She was exceptionally glad Kate and Elliot were still in Barbados, she had the apartment to herself and could enjoy her date with Christian without those two finding an excuse to stick around because she was cooking. Carla had bought a French cookbook during their shopping trip. She found herself desperate to try the duck confit, and this date had given her the perfect excuse.
Elliot advised her to avoid the stuffy type of date and be more casual as Christian needs to be brought of out of his shell. She believes Christian was just as eager to be out of his shell.
He woke up at nine and despite being used to waking up far earlier than that, he was pissed and tried to go back to bed but couldn't. He had to wait ten hours until his date, his first ever date with a girl that had him so far out of his comfort zone it was glorious. He spent two hours working out with Taylor, who looked amused at his impatience.
He knew sex was not on the cards yet with Ana; strangely he found himself relieved not to have to worry about it. There is something to be said when Christian Grey had the word worry and sex in the same sentence. He tried to work, but he couldn't concentrate. Elena had sent him several messages expressing her joy at the thought of them working together; she'd also asked if he was free to have dinner that night. If she knew exactly what working together entailed she wouldn't be so eager, that had kept him occupied for a few hours as he finalized his plans for her. His planned conversation with his parents yesterday had been put on hold as his mother was paged. He wasn't sure whether to be relieved or pissed they hadn't gotten the whole conversation over and done with.
He stepped out of his office and damn near run into Taylor. "Sir, Miss Grey is on her way up," Taylor informed him and swiftly made his way to the security office.
"CHRISTIAN…" he'd be deaf by the time he got to Ana's.
"Mia, I'm right here," he said startling her as she rounded the corner.
"You had an all nighter without me," she said clearly hurt. Mia would have relished the chance to spend some real time with her brother.
"It wasn't planned, I just called Elliot to talk when Ana invited me over, and I ended up staying the night," he said with his arms around her shoulders. The fact that he had initiated contact was enough to placate her. "How about we do something next weekend."
"What's wrong with this weekend, I'm already here." He knew he was impatient but damn.
"I have a date tonight with Ana," he said proudly.
"You have a date?" she asked with a beaming smile. "Oh… it is excellent news. Elliot was ready to offer her half of Grey Construction just to get her to give you a chance." The news floored him; he couldn't believe Elliot had fought his corner so hard. "Where are you taking her?" The Spanish inquisition started.
"She invited me to her apartment," he said feeling a little nervous.
"What are you wearing?" She asked bouncing on her heels.
"Dress sh…"
"No, no, no, no, Black jeans, black or blue polo shirt, a designer one..." Like he had any other. "And a leather jacket. You want to appear casual and ready to kick your shoes off and relax."
"Okay," he acquiesced without argument, as he didn't see the point.
Despite his nerves, he had remembered to bring a bottle of wine and a dozen red roses. There was no point in beating about the bush, as to how much he wanted Ana, hence the bold move of bringing red roses. He didn't have to use the buzzer he was let in by a resident leaving.
He took a deep breath settling his nerves before knocking on the door; he heard her footsteps as she made her way to the door. He stood a little taller as she opened the door with a wry smile, one that belied nervousness. "Ana." His tone left her in no illusion of his thoughts.
"Come in." She barely got out, eyeing him up as he walked past her, focusing far too much on his derrière. Ass just didn't seem appropriate.
"I brought a bottle of wine."
"And flowers," she teased with a smirk. "Do you know what red roses mean?"
"I do," he replied with confidence.
"Okay," she mumbled at a loss for words. Christian was certainly making his intentions clear. He followed her into the kitchen and leaned against the counter watching her sauté some vegetables. "Grab a beer and relax," she said plating up his starter as he watched attentively. He grabbed a piece of ravioli popping it into his mouth before she could protest. He groaned when the creamy, cheesy feeling burst in his mouth.
"You can cook." He praised.
"Glad you like it. This is my first time trying it." She had clearly gone to a lot of trouble with the meal. They could have ordered pizza for all he cared.
Oh god." He groaned as he collapsed on the couch full to the point of bursting. "Give a couple of hours and I tackle that red velvet cake."
"You don't have to." She giggled, and his pants tightened further. "You can take home with you," She added.
