was likely to recover from soon. For days Carrick was almost unbearable to live with, Elliot could no longer stomach his father's behavior after just one Sunday afternoon.
"Why are you so angry?" Elliot groused. "It's not as though he lied. That was exactly what happened. You didn't care as long as he went back to Harvard, hoping he would study law. You sat at this very dining table and said that after he walked out." Elliot added, incensed at Carrick for acting like the victim. "Your problem is, you led everyone to believe you were the guiding light to his starting GEH when in reality, you threw his business plan in his face. Now that your lies have come home to roost, you are pissed." Elliot's focus went back to his roast. He was not the type to let anything put him off his food.
Carrick had lost his appetite but stayed seated. He'd been enraged for days waiting for Sunday, except Christian had not shown for lunch, as he was in London. Carrick had blown up at the news, accusing his son of embarrassing him. Elliot's words had brought home the harsh reality of the truth. Indeed, Christian had not lied in that interview, the lies had been the ones Carrick told, and now the world knew the truth.
Mia, within seconds, droned on animatedly about the new collection from some designer. You would think her amiable and easy-going brother hadn't boldly called daddy dearest out on his hypocrisy. They all pretended that Christian hadn't distanced himself from the family since that day.
Whenever Christian showed up at the house, which was rare, Carrick had some advice regarding GEH. Carrick was desperate to be a part of GEH in any small way he could, anything to make his lies somewhat palatable.
Grace and Mia pretended Christian was distant because of his harrowing childhood, yet anyone with an eye could see Christian got over that years ago and had thrived.
What pissed him off to no end was that Carrick knew he was wrong. He'd made a mistake that night, and instead of admitting it and apologizing, he pretended it hadn't happened.
Well, now good luck pretending.
The conference room door crashed against the wall as he stormed out. He could hear his team's cordial parting as he marched down the hall and out the building into the cold London air. The cold air helped him clear his head somewhat. He never understood businesses that somehow mistook his wealth for stupidity. Yes, he was wealthy, but that didn't mean he was going to pay sixty-eight percent over the estimation of the business' worth.
"So… what's the plan?" Roz asked as she joined him outside. If Roz did not chastise him for his rude behavior, then you knew she would rather have nothing to do with the company in question.
"Enjoy the rest of your weekend… I think we are done." Christian mumbled, buttoning up his coat; the cold was now getting to him.
Okay, boss." She cheered. Yep, he was right; Roz wanted nothing to do with Wright and Sons.
"I think I'm going to walk back to the hotel. I need to think, Germany might be back on the table." He groaned. He had nothing against the Germans. If anything, he admired their uncompromising efficiency. Overall, the German company would be a better fit for GEH.
"Follow your advice and enjoy the weekend. Say hi to…" The loud horn drowned out her voice, but he knew who she meant. He waved in response and matched towards Hyde Park.
Christian's face was practically frozen by the time he arrived at the Mandarin Oriental hotel. His mood, though, was vastly improved by the time he opened the door to the Imperial Suite.
"Ahh, I take it negotiations did not end well." Obviously, his mood hadn't improved that much if she could see it.
"We were so far apart; it was never going to happen." He groaned, collapsing on the couch next to her. She was settled with her feet under her in a bathrobe that dwarfed her, hair wrapped in a large towel.
"Germany?" She asked softly, brushing his hair from his forehead. His hair would be in his eyes soon if he didn't get a haircut. He'd see Franco when he got back to Seattle.
"Yeah." Again, he really would rather be in London. She rolled her eyes at him, clearly knowing it too. She was well aware of his reasons for wanting to stay in London even if neither of them said it.
The door to the bedroom opened. "Lee, darling, I was thinking…" Andrew paused when he saw him. "Hey, Chris, I didn't hear you come in. Read your interview, we sounded really good." He teased.
Elena rolled her eyes at her husband, who was standing there in nothing but a towel drying his hair.
"I haven't read it yet," Christian admitted sitting up straight. "I'm going to head to my suite and…"
"Why don't you join us? We have reservations at Nobu for eight thirty." Elena offered.
"Oh yeah, you should come," Andrew added.
Christian stared at the pair. Elena, as always, gave nothing away; Andrew, on the other hand, wasn't great at keeping his features impassive. "What are you two up to?" He asked.
"And yet, his hobby is playing poker," Elena grumbled good-naturedly at her husband.
"Christian, we will see you in the lobby at ten minutes past eight. Linc, darling, please go and put some clothes on." She practically shooed Christian out of the suite before Linc said anymore.
"One of these days, your wife will not be there to save you." Christian threatened, earning a chuckle from Elena.
"He does have a point." He heard Elena say before the door closed. He chuckled to himself as he made his way to his suite.
Christian's phone rang the second the door to his suite shut behind him.
"Hey, E." He greeted, putting the phone on speaker so he could change into his workout clothes.
"Hey, busy?"
"No, I was planning on going for a run and a swim at the fitness center." He didn't think he would be able to fully enjoy his evening out if he didn't unwind from the farce of a meeting he attended that afternoon.
"Soo…. dad read your interview." He muttered.
"Let me guess; he has a problem with me telling the truth." Christian scoffed. It wasn't his problem that Carrick felt the need to lie to everyone about his involvement in GEH.
"I see you expected it." Elliot laughed.
"Honestly, I'm surprised he hasn't called yet berating me for humiliating him, or Elena for that matter." He grumbled.
"He wanted to call Elena. Mom stopped him." That surprised Christian. "He's still going on about Elena undermining their authority as parents. Mom clearly doesn't feel that way."
"I'm surprised he listened to mom," Christian murmured.
"That might have had something to do with my telling him a few home truths." Christian burst out laughing at the revelation. "Wish I'd been there, considering this trip was a total bust."
"Oh, I wouldn't say it was a total bust," Elliot muttered conspiratorially.
"E, what do you know?" He asked, pausing in his walk to the fitness center.
