Chapter 20 - Changes
Ana's POV
"Who the fuck told them?" Christian screamed.
"Only Jerry knew. But it wasn't him."
"Then who the fuck was it?" he shouted again. He was livid.
I racked my brain thinking about who could've known. It was obviously no one in our family. They would never betray us like that, and I didn't think they even had an inkling that we got married.
Christian was tugging at his hair with no mercy, pacing back and forth.
"I swear to God, I'm going to end whoever leaked this information."
He picked up his phone and dialed a number.
"Who are you calling?"
"Barney."
I could only hear Christian's side of the conversation.
"I'm sure you heard the news."
"Yes, thank you."
"I want to know who the fuck leaked this. And I don't care how."
"By tomorrow."
He ended the phone call. "Barney should have answers for us by tomorrow. He's going to make a few calls to the Seattle Nooz and see what he can find out. If he comes up to scratch, he's not above hacking in phone records and wiretapping."
"Christian," I admonished, "Isn't that illegal?"
"Only if you get caught."
"Do we really need to make a big deal out of this?" I asked.
"Yes, we do Anastasia. Someone invaded our privacy, and I'll be damned if I don't find out who it is. And our families are fucking upset that they weren't included. Didn't you see the damn waterworks from Mia tonight?"
"Mia will get over it. And Grace and Olivia were nothing but supportive. They understood our decision to get married right away. We were in love, and we didn't want to wait. The spur of the moment can be so romantic."
"I don't want your father to hate me," he mumbled.
"What? Why would he hate you."
"Because I denied him the chance of walking his little girl down the aisle. If we have a daughter, baby, I'd be crushed if I didn't get to walk her down the aisle."
"He will get the chance to walk me down the aisle. At our wedding. It's six months away. And my father adores you. Stop doing that!"
"Doing what?"
"Doubting yourself. Everyone just wants us to be happy. And we are so happy together." I pulled him into an embrace. "My dad adores you. You know why?"
"Why?"
"Because you treat me like a princess. And you look at me like I'm the only girl in the world. And you take care of me. What more could a father want for his daughter? Stop doubting yourself. You may not be perfect, but you're damn close."
"God, I fucking love you." He pulled me into a passionate kiss.
When we broke for air, I said, "You know our families were going to find out anyway. They're so nosy that it was only a matter of time."
"I still want to find whoever gave the Seattle Nooz this information."
"Okay. But please don't do anything illegal."
"No promises."
"Hey, look on the bright side," I smiled, pulling out the chain from under his shirt, "You can wear this now."
I unclasped the necklace and put the wedding band in its rightful place.
"Yeah," he smirked and gave me a kiss. He did the same with my wedding band and continued, "Now everyone will know you're officially Mrs. Grey."
Christian's POV
What a shitty start to the work week. After a disastrous end to the weekend with my marriage being revealed, Mia's meltdown, and the underlying disappointment from our family because they weren't present at the wedding, I did not need to add an incompetent accountant to the mix.
"Grey," I hissed into my phone.
"Mr. Grey, it's Barney. I have information on the leak."
"Come to my office," I ordered. At least this was something I could control – ruining this person's life.
"Before we start," I said when Barney walked into my office, "I need to know how you got this information."
"I originally called the Seattle Nooz directly to see if any of their employees would talk. When none of them did, my first thought was to check their email server. I didn't see anything related to the leak on their email, so I went through their phone records next. I estimated a time frame of when the call was placed from the time the article was posted, and I cross-referenced every number to single out the direct source of the leak."
I stared at him quizzically. That sounded very illegal. "Were you careful?" I asked.
"Don't worry, Mr. Grey. I covered my tracks."
"I'm glad we have all our bases covered. So who was the leak?"
"Katherine Kavanagh, sir. I know your wife is friends with her."
