05.13.21
I died laughing at all your reviews for chapter 17. Ice77 and Caroline Grace, you are the bombs dot com.
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN- I can't stop thinking about you.
APOV
I only felt marginally better after my girltalk with Kate that night. I suppose my problem was that I'd been sleepy Ana with nothing extreme happening in my life to this crazy whirlwind of three weeks that had my head spinning faster than a tornado since the wedding.
While I did not miss the life that old me had, I was having serious problems adapting and finding my footing in this one since my personal growth seemed to be so lacking and slow to catch up to the current climate in life. I did the responsible adult thing and signed up for therapy but that was going to take time.
My communication with Christian remained limited to occasional texting throughout the days followed by quick goodnight phone calls since he was travelling a bit. The eagerness in his voice was beautiful as he asked me questions about my day but the truth was that my life wasn't exciting at all and I felt like a letdown. Security probably reported to him where I went, which was pretty much nowhere except during lunch when I sat in the park to clear my head or join Claire and Hannah. Work otherwise was just work and then I'd come home only to busy myself in making dinner or watching mindless TV while I did domestic chores if Kate wasn't around.
He lived a far more exciting life that took him to different cities and countries, meeting different people and changing the landscape of the world. I had nothing to offer in comparison. That nagging of 'you won't be enough for him either' remained hard to shake even with the realization that he's a good person and fundamentally different.
I wanted to spend time with Dad but the thought of going back to Montesano was like a pit in my stomach. Every memory I have associated with that town is plastered with Josè and Gaia's faces. They're inescapable. Whatever, Annie. Time to grow up!
Kate had a story she needed to follow up on and then she was going to spend the rest of her free time divided between her mom and Elliot so she offered me carte blanche on her car for the weekend.
Christian wasn't entirely happy that I had elected to drive myself and sent Sawyer to tail me which seemed completely unnecessary and a waste of his time. The poor guy could've spent the day home catching up on sleep or working out or... whatever CPO's do. I wonder if he has a girlfriend? Hannah's single, hmmm.
Turns out the town of Montesano is quite divided on what actually happened and what they believe happened. There are those that are vehemently team Josè, still hanging on to his glory days as one of the best quarterbacks Montesano High had seen in 25 years and those that were Team Ana, but that population was smaller than the entire Grey Publishing staff. If there was anything José's mother was good at, it was spinning things in her favor and getting ahead of the game. She ran the gossip hotline in Montesano
Dad isn't exactly the kind to entertain or politely dismiss idle gossip in general but now that I was the star of this mud slinging show, he burned a few bridges at the local bar he would frequent. Being Carla's daughter didn't do me any favors either. At least we provided the town with entertainment, some good karma to add to my cosmic chart or whatever.
"I'm happy you're here, kiddo." Dad says, walking over to hand me a beer as we sit on the deck in the backyard. "I know it's not easy but I appreciate you coming to check in on your old man."
I shrug and take a sip of my beer, noticing my fingers still smell like onions. I spent most of the past two nights preparing different casseroles and quick dinners to bring over for his almost empty freezer along with making some fresh stuff when I got here this morning. Now that he's cut off from the Rodriguez's, I know that extra pair of eyes to watch over him is gone and I need him alive and healthy for a long time, so here I am making sure that happens.
He's not wrong, it is hard being here, even if I do feel mostly numb. My whole life here since I was a kid has those two woven into the fabric of every memory, good and bad. But even the bad ones weren't that bad because as long as you have your bestfriends around you can get through anything, right?
"It's only been a couple of weeks." I reply trying to keep the strain out of my voice and appear unfazed. "It'll sting less as time goes by."
I decided to tell him about Christian as well. I leave out the extent of his abuse and go with the rough start in life and keep it that while focusing more on the good he's achieved all on his own. When I'm done, he eyes me for several moments.
"That's the first time you've really smiled since you got here. Way to break my heart, kiddo." He teases.
I giggle and roll my eyes. "Isn't it too early?"
"You said you're taking it slow."
"I know but…" Sighing, I spin my empty beer bottle on the deck watching the label disappear into a dizzying blur for a few seconds then reappear again. "I know a lot of what happened is my fault too. I should've been smarter and not settled."
