Ok I have thought long and hard about this and quite frankly when I started this I hadn't thought about where it was going at all. But the more I write about them the more I get angry at myself for not having them be together. I am running out of excuses so, I figured it would be easier if I just lead up to the wedding and have flashbacks within the chapters to significant moments that don't take a whole chapter on their own.
I'm honestly clueless when it comes to business, so this is my best attempt to understand exactly what Christian and Ana do for a living. I'm going to do what I do best, make it up as I go along, I can lie flawlessly (weird talent I know) but I can so…
October 2017 (1 year earlier)
Motherfucking assholes! I'm sat at the conference room table on the thirtieth floor of Steele Grey House, listening to two incompetent middle aged balding men tell me how their company isn't on the brink of bankruptcy. Fellas you can deny it all you want, it doesn't change facts. So, here I sit at the head of the table with Christian by my side looking like I feel, the difference is I know how to mask my true feelings. You have to when you're a woman in a man's world. Since we started the company just before I turned 20, I've learned quite a few things and being stone faced is one of them. Never let them know what you're thinking!
Flashback
Christian and I talked about what we were going to do once we finished college together. I had taken extra courses and worked my ass off to get the extra credits I needed to graduate college at the same time as Christian, which was all for naught. We were talking about our business plan, which all our professor told us was almost flawless. The only issue we had was that no one wanted to invest in a 19 and 20-year-old when it came to the start-up funds we needed. Christian of course asked Grace and Carrick they said they would happy to give the funds, but only after we finished college, just in case the business failed. That way we had something to fall back on. But we'd, had enough with waiting. College was boring for both of us we could bluff our way through any exam purely based off all the research we had done for our company. We actually went to class maybe once a week, the rest of the time we spent in the library researching companies that we could fit into our business plan. If we weren't in class or at the library, we were out partying. We lived with Carrick and Grace for the first few months of my first year before we moved into a small two bed apartment, which was perfect and only a five-minute walk from the campus. That way if we wanted to stay out drinking until five in the morning we wouldn't wake anyone up when we stumbled through the front door. It took me a while after my parent's deaths to even allow myself to get drunk, being drunk for me didn't numb the pain it just made it worse, because I knew it was a drunk driver that had killed them and changed my life. Being drunk just brought all that back. Christian was in college, so I got to go to all the college parties, now that was a learning experience. We always made sure to never get totally blotto because quite frankly we are both control freaks and didn't ever want to fully lose our control. We never got drunk without the other and never with people we didn't know because that would be asking for trouble.
We were stuck at the moment, there was this company that we had our eye on, that was going to fail costing over 1000 people their jobs unless we could save it. We knew we needed money for that to happen, but we couldn't get it at least not in time to save their company, until it hit me, I have nearly 4 million dollars just sitting in a bank account. At first Christian was set on saying no, he said I needed the money for my future, but when I pointed out that the company wasmy future and what was the use of having all this money if I couldn't do this to get us started. The next day we talked to Grace and Carrick about dropping out, to say they were less than pleased would be an understatement. Once I countered with "If the company doesn't take off within the year, we will both go back to school and graduate, and then get real jobs'' they backed off.
However, by that time next year we were both self-made millionaires several times over, turns out being a Grey gives you friends in high places. Which in turn made it a hell of a lot easier to convince people to hand their companies over to us. It also helped that we were more than fair in our purchase price and to their employees. Within the first two months we had bought and sold our first company at a ridiculous profit margin. Once word got out about what we were capable of, let's just say it became a hell of a lot easier for us to convince people to sign their companies over to us. By the time we were 22 we had our own building in the heart of Seattle,a hell of a lot quicker than either of us expected. None the less we worked our asses off to get here and yet here I'm sitting in my building, trying to convince these two nincompoops to sign over their company, so we can save it. But no, they insist on staring at my tits and my ass whilst telling me all is fine. No, it's not fucking fine! I have seen your books.
"Gentleman. I am going to stop you two right there, you can stand here until you are blue in the face and tell me your company is fine. But it isn'tgoing to change the fact that it's not. You are three months away from it all blowing up in your faces and bankrupting you, which I am perfectly ok to watch that happen. However, there are 2000 employees on your payroll who need this company notto fail. So, what will it be? Do you want to save your company or not?" I say without even standing, I can feel Christian next to me trying to supress his laughter. Everyone thinks he is cold blooded when it comes to business, but I make him look like the freaking Candyman.
"Darling." He did not just call me darling. "You have no idea what we're trying to do with our company and we came here to talk to Mr Grey not his assistant." Ok now I'm out for blood.
