Chapter 2

Christian

The enthusiasm and tenacity with which these plans were made is surprising to me. It's almost like Elliot is more excited about the fact that I have a girlfriend now than I am, the way he's been hopped up on this double date shit. Okay, that's bullshit. No one is happier that I have Ana than me. But for some reason, Elliot is eating it up.

I'm finally at the high point of my day, in the car on the way to pick up Ana. It's only the second time I've gotten to this week. I'd prefer to every day, but most of the time she insists on driving herself to and from work. And she usually assumes that she's sleeping at her apartment instead of staying with me. And that… doesn't feel right. Honestly, the fact that we ever sleep apart does not sit well with me. I'm not exaggerating when I say that I want her around all the time, and that includes at home and at work.

My phone lights with an eagerly anticipated email from Ros. While Ana seems to be clinging to her independence on the home front… at least there's something I can do about our separation in the professional setting.

From: Ros Bailey
Subject: New Offices
Date: September 8 2021 17:17
To: Christian Grey

Numbers are in – going to be easier to remodel an existing suite on the 10th floor and move SIP to their old suite on the 6th floor. Estimated time: about a month if they hustle. Still interested?

Ros Bailey
CFO, Grey Enterprises Holdings, Inc.

I respond in the affirmative and slip my phone back into my pocket. I can't help but wonder how Ana will feel about this development. She would be happy about it, right? She says that she loves me and that it's hard for her to be apart from me, too. But at the same time, she seems somewhat set on maintaining some separation between us. We don't live or work together, and yet I'm starting to realize that I might want to pursue both of those avenues. Is she feeling the same?

I push these thoughts aside, a smile returning to my lips as I see her duck out of her building and head towards the car. There's a smile on her beautiful face, too. If we were always together, we could do this every night.

We grin at each other like idiots when she slides in next to me. Sawyer climbs in the passenger's seat and Taylor promptly pulls away. "Hi," she says sweetly.

"Hi." I lean over and kiss her, the daily drought I feel finally subsiding. "How was work?"

Her smiles falters just slightly, but then she plasters it back on. "Fine. How was your day?"

"Tolerable. Are you sure that everything is good at work?" I ask skeptically. I knew she was having issues before, but I thought that childish behavior would have been brought to a halt by the PR statement. There's nothing unsavory about our relationship. That must be obvious by now.

"Yes," she says quickly. "Just a long day, you know, waiting to get to you."

Ah. The light, airy feeling in my chest at the simple genuineness of her words is intoxicating. "Now, that I understand." I kiss the back of her hand.

"Where are we going?"

"Some restaurant and bar that Elliot picked."

"Oh, bound to be a rollicking good time, then," she laughs. "I don't know how Kate does it with him. I'm starting to become accustomed to the tastes of the younger, yet more mature Grey brother."

"Starting to? I certainly hope you don't have any plans of stopping."

"Eh, I think he's got me hooked for a while," she says playfully. I love our banter.

The drive isn't very long, and within a few minutes, we're at some casual establishment where Kate and Elliot are waiting outside. "Hey, big shot," Elliot yells the second we've stepped out of the car. "Nice to see you. Glad you could make it. Hey, Ana."

"Hi, Elliot," she says with an indulgent smile, making a beeline for Kate for an eager hug.

"Hello, Elliot. I don't suppose that refraining from being publicly obnoxious is on the menu for tonight?"

"Come on, bro, you wouldn't have me any other way." Don't bet on it. "You guys hungry? I'm starving." At least that we can agree on.

I find upon sitting that this place has a longer list of wings than wines, which Ana registers with a giggle and a glance at me. "Look at you, being normal for a night," she whispers.

Normal. Now that's something that no one has ever accused me of being. "So, how are things now that you guys have gone public?" Kate asks genially as she glances over the menu.

I look at Ana, who's taken on a bit of a blush. "I'm certainly enjoying it." Everyone knows that she's mine. All silver linings for me.

"It's… different. But obviously amazing. I mean, everyone knows that I love him, and I love that, but the way it came out was kind of a mess."

"Well, that's because Caleb is a mess in human form," Kate scoffs. "I can't believe I used to think I'd be going to your wedding to him one day. He really showed his true colors."

Caleb. Wedding. Ana. What a nauseating, infuriating combination of words. The thought of Ana bound for life to someone who mistreats and takes her for granted. God, if that had ever happened, I'd have had to find a way to outlaw marriage licenses on their wedding day. Promising forever to her would be the ultimate privilege, one he never would have deserved.

You won't either.

Jesus. I'm aware. I'm not husband material. I'm still desperately trying to be boyfriend material, and even that, I'm not sure I'll ever get down. I'm just holding on tight for as long as I can before she takes off her rose-colored glasses. The thought makes me reach for her hand. She gives it a squeeze, and the momentary dismay from the thought of the day that that moment arrives recedes.

