My dear little broccolis💚💚💚
💚 Give Me The Daddy, I'll Give You The Sugar 💚
Twenty-three years old Ana has had a hard life and is, now, struggling between two jobs to pay for her studies. She's through with people, having been left down one too many times. But what happens when a certain man finds interest in her?
‼️Rated M - {Out Of Characters/All Human/Alternate Universe}‼️
‼️Romance/Angst/Drama/Lemons‼️
‼️AS/CG/The Greys/The Steeles/José Rodriguez/Elena Lincoln‼️
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Chapter 8: Pancakes & Irish-coffees (7,2K)
There will the mention of a song in this chapter, it's called Hasta Siempre, Comandante. You can check it out (the female version) on YouTube so you know how it sounds and all.
When Ana woke up the next morning, she kept her eyes closed for a moment, smiling with peace for she felt so comfortable. It was only after a minute or two that she realised that her comfort came from a foreign body pressed against her.
She frowned, blinking her eyes open as the even of the previous night came slowly back to her. She remembered how Grace Grey had assumed that she would share a bed with Christian, and how Christian and her ended up talking before she fell asleep. She recalled how she told Christian about the fact that she did not have any family waiting for her, unlike Christian, and how this had always been her life.
As her brain started un-fogging, she found herself facing Christian, though he was still sleeping, unconsciously holding her in his arms. She looked at his face, seeing it peaceful for the first time of her life. Christian always kept his face shaven, which in Ana's mind made him automatically look younger than he was. And yet, she always pictured him as someone older than her. Probably because he was always worrying about something. Whereas now, all she could see was a man peacefully sleeping.
For a second, she hesitated, before she brought her hand to his face and gently caressed his jaw, barely feeling the tingle of his growing stubble. She had always found men with beards more attractive, to begin with, so she couldn't help but wonder what Christian Grey would look like with facial hair.
She let herself get lost in her own world, appreciating seeing this side of Christian that he kept from the entire world, and when her fingers went higher up his cheek, he deeply inhaled and held her closer to him, burying her face in his chest. Ana smiled with content, admitting to herself that no matter what, she had missed the spooning part of a relationship ever since she broke things with Henry.
She had never been a very tactile person, and this had been more than once an issue with Henry who was a sucker for hugs and kisses. But she always liked the spooning part. There was something sweet and intimate about it that made her warm from the inside.
So, she closed her eyes and leaned into Christian, listening to his heartbeat, when she realised how wrong this was. She was not supposed to feel intimate with Christian, in any sense of the terms. They only had a business relationship, and a contract to reinforce it. Nothing else. Intimate was not a word she should use when in Christian's presence.
As silently and delicately as possible, she extirpated herself from Christian's arms, hating herself for finding herself so comfortable in the arms of a man who was practically her boss; and she left his bedroom as quietly as she could. She was a bit surprised that Christian was still sleeping, mostly because she had always pictured him as a light sleeper and an early riser like her.
In fact, Jose often made fun of her when she would go to sleep early because she knew that no matter what time she would go to bed, she would always wake up with the sun. She knew that many people disagreed with her, and said that she ought to have more sleep for her health, but she had learnt over the years to listen to her body and follow its natural instincts.
She tiptoed her way downstairs, the silence of the house making her feel like she was in a horror movie, about to die for venturing on her own in unknown territories. But then again, it was barely seven in the morning on a Sunday morning. Even horror movie monsters needed their beauty sleep.
Once downstairs, she tried to remember where the kitchen was, but her quest was interrupted when she heard some noise coming from a room. She knocked on the door and entered, seeing the two boys watching cartoons, wrapped in blankets. They turned their heads to her and waved at her so she would join in.
"We're watching Batman because it's Jason's turn to chose. Otherwise, we would watch Superman," Julian said, pouting as Ana sat next to him.
"I actually quite like Batman. I think he is far more clever than Superman."
Jason brightly smiled at her, before childishly sticking his tongue out to his brother and offering a bit of his blanket to Ana. She let him snuggled against her, looking at the boys blanket with interest. Julian had Superman printed on his, whilst Jason had Batman, both from the animated series.
"So, I take it that you're more of a Superman fan."
"No, he likes the Joker. But Nan says no baddies."
