Fifty Grades of Steele Chapter 2
Kate was on me the moment I came through the door.
"Chris, you're back. How was it? What's she like?"
I struggled to answer her, what could I say? Could I tell her that Miss Steele turned me on like no one else ever had? No, probably not.
"I'm glad it's over," I settled on. "She was rather intense, you know."
Kate gazed innocently at me.
"Don't even start," I said. "Why didn't you reschedule the interview? Why send me and not another reporter?"
"Chris, I basically had to beg to get this interview, Miss Steele doesn't do them, so there's no way she'd reschedule."
"And what about you?" I asked. "You don't seem too sick right now. Was this all a ploy? You didn't want to interview her, did you?"
"Umm, well," Kate faltered.
"Why not?" I asked.
"I don't know," Kate wouldn't meet my gaze, "it's just a rumor I heard."
I waited patiently for Kate to continue.
"I heard she has this thing for women, but it's more than that. I don't know, it's hard to explain, but I heard she can be forceful. When she finds something she wants, she doesn't stop until she gets it. I can't get caught up in any of that, you know how I am, Chris."
"So, you sent me because…"
"Because you're not her type," Kate said.
My heart fell. I wasn't Anastasia's type, but that couldn't be right. Anastasia shifted too, she had lust in her eyes, I saw it. Maybe Kate was wrong.
"Is that why you asked if she was gay?"
Kate dropped her head. "Yes."
"Well, she's not," I informed her, "so maybe what you heard is wrong."
Kate scoffed. "You really think Anastasia Steele's going to confirm the rumors and essentially come out to a student newspaper? Think again, Chris. She was clearly lying to protect herself."
Whatever. Anastasia was attracted to me too, I saw it.
"How did it go?" Kate asked.
"Fine," I sighed "she was younger than I expected. How old is she anyway?"
"Twenty-seven."
Fuck, that was young, and now I felt even more unaccomplished.
"Did you take any notes?" Kate asked.
"I recorded it, I'll send you the file."
"Good," Kate grabbed her laptop, "I want to start putting it all together."
I sent her the recording and went to my room to study. When I came out later, Kate was totally absorbed in her task. She caught sight of me and pulled her headphones off.
"You've got some good stuff here," she told me. "I can't believe you didn't take her up on her offer. Imagine working at Steele International right out of college. That would be amazing. She sounded taken by you too, canceling that meeting and then wanting to know about you. If I didn't know any better I'd think she was interested. I'm so glad I didn't go. It's a shame we don't have some original stills, she's a beautiful woman, isn't she, Chris?"
"Sure."
"Oh, come on, Chris, if I can appreciate her beauty with everything I know about her then I'm sure you can too."
I ignored her.
"So, what did you really think about her?" Kate pressed.
Why wouldn't she let this go?
"She's very accomplished," I said vaguely. "I'm just glad it's over and I never have to lay eyes on her again." My heart panged painfully at the thought. It was a total lie, I wanted to see her again right now.
Saturday at Clayton's Hardware was a nightmare. I had been working here for four years and I only had a couple of weeks left. I was torn between trying to take everything in and snapping at stupid customers and their stupid questions. We got a lull around lunchtime and I took my first break of the day. I sat behind the registers. Stacy had called in sick, so we had no one to watch the front. Thankfully, it was a small store and it was usually dead around this time for an hour or so.
Someone entered the store and I wanted to groan. So much for my break. I looked up and found myself locked in the bold light blue gaze of Anastasia Steele. I had to do a double take. What was she doing here? It had to be to see me, right? This was too big of a coincidence otherwise. Anastasia approached me and I sat up straighter.
"Mr. Grey," she said, "what a pleasant surprise."
She definitely didn't seem shocked that I was here, she had to have planned it, but why? Maybe she was interested in me, but what about what Kate had said?
Fuck, she looked so casual with her cream knit sweater, tight blue jeans and walking boots. I had a feeling she wouldn't look bad in anything. Thankfully, I had my good black jeans on. I was wearing a flannel shirt again, but it was blue this time. My glasses were resting on my nose, I wanted to take them off, but it would be too awkward now, especially seeing as I needed them to read, but maybe…
"Miss Steele," I said, pulling my glasses off and hanging them from my shirt.
She looked disappointed by my actions, her bottom lip jutted out in an almost pout.