"This is on me, Annie." He replies, trying to fight the heaviness in his voice. "You were always such a good kid, you kept your head down and went with the flow. I thought you were happy and I didn't want to be the overbearing parent. I thought being supportive of whatever you wanted to do was the best way to parent. After Texas, I never wanted to see you cry again… not like that."
I never cried in front of Dad after Texas. Not when Josè blew out his knee and everyone was freaking out. I was just mute and busied myself in trying to take care of everyone else instead. I never wanted him or anyone else to worry about me again, I was strong enough, I could handle anything. Even when he came to see me the day after everything happened, I was pissed but I didn't cry in front of him.
Except now, I'm a crying blubbering mess. I feel like I'm always crying.
"I thought he was a good kid, both of them. Thought they were taking care of you too but now I see that wasn't the case. You know me, Annie, I don't meddle in people's lives but I should've been more involved in yours. Should've put my foot down when he proposed but you were so happy, who the hell was I to get in the way of that?"
"It's not your fault, Dad" I manage to choke out, leaning on his shoulder. "You've been the best Dad a girl could ask for. I guess this was just one of those life lessons I had to learn the hard way."
"But my job is to protect you from all that crap and I didn't do a good one. I'm sorry, kiddo." He kisses my forehead and rubs my back. "Remember your worth, use that as a guiding principle moving forward with this new guy if you choose to."
The thought of Christian brings a smile to my face.
"He makes me want to kick his ass every now and then which I do." I laugh, wiping my eyes and sitting up straight. "But he wants to make my dreams come true and he thinks of every little thing in an effort to make me happy." Even if it ends up pissing me off at first.
"Sounds like you've both got it bad." He says. "Be careful, Annie. All that power and money and—"
"I know." My voice is a quiet whisper in response to his implication. "He's not like that. I know I'm still new at all this but at least I feel it in my gut that Christian's not like that. With Josè, in comparison, there wasn't a feeling in my gut at all. Just numb, mindlessly following him and Gaia."
He nods and drinks the last of his beer. "Are you really going to sue them? Is there a chance you'll get ownership or a payout from their app?"
I shrug. "Not sure. I'm debating if I should even waste my money trying. I've already eaten through a chunk of my savings with the basic retainer fees for the accountant and trademark lawyer. I don't want to rely on Christian too much. I have a consultation with two lawyers on Monday. We'll see, I may just drop the whole thing altogether if Christian ends up acquiring them. I hate messy situations and I don't want to be tethered to their orbit, I'm so tired."
"Annie, I've got a little money saved up—"
"No, Dad." I grab his hand and give him a reassuring smile. "I'll be fine, not paying rent with Kate helps, I'll be okay by next month! I promise. It's just a little bump in the road." His expression is still worrisome. "I think I need to focus on my app instead. Gotta direct all this energy into something good."
He nods. "If you decide not to sue him then at least let me break his face and shoot off his kneecaps."
"Well, I kicked him in the balls and slapped his face, you can break his nose if you still want. Something for father and son to bond over?" He laughs at my suggestion. In addition to a black eye, Josè Sr. had a broken nose and lost tooth to show for his son's shenanigans. "And Kate is on the constant lookout for Gaia. I know she will get to her, so my bases are covered for the most part."
Dad snorts and shakes his head, taking a swig of his beer.
"Dad?" He looks at me. "Do you think you'd be open to moving to Seattle at some point? I mean, if my app does do well, I'd like for us to live closer to each other. We could invest in a space and you could finally make the kind of pieces you want? Bigger market, more exposure? The hipsters love bespoke stuff." I chuckle.
His lips press into a thin line. Raymond Steele is a very proud man and he prefers to be the one helping out versus accepting help. I half suspect he only lets me cook for him like this because he's himself so hopeless and a man has gotta survive.
"Annie, I don't know. I don't think I'm made for that big city life…" He trails. "I don't want to be a burden on you, what if it doesn't work out?" He sighs and hangs his head a little. "It would be nice for us to live closer but like I said, I don't want to be a burden on you."
"Think about it? It doesn't have to be Seattle proper, it can be Tacoma or someplace 30 mins out, just not so far and remote like Montesano. Who knows you might meet a pretty lady too!" I tease and he rolls his eyes with a shy smile.
