Covert Operations
Christian POV:
"Ted, what has happened?" I ask. I listen to Ted and groan. How am I going to get out of this apartment without Ana getting suspicious and after we promised each other no more lies?
Christian: Okay, Ted. I am coming to get you. First I need you to keep calm. Your mother is still here and….
Ted: What? But it is so late! Shit, she will kill me. Dad, please. Do NOT tell her!
Christian: I can't guarantee that, but I won't let her know tonight. I am going to have to be crafty here, or your mother will get suspicious.
Ted: She will be able to read you like a book!
I can feel my son's anxiety even over the phone. Does he get stressed often? I don't even know if he gets frazzled regularly. There is so much I need to learn about my son. Parental instincts I have never felt before kick in. My son needs me, and that is more urgent than my sexual need to be intimate with Ana. It hits me that I am choosing him over Ana. I remember my initial fear that Ana would choose our son over me. She was right; we should always choose our child first.
Christian: Ted, stay calm, I can help you. BUT I need you to remain calm. As soon as I can get rid of your mother, without her getting stressed or questioning me, I will come and get you.
Ted: Don't worry Dad, I am not going anywhere.
He is trying to make light of the situation but fails.
Christian: Taylor and I will sort this mess out.
Ted: Bye Dad. Thank you
Christian: See you soon son.
I slam my cell phone down on the counter and run both my hands through my hair. I need to help Ted, even though this mess of own his making. But I will deal with the matter of fault later, after I find a way to send Ana home without making it look like I am rejecting or brushing her off or without her getting suspicious.
"Taylor be ready to leave once Ana has left for her apartment. Also tell Sawyer to get ready to take her home," Taylor nods and dutifully goes about what needs to be done. I run my hand through my hair again. FUCK! What do I do about Ana?
I walk back into the main room, to find Ana has finished yet another glass of wine. She must have had at least eight glasses during the course of the evening, and the effect is undoubtedly starting to show. She looks exhausted; in fact she is struggling to keep her eyes open. She looks angelic.
"Hi, are you sleepy?" I squat next to Ana, brushing the hair from her and stroking her face. Her skin is still the picture of perfection and so soft. I long to kiss every inch of it.
"Yeah, I haven't slept since Thursday night. I didn't sleep on the flight over, and I can never sleep during the day anymore. Sorry." She says, closing her eyes and falling into a deep sleep. I glare at her unhappily. I am furious at her lack of sleep. She needs to take better care of herself, or rather I need to. Looking at my watch I calculate that she has been awake for thirty-six hours. However I am relieved that it will be easier to leave the apartment without her questioning me.
Carefully, I pick her up and carry her into the spare room. I unzip her dress, exposing her naked body with the exception of her bra and panties. My body reacts swiftly. I shake my head and cover her with the blanket and duvet. I lean down and kiss her forehead. "I love you Anastasia Grey." I just want to watch her sleep again, and what I wouldn't do to climb into the bed, wrap myself around her and fall into a tranquil sleep.
However, I feel a much more pressing need. Taylor and Sawyer are ready at the door for me. "Sawyer, Mrs Grey has fallen asleep in the spare room. If she wakes up before I get back, please inform her that I had to run out to the office due to an emergency. Under no condition is she to be told about Ted." I mandate.
Taylor watches me as I pace apprehensively for the elevator. When it opens I rush in and bang the button for the garage.
"Children make mistakes. Don't be too hard on Ted" Taylor tells me. I look at Taylor and sigh.
"I feel a strong need right now to go, protect and hold my son whilst yelling at him, and ground him until the end of time." I am a bag of mixed emotions.
"Congratulations. That is exactly what a parent goes through each day of their child's life."
Taylor parks the car outside the police station. It's almost midnight now. Forty-five minutes since Ted called me. I approach the counter to find there are two officers on duty. One is busying himself on the phone whilst the younger police officer is manning the counter.