It was Julian's turn to pout as Jason explained to Ana the rule that Grace Grey had imposed on her grandchildren, and once again, she saw Christian and Elliott in his pout. Which was odd given the fact that they were not blood-related. She guessed he simply lived with Elliott for so long that he had unconsciously copied his mannerisms.
She leaned and whispered in Julian's ear, "Everyone loves a bad guy. Especially one who has style."
"And the Joker is smarter than Batman."
They exchange a mischievous look and kept on watching the cartoon, and after two episodes, Jason turned to Ana and told her that he was hungry.
"How about I show you how to make pancakes?" She proposed to Julian's greatest pleasure.
She had just given the idea because she knew how much Christian enjoyed her pancakes and that today was the last day she would get to make him any. But now that she was seeing the boys so enthusiast at the prospect of cooking, she did not regret her decision.
When they entered the kitchen, there was a maid there who promptly got to her feet, but Julian dismissed her, saying that they would make the breakfast. The maid left, not without curiously glancing at Ana, and making her wonder if she had crossed some sort of boundaries.
She dismissed the idea, though, focusing on the two little boys as she helped Jason wash his hands. Then, she made him stand on a chair, and stood behind him, making him feel like he was doing the mixing by himself as she explained to Julian,
"The secret to making any baked good fluffy is in the flour. You need to strain it at least once. And today, we will add a pinch of soda powder with a zest of lemon."
"I don't like lemon!" Jason exclaimed, turning his head to Ana with indignation.
"Oh, we will put just a teeny tiny bit. You'll never know. But it's the magic you need to make good pancakes. Look"
On a separate bowl, she put a bit of soda powder and squeezed a lemon over it. As soon as the liquid touched the powder, the chemical reaction occurred, making both boys marvel with wonders at what just happened in front of them.
"We should put a lot," Julian solemnly said, his eyes still sparkling at the 'magic' he just witnessed.
"No. Too much magic is never good. Just a pinch. Always remember, too much of a good thing is never good. But now, you know my little secret," She said with a wink, and the two boys smiled.
Julian mixed his ingredients in his bowl, feeling so important when he added the 'magic' and just as they started flipping regular pancakes, Jason tugged on Ana's arm and whispered in her ear,
"Can you make me a Batman pancake?"
She smiled and picked him up so he could see what she was doing. "I can try."
She was still eyeing Julian next to her, making sure he did not burn himself, but the boy seemed ecstatic at the idea of cooking something on his own. He would not shut up on how his father was a terrible cook and they always ate out our at their grandparents, and he never was allowed in the kitchen. He also let it slip that his mommy used to make them pancakes every Sunday morning, and that was the first time he'd have homemade pancakes since she died.
Ana had to say that she was surprised at how well Julian seemed to adjust to the fact that his mother was dead, and she gave without a doubt the credits to Elliott. It seemed that, despite his poor cooking and narrating skills, Elliott had managed to ease the grief on the little boy.
As they were finishing their last pancakes, with a few misshaped ones, Ana proposed them to show them how to make real hot cocoa. This time, she even allowed Jason to stir the chocolated milk over the stove, though he was safely secured in her arms. And then, she showed Julian how to make proper and firm whipped cream.
They were in the middle of tasting it (it was Jason's third taste) when Grace entered the kitchen, dressed in a night robe. Jason squealed when he saw his grandmother and ran into her arms, letting her know with pride, "We made breakfast!"
"Did you, now? Is it edible, though?"
"Yes, it is. Ana showed us. She even showed us magic!" Jason said, pulling his grandmother toward the table where the pancakes and whipped cream were. He showed her a stack of pancakes, and proudly added,
"I made them."
Grace looked at the pancakes with interest and picked one of the misshapen one, the one Jason had tried to guide Ana's hand to make a heart. She took a bite on it, and her face showed surprise that she liked what she was eating.
"Nan, you have to try one of mine!" Julian said, showing her his stack, and Grace smiled at her grandson, not showing any different sort of love to that child who had no blood relation to her. If anything, Ana was sure that Julian would always be the most spoilt grandchildren for being the first one.
"Okay, how about I ask Angela to bring everything to the dining room so we can all eat together. And go wake up your father, tell him you made pancakes," She said after finishing one of Julian's pancakes.
