Cpov
I wake the next morning to the smell of food cooking. Inhaling deeply it's smells of pancakes and bacon. Mmmm. I could get use to this. I was use this.
I have to shake the thought from my head before I get up.
Knowing Teddy and Ana are awake, I get out of bed, throwing on pajama bottoms and a T-shirt so I don't scare anyone if I walked out there in my underwear. Though Teddy likes it when we walk around the house 'like men' as Elliot told him, however, I doubt Ana would appreciate it. Then again, she didn't say anything about feeling my erection digging into her backside yesterday. Maybe... No, I shouldn't.
I walk out of my bedroom and down the hall towards the kitchen. On my way I hear their voices.
"Do you aw-ways wake up dis earwy, Ana?"
Before I left the room I checked the time, it isn't that early but Teddy never was an early bird.
"No," I hear her giggle before I turn the corner, and then they both are in my sight. They are still a distance from me but neither have noticed that I'm making my way towards them.
"Good." Teddy sounds relieved.
"I usually wake up earlier," She informs him. "I slept later than I normally do."
"Ugh." Teddy groans and I almost laugh at how dramatic he's being. He's acting as if she's going to wake him up when she wakes, every morning.
Ana giggles again as she lifts Teddy, sitting him on the counter. Her giggle is such a beautiful sound, I want to hear it more often. I remember the first time I heard Teddy laugh, it melted my heart.
Ana has already started cooking breakfast and is now setting up the toaster. Watching them interact has become interesting to me, especially since whenever I see Ana she's quiet and shy, only speaking when spoken to or working at Mia's restaurant.
I stand back so they can't see me and watch them fix breakfast.
As I watch Ana, I'm reminded of the background check I had done on her yesterday. Maybe she's not normally quiet and shy, or maybe she is, I don't know. But I find it weird that I don't mind not knowing who this girl really is, all I want to do is get to know her now.
"Do you wike coffee, Miss Ana." Teddy asks her in a fancy voice.
"No," She scrunches up her face in distaste while she adds more pancake batter to the pan.
"Daddy wikes coffee." Teddy tells Ana from his spot on the counter.
"Then it's a good thing there's some here." Ana tells him, putting down the bowl of pancake mix to go to the cabinet. And damn, if she put my sweats back on.
It's still fucking hot as hell seeing her in my clothes, though.
I smirk when the sweat pants fall a bit and she has to hold them up while she reaches into the cabinet. I should probably help, it is high up, but I'm enjoying the view too much. She has such a tight little ass that I'd love to claim. I know I shouldn't be thinking about sex with her, but damn... can you blame me? I blame it on Escala's ghosts.
She didn't say anything about my hard-on yesterday, but what if she just brushed it off as a natural body function and isn't attracted to me.
"I don't wike coffee ever." Teddy complains, bringing me from my thoughts.
"It's yucky." She agrees then she wrinkles her nose at him, causing Teddy to giggle.
Together they work the coffee maker, for me, then Ana gives Teddy a plate of bread.
"Remember, don't touch the toast when it pops out because it's going to be very hot. Just put the bread in and then don't touch it again, okay?"
"K." He puts the bread in as instructed and then lowers the lever to toast it.
I continue to watch as they work together, Ana making pancakes and taking the toast out while Teddy adds more bread. Since they're about finished, I finally make my way towards the breakfast bar and wait to be noticed. Teddy's the first to see me.
"Daddy!"
"Hey, buddy." I smile at him before I turn my attention towards Ana, changing my smile to a sexy smirk.
"Are you hungry?" Ana asks unaffected as she sets a coffee mug in front of me.
It seems my smirk is going unnoticed. I'll have to kick this flirting thing up a notched. I've never done it before, but it can't be that hard.
"Very." I tell her in a low voice, looking directly into her eyes.
Her reaction is immediate and exactly what I hoped for. Yeah, she's attracted to me. Her eyes have darkened and she inhales sharply before she bites that delicious looking lip of hers. I feel my own eyes darken as I take in her appearance. I've never seen her with her hair down before, it's beautiful and very long, and she's practically swimming in my clothes. How I would love to see the body she's hiding.
Regardless of who she really is, she is a very beautiful girl. Raising ordinary to extraordinary.
"Good!" Teddy chirps, interrupting our moment "Cause we're makin' pancakes!"
Ana shakes her head as if to clear her thoughts and turns around so we're no longer making eye contact. She picks up Teddy and carries him around to sit next to me, then she goes back to get our plates. She sets ours plates in front of us but instead of joining us, she starts cleaning up.
