Disclaimer: Don't own Fifty Shades. Just borrowing:)
AN: So, it's been awhile. How are all of you doing? Don't hate me. Life got the better of me and the next thing I knew, it's almost May and I haven't posted. A big thanks to all who've reviewed, followed, fave'd, and PM'd me. Especially big thanks to meeeeouch, who very recently checked up with me and got my ass moving. Please enjoy and tell me what you think after such a long break:)
From: Anastasia Steele
To: Christian Grey
Date: Monday 26, 2015 at 2:05 PM
Subject: Thanks for Lunch
Just wanted to thank you again for lunch. You know I don't normally like Indian food, but that place blew my expectations. Adding it to my I'll Eat There Again list.
Ana
From: Christian Grey
To: Anastasia Steele
Date: Monday 26, 2015 at 2:06 PM
Subject: Re: Thanks for Lunch
Again, it was my pleasure. Thank YOU for honoring me with your presence.
Checked my schedule and I do have a lunch meeting scheduled tomorrow. Are you free to grab breakfast or dinner?
Christian Grey
CEO of Grey Enterprise Holdings
From: Anastasia Steele
To: Christian Grey
Date: Monday 26, 2015 at 2:09 PM
Subject: Re: Re: Thanks for Lunch
I can do dinner. I get out at 6:30 tomorrow.
Ana
From: Christian Grey
To: Anastasia Steele
Date: Monday 26, 2015 at 2:14 PM
Subject: Re: Re: Re: Thanks for Lunch
Great. Same time as me. We can go out or eat at my place. Your choice. Would you like me to pick you up?
Christian Grey
CEO of Grey Enterprise Holdings
From: Anastasia Steele
To: Christian Grey
Date: Monday 26, 2015 at 2:17 PM
Subject: Re: Re: Re: Re: Thanks for Lunch
Your place is good. I know how to get there so no worries.
Ana
From: Christian Grey
To: Anastasia Steele
Date: Monday 26, 2015 at 2:18 PM
Subject: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Thanks for Lunch
Got it. I'll text you the codes for underground parking and elevator.
Christian Grey
CEO of Grey Enterprise Holdings
From: Anastasia Steele
To: Christian Grey
Date: Wednesday 28, 2015 at 8:56 AM
Subject: Best Teddy Bear a Girl Could Ask For
Per your request, this is me checking in with you to let you know I've made it at work in one piece and 15 minutes early. You started your day WAY too early today, dude. We'll have to work on that if you still want sleepovers.
Ana
From: Christian Grey
To: Anastasia Steele
Date: Wednesday 28, 2015 at 9:00 AM
Subject: Re: Best Teddy Bear a Girl Could Ask For
Thank you for letting me know, sunshine. And I did not hear you complaining when my tongue woke you up. You should be thanking me for that spring in your step this morning.
Christian Grey
CEO of Grey Enterprise Holdings
From: Anastasia Steele
To: Christian Grey
Date: Wednesday 28, 2015 at 9:03 AM
Subject: Re: Re: Best Teddy Bear a Girl Could Ask For
Hey, if you'd stayed an extra minute I would have told you after I realized it was barely 6.
Ana
From: Christian Grey
To: Anastasia Steele
Date: Wednesday 28, 2015 at 9:04 AM
Subject: Re: Re: Re: Best Teddy Bear a Girl Could Ask For
I would have loved nothing more than to stay in bed with you and hear those complaints but I had an early meeting. I'm sorry. If you'd like, you can spend tonight at my place again. Maybe we can do a do-over tomorrow morning?
Christian Grey
CEO of Grey Enterprise Holdings
From: Anastasia Steele
To: Christian Grey
Date: Wednesday 28, 2015 at 9:07 AM
Subject: Re: Re: Re: Re: Best Teddy Bear a Girl Could Ask For
I'll take you up on that. But you will not be leaving for another meeting! I get you to myself at least till 7:30.
Ana
From: Christian Grey
To: Anastasia Steele
Date: Wednesday 28, 2015 at 9:10 AM
Subject: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Best Teddy Bear a Girl Could Ask For
Don't worry. No morning meeting until next week. Prepare yourself for that.