Julian beamed with pride, especially when his grandmother leaned to kiss his cheek, and Jason tugged Ana by the arm once again, so he could kiss her cheek and he whispered in her ear, "Make sure Nan doesn't eat all my pancakes. I know they're better."
Then the two boys rushed outside under the very amused eyes of the tow women, and it suddenly occurred to Ana that Jason was speaking very well for a three-year-old. But then again, from the interaction she saw with Elliott and Grace, no one babied him. They spoke to him the same way they spoke to Julian, and that probably helped him develop his speech in a better way.
As she realised that she was alone with Christian's mother, she started busying herself with cleaning the little mess they made with the boys, but Grace interrupted her,
"Oh, leave it, dear. Angela will take care of that. She's probably not used to not cook in the first place, though."
Ana repressed arguing, though now she saw that leaving a mess behind for servants was a Grey trait, and not just a Christian one. She turned so she could face the matriarch, not wanting to be rude, and found Grace looking at her with her kind eyes.
"With, or without makeup, you are very beautiful."
"Thank you, Mrs Grey."
"Grace. Don't go making me feel older than I am. I already have grandkids for that." Ana smiled, not really sure of what she should say or do. "In fact, they seem to like you. But then again, kids like anyone willing to spend time with them and sow them a bit of magic."
"Oh, I didn't mean to intrude. I just —"
"I'm not complaining, Elliott said you were a good baker, and from those pancakes, I believe him. Though I should warn you. Christian has a terrible sweet tooth."
"I noticed."
Grace smiled, and in that simple smile, Ana could see how much she loved her son, which made her feel even more uncomfortable because of her deception. She watched the matriarch looked through the cupboard and take out of it apple syrup and jam as she said,
"We didn't get much the chance to talk yesterday. And knowing Christian, we probably won't get that chance again. I never got to ask, how did you two meet. You seem so … different."
"I … er … I was working when we met, and we got to know each other whenever he would come to New York before he made his intentions known," Ana said, staying as truthful but vague as possible.
"Oh, yes. Elliott mentioned that you worked in a hotel. I guess it's the only place you would ever get to see Christian. He also mentioned that you're studying law."
"Yes."
"First-year?"
"Yes."
"And how old does that make you?"
"Twenty-four."
"So you almost have a ten years gap with Christian," Grace lightly noted and Ana finally saw the psychiatrist.
For a moment, she wasn't sure what to do. Grace was obviously probing her to know if she was a gold-digging whore. And in many ways, she was. She was with Christian because he paid her (more than well) to do so. But still, though the opportunity never came, she liked to think that she would have agreed to help Christian in his masquerade even if he hadn't paid her a penny. It just would have been harder because she would have needed to keep on working.
Grace expectantly smiled to her, waiting for Ana to react to that age gad comment, though the truth was Ana rarely thought of that. Of course, Grace was exaggerating, there were only eight years and a few months between Christian and her, but she never felt that age gap.
"I … I don't want to be rude, Mrs Grey, but I can see where your questions are going. And I understand, I truly do. If I had a son like Christian, I'd do my best to protect him from any kind of harm. I mean, your son is … filthy rich, but also has a sweet and generous soul, though he keeps it very well hidden. And he is your son, of course, you're going to worry about him.
Now, I'm not going to lie and pretend that my relationship with Christian doesn't have some … advantages that I never even dreamed of in my previous relationships. But … Christian and I also have a connection that I never had with any of my exes. We understand each other, and we know what to expect from the other. Maybe it's not what you would have wanted for your son, but that's what we have."
Grace looked at her, making her feel as if she was laying on a couch and Grace was taking notes about her, her personality, her relationship with Christian. At this precise moment, she wished Christian had never told her that his mother was a psychiatrist. She was sure that this knowledge was making her paranoid concerning Grace's reactions and intentions.
"I appreciate your honesty. At least you go straight for the issue. And … I'm not saying you're a bad person, far from it. You just spent two hours with two little boys you didn't know, and they clearly loved it.
I just … Christian has always been that kid more generous than he should. He might be the youngest one, but Elliott will tell you, he feels like he is Christian's baby brother. Christian just likes to help people, from a shadow. As you said, he doesn't like to show it.