"Ana, don't worry about that right now," I tell her. "Come join us."
"I'm almost done." She insists, continuing with her task. "I don't want to mess up your clean apartment."
"It's fine," I get up and grab her hand, pulling her away from the mess and sitting her next to Teddy so he's between us. "Eat."
"Yes, sir." She jokes.
"Don't call me sir." I can't hear that from her, especially not here, especially not in front of my son.
"Sorry."
Great, now she thinks I'm upset. Just. Fucking. Great. She's probably going to shut down again and I need to find out more about her.
We eat in silence, Teddy is eating and trying to talk between bites but otherwise it's quiet.
I'm trying to think and come up with something to say, because I don't want to sound like I'm accusing her of something. I don't want her to know that I know she's not who she says she is. But I can't think of shit to say to her.
After we finish breakfast, we all get dressed. Teddy and I have clothes here but Ana doesn't so I picked up an outfit for her at Neiman Marcus on my way home last night. Just a pair of jeans, cream top, and simple but sexy bra and panties in pale blue. I tried to get the least sexiest lingerie I could find, but it didn't matter what I chose because everything I saw... it was all I could do not to envision her wearing it, and only that, just for me. I had to get out of that store before the personal shopper assisting me thought I was some pervert with a bulge in his pants just from looking at lingerie.
I never knew how hard it was to shop for bra and panties. Literally. I've bought for my submissives before, sure. But they either picked it out or I had a personal shopper do it, I never personally picked it out unless it was for a scene. And even then, I wouldn't go to the store to get it.
Ana tries to say she'll pay me back for the clothes, but I wont hear of it and I wont tell her the cost. I've already taken the tags off.
It's not long before we're back in the SUV and heading home. Ana sits in the back with Teddy again.
I pull out of the underground parking of Escala and make my way towards the highway.
"Where did you say you were from?" I decide to ask, acting as if I'm making small talk.
"Oh, all over." She brushes it off, not giving me a real answer.
"So you don't stay in one place long, I take it."
"No, I move around a lot." She agrees, but doesn't volunteer more.
I don't know what else to ask her without revealing that I know she's lying about who she is. From the way she acts, I suspect she's on the run. But from what?
She must be so lonely, her only friend in town is a four year old boy and she's been here for weeks. It makes sense though, not to make friends, knowing you'd be leaving them. But what kind of life could she have without family or friends. I know I took advantage of having loved ones before Teddy, but my family was always there if I needed them... She has no one.
...
"So where am I dropping you off?" I ask Ana as we make it back in town.
"Oh, I have some shopping to do so if you don't mind, you can just drop me anywhere downtown." Again, she avoids me knowing where she lives.
"What are we gonna do today, dad?" Teddy, who did not fall asleep on the way home so I could talk to Ana more privately, asks.
"It's nice today so I was thinking we could take The Grace out." It's the only thing I brought with me from Seattle. I left Charlie Tango in Seattle for business use, but I do still fly her occasionally. Teddy loves flying and sailing as I do. "Grandma should be back so we can take the family out on it too."
"Ana, come wif us!" Teddy insists.
Yes, Ana, come with us.
"Sorry, buddy, I really do have a lot to do today," She turns him down. "I have to work tomorrow so I have to get it done today, otherwise I would. Maybe next time, okay?"
I pull over to let Ana out near the grocery store, not sure where she needs to go. She wouldn't accept the leftover groceries. I don't blame her though, I hate it when people pity me, but if she needs it, I hope she'd take it. I would insist she take them if I didn't give her more than enough money yesterday for watching Teddy.
"Thanks for watching him for me." I tell her as I stop.
"It was fun." She unbuckles and hands me the cellphone I gave her to use yesterday.
"Keep it," I tell her, "You may need it."
"No, thanks." She doesn't accept it.
"What if I need you to watch him again?" I probably wont, but I may want to call her. "How will I get ahold of you, I don't even know where you live."
"I'm almost always at the restaurant, even when I'm not on the schedule. I'm sure you'll see me around."
"Alright." I do see her walking around a lot.
She gets out without taking the phone. I just sit back and watch the natural swing of her hips as she walks into the grocery store.
"Daddy," Teddy calls my attention. "Do you wike Ana?"
"Yeah, buddy, she's nice." Nice? She's just nice, Grey?
"Good. Cause I wikes her too." He says before asking his next question, "Do you think Ana is pretty, daddy?"
"Yeah, buddy, she's beautiful."