"Evening, I am here to pick up my son, Theodore Steele. He and his friends were bought in here" I tell him.
"Yes, the boys at the strip joint," He says distastefully. I severely dislike his tone. I know my son has done the wrong thing, but he isn't a repeat felon or anything. At least I don't think so, but this would have been something that Ana would have told me.
"Have they been charged with anything?" I enquire.
"No. They just got picked up. Your son is free to go with a warning. I will just get you some paper work" he states. I fill out the paper work and give him my identification. The officer looks at my identification and his eyes grow wide.
"I suspect this incident will be kept private since they have not been arrested" I assert.
"They are minors so it will all be kept confidential and as you've said they haven't been charged." The officer reconfirms. I follow the officer to the back of the station. In one of the cells is Ted with what I believe is some of his friends. Ted stands up the second he sees me. I don't think I had seen him look so scared, not even when he was a child.
"Theodore Steele, you are free to go. I don't ever want to see you here again" the officer informs him.
"Thank you officer," Ted says. I walk out of the station behind Ted, watching him. He is shaking.
"Are you doing okay?" I ask Ted outside the station.
"Yeah, just feeling extremely stupid. I'm fine, so I guess you can start yelling at me now" Ted claims. I run my hand through my hair and try to assess the situation. I think back to all the stupid things I did as a teenager and how I felt and my parents. True I never ended up at a police station, but still. I am so angry, but I need to think this out.
"Get it in the car. We are going for pizza" I say surprised at myself.
"Pizza?" Ted states stunned.
"Yes. Get in the car" I command.
I have Taylor locate an Italian restaurant. Good thing about Manhattan is that everything is open constantly. Ted and I don't say anything to each other during the car ride. Ted looks worried, but I am trying to figure out what to do. He is seventeen and as tall as me, I can't put him over my knee. The first time I have to parent him and deal with a matter and it has begun with me picking him up from a police station.
We sit down at an isolated table. Thank fully there are very few people in the whole restaurant, meaning there will be no one to listen in.
"What pizza would you like?" I ask Ted. The waitress stands over us waiting for our order.
"I don't know. I usually get the meat lover's pizza. Can you order?" Ted asks cautiously. His demeanour is nothing like the strong and stubborn teenager that walked into my office only nine days ago. Wow, has it honestly only been nine days?
"We will have one meat lovers and one supreme pizza. I would like a Budvar beer and what would you like to drink Ted?"
"A coke"
I wait for the waitress to leave before I commence to grill Ted. "Start explaining Ted. I want to know why I left your mother tonight to pick you up from a police station lockup."
"Does mom know?" He asks wearingly.
"No, not yet" I comment
"Not yet?" Ted squirms
"Ted I don't think I can or should keep this from your mother. I promised your mother we wouldn't keep secrets from each other"
"But I didn't get arrested, and there will be no record of this." Ted tries to convince me. "Hang on, doesn't mom know that you are here? What did you tell her?"
"Lucky enough for you, your mother was exhausted today since she hasn't slept since she left Seattle. By the time I finished talking to you, and went back to join your mother she had fallen asleep. I picked her up and put her to bed in my spare room." I omit the fact that Ana had a fair amount of wine that profoundly assisted in her in her slumber.
"So you and mom didn't… you know," Ted says embarrassed.
"No, Ted, your mother and I did not make love." I reaffirm.
"But you do want to, don't you?" My sons question almost makes me fall off my chair.
"I love your mother, she is the only woman for me. Of course, I want to" I tell him sincerely. I take a deep breathe recalling the image of Ana practically naked in my apartment.
"But this is about you, not your mother and me. We were talking about whether to inform your mother of not of tonight's escapades" I reaffirm.
"Please dad, I don't want mom to know what I was doing" Ted's voice is desperate.
"Oh yes the strip joint?" I ask. Ted is embarrassed by me just mentioning it. "Why did you go there?" I understand being a hormonal teenager, but I need to hear it from my son.