And, despite that sweet side of him, despite the fact that he's always been good at reading people for business purposes, he has always been a terrible judge of character when it comes to his personal life. I guess that's one of the reasons why he remained single for so long."
"I noticed," Was all Ana said, but she could tell that Grace wanted to say something else. "How about, for a minute or two, we forget about propriety and you just tell me what's on your heart. I won't be offended, I promise. As I said, I understand your point-of-view."
"I … I told you, you seem like a very sweet girl. And … I guess what I'd like from you is if Christian is just a way for you to fill your bank account, don't let him get attached. Christian doesn't know how to only get partially involved. If you're in just for the money, make sure he is aware of it, somehow."
Grace looked at her with apologetic eyes, obviously feeling bad for what she just said, but Ana reassuringly smiled at her, nodding her agreement. Christian knew exactly where they stood, so there was no fear of involvement between them.
She didn't resent Grace for her words, though she wasn't sure if she would be so understanding if she had really been dating Christian. But before she could find any way to diffuse the small tension between them, Carrick came into the room, lovingly kissing his wife's neck and wrapping his arm around her waist as he said,
"Let the girl be, Grace. Christian is a big boy, and he can make his own decisions and mistakes without you being a mother hen about it." Then he smiled to Ana, though he was still lovingly holding his wife,
"I for one, am happy that you're in his life. Short or long term, we heard more from Christian over the past six months than we did over the past decade. And I'm sure it's thanks to you. moreover, I have a hard time believing someone volunteering to help the homeless can be that bad, to begin with."
Ana looked down, slightly embarrassed both by Carrick's words, as well as his display of affection toward his wife. She didn't want to intrude, but neither of them seemed to mind. Maybe this was how normal parents behaved when they loved each other, but how would she know.
"Anyway, a little bird told me we had hot cocoa and pancakes for breakfast, and I'm famished," Carrick said as he showed the two women to the dining room where Elliott and his boys were already sitting.
Jason waved at Ana and excitedly asked her to sit by his side, which she did, enticing that Christian was still sleeping to no one's surprise. As they ate breakfast, a lot of praises were given to the boys for their very good cooking skills, and Julian couldn't help smiling, especially when Jason mentioned the secret magic that only the two of them knew.
Jason talked a lot to Ana, though she interrupted him a couple of times to tell him to eat between two words. He was so excited to have someone knew with whom he could talk about Batman, though he was disappointed when she told him that he was her favourite superhero.
And finally, Christian came in the dining room, glaring at the very low stack of pancakes as Ana took in his appearance. Like the rest of them, he was still in his PJs, his hair clear proof that he had just rolled out of bed. His grey eyes went from the table to her, and he took a seat at her other side, kissing her cheek as he did so.
"Sleeping Beauty is finally awake. I thought I was going to have to send Ana up there to kiss you awake, or something."
Christian ignored his brother's taunt, taking for himself a few pancakes and raising an eyebrow up when he inherited one of the many Batman one. He rubbed his eyes, trying to shake away his sleepiness, and when his mother inquired how he was doing, he couldn't repress the yawn that came before his answer.
"I'm fine Mom. Just overslept for the first time in years. My body is still trying to understand."
"Well, you used to be a late bird. Maybe being back home brings back the old habits."
"I don't think that's the reason, Mom. I think Christian stayed up until early in the morning, but unlike his game companion, he can't assume when it's time to get up. Christian is just getting old," Elliott teased with a smirk, making Ana blush a deep red. In fact, she hadn't felt that embarrassed in years.
Julian turned an obfuscated head to Christian, injustice written all over it, as he inquired, "You played video games all night long? How is that fair, Nan? You said no video games before going to bed!"
The whole table laughed, except for the two boys who didn't understand what was funny about repeating some essential house rules.
The two boys left the table, though Jason asked Ana to come upstairs with them, so she could do the funny voices again, and without much of a choice, she followed him up, though, Elliott jokingly shouted, "Stop spoiling my kids! They're going to realise I'm a bad father otherwise!"
Once in the boys' bedroom, Jason jumped on his bed, and immediately turned and put his forefinger on his lips, letting Ana on a secret, "Shhh. Nan said no jumping on the bed."
