Authors Note: I deleted the notice I put on up after chapter 50, but as a result, it moved chapter 51 to the web address that was allocated to the notice, and the email link then failed. So if you haven't read the last chapter, please go and read it, so this chapter makes sense. This chapter is short, but it was just a little bit of fun.
Regards,
Maria Amore.
Our Competitive Nature
Christians POV:
I intentionally arrive home early at three in the afternoon, and notice that Elliot car is parked outside. We had planned to work out together in my gym, whilst he tells me what is going on with Ava. He is also yet to explain why he was be at our parents' house so early, that day I needed to talk to my mother, over Phoebe's question, rather than at home with Kate. Dropping my suitcase and rip off my tie, I enter the kitchen where I can hear Elliot and Phoebe talking.
"Hello princess, how was school?" I kiss Phoebes forehead and then focus on my brother. "I will be ready in a few minutes Elliot" Elliot nods in acknowledgment.
"School was good, and Ms Jones and I made a chocolate cake for you and mommy tonight. But best of all, look at what Uncle Elliot just gave me" Phoebe shows me excited. "It's Ken and Barbie" I am forced to enter CEO mode, so she is unaware that I am not all that pleased at my brother joke. Thankfully Phoebe and Ms Jones are none the wiser of the background story of these dolls.
"Wow! That is nice. Did you say thank you?" I inquire.
"Yes, she did." Elliot comments. He has his trademark grin on his face. Phoebe new present is supposed to be another one of his joke at my expense.
"Mr Grey, do you want something to eat?" Gail offers.
"No, thank you. If we can have two bottles of water, that would be great. Elliot and I are about to go to the gym after I get changed into some sweats. Do you mind keeping an eye on Phoebe for another hour or so?" I request.
"Not a problem." Gail responds happily.
"Phoebe, I will be back up soon and then you will have my complete attention." I tell her kissing her forehead again.
"Really?" Phoebe says excited "After you and Uncle Elliot have been in the gym, can we three go swimming?"
"Yes, but you need to ask your uncle Elliot if he can stay also." I state.
"Sure thing Phoebe. I think it is about time you watched me wallop your father in a swimming race. He never could beat me in the pool" Elliot reveals. Oh a challenge... this gives me an idea.
"Ms Jones, in about forty minutes, can you send Phoebe upstairs to get changed into her swimming clothes and take her to the gym area."
"Yes Mr Grey" Gail smiles at Phoebe who is already excited.
When I enter the gym after I get, and Elliot is already on the treadmill. I start to stretch and warm up.
"Nice touch with the Ken and Barbie dolls. The subtle message was not lost on me." I comment. Elliot smirks and within a few seconds we both laugh hysterically. When Elliot was ten, and I was eight, we both asked our father some rather intense questions on sexuality on afternoon. Our mother was away on a medical conference, so he was on his own. With little backup, he grabbed Mia's Barbie dolls and Ken that were within arm's reach, and used them to explain. We both wanted to run for the hills, but with nowhere to run, we sat there horrified. Thank gosh those dolls weren't anatomically correct.
"I couldn't look at another Barbie and Ken doll after that, and thankfully Ava was always interested in other dolls instead." Elliot says.
"Elliot just so you know, that when Phoebe wants me to play Barbie and Ken with her now, I am sending security over to bring you straight over. You have some play time coming your way." Elliot is laughing, but I am being damn serious.
"So what is happening with Ava?" I ask concerned. I need to know if there is anything I can do to solve the problem. There were times that I would use her to cover my pain when Ted was living with Ana in New York. Shopping trips, outings etc. Moments I wasn't able to do with Ted and mistakes I will not make with Phoebe.
"It had to do with her current loser of a boyfriend. Actually now former. Ava is so head strong, and she was so determined to go on this Asia trip, even though Kate and I have both forbidden her to go. I don't care if she is twenty-one already, she is too young. Gosh knows what type of trouble she might have gotten into." Elliot and I both cringe at the thought.