"Thank you, I will. How did your interviews go." He turned to face her.
"It went well; I was offered a job with Seattle Independent Publishing."
"Congratulations, Ana. It's a small house meaning you have a good chance to grow." She nodded as it was the very reason she had chosen to work for them.
"I'm looking forward to it even though my boss appears to be a creep." He sat up.
"Why do you say that?" He asked barely able to contain his anger.
"Clam down Mr. Grey, I can take care of myself and in the last year, I've learned to fend off men." Didn't he know it?
"How are your plans to take down the bitch coming?" She asked as she run her fingers along his forearms absentmindedly.
"Very well indeed. I invited her to Grey House on Monday under the guise of a new business venture." He said with a smile.
"What I'd give to be a fly on the wall."
"I record this sort of encounters. I'll have security make you a copy." He joked. "Thank you for giving me a date, I know Elliot hounded you…"
"I know my own mind and despite my initial nonchalance, I am attracted to you." He found that hard to believe.
"Really… do didn't even recognize me at when I saw you at Clayton's." She blushed and then let out a soft giggle.
"I did, I had been dreaming about you all week," she confessed.
"You found my arrogance off-putting." He acknowledged.
"I did, there are certain times when a person's arrogance can be attractive but you just came off like that all the fucking time," she admitted.
"It was just a façade… inside I felt like the four-year-old whose mother's pimp put out cigarette's on his chest."
"Fuck, that is cruel and despicable," she said sounding angry. That was new to him, he expected pity, but her anger surprised him, pleasantly so. "Please tell me you found him and he is now six feet under." He wanted to laugh.
"Unfortunately not, I wouldn't even remember him if I did. What I remember is the pain and the smell of cigarettes. Till today, I find the smell nauseating."
"Real shame, the fact that someone like him could still be breathing, angers me greatly." God was she perfect or what.
"That was how Elena was able to get her hooks into me, I struggled with what happened, nightmares plagued me, and I can't till this day stand to be touched on my chest or back. What she offered felt the solution to all my problems." He felt ashamed and terrified of her reaction to what he had to confess. "The subs provided a release, the perfect way to gain control and ashamedly a way to punish my mother for abandoning me when I needed her the most." He couldn't look at her for fear he will see the disgust on her face. He felt her finger on his cheek gently caressing him before working her way down to his chin.
"Look at me." She tilted his head up. "You already know you will not be getting that from me since the day we met, and you are still here. I can't say I understand why you thought you could punish a bunch of girls for what a dead woman did. Clearly from your shame you now know it was wrong." He nods agreeing with her, feeling incredibly grateful to still have a chance with her.
"I haven't blown my chance?" He asked needing to be sure. She leaned in and planted a chaste kiss on his lips. He wanted more, but patience was going to be his new friend.
After his weekend with Ana, he felt more in control than he'd ever had and was truly confident if Ana decided she wanted nothing to do his playroom he will happily get rid of it. She was all he needed, and he did not have the specter of secrets sitting on his shoulders, she knew it all the good, the bad and the downright ugly. There was nothing in his history that could destroy their relationship; if he didn't know how much he wanted her, he did now. "Sir, Mrs. Lincoln is here." Well, she is eager.
"Send her right in," he said with a grin. She walked in to find that smile still on his face.
"Christian, darling." She greeted sitting down in front of his desk. Christian didn't bother to get up and greet her with his usual, customary kiss on the cheek, but it mattered little as Elena did not notice the slight, she was far too caught up in her imagination to bother with the little things.
"Elena, you are early," he said still with that grin.
"Darling… after your invite to join you in a new business venture. A girl could hardly wait." Girl, please.
"First thing, I would like you to sign over your share of Esclava to me," he intoned calmly pushing the contract towards her. She looked at it with concern. "I have found a buyer and since I am behind it… let's just say he's paying way above market value. It's all there, take your time read it, have your legal representative look it over and then let me know. There is no hurry." He exuded an air of nonchalance "In all fairness, neither one of us will have time for it, especially with the money this venture will bring in. It's rather pointless to hold on to it." He added.
"How much is the buyer offering?" She asked licking her lips.