"It's just because she doesn't want you to fall down and hurt your head. You're not Superman, you don't have healing superpowers."
Jason looked down on his feet, though he stopped jumping on his bed and sat there as Julian asked Ana if she liked playing video games, complaining that Jason was too lame, and his father too good.
"How about your friends at school? Don't you have play dates with them?"
Julian bit his lip, and murmured, "No one invites me to birthday parties. That's why I wanted to bring cookies for my birthday, so maybe I could make friends."
"Oh, Julian …" Ana started. she knew that his approach was not healthy and that he shouldn't bait people into being his friends. But in the meantime, she knew that at his age, it was important to fit in, and it seemed kids in his school had decided to ostracise him.
"I could show you via FaceTime if your Dad is okay with it," She proposed, earning a sweet smile from the boy who jumped in her arms and hugged her.
Jason clapped his hand, joining in the hug, and happily declared, "Yay. Ana can be our mommy!"
This made her lose all the blood from her face, whilst Julian sat down, looking at his brother with sadness. Ana looked around, seeing first the picture of a blonde woman by the bedside where Julian slept and she took it, feeling someone else's gaze on her. She turned her head and saw both Christian and Elliott leaning by the doorframe, Christian with his face as cold and unreadable as usual, whilst Elliott seemed at a loss of words, just like her.
She showed the picture to Jason, taking him back on her laps as she gently told him,
"I could never replace your mommy, Jason. She was someone special, and special people can never be replaced. And I know you don't remember her, but you have your daddy and your big brother to help you with that. And you have the next best thing to a mommy. You have and Nan and a Pops who love you and your brother very very much."
"It's not the same. I want a mommy."
"I'm sorry, Jason. I know it hurts to not have a mommy. But I can't be your mommy. I can be your friend, though. So I never have to do the annoying things moms and dads do, like ground you and make sure you brush your teeth. Tell you what, next time I come to Seattle, the three of us can do anything you like. How about that?"
Jason sadly nodded, and Ana kissed his cheek before glancing in Elliott's direction once again, hoping that she had said the right words. And it seemed she did, he smiled with gratitude whilst Christian staid impassible by his brother's side, and Ana squinted her eyes at the man pretending to be her boyfriend, silently pointing at Elliott with her eyes for Christian to do the human thing.
When he finally picked up and awkwardly patted his brother's shoulder, Ana returned her attention to the boys and saw that Julian was holding a guitar to her.
"Mom used to play the guitar. But Dad can only play the piano. Besides, he can't sing."
"Oh … I just know how to play that one song, Julian."
"It's one more than Dad."
"Hey! You are aware that your old man is standing right here, right?" Elliott exclaimed with pretend hurt. Ana put Jason on the bed next to her and took the guitar in her hands. She played a few notes, and turned to the two men by the door,
"It's a song that implies a lot of strong opinions."
"As long as it's not about lollipops and buns," Elliott shrugged, though his youngest son protested,
"I want a song about lollies!"
The three adults chuckled, and Ana played the first few notes of the only song she knew to play on a guitar, even though the song was rather simple to play. She knew by heart many songs, mostly because she loved singing. Whilst cooking, under the shower, whilst cleaning. She always had a tune in mind. But she never owned a guitar. She learnt to play that particular song in the streets, borrowing the guitar from someone who was in the same condition as her.
As soon as she started singing, Elliott's grin grew so wide, that for a second, she thought the Cheshire Cat had replaced him. He bumped into Christian's shoulder who, unsurprisingly did not react, his eyes solely on Ana. She kept on singing, smiling to the kids, and understanding why Julian said his father couldn't sing when Elliott joined on the last two choruses.
When she was done, three of the four Grey applauded, and Ana put the guitar down as Jason quickly reclaimed his place on her laps.
"What language was that?" Julian asked.
"Spanish."
"What is the song about?"
"About … a great man name Che Guevara who fought so many countries could be free."
"Like George Washington?"
"Che was a better man than George Washington, son. He fought for a country that wasn't his, to begin with," Elliott explained, and his son turned an interesting head to him. "I'll tell you about him next weekend. How about that?"
