A/N: Due to the very long delay, this update is nice and long. Please forgive any mistakes as I continue to iron them out. I wanted to get this out to you as soon as I could. Enjoy! – ST2
Chapter 21 – Sour Girl
Tuesday, October 18, 2011
(continued)
There's an inaudible tick-tock invading my space now.
It's nauseating.
Time is speeding up, Grey.
Since Ana left my office in shambles over the global internal memo that I sent out late this morning, that one thing that's been lying dormant in the back of my mind for a little over a week has now catapulted squarely onto center stage.
When Barney first brought his findings to my attention, my first instinct was to confront Ana about it. She obviously had to encourage someone to do this. However, I thought better than to confront her – especially after our epic fallout over the loft and her 'excessive' paycheck. No doubt she'd be extremely upset of the fact that I was aware of her…networking.
I never want her storming out on me again.
Ever.
But with that said, I hate that she reached out to someone else behind my back. I wish she felt confident in coming to me for all of her heart's desires instead of running to someone else – especially if that someone else is fucking Lucas Woods, of all people. My skin boils at the thought.
I pull up the damning evidence on my screen as a bitter reminder.
From: Lucas Woods
Subject: Regarding my earlier messages
Date: October 3, 2011 11:13
To: Jerry Roach
Dear Jerry,
My good man, you are certainly a difficult chap to get ahold of. I've left several messages with your assistant as well as on your voicemail over the past week. Please get in touch with me as soon as you are able. You will thank me for this recommendation, I promise you.
In the meantime, here's the lovely lady's impressive resume. Let me stress that she is absolutely fantastic. If you ever wanted to take a chance on anyone, you need to put all of your chips on her.
Just as I predicted the very second I laid eyes on her for the first time, she has made the meteoric rise to the top of the company in only a matter of weeks! In addition, she has saved my ass on more than one occasion, and I wholeheartedly believe that she has the power to save yours.
I know that things aren't 100% at SIP, but this young woman has a bright, innovative mind and can work miracles. Give me a call soon so I can sing her praises to you in person. If correctly recall, you've always quite enjoyed my singing voice.
Lucas Woods
Founder and President of Elite Technologies
Attachment: ASteeleResume
That asshat should've known better than to send this bullshit from a GEH affiliated server. Even Ana had the foresight to send him her resume by external means.
I knew that Lucas Woods was a dipshit from the second I acquired his company.
Since catching wind of this note, I've had Barney monitoring phone calls and emails, seeing if Woods had successfully reached out to Roach or vice versa. But given the course of the most recent events, I'm in a state of mind to do some preemptive striking.
As a result of her foul treatment from others and my calling attention to it by email, Ana's probably more determined than ever to leave GEH. Her leaving my company is the last thing I want.
If my girlfriend quits GEH because of the petty fucktards working in this building and their inability to handle that she and I are together, they will be truly sorry. Especially the one fucktard in particular who saw us kissing at the Needle…the one Ana absolutely refuses to out.
I'll find out who they are and fuck up their whole world in one fell swoop.
Ana and I were just two weeks away from outing ourselves per our agreement, and then this happens. Yeah, I was happy for a very short time – we no longer had to hide our love. However, seeing Ana so distraught and defeated was the last thing I wanted to happen as a result of us going public at work. Now there's no doubt in my mind that she's going to go full balls-to-the-wall in order land herself that publishing job that she's always wanted.
Fuck.
Fuck.
Fuck.
My arms were tied two weeks ago when she set the condition to accepting my offer for her to move in with me. She made me promise not to create a publishing arm at GEH. But staring me directly in the face is a gaping loophole the size of Puget Sound.
It really doesn't take a genius to figure out that acquiring a pre-existing publishing company isn't the same as creating one from scratch.
No harm, no foul – right?
I've been keeping a very close eye on all things SIP, and I am well aware that they are up Shit's Creek without a paddle. I'd be a godsend for the small struggling company.
No way they'd say 'no' to me bailing them out.
GEH has the power to make SIP the new ECP…and even better than the #1 publishing house in Seattle. Jerry Roach will realize this right away.
Hell, I'll even keep him at the helm until my girl's ready to take over.
I close the rogue email from Woods to Roach and immediately create a confidential meeting notice for this afternoon – inviting only Marco and my head legal council.
We need to move fast because time's definitely not on my side.
Tick-tock.
….
A few minutes after 4, the intercom switches off and I immediately throw my face into my palms, which are propped up by my elbows pressed against the solid oak desk.
I have no idea what she wants, but I know that she's here to bitch at me about something that I did or didn't do.
Suddenly, the door swings open and the tall, powerful redhead breezes in like a tropical storm.
"There you are – finally. I've been trying to get ahold of you all day," Ros says, none too pleased. She immediately takes a seat opposite my desk.
So let me guess…she caught wind of the meeting that I had this afternoon with Marco and legal over my wishes to acquire SIP pronto. Although I've left Ros out of the initial discussions, it was my plan to bring her in once things were set into motion. There's no doubt in my mind that she'll think I'm batshit for jumping headfirst into an industry that's known for having a very marginal or inexistent ROI.
