Thank you to those to take the time to review. I know I don't update often enough (every 3 weeks). I have noticed not a lot of people review/follow/favorite this story or I have lost readers because of it. I have a question for you all regarding my updating schedule. Do you prefer I update every 3 weeks (so I have time to write/my beta to edit the chapters) or do you want me to finish the story and then update more often? I have to warn you, though. It may take me awhile to finish this story. I have a poll set up on my profile page, so feel free to participate unless you prefer to tell me your thoughts in the review box. Enjoy this update and please kindly review. I don't own 50 shades.
Title: FSOG: From Heartbreak to Happiness?
Summary: Ana and Christian both suffered heartbreak from their last relationship with other people. Christian from his first attempt at one and Ana after getting cheated on. Once they meet, it's obvious there is a spark. But the question is, can they conquer their fears of getting hurt again?
Chapter 21
***Next Day After Work***
(At Kate and Ana's apartment, they were so glad work was done for the day. They settle down on the couch and compare notes on their lives)
Kate: "How's work treating you? It seems like it's been forever since we've talked about our personal lives."
Ana: "I hear ya. We'll talk about our dire situation in a bit." (smirks) "We need to catch up on our love lives."
(Kate shows a shocked face and it widens as she speaks)
Kate: "Anastasia Rose Steele! It's been a long time since I've seen you like this." (laughs) "Okay, something good must have happened if you're being this sassy. Give me all the details."
Ana: (hesitantly) "Okay, I met someone. But there's a problem."
Kate: (confused) "What's the problem?"
Ana: (nervously) "He's my….boss."
(Kate looks at Ana with surprise. She gasps as she speaks)
Kate: "Christian? Christian Grey is your boss? He's the guy that you're hot for?!"
(Ana shakes her head and rests her pointer finger near her mouth)
Ana: "Shhh! Geez, Kate! You'll wake up the dead with that tone!"
Kate: "Does he feel the same way?"
Ana: (sighs deeply) "I-I don't know. Probably not. I'm not even completely sure of how I feel. All I know is…ever since my first encounter with him on the sidewalk awhile back…" (sighs softly) "I haven't been able to get him out of my mind." (shrugs) "He can be an asshole when he wants to be, but to me, he can be the sweetest man ever."
Kate: (snorts) "You're right. That does sound surprising because the Christian Grey I hear about…he's a miserable son of a bitch who doesn't give a shit about anyone but himself." (smiles) "You must be an inspiration. How sweet, girl."
Ana: "I don't get it. Even when I've made an error at work, it's like he knows something is wrong with me. He knows I'm in distress. I thought for sure I'd get fired because of it. But, nope. He cancels all his upcoming calls and appointments and wanted to hear what was wrong with me. I told him he doesn't deserve my problems. Kate, he offered to help out financially."
Kate: (nods) "He may get along with all of his employees, Ana. However, I believe that he's showing that he truly cares about you."
Ana: "He didn't necessarily say that he has feelings for me, though."
Kate: (tilts her head) "Well, what did he say?"
Ana: "I think he does care about me, but isn't ready to admit it just yet. At least, not to me. He admitted he cares about me probably more than he should. He also said he wants to help me out. He basically said he's not hurting for money, so he can afford it."
Kate: (chuckles dryly) "That's true, though. He can afford it."
Ana: "I told him I'm not taking his money. He asked me if I was in legal trouble. Kate, no way in hell am I asking for his help. Yes, he can afford it. He doesn't need to take on our problems. He barely knows me."
Kate: "Ana, no offense, but I'm sure he knows about you more than you are aware. He has the resources to investigate you if he wants. He probably wants you to come to him on your own."
Ana: (rolls her eyes) "Okay, if we were in a relationship, which we're not…but, if we were, yes…I'd consider opening up to him. However, it wouldn't feel right asking him for help financially."
Kate: "I don't blame you on feeling that way. Keep in mind that he may not take no for an answer regarding helping you out. If he cares about you like I think he does, he'll do what he can to help." (raises her eyebrows) "The last thing he needs is to get in legal trouble because of us. Then again, I'm sure he has a bunch of lawyers telling him the correct way to go."
Ana: (chuckles) "True."
