SEXLESS IN SEATTLE

CHAPTER ONE

I'm a 24-year-old virgin who had just been selected to write a column titled "Sex and Seattle" for our city's newspaper. Oh, god, I didn't have a clue about sex, and men were as complicated to me as physics was. When Kate told me that she had succeeded in getting me a job, she had failed to mention that it had involved writing about sex.

"Miss. Steele?"

I lifted my head up to meet eyes with the intimidating editor in chief, Fiona Wagner. She had all the trademarks of a strict boss and was dressed stylishly as if she had just walked out of a Vogue Magazine.

Seeing that I was at lost for words, she gave me a few praises about my writing samples to put me at ease. "Your writing is very creative. I truly enjoy your sample writing. 'Sex and Seattle' would be a very fun experience for you. I implore you to take advantage of this opportunity. You're a single gal in Seattle, looking for love. You'll write about your fun adventures and men you'll meet along the way before finding the one."

Oh, jeez…Did Fiona know that my definition of fun was boring? I spend all day clammed up in my room, reading novels and articles. And my dating life was...well…non-existing. What would be the outcome if I chose to turn down the job? It would probably be me falling behind on rent and school loan payments. That thought motivated me to nod my head. "Yes," I answered. "I'll do it."

"Great! I can't wait to see your first column. I'll need it by the end of the week," she said and stood up to shake my hand.

Fiona accompanied me out of her office, ecstatic that I had launched myself at the opportunity.

"You took the job? I'm so excited!" Kate beamed at me back in my studio apartment. "We must go celebrate!"

I wasn't sure if I was in a festive mood and I was beyond terrified that I might not even be able to put together a column in time for Fiona. They're going to have to change 'Sex and Seattle' to 'Sexless in Seattle'.

I didn't want to let her down, and I wasn't going to be able to find anything to write about if I just stayed at home all day. "Sure, where should we go celebrate?"

Kate eyes were luminous when I had decided to join her for a celebration in honor of me. "There's a hot club at this grand hotel, it's called Euphoria. If we get too drunk, we could always check-in at one of the rooms at the hotel."

After I had agreed to a girls' night out at Euphoria, I skimmed my closet for some appropriate attires and realized that my fashions were totally out of style. I was on a mission to find a date tonight at one of Seattle's hottest club to inspire my column. Determined to look sexy for tonight, I dug deeper into my closet, pulling out dresses that I have not even worn in years. Finally, I found a winner- a tight, little black dress that was strapless and extremely short. Every girl had at least one little black dress, and if they didn't, they should!

I accessorized my outfit with a pair of silver hoop earrings and a gaudy but tasteful necklace. When I threw on a pair of black pumps as a finale to my dazzling outfit, I was all set and ready to head out the door for a night of adventure.

"Cute outfit, Ana!" Kate gushed at me the moment I have arrived at Euphoria.

The nightclub was extremely chic and styled with white modern settings. Kate and I took a seat in the lounging area on a white leather couch, gawking at the hot studs that were passing by. We had both ordered a cosmopolitan each.

I gazed at the blue orchid that was placed in the center of our coffee table, unable to look away from its beauty.

"I'm so excited that you are the writer for 'Sex and Seattle'," she shrieked with excitement. "I can't wait to read your first column!"

"It's a column about dating, and I've never dated anyone before."

"Great! So, now you'll be inspired to start dating!"

I blushed in response to Kate's words and fumbled with the hem of my dress as a reason to look away. I wasn't sure if I was cut out to be a sex columnist, but I so desperately needed the job and had to make it work somehow.

"I've booked us two hotel rooms," she announced as she dug into her gold little clutch to pull out a key card. She handed it to me and I took it in my possession.

"Why two rooms?" I asked. "You could've gotten one with two beds."

She smirked, "Ana, I'm at Seattle's hottest club known to have the hottest guys in town. I might bring a guy up to my room, and I'm sure you're not going to want to be there for it."

"Kate! You're so naughty!" I gave her a playfully nudge.

I wondered why Kate didn't volunteer to write for 'Sex and Seattle'. She clearly had a more exciting sex life that consisted of glamorous night clubs and parties. I led out a sigh of frustration that had caught Kate's attention.

"What's wrong?" she asked me.

"I'm just not sure if I could do this. What if my column gets cancels after the first draft? I don't even have a date."

"Don't be a negative Nancy," Kate urged me. "It's easy to find a date here. Look at you, you're gorgeous! Just mingle around and a guy will offer to buy you a drink and give you his phone number."

"Really?"

"Yes, it's that simple."

Was Kate right? Was it really that easy to find a date, and could I really find one within a night of mingling around?

"You might even find ten potential dates," Kate chimed in as if she had read my thoughts.

With Kate's words as motivation, I hit the crowded dance floor to mingle around in hopes to find a potential date to write about. As Kate was socializing at a nearby bar area, a man walked up to me and asked, "Hey, baby, it's getting pretty loud in here, isn't it? You wanna get out of here?"