"Sorry, bro, but it is more than my butt is worth." Andrew had been unable to keep his mouth shut, but Elena had already gotten to Elliot. "Enjoy your night." He cheered, dropping the call before Christian could ask any more questions.
The Lincolns had invested two hundred and fifty thousand in GEH when his father would not even read a word of his business plan, desperate for one of his kids to follow in his footsteps. Yet, they didn't go around touting their genius of supporting his plans when Carrick hadn't. Carrick could get angry all he wanted, the truth was the truth, no matter how you sliced it.
To Christian's surprise, Elena had understood him more than he thought possible. He'd gone there to do manual labor and left with the knowledge that someone understood him and what he needed to get his act together.
"Your mother tells me you got into another fight and are in danger of getting permanently suspended." Despite Elena's nonchalant tone, Christian suspected it was anything but that. He'd been waiting for her to bring it up all afternoon. He said nothing in response because he had nothing to say. He was surprised when she didn't push for an answer despite several minutes of silence on his end.
"I was seven when my father died. His name was Robert, and he was a banker in the late 60s. It was good to be a banker. We lived in Boulder, and at that time, Boulder began to boom with big business." Christian could imagine that as a banker, it would be great for business. "Despite how young I was, I recognized that my parents had a great marriage, so when my father died…. my mother fell apart."
"What happened to him?" Christian had been determined to stay silent for the story, feigning disinterest, but he had to ask.
"Car accident, head-on collision with a truck driver who fell asleep at the wheel. My mother got a great deal of money from the settlement, papa's life insurance, and his pension from the bank. All in all, it was about a million or so." Elena took a sip of her lemonade. "So, you can imagine my surprise when we were kicked out of our home just after my ninth birthday because my mother had not paid the mortgage in months or any bills for that matter. That's fine; grief did a number on my mother, so she'd forgotten life's little essentials. It turned out it wasn't so straightforward, mother had developed a drug problem, and the money was gone." Elena's laugh was devoid of any humor.
"That was the day my childhood ended. I had seen the signs, but I had no idea what it was at that age. I thought she missed papa, but it was much more than that. We lost everything except the clothes we could pack, and I was allowed to keep my bicycle. One of papa's colleagues gave me money and told me not to let my mother know. I had no idea just how vital those few hundred dollars would become to my survival.
I learned very quickly to hide my possessions. During our first week in the trailer park, she sold my bicycle. On the days when she could find nothing to sell, she would turn on me. Some days the beating was so vicious that, going to school was impossible for a couple of weeks. Before we lost everything, we had Mary. Mary was my mother for all intents and purposes until we lost everything. Now, I had to learn to take care of myself. Make my way to school, cook, and purchase my clothes and food. In trailer parks, it was easy and cheap to buy the necessities; it was sold in the back of vans. It was how I got everything but food. I learned to become an excellent liar. I learned to make excuses as to why I was on my own. Luckily, we didn't worry about half the crime we do now in those days. It was still dangerous, but I learned to walk next to adults and sit next to the grandmotherly looking type on the bus, who would happily chat with me.
Mother's anger and abuse became more prevalent, and I started to avoid the trailer until necessary. I started spending most of my time in the library; if the library closed early, it was the oak tree next to the trailer. I would only go in when she was asleep. Some days she would lock me out until I would give her something to sell. Unfortunately for her, I had long ago learned how to open the window from the outside and sneak in. Luckily, on one end of the trailer, I had my box of a bedroom. Tiny, but all mine and safe as it had a latch that worked. Something of a rarity; just about everything on that trailer was faulty.
That was my life until I was fourteen. I came home one day to find a car outside our trailer, and inside, my mother was arguing with a man who turned out to be her drug dealer. As I later learned, mother had taken up with one of his dealers and, at some point, had stolen quite a bit of his merchandise while he was asleep.
He wanted his money, and mother was going to pay, or else she would find herself on the receiving end of the beatings she gave me. It just so happened I took one a few days earlier, and it showed.
In her desperation, she offered me up." For the first time since Elena started telling her story, her emotions finally got the better of her as her voice broke. "If Clive had been anyone else, I would have been brutally raped that day or for however long the dealer wanted. Clive, on the other hand, looked at mother with such disgust that she actually looked ashamed.
Clive, suspected despite my mother's shame I would pay for her feeling that way. He took me out for burgers to get away from her for a few hours. I hadn't had one before, at least not that I could remember. Clive admitted he had never once considered the likes of me. Yeah, if people like my mother wanted to fuck up their lives, that was on them. Except, he never thought about what it did to those around them. Clive offered to take me to social services and report my mother. Everyone had heard stories of how horrible some foster families could be, or worse, those children's homes. So, I begged Clive not to say anything.
It seems he could not willingly send me back there to her, and since I had refused to leave, I left him with little choice. It took me a while to realize he had killed her, and even after I found out, I never told him I knew." Christian's jaw dropped, yet at the same time, he could understand Clive's actions.
"What did he do?" His curiosity got the better of him.
"He asked me to wait in the car, went inside and when he came back out gave me some money and his number and told me to call him anytime. When I returned from school the next day, I found my mother's body. She died of a drug overdose. It only later occurred to me that he gave her the drugs and more than likely made threats that my mother saw death as the only way out.
The social worker was the single most unsympathetic person I have ever encountered in my thirty-two years on this earth. Yes, mother was horrible, but she had an excuse. This woman, though, Lord knows what possessed her to take such a job. She did not possess an iota of care in her body. She left me in a children's home, which, mercifully, I only spent one night in.
It was only years later I learned Clive had been watching me since I got home from school and had a word with the social worker after she dropped me off at the children's home. Clive was an imposing figure, and that platinum blonde hair and shocking cold blue eyes made him appear a little eerie to boot.
The next day, she was the sweetest person imaginable…" Christian burst out laughing.
"Go, Clive." He cheered.