"Things are better now," she says quietly in response to Kate. "Much better."

"I heard he got denied bail," Elliot adds. He did. I made sure of that.

"Good. He needs to sit in timeout for a while," Kate grumbles. "Jose wants to send him a box of elephant poop in prison. Apparently, that's a thing you can do on the Internet."

Predictably, Elliot guffaws at this. "Well, I only met the guy once, but that dipshit sure didn't look at you with the googly eyes that Christian does, that's for sure," he concludes.

I roll my eyes. "How eloquent."

"Oh, I just love it when you wax poetic," Kate giggles, rubbing his arm. At least they seem to be a good match. Kate doesn't seem to want to smack him upside the head every thirty seconds, which is really all that Elliot can ask for out of a partner.

"Uh, so how are things with you, Elliot?" Ana asks.

"Pretty good. Things are popping at work. Just got wind of a potential new project today, in fact." He gives me a pointed glance and a smile that's lacking in subtlety. I resist the urge to kick him under the table, instead silencing him with a look. I'm certainly not going to tell Ana of this development through him.

"Oh, that's great."

"Yeah. And I'm getting my hoity-toity brother to have beer and wings instead of wine and foie gras tonight, so things are looking up!" God help me.

I'm definitely out of my element. I've never been one for atmospheres like this, or midweek outings of any kind, but Ana's hand in mine and her warmth emanating from next to me does the trick to keep me grounded. Eventually, I even find that I'm not having a bad time. Sure, the beer is shitty and greasy wings aren't my usual style, but maybe being normal for a night isn't half bad.

Or maybe just getting to do it with Ana makes everything look a little brighter.

Either way, I find myself laughing at Elliot's crass jokes, lightening up for once, and I continue to note the ways in which Elliot and Kate complement each other. Kate laughs at his boisterousness, but reels him back in just enough that he's suitable to be in public. Elliot keeps her all smiles and you can tell by the way he watches her that she's high on the priority list.

I start to wonder how Ana and I appear to others. Is it obvious to them that she's now the reason I get up in the morning? Can they see the inexplicable emptiness I felt for years that she's filled seamlessly?

As if she can hear my inner reflections, she leans over and kisses my cheek. "I'll be right back. Bathroom."

"I'll go with you." She shouldn't be alone. Half the world is mad.

"No, no, I'll be two seconds. Stay and have fun," she says dismissively, already out of her chair. Fuck.

I make eye contact with Sawyer across the room and jerk my head towards her as she starts to walk away. He nods and follows her. I watch her walk, too. I wish I could be the helicopter boyfriend on my own, but I'm finding that Ana seems to enjoy a watchful eye when it's more subtle. Her independence, while endearing and admirable, doesn't make it easy to protect her.

"Christian," Kate whispers urgently as soon as Ana is inside the bathroom. "Obviously, you know her birthday is coming up, right?"

"Of course." Friday is September the tenth, the first one I'll ever get to spend with her. Hopefully the first of many. The jet is on standby, but I haven't decided yet exactly where I'm whisking her away to.

"Do you know where Marty and Ray are taking her this year?"

I can almost hear the record scratching in my mind. What the hell? "What are you talking about?"

Her eyes widen in surprise, then narrow in confusion. "She didn't tell you? They always take her camping for her birthday weekend. For like, ten years in a row now, or however long they've been together. I just figured they were doing the same thing this year. And I know Caleb went a couple years, so I assume you'd be going, too."

I'm stunned by this information. "She hasn't mentioned anything about it."

"Maybe she thinks you're too soft for the great outdoors," Elliot jibes.

Kate smacks his arm. "Maybe it isn't even happening this year. I could just be talking out of my ass. I'll just ask Marty tomorrow and if she says no, then we can take her out or something."

"Actually, I was planning on taking Ana somewhere for the weekend." Somewhere with a view. Something she'll remember.

"Oh, that's sweet! I'm sure she'd like that. We'd have to have a separate party for her." Kate glances over towards where the bathrooms are. "Oh, shut up, she's coming."

I look over, and she's paused outside the door, looking at her phone intently. She does this for what feels like a long moment before stowing it back into her purse and heading over to us with a smile. I can feel the mild tension that crept up on me while she was gone relax again as she sits next to me. "Everything okay? You seemed distracted over there," I murmur.

"Hmm?" she says absentmindedly. "Oh, yeah, everything is fine."

Kate looks at her almost calculatingly for a second, then simply smiles. "Who's up for more beers?"

"Sure," Ana says agreeably. I notice that her hand hovers over the pocket where her phone is stashed for a second, before she lays it back in her lap again.

"Are you sure everything is okay?" I ask her.

"Yes, absolutely." She leans over and gives me a light kiss on the lips.

For now, I let it go, but particularly after Kate's comments, I can't shake the feeling that there's something she isn't telling me.

A/N: Communication issues. Hmm. How is this going to go? Thanks for reading. xo