Julian beamed, before taking the guitar and trying (and failing) to recreate the song Ana had just sung, accompanied by his brother who happily joined the yoghurt song.
"Didn't know you could speak Spanish," Christian finally spoke, and Ana shrugged, getting up so she could get away now that it seemed both boys were occupied elsewhere.
"Ladies have many secrets. A gentleman knows when to ask, and when to not pry."
"I thought we both agreed I was not interested in the lady side of your personality," He immediately retorted, and though she knew she should pretend as if nothing, or play on his banter like she always did, she couldn't help but glance at his brother who was smirking at them.
"Oh, young love. though, if you want someone who is interested in the lady side of your personality, I am more than at your service. And unlike that oaf, here, I do not how to be a gentleman and how to behave. You're like the perfect woman."
"Believe me, I'm far from perfect."
"Well, you cook, you sing and you make the funny voices. You're perfect for me. Especially the singing part, I can't sing for my life."
"I heard," She laughed, standing at the threshold with the two men, and Christian looked at her from head to toe, in his pyjamas that were too big for her.
"Ana loves to sing. Especially blues and jazz songs from the fifties and sixties," He nonchalantly said, making Ana realise that he must have heard her sing every time he had been home and she had been sure he would be too deep into work to hear her.
"So, Christian? How does it feel for a capitalist such as yourself to have a girlfriend who likes El Che?"
"Oh… and there I thought you were the most cultured Grey," Ana said with an exaggerated condescendence, tapping on Elliott's chest,
"Che was not against capitalism, he was against the USA. In fact, there were certain aspects of capitalism that appealed to Karl Marx. It's all about balance."
Elliott smirked at her, with that same smirk that she now called the infamous Grey smirk. She had even seen it on Carrick a couple of times during the dinner last night.
"I dumped on your heroes, so your dumping on mine?"
"If you think cheating on your wife makes you a bad person, don't look into El Che's history, then. you'll have nightmares. now, I'm going to have a shower, I have a plane in the afternoon."
She started walking away, though Christian soon joined her as Elliott shouted at him, "Don't blow it, Peanut. I like your girlfriend. I want to keep her!"
.~°~. .~°~. .~°~.
Later in the afternoon, Ana was flying first class back to New York, accompanied by Christian. For the first couple of hours, they were both in their own world, Ana making sure her notes were all perfectly organised, and her classes hadn't disappeared from her laptop, and Christian working on whatever business he was working on at the moment.
She was barely aware of him getting up, or him coming back from his bathroom break. What made her look up was the fact that he did not go back to work, and instead looked at her with curiosity.
"Something wrong with my face?"
"No. Your face is perfect the way it is," He said, his lips going up as his eyes drifted slightly down. She swallowed, readjusting her jumper as she asked,
"Something you'd like to say, then?"
"I'm just … curious. You haven't said a word about yesterday evening or this morning, and this is very much unlike you. Did my mother manage to corner you whilst I was sleeping?"
She rolled her eyes, "Your mother is just a Mom, as you explained yesterday night. Stop fretting about it. She just loves you and worries about like any other Mom should."
Christian nodded, though he did not go back to his papers. Instead, his eyes ravaged her face once again, before he leaned and whispered as if he was sharing a dirty secret,
"You talk in your sleep."
"I know."
Apparently, this was not the thing to say, because he recoiled and resumed his previous position. Once again, she rolled her eyes and let him know, "You can't get jealous of my past. I had a life before you, and I'll have a life after you."
"I know. You just don't have to be so cavalier about it."
"Sorry. So what did I say?"
"It was creepy to be fair because you were so articulate. Then, broccoli and carrots came in the mix, and I dearly hope it wasn't a sex dream."
She smirked, "Afraid of a little competition?"
"In the shape of broccoli and carrots? You really are a freak in the sheets. Just not the one I had in mind."
She shook her head, closing her laptop and looking straight into his beautiful eyes, as he hesitantly said, "I was wondering … do you remember anything of your biological parents?"
"Not really. I don't really care anymore. They belong to my past, and … I just want to focus on the present and the future that will come out of it."
He nodded, seemingly lost in his thought, and so she assumed this would be a good time as any, "So … since we're talking about last night, can I say something that I'd like you to do?
"As long as it doesn't involve broccolis and carrots."