That fucking bitch. I couldn't believe she would betray Ana like this. That bitch stayed in our house, took over Ana's wedding and had the audacity to gossip about our private life to the Seattle Nooz. Well, I had news for her. You do not cross Christian Grey and get away with it.
After a long day at the office, the last thing I wanted to do was tell Ana the news that her best friend stabbed her in the back.
Taylor took me home, and I opened the front door to a welcome sight and scent. My wife, barefoot, but not yet pregnant, was in the kitchen pulling a batch of her famous chocolate chip cookies out of the oven. She must have been in a good mood, and now I was just about to drop a bomb on her.
"Hi, baby," she greeted me, shoving a plate of warm cookies in my face, "You came at the perfect time."
I took two cookies and asked, "What's got you in such a good mood?"
"Carolina called me today. She wants me to come to her atelier in New York tomorrow to see the progress on my dress. And she's going to give me some referrals to help me get my label off the ground."
"That's great, baby." I leaned in to give her a kiss with a face full of cookie crumbs, causing her to giggle. "What are you going to do about school?"
"I'm sure they won't miss me for a day."
"You're leaning towards dropping out, aren't you?"
"I'm going to see how everything pans out. And then I can speak with the dean. Maybe I could complete my degree with online classes… But I haven't really made any final decisions yet."
"Online classes could definitely be a possibility, but you might be overestimating how much time you're going to have once you start a business."
"True. It's still all up in the air for now. We don't have to make any big, life-changing decisions now. But enough about me. How was your day, baby?" She baited me with another cookie that I gladly took.
I guess now was as good a time as ever. "It wasn't the best, baby. Barney found out the source of the leak."
"Who was it?" she asked cautiously.
"Look, Ana. I don't want to stress you out…"
She cut me off, "Who?"
"Kate."
"Kate? No. That must be a mistake." Her body was shaking like a leaf.
I rested my hand on her shoulder to steady her. "Ana…"
"No. She wouldn't do that to me. No matter how mad she was." A lone tear rolled down her cheek, and she wiped it away as quickly as she could.
"Ana, baby. Barney confirmed it. I'm so sorry."
"I'm going to go upstairs." She brushed my hand off her and ran upstairs.
I gave her a few minutes to cool off, expecting she'd put on a happy face and come back downstairs. But she didn't, so I decided to check on her.
She was in our bedroom with her face buried in a pillow, silently sobbing. I sat on the edge of the bed and rubbed circles on her back to soothe her.
"Why would she do something like this?" she cried, "Talking to the press? That's so unlike her."
"I don't know why she did what she did," I replied honestly.
"We've been best friends since we were kids. I don't understand. What changed? Did I change? Was I a shitty friend?"
"Don't blame yourself for this. She's in the wrong here, not you."
"I just feel so upset and angry and sad. I feel like I lost a best friend."
"I'm sorry, baby. I don't know how to fix this."
She sat up and cracked a smile. "Despite what you think, you don't have the power to fix all my problems."
"But I do have the power to destroy lives."
"Christian, please don't do anything too drastic. I think cutting her out of my life will be enough."
"Are you sure? I can have the dean of Brown expel her."
"And have her try to expose more of my secrets? I don't think so, but thanks for trying to be my white night."
"I like to think of myself as the dark knight. And Sawyer will be accompanying you in New York."
"Like I'd expect anything less, Mr. Grey."
Ana's POV
"Mrs. Grey," Sawyer greeted me. Wow, that was the first time someone other than Christian has called me that, and the thought made me smile.
"Hi Sawyer," I smiled, and he gave me a stunned look. "What?" I laughed.
"Sorry, ma'am. I mean, Mrs. Grey. It's just that was the first time you didn't argue with me about formalities."
"Huh, I guess so." He opened the back seat car door for me, and we were off to the airport.
From: Christian Grey
Subject: New York
Date: January 25, 2011: 07:08
To: Anastasia Grey
Mrs. Grey,
I trust you'll have fun gallivanting around the Big Apple. I hope all goes well with Carolina and your dress. And remember, stay close to Sawyer.
