Chapter Two: The Meeting

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters or anything involving the series 50 Shades of Grey. All rights are owned by E.L. James

"blah blah" = dialogue

'blah blah' = inner thoughts

blah blah = conscience

As you enter the very spacious and neatly decorated office, you notice an extremely handsome young man with copper hair and grey eyes starting to rise from his seat behind his large desk and walk over to where you're standing to meet you.

'He's much younger than I thought to be running this kind of empire. He could only be six or seven years older than I am.' You're really surprised.

You realize that you're staring openly at him and compose yourself by readjusting your cardigan.

"Ah. Miss Winston. Glad you could make it on time." He smiles warmly and extends his hand for you to shake. You nervously put your small hand in his much bigger hand and shake it firmly.

"Oh, I'm sorry, Mr. Grey. I'm not Miss Winston. My name is Charlotte James. Miss Winston sent me in her place since she was unfortunately not able to make it this morning due to sickness." You tell him matter of factly. He nods with a hint of a slightly amused smile playing across his lips. "I see. Would you care to take a seat then, Miss James?" He gestures to a brown leather sofa directly to your left with an arm chair seated close by. You nod and walk over to sit down, and take your notebook, filled with questions, and your tape recorder out of your purse.

You look up and notice that Christian is staring, once again, amusingly at you as you fiddle with your things. You begin to feel your cheeks become flushed.

"I assume that Miss Winston told you why you're being interviewed?" You smile nervously at him. "You would assume correctly, Miss James, since I am giving a speech and helping to pass out your degrees at graduation."

This is your first time hearing this but you don't let him know that as you keep a poker face.

"Great! Well then. Let's get started. I hope you don't mind that I'm using a recorder." You say as you pause before you press the recording button on the device. "You've already brought it out. There's no going back now, is there?" He smirks at you. When he sees your confused reaction, he says, "It's fine. Go ahead."

'Jeez, not even five minutes in and he's already a smartass.' You press the button and begin with the first question on your list.

"Obviously, you're a very successful man." You state and before you can get to the actual question, he curtly interrupts you. "I thought this was an interview Miss James, not a meeting where you're telling me information of which I am familiar."

He clasps his hands together over his lap and looks at you with a slight smirk. You clear your throat nervously. "Well, Mr. Grey, I was about to get to the question before you interrupted me."

'Asshole. God, he's such an arrogant little prick. This is going to go well. I can sense it already.' You inwardly roll your eyes.

"Oh. Well, it seems that I must apologize." He says sarcastically. "It's fine." You shake your head, rolling your eyes slightly. You don't notice but he tenses a little at your reaction. "My question," you emphasize "is how have you amassed such a fortune and an empire at a young age?"

You look up from your notes into cool, grey eyes and an unreadable expression. "It's quite simple really. I know how to assemble a company and workers in such a way that I can acquire the best performance out of them possible. I can read people very easily and know what their strengths are. If you put a team together, you make sure that everyone brings something different, yet necessary to the table. When you have that, it works, and consequently, profits expand, you procure success, etc." He speaks in a matter of fact tone. "I work very hard and diligently to make sure this happens."

You snort unconsciously, looking down at your notes and saying under your breath, "You sure it wasn't just luck?" He hears you. "Excuse me? Would you mind repeating what you just said?" He says, challenging you to speak against him.

You take a deep breath and look it him square in the eyes. "I said, are you sure you wouldn't ascribe this to luck?"

'Ha! I said it. There.' You punch the air with a fist proudly in your mind.

He sits a little straighter in his seat and eyes you.

"I would not say that, no. It's all old fashioned hard work and elbow grease, Miss James. I get the best people together with the greatest talents and know how to harness their energies for a greater purpose. You know, Johann Wolfgang Von Goethe once said, 'A great person attracts great people and knows how to hold them together.'"

You let the words slip out of your mouth before you realize what you've said. "So, basically, you're a dictator and your employees are just little worker bees."

He lets out a chuckle. "Control is very important to me, yes. I definitely use it in every opportunity." His face is serious when he's done speaking, letting you know that he means every word. He keeps his gaze fixed onto your eyes and doesn't waiver. You feel a blush creep back onto your cheeks.

'Why is he affecting me like this? I don't even know this man. He's a prick...a sexy prick...but a prick nonetheless.' You cross your legs and clear your throat yet again.

You hear him whisper something to himself, but you're not sure what it is so you continue with the next question. "Do you feel powerful and in control?"

"Miss James, if you don't realize it already, I am responsible for over forty thousand employees. Should I decide that I'm done with this line of business and want to pursue other ventures, well, a lot of families would be in serious financial trouble." You give him a look of utter shock.

'Way to be humble!'

"Don't you have to explain yourself to someone? I mean, you can't just sell your business and drop it as if were nothing." He furrows his brow. "Actually, yes I can. I answer to no one. I own one hundred percent of this company and I can do with it what I wish. Did you not know that?"

You become flustered. 'No, I had no freaking clue! I should've researched him more.'

"Yes, I did know that. I just thought there was still a higher up that you would have to answer to. Anyways, next question." You quickly change the subject. "What are your hobbies or interests?"

He chuckles again. 'God, his smile is beautiful.' You inwardly sigh. "I have a myriad of interests...and they vary."

"Like what for example?"

He rubs his chin with his right hand. "I like to sail, fly, and do anything incredibly expensive and physical basically."

'Hmm, typical.' You look down at the next question.

"You like to invest in manufacturing which is an odd investment for someone in your line of business. Why?"

"I suppose I love knowing how things work. How one builds then dismantles things. I find it very interesting."

"So you do have heart it seems." You cock your head to the side.