Elena smiled in agreement. "I ended up in the most lavish home I had ever had the pleasure of stepping foot in. It was to be my foster home, and I could not have been happier. Of course, life had to throw me one more curve ball in the form of my foster brother, Edwin fuckturd Hills. I did not like the way he stared at me. As much as I wanted to believe I was paranoid, when he walked in on me in the shower, I knew his intentions were not good. He would carry them through had the housekeeper not made her presence felt. He was simply waiting for his opportunity. It was the first time I used the number Clive gave me. In truth, I had no idea what he would do, but that very same day, Clive turned up dressed in a suit, looking as though he worked on wall street, and presented himself as my father's best friend from the bank. Clive only had about a decade on me, yet he sold that lie. He'd asked me about papa's work on the phone, and I had no idea it was his plan.
Margaret, my foster mother, welcomed him with open arms. Clive spun this tale about losing track of us when we lost our home and only found me when a friend in the police gave him a head's up. Clive gripped the little turd by his color when Margaret went to the kitchen, and I have no idea what was said as he whispered into Edwin's ears. He avoided me like the black plague until he ran away a year later. He was weeks away from aging out of the foster system."
"Good riddance," Christian murmured.
"Couldn't agree more. I lived with Margaret until college; I stayed with her even after I aged out of the system. Margaret was an architect, she had started the firm of Pearson and Pearson with her late husband." Christian knew Elena's architectural firm was Pearson and Lincoln.
"You kept her name." He said.
"I did. Margaret Pearson saved my life on more than one occasion. See, just like you, despite the good fortune of escaping the horrible situations our mothers created for us. I started to self-destruct when I got to college. Just like you, my drug of choice was alcohol. I felt I would have more control over that than hard drugs. I kept to myself, something I was used to at that point. I'd pretty much been on my own since I was nine; why should that change.
Clive and Margaret banded together after I got into a fight, and was arrested and charged." Christian's eyes widened.
"Yes, I got a two-year suspended sentence and community service thanks to Margaret's influence. Without it, I would have gone to jail. I broke the star basketball player's arm and did it on purpose." Christian didn't know whether to be shocked or laugh. He just couldn't see the primp and proper Mrs. Lincoln in a fight, more or less breaking anything on anybody.
"I started working for Margarets during the week when I wasn't in class. Clive, after the day we got burgers, gave up the drug game and focused on the auto shops and his other legitimate businesses. In the past, he'd only used those to launder money, but now it was his source of income, not that he needed anymore. I was too tired between classes and work to get into more trouble." Christian finally understood what Elena's plan was.
"Working with Margaret, I realized I wanted to follow in her footsteps. She willed just about everything to me after she died. I kept the Boulder office, and after I met Linc, I decided to open an office in Seattle." Christian knew Pearson and Lincoln had offices in several states and a European office in London.
"What about Clive?" He truly hoped the man wasn't dead because he wanted to meet him.
"That old goat will never die. If you are lucky, you just might get to meet him when he comes to visit next month." Elena took another sip of her drink, staring off into the distance. You do understand why I'm telling you my story?" She asked after a while.
"Yes." He muttered. Elena Lincoln understood him more than he thought possible. He'd seen her as another rich socialite with an even wealthier husband who could not possibly understand his daily struggles. He could not have been more wrong.
"I know from experience there is a reason for your behavior. What is it?" She asked, her tone leaving no room for argument.
"I can't be touched, and…" Good Lord, how do you tell your mother's best friend that you are horny as fuck, but can't stand the idea of anyone touching you.
"You are a hormonal teenager," Elena said nonchalantly, as though this was an everyday conversation.
"I said that out loud, didn't I?" He grumbled, getting red-faced.
"Yes, you did." Elena, though, did not laugh as he expected.
"When is your next birthday?" The question seemed to come out of left field.
"June eighteenth." He answered, unsure where she was going with it. It would remain a mystery for a while longer as she only nodded in response.
"I will see you tomorrow and bring your curriculum and books." With that, he was dismissed.
He worked cleaning up the mess the workers made. Mess they'd been told to leave to him, and when his body was exhausted, they worked on the school work he was missing out on. That was until one Thursday afternoon, the day of his sixteenth birthday. Elena invited him indoors and introduced him to Rebecca. Christian lost his virginity that day. He hadn't figured it out until he spied Elena paying Rebecca. She was a professional. He completed his school work with a huge grin on his face, despite the revelation.
"Give your parents this card and have them book you an appointment," Elena said as he was about to leave.
Another therapist, he didn't think so. "I'd rather not." He snapped.
"Mr. Grey, you do not get to question me, you owe me your unflinching loyalty, and when I say jump, you jump without question." It was the first time Elena Lincoln had raised her voice. The truth was, he had divulged so much to Elena, and she'd kept his secrets from his parents. "Do me a favor, sprint to the shower when you get home, or bring a change of clothes next time." At that moment, he realized he did indeed owe her his unflinching loyalty and would jump when she asked because Rebecca was on the table. First, he could not afford Rebecca. Second, the thought never occurred to him. Third, Elena knew too much to piss her off. Elena Lincoln had found an incentive he would not turn down. To think, he truly believed she was a twenty-year-old second-year student at U Dub. How naive of him.
By fall Christian had a girlfriend, and Rebecca, who turned out to be a student, services were no longer required. Despite the incentive gone, Christian continued his studies with Elena after school every day. Life at Seattle Prep got better; he joined the track team and took up hobbies that tasked his mind and body. He also became something of a social butterfly.
"Right on time." Elena cheered as Christian joined them in the hotel lobby. Nobu was fifteen minutes away on foot, but it was too damn cold. Also, Elena had no desire to walk in five-inch Louboutin heels. So, they got into a town car. Christian was determined to get the truth about the evening from Andrew.
"So…" that was all Christian managed to get out.
"Don't even try it, I am not talking. I might not have a poker face, but I know how to keep my mouth shut." Andrew grumbled, earning a giggle from his wife.