"What can I do for you this afternoon, Ms. Bailey?" She flashes me a look that could burn flesh, but then immediately dusts it off with a shit-eating smirk.
"You're not one to normally state the obvious. In fact, you despise the very premise. You get pissed off in meetings when people report things that you already know."
My eyes reflexively narrow at my #2 in command.
What is she getting at?
"That email you sent earlier was highly unnecessary. You and Ana are the world's worst kept secret." And at this, Ros lets out her patented throaty laugh. I can feel my brows rising up to meet my hairline. "It's quite pathetic…really," she adds. The corners of my mouth curl up in amusement.
"In all fairness Ros, you knew that she and I were dating. I told you this. Other than you and the ladies working outside of this door, no one else in this office had a clue about Ana and me." Ros crosses her arms and the expression on her face issues me a challenge.
"You wanna bet?"
"What do you know that I don't?" I say in a low voice tinged with doubt.
"I'd need more hands and toes in order to count the number of times people have asked me after meetings or just in private casual conversation if you and Ana had something going on outside of work."
Ros' revelation takes me by complete surprise.
Is it because people are seeing Ana and I being dropped off and picked up by Taylor each day? That can be explained…easily.
Ana's previous two residences are in very close proximity to Escala. To the casual person, I'm simply fulfilling my duty as someone who cares about lowering global emissions and improving the air quality in our lovely city. In fact, I've on more than one occasion encouraged GEH employees in newsletters and during town halls to engage in carpools. It's much better for the environment.
"Everyone sees the stars that twinkle in your eyes every time Ana has the floor in your staff meetings. It's pretty pathetic, actually," she chuckles.
"What?" I gape at her. If anyone has spent any amount of time with me in a business setting, they would agree that I am a very difficult person to read. I remain cognizant at all times of how I project myself and I absolutely refuse to show my hand. I don't want to give anyone a false sense of security or even a sense of fear right from the jump. I've mastered the neutral face. It's why I'm an exceptional poker player. It's also why I'm an otherworldly businessman.
"You are a big puddle of goo whenever she's in the room. In contrast, you're not the same man when she's not around," Ros says…almost too sweetly. I roll my eyes at her. "I can almost hear your heart pitter patter by the simple mentioning of her name. You are not the same man as before, Christian. And it's not just me who notices."
"Who has said something to you about it?" I ask out of morbid curiosity. Or maybe I just want to know in order to gauge who has issues with Ana and I being together. Ever since this morning, I've been in high-protection mode. I never want to see that look in my girl's face ever again. And if there's anyone under his floor that's making Ana feel less-than, I want them the fuck out of my company.
"I'm not one to snitch, Christian. But since the answer to your question is an easy one, I'll just say it. Everyone." I wince at her response.
"Everyone?"
"Everyone on the executive team. Also…a few top managers. Although Ana's been as cool as a cucumber, you Sir have certainly not been," Ros laughs.
Whoa – was I that obvious?
Ros is right…this isn't me. I'm not the same man. I don't know what it is about Anastasia, but she makes me throw all caution to the wind. I love this girl so much that I couldn't even hide it to save my life.
I lower my head and pinch the bridge of my nose with my thumb and forefinger.
Yep, I'm totally gone for this girl.
A fluttering rush invades my gut, but it quickly resides when I press it down with a frown.
"Grey, it's perfectly fine to be in love. And it's okay to fall in love at work. We spend a lot of time here…especially you of all people. It was bound to happen." Tender Ros is truly a sight to behold, and my harsh expression eases.
"You know, I could've met her at the supermarket and I would have still fallen in love with her." I wince after the overly personal words come tumbling out of me, but it's too late to recall them now. Ros' eyes gently narrow at me, and I see a shadow of doubt in them.
Does she not believe me?
Well, it's true.
I'm not one who would have believed in serendipity or destiny. I've always been one who simply believed in hard work and determination…in all things, not just with business. I pretty much surmised that love wasn't for me. It wasn't something that I wanted to work hard for like I did my business. It wasn't anything that I aspired to obtain.
But from the moment I laid eyes on Miss Anastasia Rose Steele, everything that I ever assumed about love completely dissolved like a fizzy tablet in a bath of acid. In a blink of an eye, love became something that I wanted to work hard for…even more than my business.
I'd give it all away – the billions…everything…if only she'd ask.
The look in Ros' face doesn't match the response that she would finally deliver. "Since when have you set foot in a supermarket?" Immediately, I burst forth in laughter. Apparently it's contagious and she joins me.
"Hey…like you said, I'm too busy working. I have people who shop for me." Ros' grin morphs more into a smirk as she flashes me a 'whatever Grey' expression. "Don't you have people shopping for you?" I add. I mean I sure as hell pay Ros enough to have hired help of her own.
"No, I don't. Gwen and I always do the shopping together. It's not the same when you send in the help, Grey. They have new, fun things that come out all the time. How do you even have the opportunity to discover new and exciting foods if you don't personally explore every aisle yourself? That's the fun in grocery shopping," she muses. I shake my head in disinterest.