"Ava and Kate had an epic fight over the phone. Kate told Ava that she could only go if security tailed her. She was going to talk to you about putting a couple of CPO's on her twenty four hours a day. So of course, Ava freaked out and went over to see her boyfriend. The rat of a boyfriend, not expecting aver to turn up, was in bed with another girl."
"Bastard, but at least Ava learnt that about him now and not later" I remark.
"Exactly. Ava rang me and said she needed me. I lied to Kate and told her I had to check on one of the developments I have been working on, and flew down to see Ava. She was a mess, and she also had an issue that she needed resolved. However, mom managed to get us a specialist appointment with a doctor, and it's been resolved."
"What issue?" My Uncle instincts kick in a little. Was she pregnant? Our mother has always been so anti-abortion that I couldn't see her agreeing to help. Elliot slumps his shoulders down, and the strain of his weekend is apparent.
"She had a sexually transmitted disease, but it is being cleared up. I had to have a chat to her about safe sex again." Elliot shakes his head, and the horrors of the weekend are visible in his face.
"Want me to intervene and make Ava's ex-boyfriends life a little miserable" I offer.
"No thanks master of the universe. I think it has been pretty well handled. But take my weekend as a warning little brother. If you thought Phoebe's question was intense then just wait till she becomes sexually active." Elliot warns. The prospect is unnerving and sends nasty shivers down my spine.
"I think I would kill any fucker who tried to touch Phoebe" I say out loud.
"As would I. I rather have a significant soft spot for my niece, but poor little Phoebe. She doesn't realise that not only will you, and I be protective of her, but so will her elder brother." Elliot accurately evaluates.
"I do need a favour from you actually. Kate doesn't know anything about this. I couldn't get a flight back to Seattle from California at the same time I told Kate I would arrive from inspecting the housing project, and it was bloody late, so I went over and stayed at Bellevue. Good thing I arrived in time for your phone call." Elliot grins.
"Indeed"
"So if you have told Ana anything, I would appreciate you both keeping this from Kate. It would only work to stress her and put more strain Kate and Ava's relationship" Elliot requests.
"Agreed." I smile inside as it gives me leverage. Ana always says that Elliot tells Kate everything, now I have proof that this is not always the case.
"Now that I have told you what is happening in my life, are you going to tell me, what Ted plans on telling everyone on Skype this weekend?"
"You will see. I am not at liberty to tell you" I comment.
"I guess that it won't be so bad. If it was, you would be running your hands through your hair and pulling at it at the mere mention of Ted's news." Elliot has quickly recovered from telling me what happened with Ava and return to his usual demeanour.
"Spot me on the weights" I request.
"Sure" I start with a low weight and then progressively increase it. At eighty, pounds, I stop.
"That's enough. I can't lift any more" I say strategically. I know I can easily do more, but it's not part of my plan.
"You serious? I can easily do one hundred plus" Elliot says smugly. "I don't even have a personal trainer. How can you not do more? You should be at least able to bench press your own weight"
"Well Mr Muscle man, it's your turn," I tell him. Elliot, confidently starts. We start low forty pounds, then fifty, sixty, seventy, eighty, ninety and then one hundred. I am only increasing the weights ever so strategically.
"Man I am going to cane you," Elliot says.
"Want to see how far you can go?" I am challenging him, and me now it will work. I slowly increase the weight and reach 120. I note that he is starting to struggle with the length of time he has been bench pressing and the increased weights.
"Want to give up?" I offer.
"No chance." Elliot says. I recommence to increase the weights, and he finally stop at one hundred and sixty pounds.
"I am done." Elliot finally states. He is exhausted. "I should have put money on be being able to beat you" he says getting up and stretching.
Right on time, Phoebe knocks on the gym door with Gail. She isn't allowed to come in here by herself as it leads to the indoor pool and Phoebe isn't allowed to go swimming alone. I open the door and thank Gail for her assistance.
"Are you ready to go swimming?" I ask phoebe
"Yep. I got my goggles."
"Elliot, there are a couple of pairs of clean trunks in the bathroom next to the pool. We will meet you in the pool." I inform him
Phoebe is skipping happily as I walk behind her into the pool area. I take off my sweatpants, and dive into the water. Phoebe obediently is waiting by the side of the pool for me.