On another note, I've arranged for costume props. Thigh holster for you, a shoulder holster for me and God forbid my mother find out, the guns from the poster. Imitation of course. Rings included. I also took the liberty to get the dress for Mrs. Smith.
On a third note, I've finally heard back from my brother. Both of my siblings are coming. Is your friend prepared for that? They are a handful.
Christian Grey
CEO of Grey Enterprise Holdings
From: Anastasia Steele
To: Christian Grey
Date: Wednesday 28, 2015 at 9:15 AM
Subject: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Best Teddy Bear a Girl Could Ask For
I'll write next week into my calendar.
Thank you. It's good to not worry about costumes.
Wait till you meet drunk Kate.
And my boss just clocked in and he's already giving me the stink eye.
TTYL
Ana
CPOV
Rarely have I ever wanted to kill my sister. I mean, really, really wanted to kill her. If Elliot weren't my brother, I'd have done away with him years ago when he made my life growing up hell. Mia, though, was a perfect angel; she was the innocent doll sent from heaven for me to protect.
Standing in the foyer of the Kavanaugh resident, I feel the steam coming out of my ears. I can hear the easy conversations of Ana's friends scattered throughout the house, hear the soft beat of the Halloween music playing in the background, but looking at my sister right now just blurs it all away.
God, I'm so fucking pissed. How the hell can I get back at her for this … immaturity? I'm half considering taking a picture of her and presenting it to our mother and father. I'm also considering just cutting her off. Yes, cutting her off is the sure-fire way to teach her a lesson.
Mia twirls in a circle, laughing stupidly with her dumb slut friends. "Get it, Christian?" She gestures to herself and then her friends. "We're princesses!" The slut twin friends of hers spin around with her, each batting their eyelashes at me.
Deadpan, I say, "You all look like sluts to me." And they did. All these bumbling idiots wore were lacy underwear, teddys, and tiaras. "If Elliot wasn't your brother, he'd be hitting on you three."
Lily—Mia's friend since fucking kindergarten—said coyly, "Promise?"
Mia rolls her eyes. "He's already seen us, and he wasn't mean about it, jerk."
"Was he nice about it?" I ask, snidely.
Her silence telling, I continue, "Go home and change. My God, Mia! You want Ana to think you're a fool who'll dress like a prostitute whenever she has a chance? I want her to meet my sweet sister, not the bratty classless Mia. Go home and change now!"
Again, she rolls her brown eyes at me. "There are other girls dressed like us. Take the stick out of your ass. If Ana can tolerate you, she'll love me! So fuck you!" Her friends drift away, entering the living room just down the hall.
As I'm about to respond, soft hands grip my own and an equally soft voice purrs, "Guess who?"
I grimace. "Ana—"
She giggles and presses a kiss to the back of my hand. "You win! Now guess your prize and you might get lucky tonight."
Bemused by her flirting, I clear my throat. "Ana, this is my sister. I'm sorry." I point with my chin to the disappointment standing in front of us who is completely fixated on Ana.
Ana jerks from my side and gawks at Mia. "Your sister. I thought—never mind. Um … Hi!" She extends a shaking hand to Mia. "I didn't know you were Christian's sister."
I harrumph. Well, that explains her dorky display of affection.
"Oh, my God," Mia squeals. Ignoring Ana's hand, Mia jumps on her, wrapping her arms around Ana. "You're so much more beautiful in person!" Mia squeezes her and continues squeezing her.
When Ana gasps, I peel my sister's arms off my girlfriend. "Careful, Mia. Don't break her when I've just found her."
Grabbing Ana's left hand, Mia pulls her back in for a more appropriate, less constricting hug. Pulling back, she grabs Ana's hands in her own. "Oh, my God! I'm sorry. I'm just so happy to finally meet you. And you are so pretty. You and my handsome brother make the best couple." Mia squeals and bounces on her hooker heels. "Oh, my God! Oh, my God! Oh, my God! Oh, my God! I know the perfect wedding gift to give you."