"Mrs. Jones does all of my shopping. Oh…and most recently, Ana has taken over some of the responsibility. She discovered this awesome little bakery only a stone's throw from the penthouse that I never even knew was there this whole time. Their bread – fantastic," I rave. Ros' eyes grow round and wide and her mouth perks open, taking her time to push out the words. I nod and smile, eager to tell her the name of the bakery when…
"Wait…you live together?" I blink at her abrupt question.
Starting with a nod, I reply with: "Yes…of course." Why is this so shocking to her?
"I…I didn't know that it was that…serious," she startles appearing to be unable to put into words exactly what's churning in her head.
"Of course it's serious, Ros. You saw the email just like everyone else. I love her. We're in love. We live together." As the air audibly rushes out of her nostrils, I can see her chest deflate.
"H…how long – if you don't mind me asking?" Her question throws me for a loop. Although Ros is one who often shares her personal life with me during small talk, she knows that I'm a very private person. She has never probed me as she is doing right now. Part of me feels unnerved, but the other half feels slightly amused.
"We've been living together for about two weeks officially. Before that, we've practically been living together – between her place and mine – ever since we first started dating," I say matter-of-factly. "She finally moved all of her things out of her loft, so we are officially under one roof." Ros' face slowly blooms into one of the warmest smiles I've ever seen on her, and for some reason – again, unlike me – I keep talking.
"I'm planning on starting the construction at our next home on Puget Sound soon." An involuntary gasp escapes her mouth.
"Christian…wow. A house…together…that's…permanent?" she says, ending her fragmented statement with a question mark. I smile brightly at her, nodding.
"That is the idea," I exhale a puff of laughter, emphasizing the obvious.
"So…does that mean…I mean…is there a…" and she circles her hands frantically as she blushes. And just as she has never seen me in this light, I have never seen her in such a way. She's not one who's normally at a loss for words. Ros Bailey says what she means and means what she says. "Ring?" she finally spits out sharply.
Yep, that's in the works too. Just this morning, I met with one of the top jewelers in the state here in my office and gave him my input for a custom engagement ring for my girl. He is going to send me three mockups by next week. However, I decide not to entertain Ros any further on the subject.
"Perhaps," I say with a secret smile. "So, I'm glad you called this meeting. I wanted to bring you up to speed on something that I'm working on."
"So we're just switching right over to work talk now?" she huffs in disappointment. "Dammit, Christian – just when I finally pry away a majority of your thorns to reveal lovely roses," she teases.
"I said all that I had to say on the subject. Unless you have something to tell me concerning any discord on the executive team as a result of my relationship with Ana."
"On the contrary. Everyone I've talked to since the email has gone out fully supports both you and Ana. In fact, everyone is thrilled. Ana is a godsend. Not only is she smart as hell, but she has tamed the beast," chuckles Ros.
She has no idea.
And suddenly, I'm wishing for the clock to strike five so I can leave here and get totally lost in my Bunny. But before my thoughts turn completely left, I bring the conversation back to business.
"What I'm about to say does not leave the room. I've already started talks with legal and Marco. There's a firm that I'm interested in grabbing while the getting is good. In fact, they are in jeopardy of losing everything. I think once we get our hands on it, we can turn the tide."
"What's the business?"
"Publishing."
Ros glares at me like I just lost my ever-loving mind. "You're kidding, right?" she gasps. Exactly the reaction I expected from her.
"Ros, I need you to put aside everything you know…or think you know about this industry. Let's think outside of the box for a little bit. None of the top four Seattle publishing houses are taking full advantage of digital media. GEH is a digital mammoth. We can completely change the course of not only Seattle Independent Publishing, but the entire publishing industry as a whole."
At my words, Ros' pinched face eases up a bit, but her expression still makes her apprehension more than apparent.
"You've got to trust me on this. I'm not asking you to do anything. In fact, I will personally oversee this with Marco. All I'm asking is that you sit back and watch the magic happen. I'm involving you in the negotiations out of courtesy."
She lets out a laugh, but it's an annoyed laugh. "Out of courtesy? Geez, thanks a million, Christian," she says with irritation.
"Now Ros, if I didn't tell you that this was going on from the very beginning, tell me that you wouldn't have wanted to chop my head off," I say, amused. Ros eases up once more, knowing that I speak nothing but the truth.
"You don't make many mistakes, but I think this one might be a damaging first. I don't have a single inkling of confidence in the publishing world…or anything in the entertainment arena. It's all too unpredictable."
"Since when have I gravitated towards the predictable? Being predictable didn't put us on top of the Fortune 500 list of privately owned global companies," I argue. She acquiesces with a slow nod.
"Alright Grey. I'll sit back and watch the shit show. I sincerely hope that you prove me wrong," Ros breathes.
….
Ros finally leaves, and I'm staring freedom square in the face. Ten minutes till five, I start to pack up. Just before I pick up my desk phone to ring Ana, my intercom clicks, startling me.
"Sir – your lead council is on the phone. He says it's urgent," Andrea squawks.
Fuck.
"Put him through."