"Try to spend more time with your brother and his kids. They're adorable, and I'm sure your brother would love spending time with you. Maybe once a month. Even if it's just for an hour."
.~°~. .~°~. .~°~.
Two weeks later, Christian asked for her to accompany him to a charity gala. She hadn't seen him since they had come back to New York after his birthday, but in all fairness, she didn't mind much, because she got to focus more on her studies. They haven't even been much in contact because Christian had been in Honk Kong over the past two weeks, settling some business about a merger.
He still sent a few texts here and there, and for the first time in their relationship, he even tried to persuade her to skip school so she could be with him of course, because all of those conversations happened over text, Ana couldn't be sure if it was just a joke or if Christian had been serious about it, though she was sure he was just playing around like they usually did.
The gala in itself half nothing extraordinary. All the glamour had lost its shine to Ana after the first one. No matter how many times Raymond and Christian had tried to explain that rich people liked to make a show of how much they gave to charity, she still couldn't understand. Just the catering money would be enough to feed a whole family for a year.
She was sure that if she was rich like those people, she wouldn't make a big deal showing that she helped those who needed it. But then again, unlike most of those people, she had been on the other end of the spectrum and she knew how much different a simple buck could make.
Often, being with Christian for so much money made her feel bad, and she thought of donating most of it away. But she kept on saving it, always waiting for Christian to be tired of the masquerade and letting her go. Because she had already been in the street, she wanted to make sure it would never happen again.
This was something she often discussed with Madame Elena since she had had a similar experience in her youth, though the older woman always assured her that she could hardly see Christian kick her out from the blue. In fact, Madame Elena often had the same fantasy tale as Jose that Christian and her would have the same one in a million same luck as she had in her past.
Neither of them would shut up about Christian asking her to spend his birthday week with him, and her meeting his parents by the end of that week. No matter how many time she explained that it had been a very unlucky turn of events, they were both swooning as if her life was a stupid fairy tale.
"What are you thinking of so intensely?" Christian asked, startling her out of her thoughts and bringing her to the present moment. She smiled, dismissing her moment of wander, and Christian presented his hand to her so they could dance together.
He had barely let go of her all gala, always keeping his hand on her smaller back, or her hand when they were eating. But after having spent a little time with the Grey, she couldn't really blame Christian for being so tactile. This was the example he had been shown all his life, she saw it first hand from his parents.
"Here, have some calvados, Anastasia. It will help you feel a bit less tense," Carrick Grey told her, giving her a glass with two fingers of clear liquor in it.
Ana politely smiled, eying the glass as she said, "Just Ana. and, I'm okay Mr Grey, I —"
"Mr Grey? My father died ten years ago, sweetheart. It's Carrick. I think you're too nervous for the more affectionate nicknames. And if you don't drink, I'm going to assume you're pregnant and let my wife know all about it,"
She promptly took the glass, not wanting to put that kind of idea in Grace Grey's mind, though she did not shy away from telling him, "This is what we call blackmail, Carrick."
Carrick openly laughed, not the slightest ashamed of what he did, and Ana downed her drink in one gulp.
"That's the spirit. Christian is a real pussy when it comes to calvados. He prefers brown liquors."
"Isn't calvados traditionally a brown liquor?"
"Oh, you know your liquors. It is. But this one is special. And Christian really doesn't like it. Though I'm sure if you cook something out of it, he'll like it," Carrick added with a smile, making Ana slightly frown.
But just at that moment, both Christian and his mother appeared, Christian looking at the glass in Ana's hand as he jokingly said,
"Trying to get the girl drunk won't get you nowhere, Dad. Ana used to work in a bar, and is very judgmental of people when they drink before a certain time."
Ana did not retort anything, feeling that it would be bad form to let his parents know that 50MIL tried to drown his sorrows when it was barely nine in the morning, and that made her entitled to judge however much she wanted. Inserted, she focused on Christian's parents, who shared a quick hug, though did not part afterwards.
Carrick kissed his wife, before whispering in her ear loud enough for both Ana and Christian to hear, "Did you know that Ana here made lasagna from scratch for Christian's birthday. Some things never change."