Ana stiffens slightly and looks at me like a deer in headlights.
"Mia," I warn, putting my hand on Ana's waist.
My sister rolls her eyes. "Oh, C'mon, Christian." She drops Ana's right hand and grabs my left hand. Holding Ana's and mine's left hands up, she says, "You're both wearing wedding bands right now. Real ones, too, might I add. Did you honestly think I wouldn't notice?"
"That doesn't mean a thing, Mia. It's a part of our costumes." That do not match the rings from Mr. and Mrs. Smith. "You know I only get the best quality." I glance at my platinum wedding band, then at Ana's diamond and pink sapphire studded ring. Mia lets go of Ana's and my hands and puts her hands on her hips.
Grinning like a brat, she says, "Sure. Fine, whatever. Believe what you want. Just let me say that you two are going to make the cutest babies, and I'm going to spoil them."
"Mia," I warn, my heart thudding fast. Thinking about marriage is one thing but thinking about babies is out of the question.
"So what are you guys supposed to be?"
At my lack of response, Ana says, "Mr. and Mrs. Smith."
Mia's eyebrows raise. "Out of all the couple costumes you could wear, you chose a married couple. Looks to me like you've already made up your mind about marriage."
"Even if I have, that is something between Ana and myself, not you, brat." Oh, crap.
"A-ha!" Mia points her finger at me and jumps up and down several times. "I knew it! Oh, Christian. That is so sweet! I'm so telling Mom!"
Ana touches my hand on her waist, and I realizing I've been holding her too tightly. As I release the pressure, Ana tells Mia, "Thank you for your approval, but this conversation is best reserved for your brother and me in private."
"Of course," Mia says, instantly calm and nodding her head. "I completely understand. I'm so sorry if I overstepped. I'm just so happy for you and my brother."
"I get it. I'm happy I met him, too." Ana leans her head on my shoulder. I kiss the top of her head.
"I'm happy I met you, too," I whisper.
"Aw," Mia sighs, smiling at the two of us. I roll my eyes at her. "Christian, you never told me how you met Anastasia. Now that I think about it, you never told me how long you've been seeing each other."
Ana giggles. "We met at a club like three, four weeks ago."
"That wasn't that long ago."
Smiling, I answer, "It was an instant attraction. She begged to come home with me."
"What?" Ana gasps, smacking my chest with the back of her hand. "More like the other way around, you ass."
I'm suddenly punched on my bicep. Shoving Ana behind me, I face the asshole. Elliot laughs and holds his hands up in surrender. Before I could scold him, I notice the tension in both him and my sister as they look from me to the short beauty peeking from behind my shoulder. Elliot's smile is forced, and Mia is white as a ghost.
Mia whispers, "It's okay, Christian. She doesn't know, does she? It's okay."
"What?" I glance behind me. Ana looks as bewildered as me.
Elliot puts his hands down and tilts his head to the side. "You're okay?"
"Yeah?"
After sharing a look with Mia, Elliot shrugs and licks his lips. Mia clears her throat. "So, ah, Christian, you were telling me how you met Ana."
Raising his hand, Elliot says, "I know this one. They banged, and Christian was hooked."
Giggling, Ana adds, "Yeah, but it was more romantic than that."
I wrap my arm around Ana's shoulders and bring her out from behind me to stand at my side. "I saw her and was hooked." Ana gazes up at me, and I lean down to kiss her on the lips.
When we break apart, we find my siblings staring with their mouths open. Turning red, Ana says, "Come on. Mia, I'll introduce you to my best friends. They're in the kitchen. We can get drinks there, too."
Ana turns on her heels and leads us down the hall. Mia quickly elbows her way around me and links her arm with Ana's. As they talk about whatever, Elliot walks next to me.
"Christian, are you okay?"
I glance at him in his Sparta costume. "Why wouldn't I be?"
Leaning close to me, he says quietly, "Because she touched you. On your, you know." He shrugs, uncomfortable.
"You'll have to be specific. She's touched me many times."