I find out that Jerry Roach insists that we meet immediately and that he's confident that we can get the ball rolling tonight if he likes what he hears. After ending the call with my lead council, my sense of dread quickly dissolves.
So it looks like Marco and I are heading over to SIP instead of home. I also think of it to spend a few minutes alone with Roach to pitch him on hiring Ana…that's if he's good with selling me his company.
I pick up the phone once more to let Ana that I'll be home later tonight, but I promise to make it there in time for an eight o'clock dinner with her.
….
Thursday, October 20, 2011
What a difference two days can make.
Ana has been more upbeat since her emotional crash on Tuesday. She finally realized that the number of people who support our relationship completely outnumber the naysayers. In fact, there hasn't been any more negative chatter to our knowledge.
Part of me now wonders if this is enough to make Ana want to stay at GEH, but then the realization sets in that she will always have her eyes on her dream. So with that fact in play, I've continued to work very hard behind the scenes – to not only make her dream come true, but to keep her by my side.
Things with SIP have been moving so quickly and smoothly that I can barely believe it myself. After our productive initial meeting with Jerry Roach, I stayed behind with him in the conference room after my legal team, Marco, and Roach's advisors clear the room.
I fill Roach in about Ana, and he immediately recalls Wood's inquiries about her as well as her resume. I give him a heads up about a potential leak concerning our relationship. This news takes him by surprise. I assure him that although I am dating my support manager, she is more than capable outside of this so-called scandal. I told him about all of the things Ana has done to improve employee satisfaction scores and generate millions in revenue, and this news completely peeks his interest.
In the end, Roach promises to get back in touch with Lucas in order to hear his side about Ana, but vows not to give him word on ever speaking with me, nor about the news of our pending merger. I am satisfied.
I believe this is a good plan: Get Ana over to SIP just when I sign the heads of agreement and take over. Ana will obtain the knowledge that she needs while things are being firmed up on the GEH side. Once all is final, after a few months of her working her magic over at SIP, Ana can then leap back over to GEH. I'll build her an office on the 20th floor right next to mine and will groom her to not only run SIP but also GEH – along with me.
We'd be absolutely unstoppable.
A global power couple.
When I arrive back in my office from lunch, Taylor surprises me with a package from the jeweler. Damn, that jeweler certainly works fast – as he should for the amount of money I'm paying him. My future wife will be wearing the equivalent of a massive luxury beach villa in Acapulco on her pretty little hand.
Taylor leaves the room and I open the package. The moment I reveal the first clay mockup, I know that this is the one. My heart skips a beat.
This is my Ana.
I instantly envision sliding this in its completed form on her left ring finger. The moment she looks down at it, she throws her arms around my neck and wraps her delicious creamy thighs around waist crying out with an enthusiastic 'Yes!'
But just for kicks I examine the other two mockups, and my first choice has been cemented. I note my choice on the enclosed form and box everything back up for Taylor to take back with him.
As soon as Taylor leaves with the package, my mind shifts on yet another project. I've been going back and forth about my playroom.
Should it stay?
Should it go?
I know Ana's been more than curious about the locked door on the second floor of the penthouse. I don't think I'm quite ready to show her that room. However, that doesn't keep me from dreaming about having my way with her in there.
….
I watch her from a distance in the room.
She doesn't even know that I'm still watching her.
She is perfect.
Even in the dark-red dimmed glow, I can still see that she is flawless. Her bare tits bounce as she turns away from my direction and kneels on her legs in only her panties. The nape of her neck finally gets airtime since her hair gathered up in a single braid down her back.
Fuck – I could come in my jeans right now just looking at her. But I need to show some restraint. This is my domain. This is where I am more in control of my emotions. Ana has this way of making me put down my guard unlike anyone else. However in here, I am not the same man as I am outside of these doors.
In here, I call all of the shots.
Well, only if she lets me.
I creep slowly towards her and lower myself down to her level. I wrap my arms around her from behind. She stills in obedience and my cock grows more rigid. Quietly in her ear, I issue her an edict.
"I. Am. Going. To. Fuck. You. Senseless."
She lets out on involuntary gasp, and I frown at her. Witnessing my displeased expression, she immediately falls back in line.
"Come."
I stand and she carefully rises at my command with me leading the way up and over with my hand. I take her over towards the four-poster bed where a black harness lies flat. After I peel off her panties, I instruct her to lay over it – stomach down. What happens next takes almost an hour of setup. I could have done it in shorter time, but Ana's body is very distracting. As her skin calls out to me, I answer it with my mouth.
While I'm sucking and licking her all over, I can tell that her hunger grows wilder by the second. But she'll have to wait. When she's finally safely secured in the harness, I lower down the grid and fasten it all around with the carabineers.
Once I'm confident that she is safe, I grab the pulley and gently raise her above the bed. She's slightly hovering over it like an angel, and my breath catches in my throat. I don't bring her high, but just high enough for me to slide under her upside down. She looks like a shining star up in the heavens – her arms and legs spread apart and locked in place where she can't move them.
Fuck – she is so gorgeous this way.
