"Christian? Can I talk to you?"
Looking up from my computer, I see my girl making her way to me in my sweatpants and hoodie. Little clothes thief. The clothes swallow her, but she looks adorable.
"Are you going to ask if you can borrow my clothes? Because it might be too late..." I tease.
"I don't need to ask. What's yours is mine and what's mine is yours, remember?" She states having a seat on my lap. "If you ever feel the need to wear anything of mine, you're more than welcome."
I chuckle. "I think I'll pass." I slip my hand under the hoodie and rest my hand against her stomach. She's eleven weeks now, and I've noticed a small little pooch below her navel, but I haven't mentioned it, yet. She's been a little emotional and I don't want to upset her by making her feel self conscious.
"What do you want to talk to me about, angel? Have you decided to tell your parents?" We have yet to break the news to the Steele's. She is worried how her parents will take it and I can't deny that I feel the same way about Ray. I remember how he acted when my father brought it up in Georgia.
Her eyes widen. "Er...not yet. No, I wanted to talk to you about this weekend."
"This weekend?"
She nods. "I just got off the phone with Mia and Kate. They want to have a girls weekend before I get bigger. They want to shop and sight see...and I thought it would be a perfect time to shop for maternity wear. Kate wants to check out some baby stores, so I could even get a couple things for baby Grey while we're there."
A girl's weekend? "Why do you need a whole weekend? Can't you just go out and shop? Haven't you seen everything there is to see here?"
"Oh...um...well..." She chews her lip and I wonder what is making her so nervous. "Well, you see, Kate and Mia want to go to LA to shop."
My eyes bug. "LA? By yourselves?"
"Well, not all by ourselves. The girls knew you wouldn't go for that. We thought we could bring Mia's CPO, Veronica."
I don't like this. "Ana...this makes me really anxious. I'm not sure that this is such a great idea right now." I want to keep a closer eye on her since she's pregnant.
I see the slight frown on her face and a part of me feels guilty.
"Christian, please? Once the baby is here, I won't be able to go. This is my last chance to get out before becoming a mom. I've never been to LA before. I'd love to go. I promise to be careful and to eat right and drink plenty of water."
Fuck. Against my better judgement, I allow it. "Alright. But you're to take our plane and be back Sunday night."
She squeals and throws her arms around my neck. "Thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you! Oh, I'm so excited!" She presses loud, sloppy kisses all over my face, making me laugh. "I've got to call the girls!" She hops off my lap and hurries out the door, leaving me chuckling. I'm still unsure if this is the best idea while she's newly pregnant, but her excitement raises my mood a bit. She does need some maternity clothes and I'm sure she'll enjoy shopping much more with the girls than with me.
*Ana's POV*
"I'll miss you." Christian squeezes me to him and I feel him nuzzle into my hair. "Please be careful."
"I will, Christian." I lean up on my tiptoes and kiss his lips. "I'll be back before you know it."
He pouts. "Three days."
"We'll only go one day without each other, though. I leave today, we'll go through Saturday, and then I'll be back Sunday night. Really, it's just one day."
He shrugs. "I suppose."
"You'll have so much fun with Elliot and Ava that you'll blink and it'll be over. I'll bring you back a present."
His pout turns into a grin like I knew it would. My husband loves surprises.
"What kind of present?"
"You'll have to wait and see. It'll be a surprise."
"Ana! Let's go!" Mia yells from the door of the plane.
"Let me escort you in and buckle you up." Christian states, placing a hand on the small of my back.
I sit in the chair I always do and he buckles me in and presses a sweet kiss to my lips. "Call me as soon as you land."
I nod. "I will." It's only a two hour flight, but I know my dominant husband worries, so I don't mind placating him with a phone call.
He presses his lips to my forehead and then turns to give Kate and Mia both a hug.
"You two be careful and keep my pregnant wife safe."
I roll my eyes at his comment and, unfortunately, he catches me.
"I caught that, Mrs. Grey." He leans down and holds my chin between his thumb and forefinger. "I'll take care of your sassy ass when you get home."
"Ohhh, someone's in trouble!" Mia states, sounding like a five year old, and I can't help but giggle. Christian cracks a smile too and brushes his lips to mine before he straightens.
"Enjoy your weekend girls, I'm going to have a few words with the pilot before you leave."
Mia and Kate talk excitedly while I wait for Christian to reappear. There's a pang in my chest, knowing that I won't see him until Sunday. Although I'll miss him, I know I'll have a wonderful time with the girls.
When I see Christian reappear from the cockpit, I call him over.
"What is it, Ana? Is something wrong?"
