07

APOV

I had a lot of fun with Christian yesterday but I don't know how involved I want to get. Honestly, Aaron broke my heart and I don't know if I want to risk that again.

Around 10 am, Christian comes into the shop. I look up at him and as soon as he sees me he gets a huge smile on his face. It just makes me melt inside.

"Good morning, Sir. What can I get you?" I have to give him a little bit of a hard time.

"I'll have a café americano and you." He smirks at me.

"Why, Sir, you are so forward!" I admonish him and he smiles in return. There's no one in the shop right now as he looks at me.

"Come here." Two words. That's all he needs to say and I am putty in his hands. I come around the counter and he quickly swoops me in his arms and gives me a kiss. "I've missed you, Ana."

"You just saw me last night."

"What's your point?" He's giving me little chaste kisses in between each word.

I smile at him. I do like him but I just can't shake the feeling that there is more to him than he lets on. "I guess I don't have one."

"Can I see you tonight?"

"I would but I'm leaving after work to spend a couple of days in Montesano with my dad."

"How are you getting there?"

"Kate is lending me her car. She's going away with her boyfriend."

"Oh. When will you be back?"

"It should be some time on Friday."

"Can I see you? Friday night?" He seems so unsure of himself and I don't know why. He's smart, nice, funny, and extremely good-looking. I don't get it.

"Of course. I can text you when I leave Ray's. Does that work?"

"Yes." He smiles at me and gives me another kiss. "I have to run. I have a meeting to go to."

"Let me get your order ready to go." I hand him a to go cup with his café americano and a box with a piece of cake in it.

"What's this?"

"Cake. Chocolate cake with chocolate buttercream icing." He looks at me excitedly with boyish charm. If chocolate cake is all it takes to make him happy, this will be easy. "It's on the house." I wink at him.

"I think I'd like it better on you."

"Christian!" I playfully swat at him with the towel I have hanging off my apron.

He gives me a big smile. "Laters, baby." His unexpected farewell makes me laugh.


TPOV

Daily for the past week or so Mr. Grey has been sneaking off mid-morning. He's been secretive about it so I need to find out what it is. I don't want him to be in any kind of trouble. The fact of what I do know about him and that he's keeping whatever this is a secret makes me worry.

I covertly follow him out of the building. He walks into a coffee shop. A coffee shop? Why? I move to get a closer look. He's talking to an attractive young woman behind the counter but they are laughing and smiling. It appears as if they know each other.

Suddenly she comes out from around the corner and he takes her in his arms and kisses her. I'm in shock. I've worked for Mr. Grey for five years and I have never seen him act like this towards a woman - not even a submissive he was supposedly fond of. I continue to watch him and it's like I am looking at a different person from the one I know, or I thought I knew anyway.

He's smiling and laughing. He's kissing her and being affectionate. Is this where he's been going this entire time? When he goes off without me, is he going to see her? I don't understand. She looks like one of his submissives but he hasn't brought her to Escala. He doesn't normally visit subs at their place of work or home. So, what's different? I have to find out what it is. I see him leave the shop holding a cup of coffee and a small box. He has the biggest smile I have ever seen on him.

As soon as I know he won't be able to see me, I make my way into the shop. It's a normal shop, empty at the moment with music playing on the speakers. The brunette looks up at me, "Hi. What can I get for you?" She is a lot younger than his other submissives.

"Hi…" I look at her name tag quickly. "... Ana. Can I have a medium black coffee?"

"Sure. For here or to go?"

"To go please."

"Coming right up. Would you like anything else?"

"No, I think that'll be all." She smiles warmly at me. She does seem friendly - there's something about her that makes you want to get to know her.

"That'll be $1.75."

"Is that all? I was expecting it to cost a lot more."

"Everything is done here so we don't have many middle men to pay."

"I see. Have you been here long?"

"I started here when it first opened about a year ago." I hand her my credit card.

"Sorry, I just realized I don't have any cash on me." I shrug at her.

"Oh, don't worry about it then. I can catch you the next time or something."

"Are you sure?"

"Absolutely. It's totally not a problem." She gives me a kind smile. She is definitely different from most of his previous women.

"Thanks, Ana. I appreciate it."

"You're welcome…"

"Jason."

She smiles at me. "You're welcome, Jason. I hope you come back."

"I have to. I owe you $1.75." I smile as I walk out.

Walking back to Grey House I rack my mind about this whole situation. Why is Mr. Grey so secretive about this girl? She doesn't appear underage and that's not his style anyway. He looked so happy with her too. Then it hits me. I think he's in love.

Wait until Gail finds out. I normally don't share things about Mr. Grey with her but this is big. I finish the coffee before heading back into the building.

I walk past Mr. Grey's office and he calls out to me. I expect him to be angry but he's smiling. This is unusual for him. "Taylor?"

"Yes, Sir."

"Would you be able get an A3 by Friday?" What's going on here? She definitely didn't seem like a submissive. I hope he's not going to mess up whatever he has with Ana and contract with someone.

"Um, absolutely, Sir. Do you need everything else per usual?"

"No. I'm just helping out a friend."

"Friend?" He doesn't have any friends.

He looks at me and I know I've overstepped my bounds here. "That's what I said."

I recover quickly. "It'll be here by Friday."

"Thank you, Taylor."

He's buying her a car. I hope he doesn't mess this up. From my brief meeting with her, she doesn't seem the type to accept gifts like that.