I love you.
Christian Grey
CEO, Grey Enterprises Holdings
P.S. Should I warn Madison Avenue before your arrival?
From: Anastasia Grey
Subject: New York
Date: January 25, 2011: 07:15
To: Christian Grey
Mr. Grey,
I just landed in New York. And don't worry, Sawyer will be a permanent fixture by my side.
However, I didn't realize you were so invested in my shopping habits. I do have your black Amex, so I'll make sure to do some major damage.
Now stop bothering me. This is a serious working day.
And… I love you more.
Anastasia Grey
I was now in Carolina's workshop that was on the second floor above her boutique in New York City. There were dozens of men and women working, hand sewing intricate designs for the label's upcoming fall collection.
"I only have a select few working on your dress. It's very secretive around here. You won't have to worry about any leaks."
She opened another door where there are two seamstresses, each one working on a different dress.
"You're doing two dresses?"
"Of course! They're similar in look but are very different stylistically. That way you'll have options. And whichever one you choose, we can auction off the other for charity. Or you can keep them both – a sentimental piece, unless you're planning to ever get married again."
"No," I chuckled, "This is the first and only time I'll be getting married."
My eye was immediately drawn to the massive, structured ball gown. "This is beautiful," I mused.
"That one's my favorite, too. Here," she said, handing me an open sketchpad, "This is what the finished design is supposed to look like." She flipped the page to show me the other one. "This one is stunning too, but I have to say, I'm partial to the other one."
"I love them both," I admitted.
"Once you try them on, you'll figure out which one is for you. We've been working day and night to try to expedite the dresses. We want to be able to have enough time for the fittings and alterations. And I took the liberty of hand-sewing you a veil. I hope you don't mind."
"Are you kidding? Of course, I don't mind. And to be honest, I forgot about that little detail."
"That's what I'm here for."
After Carolina showed me the dresses and atelier, I decided to do a little shopping on my favorite fashion blocks in the city – Madison and 5th Avenue.
My first stop was Bergdorf Goodman. After buying what seemed like more than half of the store, poor Sawyer was stuck holding all my bags.
The next stop was Louis Vuitton, where I was greeted by the overeager manager. Someone must have tipped off stores that a big customer was on a shopping terror in the city.
I was given the same treatment at all the other stores we visit – Chanel, Burberry, Dior, Saint Laurent, Gucci, Prada, Armani, Ralph Lauren, Chloe, Valentino, Celine, Christian Louboutin, and Hermes.
Finally, after the exhausting activities of walking and trying on clothes, I told Sawyer to take me to lunch at Le Bernardin. I'd heard about the restaurant from Food Network, and I was dying to try the food there.
When I arrived at the famous Michelin star restaurant, the hostess greeted me pleasantly.
Sawyer had left all my shopping bags in the car, and I could tell he was so glad to be following me without the 50 pound weights following him everywhere.
"Hello," the hostess greeted both Sawyer and I. If she thought the picture of me and a burly man in a suit standing behind me while watching my every move looked odd, she sure didn't show it.
"Do you have a reservation with us this afternoon?" she followed up.
"No," I smiled sweetly then asked, "Would you happen to have a table for two?"
It was then the woman looked at me like I was crazy.
"I'm sorry, miss," she apologized, "but people usually have to make reservations here months in advance. If you'd like, I can check when the next reservation…"
I cut her off, "That won't be necessary."
I quietly walked out of the restaurant and decided to make a quick phone call to Christian.
He picked up on the first ring, sounding anxious. "Hey, baby. Is something wrong?"
I heard whispers in the background noise. "I'm fine Christian. Where are you right now?"
"A meeting."
"Oh, I don't want to bother you…"
He cut me off, "No, it's okay. Don't worry about it. What do you need."
"I'm at Le Bernardin right now, and they're saying I can't get a table without a reservation. And I'm absolutely starving. You think you'd be able to pull some strings for me?"