"Can I jump in now dad?" She asks.
"Yes Phoebe." Phoebe has been doing swimming lessons since she was a baby, on Ana's instance, and even though she can swim, I won't let her in the water unless an adult is also present. She re-emerges and reaches out for me as she can't stand. I hold her and take her to the shallow area.
Elliot is stretching his biceps and shoulders when he comes into the pool area. It is obvious he in some discomfort.
"Uncle Elliot, are you and daddy going to have a swimming race?" Phoebe calls out. I smile at my little girl, this is perfect.
"Yes we are. If I recall your Uncle said that he was going to beat me as he never loses a swimming race to me." I restate. Elliot drops his towel and comes over to us.
"Never ever. You see Phoebe while your dad was on his college's rowing team, I was on my college's swim team. In fact even growing up, in our twenties, thirties, and forties, your dad has never beaten me."
"Thank you for the history lesson. Two laps of the pool and first to touch the side wins." Elliot and I both go to the platforms.
"Phoebe can you start us off?" I request.
"Get ready, set go!" She calls out. We both hit the water at the same time, and we are head and head on the first lap, but on the second lap, I start to gain a lead and finish an easy body and a half in front of him. Elliot touches the side of the pool and it is obvious he is aching.
"Daddy you won! Uncle Elliot my daddy bet you. Was that the first time?" Phoebe asks, slipping into the water and into my arms.
"It would seem so" Elliot says dismayed.
"I guess now in our fifties, things are going to be different. Don't worry too much Elliot, at least I know what to get you for a Christmas. You will enjoy having a personal trainer." I mock. I focus my attention on Phoebe and commence to play with her, at the shallow end of the pool.
Several minutes later Elliot join us. He grabs Phoebe and flings her in the air, making her laugh and hit the water.
"Do it again, Uncle Elliot." Phoebe requests.
"No, I can't" Elliot says.
"Please Uncle Elliot" Phoebe asks.
"I am sorry, but I can't. My shoulder is killing me. Your father challenged me to see how much I could lift, and I think I strained it. In fact during that last lap, my shoulder ached." I can't help but smirk at Elliot and wait for him to work out my original plan.
"Oh for fucks sake Christian, you set me up" Elliot calls out.
"Uncle Elliot you used a bad word." Phoebe calls out. Her little lips are thinned, and she has narrowed her brow. I don't know what is funnier; my daughter's expression or the fact that I successfully managed to swindle Elliot to lose in the pool.
"I am sorry Pheobe, but your daddy made me lose that swimming race. You do know that I am the better swimmer don't you?" Elliot asks to clarify.
"I don't know" Phoebe shrugs.
"Yes you do. Come on Phoebe. You don't need to lie for your dad." Elliot implores. Phoebe unsure of what to say, just shrugs.
"Serious Lelliot using an innocent five year old." I shake my head and then fail to stifle my laugh.
# # #
At eight in the evening on Saturday evening, I connect up Skype on the large screen. As per Ted's request the whole family is here, even Ava who I flew up from California. She seems to have recovered well from her ex-boyfriend ordeal and medical issue. Best of all she will be returning to Seattle this summer. Ted and Lilly appear on the screen. It has just turned seven in the morning in Durfar, and they both look like they just got up not long ago.
"Morning Ted. Everyone is here" I inform him.
"Hi" Ted calls out as he and Lily wave. They both look incredibly happy. As they inform the family that they are coming home in three weeks, and their earlier than planned nuptials, they seems even happier than before. Their joy is matched by every family member. Eventually, everyone has calmed a little and ready to recommence our online conversation.
"Mom, Dad and everyone, Lily and I have been talking, and we have decided on a couple of key aspects of our wedding. However, our plans will need to be put into place immediately." Ted informs us.
"Okay. What do we need to do straight away?" Ana asks.
Ted and Lily look at each other. Lily nods letting Ted know it's okay to tell us whatever they have in mind.
thanks for reading.