Christian's Yearning

CH28

~ Q&A ~

"Well, nice to meet you Luke Sawyer. Please do call me Ana."

"How about Ms. Steele." – boss will have my balls if I show too much familiarity.

"Or may be just Ms. Ana." She offers hopefully; Sawyer smiles and nods.

~0~

"Hi dad, you look good." Ana hugs the sandy haired man waiting outside the simple one story home.

"Annie, sweet girl! How is my favorite daughter doing?" Ray asks while they make their way up the path to the front door.

"I am your only daughter, dad!" She points to Sawyer, "this is Luke Sawyer, he keeps trouble away from me." She smiles and mimes people and cameras.

"Nice meeting you." Ray says and shakes Luke's hands, "thank you for keeping my Annie safe!" and they walk away from the black SUV.

Ray kisses Ana's forehead and opens the door as Sawyer follows a few steps behind to give them privacy. Ray turns and invites Luke Sawyer in – any one that keeps his Annie safe is welcome in his home.

To Ana it is like stepping into a time warp, her childhood home has not changed much; it is neat and tidy, with the efficiency of an ex-military man. There are pictures of a bright blue-eyed little baby with a stomach full of rolls, a bright eyed young girl with her mother's high heels on, a teary eyed sad faced girl on her first day of kindergarten clutching to Ray’s leg, and on and on, all pictures of her life. Ana smiles at the memories.

The visit home is way too short. She tries to convince Ray to go to New York for a visit, but all she gets is a 'may be.' They talk about how much he dislikes her being the bottom of jokes in the late night shows, and how proud he is of her being in all those fancy magazines.

Luke at first tries to blend to the background, but he ends up drinking tea and talking guns with Ray for a few minutes. Ray shows him the small gun collection he has; Luke admits to be 'packing.' The more Luke expends time with Ana and her dad and observes them interacting, the more he realizes she is genuine, easy going and not at all the diva he expected. He actually likes her and in other circumstances, he would have asked her out. She may be out of his league, obviously, but he would have at least tried to befriend her. That realization makes him smile inwardly; it makes his job a lot easier if he likes the person he is supposed to protect.

Ray turns serious as he makes one last request from his daughter. "Promise me that at least you'll have a bathing suit on, and I'm not talking about the one you were born with!"

Ana smiles and nods, "yes, bathing suits on promise." She offers her dad the pinkie finger and smiling he hooks his around it.

Seemingly satisfied, Rey changes topics. "Tell me, is that fellow, Christian Grey was it, still sniffing around?"

Sawyer tries to stifle a laugh and it comes out to be a chocking sound.

"Yes dad, he is my boyfriend and he made a point to send his regards."

"Good, you need someone to make you happy. He makes you happy, right?"

"Yes daddy, he does."

"Good to know," he looks adoringly onto her eyes, "… and if he messes up, I can definitely kick his ass, Annie. You still have a dad regardless how old and grown up you are. You know that, baby girl."

"Yes dad. I love you."

After a few hugs and promises, Ana finally says her goodbyes. Ana and Luke leave for the hour and a half drive back. She must have been tired because in no time she falls asleep. It is not until about an hour later that she wakes up. "Luke, I think we should stop soon. I need to use the restroom and maybe find some hot chocolate. What do you say?"