"I need another kiss."
His worry frown turns into a grin and he bends to kiss me.
I hum against his lips and when he pulls away, I ask for another. He chuckles against my lips and kisses me slow and deep before pulling away.
"Have a great weekend, babydoll. Don't forget to call me. I love you, Mrs. Grey."
I shake my head. "I won't, Mr. Grey...and I love you, too. Take care of our furbabies. They'll tell me if you don't!"
XxXxXx
We land a couple hours later at LAX and as we make our way through, I can't help, but notice swarms of people with cameras, voice recorders, and pads of paper.
"Paps." Mia murmured, looking them over.
"Could you imagine how horrible it would be having to deal with them day in and day out?" Kate asks, wrinkling her nose at them.
"Luckily, we aren't famous." I tell them, giggling as we make our way through.
"Who is it?!" I hear one of them ask, hopeful as Veronica pushes through the swarms of people to clear a way for us.
"Don't worry. No one important, just some spoiled brats."
My eyes widen at their sour mood, but I can't help, but laugh at the comment. Once we're outside, I turn to Mia and Kate and we all burst into giggles.
"That was one miserable asshole!" Mia mentions, shaking her head.
"Ah, girls! This is our ride!" Veronica calls us over to a big black SUV and a large, bald black man jumps out in a black suit to take our luggage.
"Oh, thank you." I tell him as I hand my luggage to him. "Are you going to be driving us around all weekend?" I really wanted it to be just girls.
He shakes his head. "No, Ma'am. Just to the hotel."
I'm about to ask the gentleman his name, but he disappears with our luggage before I can. Mia climbs in first, sitting in the back, and Kate and I have a seat in the two chairs in the middle.
"Doesn't say much does he?" Kate whispers, giving me a look, and I smile at her.
Veronica climbs in the front and once the luggage is thrown in the back, we're off to the hotel.
"Oh, I'm so excited!" Mia states dancing in her seat. "I've always wanted to stay at the Beverly Hills Hotel!" It's an expensive hotel, but with all its history and glamour of it all, we decide that getting a smaller room and sharing beds is worth the tighter space. It's only for a few days anyway.
I can't help, but smile at my best friend. Her excitement is contagious. Kate is also grinning from ear to ear and I can't wait to get started. It's barely 10:00 am, but I feel like we just don't have enough time to see everything we want. My giddiness is getting the best of me, because I can feel my own feet dancing in my heels. I had planned on wearing leggings and chucks, but Mia informed me that Los Angeles has a dress code. She gave me the option to wear something edgy or classy. Whoever heard of a city having a dress code? Deciding I didn't want to stick out like a sore thumb, I have Christian pick out my clothes, knowing he'll choose the best. Plus, it makes him feel like he has more control in this situation. I know that being so far from us makes him feel a little out of control, but letting him micromanage my clothing and the transportation soothes his worried soul.
When we finally make it to the hotel, the doorman is there to greet us and open my door.
"Welcome to The Beverly Hills Hotel. May I take your bags?"
"Oh, um, yes please. They're in the back." He hustles to help the bald driver pull our bags from the back and I take a second to look around. There are people going in and out of the front doors, all of them dressed like a million bucks. Thank God for Mia. I guess there really is a dress code here.
"If you follow me, ladies, I'll show you to the front desk." We follow the doorman in, Veronica taking up the rear, and head over to the desk.
"Hello, welcome to The Beverly Hills Hotel. My name is Jocelynn. Are we checking in today?" She asks with an overly sweet smile.
"Yes, it's under the name Anastasia Grey."
"Oh, yes, Mrs. Grey... your husband just called a couple hours ago and upgraded you to Bungalow 22. Here are your keys. Bryan here, will show you to your bungalow."
"Oh, that man!" I look at Kate and throw my hands up. We wanted to do the planning, but of course, my husband couldn't handle it.
"Alright, Christian! Have I mentioned how much I love that brother of mine?" Mia says, hooking her elbow into mine. "I told you we should have just let him make the reservations." She steers me towards the bell boy, who must be Bryan, and I grab Kate's hand just in time before being pulled across the lobby.
We follow him through the hotel, trying to take everything in on our way to our bungalow. Everything looks so grand and classy. Like we've stepped back in time. I love it. He shows Veronica to her room, which isn't too far away, and hands her the luggage she brought before continuing down the hall, pushing the luggage cart.
Once we're to our Bungalow, Bryan explains that there are warm cookies and milk brought before bed and a bottle of champagne brought in the evening. "But, Mr. Grey asked us to change the champagne to sparkling cider, Mrs. Grey, so don't worry. As requested by Mr. Grey, we've pulled all the liquor out of the fridge and cabinet and have replaced it with other refreshments."