"Of course I can, baby. I'll get Andrea on it. And while I'd love to stay on the line with you, I really do need to go now. I love you, baby."
"Love you too."
I put my phone back in my purse and walked back into the restaurant. The hostess looked at me again and was about to say something before the manager swooped in behind her, greeting me with a firm handshake.
"Miss Steele, it's so nice to meet you. We are so excited that you've chosen to dine with us here today. Is it just you, or will Mr. Grey be joining you as well?" he asked.
"Mr. Grey is currently in Boston dealing with work, so it will just be me and my CPO, Sawyer." I pointed to Sawyer who was dutifully standing behind me, watching for any threats that might come my way.
"Well, it's still just a pleasure that you're here with us, Miss Grey. And you as well, Mr. Sawyer," the manager replied, "I hope you guys are hungry."
I was now sitting at Le Bernardin's best table, courtesy of my wonderful husband. Sawyer was sitting at an adjacent table, watching me like a hawk, despite being seated among New York's elite. I was eating a delicious lunch consisting of caviar, oysters, lobster, scallops, and lots of wine.
I wished Christian could have been here with me, but exploring the city on my own was a fun adventure for a day. But I knew I'd definitely be happier if Christian would be joining me the next time.
The Boston Herald
Spotted – the newly anointed Anastasia Grey in the Big Apple. This morning, she was seen in high-end stores across the city, being trailed by her personal security who seemed to have been turned into a glorified bag holder.
Mrs. Grey was on a shopping terror around the city, dropping hundreds of thousands at select boutiques on both Madison and 5th Avenue. A fellow customer at Louis Vuitton heard that Mrs. Grey spent $70,000 on luggage and purses. An employee at Bergdorf Goodman confirmed that she spent $100,000 on clothes alone. Another employee at Christian Louboutin confirmed that Mrs. Grey purchased the entirety of the brand's new collection but would not tell us how much she spent. We reached out to all the other stores Mrs. Grey was seen at, but they refused to comment on Mrs. Grey's private details.
She was also seen having lunch at Le Bernardin, where lunch costs upwards of $150 per person.
As of now, neither Anastasia or Christian have confirmed the marriage rumors, but they are undeniably true from the marriage license they received from the city of Boston. In addition, Anastasia was photographed wearing a diamond wedding band beside her stunning engagement ring. To add fuel to the flame, Mr. Christian Grey was spotted back in Boston wearing a platinum wedding band. It's probably safe to say that these two lovebirds took the plunge.
It is still unknown if the pair signed a prenup, but judging from Mrs. Grey's inheritance and Mr. Grey's net worth, a prenup would be customary with their financial situation.
Christian's POV
"Taylor! Get in here now," I screamed through the intercom.
"Yes, Mr. Grey."
"How the hell is the Boston Herald finding out how much Ana is spending. And why didn't Sawyer give these damn employees NDA's?"
"It's not protocol, sir."
"Well then make it protocol," I said, irate.
"Will do, sir."
"Mr. Grey," Andrea said, popping her head through the door, "Ms. Bailey is here. You had an appointment."
"Thanks, Andrea," I dismissed her. "Taylor, before you go. I need another hire for my wife's security team. I don't want Sawyer seen as her butler. Get me some CVs by the end of the day."
"Yes, sir. Would you like me to inform Mrs. Grey?"
"No, I'll bring it up with her."
"Here are the numbers," Ros said, handing me a folder.
"So what you're telling me is developing this technology from the ground up would be a bad investment."
"In short, yes. There's a company in Seattle that has already developed the proprietary technology for solar-powered cell phones. Starting from scratch would be counterproductive. And the company's yearly report indicates they're close to going under."
"The company's based in Seattle."
"Yes, but if we're looking to expand into the tech field, this is our best bet. And a big first step to the philanthropist sector of GEH."
"Providing technology to the third world will alleviate poverty."