"Really, because Elliot seemed to know what was going on." Christian retorted.
"Updating you on the fallout from your interview." Andrew scoffed. Andrew Lincoln did not like Carrick in the least. Carrick often referred to Andrew uncharitably as the rat, something Andrew had heard about from mutual friends. It turned out that their mutual friends were more loyal to Andrew because, the reality was, they liked him more. Christian had always believed Carrick was jealous of Andrew's standing not only within Seattle's elite but his vast wealth. The Lincolns had been investing in businesses and startups for over a decade, Christian, one of them. They owned fifteen percent of GEH and had been instrumental in linking Christian to the right people and businesses. Jealousy was a foolish emotion that often closed your eyes to the truth, he knew what he was talking about.
"Yep," Christian murmured.
"The next dinner invite will be interesting." Elena chuckled as the car came to a stop.
It was fair to say Christian Grey was a little nervous as he waited for whatever the Lincolns had under their sleeve. Of all the possible scenarios he had running through his head, Anastasia Rose Steele was not it. "Sorry, I'm late. I could not get my mum off the phone." She giggled. "Hello, Christian." Ana it seemed, was expecting him.
"Ana." He blinked a couple of times in surprise. "This is an incredible surprise." He was out of his seat and hugging her before she could blink.
"I take it they didn't tell you anything." Ana laughed as she took a seat next to an awed looking Christian.
"No, I knew something was up, but I would not have imagined it was you." She was why he'd been desperate to acquire Wright and Sons. He would have, with the acquisition, spent a great deal of time in London.
"Sorry, Elena, Andrew, I haven't even said hello," Ana mumbled sheepishly. Christian could not care less.
"It's okay, dear, we understand." Andrew damn near giggled. "How is the move coming?" He asked.
"Move! What move?" Christian groused.
"I'm moving back to Seattle," Ana said as though it was no big deal. Christian glared at the Lincolns, who did not appear the least bit sorry. Christian had spent months working on a deal to acquire Wright and Sons when there was a better option in Germany. He'd gone through all that so he could be in London, where Ana lived, and she was moving.
"Wow, I had no idea." He continued glaring at the Lincolns.
"They really didn't tell you anything, did they?" Ana laughed.
"No," Christian's eyes widened. "I spoke to your dad just this week, and he didn't say anything either. " Christian complained.
"You should have called mom; she can't keep a secret to save her life," Ana mumbled as the waiter placed their menus in front of them. "In truth, I only told Elena a few days ago." She added.
A comfortable quiet descended with the odd murmur as they tucked into their meals. "So, you are done traveling," Christian asked as he wiped his mouth.
"Yes, after two years of living out of my luggage, I am ready for the comforts of my own home. Thanks to Elena, I already have a place. Don't get me wrong, it has been my pleasure to help advance laparoscopic surgery on children, but home is home."
"Indeed," Christian muttered.
"And Seattle General offered a deal I could not turn down." Christian's head snapped to Elena. They were both aware of the expansion of the surgical unit on the pediatrics floor. Several well-to-do families had attended the fundraiser that raised millions for the new unit. A unit his mother believed she would be heading. A unit that she had spearheaded and raised money for.
"You will be running the new unit." He mumbled,
"Yep, I saw the ward designs, and they have three of my machines. Even better, I can still teach without having to travel. It's a dream come true." Ana cheered.
"So when is the move?" Christian asked, moving on to the more important topic.
"In a couple of weeks." Ana chirped. She was looking forward to going back home.
"I don't know about you young people, but I am ready to call it a night," Andrew mumbled, attempting to stifle a yawn.
"This is what you get when you marry old men." Elena teased.
"I'm afraid I'm ready to call it a night too. It was my last day at work, and it was a tiring and emotional day," Ana added.
"Can I see you tomorrow? You know… maybe come and help you pack," He mumbled, sure she would say no.
"I would love that." Elena and Andrew looked on as the two exchanged information. Ana excused herself to use the bathroom before they left.
"Do not mess this up," Elena warned the minute Ana was out of earshot.
"Why are you telling me and not Ana. She is just as likely to break my heart." He crossed his arms and sulked.
"I don't remember her being a little shit to you because, in reality, she had a crush on you and couldn't admit it." Elena retorted, much to Christian's chagrin.
"I was sixteen, sue me." He argued as Andrew chuckled.
Christian had been Elena's only student for over a year until little Miss Steele, who was failing trig badly, went to Elena for help. Elena had been his secret until Mr. Mulgrew, the English teacher, had accused him of cheating. Christian had no choice but to call Elena, who came to the school and put Mr. Mulgrew in his place. Now his secret weapon was out; in truth, no one went to Elena until Ana went from averaging an E in trig to an A. Then every man and his dog decided to follow Ana's example.
He refused to admit his anger at Ana was because she had a boyfriend, Carl Barrington. A little shit who fancied himself the bad boy of Seattle Prep. Eventually, Elena would not let him live with his lie and pointed the obvious out to him. In the end, he developed a friendship with Ana until she moved to London at the end of high school to attend university, then medical school. They had stayed in touch, and he'd even visited on occasion. For the last couple of years, she had been traveling the world teaching her technic and use of her laparoscopic machine to doctors.
Christian picked up another huge textbook putting it in the large plastic container. Ana was right; a cardboard box would not hold her books without fear of falling apart. "You actually read all this?" He asked, flipping through another book.
"Still do, I come back to them every now and again." She giggled at his feigned fear.
"Reading was never my thing." He mumbled.
"Yeah, that is why Mr. Mulgrew thought you cheated on your English test." Ana quipped.
"That asshole took away my secret weapon."
"You really need to get over that." Ana groaned. "He got a tongue lashing from Elena that had him wishing he never opened his mouth." He laughed at that.
"Yeah, well, I still don't like it. I will admit, it made my day when Elena refused to tutor Carl fucking Barrington." He smiled.