"A dry bungalow? Damn, Christian."
I giggle. "You know I can't drink because of the pregnancy and Kate can't because she's breast feeding. I'm sure Christian wanted to make sure that we didn't have to pick you up off the floor every night."
Mia throws herself down on the couch and sighs. "Guess I'll be getting wine with dinner then!"
I shake my head, grinning, and pull out my wallet from my handbag to tip Bryan. I grab a $20 and hand it to him. "Thank you so much, Bryan."
"Thank you, Mrs. Grey, Mrs. Grey, and Miss Grey." I giggle at his formality. "If there is anything you need, please don't hesitate to ask. All you need to do is hit the 0 on the landline and you'll be connected to the desk."
I nod. "We will."
When he leaves, we go on a tour of the bungalow together. It's got a living room, dinette, kitchen, a small back yard with a privacy fence and fireplace, a bedroom with a king size bed, and a pull out couch in the living room. We find another cot in the closet.
As I close the closet door, we all look at each other and then run towards the bedroom with the King-sized bed.
"It's mine!"
"No!"
"Get off my bed!"
We're all yelling at each other as we jump on the bed, fighting over who gets it.
Kate is the first to sit up and pats her hair down. "Now, listen. We all want the king size bed, but we can't all have it...so, I think it's only fair that Ana take it."
"Ha!" I say, happy. "Yes, give it to Ana." I nod, smiling.
Mia pouts. "Why?"
"Because Christian is her husband. He's the reason we got this beautiful place."
"But he was my brother first."
Kate rolls her eyes. "Ana is pregnant. She needs good rest. We promised Christian we'd take good care of her. If she comes back with dark circles under her eyes, we have to deal with pissy Christian and I'd rather not."
Mia sighs dramatically. "Oh, fine. I'll give it up...but only because you're carrying my niece or nephew in there." She pats my stomach affectionately and I beam. I won the bed!
"Oh, crap! I need to call Christian!" He'll be so angry with me if I don't call now.
Yanking my phone out of my pocket, I Skype him.
"Hey, baby!" He's smiling.
"Hi! You are sneaky, Mr. Grey!" I state, wagging my finger at him.
He laughs. "Only the best for my girls. Do you like it?"
I look around again and nod. "I love it. Do you want me to show you?"
He nods. "Yes, please."
I start in the living room, turning the camera around so he can see everything. Then the dinette and kitchen, where he stops me.
"Ana...open the fridge."
I'm confused for a second, but then realize he's making sure that there's no liquor.
"Yes, sir." I pull open the fridge and see there is bottled water, both sparkling and flat, tea, juice, water, small cans of soda, and even iced coffee, but no liquor.
"Good. Now go to the liquor cabinet."
I show him that next, showing him that it's empty. When I turn to show him the yard, Mia pops up, scowling at the phone.
"You took my liquor!"
"You don't need it, Mia."
"I'll just drink at mealtimes."
I see him rub his face and sigh. "If you must, but I want you to know that I told Reigner to limit how many you have."
She crosses her arms. "I'm not a child!"
"No, but you're acting like one, Mia! You are hundreds of miles from home. I don't want anything happening to you while you're there. You don't need liquor to have a good time, Mia. I'm just looking out for my baby sister."
Her shoulders relax and I notice that she doesn't look angry anymore. "You worry about me?"
"Of course, I do."
A smile forms on her face. "Alright, I'll be careful."
"Good. Now move so Ana can continue with the tour."
I giggle and continue past her. After showing him how private the yard is, I head towards the bedroom.
"...And this...this is all mine! I got the king bed all to myself!" I giggle and plop down on the bed, turning the camera so he can see me. I lay back on my pillows and stretch out. "Thank you for treating us, Christian. This is incredible."
"Yes! Thank you!" Kate yells, running and jumping on the bed next to me, making me bounce. She lays next to me, her head against mine so she can see Christian. "This is awesome."
He smiles. "I'm glad I could do it. I want you girls to have the best of everything."
"Aren't you the cutest?" Kate says, placing her hand over her heart. "The Grey men are so chivalrous."
There's a knock on our door.
"I'll get it!" Mia yells from the other room.
Christian's eyebrows knit together. "Who is it?"
"Who is it, Mia?!" Kate yells into the other room, not bothering to move.
"It's just Veronica!"
When he hears Mia yell, I see him relax. "Good. What do you have on the agenda today?"
"Food and shopping." I tell him. "Rodeo Drive isn't far from here, so we decided to stick close today."