"And do what?" I asked awkwardly. I stared at him for a long while and sensed that he was beginning to feel uneasy around me.

"I should get back to my friends. They are uh- waiting for me," he said and took off in the opposite direction. I did not see him return to any group of friends. Instead, he ventured on and found himself a hot girl to flatter.

"So, how is everything going?" Kate asked.

I was grateful that Kate had left the bar to attend to me because I was off to a very awkward start. I told her what the man had said to me.

"Oh, that's basically just a code for 'let's go have sex somewhere'," said Kate.

"I'm not looking for a one night stand," I told her.

"Yes, but you're going to get a few guys here that just want to cut straight to the action."

I gazed around the club and realized that I was trending on unfamiliar grounds. I had no idea how to go about dating. I finally told Kate that I was going to sleep the night off. Everything just wasn't going according to plan.

Thirty floors up in my lavished hotel room that Kate had spoiled me, I had brought my mini laptop with me and had been staring at the screen for over an hour. Unfortunately, the screen was blank and so was my mind. I had no idea what to write and my career was heading down the toilet before it had even started.

Kate had arranged to be in the room next to mine, and as I was forcing words out onto my keyboard, I heard soft muffled moans coming from her side of the wall, followed by a few banging sound against it. I assumed Kate was getting some R-rated action while I was miserable for not having any.

I turned my attention to my night stand next to a king sized bed with white Egyptian cotton sheets. There was a champagne bottle in a bucket of ice and I stood up to go retrieve it. There was a pink envelope and inside was a little card congratulating me on my new job. It signed Kate.

The ice in the bucket had melted into smithereens and was getting warm. I figured I needed a drink, anticipating that the alcohol might help inspire a flow of words back to me somehow. I angled the champagne bottle away from me, trying to pop it open. After a couple of attempts, the stubborn champagne bottle refused to burst open and I was getting frustrated beyond all hell.

I grabbed the champagne bucket, dumped out the water in the sink, and exited my room with the bucket and the bottle to journey off for an ice box.

The stress from my column was truly making me edgy. I seriously needed a drink to calm my nerves. "Why won't you pop open?" I hissed at my bottle of champagne that was in my right hand as my left balanced the silver bucket.

As I headed down the lengthy hallway in search for the icebox, I continuously shook my champagne bottle rapidly to let out some steam.

A tall, young gentleman exited his room and I was immediately dazzled by him. His fashion was sharp and his physique was charming and handsome. I stopped shaking the champagne bottle as I was stunned by him. He continued his path down the hallway towards me and I felt my legs beginning to weaken as he came closer.

Suddenly, my stupid champagne bottle decided that it would be an appropriate time to pop open. I was mortified, it all happened so fast. My effort of shaking the bottle earlier had led it to finally burst. The cork flew right off of the bottle, and the next thing I saw, was the hot gentleman on his knees, holding on to his groan.

Oh, my gosh! I'm mortified! The cork had shot straight to the man's groan area!

Bubbly liquid shot everywhere, causing a huge wet mess. I was tempted to turn and take off in the opposite direction. The poor man was on his knees and groaning in pain.

I decided to run to him and placed my hands on his shoulder. "Oh, my god! I'm so sorry sir! I had no idea!"

It took him a while to find his composure and he seemed to be in a lot of pain. I kept apologizing over and over again.

When the pain finally subsided and he had recuperated from being shot in the nuts, the man stood up and eyed me…with amusement?

"I'm so sorry," I apologized for the millionth times.

"Christian Grey," he smirked. "And you are?"

I bit my lower lip and instantly noticed that it had made some kind of effect on him. His breathing quickened and there was a source of mystery that dwelled deep inside those gorgeous gray eyes of his. "I'm Anastasia Steele."

"Miss Steele, would you care to go out on a date with me?"

I was shock that his beautiful man was asking me out on a date; especially after I had accidently shot him in the groan with my champagne bottle. "Well, only if that area is still functioning," I said, gesturing at his groan area. "Oh, god! I'm so sorry, that's such an awful joke."

He creased his eyebrows, "Oh, it's still functioning Miss. Steele. You could even put it to the test if you want."

I gulped and my heartbeat was knocking so hard against my chest that I could swear it was audible. My face flushed and my knees were feeling weak. God, he's so handsome. I even had to trace my lips with my fingers to make sure I wasn't drooling.

"Yes," I said. "I'll go out on a date with you," I answered shyly. The man practically got me so hypnotized. Everything about him was mesmerizing. "I'm in room 3024."

"Is that an invitation?" he smirked.

"No," I flushed. God, I don't even know why I told him my room number. Maybe a part of me really did want to have mind blowing sex with this hot gentleman. I blamed it on my inner goddess.

"There's a restaurant here, Antoinette Bistro. Meet me there tomorrow night at eight. The reservation will be under Mr. Grey."

"I'll be there."

"Good," he said and continued his stroll down the hallway.

I've finally landed a hot date and was willing to brace myself for a new adventure. My search for love had just begun.