And So I Ran - Complete

Chapter 46

I woke up with a grin on my face. Last night had been indescribable. Ana and I had spent the night talking and making love, before falling asleep wrapped around one another. Ana was still asleep as I slipped out of bed, throwing on boxers, a TShirt and padding downstairs. As I'd arranged, Mrs. Jones was waiting in the kitchen.

"Fruit skewers, savory muffins, sandwiches, mini-quiches, sparkling water and cider, chocolate covered strawberries plus a selection of hard cheeses and crackers," she reported without needing to be asked. On the counter in front of her was a double-sided wicker picnic basket.

"And everything else?" I checked.

"Everything has been taken care of, exactly as per your instructions, Mr. Grey. I might say, you have a lovely day for it."

I looked out through the floor to ceiling windows at the start of a gorgeous Seattle day. A miracle given Seattle had cloud cover eighty-four percent of the time; today the skies were clear and blue as far as the eye could see. It truly was the perfect day and ideal boating weather.

"This is where you escaped to," Ana said, coming out to the kitchen dressed in a white cotton robe. I suspected she was naked beneath it, but Mrs. Jones' presence prevented any exploratory advances.

"It's a perfect day – I thought we could go out on The Grace?" I knew Ana loved boating because we were out on our own on the water, no one near us for miles. With the paparazzi still on our case, it was an easy way to get out of Escala but still have our privacy.

"That sounds great! It would be a shame to waste such gorgeous weather."

Wishing us a pleasant trip, Gail disappeared back to enjoy her weekend while Ana and I had a light breakfast.

"So, what happened with Mark?" Ana asked as we were finishing up. My first test after promising full disclosure, I was determined to show Ana she could trust me.

"His brother works at the Pacific NW Magazine, and Mark admitted to tipping him off about your movements. Taylor has explained if he does it again, his employment at SIP will be terminated."

Ana nodded. "Thank you for not ruining him. He's a nice guy – just a little clueless."

"He'll be clueless and unemployed if it happens again," I growled. I'd been all for firing the fucker's ass, but Taylor had also urged restraint – so a stern talking to and an amended employment contract had to suffice. Actually, that reminded me.

"Mark's employment contract is being amended to specifically include a clause about confidentiality. Not just your movements; all SIP confidential and sensitive data. The SIP contracts are all lacking that, so over the next month or so every contract will be amended."

"All because of me?" Ana gasped.

"Not entirely. A confidentiality clause is standard these days. The SIP employment contracts have not been updated in a long time which is why it's missing. It's something the GEH legal team would have picked up, eventually, but with you working there, it's prudent to bring it in sooner rather than later."

"Will there be any other changes to the contracts?"

"Nothing of significance other than upping the medical entitlements. We have a corporate insurance plan for GEH employees that is one of the best in the country. Now SIP is under the GEH umbrella, the employees are eligible, and their new contracts will reflect that."

"That must cost a fortune," Ana mused.

"Yes. But, if you find the right people and reward them well them well, then they'll excel. It's a small overall investment and makes for a stable workforce. The savings in staff turnover alone make it worthwhile."