"Dad," Christian growled, taking Ana's hand as if he wanted to walk to someone else, but Ana stayed rooted, interested in this. Elliott had also shown interest when he learned that she was cooking lasagna.
"Oh, that is so sweet of you, Anastasia," Grace exclaimed.
"Ana," She rectified the woman, and Carrick explained,
"I'm pretty sure that Christian could kill for a good lasagna. When he was eight, it was the only food he would eat, and even after that very boring period for my tastebuds, he still always asked for lasagna when we would ask what he wanted."
Ana chuckled, picturing a mini Christian throwing tantrums and demanding lasagna for breakfast, and when she was met with his cold and impenetrable face, she tickled his side, "Cheer up. Or I'll never make you lasagna again."
"See, she already knows how it works in a marriage. Blackmail around food and sex," Carrick joked to his wife, before sweetly kissing her neck and walking her to some other guests.
"I miss my daily pancakes," Christian let her know as they waltzed on the dancefloor. She rolled her eyes, not surprised since he did send her a few pictures of empty plates with a crying emoji and him wondering where were his pancakes. To which she always replied with the pancake emoji.
"I'm sure you do. Maybe, when you get back to Seattle, you should go and visit your brother. I'm sure Julian would love to make you some. Next Sunday, maybe?"
"I saw Elliott last week."
"I meant physically see him, not FaceTime. But I'm glad you're being in touch with your brother."
"I have to. Twice a year I have to see how his company is doing."
"What do you mean?"
"Elliott developed an app shortly after I launched my company. I gave him all the money and technology he needed, in exchange for being co-owner when the app boomed. He owns most of it, but people think of my name when they see the App, not his. Which suits him. He can work from home and have his sweet normal life with his kids."
Ana nodded, not sure how she was feeling about that. "I thought you didn't mix business and pleasure?"
"I don't. As I said, just my name is on the thing. Elliott gets all the money that comes from it. I gave it to him when I made my first billion and realised it was dangerous to mix money and family. I don't want that to become an issue between us. We already have enough of those."
"So, why does he give you reports twice a year?"
"To be a pain in my ass?"
"Or maybe, it's the only way he found to talk to you. I think you should go and see him when you go back to Seattle."
Christian deeply inhaled, clearly keeping for himself what he was thinking, though she could see it on his face. He didn't want to talk about him and his relationship with his brother anymore. She sweetly smiled at him and reached to kiss his cheek as she let him know,
"I just want you to find balance when you're in Seattle. We talked about this, you need balance in your life, and not just work."
"Well, you could come to Seattle," He all but blurted out, and this made her stop with their dancing so she could look into his grey eyes.
She didn't like the way it naturally came to him or the way it made her insides melt. For a moment, they just looked at each other, wondering which one would be the one to bring them to reason, and to no one's surprise, it was Ana who spoke first and brought them back to reality,
"I'm studying here, Christian. And I have a job lined up for September."
"I know, I know. I was just teasing," He assured her, resuming their waltz, his infamous smirk back on his lips.
She kept on looking at him, feeling that he hadn't been as playful as he was saying, and he yanked her a bit closer to him, so their bodies would touch as he let go of one of her hands to caress her cheek,
"But I won't pretend that I don't like spending time with you when I'm here. It's actually the highlight of my stay, each and every time. And it always makes me want to come back to New York when I'm in Seattle."
"Christian …" She started, unsure of where he was trying to go. It wasn't like the other times when he teased her. This time, there was something different, something more about saying what he had on his mind, and not just trying to get the better word.
He leaned in, bringing his mouth to her ear so his lips caressed her lobe, and she couldn't help but feel that this was a very intimate position, especially when there were so many people around them.
"Just stop overthinking and take the compliment, Ana.
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💚Your thoughts and opinions are always welcomed💚
💚If you're reading this for the first time, what did you think? And if it's the second time around, what do you think?
💚 I'm always curious about your favourite part, and what you think will happen next, so let me know.
💚 We know a bit more about Christian's family. What do you think about it? Elliott? And the little guys?
💚 What do you think of Ana in this chapter? And Christian? Especially Christian?
💚 What do you think will happen next?
💚 E L James owns the names of the characters from the Fifty Shades franchise, Everything else is mine (including the mistakes and grammar errors).
Love, Mina 💚💚💚