"I want you to focus on your life first. Don't worry so much about me." He deflects and I sigh in defeat. We may not be related but we're exactly the same. Over thinkers, proud and hopelessly self-reliant to the point where it's actually a detriment to us. "But I'll think about it." He promises and I attack him with a hug that makes him laugh.
Dad insisted I stay the night in Montesano but I felt weird. I'd avoided going into my room and much preferred getting back to Seattle. Not to mention that nagging thought of Sawyer being my keeper for no reason at all and stuck in this sleepy town. I introduced him to Dad and they bonded over their years in service after some overt threats to keep me safe or he would personally hunt him down only to make Sawyer disappear without a trace.
Needless to say, this was just a tiny preview into what Christian was going to endure, especially after this recent debacle of my life.
On my drive back to Montesano, I sought to make a mental pros and cons checklist but not a quarter way through it, I realized Christian was always going to win and not just because he was handsome, intelligent with the kind of money where you wipe your sweat with using $100 bills because you're just that baller but because of the little things. Our conversations, the affection, a striking connection and most of all his trust.
While all that was well and good, I also couldn't decide to be with Christian for fear that I wouldn't find that with anyone else. That's what got me in this mess in the first place. With José, I had puppy love that turned into stale and familiar comfort. With Christian it's conflict, passion with a need to fiercely protect and do anything for the person we care for and love. Those are my values and I should be with someone who shares those values. We're similar in ways that matter most and different in ways that aren't deal breakers but also help us see things differently… after we've calmed down from our nostril flaring and yelling at each other. I laugh to myself at our recent interactions. The angry badger and the knucklehead ape, what a combo!
Ana: Just got home, Mr. Grey, though I suspect you already knew that ;)
Christian: That is true, Miss Steele but I still prefer to hear it directly from you.
Ana: You and your preferences ;)
Christian: There's a long list, we should compare notes some time ;).
Ana: You're very funny Mr. Grey! I know it's short notice but are you free to come over lunch tomorrow? I'm cooking… a good meal helps with jet lag :)
Christian: Check your door, I'm already outside!
My eyes bug out and I call him.
"You're not really outside my door right? I can never tell with you." I blurt out the moment he answers. I'm already too comfortable in bed and a little lazy to venture out in case this is a prank.
"I guess you'll just have to check, Miss Steele." Dammit, he hit me with that voice again. Stop seducing me, Grey.
"Christian!" I scold playfully and he laughs but relents, telling me he's joking. We talk for a little while before saying goodnight.
Thankfully the apartment was already cleaned up and early this morning, I went to the fish market and gathered additional groceries for my little lunch menu. I was keeping it simple, a grilled salmon baked in garlic butter with lemon and asparagus, paired with a cold mediterreanean pasta salad and chocolate brownie cookie sandwiches with salted caramel ice-cream. I sincerely hope he likes it. Mrs. Taylor is amazing and he's used to dining and having the very best food so I hope whatever I've made is up to snuff.
At five to 1, I hear a knock on the door. Show time! This is so nerve-racking. I've never done anything like this, it's exciting and equal bouts terrifying. Having dressed up rather casually, then again, I'm rarely ever fancy, I opted for a simple prairie style sleeveless dress in light yellow that I ordered last week. My hair was styled in light loose waves, a quick facetime call with Kate helped tie in the entire look together.
"Look at you Martha Stewarting! Just don't take that energy to boudoir though. He's gonna want a different kind of sandwich in bed."
"Kate, why are you so gross?"
"Baby, I was born this way." She cackles. "You're gonna be fine. Have a good time and remember, just relax."
I stand in front of the door for a few seconds and take a deep breath before opening it.
This is not fair. This man is not fair. He could be standing in a ugly ass hazmat suit and he'd still look good but right now he's in dark wash jeans and a plain white t-shirt. Mr. Grey, do you ever get tired of making things look good? Asking for my brain.
"Hi." I grin like a lovesick loon. He's brought me red roses and some wine. Good, he thought about that cause I completely forgot! I also notice a small gift bag but am unable to dwell on that observation for too long.