I stare at the silk sheen of her sex hanging right over my head. Propping myself up on my elbows, I devour her like a tasty feast. She rattles the grid above – unable to take in all of the extreme sensation that she is feeling in this moment. She's unable to move her arms or her legs to either reciprocate or absorb the impact. She's imprisoned high above me. Her eyes are pried shut and her mouth is expanded to form a perfect 'O', shape, and I know that I will fuck her right there in that 'O' once I'm done down here.
Once she's given me the first of her many orgasms tonight.
I suck on her clit and I finger her vigorously, starting with one and ending with three. She pulls against the restraints like a wild animal in a cage, but instead of reprimanding her, I allow it. It even unleashes something within me, too. A short time afterwards, she comes spectacularly – and even so, I know that this will be the tamest of her orgasms tonight.
An hour later, she looks completely spent and ready to pass out as she continues to hover above me. But am I done with her? Hell no. I tasted her orgasm…twice. She even tasted mine as I fucked her fiercely in her mouth. Now…I will fill her.
After peeling my jeans all the way off, I now lie completely naked on the bed as I lower the pulley just slightly. After securing it place, I stun her by wrapping my arms and legs around her as we both now hover over the bed. She gasps as I shift myself so that most of my weight is going against the grid and the carbineers and not Ana. I thank my lucky stars for my strong upper body strength as I slide into her. She cries out and I groan.
Holy fuck.
I immediately lose myself and begin to fuck her hard from underneath. It doesn't take long for us to get there – but once we do, we arrive there together.
….
A chime from my computer snaps me out of my daydream. Thank God, because I'm sure I almost soiled my suit pants from these lascivious thoughts alone.
Fuck – do I really want to get rid of the playroom?
I've been going back and forth about this ever since I first fell in love with Ana. But just thinking about all of the things that we can do in there…
And she really wants to see what's there.
Maybe she'll want to try some wonderful things in there with me as well.
Suddenly, I feel an involuntary chill curl down my spine – but it's not a good chill. It's a sense of potential regret...even loss. Maybe she'll see me as a monster once she takes a good look at everything contained in that room.
I never want Ana to be afraid of me.
I decide to table the thought, but now I realize that I'm leaning back towards where I started.
Maybe I should do away with the playroom.
She'd never agree to suspension.
Frustrated with landing right at square one, I shake away my thoughts and launch to read the latest email. It's then when I realize that I haven't checked my emails all day. I've been so distracted with meetings and such…and now with daydreaming about my girlfriend.
I jump into one from Barney, sent this morning.
From: Barney Sullivan
Subject: Batch Email Results
Date: October 20, 2011 09:26
To: Christian Grey
Mr. Grey,
In addition to tightening up the query a little more, I decided to manually parse through a few emails that were submitted shortly after your company-wide communication on Tuesday. Please see the below email chain. This wouldn't have come up in the overnight batch since the parties were very wise with their choice of words.
Let me know if you would like to monitor Mr. Lewis' communications going forward.
B Sullivan
Head of IT, GEH
From: Gunther Lewis
Subject: Well…
Date: October 18, 2011 11:53
To: Brittany McCall
…that escalated quickly.
The Big Guy just ran interference since I caught him and his plaything in the act. I wonder if she squealed and told him who saw them together that night. I wouldn't put it past her. Just when you think you know someone, you really don't. Hell, I knew something was going on between them a long time ago, but I ignored it. Fresh out of school, she walks into the building the first week and out of the gate gets the special project, the chauffeured rides along with the Big Guy, followed by a company car and cell phone.
It must be nice to be screwing the boss. It also explains why she moved so high up the food chain in just a month. I'm obviously playing with the wrong equipment down here. I've worked my ass off in this department for years. I get stellar performance reviews. What do I get in return? Nothing. I'm appalled.
And the saddest thing of it all is that I can't believe that she and I used to be really good friends.
Gunther Lewis
Senior Finance Analyst
U.S. Western Region Finance Team
Grey Enterprises Holdings, Inc.
From: Brittany McCall
RE: Well…
Date: October 18, 2011 11:57
To: Gunther Lewis
We're work besties, right? In fact I was the first person you called this weekend when you saw what you saw go down. So since we've established our care for the wellbeing of one another, I assume that I'm allowed the rare opportunity to be completely honest with you.
I totally got the impression a while back that you wanted to be more than just "good friends" with her. It's obvious to anyone with a set of eyes that you were aiming for her to be your "boo-thang". Unfortunately, it wasn't to be. Simply put, someone more powerful, richer and hotter played the better game.
"Bitter, party of one?"
No offence Gun, but the girl's no fool. In fact, I along with 100% of the ladies I spoke to about it am envious of her. Any woman with a pulse working here would have done the very same if given the chance with that man. I mean ho–lee–s***, have you SEEN him! He is s*x personified. *fans self*
You shouldn't even be upset with her. Besides, it seems like she's more than just a "plaything" according to the note that went out. They are totally in love. The whole thing is rather romantic, really. He even vowed to fight tooth and nail to defend her honor. *swoons*
Speaking of which, you might want to be more careful communicating over the server. You should always deliver freshly squeezed gossip directly to the source with no filter. With that said, meet me in the café in 15.
