Author's Note: Hello all and thanks for reading! I promise future chapters will be longer! Some chapters will be written in Christian's POV but it won't be every other chapter. I'll update as regularly as I can.

Disclaimer: Fifty Shades of Grey and the associated characters belong to EL James. No copyright infringement intended.


01

I scowl at the computer monitor as if it would make a difference. The spreadsheet I have been working on for the past hour remains unchanged. I am obviously doing something wrong – it's just that I can't figure out what I am doing wrong.

Should I call Christian? No – I can't use that option so soon or he'll think I'm an idiot.

Maybe I should call Ray? No – he'll find an excuse to come out of retirement and doctors ordered absolutely no stress.

I sigh and put my head down on my desk, lightly banging it a few times – maybe this will help.

"That's not going to help."

I look up and see Christian leaning on my glass office doors. When did he come in? How long has he been standing there? He's still in a dark grey zip-up hoodie with black running pants – Christian's signature running gear.

"It's nice to know some of us around here still has time to workout. I've been glued to my desk for the last week." I give him my best bitch look and pretend to get back to my spreadsheet. Now that he's actually here, I know I am going to ask for help.

"I know, I can tell. Where's my spreadsheet? I want the final version so I can negotiate and get the contract signed this afternoon."

"As you can see… still working on it. I have all the formulas and figures in but I still can't get the number down to 7.5 million. The lowest I can get the final figure to be is 12.4 million." I turn my monitor around to show him as he walks closer to my desk. "And wait what do you mean by you can tell? Are you telling me I'm fat?"

"Don't be ridiculous Anastasia." He rolls his eyes at me. "You have about 50 more pounds before anyone can start calling you fat. I just think you look a little better now than when you go on those crazy juice diets."

Oh the nerve of this man! I'm glaring at him but he seems lost in concentration reviewing the spreadsheet. Shit, what if he thinks I'm an idiot? He leans over the length of my desk and grabs the mouse from my right hand to scroll through the spreadsheet. How does he smell good even after running? No wonder he's fucked half of Seattle. Okay maybe I'm slightly exaggerating but I saw the society pages while I was at Stanford – he had a different girl at every single social event he attended.

Not that I am attracted at all but ever since being apart from him for the majority of the past 4 years while attending Stanford, I could finally sort of see the appeal.

"Ana, this spreadsheet looks great. 12.4 million looks to be perfectly reasonable given the figures." Christian put the mouse back where it was and walks around to my side of the desk standing right next to my chair. "What I would suggest is just moving this row down here and let's get rid of this column."

"But… when you were explaining this project, you said 7.5 million!"

"It was a figure I pulled out of my ass! I had no idea what the initial numbers were to begin with. Even if I said 7.5 million, if your logical explanation says 12.4 million, you need to argue it with me. You are supposed to be my business partner Anastasia."

I can't think of anything else to say so I continue staring at him. I am only 22 and not even one year has passed since my college graduation. I still know some classmates who are working part-time jobs and living at home because they could not find full time jobs after college.

Yet I found myself named Vice President of Grey Steele Inc a month after graduation when my father and Carrick decided to retire together since "the kids are all grown up." They just left out the fact that Ray had a minor heart attack while I was on a graduation trip overseas and doctors ordered absolutely no stress on top of healthy diet and exercise – all three of which had not existed in Ray's world since the company's inception.

Christian turns my chair so I am facing him. "Ana, as I have been telling you from day one, you have been doing a great job – far better than any of us expected."

Christian focuses back on the monitor and emails the final spreadsheet to himself. I'll be glad to get rid of that thing off my monitor until the next merger.

"Oh and also, you have to just always think you are right or yell. I'm sure you know both methods work extremely well for me." He smirks and I can tell he's in a very good mood today. "And Ana?"

"Yes Christian?"

"Don't be ridiculous and eat some breakfast. I'll be very pissed if I find out you go on that juice diet again."

"I already have two dads with Ray and Carrick worrying about every paper cut I get. Can you please just be my friend? And just for the record, I'm having brunch with Mia."

He smiles as he takes his wallet out from his hoodie and hands me his black AmEx.

"My treat for my two favorite ladies."

Now it is my turn to roll my eyes at him. "I have one of those too you know."

"I know but use mine Anastasia." He takes my hand into his and places the card in and heads out of my office.

"Hey Christian?"

Christian peaks his head in before the door can close all the way. "Yeah?"

I hold up his card and smile. "Does this mean I can drink unlimited mimosas and play hooky for the rest of the day?"

He shakes his head lightly as he laughs. "Only if you take Prescott and no that is not negotiable."

"Fine. Oh by the way, you didn't forget about dinner with Elliot and Kate tonight right? I can't believe I haven't seen Elliot in three years!"

"Ana, you know I wouldn't miss it for the world. Laters."