I look down at the phone and see she gave me the money back too, along with a receipt showing what she bought and how much she spent. The receipt shows she gave me back all the change.
"Come on, Teddy." I get out of the car and get him out too so we can run into the store and give Ana her money.
"Ana!" Teddy calls when he sees her down an aisle looking at notebooks. She turns around surprised and smiles at my son. God, I wish she'd smile at me like that.
"What are you guys doing in here?"
"You forgot your money." I tell her, holding the cash out for her to take but she doesn't make a move to reach for it.
"What money?"
"You watched my son," I explain. "I'm paying you for doing that."
"Christian, you don't need to do that."
"I do." I insist, this time forcing the money into her hand.
"But it's too much." She tries to give most of it back but I wont accept it.
"Trust me, it's not. You watched the most precious thing to me, surely I should pay you more." I smile at her, "Accept that, or I'll end up giving you more."
"Okay, okay." She smiles, and this time it's aimed at me. "Thanks."
"You're welcome." I smile back at her.
My heart feels as if it's picked up its beat and is about to leap out of my chest, my insides even heat up. The term hot and bothered comes to mine. I've never felt this way towards anyone before, it's like she sets my soul on fire, in a good way. Not only now, but every since I first saw her I've felt this attraction towards her. I've tried talking to her before, nothing too extreme, but I'm not use to this so I don't really know what to say. She's polite and sweet with me, just like she is with everyone, but she doesn't interact much with anyone here, Teddy being the exception.
What is it about this girl?
I've never reacted this way towards another person before. I don't know anything about her, I know she's lying when she says her name is Anastasia Steele, but I find myself drawn to her for some unexplainable reason. I want to get to know her, if not for my own curiosity, but for the fact that she's around my son.
How do people get to know each other if they don't talk and interact? What if after today, our 'relationship' goes back to what it was before; shy smiles and admiring from afar. How will she know that I'm interested in her? And I admit, I am curious about her past. I have to find a way to get to know her.
And then it hits me like a brick. It's something I've never done before. Can I do it now? Only one way to find out.
"Will you go on a date with me?" I blurt out.
My hand is twitching to run my fingers through my hair, a habit I have, but I hold back. I wouldn't want to look nervous, I'm an ex-Dom for fuck's sake, I have to look like I am in some sort of control. I've never asked a girl out before but I don't think that was the way to do it, especially while I'm holding my son in the middle of a grocery store.
"Christian," She shakes her head, turning me down. "I can't."
"Why not?"
I get that there could be a better way to ask her out, but the question is out there. She knows now that I'm interested.
"I just can't."
"Give me a reason why." I all but demand.
"It doesn't matter why I can't, I just can't. Besides, you don't want to date me, there's a lot you don't know about me."
"Isn't that the whole point of dating? To get to know each other better?"
Not knowing her doesn't stop my interest being peeked. I know she's lying about who she is because of the background check, but I still want to know her. I wont say anything about that because I don't want to scare her. My, how I've changed over the years. But... What if she leaves town because I know she's lying about something and question her about it. Then I'd never see her again.
"Yes, but-" She agrees, only to pause and think. "Listen, you're great. Really. And I know this is going to sound like the biggest cliché ever... but, trust me when I say, it's not you, it's me."
"I don't understand. What makes you say that?"
"This is beyond anything you could ever understand."
"Try me." I challenge her.
"There are just some things I can't do. Dating is one of them." She gives me a vague answer. "Right now, I'm sort of living in this bubble that I'm expecting to pop at any moment, and I'm just trying to make it last as long as possible. But, when it pops, which I know it will, I just- I just- I don't want anyone else to get hurt, you know. I'm better off alone in my bubble."
"I wike bubbles!" Teddy chimes in, interrupting our moment.
She smiles at him, though this smile is more forced and it doesn't reach her eyes.
"Ana," I call her attention. "It's just a date, what's the big deal?"
"You should steer clear of me, Christian," She warns me. "I'm not the girl for you."
Shouldn't that be for me to decide?
"I have to go." She says before I can say anything more.
She waves goodbye to Teddy then leaves us, walking down the aisle with her basket. She glances back over her shoulder before she leaves the aisle we're in and is completely out of my view.
Regardless of what I found out about her, that she's lying about who she really is, I find myself intrigued. I wont give up and I wont take no for an answer. This is the first girl I've ever really been interested in, that I'm actually wanting to pursue. I'm not going to let her slip away so easy. I just don't know what the fuck I'm going to do, I've never chased a woman before in my life.
"Daddy," Teddy pulls my attention away from my thoughts of pursuing Ana.