"You know what I mean."
I sigh. "I'm fine. I barely notice when she does." Liar. How could I be oblivious to what she's been able to do from the start that people I've known my entire life can't do?
"So, you and her. You're good with that?"
"Whatever the fuck that means. Yes, she and I are doing great."
Smiling, he says, "That's good, baby bro. I like her. Especially that tall hot Amazon friend of hers. Think you could hook a brother up?"
I roll my eyes. Typical Elliot. "You met her boyfriend a half hour ago."
"So? If she tells me to back off, I would. But I saw the way she looked at me. Got all red and couldn't keep her eyes off me."
"Have you've seen how you're dressed? I can't decide who's worse at making first impressions, you or Mia. Couldn't either of you find a decent costume that covers at least most of you?"
Laughing, he jokes, "Hey, we can't all look good in a suit. And you've already got a woman who knows what you look like under all that."
I chuckle. "Quite the compliment, big bro. Should I be worried about you sneaking peeks?"
"Fuck you. You know what I mean."
Laughing together, we enter the kitchen behind Ana and Mia. Mia is hugging Ana's best friend, Kate—who is dressed as Wonder Woman.
Kate is saying, "Help yourself to anything here. My house is your house."
Ana's other best friends, incidentally Kate's brother, Ethan adds, "It's actually our parents' house, but yeah. Make yourself at home."
Mia pulls back from hugging Kate and widens her eyes at the Kavanaugh boy. Batting her eyelashes, she says, "Thank you. And you are?"
"Ethan. Kate's older brother." He extends his hand to her. "Also Ana's best best friend."
I roll my eyes when Mia ignores his offered hand and leans close to kiss his cheek. Elliot beside me chuckles when Ethan's eyes widen. Mia steps away from him and does a slow spin. "Do you like my costume? I'm Belle from Beauty and the Beast. Well, the honeymoon version." She stops and paws at his red-white-striped sweater. "You know, I loved the Where's Waldo books when I was a kid."
I tilt my head closer to Elliot and whisper sarcastically, "I am so proud of our sister today."
"Watch this," he whispers back. Clearing his throat, he asks, "Ethan, where did your girlfriend go? Mia, if you like his costume, you should see his girlfriend. She's dressed as the same exact thing."
Our sister's head snaps quickly at him, then back at Ethan. "You have a girlfriend? Oh!" She turns away from him and walks to my side. "Christian never said you had a girlfriend."
Kate and Ana look about ready to laugh as Ethan's ears and cheeks turn red. I say, "How was I supposed to know? I just met the guy."
Giving me a dirty look, Mia announces, "I'm going to go find my friends. I'll catch you later, Ana." Head held high, she struts out of the kitchen.
"Sorry," I say to all three of them. "I should have warned you about her."
Kate waves me off. "It's fine. I prefer her to his girlfriend."
Ethan rolls his eyes at his sister. "You take any chance you can to say that. I told you she's great. You just have to get to know her."
I'd believe that, but I saw how he eyed my sister as she walked away. If I weren't spending this night to kiss Ana's best friends' asses, I'd have punched him. Flirty sister or not.
Elliot walks by Ethan and pats his shoulder. "I think it's a sibling thing, man. Christian and Mia never like the girls I bring around, but I don't let that stop me."
Kate snaps back at Elliot, "I've liked his other girlfriends. This one is just," she makes a face, "wrong for him."
Ana says, "Kate, that's for him to decide."
As Kate rolls her eyes, Ethan smiles at Ana. "Thank you, Ana. See, Kate, Ana likes her."
Immediately shaking her head, Ana clarifies, "I don't like her. After what happened weeks ago, I will never like her. It's because I care about you that I put up with her."
Watching this back and forth between friends, I meet eyes with Elliot, who shrugs. As if she were summoned, Ethan's girlfriend, Madison, walks into the kitchen.
Dressed similarly like Ethan in a Where's Waldo feminine costume, she puts her hands on her hips. "I've been looking everywhere for you. Come on!" She turns away from us, not acknowledging anyone but Ethan, and stalks right out. Obediently, Ethan follows her without a word.
