Chapter Four
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Friday comes and I'm hardly prepared. I'm flying from Seattle to New York with people I hardly know, alongside a control freak that is also my boss. I wish that Kate would be coming with me, but she needs to study for her finals coming up, so I'm left on my own. The only pro is that I've never been to New York before, so maybe this trip can be a little worthwhile.

I'm still not too sure about Christian though. He makes me feel, uncertain, which is a trait that no man has ever given to me in my entire lifestyle. He really is as cold as they claim him to be, but on the interior, he comes across as a smart, focused and polite man determined the better the lives of others around him. With that in mind, he's not a problem to work for, but his attractiveness turns my body into jelly.

Just as I am debating what I should bring to wear, Kate bursts through the front door giggling like a schoolgirl.

"Ana! I thought you were leaving for New York today", she asks as she smooths away the stray strands of hair on her face. Kate has always been a party girl but this glance at her appearance right now suggests that something, or someone, else might be up.

"I'm not leaving for another hour; I'm at least half-way packed. What are you so excited about?" Even I can't control my curiosity the way that she does.

Kate responds with a girlish giggle.

"I met someone", she beams.

"Really? Where?"

"Right after I was done studying at the café we usually go to together. Someone was taking my drink order and soon we started talking; I was almost late to work", she explains.

"You, late?"

"Hey, first time for everything."

"What's his name?"

"Elliot. He's so cute, funny, sweet, caring…"

"Wow. I'm so happy for you Kate; he sounds perfect."

"Well, we'll see but I really do like him. So, have you decided what you're gonna wear for your first day?", she asks, directing her attention to my empty suitcase lying on the couch.

"I'll admit it, no I don't. I might just bring this." I stand up straight for Kate to see my blue, sleeveless shirt and medium-blue jeans. My hair is up in a messy ponytail since the hairbrush wasn't helping much, and I'm wearing very, very light make-up that's almost hard to see.

"Ana, do you want to borrow some of my clothes for the trip? You look better in that plum dress than I do."

"Kate, my clothes are fine. I'll just bring my plaid shirt that I sported my last day at Clayton's and that green t-shirt I wore at your party."

"Is Mr. Grey fine with your attire?"

"He doesn't care too much for professional protocol in attire."

"Wow, he sure is a catch, isn't he?" I roll my eyes at her comment.

"It's nothing like that. I'll admit he's attractive…"

"And gorgeous", Kate interrupts me.

"Maybe, but nothing will come from this."

"Are you even curious about it? just a little bit?"

I sigh heavily. "I don't know. I've never really gone that far beforehand."

"You haven't gone far at all Ana; obviously he's left an impact on you."

"Just not a steady one", I whisper.

"Hey", Kate gently says as she lightly squeezes my upper arms. "I'm not trying to make you feel uncomfortable. I could never do that. I just love you so much is all, and I want you to at least get out there with men; you're only twenty-one."

"But with him? He feels too, closed off, for me. Besides, I just wanted to work for him is all."

"Okay. I won't bring it up again, but just in case, I'm always here for you."

"Thanks, Kate."

"Now, let's get your attire and I'll personally drive you to the airport."

"Um, actually we're flying in Christian's private jet."

"Wow. High-class", she says impressed.

"Come on; I have a few ideas in mind for you."

We start packing up the last of my things and Kate all-too-excitedly starts loading them into her car.

"Kate, I have enough in there for three people", I say in amused disbelief.

"You never know", Kate says with a satisfied smirk. We climb in and I give her the directions to the tarmac.

Forty-five minutes to an hour later, we eventually arrive just as Mr. Control Freak shows up.

"Wow, he's even better looking in person", Kate says surprised.

"Kate", I say laughing. I can't imagine what life would be without her as my roommate. She's impossible sometimes but I do enjoy her company immensely.

Just as we're unloading, a tall man with a little bit of a stubble, side burns and smoothed back hair starts to approach us and takes my suitcase from me.

"Miss Steele, I'll take that for you", he remarks before I even have a chance to respond.

"Um, thank you", is all I can manage. I see Christian in the background smiling at me, making me unable to breathe. I'm not used to this kind of attention, but somehow, I can't look away.

"Be careful okay? Call me when you land", Kate says as she gives me a farewell hug.

"I will. Thanks for your choices", I say as I hug her back.

"Anytime; have fun."

"Okay", I reply smiling.

She lets go of me and heads to the driver's side. She starts the engine and pulls away. I inhale what little bit of courage I have and make my way towards the impassive man that I work for.

"Miss Steele", he remarks with a smile that does not meet his eyes.

"Mr. Grey", I respond politely.

The man—I think it might be Taylor—loads the last of personal items onto the jet and Christian allows me to go ahead of him as I try not to trip up the stairs. When I enter, the interior looks more like a home than a jet; brown leather seats and dark wood walls. It's amazing how much space can be made for one man. I take a seat near a window and surprisingly, Mr. Grey sits two seats over from me, completely catching my attention. I smile shyly at him and then stare out the window as the pilot states that we are ready to depart.