"Hi, baby." He leans in to kiss me soundly as I take the bouquet of flowers from him. The exchange sends a spark throughout my entire body that leaves me just a little off center when he pulls back and gives me what I've now come to know is a deadly Christian Grey smile; responsible for making people swoon into the abyss and lose their minds.
"This is for you." He hands me the gift bag and I go through it.
"What is it?" It's hard trying to keep my excitement at bay. I don't get many presents.
"You said you wanted a magnet."
I laugh out loud. "I was joking, Christian. You're so insane. Did you raid the entire souvenir store?" I ask as I take out about 15 different magnets, all from Tokyo. I can't imagine Christian doing touristy things given his schedule and priorities but the fact that he did this means so much.
He shrugs trying not to smile. "I couldn't decide."
"Thank you for adding to my collection but honestly one would've been more than fine." I kiss the corner of this mouth and watch him go all shy on me.
We catch up a little, talking about what's happened since we last saw each other, he's been busy travelling and I've been, well, thinking, trying to get to a comfortable place and move forward, while trying to learn how to be a business woman. I ask him about his sister and he shakes his head in equal exasperation and adoration.
"She can be a real pain in the ass but her heart is in the right place."
"You all seem really close. Must have been fun growing up." I wish I had siblings.
"It was but I have lost a couple of years with them due to the business but I'm trying to be there when it counts." He replies a little forlorn. "On a personal level, I lead the most unexciting life out of all of them so conversation tends to die out after a while."
"Unexciting is not a word I would ever associate with you, Mr. Grey." I tease cheekily.
He chuckles but doesn't add anything to it. It breaks my heart a little when I try to imagine the workaholic who has no one to come home to. Eating dinner alone, sleeping alone, having nightmares…. I feel the guilt wash over me and for a moment at my inability to give myself fully to him in the way he has wanted me. The loneliness feels so familiar to what I went through this past year but was too blind to see it, always making excuses and thinking that it wouldn't last. I guess in a way, I was right. It didn't last, it all got ripped apart.
"Kate's not really big on entertaining so we rarely ever use the table, we just eat at the breakfast bar or take our plates to the couch and watch TV. I hope that's okay?" Why the hell am I nervous? I remember how formal everything was at his place and Kate has the weirdest collection of dishware that it's almost painfully casual in comparison.
He smiles and assures me it's more than alright. Once I set everything out on the breakfast bar, we take a seat and dig in. I nervously watch as he takes the first bite. A few seconds pass and he's still quiet. Oh fuck, he doesn't like it.
"Is it bad?" I ask, nervously.
"What? No, it's amazing."
"You don't have to lie to me, I can take it." I tell him. I'm not some amazing chef like your sister and housekeeper but I'm not that bad either. I haven't killed anyone… yet.
He grabs my chin and pulls me in for a few kisses and bites my lip playfully. It's been more than a week since we've been close like this and it feels like forever but for some reason this all feels so new. Like, I've never ever kissed or touched before.
"Relax baby, it's perfect."
I sigh in relief and begin eating too. The salmon could have used more black pepper but not bad overall. Once we're done, I ask him if he has room for dessert which of course he turns into something perverted and I wave him off.
"Holy fuck, Ana." He groans. I think I just witnessed Christian Grey have a foodgasm. Of course he makes that look hot as fuck too.
Is it okay if I ask you for an orgasm? Asking for my shameless lady parts since it's been a while. Ten days to be exact.
"Holy fuck, good or bad?" I laugh.
"Fucking amazing. Where have you been all my life?" Diving in for another bite causes a spectacular mess with a few drops of ice-cream landing on his t-shirt.
"Oh god, that's gonna stain. Wait, don't do anything, I got a tide pen." I sprint to my room to get it from my purse.
"A ti-what?" He yells in confusion, after me.
"A tide pen." I calmly tell him, walking back. "You know the detergent company?"'I further explain what the pen does and he just looks at me like I'm speaking an alien language. I can't believe he's never done his own laundry. Lazy ass. "I need you to hold your shirt out a little so that I don't, you know touch..." I lose my words, the stains are right on his chest and I don't want to hurt him. Just because he let me touch him once doesn't mean I can do whatever I want.
"I could just take my shirt off." He smirks, granting me a lifeline only to yank it away. Rolling my eyes I stick my tongue out at him. "You can take your dress off and then we'll be equal."