"The whole story is that I did go to Josh's place, and his parents were there. They went out, and before you say it, yes I lied to the new security guy and told him that the parents were staying in" I narrow my eyes, angry at his deceit. I am going to tighten security around him. "Then we left and went to a strip joint. We had fake ID's and even got inside until we got picked up inside the place by undercover cops. We were taken to the police station and told that they were going to call our parents to come and get us. You were the first to come actually."
"Were you drinking?" I enquire, trying to fill in the gaps in Ted's brief story.
"NO!" He says adamantly.
"So you were just going to admire the scenery?"
"Something like that. It was curiosity, I wasn't trying to get a girl or anything" He says a little baffled. I cock my head to the side waiting for him to explain himself further. "Dad I was just…. Its … I find it hard to know what to say to girls and I have never seen a girl naked and I wanted to. When a friend suggested it, I thought that it was the answer to my prayers and went with it. I also wasn't trying to drink, I just wanted to see a girl naked."
"Most guys would just Google it" I point out. The pizza and drinks come out, and we start to eat. The mood calms and I know that this was a perfect plan for us to both talk.
"What do I need to do for you not to tell mom about this evening?" Ted asks. I feel caught between a rock and a hard place.
"Ted why do you think I shouldn't tell your mother?" I throw it back on him.
"Because I don't want her to think I am a pervert or anything. She is my mother" Ted scrunches up his face horrified.
"You're not a pervert Ted. You are just a hormonal teenage boy I believe. Tell me what experience have you had with girls?" I ask casually as I take another slice of pizza.
"Like what?" He asks shyly. This is getting a little frustrating. Suddenly I remember the first time I spoke to Ana about sex and how little experience she had. I need to spell this out for my son.
"Have you ever had a girl friend?"
"Not really. I have gone on a couple of dates" He states a little optimistically.
"That is good. Ever gone steady?"
"No. I never know what to say Dad. I go on a first date, and things go okay, but then what do you do on the second date?" I gulp, I review my experiences with girls at his age, and I don't think that is a sound foundation to inform my son. Think to you and Ana, a voice in my head tells me.
"Pretty much what you do on the first date. You are seventeen; I doubt that any girl is seeking a permanent relationship." I clarify.
"I know, it's just hard."
"I take it you are a virgin" I surmise. Ted blushes a little and looks like he wants to run for the hills.
"DAD! Seriously announce it to the world why don't you" Ted groans. I stifle my laugh.
"Again, you are seventeen, being a virgin is NOT unusual and preferable" I tell him. Holding up my finger "Ted, you are smart, tall and good looking, any girl would be extremely happy to go on a second date with you." I encourage him.
"I had just gotten nervous about calling them and then when I don't they get mad at me, and I look like I used them." I desperately try not to laugh at my son's ignorance with girls.
"Of course you do, they probably think that you don't like them since you didn't talk to them again." I shake my head at him. Ted looks down, dismayed. I need to take this a different direction. "Ted is there any girl you are interested in right now?"
"One yes." He says sheepishly. I look at him, to get him to keep explaining. "Her name is Abigail, and she goes to my school. I went out with her and a group of friends a week before I went to Seattle. I want to date her."
"Excellent, so on Monday go and ask her out. After the first date, you and I will talk and discuss your next move." I inform him.
"You are going to tutor me on how to date?" Ted's accurate analysis surprises me also. Who would have ever thought I would educate another man on women?
"So it seems" I pass Ted another piece of pizza. Gosh he eats as much as I do.
"Dad, who was Elena?" Ted spurts out. I spit out my beer.
"Elena?" I run my hands through my hair. The thought of educating my son on my sexual history is a lesson I do not care to share. I figure that giving him some minimalistic answers would end his curiosity.
"She was mentioned at my grandparents' house when we had dinner. You and mom told me not to ask about her. But who is she?" My curious son probes.