(Ana rests her forehead in the palm of her hands and sighs deeply)
Ana: "Oh, Kate! Am I wrong for how I feel towards Christian? I feel so guilty. I thought I loved Jose, but I was way off. All he cared about was what I could give him. With Christian? He's more concerned with helping me in any way he can. Jose is definitely not like that."
Kate: (laughs) "No, he definitely isn't! As for Christian? Ana, you can't help who you fall in love with. Jose is not worthy of you. He's a prick who needs to have his dick cut off. Christian? He may show others his meaner side. But he lets it be known to you how he truly feels." (smiles happily) "I think he's a keeper."
(Ana lifts her face from the palm of her hands to glare at her best friend)
Ana: "Kate, I don't know how he feels about me. For all I know, I'm completely misreading the situation and I'm just an employee."
(Kate faces her friend with a serious expression)
Kate: "Do you really believe that, Steele?"
(Ana stares at Kate's tone before turning away in defeat)
Kate: "You know I'm right, girl."
(Ana clears her throat, moves her hair out of her face, and readjusts herself on the couch)
Ana: "Anyways, tell me about you. How's life?" (curiously) "Any crushes?"
Kate: (happily) "Oh, girl! You have no idea!"
(Ana and Kate share a laugh before Kate shares all the details)
Kate: "I got coffee at the café as I was craving an expresso. I took a quick drink and when I wasn't watching where I was going, I bumped into someone. Needless to say, I spilled my coffee all over them."
Ana: (winces) "Ooh. Do I dare ask how they reacted?"
Kate: (nods) "He was perfectly nice about it." (smirks) "And charming."
Ana: (smiles) "Ah! Does this gentleman have a name?"
Kate: "Elliot. I don't know his last name, but I'm hoping to bump into him again soon. He was definitely easy on the eyes."
Ana: (giggles) "Sounds like he made a lasting impression."
Kate: (nods quickly) "Oh, he did. I just wish I knew his last name because then I'd reach out to him."
Ana: (shrugs) "I saw my mystery man again. You'll see yours again, too. Just give it time."
Kate: "Very true."
(Their smiles fade as they knew it was time to discuss what they'd rather forget)
Kate: "Are you ready?"
Ana: "No. But, I know that we need to talk about it. The sooner we solve the mystery, the sooner it'll be dealt with."
(Both women face forward as they compare notes again on the accomplice who's working with Jose)
Kate: "I wonder who it could be."
(Ana shakes her head in puzzlement)
Ana: "It's got to be someone who feels we did them wrong."
Kate: "Who have we known over the years that feels we didn't reciprocate their feelings for friendship?"
Ana: "What about Leila Williams?"
Kate: (odd look) "The party girl who tried to be friends with us?"
Ana: "She looked like she was into drugs. If I remember correctly, we kindly told her no."
Kate: "She didn't like that too much. But, she knew she needed to get help because of her drinking."
Ana: (nods) "I'm glad she did in the end."
(Kate has a puzzled face as she wonders about the next person. She looks at Ana as she speaks)
Kate: "Maybe Jack Hyde?"
Ana: "I remember Jack. He wanted to go out with you as you were a bit flirty."
(Kate leans back a bit defensively at her best friend's comment)
Kate: "I didn't think I was that flirty."
(Ana tilts her head and raises her eyebrows)
Ana: "No offense, girl. But, yes, you were. You were flirty with all the men or boys or whatever you want to call them back then." (shrugs) "But, a lot of girls were back then. I wasn't too worried."
Kate: (sighs) "Whatever. Yeah, maybe I was. Anyways…"
(They both think more before Kate offers another suggestion)
Kate: "What about Andrea? She admitted to me that she thought I was jealous of her for some reason. I assured her that I wasn't, but she didn't believe me. She warned me someday she may pay me back."
Ana: "Yeah, but would she really resort to blackmail with Jose to accomplish that? She may have been
pissed off back then, but you'd think she would have gotten over it by now."
Kate: (nods) "True." (raises her eyebrows) "You know, back in high school, Paul Clayton liked you."
Ana: "Yeah, but I didn't feel the same way. I know he felt rejected, but I kindly told him I could only offer friendship. He didn't like to hear that, but he accepted it. At least, he gave me that impression."
(Kate shakes her head in frustration as she was beginning to lose her mind on who it could be. Ana gets up from the couch and paces back and forth in the living room. She attempts to put her thinking cap on. Before Kate realizes what was happening, her mind wanders)
***Flashback***
Kate: (sighs) "Jack, I already told you that I wasn't interested. I like you, but only as a friend."