He nods. "Good girl. You enjoy your day, alright? I want you to call me throughout the day."
"Yes, sir. I will." I want to hear his voice.
"That's my girl. I love you, angel."
I smile. "I love you, too. Bye."
We spend the day on Rodeo Drive, shopping, eating and enjoying the day. We've probably spent more than we should have, but I try not to think about it. It isn't something I do..well, ever really...so I won't allow myself to feel guilty. I buy Christian some new sunglasses, a watch, and a pair of chucks that match a pair I bought for me. There isn't much for maternity on Rodeo Drive, so maternity shopping will have to wait until tomorrow. I know that Kate wants to go to some of the baby boutiques, so I'll end up spending even more money on that. I hope all our bags fit on the plane...
When we come back from dinner, we enjoy a mani/pedi and facial at the spa to wind down. We sit by the fire in the backyard of our bungalow, eating warm chocolate chip cookies, milk, and apple cider.
"Today was a pretty successful day." Mia states, biting into her cookie.
Kate and I look back through the door into the living room, where our mound of bags are.
"I'd say." I roll my feet, which are sore. "Tomorrow, I'm wearing flats."
Kate nods. "Me too. Look! My feet are swollen!" She holds out her feet and I can see the indentations, where her shoes dug into her feet.
"We should probably hit the hay if we're going to be up early enough to eat breakfast." Mia stands, stretching.
Yawning, I realize how tired I really am. "You're right. Today might have been successful, but it's also been exhausting. I've got a date with my pillow."
We say our good nights and we all climb into bed, Mia and Kate sharing the pull out couch, me in the King size bed all by myself. As I lay there in the middle of the giant bed, I realize I'm suddenly lonely.
"Girls?" I call out in the dark.
"Yes?" Kate answers back.
"I'm lonely."
I hear shuffling and then my best friends come running in, flanking me on both sides.
"I was hoping you'd say that." Mia says, snuggling in beside me.
"Me, too." Kate giggles, snuggling in on the other side.
XxXxXx
We're awoken by my phone going off and Kate reaches for it and hands it to me with a groan.
Looking at it, I see that Christian is Skyping me. I answer, sleepy eyed and raspy voiced.
"Well, good morning, sunshine." He states, already up. I notice his hair is damp, meaning he's already worked out and taken a shower.
Kate grunts next to me.
"Who is that?"
I smile. "Kate. I was lonely, so we shared the bed last night."
Kate rolls over to greet Christian and I notice her eyes are still slits. "You couldn't have waited another hour? This has been the best sleep I've gotten since I was pregnant with Ava. Must you ruin it?"
Christian chuckles. "Sorry, Kate. Where's Mia?"
I look over and see that she's gone back to sleep. "She's asleep." I turn the phone enough for him to see Mia snoozing away.
"Ah, why am I not surprised? Mia has never been a morning person. How's baby Grey doing?"
"Good, I suppose. No nausea, yet, but I might be jinxing myself."
"Where's my baby Grey?" Kate asks, moving the phone so she could see Christian.
"Sleeping right now. I got up with Ava so Elliot could sleep. Give me a minute and I'll show you." He makes his way across Elliot and Kate's house and we wait patiently.
He turns the camera, and the first thing we see is Elliot on his stomach drooling into his pillow, snoring loudly.
"Not him, you lunatic! The baby!" Kate yells, making Christian laugh.
"Oh, you mean the actual baby? Hold on."
Soon, we see a close up of Ava's sleeping form.
"Oh, my baby girl. I miss her so much already." Kate is getting teary-eyed. "Make sure you cuddle her extra today for me."
Christian turns the camera around and I see that he's smiling. "That's on our agenda today."
"And what exactly does your agenda entail?" Kate asks, curious.
"Let's see... food, burps, diaper changes, naps, and cuddles...and if we're not completely exhausted, maybe a bath before bedtime." I giggle at his agenda. "I'm practicing for when our baby gets here."
Ava begins to whimper.
"Oh, that's my cue. Ana, call me around lunch. You girls be careful!"
XxXxXx
It takes the promise of mimosas and a new pair of shoes, but Mia finally gets up and we take turns showering before getting ready for the day. We all decide to wear more comfortable clothing and flats, regretting our choice in footwear from yesterday. I find a white, lace sundress that Christian packed for me and my blush pink, sparkly ballet flats. I curl the ends of my hair so it lays in loose curls and pull my hair half up. I apply light make up and switch my bag out to a new blush pink Louis Vuitton I bought yesterday. It matches perfectly with my shoes and I find myself smiling at the beautiful bag. My giddiness turns to guilt pretty quickly though and a part of me regrets buying it. I'm acting like a spoiled brat.