Ciao!
Brittany McCall
Logistics Coordinator
NAFTA Logistics & Distribution
Grey Enterprises Holdings, Inc.
From: Gunther Lewis
Subject: Well…
Date: October 18, 2011 11:57
To: Brittany McCall
Unbelievable, Brit. As one of many hard-working women in this company with tenure, you should be more upset than I am. And I for one am disappointed in a leader who has up to this point maintained a professional decorum. He has since blurred the lines and taken advantage of a very foolish young girl.
Sure she's hot and all, but she's got a lot to learn. She'll get a rude awakening once he eventually dumps her right on her nice little ass and moves on to the next victim. She'd wish she had someone who truly cared for her instead of someone who can buy her expensive things and elevate her to positions that she hasn't worked long for to earn.
By the way, I know how the monitoring works around here. It's nearly impossible for IT to physically scan the thousands upon thousands of emails that come across the global server network on a daily basis. They can only monitor the system by using keywords. Knowing this, I was careful not to mention any names.
I'll meet you downstairs so I can try and talk some sense into you.
Gunther Lewis
Senior Finance Analyst
U.S. Western Region Finance Team
Grey Enterprises Holdings, Inc.
That.
Son.
Of.
A.
Bitch.
That motherfucker! I knew Lewis was no good. I should've fired him the second Ana told me that he asked her out.
God – how could I be so stupid!
It was all right there!
I can feel every inch of my skin inflame. It's right then when I am determined to make Gunther Lewis wish that his father pulled out of his mother the night that he was conceived.
I stab the call button nearly breaking it.
"Sir…"
"Cancel my next meeting. Get me Brad Smith on the line. Now," I growl – disconnecting from Andrea before she can respond. I leap up from behind my desk and pace the entire length of my office, seething.
Gunther Lewis will never work in this town again.
I'll see to it.
He is fucked.
I writhe my hands together – my breathing is very shallow. I haven't been this angry in years. Years. The last time I was close to being this upset, I had a man crying in my office, clenching both of my ankles while Taylor and his security team pried him away before tossing him out into the street with his belongings. In fact, in comparison to how I feel right now, I really wasn't that upset with the guy that I fired back then.
I think what comes remotely close to what I'm feeling now is when I found out that Elena's husband beat the shit out of her after discovering our affair.
Right now, I want to strangle Gunther Lewis with my bare hands.
It's then when I recall how I maintained my cool concerning that whole thing with Linc…by Elena's urging, of course. I didn't want to upset her more than she already was. She had done so much to help me start my business – and at Linc's expense. It was then when I decided that cooler heads prevailed. It was then that I decided to put measures in place behind the scenes in case Linc did something else stupid.
And in that moment, I know that if I were to fly off the handle and react harshly to what Lewis is spreading about the love of my life, I could lose her. No matter how much he deserves to lose everything, Ana doesn't deserve to feel the guilt that would obviously come her way the moment she finds out what happened to him.
I stand in place mid pace and try to calm myself down. It's difficult, but I somewhat get my temperature down just after a few minutes.
Yeah, firing Lewis outright would instantly cause a major stir at Grey House. I need to be more strategic. But Lewis infuriates me and I need to get him the fuck out of my building – without alarming Ana.
But how?
I eventually make my way over to the desk. I apologize to Andrea and tell her to cancel that call to Smith.
"Sir – he's actually calling in right this second."
"Apologize to him on my behalf. Let him know that it was a false alarm."
"Sure thing."
After Andrea clicks off, I reply to Barney's email and instruct him to personally monitor Lewis' emails over the next two days while I come up with a safe plan to get rid of him. I need to come up with a solution that won't shake Ana. She'd be even more upset than she was on Tuesday after I sent out that global email if I were to fire Lewis without telling her. She's slowly working over the email hurdle, and terminating Lewis would absolutely set us back. She already doesn't trust me completely as it is.
I need to come up with a solution that will make him leave – voluntarily.
….
With the bullshit that's been going on since reading that email exchange from Lewis, I've had to retreat back to my happy place as I continue figuring things out. I need to come up with a levelheaded solution and not run off of pure emotion. That has never been me.
So in order to remain steady during the rest of the afternoon, I resort back to filthy thoughts about fucking my girlfriend in midair. The thoughts get so bad, that I scarf down dinner at home.
"What's up with you today, Mr. Grey," Ana purrs next to me at the breakfast bar.
"Eat. Now. I need you in bed, Miss Steele," I murmur. Her porcelain skin blushes a gorgeous pink. My dick pulses even more.
"Hard day?" she teases.
"Yes. And it's going to be an even harder night," I whisper, absentmindedly licking the last bit of sauce from my lips. I can hear her breath catch in her throat.
She shifts her head and says no more, focusing completely on finishing her meal as I stand to clean up my place setting.
"I'll meet in you fifteen," I tell her after I close the dishwasher. Her fork is suspended and her mouth is lodged open and mid-chew. I grin and turn on my heel.