"Darling,did you actually just call me darling?" I say standing with the sweetest smile on my face. "Let's get one thing perfectly clear I'm not your darling, nor will I ever be.I'mfully grown woman who owns half of this fucking company. I make more in a month than your company makes in an entire year. I do not appreciate having you and your other counterparts ogle my ass and my tits every time you or they think I am not looking. I can hold my own in the boardroom and I sure as shit don't need Mr. Greyhere to fight my battles for me." I say all without raising my voice, it's so much more fun to watch them cower when I haven't even raised my voice. "Fellas, you can say it again, if you like, but the facts speak for themselves, your company is going to fail. So, I will ask you again. Do you want our help or not? And before you answer that question know that there is no saying noto me or to Mr. Grey. We willhave your company under our umbrella buy the end of the month, whether or not you give it to us willingly. The choice is yours. What will it be?" I say pointedly with Christian sitting next to me doing everything he can not to laugh, smirk or smile, again.
"Miss Steele," Oh so now I'm Miss Steele not darling?"Are you threatening us with a hostile takeover?" The CEO asks.
"Oh, no I don't make threats, I make promises and I always keep my promises. Right Christian?" I ask looking next to me, he nods, because he can't say anything verbally or he will break. "So, darlings, yes or no? You have exactly one minute to decide." I say setting the timer on my smart watch. "From now."
Both have the most frightening looks on their faces like they can't quite figure out how the 5'6" girl in heels just handed them their asses on a silver platter, your welcome fellas.They turn to face each other, whispering for all of 30 seconds before they turn to face us.
"Miss Steele, Mr. Grey we would like to take your offer." The COO says, gotcha.
"20 million it is then, fellas, we'll have the paper work drawn up." I say before walking out without so much as second glance.
"Pleasure doing business with you." Christian says before following me out.
"Jesus fucking Christ Anastasia, did you have to be so blunt?" He asks once we reach my office.
"Oh, come on you loved every minute of it. You always do, or did you think I couldn't see you holding back your laughter in there?" I say raising an eyebrow and leaning back on my desk.
"It was fucking hilarious. Staring at my tits and my ass." He says mimicking my voice, which makes me giggle. "I have no idea how I kept it together when you called the darlings. On the plus side now, we have another company under the SGE group."
"Your welcome."
"I found them."
"I closed them."
"Only because I let you."
"Sure, you did. Just like you let me win every time we play cards." I say sarcastically.
"I do." He says deadpan, but we both know he's lying.
"Right." I say rolling my eyes, which causes him to lunge for me pinning me to the desk behind me. So not fair. "Don't please."
"Don't what?" He says as he begins to tickle me.
"Stop." I squeal but he doesn't. "Stop. Stop. Stop." I get out between laughs.
It makes me laugh because when it comes to business we are ruthless and yet somehow when we are behind closed doors, we still act like children. Strange.
"Stop what?"
"You… know… what… you… bastard."
"Fine what is the magic word." He asks.
"Abracadabra." I yell knowing full well he meant 'please' but I'm not giving in. I could easily fight him off, but I don't, it's so much fun to just to act like kids again.
He stops and starts to laugh, which makes me laugh even more, we only stop when the tears start.
"Abracadabra! Really?" He asks after having caught his breath and sitting down in one of the chairs in front of my desk.
"What you said the magic word?" I say as innocently as I can manage, whilst sitting up and straightening my skirt and blouse.
"Yeah, I guess I did." He says giving me a fake sigh.
"See, I do listen to you sometimes."
"Yes, you do but you know I was five seconds away from stepping in back there."
"I know but I figured they wouldn't have sold if you had punched on of them?"
"Maybe not. Anyways I've got to go. I should actually get some work done today. I will come get you just before 6 so we can go home and get changed before dinner with Elliot, Mia, Kate and Ethan."
"Yeah, see you later." I say as he leaves.
I reach over to my phone on the desk and dial the familiar number.
"James Ford." He answers.
"Anastasia Steele." I reply.
"Ah, Miss Steele anything I can do for you?" He asks, and I can hear the smirk on his face.
"Maybe, do you know anyone who could give a girl a few good orgasms? Seeing as she's riding high off the back of destroying the two-incompetent fuckers from Risbro Atlantic and you know what that does to me." I say completely deadpan.
"Jesus Ana. My door is open and you're on speaker."
"Not my fault and pick up the damn phone so that I'm not on speaker! Geez! So, do you or do you not?" I say not even embarrassed knowing if anyone had heard me or not. No one would be brazened enough to say anything anyway, not unless they want the wrath of Christian or I.
"Might do."
Not five minutes later, James strolls in through my door, in a perfectly tailored suit.
"So, I hear you want a few orgasms? Maybe I can help?"
"Maybe you can but I should warn you I have very high standards."
"Oh, Miss Steele I think I will be more than capable of meeting your standards, after all I have been doing it for almost three years." I giggle in response.