"How can I help you?" I asked, leaning on my elbows on the front counter.
She smiled and it was so breathtaking. I liked seeing her outside of her office, there was a small sense of relaxation. She was still tense, but not as tense. I don't know.
"There are a few items I need, Mr. Grey," she said. "To start with I'd like some cable ties."
Cable ties? Okay. I joined her on the other side of the counter and led her to the electrical aisle.
"My name is Chris," I told her, hoping she'd stop calling me Mr. Grey. "Are you in Portland on business?"
"I'm visiting the WSU farming division," Anastasia said, "I'm currently funding some research there in crop rotation and soil science."
So, she didn't come to see me? Fuck.
Anastasia looked at our selection of cable ties and I wondered what she was going to do with them. I couldn't picture her as a do-it-yourselfer. She trailed her fingers across the various packets on display and I had to look away. Why did everything she do make my dick jump? She bent down and selected a pack on the lower hook. My eyes were on her tight ass in those tight jeans, fuck. I looked away before she noticed me staring and before my dick got too hard that it started showing.
"These will do." She stood back up.
The cable ties were extra-long and thick… Fuck. Maybe I was the reason I thought everything she did and said was sexual. It had been far too long since I got laid.
"Would you like me to hold them?" I asked. It was something I always offered, but it felt different with her. I wanted to help her and not just because it was my job.
She smiled. "No, thank you, Christian."
Fuck, that smile was going to be the death of me.
"Is there anything else you need?" I asked.
Her eyes met mine and they were blazing. "I'd like some tape."
Tape and cable ties? Those were two random objects. Anastasia was rich, surely she had people to shop for her, so what was this? The only connection I could make were that both items could be used to restrain someone, fuck, maybe she was a murderer. I mean, you wouldn't send someone to buy the weapons of murder, would you? Or maybe you would. Tape. I led the way.
"Are you redecorating?" I asked, hoping she'd say yes, though if she was a murderer I doubt she would've told me.
"No, not redecorating," she said. "Have you worked here long?" Her voice was low and she was staring at me.
My dick jumped. Why did she have such a strong effect on me? I felt like I was back to being a teenager, horny all the fucking time, having no say in the matter. It didn't suck, not if Anastasia followed through, but she wasn't. She was a big tease. Maybe I could flirt back, make her squirm.
"Four years," I answered.
Instead of reaching down, I squatted, making sure my ass was pointed in her direction. I hoped she was looking. I grabbed the two sizes of tape we stocked and stood back up. Anastasia's eyes were definitely darker. That was a good start. I showed them to her.
"I'll take that one," she said, pointing to the wider one.
I passed it to her. Our fingers brushed and my dick jumped again. Fuck, not here, not now, I was working.
"Anything else?" My voice was husky.
Her eyes widened slightly. Could she tell I was turned on? Could she see how she affected me?
"Some rope, I think." Her voice was husky too, was I turning her on? Oh, how I hoped so.
Rope, yet another item that could be used to tie someone up, or to murder them. Oh, how I wanted to ask if she was a murderer, but remembering her reaction to me asking if she was gay, I bit my tongue.
"What sort are you after?" I asked, leading the way. "We have synthetic, natural filament, twine, cable cord." Maybe I should ask what she's using it for.
"I'll take five yards of the natural filament rope please."
Five yards, now, I needed my glasses. I slid them on and I heard her breath hitch. Shit, maybe I should've had them on this whole time. Too late now. I measured it out, well aware that I was being watched closely. I couldn't take it anymore, my eyes met hers and the words were out of my mouth before I could stop them.
"Are you a serial killer?" I asked. "Do you get off on this? You know, buying the items from your victims before killing them." Shit, what was I doing?
Her gaze darkened and I could see anger storming underneath. Fuck, I was in trouble. Then it softened out and she smiled.
"No, Christian, I don't get off on that."
On that… Fuck, there were so many possibilities in those two words. At least I now knew I was safe, from death at least. I focused back on the task at hand and cut the rope, winding it up and securing it in a bowline knot.
"Bowline," Anastasia said, taking the rope from me, she seemed impressed, "isn't a slip knot more standard."
"Sure," I shrugged, "but this is more secure. Plus, it separates the idiots. I get joy knowing some of my customers struggle to get it undone. It's the small things in life."