And like clockwork, she enters our bedroom right on the nose. Still in a dress shirt – but with two unfastened top buttons – along with my dress pants, I put down my Blackberry on the bedside table and stand up to meet her. My bare feet pad against the floor and I don't stop until my arms are wrapped tightly around her small waist.
My mouth ravages hers as flashes of my daydreams from earlier play in a montage against what's occurring now.
I want to fuck her into the ceiling.
I unzip the sleeveless dress she wore at work today and lower it down her body until she stands in only a bra and panties. I waste no time removing those undergarments as well before leading her to our bed – pulling back the sheets so that she can crawl between them. Immediately, I begin to remove my clothes, starting with my shirt.
"Why are you so hasty, Mr. Grey," Ana giggles.
"I'm always in a hurry to be with you, baby," I smile. Soon, I join her naked in between the sheets, draping them over us as I shift on top of her soft, warm body.
Damn – she is the cure for all of my woes, I swear.
I can't believe that I have access to this sweet beautiful thing every single day and night. My life has been the most full than it ever was. When things don't go right outside of this room, Ana and I can simply come here and get lost in each other. This is our safe haven. Here, we can leave all of the bullshit at the door and just fuck until our heart's content. And right now, I sense an all-night fucking session on the agenda for this evening. It's just been that kind of day.
And in that moment, I recall that we've been fucking pretty much every night for the past month. Every night.
Every. Single. Night.
Normally, that realization alone would cause my nature to rise even further, but for some reason, I'm deeply concerned. In the middle of ravaging her neck, I still before perching my lips close to her ear with a question lingering right on the tip of my tongue.
I just know that my luck can't be this good. If she's not bleeding today, it's due pretty soon. And once its here, it isn't like that would ever stop me from fucking her. In fact, I eventually got Ana keen on the concept of period sex – well…after some strong reinforcement, of course. She realized that her libido is even more demanding during her cycle. Of course, we require additional materials to engage in sex during this time.
Perhaps I should grab some towels in preparation.
"Are you on your period yet?"
"Uh…no." Her response is succinct and it startles me. It's plain and simple to her, but not for me.
Well when, then?
I know this girl's cycle like the back of my hand. She should've already had her period. I look down at her with a raised brow.
"Ana, you should've had your period by now."
Suddenly, it's like I can feel her chest drop.
"I…I know," she stutters, fear now apparent in her eyes.
I can feel the color flush from my face.
So what is she saying?
Perhaps I'm being paranoid. Yeah…that's it. She just needs to put me at ease and everything will be fine.
"You've been taking your pill as scheduled…right? You haven't missed any days?" I say to her, just knowing that her response to me will be 'Of course I have!' And then I'll breathe easy and apologize to her for being such a spaz.
I can't have kids – not right now. Children need to be off the table. I have plan – a plan that only includes Ana and me for the foreseeable future. Kids will only fuck things up.
So please baby, for the love of God – tell me that you've been doing what you're supposed to be doing and ease this constricting happening right now in my chest.
However, the fright in her face does everything but put me at ease. I can barely breathe right now waiting for her to finally use her words. I gape at her, willing her to speak. Finally, the words choke out of her.
"Well…there was that one weekend where we spent sailing and soaring. I forgot and had to take two pills at once." She forces a smile on her lips but I know that it's artificial. I can see and smell fear all over the place, and it completely sets me off like a pit bull.
I lose it.
I can't believe her. How can she forget?!
Why would she do this?!
She can't be knocked up. She can't be.
I don't remember what I said to her in that moment. I just know that I must've been shouting quite loudly, because that next morning, I would wake up in my study with a very sore throat.
….
Sunday, October 23, 2011
The past few days have been shitty. More than shitty, in fact.
I thought that once we discovered on Friday that Ana wasn't pregnant – that her being late was simply stress-induced – everything would be fine once more.
Thinking back on Thursday night and most of Friday until our appointment with Dr. Greene, I made Ana's life a living hell. After a flush of relief from the news of Ana not being pregnant, along with her switching over to the shot – Ana began to make my life a living hell.
From Friday afternoon onward, she's been ignoring me and steering clear of all of my calls and emails. Also, she didn't inform me that Jerry Roach reached out to her for an interview on Monday – he told me about it. Ana's also not speaking to me at home, even after I've made several attempts to clear the air with her. And it finally hits me like a ton of bricks.
Ana has no reason to stay with me in any way, shape or form.
Not only would she run for the hills and away from my company, but also she no longer enjoys being at home with me.
Maybe she'll leave Escala too.
The revelation torches my soul.
I've got to do something.
I need to save this.
Save us.
Has she fallen out of love with me for the simple fact that I am utterly terrified by the prospect of having children? Am I willing to put my deepest fears aside in order to keep this woman in my life? My woman? And it's then when I tell myself that I need to fucking get over it. If I really want to marry Ana, then having children is the obvious byproduct of such a union.
I knew from the moment I fell in love with her that the potential of children had to be on the table. And I was fine with that fact – however, I've only viewed our future children in the abstract. Kids were not going to be in the forefront. They were not going to be a factor today.
