Hey everyone! So, I'm not new to FanFiction, but I'm new to the Fifty Shades fandom.
... Well, kind of. I've read the series quite a few times, and I obsess over the trailer... Somewhat often.
So, yeah! Anyway, this is just a random idea I got, and thought I'd try it out! Enjoy it! :)
Chapter Song:
Ain't It Fun by Paramore
(Simply because nothing too major happened in this chapter that a specific song could relate to it.)
Miss Demeanor
Brief Summary:
Anastasia Steele's college years are coming to a close, just as Christian Grey's business is in full swing. He has generously offered one student at WSU Vancouver an opportunity to obtain an internship for the summer. Ana, working at Clayton's, is disinterested until her roommate feigns an illness in an attempt to break Ana out of her cage, thus forcing her to fill in for Kate's spot by going to her interview. What will Mr. Grey think of Ana, and what will Ana think of him?
Prologue
Ana
Here's the thing: I was perfectly content with my life. I was about to graduate from WSU Vancouver as an English major, with a flawless GPA. I had a steady job; sure, it was at a hardware store, but it was a decent paycheck every two weeks. I had an apartment with my best friend, and we had already planned on moving to Seattle when we finished school. I was looking into publishing and Kate… well, I couldn't keep up with Kate's interest of the week.
And no—I did not have a boyfriend. It's not that I wasn't interested in men; I just hadn't come across one that truly appealed to me. For the moment, I was perfectly fine with just having a few close guy friends. I mean, honestly, where's the damage in that?
Though, thinking back on it, they probably should have been the healthier choice for me, but at the time I didn't see it that way. I saw them strictly as friends, and nothing more. And I was good at doing that, at being oblivious to hormones deep inside me.
Well, that is until he came along. I frequently ask myself: why was it that the one man who I actually find breathtakingly beautiful is the same one who turns me on? Why is it that he was the one I fell for? I knew ahead of time that if I was with him, I'd wind up with a broken heart and a complicated mess of a relationship, yet I chose to ignore that little voice in my head.
So why did I do it?
Because in the deepest realms of my mind, I was as much a masochist as he was a sadist. And that was exactly why we were as perfect for each other as we were destructive.
"You're not playing fair," I whispered, fighting tears. How could I have let my feelings develop this way? I had sworn to not let this happen.
His gaze darkened. "I warned you," he responded. Though his eyes were hard as stone, his voice was deceptively soft. He reached out, twirling a lock of my hair around his finger, but carefully not touching me. Instinctively, I leaned into him, my breath catching as he skimmed by collarbone. He jerked his hand back again, letting it drop to his side.
I swallowed as I tried to focus on our conversation, but there was nothing left to say. I glanced down at myself, still in my work clothes. I brushed myself off and stood up. "I guess I'll be going then," I murmured quietly.
He rose gracefully to his feet. I was mesmerized by his movements. "You don't have to leave. You could stay," he said, grasping my waist and pulling me to him.
I really wanted to stay, to allow myself for a fleeting moment to lie contently in his arms and believed that we could be something more than what we were, but I would only be lying to myself and breaking my own heart.
I knew where this would lead if I stayed. And I knew how I would feel after. And if I didn't stop it now, I would never end it at all…
Three months earlier
"Ana!" My roommate, Kate called from her bedroom. She had been confined to the vicinities of her bed for nearly a week now. Her voice was groggy and hoarse.
I smiled to myself at the thought of the pristine Katherine Kavanagh not looking her absolute best. I peeked my head into her bedroom. "Yes, Kate?"
I couldn't see her amongst her thick comforter and too many pillows to count, until she lifted her head. Her usually styled, glossy hair was pulled up in a ponytail on top of her head, matted on one side from sleep. Her nose and cheeks were flushed red. "Can you do me a favor?"
I rolled my eyes, already prepared to head to the kitchen for her. "Do you want more soup? I made more for you…" my voice trailed off when I saw her shaking her head.
"No, it's very important," she mumbled, pausing to wipe her nose with a tissue.
I frowned at her, coming further into her room. "Then why ask me?"
She attempted a snort, only resorting in a fit of coughs. She glanced at me with wide green eyes,
miserable and exhausted. "Because I don't trust anyone else with this."
I raised my eyebrows. "What are you—,"
"You know that interview I have at Grey Enterprises Holdings tomorrow, right?"
I nodded warily. She was on to something.
"Well, I don't think I'll be well enough to go—,"
I knew my answer before she finished asking. "Don't even ask me to go. I won't do it. You can get your sick self out of bed and do it if it's that important to you."
Kate stuck out her lower lip. "But that's the thing—it's not that important to me. I just applied for the hell of it. Now, I'd rather you go and take my place than him give it to someone else."
"I have a job, Kate."