"Right you are correct, Mr. Ford." He takes off his jacket and places it on the chair in front of my desk revealing his very prominent erection pressed up against the perfectly tailored trousers he's wearing. "Is that Magnum in your pants or are you just happy to see me?" I say eyeing it.
"I'm always happy to see you. See." He says placing my hand on his bulge. Fuck. While he undoes my blouse then throws it behind him.
I'm reminded of the first time we had sex, it was also my first time ever, but it was pretty good. We had been on a few dates prior to it. I didn't really feel we were going anywhere. Kate said that I couldn't let myself fall for him when my heart already belongs to someone else. I knew she was right, but at the time I wasn't ready to deal with it. I took me a while but James being the good guy he is, took things slow with me. I had told him some of my past but nowhere near as much detail as Christian. I didn't want a relationship because I knew it wouldn't be fair to whoever I dated because they could never have all of me. I was a 22-year-old virgin who was sick of masturbating about a guy she could never have, so I asked James out after he'd been working for the company for about six months. He was kind, a real gentleman, the kind that picks up the bill even though he knows you make way more money than he does.
Most guys I had been on dates with in the past, didn't go anywhere because once they figured out who I was they were intimidated by me. They were so hell bent on showing me how much more of a man they were, they lost any and all sex appeal. But I knew James, he was someone I considered a friend and he had no problem with the fact that I earned five times as much as he did. That was back then I earn a whole lot less then I do now. When we went on our first date I made it clear that I wasn't looking for a relationship. I was looking for more of a monogamous friends with benefits situation. James being the good guy he is, told me I deserved more but after a few more dates and a blow jobhe came around to seeing things from my point of view.
James is a few years older than me and his last relationship had ended badly with her cheating on him and breaking off their engagement. So, he wasn't really looking for a committed relationship either. Which suited us both, we agreed that we could have sex whenever the other wanted it and all we ever had to do was ask. My only condition was that we never slept together. I was perfectly happy with a fling around the office or in hotels on trips, but we were never to share bed, to sleep.
I still spend every night with Christian no matter what. We bought connecting apartments on the top floor of Escala, both have incredible views of the Seattle skyline. We'd alternate nights as to which apartment we sleep in, which really doesn't even matter to us. We've talked about us not sleeping together anymore and we tried, more than once. When we did try to sleep independently, we'd just end up having nightmares again, that would send us into the others bed anyway. So, we figured what was the point? Neither of us are in or have had a significant relationship, I know why I haven't. I think everyone, but Christian knows why I haven't. Christian's relationship history consists of a string of one-night stands or really one-day-stands, as he never spends the night with any of them. It's always helped that the guy is built like a Greek god, somehow despite the fact we run a multi-billion-dollar company but he also has the face of one too. It's so not fair.I mean who gets to look like that and be successful to boot? He's never had any trouble with girls in college but once we started our business and become almost famous because of it, it became even easier for him to pick up women. Yet neither of us have ever actually had sex in our own bed. I think it would be too weird to have sex in a bed that I share with a Christian. This is our private space. Plus, I know Christian doesn't trust the girls he has sex with to have the codes for the building, so he doesn't bother to bring them here.
James is the head of marketing at SGE. I've been banging the guy for nearly three years and somehow, he has never actually seen the inside of my apartment. It doesn't bother me, it's sort of like we are having a secret affair. We have sex only when we are on vacation, in the office or random places where you really shouldn't actually have sex. I thought eventually James would be bothered by the fact that I am a whole hell of a lot more powerful than he is, but it never has. He is the only guy I let boss me around and even then, that is only in the proverbial bedroom. Over the years there have been many, many stories about the power houses behind SGE and the fact the we are secretly together. I get why they post them, as we've never taken dates to functions and have never been photographed with significant others. We always go with each other. I personally like the ones that paint us both as gay and that's why we are such good friends because we could never be attracted to each other. They couldn't be more wrong on that one.
I think James has always suspected that the reason we have never been anything more, even after all this time is because I am in love with Christian. But to his credit he has never brought it up. I think he doesn't want to end what we have. I remember the moment I realised I loved Christian as something more than a friend. It was just after my first week at college and I had finished the day early. I went back to the castle before Christian and it was about midnight when Christian finally arrived home. He had told me he was going to be late, he just didn't say why. But when he came in reeking of perfume and then proceeded to climb into bed with me. I promptly kicked him out and told him to shower. I said it was because I didn't like the smell, but it was because I realised that I hated the fact that he smelt like someone else. That was the moment it became abundantly clear, I was, I still am, in love with Christian Grey. People say you cannot separate sex from feelings. I think mine and James' relationship is proof that you can. I don't feel any differently about James than I do about Kate, other than the fact that I have sex with James.