"5 times its current value, I could always sell my share to you at the same price," he muttered with a straight face. Knowing the idea of parting with money wasn't something Elena did willingly, hence the reason she still owed the bank so much when she could have easily paid off the four and a half million debt.
"No, no, no need." She prattled signing the paperwork without reading. The number of times he'd told her not to sign anything without reading and yet here she is doing just that.
"Elena, Elena, Elena… how many times have I told you? Do not sign without reading." He shook his head.
"Darling, you just told me what it is." She purred making his skin crawl.
"Yeah… but I lied." He laughed.
"Christian." He could hear the trepidation in her voice.
"You have just signed Esclava over to me for all of one hundred dollars." He put the paperwork in his desk drawer with locked with a dull click. "This…" He dropped a large file in front of her." You will want to read." He stood up buttoning his shirt. "Take your time."
Elena Lincoln bypassed shock rather quickly and went to anger. He had redrawn his support with the banks meaning she would more than likely be served any day now. He had taken Esclava effectively taking away her means to pay back the loan or so he thought. After all, this time, Christian Grey you are still a little boy.
"Did you think I didn't have a contingency plan in place," she snarled just as he opened the door. "Oh, Christian I am so disappointed." She mocked.
"What plan?" He asked with a deadly glare.
"Darling, turn that glare on someone who cares," she added with a grin of her own or an attempt at one. "You will find out soon enough." She threw the folder back at him and strutted out. "Take a good look around because my dear because you will soon lose it all." Her parting words sent a shiver down his spine despite knowing he had neutralized her contingency plan. How did he miss it, she was evil personified and yet he had been blind to it, well no more.
Elena smiled as she called for the elevator, she will make him pay dearly. Then a thought occurred to her, yes that is precisely what she will do, make him pay. She will send him a copy of some of the photos she had of him. Before she did that she will send the originals to her safe deposit box in the Cayman Islands for safe keeping just in case he tried to get Taylor and his band ex-military men to break into her house, knowing full well she can't report missing photos and videos of Christian as a minor. Naturally he will ask what she wanted, and she will happily lay it down for him. First, he will pay off her loan. Then she will request for a large percentage of GEH; she had yet to decide how much she wanted. They will be in business after all. Come to think of it… a little pleasure won't be a bad thing. Christian Grey will be her sub again.
Despite not being a morning person come Monday morning Ana was there bright and early. She got an email address assigned to her and given the necessary paperwork to sign, by the time she arrived at her desk Jack Hyde was walking in. "Good morning Ana." He greeted with a smile; one made her uncomfortable.
"Good morning Mr. Hyde." She oozed professionalism.
"Why don't you get me a cup of coffee and then come to my office and we can talk. There are already a few manuscripts for you to go through and few rejection letters to send."
"I don't know where the kitchen is, I have never drunk coffee in my life, therefore, I do not know how to make coffee," she replied in no uncertain terms. Coffee wasn't on her list of duties, and she certainly wasn't about to make him one, anybody else she would be happy to do so.
"Oh," Jack replied surprised. He had known she wasn't going to be easy during the interview, but fuck he wanted her, and he will have her… he just had to make his coffee for a while.
Ana efficiently got through the manuscripts on her desk and before lunchtime had sent out all the rejection letters. "Ana Steele." A delivery guy calls out his voice muffled by a large bouquet of flowers in his face.
"Yes," She answers amused. He places it on her desk with a grunt.
"Could you sign this?" She scribbles her name on the pad. She walks around her desk to the pulls off he the small envelope.
Congratulations on your new job.
I know you will blow them away.
CTG. :)
She giggled at the smiley face on the card. "Boyfriend?" Jack asks annoyed.
"Yes." Ana bluntly replied. This girl was messing with his modus operandi, first was her utmost professionalism and now a boyfriend. He had to come up with a different plan to get into her panties.
"Come on, come and see GEH... no, better yet come and see me." He whined.
"Christian it's a weekday and after the day I've had, I just want to go home and put my feet up."
"You can come and put your feet up in my office and not only that I will feed you and even throw in a massage." He was a desperate man.
"You have worn me down Mr. Grey, I will see you in a few minutes." she giggled.
"Excellent, Taylor is outside your building." Her giggle turned into a full blown laugh.
