A/N: So it seems I have struck a chord with some of you. Some say Ana was overreacting and some say she has a right to be mad. Either way, in my story, Ana is the same, vulnerable, innocent and virginal girl we all love. In some ways she's just as mercurial as Fifty.
APOV:
Elliot told me that Christian went back to Seattle because there was business he needed to attend to. So I guess I won't be randomly bumping into him here in Portland anytime soon. I wanna see him without him knowing I want to. I borrow Kate's Mercedes and decide to drive up to Seattle to see Christian in his own surroundings. I'm not ready to forgive him just yet, but I wanna see who he is when I'm not around.
When I arrive in Seattle, I park myself outside of Grey Enterprises and just wait. I want to see him. When 5:00 PM rolls around I see the black Audi SUV pull up out front and driving it is Taylor. He seems like a good guy. And like clockwork, out comes Christian, strutting his sexiness like a runway model. All the girls around him are just ogling. He pays no attention as he gets into the SUV. I decide to follow.
We drive about 3 miles North to a big, fancy looking building called Escala. The SUV pulls into a private, gated garage. I decide to follow it in and park from afar. The garage goes up a few floors, then I'm hit with a private area that I need a code to get through. This must be where they disappeared to. Dang it! I'll just park and wait once again. I get a ping on my phone.
"Miss Steele, I couldn't help but notice you following the SUV into the Escala parking garage. Is there something I can help you with? -Jason Taylor"
Oh shit! I've been caught! I throw my phone into my purse and start the car. I hope I can make it out in time before Christian finds me. Another ping goes off.
"I'm not going to tell Mr. Grey that you're here, but if you want my help with anything, let me know. -Jason Taylor"
I decide to write him back.
"I don't need help with anything, I just wanted to see him without him seeing me is all. I'm going back to Portland now."
Fuck! I need to get out of here. I find the exit and speed out onto the streets of Seattle. Shit! Shit! Shit! I need to clear my head before the long drive back. I'm gonna stop at this Starbucks and get me a little something.
As I sit in Starbucks, nervously, I keep staring at the door expecting to find Christian. I take a drink and look at the door again,this time I'm finding cold eyes staring back at me. It's plastic blonde from that night. She just gives me an evil smirk and walks over to me and sits in an empty chair.
"I hope you don't mind me sitting here, but I just wanted to know if you received my package?" She asks while applying more red lipstick to her obviously plumped lips.
"Look, I don't know what you want from me or why you sent me that disgusting shit, but I suggest you leave me alone. You got what you wanted, Christian and I aren't together, so there's really no need for you to even talk to me!" I gave her a death glare.
"Disgusting stuff?" She chuckles, "Honey, that is Christian's life. That's who he is. He's dominant and very sexual... two things you obviously aren't in tune with. It's better to leave him alone anyways because if I get my way, he'll be mine again!"
"You're just pathetic! What are you? 50 years old and running after a 27 year old? That's disgusting and so is your cold, plastic face!" I walk out of Starbucks and towards the car. She catches up to me and grabs me by the arm.
"Don't you EVER speak to me like that again!" And with that, she slaps me hard across the face and I fall to the ground.
When I look up, I see she's being pulled away from me by Taylor. Then I see beautiful gray eyes staring down at me.
"Anastasia! Are you okay?" Christian's worried voice asks me.
"I guess so" I sound dazed.
"Come on", he holds his hand out to me and I pull myself up. "Come back to my place so I can take care of that," he points to my cheek where Elena slapped me. It hurts to the touch.
Taylor drove the SUV back and Christian drove the Mercedes to Escala. In the elevator I stare up at him out of the corner of my eye and I notice he's staring at me too. This feels awkward, but I can't get that butterfly feeling out of my tummy. I'm furious at this man, yet all I want to do is let him have his way with me. Ugh, I should have just become a nun so I wouldn't have to worry about these things.
