Sorry it's been so long. After some mixed reviews recently, I'm struggling to decide how to carry on with this story. I have chosen not to include a chapter about Thomas getting hurt due to Christian after reading people's views. I am in need of some guidance as to where this story should go next, or some ways it can be improved. Please let me know your thoughts. Thank you.
Also, after looking at some reviews I've decided to write this chapter from Christian's POV, if you like it let me know and I might write chapters alternating between Christian and Thomas' POV. Thank you.
"Dad, why are we doing this?" Thomas asks me from across the table. It had been Ana's idea for me to take him out for lunch, she thinks we need more time together to connect or something. I can't disagree with her, things have been tense between us lately. For some reason I found it so much harder to connect with Thomas, than I do Teddy or Phoebe.
"Because I want to spend some time with my son" I respond evenly. The waitress walks over to us. I know her, I often take business clients here for lunch.
I watch my son stare at her as she stands next to us. He's practically drooling over her. Are all boys like this at 12 years old? I don't think I was but then again I was fifty shades of fucked up.
"Mr Grey, lovely to see you as always, what can I get you two?" She asks us formerly. Thomas hasn't stopped staring at her tits. I clear my throat and shoot him a glare, this seems to make him recover himself.
"I'll have the French sirloin steak with fries, and a glass of the Schulz Benjamin Shiraz 2006" I reply and watch as she jots it down on her notepad. We both look at my son expectantly, he's still scanning the menu, and knowing him we'd be here for years.
"I wouldn't mine a glass of that wine either" He shoots with his cheeky grin.
"Try again" I said wryly, eyeing him across the table.
"I'll have a chocolate milkshake please" He asks politely and I smile. He's so young. Sometimes I feel he tries to act older than he is, maybe to be more like his brother and sister, but he's not even a teenager yet. My little boy.
"And for your main meal sir?" She asks him and he sighs gazing across the large menu.
"I'll just have fries please" He states and I glare at him over the table. He sure as hell isn't just having fries.
"Thomas, you need to have something else, steak? Chicken?" I ask trying to keep my temper in reign.
He rolls his eyes at me. The little smart ass, I swear I've spent the majority of his life telling him not to do it. "If I wanted something else, I would've asked for it" He replies and I don't appreciate his attitude.
"He'll have a burger as well please" I respond irritably to the waitress, I think her name is Cheryl. He rolls his eyes at me again and pulls out his blackberry. He's addicted to that thing I swear. The waitress leaves and I watch him across the table.
"How are you Thomas?" I ask him because I really am intrigued to know.
He's my youngest child and I barely know him. He used to be attached to me, such a Daddy's boy but then he started school and got into trouble all the time. Sometimes I feel like we're strangers who are forced to live together. I mean I love him, of course I do. I love him like every parents loves their child. A love you can never understand until you have children.
He looks up from his phone and eyes me across the table, his crystal eyes burrow into mine. Those eyes will break many hearts in the future that's for sure. He places his blackberry on the table and rests his head on his bent arm. "I'm good" He answers shortly. I was expecting a bit more, but I'll take what I can get.
"Good" I reply with a nod of the head. "How's everything at school?" I knew it was a touchy subject after the sport school scholarship debacle but I was running out of things to talk about, with my own son.
"How do you think?" He snaps back. He got his temper from me, that was for sure.
I run a hand through my hair and lean closer towards him. "I think if you gave it a chance you might not hate it as much, Thomas"
He leans back on his chair, and if I didn't know any better it seemed like he was trying to distance himself from me, physically and emotionally. "I think you need to stop having such high expectations for me, Dad. I can't be who you want me to be alright?" His voice was thick and honest. I wasn't expecting it, my eyes widen at him and I grind my teeth.
"I just want you to be yourself Thomas" I reply softly. Why does he think I don't love him for who he is? I do, of course I do.
He breaths in sharply and runs his hand through his hair. I know he would never admit it but he was like me in so many ways. "No you don't Dad. I can't be the little rich boy you want me to be. I don't want this. I want to go to public school, I want to be able to leave the house without security. This isn't who I am" His eyes search mine for some kind of answer but I stare back blankly. How could he be so inconsiderate? We have given him everything he's ever wanted and he's throwing it back in my face?
"You're very lucky, Thomas. There are a lot of people in the world who would do anything to have your life. Maybe it's about time you stopped being so immature and start becoming more grateful." My reply was stern and I didn't break eye contact, but neither did he.
He stands up from his seat with a heated glare. Before he can walk past me I grasp his upper arm tightly. Still sitting down, I was almost as tall as him. He took after his Mother in height that was for sure. "Where do you think you're going?" I hiss, not releasing his arm even when he struggles.
"I'm going to the bathroom, is that alright?" He shoots back. I release his arm and nod. I watch him walk off into the back of the restaurant where the bathroom is. He looked smart today, in his signature black skinny jeans, which I'm certain he had 8 pairs of, and his grey Henley.
A few minutes pass and I begin to become anxious. He should be back by now, just as I was about to get up and search, I see him walking over talking to a girl, who was probably about his age.
How did he meet a girl to talk to in the bathroom? I watch them closely. The way she looked at him, I could tell she liked him, but I could also tell she meant nothing to him.
"Dad, this is Megan, she's a friend from school" He introduces her when they get back at the table. She was averaged height, slightly taller than Thomas. Her hair was dark but her eyes were light. "Megan, this is my Dad, Christian Grey" I hold out my hand and she shakes it. I send my son a questioning look but he just shrugs.
"I'll see you around then" Thomas states, waiting for her to leave. I felt sorry for her, but I didn't want another guest eating with us, I was trying to bond with my son here.
She smiles shyly and waves before walking off. I look at him with an amused expression and he smirks. He takes his seat opposite just in time for our food and drinks to be brought over.
My phone starts to vibrate on the table, I glance at the caller ID and pick up.
"Hey baby" I greet my wife down the phone.
"How's lunch going with Thomas?" She asks.
"It's fine. He's drinking his chocolate milkshake at the moment, but he better start eating his burger soon" I say more for him than her. He looks at me a raised eyebrow and a grin before taking a bite out his burger. He gives me a thumbs up and I smirk.
"I'm glad everything is going well. I'll see you both later," Ana responds down the phone, I can hear the smile in her voice at the fact we haven't killed each other yet.
"I love you, laters baby" I tap the end call button and return my gaze to my son. He was dipping his fries in his sauce and grinning down at his blackberry.
I lean forward in my chair, placing a fry half way in my mouth. "What are you looking so happy about?" I ask him with a smirk. He looks up at me with a cheeky grin.
"Thanks for lunch Dad, I've enjoyed spending time with you" He tells me and I know he's avoiding my question, but right at that moment I didn't care.
I smile, a genuine boyish smile. "My pleasure Thomas. Maybe we could make this weekly? I love spending time with you, and you know I love you" I say, and my heart swells when he nods with a wide grin.