Ana bit her lip. "That might have had something to do with me. Okay, I know it had everything to do with me." She admitted sheepishly.
"Ana." Christian stalked toward her. "Stop biting your lip." He moaned. "I promised Elena I would be the perfect gentleman." He whispered. "Now, what was this about you having everything to do with Elena refusing Barrington."
"Carl discovered that if you got into one more fight, your suspension would be permanent. Even when you were a loner, he was threatened by you." Ana murmured.
"So that is why that little shit kept pushing me." Ana nodded. "Why didn't you tell me?"
"I didn't know until the end of junior year."
"That's why you broke up with him?" Christian chuckled. A fact Christian wished he'd known before he started dating one of Ana's friends. Even after he ended things with Cassandra, he knew Ana wouldn't date him, not after he'd dated her friend. It was one of those things you just didn't do in high school, not unless you wanted to become a pariah.
"I only found out because Anthony Michaels let the cat out of the bag. I was going to kick his ass…" Christian threw his head back in laughter.
"Ana, you knocked yourself out in self-defense class." Christian could barely get his words out as he kept laughing.
Ana looked aghast. "I can believe my dad told you that." She screeched. "I am going to kill him."
"Okay, so you did not kick Tony's ass." He said after getting a hold of himself somewhat.
"He went to Mr. Fletcher and told him about Carl's attempt at goading you into a fight for months. Carl could never figure out why you were only suspended until the end of the school year."
"Good, because I hate to fire Tony; the man is my Head of Acquisitions." Christian pulled Ana onto his lap. "You told Elena about it." Bella nodded. "In the end, he did me a favor. Without that fight, I would never have ended up at Elena's." He smiled, as did Ana.
"Tony told me about your poker nights, and invited me to join when I got back to Seattle," Ana murmured with her head on his shoulder.
"Yeah, quite a few of us from Seattle Prep get together to play every month or so. The nights Andrew joins are the best for winning big." Ana laughed.
"Poor Andrew, the man has no poker face yet loves the game."
"Yeah, Elena has tried helping, but it is hopeless. Apparently, it's like trying to teach you to sing." Christian teased.
Ana slapped his chest at his teasing. "Not all of us are born with voices of angels."
"But you have very gifted hands." He purred.
"What happened to your promise of gentlemanly behavior?" Ana whispered against the shell of his ear.
"It went out the window when your ass hit my lap." The slight thrust of his hips had Ana glaring at him.
"Behave."
She just stared at him as though seeing him for the first time. "What? Have I got something on my face?" He ran his hand over his face self-consciously.
"No, I remember the boy that came in towards the end of sophomore year. You always looked so angry and kept pushing everybody away. You actually seemed comfortable being alone. Then the beginning of junior year, your personality did a complete one-eighty. You'd made friends over the summer. You became Mr. Popular, which got to Carl more than anything. His worst fears coming to pass." Ana murmured. "I needed tutoring in trig, but I was desperate to know Elena. I wanted to know the woman who had brought such a positive change in you." She admitted.
"I thought she was just another socialite who could not possibly understand what I went through. She had gone through far worse and made something of herself." Christian murmured.
"Found the perfect man to boot." Ana cheered, earning an eye roll from Christian. "Hey, romance is important too, you know." Ana chastised.
"I know. I was willing to acquire a company here just to be close to you… so yeah, I know." To his surprise, Ana's lips found his. Soft, warm plump lips closed around his own perfectly he could not help the moan that left him. He'd dreamed of kissing her for so many years, but the reality far surpassed his dreams.
"Here I am telling you to behave, and I'm the one misbehaving." She murmured against his lips. "I need a drink." She groaned, practically bolting off his lap.
He sat staring after her as she poured herself a glass of wine. "Want some?" She asked nervously.
"No, want you." He said instead.
"I know, I want you too, but you…"
"Anastasia, I was ready to buy a company at an extortionate price just to be able to spend more time with you. There is a far better option in Germany; ask Tony. He was pissed until he realized why I was so hellbent on London. I wasn't doing that for a bit of fun. I was doing it because I have wanted you for as long as I can remember. I believe you want me too. That is why Carl wanted me gone. Had it just been a one-way thing, he would not have cared in the least." He was standing in front of her by the time he was done.
"Way to call a girl out," Ana murmured. "Okay." She giggled.
"Good." He took her glass from her and drained it. "I've got tickets to King Lear, and then we can go get Nando's." He had it on good authority she loved that chicken place. And in truth, he could go for some grilled chicken too.
"You sure you want to be here," Christian asked as Taylor pulled up outside his parents. Ana had been in town for just over a month and was starting her new job the next day. She was about to come face to face with his mother.
"I will have to at some point, it might just as well be today," Ana said with a nonchalant shrug. Christian smiled as they got out of the car and, hand in hand, entered the house. As expected, the usual suspects had packed the living room. What surprised Christian was the sight of Ezra Carmichael and his daughter, Sabrina.
"Ana, how wonderful to see you again." Elena, who was chatting to Ezra, intoned.
"Hi, sorry I haven't had a chance to come and see you. I've been busy unpacking and getting ready to start work tomorrow." Ana murmured.
"As long as we get you for dinner next weekend, I won't complain too much." Elena quipped.
"It's a deal." Ana giggled, taking a seat next to Elena.
Christian wandered into the kitchen to find his mother. "Hi, mum." Christian greeted cheerfully, stealing a couple of hor d'oeuvres.
"Christian, how lovely to see you. You really should come to lunch more often." She murmured, checking on her roast.
"What are the Carmichaels doing here?" He asked.
"I have no idea; your father invited them. I had no idea they were coming until they showed up." Grace was clearly not happy about it.
"Mom, I hope you know I meant nothing…" He started.