I burst out laughing. "No it won't be. You'll still be wearing pants."
"Then I'll take those off too." He grins and I cover his mouth with my hand as he pulls me close, wrapping his arms around my waist.
"Stop trying to dickstract me, Mr. Grey."
"But it's such fun when I do, Miss Steele." He says huskily, inching closer to my lips.
I give in almost immediately but we make no move to change our location. I just stand there, between his legs as we kiss each other like lovers who've been torn apart for decades. His hands trace my entire form, slowly moving up from my thighs, to my waist then predictably landing on my breasts and making me giggle.
A few minutes later we pull apart, breathless and I allow him to take off his shirt and subconsciously blur out his criminally toned body to focus on my stain removing skills.
I hand him back his shirt to wear again. "There, good as new. You ape!"
"I'll show you ape!" He growls and pulls me to him for another round of kisses.
"So I hired a trademark lawyer and accountant to set up a company for me this week." I tell him.
We moved to the balcony a while ago, it's not as big as the one in Christian's apartment but it's cozy and it's actually not too hot today which is odd for late June.
"Send me their names."
"Christian, I did my research and I talked to at least three to four different people in each field before making a decision. They also had great google reviews."
"I wonder what google reviews would say about me?" He jokes. "I'd still like to look into them. What about the check I gave you? You still haven't cashed it."
"I know, it just feels a little weird." I tense a little but do my best to remain neutral. "I'll cash it whenever I need it I guess. Right now, I don't." A part of me wants to frame it actually.
He doesn't say anything but nods, silently. I'm surprised he hasn't fought me on it.
"Have you thought about how you want to move forward with getting your share of Acero?"
We're standing next to each other but my front faces the inside of the balcony, with my back leaning against the railing, arms crossed.
"Honestly, my head hurts when I think about it." I confess. "I was really angry that day but... I don't know anymore. I don't want to be unnecessarily tied to them, I'm so exhausted. I've been cheering them on for so long that now, I just want to…" My eyes begin to blur a little and my throat closes up but I grind my teeth and will myself to remain calm and not give into the emotion.
"Remember when I said I wanted to acquire their tech?"
"Yeah?"
"Well, I offered them a spot in a GEH funded accelerator this week and they signed the contract."
My heart drops into my stomach but I don't say anything. Not being able to articulate what I truly feel is unsettling all of a sudden.
"So I can't sue them then." I mumble.
"Of course you can, why would that stop you?"
"Isn't it a conflict of interest? I don't know. This…" I point to him and then myself. "... between us, the fact that I work for Grey Publishing, I'm sure there's something in the company handbook about this…"
He smiles and leans in to kiss me. "It's not a conflict of interest. Sue away. Give 'em hell!"
"I don't have a strong enough case." I say flatly.
It's true, I didn't sign anything. My case is based on emotion and things I did out of my own free will. No one made me do anything, I chose to work all those extra shifts and for anything I bought them, they could simply say they were gifts. I spent enough of this past week reading up and looking for any case that resembled mine and while many like me asked similar questions in the end the answer always was, 'if you signed a contract then you can legally sue for breach of contract and be paid for labor,' which in clearer terms meant, if you didn't sign shit then you're shit outta luck!
"Hire a lawyer and file the paperwork anyway. I know someone who owes me a favor, I'll send you his information. Talk to him and file. Chances are they'll give in to the scare tactic and pay you what you're owed or give you equity."
I turn around and lean my arms over the railing, looking down at the world going by. And what if they don't give in, then what? And even if they did, can they really give me what I'm owed? How do I quantify the last two years? How do I separate the last 7 years of emotions and memories? The care and love I gave? How do I demand reparation for the last year of cheating and deception?
Why set myself up for further failure? Only for them to laugh at me again
"How much capital and equity?" I ask him, referring to the accelerator deal. They both had applied to three incubators over the last two years and got rejected. They were too small and unaccomplished for accelerators but I know Christian wants in on their tech so I guess it was bound to happen.
"5 million for 25%."
My head snaps in his direction and I almost lose all the oxygen in my body. Barely recovering, I close my gaping mouth and look away trying to process his words.