The corners of his mouth turn up in a smirk. "Eh, some people would not think as much."

You look puzzled. "Why would they not think that you don't have a heart?"

"I guess they know my inner workings pretty well."

"You must have friends that would think differently?" You say feeling a little sorry for him.

"I'm an extremely private person, Miss James. I don't divulge the details of my life to just anyone. Hell, I don't give interviews to just anyone either."

He looks away and turns his attention to the large windows spanning his office, looking outside at the skyline.

"Why did you decide to do this interview, then?" His attention turns back to you.

"Two reasons. First, I am obviously a major contributor to the school. Second, your chief editor would not stop calling the office. You have to kind of admire her perseverance, so I thought why not?"

Sarah, the chief editor of the newspaper, is definitely not someone to be trifled with. Once she sets her sights on a story, it's hers.

"You've also invested in the food industry, specifically in the technological side. Why is that?"

"There are millions of starving people in the world who deserve to eat just like you and me."

"Would you call yourself philanthropist?" You ask. He shrugs his shoulders. "Not really, just doing what I think is right." He furrows his brow again.

You look down at the next question on the list. "Do you live by a motto? What is it, if you do?"

"I don't really have a motto, but these words are important in my life. 'When your desires are strong enough, you will appear to possess superhuman powers to achieve.' Napoleon Hill said that. I have an affinity for power and if I want something, I will get it."

"Possession sounds very important to you."

He smirks again. "Why, of course it is. If I deserve it, which I want to, then I should have it, right?"

He looks into your eyes, daring you to challenge him.

"I suppose, yes." You shrink slightly under his gaze.

'God, is this over? This man is nuts.' You're starting to feel more and more uncomfortable as the minutes tick on.

Faintly, in the background you hear the ticking of an ornate wall clock, putting you more on the edge.

'Adoption? Hmm. I had no idea.'

You stare at the next question. "You were adopted. Do you think that's shaped your life?" You look up from your notebook. "I wouldn't know."

"When were you adopted?"

"Shouldn't you know that? That is something you could simply Google." He states very sternly.

'Of course I would know that had I researched you more. This just keeps getting better.'

"Okay, moving on." You change the subject. "You seem to have sacrificed a family life for your work. Has that affected you?"

He shrugs. "No not really. I have my intermediate family which is my mother, father, sister and brother. They're all I need. I don't see any reason to go beyond that."

You read the next question without realizing what you've read.

"Are you gay?"

'Holy crap! Did I really just say that? He's really going to hate me now.' You turn red.

He noticeably stiffens. "No, Charlotte, I'm not in the slightest." You gulp a little. "I'm sorry, Mr. Grey. I was just reading what's written." You look down ashamed.

"So, you haven't been asking your own questions?" He raises an eyebrow.

"Unfortunately, no. These are questions that my chief editor Miss Winston wrote."

"Did you do this interview out of your own volition?"

You stutter a little and start playing with the edges of your notebook. "Um, no. Sarah, uh, Miss Winston, picked me personally."

'When did this turn out to be an interview about me?'

"I see."

Suddenly, there's a knock on the large wooden door and the woman from the reception area peeks her head in. "I apologize for the interruption, Mr. Grey, but your next meeting is in two minutes."

"Cancel it. We're not done here." He says without even taking one look at her.

'Man, what he says is obviously law around here.'

The receptionist looks shocked, blinking wildly for a moment. He turns to face her with a stern look and she immediately looks bashful.

"Right away, Mr. Grey." She says and leaves.

"So before we were interrupted, where were we, Miss James?" His attention is back on you.

"I don't want to keep you from an important meeting, Mr. Grey. Perhaps I should leave." He holds out his hand, motioning for you to stay seated. "No, it's fine. I think it's fair that I get to question you now." He clasps his hands on his lap again.

"What would you like to know?" You ask confused.

"What will you do when you graduate?"

"I have an internship with Vogue magazine, here in LA. That won't start until after the summer is over though."

He cracks a hint of a smile. "Interesting. So fashion is your niche?"

"Yes, I love it. I particularly like writing about it, too." He looks you over and begins to look puzzled. You already know he's thinking, 'Well, I couldn't tell.'

"You know, we run an internship program here over the summer. It's a fantastic opportunity to get work experience." He says.

"That does sound nice and all, but with all due respect, I don't this place is for me."

"Why not?" He asks puzzled.

"I'm pretty sure I wouldn't fit in." You look down at your hands, fiddling with them in your lap. "I think you would." He reassures you. "If you'd like, I could give you a tour?"

You look up at him. "Thanks, but no thanks, Mr. Grey. I'm certain you have much to attend to. Plus, I have to drive back to CSU."

"I understand. Well, make sure you're careful. It's high traffic now." You nod as you gather your things and place your recorder and notes in your bag. As you rise from your seat, he stands up as well and extends his hand for handshake.

"Thank you for your time, Mr. Grey. I appreciate it." You give him a shy smile as your hand slips into his.

"The pleasure is certainly all mine, Miss James." He smiles back, showing pearly white teeth. He gets to the large wooden doors first and holds the door open for you.

"Just being a gentleman, is all." You blush and smile again as you walk through door. He follows behind you, much to the surprise of you and the secretary.

"Did you have a coat?"

"No, I didn't." You shake your head as you both walk to the elevator doors. He presses the down button and asks, "I assume you know your way out?"

"Of course." You smile reassuringly. The bell soon dings and the elevator doors open. You step inside, turning around to press the parking garage button.

"Until next time, Charlotte." He smirks leaning against the wall.

'When would I see you again?' Hopefully never. Your conscience adds.

"Goodbye, Christian." The doors close shut.