Chapter five
Back at home, after pedalling like the bike was on fire, Ana has to take a shower before getting on with reading manuscripts. While the adrenalin high from her wild bike ride wears off under the warm water streaming down her face and body, she can't keep the thoughts at bay anymore. Images of Christian's grey gaze keep popping up in her mind.
She had told him that they could be friends, whatever that meant. The Christian Grey she knew never really did friends – he had employees, business partners and lovers - Submissives? Then again, what does she know? One can acquire a substantial amount of acquaintances in ten years. And he had changed in other ways. He seemed less tense, less intense.
Ana finishes her shower and dries her body with a huge white towel in front of the bedroom mirror. Looking at herself naked, she frowns. She's thirty-five, she's had a child, she doesn't work out as much as she should and she's not happy with her body. Or come to think of it, she didn't really give a shit until today. So the reason she's standing naked in front of the mirror staring at her breasts and hips with a displeased frown on her face, is Christian fucking Grey. That just won't do.
Plunging down naked on the double bed, she puts her head in her hands. Oh, she has to be careful. If she's going to see him from time to time, she must keep her distance. She has to avoid getting sucked in by the charisma that surrounds that man. Seeing Christian has left her with conflicting emotions – she's terrified of getting hurt, or of loosing herself again, but at the same time, being with him felt like coming home. How is that possible?
Over the years Ana's managed to apply the extreme feelings she had for Christian to her youth and inexperience, but somewhere deep down she suspects it's just been another way of coping.
Anyway. She sits up straight. She can handle this, being a grown-up, a widowed single mother. Christian Grey is never going to see her naked. Again. If he wants to up-date his mental images of her he will have to make do with her face. When it comes to the rest of her, Ana would rather he kept the images of her twenty two-year old body. Then again, why would he be thinking about her body at all after ten years? Idiot, he's dating Nicole Kaufman, and she is gorgeous. Something deep in Ana's chest aches briefly. She chooses to ignore it.
Immersing herself in work proves' to be an excellent way of spending the afternoon, instead of over-thinking her re-acquaintance with Christian Grey, and after a simple meal and helping Sara with homework, they are both slumped in the sofa in front of the TV. Sara is watching Violetta, a horrible excuse for a kid's show, but she loves it. Ana is catching up on emails. There's one from Kate.
To: Anastasia Randall
From: Katherine Kavanagh Grey
Subject: We're getting sloshed!
Hi honey,
As you know, I have my thirty-fifth birthday coming up, and I have an urgent mother-of-two need to get very, very drunk with you. We're just getting a few friends together on Saturday next week and since you and I will be pretty out of it, Elliot is wondering if Christian might be welcome at the same do as you, to keep my husband company? We've heard rumours that you two are on speaking terms. It's amazing what a decade can do ;-).
Anyway let me know how you feel about this, and for fuck's sake, tell me what's going on!
Love ya./K
PS. Grace and Carrick are on monster-duty for the night, they're obviously happy to have Sara too.
PPS. Not implying that Sara is a monster. The fruit of my loins definitely are, though.
A couple of coffees and Ana's already getting sucked back into the realm of the Grey family. As much as she has missed them all, she is not ready for that. Then again, seeing Christian with other friends might be just the right way handle all this, to normalize things. His brother is married to her best friend. Maybe it's time they could actually hang out at the same place and time. Maybe he'll bring the model-on-decline, keeping things even more casual between them. This is a good plan and suddenly she's grateful for the email.
To: Katherine Kavanagh Grey
From: Anastasia Randall
Subject: Wouldn't you like to know …
I don't think I remember how to get drunk anymore. But you are my dearest friend and if you need my support I will certainly do my best. I'm ok with Christian coming, if he's ok with it.
No to the monster-duty offer though, one step at a time, please. I'm sure I'll manage.
Will tell all, but not by email. I'll call tomorrow.
Love you/Ana
Kate's reply only takes a few seconds.
To: Anastasia Randall
From: Katherine Kavanagh Grey
Subject: Eeeeh …. WHAT?
I never thought you would actually say yes. But glad you did. This brings a whole other dimension to my birthday, thank you very much!
Love/K
PS. Getting drunk is like riding a bike. You'll get the hang of it in no time.
Ana is grinning at the laptop screen. She will have to give Ray a call to see if he can take Sara. When she looks up her daughter is watching her with a quizzical look. "What's so funny, mom?"
Ana closes the laptop. "Kate just invited me to her birthday party next Saturday, that's all." Sara's face lights up. "Sorry, honey, but it's an adults-only party. Ella and Jamie won't be there either."
When Sara realizes that Kate's kids are missing out on the birthday party as well she looses interest, and returns to the dreadful kid's show. But then she thinks of something, and tears her eyes away from the TV once more.
"Is Christian coming?" she asks innocently. Ever since he and Sara met, she is very particular to call him by his first name, not Mr. Grey. Because he told her to, apparently.
"He told me that Elliot's his brother. So he should be coming, right?" she demands.
Ana smiles at her daughter. "Maybe, sweet heart. I don't know. Bedtime!" she chimes and starts busily straightening blankets and pillows when Sara opens her mouth to continue the questioning. Ana shuts of the TV, opens her arms to invite her daughter in for a hug, and lifts her. Ana can still carry her up the stairs without much effort; Sara's a petite eight-year old. On their way up to bed, she yawns and leans her head on her mother's shoulder.
"I like Christian."