"Darling, it was the truth. I wasn't pleased with the idea of you dropping out, but Carrick was also wrong in trying to force you into a career you didn't want. You dropping out was the best thing you could have done for yourself. I love him, but he has never acknowledged his mistake yet touted your achievements to anyone who would listen, pretending he had something to do with it." Grace Grey had never said so much about that subject. "You did and said nothing wrong." She added firmly.
"Well, okay." He smiled, stuffing a couple more hor d'oeuvres into his mouth.
When he returned to the living room, Elliot had arrived with his latest friend, who had zeroed in on Elena and Ana.
"Lunch should be ready soon," Grace chirped as she joined everyone. "Where is Carrick?" She asked, looking around.
"He said something about a phone call," Mia grumbled. She was clearly not happy about something. Christian suspected it was him as she was pointedly ignoring him. If he was honest with himself, he did not care. Mia had dropped out of college and, therefore, had no access to her trust fund. She came to him for money, and he would have happily helped had she asked for a reasonable amount. No, she expected him to hand over twenty-five thousand dollars so she could spend the summer in the South of France with her friends.
It was February; if she made an effort to earn some of that money herself, he would have gladly given her the rest, but not Mia.
Just then, the man in question showed up. "Sorry about that. I had to deal with a client." Carrick said, taking a seat next to Grace. "Oh, Christian, I believe you know Ezra, and you and Sabrina went to Harvard," Carrick said animatedly.
"I had no idea you were at Harvard. Then again, I was only there for a year." Christian said with a shrug.
"Oh, I remember you." Sabrina purred earning Elena's and Grace's glare. Christian could kick himself, he'd been slow on the uptake, but he'd finally got it. Carrick was playing matchmaker. Why?
"Christian, any chance of a drink?" Ana asked sweetly.
"I'm sorry, baby. Where are my manners? What would you like?" Christian stood, ready to get her a drink.
"I've got a nice bottle of chardonnay opened. If I remember correctly, you are quite partial to them." Grace said as she motioned Gretchen to bring a bottle.
"Yes, thank you, Dr. Grey," Ana said with a smile.
"Please, call me Grace." She smiled back. Christian had to admit, that he had expected a little animosity from his mother, but there was none.
"Bring me a glass as well," Christian called out.
Dinner was a boisterous affair, but you wouldn't know it with Carrick looking sullen at the head of the table. His sullen mood was about to get worse when Ezra Carmichael piped up about the one topic he was sure Carrick wished would remain buried. "Christian, I can't tell you how much I wish I had the chance to invest in GEH. Had you come to me for investment, I would have gladly given it, then I wouldn't be paying several million for one of your yachts." He laughed.
"Oh, we invested and still paid for ours, so you didn't miss out." Elena teased.
"Well, you are missing out on the millions in profit annually." Andrew just couldn't help but get that dig in.
"I am willing to buy in now." Ezra piped up, surprising everybody.
"I'm afraid I am keeping the eight-five percent share to myself." Christian threw his arm over the back of Ana's chair.
"Fifteen percent, Andrew… damn," Ezra whispered.
Andrew looked ridiculously smug. "I know, best decision we ever made."
"Ana, looking forward to starting tomorrow?" Grace asked, her excitement evident. Christian would admit he had expected a rather chilly affair, yet it had been the opposite. His mother had been, as usual, the sweetest woman he knew. He will admit he felt a little shitty for thinking she would be cold to Ana because of a job.
Ana's excitement was infectious. "I am actually. After seeing the new unit, I am even more impressed with yours and the hospital's dedication to it. I'm sure I will enjoy working there."
"Yes, when you have wealthy sons and friends, you take advantage of it for a good cause." Grace raised her glass in thanks, getting a laugh from Elena and an eye roll from her sons.
Christian looked at his watch for the third time in five minutes. "Time isn't going to go any faster." She smiled. " We will be back in Seattle before Ana even suspects you are not in town.
"I'd rather she'd not suspect anything at all. What is taking so long?" He stared out the window.
"Even if she does, this is the one time a woman will accept a lie for the greater good. An engagement is often a surprise." Elena's smile got even wider. She'd barely managed to wipe the smile off her face since he asked for help looking for a ring. They'd flown to Los Angeles to get the ring that had been custom-made to his specification. Harry Winston, in Beverley Hills, had been the only jeweler able to complete his vision in the time he needed. Ana was teaching today, so she would be tied up all day, so it was the best time.
He breathed a sigh of relief when the plane started moving, earning an eye roll from Elena. "Your engagement wasn't a surprise." He smiled. Andrew had told him he made a mess of it but hadn't gone into details.
"No, Linc hasn't got a poker face. I knew he was hiding something. The man sang like a canary when I questioned him. I'd barely asked a question when he started talking. He rumbled on and on and ended up proposing right there and then." They both cracked up laughing. "I love him to death, rambling mess and all. I was never going to say no." Elena smiled fondly at the thought of her husband.
Andrew Lincoln was a complete pussycat when it came to his wife, but the man was a shark regarding business. You do not take a small family-run logging company and turn it into the best in the Pacific Northwest and number two in the country without a spine made of steel.
"I want to have what you and my parents have. Despite my issues with Carrick, you can't fault him when it comes to Grace." Christian admitted.
"Oh, by the way, our annual barbecue is this weekend. You missed last year's, so I expect to see you there." Elena warned.
"Yes, ma'am." Elena held a barbecue for the kids she was tutoring and invited former students. It had become something of an honor to attend. Almost all of Elena's former kids were now men and women of influence. It was a coup for the current kids to meet the former, who could open doors for them. Now, getting a spot in Elena's tutoring program had become something of a must, as there were only forty places. Places only became available when the seniors left. So, in reality, there were fewer places a year available. Even parents had taken to kissing the Lincolns' ass so their kids could get a spot. Unfortunately for those parents, they didn't factor at all in who made it into the program.
"You know how Elena feels about tardiness, and yet we are late because today you decided to let your dick do the thinking for you," Ana grumbled.
"Really, because you could have said no." He muttered, little caring they were late. If anyone understood the early days of being in love, it was Elena.