"Exactly."
"We'll have to move the company west?" I asked.
"At the very least, open an office in Seattle or San Francisco. That's where all the tech startups are."
"Ana's still in college. I'm not uprooting our life here."
"If we don't make a move on this company, someone else will."
"Why don't we look into opening an office in Seattle first?"
"Sure thing, boss. I'll have someone get the numbers on that. But we're going to need to be there to oversee the development. I wouldn't trust anyone else. Think about it. Talk to Ana. You might not have to be there five days out of the week. But I would say at least two or three days."
"I'll talk to her. But I'm fairly sure the answer's going to be no. Would you be opposed to relocating there?"
"I wouldn't, but I'm not the CEO. You can't not be involved in this company's biggest investment to date."
"I get what you're saying Ros. I'll let you know tomorrow."
"How was New York, baby?" I asked, cuddled up with Ana in bed, "I saw Taylor and Sawyer lugging a slew of bags up to one of the spare bedrooms."
"I may have gone a little overboard, but the fashion scene in New York is the best in the country. It could rival Paris and Milan."
"Did you see that article in the Boston Herald?"
"Yes, but I wasn't too bothered by it. They didn't say anything bad about me. Just idle gossip."
"I don't want your spending habits broadcasted for the world to see."
"I understand, but there's nothing we can really do about it. Can we?"
"I'm going to instate a new protocol. Anyone who is going to be in direct contact with you is going to have to sign an NDA."
"Christian Trevelyan-Grey, that's ridiculous."
"Ana, the next time it might not be as trivial as how much you spent at Louis Vuitton. But even so, it's no one's business how we choose to spend our money. You won't even have to deal with the NDAs. Sawyer will, and you won't even notice them."
"You're going to make everyone I talk to sign something? Do you realize how stupid that sounds?"
"It's not stupid. It's to prevent these dumb tabloids from posting mindless gossip that invades our privacy. That's why I'm enhancing your security detail."
"You're what?"
"I'm adding another guy to your security team. Sawyer's not enough, and I won't have people thinking he's just there to hold your shopping bags. The whole point of him is to prevent nut jobs from approaching you. I don't want him distracted!"
"You can't do these things without discussing it with me first."
"It's for your safety. You need another CPO. That's final."
"You know what," she screamed, getting out of bed, "Screw you, Christian. Maybe you should talk to your wife before making decisions for her."
"Well, you know what," I raised my own voice, "You're my wife. And it's my goddamn job to make sure you're safe."
She ignored me and slammed the door to our bedroom.
I found her in the kitchen commiserating over a pint of Ben & Jerry's ice cream. I sat next to her at the breakfast bar, and she rolled her eyes at me.
"Ana…"
"Save it, Christian. I had a really nice day today, and I'd like for it to stay that way."
"Anastasia…"
She got up out of her seat, taking the ice cream with her to go sit on the living room couch, and I groveled.
"Baby, I don't want to fight."
"Then don't make unilateral decisions without informing me."
"Look, I'm sorry I didn't tell you first. But I'm not sorry that you need another CPO."
"Christian, I'm not important. I'm not Jerry or Karen. I don't need…"
I interrupted her, "Yes you do need. You're important whether you like it or not. I don't want some lunatic grabbing you off the street while Sawyer is busy holding your bags. Okay?"
I got up to leave, trying to make my point stick, but she grabbed my arm.
"Christian, why didn't you run it by me first? I won't have you dictating terms to me. I won't let you walk all over me."
I sighed, "I'm sorry… I just. I had to do it."
"What's going on? Tell me."
"Nothing's going on. I just need you safe."
"I agreed to Sawyer only a week ago. And now you want to bring in another guy. Don't you think that's a bit excessive."
"Jerry has two guys on him at all times. And he has a covert agent too."
"That's because his father's the President."
"And you're my wife," I stressed.
"I'm not seeing how those two are related."