Tonight, Christian and I are going to dinner with some of our family and friends. We try to all go out once a month, but we all miss not seeing each other and it turns out to be more like every other week. Elliot and Kate got married just after Kate turned 21. They had been dating since Elliot asked Kate to prom. He told her he had always liked her and wanted to give things a try, and they've been together ever since. They had baby Ava just over a year ago, and are trying for baby number 2, but that's a secret that I am not supposed to know, even though I am pretty sure that it's only a secret from Grace and Carrick. I know Christian knows and I know Mia knows, which means Ethan does so…
Ethan is only a month older than Mia and they have been dating since the 10th grade, high school sweethearts,they got married about a week after they graduated high school. I think most people thought it was destined to fail but they are still as happy as can be three years later. They co-own a restaurant Seattle in which Mia is head Chef and Ethan deals with everything else, so that Mia can create all her masterpieces. They're even talking about expanding and building a night club above the restaurant. The restaurant is called the Mile-High Club because it is situated on the forty fourth and fifth floors of the Arkadia building in the centre of Seattle.
I still remember the day everyone found out about Ethan and Mia, Christian and I came home early when I heard some explicit noises coming from the direction of Mia's bedroom. I went upstairs to see what was going on? Let's just all be thankful it was me and not Christian because if Christian had walked in to see Ethan balls deep in his 16-year-old sister then I'm not sure Ethan would be alive today. I slammed the door, as I stepped back out and then told them to get dressed and come down stairs, so we could talk. Although Christian did hear me slam the door and what I had said. They told us they had been together for about six months and that they really were serious about each other. We told them both to come to dinner and tell the whole family. Mia told us that she had kept it a secret because she was scared how her overprotective big brothers would treat Ethan? Smart move. When Ethan asked for Carrick's blessing to marry Mia he was just 18, he insisted that Elliot and Christian be there as well, when he asked their father. Naturally there was some resistance given their age, but after a while all three of them gave their blessings. Now the six of us are as close as a group of family and friends can be.
People still have a problem with the fact that I've yet to settle down, but I think with my success in business world, my age gets lost on them. I mean, I'm only 25-years-old not 35. Everyone including the media says I should settle down before I get too old to have children, like I am running out of time? WTF! I love running my company, this ismy baby. I have put in far too many years of hard work just to throw it all away, to what, settle down? Yeah, not really my style.
The ringing of my phone interrupts my afternoon rendezvous with James and all the deliciousness he was doing down below. I reach behind me, and once I pick up the phone I look down to James who is now pulling my panties down my legs.
"Be quiet." I whisper answering the phone. Who the hell got Hannah to call me? She knows when James is here, that means I do not want to be disturbed. Whoever it is must be important.
"Anastasia Steele."
"Miss Steele I am sorry to disturb you, I know you're in a meeting with Mr. Ford, at the moment but there is a representative from Risbro Atlantic on the phone for you who says he cannot wait to talk to you at another time?"
"Urgh. It's ok. Put them through but tell them they have five minutes before I hang up." I love Hannah she has been with us since the start. So, if she felt the need to put them through, then there really was no saying no to them.
"Of course. Miss Steele." I have told her repeatedly that she can call me Ana but no she insists that while at work that I will be Miss Steele.
A few hours later.
"Smells like sex in here." Kate says as she walks in to my office without knocking.
"No, it does not."
"Ok it doesn't, but you did have sex in here. I saw James earlier and the guy was smiling, he only ever smiles after he has had some funwith the boss."
"Whatever, I am neither confirming nor denying it."
"If you want to go with that. Anyway, the reason I came up is because I have the press release for the acquisition of Risbro Atlantic. And before you say, I could have gone to Christian with it save it. I wanted to see you." Kate is head of PR for SGE, originally Kate was going to work for her father and Kavanagh Media, but she decided to work for us instead, so she didn't have to work under her father's thumb. She and Elliot only work part time at the moment, so one of them can be with Ava for at least part of the day.
"I'm seeing you tonight." I say raising my eyebrows and reaching for the paper in her hand as she sits in one of the chairs in front of me.
"Yeah about that, is it cool if Elliot and I leave early? Grace and Carrick have Ava for the night, so we want go home and make the most of it."
"What am I going to say that? No Kate you can't go and have crazy wild monkey sex with yourhusband. You must stay and have drinks with us all night." I say rolling my eyes.
"You are the best, but I was asking if it was ok to ditch you with the old married couple," As we have nicknamed Ethan and Mia, as they are literally the epitome of an old married couple. Ironic, really. "and the guy you love."
"Jesus Kate will you leave it alone, I spent all day with the guy and sleep with him every night I'll be fine getting tipsy with him and the old married couple. Now go get ready, dinner is in two hour and we'll be leaving soon anyway." I say before she leaves.
"See ya later Steele."
"See ya."
Thank you for reading. Please leave a review.
Fearfully Brave
Who gets the Arkadia reference?