"Why am I not surprised?"
She was barely through his door when he attacked her lips, fuck the chaste kisses he'd been getting if he didn't move things along it will be months before they got to dry humping. He slowly backed her onto his sofa and just as he managed to get his body on top of hers...
"Sir, Mrs. Lincoln is in the lobby requesting an urgent meeting with you." Andrea's bored voice declared. It had taken Elena two days, but she was back.
"Send her up," he grumbled sounding frustrated to have his time with Ana interrupted.
"The bitch troll," Ana grumbled.
"I'm afraid so," he said with a smile. "Remember you wanted to be a fly on the wall," he added with a smirk as he caught her beaming smile.
"Yes, I did," she said sitting straighter. Normally he'd sit behind his desk for such an occasion, but he liked his idea of looking relaxed and carefree sat next to Ana while he tore her life apart.
Elena stormed in just as he expected. She was surprisingly predictable. "Why I was surprised when Welch told me about your account I don't know, after all, the salons make very healthy profits," he said with a victorious smile.
"It is my money; I earned it fair and square. I worked for it; I spent years pandering to people like your mother and sister." It had taken a few hours after leaving Grey House on Monday to discover the photos gone and her Cayman's account empty.
"Pandering… no one asked you to; no one forced you." I bellow. "You are doing a brilliant job of digging a bigger grave for yourself."
"Oh, you think I'm here to beg." She mocked. "Oh no… I listened and sort legal advice. All I have to do is declare bankruptcy and the bank can only take what I have the rest will be written off. I am a resourceful woman I will get back on my feet." She smirked turning around with a flourish to leave.
"Not if the courts think you have millions hidden away in the Cayman Islands." He counter with a laugh. She turns around and looks horrified at him.
"Clearly you haven't grasped the fact that I own your ass. I have covered every avenue, every legal loophole you can exploit I have covered. There is nothing you can do to get yourself out of the hole I have you in. You will stay there until I'm ready to let you out. You. Are. My. Bitch." He glowers at her menacingly. She looks at him in abject horror.
"In thirty days the bank will take everything you have and still expect the rest. You can apply for a position here, and I will be more than happy to take you on. GEH pays well and has excellent benefits. I will arrange monthly payment to the banks, and you will still have enough to get a small apartment and food." Ana grips his thigh and lets out a cough to disguise her laughter. For the first time, Elena notices her, more her hand on Christian's thigh. He turns and gazes at her lovingly. Elena lets out a gasp as she stares at the silent exchange between the two. That exchange proves to make her angrier than Christian taking everything from her. Christian interrupts her attempt to storm out of the office. "No one in Seattle will employ you, no one in the surrounding area or anyplace I have influence will employ you. I am your only option or else with millions in your account in the Cayman's, and your refusal to pay your loans will land you behind bars where I'm sure I can gain influence. The Mayor, Governor, and Senator are all associates of my family and mine. Now get out." Taylor walks in and without warning grips her arm and escorts her out not before throwing a greeting at Ana. "Good evening Miss. Steele." Ana smiled in response.
"Remember when I said arrogance can be attractive." she asked turning to look at him.
"Uh huh," he responded with a husky tone.
"That was one of those moments, and you are incredibly hot when you use it at the right time," she purred looking at him with barely disguised lust.
Elena Lincoln stood in her foyer at the loss, how did this happen. She knew the answer to her question; she had been right about his family knowing about them but had been wrong in her assumption Christian will turn to her when they confronted him. She had dismissed the brunette with the striking blue eyes at their table; clearly she had also influenced his decision to turn to his family instead of her. She was certain the girl had been the catalyst in his decision whoever she was… Miss. Steele, she remembered the name, Christian was clearly in love with her. Why couldn't he love her, she had done everything to keep herself young, to appear like the thirty-something-year-old she was when she first seduced him. She had talked him against the notion of love and yet praying that he would love her. All her scheming to make certain he was tied only to her had failed, and now she was certain her only way out of prison was to apply for a position at GEH. She was always ready to submit to him at a moments notice, and now she would submit to his every whim, except not in the way she had hoped.
She looked through her contacts and found the one name she hoped would be able to help her, after all, she had information she could trade for a favor.