We're still standing in the aisle of the store but I have no idea how long I've been thinking about what I should do about Ana.
"Are we going to the Grace boat now?"
"Of course, buddy." I finally get my ass in gear and venture towards the exit.
"Can we get some bubbles too?"
...
Teddy and I have called our family to join us on the Grace. Of course everyone was available today, so when we arrive they are already on the boat.
"How did it go with Ana?" Mia asks as soon as Teddy and I board, not even giving me a chance to say hello to anyone.
Teddy runs right to my mom, who immediately starts lathering him up with more sun screen.
"Mom, I already did that." I tell her.
"I'm just making sure." She continues her task of protecting her grandchild from the sun.
"She did the same thing to Ava." Kate whispers so my mother wont hear her as she walks behind me.
I just laugh because I'm sure it's true.
My mother is trilled to be a grandmother and enjoys showering her grandchildren with as much love and attention as possible. But she does go a little overboard with protecting them from every little thing. I know she feels badly about what she missed when I was younger and is overcompensating, but it wasn't her fault, I was set in my ways and thought it was helping me.
I move to grab a beer from the chest Elliot brought on board and nod to my dad who is starting to pull away from the dock. I love sailing, I use to do it before but alone, just not nearly as often. Now that I'm closer to my family and have more free time, it's nice to enjoy these activities together. I'm glad Teddy only knows a loving family.
"Well?" Mia asks as I grab the chair next to my mother.
"Well, what?" I ask then take a pull of my beer.
"How did it go with Ana?" She repeats.
"Who is Ana?" Elliot asks, wanting to know who were talking about.
"The new girl that work's at Mama Mia's." Kate volunteers. "I drove her home one night when it was raining. Poor thing doesn't have a car."
"You went on a date?" Elliot asks me surprised.
He knows now that I'm not gay because of Teddy, he would always joke about my sexuality, but he also knows what kind of relationships I've had in the past. He knows, as well as everyone here, that I don't date. Well... I didn't date, but I want to now. However, the beauty turned me down.
"You're dating?" My mom smiles.
"I'm not dating her." I tell everyone, making it clear.
"He asked her to date." Teddy is all to pleased to announce. "But she wanted to pway wif bubbles instead."
Everyone looks at me, waiting for an explanation.
"She watched Teddy for me yesterday since all of you were too busy. And to answer your question, Mia, it went well. I asked her to coffee so I could get to know her better if she were to watch him again, for Teddy's sake, but she said she was too busy." Not quite a lie. "She probably wont watch him again so it doesn't matter."
"Ana doesn't wike coffee."
"Teddy, why don't you show Ava your bubbles we got at the store."
"Do you like her?" My mother asks, but before I can say anything, my son so kindly answers for me.
"He does." Teddy grins.
I take a deep breath. That's the last time I tell my four year old anything.
"I like her a Teddy's sitter and as a friend." I clarify.
"Dad said he thinks she's pretty too."
Yup, never again will I tell Teddy anything.
"She's that new waitress at Mama Mia's?" Elliot asks when he finally realizes who we're talking about. "The tiny brunette?"
"Yeah," Mia tells him. "She came in one day out of nowhere asking for the owner. When I told her I was, she asked if I was hiring. I wasn't but she looked like she needed a job. I asked her if she had any experience, she said yes but I don't think she has much, if any. I trained her and she's been pulling her weight ever since. She's quiet though, doesn't really talk to anyone."
"Everyone's quiet compared to you, Mems." Elliot jokes. "She looks young, though. How old is she?"
"In her twenties," Mia answers. "I think she said 24, but I don't remember."
"She doesn't look 24," Elliot insists. "She looks underage."
"She's 21!" I confirm. She's not underage! Everyone looks at me again in wondering why I suddenly got so offensive, so I explain, "She told Teddy yesterday."
"Wow, that's pretty young." Elliot goes on to say.
"It's not that young." Mia insists. Thank you, Mia. "I'm 23, Kate is 25. It's only a few years younger than us."
"Yeah," Elliot continues. "but compared to Christian she's young."
Fuck you! I say in my head since my son is nearby, not to mention my mother and she doesn't like us to curse. Elliot sees the look I have, knowing what I want to say to him, and laughs knowing I can't.
"Your father is 12 years my senior," Our mother comes to my defense.
"I'm just saying," Elliot continues, "She was like, what, 16-17 when Teddy was born, still in high school. You're going to be 32 in a few weeks. Are you sure this is the girl you want to be dating? She's not going to want to settle down with some old man and his kid. But if she does, and if you really want her, you're going to need your wingman to help you out."