"They're not. But I don't want to get a phone call demanding money for your return," I yelled frantically.
"You've been watching too much TV," she brushed me off.
"No, Anastasia. I haven't. These things happen, and it worries me that you have such disregard for your safety."
"Don't you dare go there."
"Why won't you let it go."
"Maybe I'd be more agreeable if you spoke to me first!" She sighed and continued, "Look, I understand your reasoning for wanting another CPO for me. I agree with you. Sawyer was not properly able to defend me today unless you wanted him to fend off attackers with Chanel shopping bags." I then heard her let out a small giggle.
"Don't laugh, it's not funny," I tried to say seriously, my lips breaking into a smile.
"What I'm trying to say is that… I think backup for Sawyer would have been useful. But, you have to talk to me first. We have nothing if we don't talk to each other."
I sunk my head into her shoulder. It smelled like roses and happiness. "I'm sorry. It won't happen again. I really don't know why I did it without informing you. I…"
"It's okay," she smiled, "I understand your need for ultimate control. But I'm your wife. Not your employee. I hate being dictated to."
"That's exactly why I fell in love with you," I smirked, my hand trailing up her thigh, under the hem of her slip.
"Oh, so you didn't fall in love with me for something else," she whispered, softly nibbling on my neck.
"No, but it certainly is a perk." I moved her panties to the side and dipped my fingers into her wetness.
"Ohhh, Christian," she gasped.
"You like that, baby?" I teased her, sliding down one of her tank top straps.
"You know I do."
I slowly slid another finger into her and curled my fingers to hit her g-spot.
She screamed in ecstasy, "Fuck, Christian."
"That's a dirty mouth, Mrs. Grey."
"Are you trying to dictate what I say now?"
"I would never, Mrs. Grey." I continued fingering her and snaked my other hand around her waist to grab her ass.
"Please, Christian," she begged.
She wrapped her arms around my neck, pulling me closer to her. My lips found hers and I murmured, "Do you want to cum, sweetheart?"
"Yes. Please, Christian. Please."
My thumb found her clit, and I teased her again, "Beg."
"Please, Christian. Can I cum? Please."
I grazed her nipple with my teeth, and she fell apart.
I gave her time to recover from her orgasm then asked, "Do you want more."
She nodded her head, and I quickly spun her around and bent her over the counter.
After making her cum three times over, I carried Ana back to our bed where she belonged.
"You know we could have woken Jerry up with the noise we were making," Ana giggled.
"You mean the noise you were making," I countered.
She scrunched her nose and stuck her tongue out at me.
"That's very childish, Anastasia," I laughed.
"Well, if you didn't do that thing with your tongue, maybe I wouldn't be so loud."
"You love that thing I do with my tongue. And Jerry sleeps like a log. I doubt he heard anything."
"I'm blaming you if he makes a dirty joke tomorrow morning."
"Again, childish."
"Oh, shut up and go to bed."
"Hey boss," Ros greeted me the second I walked into the office, "Did you talk to Ana about the Seattle branch?"
"Fuck," I murmured to myself. With the mini-fight we had yesterday, I totally forgot about it. "Something came up last night," I told Ros, "I forgot, but I'll speak to her tonight."
"No worries. But we're kind of on a deadline here. We want to get the acquisition contracts drawn out as soon as possible."
"Got it, Ros."
"And he comes highly recommended?"
"Yes, sir. Sawyer and Ryan served together in the army. Sawyer trusts him explicitly. As well as me."
"Mrs. Grey isn't exactly excited about the new edition, so I don't want any hiccups."
"I'll let Ryan know he's on a probationary period."
"Thanks Taylor. That will be all."
From: Christian Grey
Subject: Lunch plans?
Date: January 26, 2011: 09:02
To: Anastasia Grey
My dearest wife,
Can I persuade you to take a break from school and join me for a lunch date?
12:30 at Eataly?