"Next time, I will." Okay, that was not the response he wanted. Elizabeth, Elena's housekeeper, opened the door before he could respond.
"Good afternoon, Mr. Grey, Miss Steele, everyone is in the garden."
"Thank you, Elizabeth." Christian smiled at her. She reminded him so much of Gail.
Christian was surprised to see Katherine Kavanagh there. Elena never invited anyone outside of those she tutored to her barbecue. The current crop of kids was making good use of the various sporting activities around the Lincolns' large backyard. Elliot and Ethan had picked teams and were currently contesting a fierce basketball game.
"Hey, bro, not like you to be late," Elliot said with a knowing look as he took a break to grab a bottle of water.
"I make allowances for young love," Elena said from her place behind the bar.
"Or, is it that they are your favorite and get away with a lot more than the rest of us ever did," Tony mumbled.
"I plead the fifth." Elena giggled. "What can I get you two?" She asked the pair who were still holding hands.
"I will take a margarita." Ana squealed when she was hauled off her feet and tossed into the pool without warning.
"Fredrick, you little shit, I will fucking kill you," Christian growled as Ana pulled her dress off in the pool. She had her bathing suit underneath, so she wasn't all that fussed. Christian was incensed enough for both of them. She made herself comfortable on the pool's edge next to Tony and his fiancée Julia. The girls were busy catching up when Christian brought over her margarita.
"Thank you, babe." Christian leaned down to kiss her and found himself falling into the pool.
"Frederick, I will buy your fucking company and fire you, I swear," Christian growled.
"Really, Frederick." Elena shook her head as Frederick stared open mouth at her. At that moment, Christian realized Elena was the culprit.
"This is the kind of crap I expect from Andrew, not you," Christian grumbled, swimming to the edge to join his girlfriend.
"Hey," Andrew shouted indignantly.
"Christian Grey swears a lot." One of the kids mumbled, causing laughter among the group.
"Get used to it." Christian laughed.
"Andrew, did you get the invite to the homeless shelter build charity ball at the Mayflower," Christian asked. If they send a check, he will follow suit.
"No, but I've got a stack of letters I've yet to open. This is the one thing I hate about the summer. I'm honestly going to send a check for most of these charity things." Andrew murmured.
"Oh, but I'd love to go to the one at the Mayflower. It was where we met after all." Elena sounded giddy.
"Yeah, I remember you walking in, and I thought not even going to bother. Way out of my league." Andrew laughed.
"Really?" Ana asked.
"Yeah, closer to the end of the night, my sister beckoned me and told me Lee was staring. I look up, and she's smiling at me." He said, surprised.
"He kept making his sisters howl with laughter. I just found that incredibly attractive. Eventually, I realized he would not come over, so I went to his table." Elena laughed.
"My sisters disappeared so fast and left the two of us alone. Several hours later, I had her number, and I was determined she would not get away even if she lived in Boulder at the time." Andrew said.
"We had a long-distance relationship for over a year before I opened a branch of the firm here. The following weekend we were engaged." Elena laughed, remembering how that happened.
"I had it planned for much later, but she caught me in a lie, and I panicked. Such a stupid lie too." He grumbled. Christian kept his mouth shut about knowing the story of their engagement. The last thing he needed was for someone to ask any questions that would lead to him too blurting out a marriage proposal.
And despite all his preparation, that was precisely what he did, blurting out a proposal. "You have a safe in your office; why did you not hide the ring there?" Ana asked, looking highly amused as he floundered.
"I didn't think." He grumbled. "So, will you marry me?" He blurted out. God, Andrew was going to have a field day with this.
"Yes." He forgot all about the fact that he'd hid the ring in the drawer where he kept his boxers. The same boxer shorts Ana liked to sleep in.
"You will?" He picked her up in a hug and twirled her around. "You have no idea how happy you've just made me. I love you, Miss Steele… future Mrs. Grey." Whatever response Ana had would have to wait as Christian kissed her softly. It did not stay that way for long as Ana wrapped her legs around Christian's waist, who pushed her against the wall.
"Wait, wait… could you at least put the ring on my finger first." She giggled.
"Oops." Ana still had the ring in the box in her hand. "I really made a mess of this." He chuckled sheepishly, getting down on one knee, the ring held up. "Ana, I have loved you before I knew it was what I was feeling. These past eight months have surpassed all my years of dreaming about our lives together. You are literally the woman of my dreams, and my dreams did not do our lives justice. So… Anastasia Rose Steele, will you do me the honor of continuing to make my dreams pale in comparison to our reality."
"Yes." She whispered, too overcome for anymore. He slipped the ring on with a huge smile. "It's safe to say you just saved it beautifully. I love you too." This time, nothing stopped the hasty peeling of clothes.
"Not that it would have made much of a difference, but you did ask my father for permission, right?" Ana asked, her eyes glued to the ring.
"Of course, I did. The man runs one of the world's most highly rated security companies. He is not a man you want to piss off." He grumbled while Ana giggled.
"I would have still married you even if he said no." She said mirthfully.
"I wouldn't." He returned, earning a slap on the chest for his effort.
Elena and Andrew barely held each other up as they guffawed at Ana's story. Christian had hoped Ana would keep out the embarrassing first half of their engagement. No, his fiancée happily and eagerly regaled the table with the entirety of the story. Elliot clapped him on the back sympathetically.
"Not so easy, is it." Andrew teased.
"Never is," Ray muttered.
"How would you know?" Carla asked him. "You didn't even have a ring." She retorted.
"There were more important things to use the money for, like Annie." A round of sympathetic murmurs met Carla's ear.
"Oh, please don't fall for his sweet talk." She rolled her eyes but leaned into him all the same.
"Imagine asking someone like Clive permission to marry his sort of adopted daughter?" Andrew piped up.
"Really, Clive is such a sweetheart," Grace interjected.