Jack: (chuckles) "Oh, come on, Kavanagh. That's not how you were acting the other night when you were all over me. You acted like you couldn't get enough of me."
(Kate raises her hands to her sides)
Kate: "I told you, Jack. I'm like that with men, but don't take it personally. Do I sometimes go overboard?"
(nods) "Yes. But, I've made it crystal clear that I don't think of you like that."
(She starts to walk away, but stops to point at him)
Kate: "And please, don't follow me like you did the other day. You freaked me out when you did that."
Jack: (plays dumb) "No, I didn't."
Kate: (scoffs) "Oh, really? Not only did I catch you out of the corner of my eye, but my mother asked me why you were walking behind me when I walked into the jewelry store. Please, don't lie."
(Jack was fuming at the mouth)
Jack: "Your mother is lying."
Kate: (annoyed) "No, she didn't and you know that. I'm done with your games. Please leave me alone."
***Two Weeks Later***
Ana: "So, did you do it?"
(Kate raises her hands to her sides and shrugs)
Kate: "I had to. He wouldn't stop following me, especially after I warned him that I'd file a restraining order against him."
Ana: (snorts) "Yeah, I imagine that he's pissed off because it doesn't look good on him. With him being a
police detective, his reputation would be tarnished."
Kate: "What else was I supposed to do, Ana? He wouldn't leave me alone."
Ana: "I don't blame you, girl. He did not know how to take no for an answer." (raises her eyebrows) "With
you doing this, he'll realize that you don't stalk someone and think it's okay to do it."
Kate: (uneasily) "He warned me that he'd get revenge against me when I least expected it."
Ana: "I hope he doesn't."
Kate: (worriedly) "I hope so, too."
***End of Flashback***
(Kate's eyes go wide and her mouth parts like she's just witnessed a murder. Holy shit!, she thought to herself. Ana faces her friend and sees Kate's horrified state. Ana rushes to her friend, sitting next to her on the couch)
Ana: "Kate, talk to me. What's wrong?"
(Kate turns her head slowly until she and Ana are face to face)
Kate: (whispers) "I know…I know who it is. I know who Jose's accomplice is."
(Ana's body shakes as she nods her head for Kate to continue)
Kate: (normal voice) "It-It was…It was Jack Hyde. Jack is in cahoots with Jose." (shakenly nods) "I remember his threat to me years ago."
Ana: "You mean that he'd get you back somehow after you told him you were filing a restraining order
against him?"
Kate: "Yes. I-I didn't think that he'd actually go through with it. Boy, he sure surprised me."
Ana: "He surprised us both."
(Kate and Ana stare at each other and nod as Ana speaks)
Ana: "Jack needs to be stopped. He's gone too far."
***After Hours at 'Grey Enterprises'***
(A guy disguised as a delivery worker….wearing gray pants with black tennis shoes and a gray shirt with a small pocket in the chest with a baseball tan cap on his head and a black mustache…walks to the front desk where Courtney is currently sitting. She looks at the man and offers a smile)
Courtney: "Hi. Can I help you?"
Man: "I have a package for Christian Grey."
Courtney: (nods) "Okay. I can take it and give it to him."
Man: "My boss told me to deliver it to Mr. Grey personally."
Courtney: "Okay. He's in his office. I'll show you where it is."
(Courtney gets up from her desk chair and shows the man where Christian's door is. The man thanks her and she walks away. He knocks on the door before entering. Christian is busy doing paperwork at his desk)
Man: "I have a package for you, Mr. Grey."
(Christian looks up to see the man)
Christian: "Do I need to sign for it?"
Man: "No. I was just told to give it to you personally."
Christian: "Okay. Thank you."
(After Christian takes the package, the man walks away and leaves the office. Christian looks at the package, which is a sealed large brown envelope. It says 'Christian Grey' on the front. He opens it and sees a white piece of paper that's folded. He takes the paper out and unfolds it before reading)
Christian: "'Are you curious what your little girlfriend has been up to'?"
(He has a confused look on his face and rereads the note. After putting the note to the side, he takes out the rest of the contents in the package. He has an even more puzzled look as he sees what was inside)
Christian: "What the hell?"
Chapter 21 Done
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