I don't know how much time has passed, but when I wake up we're suddenly in New York by the loud announcement that woke me from my deep slumber. I can see the Empire State Building from my window and it takes my breath away; I can see why Christian wanted to come here.

"Do you need help standing up?", Christian asks me as I let out a yawn.

"No, thank you; I'm fine", I say half-awake. I can hear Christian chuckle at my comment.

We drive to the nearest hotel and Taylor—as well as the bellboy who gives me some unwanted attention—proceed to take our luggage up to the floor we will be staying on. We all enter the next-door elevator after Taylor and the bellboy ascend, and Christian hits the button for the tenth floor. As the elevator dings at our entrance, Christian leads me down the left of the hallway to show me where my room will be.

"If you need anything, just call for room service in my name", he explains.

"You don't have to do that for me, Sir; I can afford it", I respond. He forms a half-smile.

"I insist", he says in a I'm-a-twenty-seven-year-old-billionaire-so-I-can-afford-it tone, so I nod and thank him for his request.

"Thank you, Mr. Grey."

Just then Ros comes by and interrupts us for Christian's attention; it's a good thing she does because I can never remain in eye contact with Mr. Control Freak/Male Model.

"Christian, I just got a call from one of the boards you're meeting with and they would like for you to do some promotional work for the new company", she explains.

"What kind?", he asks slightly uninterested.

"Particularly a photo shoot and short interview." Christian responds with a heavy sigh as if to contain himself; is he not used to this or does he not want to do it? Me and Kate have hardly found any photos of him online, or at least photos of him by himself. Maybe he doesn't enjoy the spotlight.

"Fine. When?", he asks coolly.

"Tomorrow at, say, four; it can be right here in the main lobby. I already spoke with the staff and they are willing to let us rent for a few hours."

"Fine", is all he manages. Ros takes that as a sign and departs, giving me a polite nod.

"Miss Steele, I want you look over some files and tax them over to my company. Can you have them done by noon?", he inquires me.

"Yes, Sir." He smiles his half-smile again.

"I'll see you then", he answers and goes to talk with Taylor about something involving the jet plane. My mind zones out as I have no idea what they're talking about, so I go to my room and set up for away-from-home assignments already waiting for me on my newly made bed.

Noon comes, and I've lastly finished. Mr. Grey has asked me to send copies to his work e-mail, so I comply and feel a sense of victory of fulfilling some easy tasks. Afterwards—about half an hour—I decide to take in some of the sights before Christian comes back from his first meeting. I grab a brown leather jacket that Kate has let me borrow—thank you Kate—and make my way out the main lobby and onto the streets of Manhattan.

The city really is a beautiful place and I'm glad I have the opportunity to explore it on my only piece of leisure on this trip. I tried a hot dog near a park, bought a bracelet in one of the stores, and even took a quick tour of the tourist attractions not far from the hotel. I decide to stop for a quick drink at a local bar across the street from the hotel and order a Cosmo. I took one sip and the alcohol felt so soothing and delicious running down my throat, so I stayed for a while and ordered a few more.

Soon, my head started to feel fuzzy and I almost forgot where I was for a moment. I only meant to have one or two drinks but ended up having about five servings of. I start to feel sick, so I go outside for some fresh air, holding my jacket close as the wind brought goosebumps to my skin. I couldn't keep my form straight, so it's amazing that I was standing at all as I staggered a little in place. I heard the door to the bar open behind me as the bartender whom had served me stood by my side.

"Are you alright Miss?", he asked me.

"Mm-hmm", I mumble as I begin to feel really dizzy. I feel the bartender grab me as I stumble a few inches forward.

"Are you okay?", he asks me.

"I'm fine; really. Don't worry about me", I slur back. Soon I hear footsteps behind me and then feel large hands grab my shoulders as I fell backwards into someone. I turn around to see Christian holding me carefully.

"Christian?", I question confused. How did he know I was here?

"I'll handle this", he informs the bartender who immediately backs off and goes back inside.

"You'll handle it? That sounds very noble of you", I giggle.

"Anastasia, have you been drinking?"

"Yeah, I have, Mr. Fancy Pants. You really hit the hail right on the nead. Oops, I mean the head right on the nail."

"Listen to me, I'm going to take back to your room."

"I don't need any help Mr. Control Freak. Why are you so bossy towards me? I can handle myself."

"Come; I'm taking you home", he remarks as he helps me try and stand on my feet. After a few minutes we are on the other side at the hotel, and Christian steadily leads me to the elevators and calls for one. Everything starts spinning at that point and I can hardly see where I'm heading. Ultimately, the elevator arrives, and Christian helps me in.

"Nice and easy", he says as calmly as he can.

"Easy for you Mr. Nice Guy", I laugh.

"Anastasia…"

"Oh, it's Anastasia now isn't it? Let me ask you something, how did you ever find me if you weren't back here yet, Mr. CEO?"

"I noticed you weren't in your room and went looking for you. Looks like I came just in time", he explains.

"How generous of you. I'm sure it had nothing to do with stalking me then, since you showed up simultaneously to catch me as I fell."