When he disappears, Kate sighs, "I fucking hate her. I need a drink. Anyone else?" She heads out of the kitchen.
"Coming," Elliot calls, winking at me as he passes me.
Alone in the kitchen, I take Ana in my arms and walk her backward until her back bumps the counter. My hands on her waist, I lift her up on it. She giggles, spreading her legs wide enough for me to settle between them. Thank fuck her dress has a high slit. She buries her fingers in my hair as I run mine up and down her bare legs.
"Sorry about that drama," she says quietly. "I didn't think Madison was coming."
I scoff. "What made you think that? Given that his sister completely loathes his girlfriend?"
"Well, yeah. The last time Kate and Madison were in a room together, Kate slapped her."
I kiss her nose once. "You hate her, too. Why?"
Resting her hands on my shoulders, she says, "Remember when we met? I left really early the next morning?"
How could I forget meeting you? "Right, your friend went to the hospital. Was that Ethan?"
"Yeah. He was attacked by three guys. One of which Madison was secretly dating. The man got it in his head that Ethan was the secret lover and he and two friends jumped Ethan."
"Holy shit. He came out okay from that?" The kid looked like he could be blown away if it was too windy. I'm honestly surprised Mia wanted him.
"He did go to the hospital, Christian. He's still healing from a fractured rib. That's why this party is so mellow and why only close friends or relatives were invited. He can't strain himself. And it's not fun really partying when a friend can't join in."
"Poor fucker." I nuzzle Ana's hair. "Did they get the men who did that to him?"
She shakes her head and purses her lips. "No. Everything I just told you is everything we know. Madison won't tell us who the guys were or where we can find them to charge them with assault and battery. Mr. Kavanagh has even hired a private investigator but nothing turned up. We can only take Ethan's recollection of it, which wasn't that great, to begin with."
"Hmm," I say. I tuck a strand of her hair behind her ear. "I'll get my men on it, sunshine. Don't worry." Note to self, inform Welch and Taylor.
She looks at me with hope. "Really?"
I kiss her cute nose. "Of course. We'll find who hurt Ethan and have them officially charged, baby. I promise."
Looking like she didn't dare hope, Ana asked, "How will they do that when the investigator couldn't?"
"My men are more experienced than an average Joe investigator. Trust me."
"I do," Ana sighs. "Thank you, pumpkin."
Ana was right. This was the most mellow party I've ever been too that was centered around young early-twenty-somethings. Though given that everyone was being especially tender and caring with Ethan, I'm not surprised. I'm thinking the party was less to celebrate Halloween and more to try to lift Ethan's spirits. Fucker looks so miserable and broken, I want to hunt down whoever hurt him personally. However, I think his bummed-out personality is more in reaction to the betrayal of his girlfriend than any physical pain he's bound to be feeling.
Everyone in attendance gave Madison the cold-shoulder. If I hadn't known the history there, I might have felt bad for the girl. It's also not like she put the effort into making small talk with anyone. She interrupted all conversations involving Ethan and managed to get him to follow her around like a puppy. She must have something on him because I know he hates her as much, if not more, as everyone does. I'll have Welch look into possible blackmail there or pregnancy, God forbid.
As the hours passed, I found myself enjoying the mellow party. Ana did warn me that most of the Kavanaghs' were livelier with louder music and drunk people, but I certainly hope she's kidding.
Kate and Ethan liked me fine, with the former actually threatening me with bodily harm if I ever hurt Ana. My siblings love Ana. Mia hasn't left Ana's side much, often touching her in some way as if she didn't believe she was real. Elliot kept trying to weasel his way beside Kate but was warned off quietly by Ana. That was fucking hilarious. Elliot did back down, for my sake, he claimed. I don't care. Everyone is getting on so well. Kate, Mia, and Ana have planned a spa date. Elliot, Ethan, and I have also planned on getting drinks later on when Ethan is healed. Ana gave me a big smooch after we decided that.
I honestly can't see how this evening could be ruined.