We step off the elevator and into his penthouse. This place is huge and fancy and grand... Just like Christian. I look around at all the expensive paintings, sculptures and marble floors. Wow. And the view up here is just breathtaking.
"Sit on the couch Anastasia and I'll bring you an ice pack for your bruise" Christian demands softly. I comply and make myself comfortable. I haven't said anything to him just yet and he know that.
"You have a nice place here" is all I can muster out. He looks around and gives me a smirk.
"It's home I guess." He says walking over to me. "Here, put this on your cheek". I puts the ice pack on my cheek and it stings at first, then it numbs it. "So do you wanna tell me what you're doing here in Seattle?" He raises his eyebrows up, staring at me intently.
"I uh...well...uh..." I can't say anything. What am I supposed to say, that I followed him all the way up so I can stare at him? "Well to be honest Christian, I wanted to see you and maybe talk to you about something."
"Oh Ana, please, yes, let's talk. I have some major explaining to do. Please just give me the chance" He's pleading with me like a small child.
"First, I want to know about these," I hand him the manila envelope with pictures of him tying up girls and spanking them and fucking them. He looks really embarrassed and really pissed off.
"Where did you get these Anastasia?" His face is blazing with anger.
"At first I didn't know, but your friend Elena Lincoln just admitted to me that she sent them" I say while looking down at my fingers. He closes his eyes and gets up.
"Excuse me Miss Steele" He walks into another room and shuts the door. I can hear him on the phone yelling to, I'm assuming Elena. "If you step one foot near her, you're gone! I will not hesitate to ruin your life! I will take your salons and liquidate every last piece of them! Are we clear?" Oh my, he's royally pissed. He comes back into the room and sits down.
"Look, Ana, these pictures represent the past. This is me, yes, but that shade of me and those girls are nowhere to be found anymore!" He grabs my hand and again, I feel the jolt.
"Why did you do that to these girls? Why did you beat them and have sex with them when you were done? Is it some sick form of sexual gratification?" I question him. I need to know what possesses someone to do these things.
"Ana, I..." he sighs, "I don't know how to put it mildly, so I'm just going to say it. I'm a dominant and these girls in the photos were my submissives" He looks apologetic while explaining.
"What does that mean?" I'm so confused.
"Shit, I never thought I'd have to explain this to anybody," he gets up and pours us both a glass of wine. "It means that I like women to give total control of themselves to me and if they don't, I punish them and yes, I get off on it." He searches my face for anything. I stay quiet, taking all this information in. "They are willing participants Ana. They like when I dominate their bodies and minds."
"So let me get this straight, these girls are all willing to submit themselves to you so you can beat and fuck them?"
"Doesn't sound too nice when you put it that way. I fuck, yes, and hard I might add, but the 'beatings' as you call it are strictly for pleasure, not pain."
"How is that pleasurable?"
"They make me happy and turned on when it happens, in turn that gets them off. In any case, Ana, that's a part of me that I want to leave behind. When I met you, I felt that I didn't need any of that stuff anymore." He runs his hands through his hair as he paces back and forth. "For the first time in my life, I feel like a new person... a real person who has a shot at being happy. When you told me to leave the other night, I felt that I left a piece of my heart on the floor of your room" He stops and looks at me in the eye.
"Christian I-" he interrupts me.
"Wait, let me finish!" He walks up to me and kneels down in front of me. "Anastasia, I know its only been a short time that we've known each other, but I think I'm falling in love with you already!" His eyes start tearing up. I can't take this. I love him too but I don't know that I can be with him. I want to believe that he wants to change, but I need some time to think.
"Christian, I am still confused over this whole dominant thing, but I think it's great you want to change for the better. I think I need just a little more time to think about things..." I bite my lip and look up at him. He runs his hands through his hair again and starts pacing.
"Oh Ana!" He walks back over to me and kisses me hard and passionately. I try to stop at first but something in me relaxed and my heart told me that this is the right thing to do. He's where I need to be and he needs my help.