"That's a lot of money." I stammer a little. "So you met them… I mean of course you did." I reprimand myself internally for the stupid statement, not understanding why I feel so uneasy all of a sudden.
"I met Gaia, she was alone." I can feel his eyes on me but I can't look at him right now. I'm barely hanging on as it is.
"I see." Don't react, Ana. Don't fucking react. I take a deep, measured breath and grip the railing tightly. "How was her presentation?" The one I helped her perfect. I've got it the whole thing fucking memorized.
"Concise. Effective." He says.
"Did she give you the termite analogy?" I ask and notice him nod in my periphery. "Did she know she was meeting you? I'm sure she wore the pencil skirt and silk shirt with her fuck me heels." I grit out. "That's her signature look for these meetings. Did she do her shy breathy laugh and twirl her hair with her sparkling eyes? Did she play out the small town girl persona determined to change the world? She has a presence doesn't she? Smart and attractive, pulling people in…." Tears are streaming down my face now. "Actually, no fuck it. I don't want to know… I don't want to know anything about them ever again."
Suddenly everything about them comes into glaring focus. The rose tinted glasses are now smashed into little pieces and I see them for the ugly human beings they truly are. Things that I thought made Gaia cool and appear confident, start to grate on my nerves, fucking viper. I've never looked at her critically before, either of them actually. Now that the connection has severed, I'm looking back and noticing all these little things they both did. José is just a jock who coast by on his looks and sure he's a bit of a nerd but he's never going to want to grow out of his comfort zone. He had bad habits and I was enabling him because I had zero self-worth and was loyal to a fault.
"Don't do this." I feel Christian's hand curl around my arm and pull me close to wrap me in a tight hug. "She did what all startups do when trying to pitch for an investment and I did what I had to do to lock them in. I had lunch with her and talked more about the app and yes she told me a little about her history."
Ugh, he had lunch with her. The thought makes me want to throw up. What if… I shut down the thought, he's here with me right now, I'm being stupid.
"Did she flirt with you?" I ask hesitantly. I bet she was drooling all over him, I know how she can be. I'm not blind, she's attractive and whole bodies turn when she walks by. Between Kate and her, I was the mousy girl in the shadows but I was okay with it, I didn't need or care for the attention because I was in a committed relationship– or so I thought.
And now, I'm the only idiot resisting this man. What the hell is wrong with me?
"Yes and I did too but only because I had an agenda, just as she did." He holds me tighter when I try to step back again. I close my eyes and try to channel some sense of rationality and remember all that he's done for me and said to me so far. He's not lying to you, he's answering all your questions.
"You said you want to acquire Acero, 25% and the accelerator isn't acquiring them, it's just helping them get to where they need to." I whisper, my face still resting on his chest and looking out at the cityscape.
"That'll happen down the line eventually." He tells me and tips my face up to look at him. "Whatever you see or hear, know that I will never break your trust. Promise me, you'll talk to me first before coming to any conclusions. Okay? Anything I will do is to protect you, it may not make sense right now but it will eventually."
"What are you doing?" I ask, confused.
"I'm doing what needs to be done. Trust me, Ana. I will always take care of you."
I look down but my eyes remain unfocused as they flit between different things. My brain is scrambling and my body is on high alert trying to figure out what he really means.
"If you ever don't want this, just tell me. Don't lead me on and do what you think is the right thing out of some misguided notion of not wanting to break my heart. I can take it if it's the truth but I can't handle deceit." I tell him shakily, still avoiding eye contact. "I'm not like others, I give my all to people in my life and–"
"I won't ever not want this, baby. I won't break your heart." He gives me a searing kiss full of promise that turns me into a puddle of needy feelings. "I will, however, piss you off every now and then. It comes with the territory, being an ape and all." I giggle at his attempt to lighten the mood, giving me his signature smile. "Now, I'd like to continue a different kind of conversation inside unless you'd like for the neighbors to listen as well?"
I roll my eyes and shake my head, following him as he leads the way back into the apartment to have his way with me in spectacular fashion.
GPOV
There's fast and then there's billionaire money fast. With 48 hours of signing the contract, five million showed up into the Acero bank account. Fucking unreal. Josè and I were moved into a luxury apartment building with a separate condo for each. Christian later on texted me that he lived only two blocks away. The thought and possibilities had me giddy.