Elliot and his 'advice'.
"It wont be you." Kate insists, speaking of his wingman comment.
"Of course not," Elliot agrees, "He's got the perfect wingman in Teddy."
"Again," I say frustrated. "I'm not dating her, she just watched Teddy for me yesterday since mom was in Detroit, you and Kate were on a date, and Mia wanted to spend time with Ethan."
Dad joins us, asking for Elliot's help with the sails. Thank fuck because it means the end of this conversation and I just want to relax today.
I sit back in my chair while Teddy finally runs off to play with his aunts and cousin, telling them all about his time with Ana at Escala. I know most of what they did but I find myself listening in to their conversation and watching the way Teddy speaks so fondly of Ana. It's obvious she's affected the both of us. I start to wonder if maybe she turned me down because I am so much older than her and I do have a child. But then I remember how much she adores Teddy so I don't think that's the reason she said no. Maybe this has to do with why she's hiding who she is.
"You know, sweetie," My mother gains my attention. "I never told you before, but your father and I were worried about you. Not only as a child, as any parent would be concerned for their baby, but as you grew up too and became an adult. All you did was work, your whole life was that company, and your father and I understood what GEH meant to you. We are just so proud of the accomplishments you made in your life. But I always wanted you to find love, happiness, someone to share your life with who sincerely cared about you in return. I know Teddy came into your life rather unexpectedly and it was a shock to you at first, but you've changed so much for him. You have such a big heart, Christian, and I only want you happy. If you like this girl and she makes you happy, you should ask her out."
"I'll consider your suggestion, mom." I don't mention that I already did ask Ana out but she turned me down.
"You've spent the last four years being a father and taking care of your son, giving up your life to move here and raise him." She continues. "You're a wonderful father, like I knew you would be, and your son should come first always. But, as one parent to another, you need adult time too. When you three were little, your father and I would-"
"Mom." I complain, not wanting to hear about her and dad's 'adult time' when we were little. I'm 31 years old, I don't want to talk about sex and intimacy with my mother, especially not what she did with my father.
"I'm just trying to help."
"I know." She's never seen me show interest towards a girl before, I'm sure she is just trying to help.
"Teddy's been wanting to go to the beach." I mention. "Why don't you come with us when we go?"
"I'd like that. But I'd also like to see you happy. That's all I want for my babies is for them to be happy."
"I am happy, mom."
And I am. I never thought I would be or deserved to be, but I am.
There's just something about Ana that draws me to her... Sure she's a mystery and she's hiding who she really is, but there's also who she is now. She's sweet and adores Teddy, not to mention she's sexy as hell. She's like a siren, a goddess, Aphrodite herself. I want to get to know her without scaring her away. And I know if I confront her about the background check, she may run.
I bothered Mia after Ana agreed to watch Teddy, wanting to know everything Mia knew about her, but she couldn't tell me anything other than Ana is quiet and keeps to herself. Which is true, no one knows anything about her. She only interacts with Teddy. Wait. Kate! She said she took Ana home when it rained. That journalist sister in-law of mine surely got the scoop.
I stand and make my way over to her.
"Hey, Kate, can I talk to you for a minute."
"Sure," She steps away from Mia, Teddy and Ava. "What's up?"
"What do you know about Ana?"
"Are you interested in her?" She grins.
"I'm curious." I correct her. "I want to know more about the girl since she may be watching Teddy more," and the background check turned up nothing useful other than the fact that she's lying.
"Well, I didn't get much from her, really. She said she wanted a change so she moved here. I don't know where she's from or anything, or why she's here of all places, but I think she's sweet."
"So you know where she's staying?" I throw it out there.
"Yeah, I'm surprised she's staying in that little place all alone. It'd scare me if I lived there. I take her home when it rains. She doesn't ask though so I've been going to the restaurant if I know she's working and it's going to rain. I get a little more from her each time but she's still a mystery, not giving much away. Maybe the next time I'll get her drunk enough to spill the goods. I'll put in a good word for you though."
"Thanks." I say irritated when she doesn't tell me much. But she does give me an idea. Perhaps I'll just happen to be at the restaurant the next time it rains. Then I can give her a ride home.
"So where does she live?"
"Sorry, buddy." She pats my shoulder. "If Ana wanted you to know where she lives, I think she would've told you."
She leaves me and goes back to Mia, Teddy and Ava.
How am I going to figure this mysterious girl out if nobody will tell me shit, not even the damn background check, and she wont go out with me?!