I pull out my phone to call Christian. A part of me is panicking.
"Hello?"
"Christian..."
"What is it, what's wrong, baby?"
"Nothing... I was just thinking about everything I bought yesterday and now I feel guilty. How much did I spend?"
"What? Baby, I don't know. I haven't looked, but I promise you didn't break the bank. Don't feel guilty. It's alright to splurge every once in awhile."
Still, I feel guilty. "I feel like I should take it back. It feels wrong to be excited about all this."
"Don't you dare take any of it back. Baby, I want you to promise me that you won't worry about it anymore. I want you to spend whatever you'd like and not think twice about it. I work hard to give us this lifestyle and I won't have you acting this way."
Suddenly, I feel guilty that I called and bugged him. "Yes, sir." I murmur into the phone. "I'm sorry I bothered you."
"Anastasia Grey! You did no such thing. You are never a bother. Now, enjoy your day and buy whatever you'd like. You need maternity clothes, babydoll, and I'd love for you to buy some things for the baby's room. Tell me you understand."
"Yes, sir. I understand."
"That's my good girl. Give the phone to Kate."
"Um, oh. Okay." I'm surprised by his sudden request, but I head into the bedroom where Kate is half-dressed. "Christian wants to speak with you."
She gives me an odd look, but takes the phone. "Hello? Oh, yes...oh...I understand. Yes, I promise...okay." I watch her on the phone, wondering what he's saying to her, but she hands the phone back to me quickly.
"Hello?"
"There's my girl. Enjoy your day, alright? I miss you. Promise me you'll Skype before bed?"
I can't help, but grin at how lovely he is. "Yes, I look forward to it. I love you, Christian." As much as I'm loving this girl's trip, I still miss him, especially at night. I want to curl up to him and breathe in his scent and drift off while he rubs my tummy and back.
When I hang up, I eye Kate while she finishes getting ready. She keeps quiet, but I keep mean mugging her until she can't ignore me anymore.
"What?" She spats, throwing her arms up.
"What'd he say?" I'm curious. I don't want them scheming behind my back.
She grins. "He just mentioned that I should be patient with you today...that your hormones might be a little off kilter and asked that I get Elliot a birthday gift from him while we're here."
"My hormones? Off kilter?" I scowl at her, making her laugh. Realizing, I begin to laugh, too. "Maybe just a little. I'm sorry."
Kate shakes her head. "No worries. I was in the same position not that long ago, remember? I'm just now starting to get my body back in order."
XxXxXx
We spend the morning on Melrose Avenue, spending most of our time in the shops catered to males, buying our men a bunch of clothes, shoes, and accessories. I know that Christian doesn't need anymore clothes-he has more than I do-but, it makes me feel better about my own spending and I can finally spoil him a little bit.
We break for a late lunch and then climb into a beautiful, white Mercedes that Christian rented for us. It's a convertible and we take no time opening the top so we can enjoy the beautiful California air.
Mia begs to drive it, but we refuse since she had two mimosas at lunch. Instead, we decide that Kate should drive since she has a Mercedes of her own. Since being pregnant, I haven't had the urge to drive. With the added hormones, my anxiety is higher when I get behind the wheel. I call shotgun, making Mia sit in back with Veronica. At a stoplight, we see an older, bearded white man selling maps labeled with the rich and famous' houses. Mia is eager to buy one, calling him over. Instead of heading straight to the boutiques, we get preoccupied with finding a few of our favorite's houses.
"JUSTIN TIMBERLAKE! His house is on here! We have to go look!"
I take the map from Mia and give Kate directions as she drives. She wander all over the city and after a couple hours, I realize that my butt is getting numb and that I could use a restroom break.
"I need a pee break."
Kate nods. "Alright, I'm over this, Mia. Let's go shopping."
"But, but we still haven't gotten to Dakota's house, yet!"
"No, Mia. I'm heading for town."
"Kate! Please?" She leans forward, between our seats to try and get our attention. When Kate ignores her, Mia begins to tug on her elbow. "Come on, Kate! Just one more!"
Kate turns her head and elbows Mia. "I said no, Mia!"
The light turns red just as we're pulling up to it and there's no way we're going to stop.
"KATE!"
She whips her head around just as a large Escalade comes flying through the intersection.
Suddenly, we're all screaming and my first thought is to cover my stomach. As we hit, the force of the collision throws me forward, the last thing I hear is the crunching sound of metal on metal and the screams of the others.