On the other hand, while Josè was going along with the whole 'let's not disclose our marital status' schtick, I could tell it was making him weary. His lack of chill in this department was stress that I just didn't need.
Thankfully, Christian's generally cool demeanor when he met with us both seemed to reinforce the fact that they'd be hell to pay given his earlier 'no fuckage' comment. I hadn't been as forthcoming about Christian's flirting and it turned out to be a good move because he remained painfully professional with us, his reserved politeness felt almost uncomfortable. Every spoken word was to the point and there was room for bumbling around which was Josè's weak spot which is why I always ran point in meetings and spoke on behalf of the both of us.
As for keeping our personal relationship on the DL, it's only for a year… not like we're being monitored in our apartments so I decided we'd furnish the second condo that was conveniently on the 10th floor for airbnb while Josè and I lived on the 5th floor. It didn't go unnoticed that the apartment with a view was in my name. This man knows how to woo a girl! We decided we could charge a premium for an apartment with a coveted view of the Space Needle. Extra cash never hurt and no one would find out. Opportunities are always present, you just have to keep your eyes open to see them.
GEH took care of both our leases for the old apartment and our shared co-working space. The Acero HQ was moved into another GEH owned building and given a whole floor. We walked into the new fully furnished office being set up with our logo, big and bright on display. I gave Josè a 'told you so' look which he laughed off and mimed bowing to me.
GEH had also taken care of the low and mid level support staff while Christian came by bright and early morning with his R&D team to show us options for who to hire in order to expand our executive team in addition to eventually forming a board once the 1 year contract was up.
His R&D team, along with Welch would remain at our disposal till then as well.
By Christian's estimate or demand I should say, he wanted Acero's search engine to be completely ready and functional to launch within 6 months, followed by the complete cloaking feature to be fully operational in the 6-12 months that would follow. Depending on how this 1st year would go, we could revisit the terms of the contract and decide to continue as maybe a subsidiary of GEH or branch out on our own but there was enough time to think about that.
Till then, I was going to try my hand at going for another contract if I could.
"He's intense." Josè observed, taking a deep breath as he watched Christian leave with his team.
"He just knows what he wants." I murmured, my eyes lingering on Christian Grey's fine ass that was walking away from me.
Thankfully, Josè has begun to gather the files they'd brought when Christian turned around to flash a breathtaking smile at me paired with a conspiratorial wink. I almost tripped over myself even though I was standing so fucking still.
Is it possible to orgasm from that alone? Yes. Yes it most certainly is. My panties are proof.
The difference in Christian of how he was with me when Josè was not around further fueled my determination and solidified my resolve to see where this goes. He's not a talk on the phone kinda guy but things have gotten really hot and heavy over text this past week. The man has got serious game and is kinky as fuck.
I know when we finally get together, it will be explosive. If this ends up going where I think it ultimately can then I already have an exit plan ready. A girl's gotta do what a girl's gotta do. If I were a man, I'd be called ambitious and praised for my focus… but i'll debate the gender merits of all this when I've reached the summit and enjoy the fruits of my success from great heights.
Our plans for dinner had to be rescheduled twice over the course of the week that followed our contract signing with GEH. Work emergencies popped up that had him leaving Seattle but our little game of sexting kept him thoroughly engaged and coming back for more. He asked for me to leave him presents at the end of every day which I happily obliged.
Every afternoon I went on a 'coffee run' only to walk the one block to GEH and drop off the desired present with his assistant for him to collect when he was finally back from his trips and meetings.
He sent flowers to my condo for each time he rescheduled our dinner along with spa gift cards to pamper myself with in addition to adorable love notes.
Forgive me, Gaia. I promise to make it worth your while when we meet. Rest easy knowing that I can't stop thinking about you.
G-Reed: The flowers are beautiful. I can't stop thinking about you either.
The man has some serious, unbeatable game but I'm up for the challenge.
A/N: Ana is making some progress. What did you think of her Montesano visit with Ray? Sometimes a girl just needs to talk to her dad! Our two lovebirds reconnecting? CG being a little shady adjacent? Gaia is well, I'll just wait for your thoughts! Let it alll out, people.