"She was an older woman who seduced me when I was younger than you are now. She introduced me to sex, when I was only fifteen. She is an unpleasant memory now though, and I would ask that you don't mention her in front of your mother or grandparents. She is a sore subject for them both." I warn.
"I understand, but dad, fifteen? You were so young."
"I know. So what do we do about your adventures tonight?" I ask to redirect the conversation.
"You are intending on punish me?" Ted questions.
"Oh yes." I remark, the only problem is I am not sure how.
"So you are going to tell mom." Ted drops his shoulders.
"I don't know yet. Let me see how it all plays out. Don't worry. I will handle it. Trust me" I try to convince him. I have no idea what to do there.
"Yeah I guess." Ted shrugs.
"Ted, besides your fear of you not wanting your mother to think you are a pervert, which you are not, why did you call my cell phone and not your mom's?" I say a little pray for the answer that I want to hear.
"Because, you are a guy. I haven't been able to talk about this stuff with mom. Elliot has given me some advice, but it hasn't been great."
"Ted, promise me that you will never take advice from your Uncle ever again" I beg. "Ask me instead, please. I am your father."
"That's all I have wanted to do for so long" Ted is pensive. "You weren't around, Dad. We only spoke a couple of times a year, and I never knew what to tell you. You never came to visit me. I used to wish on my birthday when I cut my cake that you would turn up, but you didn't"
I wipe a couple of tears away. "Ted... I...I am sorry"
"Dad, I understand, I did get one hell of a history lesson recently. Just don't go away again, at least not like before."
"I won't. Now we should go." I inform him
"Do I go back to mine and moms apartment?" Ted asks.
"Oh no, you are coming with me. You are not being left alone. I have ample room plus your mother is there."
I pay the bill, leaving a generous tip. Ted and I sit together in the back of the car whilst Taylor drives. I listen as he tells me about his friends and school, whilst I tell him pieces of information about myself. There is so much to say and to learn that the drive to my apartment is too short.
"Ted, you can take the spare room down the hallway, second door to your left. Your mom is in the room next to you." I inform Ted.
"Night Dad. Thanks again for helping me." Ted says.
"I was glad that you rang me to happy you." I reply. Ted stands still looking a little conflicted. Before I can enquire as to what is bugging him, he walks over to me and wraps his arms around me. I do the same, hugging my son for the first time since he was five.
"Night Dad," he says as he walks off.
"Night Ted. Love you"
"Love you too dad"
I stand astonished at the evening's events. I relish Ted's latest words and go towards Ana's room. She is fast asleep. I sit next to her and watch her sleep. It is one of the most peaceful things I have even seen. I want to get into bed with her, but am aware that she hasn't asked me to. I don't want her to think that I am rushing her. I need to be considerate; I can't be how I once was. I walk out and go to my room. It feels so cold and lonely, especially with Ana so close by. I quickly fall asleep, but I am plagued with nightmares.
Sunday morning arrives. This is the first time I have woken up in the same house as my wife and son. I walk out to the kitchen and find Ted is already there eating cereal.
"You are up early," I remark.
"I always am. Mom often tells me I get it from you" Ted grins as do I.
I make a couple of coffees and pass one to Ted. We split the newspaper, occasionally one of us would comment on something we were reading. An hour later Ana, emerges. I had security go to her apartment to collect a change of clothes for her and Ted.
"Ted, what are you doing here? Aren't you supposed to be at Josh's house? You are never up this early after an all-nighter with your friends" Ana comments. Ted stiffens up, looking at me for help.
"Ana take a seat" I order her. I look at Ana, the woman who owns my heart and my one and only son whom I love with all my heart. I try to figure out what to do... I am stuck between a rock and a hard place.
Authors Note: Thank you to everyone following this story and the reviews. its means a lot to me. Thank you for hte reviews, please let me know what you are thinking, keep reviewing... I know some of you are finding the cliffhangers hard to take.. Is it a killer to the story?
Thanks to Crystal9034 for editing and listening to my ideas.
Maria Amore