She sat up incredibly fast. Too fast. When I narrowed my eyes, I saw that she her eyes were disoriented and unfocused. When she could focus again, it was on me.
"Ana, if you got this job, you'd be in Seattle, close to where we'd be living! Because you can't have a job here while living in Seattle," she reasoned.
I scoffed, thinking this over. I could choose to fill in for her at this interview, saying she handed it to me, with the possibility of getting a job close to our new place. Or I could just move there without a job… I mean, what's the worst that could happen? Several people got an interview, so what are the odds I'd get the job anyway?
I glared at Kate. "Fine. I'll do it."
She threw her arms around me. "You're the best, Ana!"
I pushed her off me, scowling. "I know. Now… do you have anything prepared that I could use?"
She grinned her pearly white smile and motioned toward her back, indicating that this conversation was over.
My hair refused to cooperate. It wouldn't lay straight, but it had no volume, either. I opted for a ponytail, along with black slacks and a white button down, with a black blazer on top. Nothing wrong with classic, right?
Being as graceless as a human could possibly be, I chose black flats over heels. I wouldn't want to die before I even got there.
Kate was generous enough to lend me her Mercedes for the trip to Seattle. When I got in, I grinned at the smoothness of it compared to my old, beat-up Beetle. I took off, trying to relax my mind as I raced toward the city.
Parking was a nightmare. I looped the streets surrounding the GEH building several times before parking in a parking garage. A glance at the clock said I had twenty minutes until the interview started, so I hurried toward the building, making it ten minutes before the interview.
I opened the steel and glass doors—and froze. The inside was intimidating, with dark wood and dark floors, but white walls. The contrast threw me off at first. All the people bustling about were wearing sharp suits, and I was suddenly grateful for the outfit I'd chosen.
I approached the large mahogany desk, trying to seem more confident than I felt. The woman who sat there was blonde, her hair pulled back into a neat bun, her makeup flawless. I flushed, feeling self-conscious.
"Can I help you?" she asked kindly, yet distantly. Her smile did not reach her eyes.
"I, um, have an interview with Mr. Grey," I stammered.
Her brown eyes narrowed, her lips pursing as she took in my appearance. "Name?"
"Kate—um, Katherine Kavanagh," I said.
The woman cocked an eyebrow at me. "It says here the interview was changed to a Miss Anastasia Steele."
Shit. Kate! "Yes, that's me. Do you need identification?"
She shook her head. "Follow this hallway to the elevators on the left, go to the top floor. There's a receptionist desk there, give them your name."
I nodded and thanked her, then attempted to follow her directions. Once at the top floor, I immediately found the desk I was pointed to. A blonde woman dressed in a gray pencil skirt and blazer approached me, her expression friendly and warm.
"Miss Steele?"
I nodded. "Yes?"
"Would you like anything to drink while you wait? Mr. Grey will be with you in a few minutes."
I cleared my throat quietly. "Just some water, please."
She smiled at me, then turned to look at another young—blonde—woman. "Olivia, could you get Miss Steele some water?"
Olivia scrambled away as the first blonde woman motioned for me to sit down in a waiting area. Olivia reappeared with a glass of cool water. I gratefully took a sip of it, and went over my notes as I waited.
All too soon, the first woman walked over to me, her heels clacking on the tile floor. "Mr. Grey will see you now," she said.
I smiled nervously at her, following her to a pair of tall closed doors. She motioned for me to enter. I rolled my shoulders back, taking a deep breath—and remembering that even if I didn't get this internship, I wasn't betting my whole future on it.
It gave me the last boost of confidence I needed.
I pushed open the doors, prepared to enter.
And then I managed to do something only Anastasia Steele would do.
I tripped over thin air, unable to catch myself. My arms flailed before catching myself—and then I was on the cool floor. I was tempted to lie there and die of humiliation. My face was instantly hot, and the coolness of the floor was refreshing.
Knowing I needed to get up, I pushed myself to my hands and knees and glanced up… right into a pair of mesmerizing gray eyes, looking down at me, slightly vexed and definitely amused. I was suddenly lost in beauty of the man standing before me. He was tall, broad-shouldered, tousled copper hair…
No.
I forced my wayward thoughts onto a different track. My interview. I'm here for an interview.
"Miss Steele? Are you alright?" The man asked.
I cleared my throat, taking his outstretched hand. He helped me to my feet. I nodded. "Yes, thank you, Mr.—,"
He smiled with amusement, but without warmth. "Grey. Christian Grey," he introduced.
I felt all the blood drain from my face. I just fell head-first into Christian Grey's office.
Well, there goes my chance at the internship.
Hello again! So... how was this chapter? Would you like to read more?
Please, read and review! :)
I just finished my very first story on here, a total of 35 chapters, and what kept me going was my readers and reviewers. I'd like to say the same about this one!
Xoxo, and until next time,
Caitlyn