"What were you drinking?", he asks me with an impassive look on his face but cold eyes to match.

"I don't know, um, don't remember, but it sure was good", I smile like a fool, as if I just accomplished something.

The elevator jerks a little and I fall right into Christian's arms as he catches me just as quickly as earlier. I look up at him with some concern on his face, and then before I can stop myself, I stand up to kiss him right on his lips. He returns the favor as his tongue glides past my past and finds my own, and I do my best to comply as he takes over. It's all over too soon and Christian suddenly pulls away.

"What's wrong?", I ask. Just as he opens his mouth, I unexpectedly feel faint and the next thing I know I'm unconscious and held by the enigmatic Christian Grey.

I wake with a jerk. I look around my surroundings and wonder for a brief minute of where I am, instantly remembering that I'm in my hotel room that smells of fresh linen and lilac scents. I notice that it's fully dark outside, so I must have been asleep for hours at the time. My head is pounding as if I had just been hit by a truck, and I'm desperately looking for release to calm my aching headache. Sure enough, there's two Advil's and a glass of orange juice on the side table next to me, so I take the pro-offered pills and fresh juice and gladly welcome them to my dry throat. The juice is delicious, and I've never been more grateful for a beverage in my life, especially one completely free of alcohol. I hear my room door unlock and in walks Mr. Christian Grey himself, wearing a gray t-shirt, blue sweats, and sweating as if he just went for a jog. I look down shyly to avoid eye contact with him.

"Good evening Anastasia", he says politely but impassively. "How're you feeling?"

"Better than I deserve. How long have I been out?", I ask, almost regretting to want to know the exact answer.

"It's been on and off, but I would say six to seven hours", he answers. "I had Taylor fetch some clean clothes for you."

"Why?"

"Yours were covered in vomit; I didn't want you to sleep in it."

"So, you undressed me then?", I ask as I then notice that I am instead wearing a blue-t-shirt and black leggings.

"I didn't have much choice. I ordered room service for you; it should be here any minute."

"Did you stay in here with me?", I whisper.

"Mmm-hmm."

"Where?" He points to the side of the bed and my eyes light up.

"Oh my God… Did we…? We didn't…"

"Necrophilia's not really my thing; I just laid there and watched, making sure you were alright."

"How long were you in here?"

"Just a few hours, at a time."

I blush and look down at my knotted hands, unsure of what to say next.

"I hope this isn't a natural habit for you", he says as he looks at my coldly. It's not as intimidating but I can tell he's not impressed with my behavior.

"No, Sir."

"Good."

Just then there's a knock at the door that Christian gets up to answer. I see him give the servant a generous tip and then make his way back as he starts to serve my breakfast for me. Does he seriously expect me to eat all of that?

Sounds reasonable enough; maybe he does like you, my subconscious remarks with her half-moon specs pulled further down her nose. Not now…, I grumble quietly.

"I didn't know what you liked, so I ordered a little of everything", he says as he starts to butter some toast and hand it to me.

"Thank you, Sir", I say as I take it from him and take a bite.

"Did anything else happen last night that I should know of?", I inquire curiously.

"You don't remember?"

"It's all a little fuzzy at the moment", I confess. Do I want to know?

"You kissed me just before you passed out", he blurts. I stop mid-bite as my eyes grow in horror. Shit.

"Um…", is all I can manage.

"I'm going to assume it was the intoxication that made you act out that way", he answers as he prepares a plate of sunny side-up eggs, bacon, and pancakes.

"I'm sorry, Mr. Grey. I swear I don't do this occasionally and I apologize that you had to deal with me that way."

"It was a novelty for me too. I'm not used to bringing a drunk girl home or to her room; especially when she works for me."

"Are you going to fire me then?", I say as I nervously swallow my last remaining piece of toast.

"No, but I will give you a warning. Try to control yourself as you continue to work for me, and we'll never bring this up again", he replies as he hands me my plate and silverware.

"Okay", I respond as I take a bite of egg.

Just then, Christian pulls his t-shirt from the back and slides it effortlessly off his body. I notice immediately that he works out very regularly but isn't exactly large compared to other men that I've met. He walks over to me and rests his body weight on his arms that sit at the end of my bed.

"If you were mine, you wouldn't be able to sit down for a week", he says. I almost choke on my food.

"What?", I mumble through a full mouth. He takes a bite of the pancakes on my fork.

"I gotta go take a shower. Call me if you need anything else", he simply says as he makes his exit out of my room. I slowly continue munching as I ponder over his words. What does he mean by that? If I was his?

I decide to use the bathroom to freshen up, but just as I'm about to reach for the handle, I notice a small package on the chair next to the door. I see that it has a notecard on the top and the wording instantly catches my attention; Why didn't you tell me there was danger? Why didn't you warn me? Ladies know what to guard against because they read novels that tell them of these tricks. I read to myself. It's a quote from Tess of the d'Urbervilles, one of my literary heroines. I open the package and sure enough, there's first editions of the novels addressed to me.

A sudden thought enters my mind; Did Christian leave these for me?