A/N: Thanks for reading. Enjoy!
"Why didn't I decide to have my birthday celebration on Friday instead of the middle of the week?" Audrey's rubbing circles on the side of her head in what I assume is an attempt to ease the headache from last night's birthday celebration.
"Good question.", Daniel groans while doing the same movements. "Ana, we're not feeling well. Would it be ok if we went home?"
"No you can't go home. Last night was fun, but the entire time you were drinking you knew you had work today. Daniel, you still need to hand in your review of Monroe's Coffee Shop. If you put your concentration on that instead of your hangover, the day will be over before you know it. Audrey, the same goes for you. Put your mind on your work, and everything will be fine."
"You sound a lot like Olivia.", Audrey says. She starts sorting through her paperwork, looking up at me a few moments later. "I'm bad with compliments, but what I meant was you sound like a boss. We appreciate that." She taps Daniel's knee with her pen. "Right?"
"Right. You're only looking out for us and keeping us in line. I'm going to go and type my review. You'll have by four. Better yet, you'll have it by three fifty-nine." He scurries to his desk before I can think of a comeback. In the corner of my eye, I see Kate slip inside the office and rush past me to her desk. It's already eight thirty, meaning she's late. I wonder if her tardiness has anything to do with argument she and Elliot had last night after seeing one of his past hook ups at the club. They talked and seemed to calm down somewhat, but things were still a little tense with them afterwards.
"Good morning.", I tell her as I walk between her desk and my office door. She hurriedly puts her blonde hair into a loose bun and smiles weakly.
"I'm late. I have no excuse other than I woke up late.", she sighs. "I'll stay over and make up the thirty minutes I missed."
"That'll be fine. Other than oversleeping, are you ok?" I grab an empty rolling chair and sit next to her desk.
"You mean with seeing Elliot's old flame and the tantrum I threw afterwards? I guess. I realized it was hypocritical of me to berate him when I've got my own past. I used to date although I'm not sure my past love was as active as his."
"Kate, it's in the past. You need to let it go. Elliot said he only wants to be with you. That reminds me, I need to thank Daniel for bringing up that damn Hootie and the Blowfish song. Christian started singing it on the way home and then again this morning."
"It's very catchy.", she giggles. "Before Elliot, I dated guys, but I was never in love with them. I was always so confident and in charge of my feelings. Then Elliot came and challenged me. I wasn't used to that."
"Perhaps it scares you.", I murmur. Her eyes flash with my theory. "There isn't anything wrong with being scared. It's natural."
"I'm starting to get that. You're good with listening and giving advice. Oliver's going to be more than ok when he needs someone to talk to." I stand and go to my door. "Thanks Ana."
"Hello Mrs. Grey.", Taylor greets me. He's just left where I'm headed, inside Christian's office. "Mr. Grey was about to make a call when I left. I'm sure he'll be finished in a few minutes, but you can go ahead and go inside."
"All right." I wave to Andrea who I've been chatting with. Christian told her this morning we had chosen the name Oliver, and she told me one of her friends had chosen the name recently. I step inside the office, closing the door behind me and then sauntering straight to my husband's desk. Still on the phone, he's watching my every move like a hawk. He looks confused at first when I go around his desk and ease to my knees.
"No Paul, I don't need you to find another outlet.", he tells whoever is on the other end of his call. My hand goes to the zipper of his pants, alerting him to my intention. I slide the zipper down and sneak my hand inside to his dark blue boxers. I feel him harden at my touch. I run mu hands along his length. "We just need to negotiate with them. Yes." His yes is drawn out, no doubt by my touch. With my tug on the band, he takes a hint and raises slightly to help me pull the boxers down. His cock springs in front of me. I look up at Christian and smirk before gripping his shaft. He moans softly. "Paul, I'm going to have to call you back. Something's come up." He ends the call and brings his eyes to mine. "Mrs. Grey, this is a surprise."
"I made Sawyer stop for ice cream on the way home, and then I suddenly had the craving for something...salty." I slide him all the way in my mouth as his groans increase. I'm sucking on him and massaging his balls simultaneously. I pop him out of my mouth and then back in. My mouth's greediness is cheered on by his sounds of pleasure. Warm, salty liquid flows down my throat. I lick my lips and start to get up but feel Christian's arms under me as he lifts me up.