Anastasia was looking at me oddly, and then she pulled on the rope, unraveling the knot easily. She knew her knots, and then I watched amazed as she recoiled it and re-knotted it. It was an alpine butterfly knot. You usually used that knot in the middle of the rope, but she used it towards the end and secured it all together.
"Beautiful," I said, staring at the knot.
"How do you know your knots?" she asked. "Were you a boy scout?"
"No, my dad likes to fish. He taught me all I know. What about you?" I asked.
Anastasia tensed. I pushed my glasses up higher on my nose and her eyes flared. Then, her tension disappeared.
"I like to tie things up," she said softly.
Tie things up… Tie people up… I was no longer thinking of her as a murderer, but as some kind of sex goddess. I already knew she liked sex, and now I knew she liked to tie people up. Fuck. How did I make this happen? I wanted this, didn't I? My dick sure as hell did.
"Anything else?" I asked, my voice was so strained. Fuck.
"I don't know," she said, "what else would you recommend?"
Fuck, if that wasn't an opportunity then I didn't know what was. I needed to be bold. If she wasn't going to say anything then I needed to.
"I finish at four," I told her.
"What?"
Shit, had I fucked up?
"Four," I repeated. "We could go somewhere and you could… tie me up. I have to let you know though, I'm an expert at getting free."
Fuck, what was I doing? Anastasia's eyes widened and she got a predatory look on her face. Was Kate right? Was I playing with fire right now? Shit. I was never this bold, but I was fucking hard and I wanted Miss Steele to help me find my release. Anastasia managed to snap out of it and she shook her head no, resting her palm on my cheek.
"Oh, Christian," she said, "you poor boy, you'd never be able to keep up with me."
Fuck, she was denying me. What now?
"I think I have everything I need," Anastasia said. Fuck, I'd screwed up. "For now," she added.
Oh, shit, that sounded hopeful and it was good enough for now.
We headed to the checkout and Anastasia was back to business, completely ignoring that I'd just propositioned her. Fuck, I told her she could tie me up. Who does that? Apparently, a desperate man does.
"How's the article coming along?" she asked and I was thankful for the distraction.
"I'm not the writer, Kate is. She seems happy with it, but she did mention something about wanting some original photographs of you."
"What sort of photos does she want?"
I wasn't expecting Anastasia to be interested, so I wasn't prepared to answer. "I'm not sure."
"Well, I'm around tomorrow," she said.
"You'd be willing to do a photoshoot?" I asked. Kate would fucking die if I could pull this off, and I'd get to see Anastasia again. Fuck, I wanted that.
"I think you'd find I'm willing to do a lot of things I don't usually do when it comes to you, Christian."
What did she mean by that?
"But you won't tie me up?" I asked.
"Why bother? You said so yourself, you'd just break free and I don't want that." Fuck. "Though my knots are inescapable, so… it'd be fun to watch you try."
Shit, I was fully hard now and I didn't even try and hide it.
"My shift ends at four," I repeated, almost fucking panting.
She shook her head no, denying me. Fuck.
"Let me know about tomorrow." She reached into her back pocket and pulled out a business card. "This is my card, it has my cell on it. You'll need to call before ten in the morning."
"You know," I said, "four o'clock is before ten in the morning."
"Christian," her voice was sharp, yet somehow still soft, "let it go."
I would, but only because I got to see her for this photoshoot. Kate was going to be thrilled. I rang up the items and when I got to the rope, I couldn't hide my smile. I really wished she would tie me up with it, but then I thought of the opposite, was she going to tie someone else up with it? Shit, was she gay? Did she already have a lover? Fuck, maybe that's why she was denying me. I bet she did, she was too hot and too successful to be single.
"Would you like a bag?" I asked, feeling dejected as I took her credit card.
"Please, Christian."
I loved how her tongue caressed my name, but that wasn't the only thing I wanted her tongue to caress, fuck. It was a shame I couldn't have her. I quickly put her purchases in the bag. She needed to leave. She didn't want me, that much was clear.
"You'll call me if you want to do the photoshoot?" She was all business once more, but yet again it seemed like she had trouble leaving me.
I nodded, wanting to save myself from anymore rejection.
"Good. Until tomorrow, perhaps." Anastasia left, but paused by the door. "Oh, and, Christian," my eyes met hers, "I'm glad Miss Kavanagh couldn't do the interview."
Anastasia smiled and then she strode out the store. Fuck, I was screwed.