Christian Grey
CEO, Grey Enterprises Holdings
From: Anastasia Grey
Subject: Hungry for something else…
Date: January 26, 2011: 09:11
To: Christian Grey
Maybe I could meet you at your office. I'm hungry, but not for food.
xoxo Ana Grey
From: Christian Grey
Subject: Tempting
Date: January 26, 2011: 09:14
To: Anastasia Grey
While your offer sounds all too tempting, there is actually something I need to discuss with you. I'll alert Sawyer that you're to meet me at 12:30.
There might be some time for dessert…
Christian Grey
Famished CEO, Grey Enterprises Holdings
From: Anastasia Grey
Subject: Bossy
Date: January 26, 2011: 09:19
To: Christian Grey
I'll see you there, Mr. Bossypants.
And I'm looking forward to dessert. Chocolate or Vanilla?
xx Ana
From: Christian Grey
Subject: Both
Date: January 26, 2011: 09:22
To: Anastasia Grey
A chocolate and vanilla swirl, perhaps?
Christian Grey
CEO, Grey Enterprises Holdings
"Hey, sorry I'm late," Ana apologized as she sat down at the table, "I had to speak with the dean."
"What's going on?"
"You first," she said, snatching the wine glass out of my hand.
"You know how GEH is trying to get into technology?"
"Yeah. The solar-powered cell phones, right?"
"Yes, we're looking to purchase the startup company."
"That's so exciting. Is this all about your world betterment campaign?"
"Partly. Bringing these phones to the undeveloped world could do wonders for economic growth. Environmental sustainability is also a huge net positive."
"How very noble of you. My own philanthropist," she smiled. "Oh, excuse me," she waved to the waitress, "Can we get another glass of wine?"
"Isn't it a little early to be drinking this much?" I chuckled.
"Trust me. I'm going to need it. I have a lot to tell you."
"Actually, so do I."
"Was that not your big news before?"
"It was part of it." Suddenly I started to feel nervous. She couldn't drop college to come to Seattle with me. But this deal was also really important personally and for the business, so I didn't want to walk away from it. But if Ana said no, I wouldn't pursue it. She was more important to me than anything in the world. "The companies in Seattle," I finished.
"Okay…" she trailed, begging me to elaborate.
"Ros thinks it would be in the best interest if I was personally overseeing the development myself. She thinks I would need to be in Seattle at least three to five days out of the week."
"So you want to move back to Seattle?"
"Well… Yes."
"Okay."
Huh? Did I just hear her correctly? "Ana, we have your college career to think about. I don't want to uproot your life and your studies. And I know you're trying to get your fashion thing started. Isn't New York like the fashion mecca in the US? Boston is much closer than Seattle."
"Are you trying to talk yourself out of what sounds like an amazing business opportunity? Not to mention the societal benefits," she countered.
"Yes, but I want to think about what you want first. I could make it work and fly back and forth. But I won't get to see you. And I need you with me to function."
"What if I told you I was done with college?"
"What do you mean?" I questioned.
"I don't want to do school anymore. At least, not right now. That's actually what I was speaking with the dean about."
"Dropping out?"
"In a way. But I would call it more of putting college on hold for the time being. The dean said I could take a few online courses when time permits. I'd probably still have to take some classes at a university, but she said credits are easily transferred. And I'm pretty sure she wants to be able to add me to the list of Harvard's notable alumni. There's nothing like an heiress and a future billionaire's wife."
"You're sure about this? I know your father will be disappointed. And we'll be leaving Jerry all alone in that big house."
"My father will get over it eventually. And I'm not dropping college forever. Just putting it on the shelf for the time being. I really want to focus on fashion right now. And Jerry can always visit us. He's always so busy studying. I'm sure he won't miss us too much."
"Are you sure you're sure? Moving back to Seattle? It's a trek to New York."
"LA has an amazing fashion scene too. And it's not too far a flight from Seattle."
"So we're doing this?"
"Yeah, we're doing this."