"Let me return the favor."
"You don't have to." He brushes a stray hair from my face. "It's almost five. Are you going to be home soon?", I reply while he leads me to the bathroom on the side of his office so we can clean up.
"I should be done here about six. We can have a nice dinner and then relax with the kitchen magazines."
"There's nothing relaxing about those magazines. How about we close our eyes and just randomly pick things? It could be interesting."
"It could be interesting and scary. Who knows what kind of kitchen we'd end up with. Better idea, we look through the nursery magazines instead." My spirits lift at the mental picture of cribs and changing tables. "I thought you'd like that idea more."
"I'm going to leave you to your work so you can hurry up and get home to me. I love you Mr. Grey."
"I love you too Mrs. Grey.", he grins before pressing our lips together.
Sawyer and I step off the elevator and start walking through the lobby where Lewis is waiting for us. Hearing the door on one of the other elevators opening, I glance over my shoulder and go into disbelief over who I see. Bob Adams. His eyes make their way to me. Instead of returning the glare I'm giving him, he smiles.
"Ana, hi.", he says. Lewis joins us, taking a place on my right while Sawyer's on the left. "It's been a while since I've seen you. Congratulations on the wedding and baby. You look happy."
"Thanks, and I am very happy. What brings you to not only Seattle but also GEH?", I ask.
"Your mother of course. My flight landed about an hour and a half ago, and I figured she was still at work so I came here to see her. Unfortunately, she didn't seem to like that I'm here. I suppose I can't blame her given she didn't know I was coming."
"You got on a plane and flew all the way here without even finding out if she would be ok with it?"
"It was spur of the moment. I was sitting at home, missing her, when I thought why not just go see her. Here I am. I wish our conversation had gone better, but she'll come around and see I meant well. I want her back Ana."
"She told me. She also told me she doesn't want to get back together." He looks down at his shoes and sighs.
"Carla's confused.", he murmurs with his eyes back up and on me.
"I don't think she's confused at all. I think she knows what she wants in her life, and a marriage to you isn't included. My mom's changed since being here." I'm trying my best to be calm with him, but the guy always cared about one person, himself.
"Right. She told me over the phone how she feels more independent and free. I get that and won't try to revert her back."
"I'm not sure about that.", I scoff. "I wasn't in the marriage with the two of you, but I know my mom was all about you. She put your wants and needs before her own."
"You're right. You weren't there so you don't know what took place. I gave your mother a good life. She didn't have to work. She had a beautiful house and a nice car."
"All materialistic. Money can't buy happiness. From what I've been told from her, you wanted her to stay home and play the part of the dutiful wife."
"I think I know now why you're so against me getting her back. You're scared I'm going to take her away from you. You've had all this time with her, and now you're worried it might end. Ana, I assure you, I won't stand in the way of your relationship with your mother. Don't you want her happy?"
"That's a silly question. Of course I want her happy, and she is just that. She's happier than I've ever seen her. I'm sorry, but you wasted a plane ticket by flying here."
"Your mother was right.", he mumbles under his breath. "You are an ungrateful brat." Sawyer takes a step closer to Bob, but I hold my hand out to stop him from going further.
"And you're a conceited and selfish asshole who needs to get on the next plane out of Seattle."
"Would you like to walk out on your own or be thrown out?", Sawyer asks as his jaw tenses.
"I'll go on my own but only because I'm done here. I'm not done trying to win Carla back though."
"Christian, where is she?", I hear my mom asks frantically from the living room. I grab my tea and walk from the kitchen to the living room. "Ana, sweetheart." I called her on my way home and told her about my run in with Bob, and she was immediately apologetic. "I'm sorry."
"I should have escorted you to the vehicle.", Christian says. He's been feeling equally guilty even though I've told both of them what took place wasn't their fault.
"I want you two to stop blaming yourselves for Bob being an idiot."
"Ana, you're supposed to be staying calm and not getting stressed. The guy wasn't helping things."
"He wanted to get a rise out of me, but I refused to let him. He knows he's lost my mom so he's holding on to whatever false hope he can find."
"I've never called you an ungrateful brat.", my mom tells me.
"I knew the second he said those words they weren't true. You and I have had our differences, but we're past those now. He probably assumed telling me that would piss me off and drive a wedge between us."
"That won't be happening."