"I had a wet patch on my boxers by the time I left his auto shop." The table erupted in laughter.
"Did you know?" Grace asked Elena, who was trying very hard to stifle her laughter.
"He told me on our tenth anniversary," Elena answered.
"I'd had a little too much to drink, and my mouth got away from me," Andrew admitted. "Anyway, less about me and more about the newly engaged couple. Congratulations, you two, despite all of Elena's machinations, I never thought you'd get here." He lifted his drink to them.
"What machinations?" Christian asked.
"Come on, you must have suspected," Ana said, surprised he had no idea.
"No." He shook his head for emphasis.
"I will fill you in later." Ana chuckled.
"Mrs. Lincoln." A well-dressed man interrupted them. "I'm Stephen Bright. My boy is starting Seattle Prep this fall, and I would consider it a great personal favor if you would accept him into your tutoring program this year." He handed her his card with a nod and walked back to his table.
Carrick stared after Bright as he walked away. "Wow, that is Judge Bright, currently the youngest judge on the bench. Certainly not a bad man to have owing you one."
"Don't care who he is. The parents don't dictate who I tutor." Elena left the card on the table.
"And to think it all started with Christian." Grace smiled warmly at her friend. "Elena, I can't thank you enough," Grace added.
"I remember when Annie went from failing trig to getting an A minus, I was astounded. We had gotten her various tutors, paying thousands of dollars, all of them useless." Carla chuckled. "Here you were just down the road, Christian keeping you all to himself." Carla punched his shoulder halfheartedly.
"Ouch." Christian quipped.
"Yep, glared at me for months," Ana added gleefully.
"My secret was out; worse, you were dating that idiot." He grumbled. Despite getting the girl, he still had a real issue with her dating that asshole.
"I know what your problem is," Ana whispered in his ear.
"What problem would that be?" He asked, amused.
"You think I lost my virginity to him." Despite his impassive look, that was precisely what he thought. "Well, Mr. Grey… it would please you to know I lost it in college." She smiled, knowing he had a million and one questions.
"I'm getting a drink. Do you want one?" He asked instead.
Ana threw her head back in laughter. "No, I'm good."
With the formal part of the event over, he was ready to head home, especially now that Ana lived with him. They'd raised a couple of million for the new shelter. Unfortunately, that was far from enough. GEH and others would donate about that much every year to keep the place going. Even though it was cheaper overall to prevent homelessness. "Christian," Carrick called, joining him at the bar.
"Scotch, neat," Christian ordered.
"I know I should have said this a long time ago. I was wrong…"
Christian quickly interjected. "I wish I could say I wanted an apology from you, but the truth is, I don't care. There were three of us and yet you only pinned your hopes of having someone follow in your footsteps on me. I never understood that, getting into Harvard, didn't mean I was automatically going to follow your lead. I never once gave you the impression that it was what I wanted, but you didn't care. That was the day I stopped caring what you thought. You are my father; that will never change, and despite it all, I still love you. I wish I were sure you felt the same. What's worse is this apology coming after your firm failed to land Ezra Carmichael. First, it was the daughter he's desperate to marry off. Then it was GEH, the company you thought wasn't worth the paper it was written on. If it were only up to you, GEH wouldn't exist, and yet you have no qualms about using my company and me to reel in your whale." Without waiting for a response, Christian walked away.
Christian took a sip of his lemonade and grimaced. Elena liked it a little too sharp for his liking. "There is hardly any sugar in this." He complained.
"Sugar is not good for you, and I'm trying to get Linc to reduce his sugar intake." Christian laughed at the idea of Linc giving up sugar. Although, if anyone was likely to succeed, it was Elena.
"I know parents have no say in who you decide to tutor, but I was hoping you would make an exception." He mumbled.
"Make an exception for…" Her smile took over her face. "We both know I will always make an exception for you and Ana. Congratulations, Christian… you two will make great parents." She cheered. "My hair will be completely gray by then, but as long as I still have my faculties, I will be very happy tutoring." She laughed.
"Amen to that." In truth, they hadn't planned on getting pregnant so soon after getting married, but life had other ideas. Within six months of marriage, they were expecting.
"Are you happy?" Elena asked.
"I am beyond ecstatic, and at the same time, I am freaking out." He laughed and took a sip of his lemonade, forgetting the bitter taste. "This shit really needs sugar." He grumbled.
"Well, on this occasion, I have no advice unless he or she turns out to be a little shit." She thought back fondly to the angry boy that had sat in that same spot drinking lemonade.
"I know where to send them then." He whispered more to himself.
"How come you and Andrew never had any kids." He always wondered why.
"It's simple; we didn't want them. I never had any desire to have children, and neither did Linc. For a while, I thought he only said that because I made it clear from the very beginning, I didn't want them. When his mother thought I would try to convince him otherwise, I realized he honestly had no desire to have kids. He later told me that no matter how much he loved me, he would have walked away if I wanted kids."
"Wow, but you guys are so good with…"
"With near adults." She clarified quickly. "Babies are an entirely different ball game."
"I find myself looking forward to it. I've been unable to wipe the smile off my face since I found out." He was truly ready for fatherhood.
Ana joined him at Elena's after she finished her shift, with Linc arriving a few minutes later; they stayed for dinner.
With Andrew more than likely getting in Elena's way in the kitchen, Christian and Ana made themselves comfortable in the atrium. "So, what do you think… boy or girl." Christian splayed his hand on her stomach.
"Oh, I don't care as long as it's healthy." As a pediatric surgeon, Ana saw her fair share of sick kids to truly appreciate the gift of having a healthy baby.
"Couldn't agree more." He sighed contentedly. "Have I told you how much I love you?"
"You did. I love you too." She whispered.
"Linc, out of my kitchen." Elena bellowed. The pair cracked up laughing at the sight of Andrew with his hangdog expression.
"Yeah, I should know better." He murmured.
AN: I bet you all thought the Influence was Ana.