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"A cake?"
I nod.
"A chocolate cake?"
"You want a chocolate cake?" His grin is infectious.
He nods.
"I'll see what I can do, Mr. Grey."
He kisses me once more.
Carla is stunned into silence.
"Mom, say something."
"You're not pregnant, are you, Ana?" she whispers in horror.
"No, no, no, nothing like that." Disappointment slices through my heart, and I'm sad-dened that she would think that of me. But then I remember with an ever-sinking feeling that she was pregnant with me when she married my father.
"I'm sorry, darling. This is just so sudden. I mean, Christian is quite a catch, but you're so young, and you should see a little of the world."
"Mom, can't you just be happy for me? I love him."
"Darling, I just need to get used to the idea. It's a shock. I could tell in Georgia that there was something very special between you two, but marriage... ?"
In Georgia he wanted me to be his submissive, but I won't tell her that.
"Have you set a date?"
"No."
"I wish your father was alive," she whispers. Oh no... not this. Not this, now.
"I know, Mom. I would have liked to know him, too."
"He only held you once, and he was so proud. He thought you were the most beautiful girl in the world." Her voice is a deathly hush as the familiar tale is retold... again. She will be in tears next.
"I know, Mom."
"And then he died." She sniffs, and I know this has set her off as it does every time.
"Mom," I whisper, wanting to reach down the phone and hold her.
"I'm a silly old woman," she murmurs and she sniffs again. "Of course I am happy for you, darling. Does Ray know?" she adds, and she seems to have recovered her equilibrium.
"Christian's just asked him."
"Oh, that's sweet. Good." She sounds melancholic, but she's making an effort.
"Yes, it was," I murmur.
"Ana, darling, I love you so much. I am happy for you. And you must both visit."
"Yes, Mom. I love you, too."
"Bob is calling me, I have to go. Let me have a date. We need to plan... are you having a big wedding?"
Big wedding, crap. I haven't even thought about that. Big wedding? No. I don't want a big wedding.
"I don't know yet. As soon as I do, I'll call."
"Good. You take care now and be safe. You two need to have some fun... plenty of time for kids later."
Kids! Hmm... and there it is again - a not-so-veiled reference to the fact that she had me so early.
"Mom, I didn't really ruin your life, did I?"
She gasps. "Oh no, Ana, never think that. You were the best thing that ever happened to your father and me. I just wish he was here to see you so grown up and getting married."
She's wistful and maudlin again.
"I wish that, too." I shake my head thinking about my mythical father. "Mom, I'll let you go. I'll call soon."
"Love you, darling."
"Me, too, Mom. Good-bye."
Christian's kitchen is a dream to work in. For a man who knows nothing about cooking, he seems to have everything. I suspect Mrs. Jones loves to cook, too. The only thing I need is some high quality chocolate for the frosting. I leave the two halves of the cake on a cooling rack, grab my purse, and pop my head around Christian's study door. He's concentrating on his computer screen. He looks up and smiles at me.
"I'm just heading to the store to pick up some ingredients."
"Okay." He frowns at me.
"What?"
"You going to put some jeans on or something?"
Oh, come on. "Christian, they're just legs."
He gazes at me, unamused. This is going to be a fight. And it's his birthday. I roll my eyes at him, feeling like an errant teenager.
"What if we were at the beach?" I take a different tack.
"We're not at the beach."
"Would you object if we were at the beach?"
He considers this for a moment. "No," he says simply.
I roll my eyes again and smirk at him. "Well, just imagine we are. Laters." I turn and bolt for the foyer. I make it to the elevator before he catches up with me. As the doors close, I wave at him, grinning sweetly as he watches, helpless - but fortunately amused - with narrowed eyes. He shakes his head in exasperation, then I can see him no more.
Oh, that was exciting. Adrenaline is pounding through my veins, and my heart feels like it wants to exit my chest. But as the elevator descends, so do my spirits. Shit, what have I done?
I have a tiger by the tail. He's going to be mad when I get back. My subconscious is glaring at me over her half-moon glasses, a willow switch in her hand. Shit. I think about what little experience I have with men. I've never lived with a man before - well, except Ray - and for some reason he doesn't count. He's my dad... well, the man I consider my dad.And now I have Christian. He's never really lived with anyone, I think. I'll have to ask him - if he's still talking to me.
But I feel strongly that I should wear what I like. I remember his rules. Yes, this must be hard for him, but he sure as hell paid for this dress. He should have given Neimans a better brief. Nothing too short!
This skirt isn't that short, is it? I check in the large mirror in the lobby. Damn. Yes, it is quite short, but I've made a stand now. And no doubt I'll have to face the consequences. I wonder idly what he'll do, but first I need cash.
I stare at my receipt from the ATM: $51,689.16. That's fifty thousand dollars too much!
Anastasia, you're going to have to learn to be rich, too, if you say yes. And so it begins. I take my paltry fifty dollars and make my way to the store.