The prospect of having children so soon in our relationship immediately caused me to short-circuit. I said things to Ana that I shouldn't have said because I was in the moment.
I really hurt her.
After her giving me the silent treatment all night Friday and all morning Saturday, imagine how I felt the moment she peered into my study Saturday afternoon, dressed and ready to leave. I can still taste the rusty tang of my heart as it rose up my throat.
"Where are you going?"
"I'm going to spend the day with Kate."
That's just fucking great. If she wasn't planning on leaving me now, she'll be encouraged to do so after spending the afternoon commiserating with Beastly Kate.
Fuck my life.
But maybe, just maybe she'll come back home and give me yet one more chance. I just need to figure this out. I need to soften the blow that I delivered to her last Thursday night. Her being out for the afternoon will give me some time to think and come up with a way to win her back – to show her that I know I was a jackass, and I'm truly sorry. I need her to see that I am working on it…that I am working on fixing how my fucked-up past still affects me. In fact, this most recent event will be topic #1 during my next visit with Flynn.
I take in a deep breath to try and calm my nerves. It doesn't help.
"When will you be home?" I ask her.
My response appears to stun her, but she quickly wipes away the telling expression.
"I'll be home before dinner."
I nod slowly, yet I'm still feeling lost. I don't want her to go, but she needs to – for her sanity. And I need to figure out how to un-fuck this whole mess.
"Bye," she says awkwardly and she turns from my study.
I feel sick to my stomach that she didn't even kiss me goodbye like she normally would.
"Bye – have fun," I call out, equally as awkward.
As her footsteps grow further and further way, I sink deeper into my seat until my head lands on the wooden surface.
Think, Grey…think!
I need to try, and I need her to see that I am trying.
She will never understand how terrified I am of having children.
As far as I am concerned, nobody whose genes are associated with the crack whore should be having kids. That woman fucked up my life. How do selfish, neglectful women like her get to give birth, while angels like Grace Trevelyan Grey never even get the opportunity?
This world is sick.
I don't understand it.
I'll never understand it.
And then I look at Ana. If any future child of mine is anything like her, then that would alleviate all fear or trepidation I ever had about bringing forth children into this world. This world definitely needs more people like Ana and less people like me with sick, hidden desires.
Flynn would often talk about this nature versus nurture concept.
If he's right, then I have absolutely nothing to fear.
But what if he's wrong?
It's a given – when Ana and I get married, she is going to want children. I'm just going to need to accept it and deal with it when the time comes. So how do I mentally get prepared for that time?
On a whim, I do a quick search on the internet – looking up 'how to prepare for parenthood'. Not long into my search, I find an article touting how pets are great for young couples to start off with before having children. I frown at the news.
Pets? Aren't they messy?
It's not until I scan a few images of cute little puppies that my hardened stance eases. I even smile at a few.
Soon after, I'm on the phone with Taylor asking him to bring home the cutest puppy that he can find. I could tell by the sound of his voice the he thought that I was out of my ever-loving mind. But as usual, he relents and does exactly what I ask.
So early this morning when Taylor arrives in my study with a tiny bundle tucked under his arm, my reflex causes me to laugh. Taylor frowns at me when I do, but once the tiny pup peeks from the blanket, the ice collectively melts from both of our hearts.
"He's an Australian labradoodle and goes by the name Sparky." I snort hearing Taylor say cutesy words like labradoodle and Sparky. He's ex-military for God's sake, so it's rather hilarious. "You can change the name of course, if you don't like it," he adds.
"I'm sure Ana will like the name," I smile as I take the bundle from Taylor.
"Yes, Sir. I'm sure she will." And even Taylor can't fight the smile aiming to take over his stoic face as the dog nuzzles his little wet nose against mine. "I have everything to get you started: Food, bowls, crate, bed, toys, collar and leash. Whatever Miss Steele needs for this little guy, let me know. I rather enjoyed going hog-wild at the pet store. It's been a while since I've done that." I narrow my eyes in amusement at my right-hand man.
"I used to have a dog. Butch. He was awesome. I just hope that this guy brings you and Miss Steele the same joy that Butch brought me."
I smile and respond with a single nod. Like me, Taylor isn't one to share a lot of insight into his personal life. But when he does share a tidbit, I know that it's important. I'm not sure how much Taylor is attuned to what's going on currently between Ana and me here at home. I wonder if he knows that this little guy here in my arms has a lot riding on his little shoulders. I know that this dog won't fix everything, but hopefully it's a start in the right direction.
I love Ana and I'm willing to do whatever it takes to keep her here with me.
….
I was shocked to see that Sparky's powers could mend Ana's heart too. After I surprised her by pushing Sparky into our bedroom just after she'd awaken this morning, Ana took to him immediately.
"A puppy?"
"His name is Sparky."
She giggles as she pets him on the bedroom floor. "Why did you get a dog?"
"To make up for Friday. Also, Sparky will be practice for us."
She looks at me with high uncertainty, and I know that this isn't completely resolved. However, we're well on our way – I believe.
"I just find it hilarious that you got a dog. We're always working."
"Well…maybe Sparky will change that."
Ana and I spent all day getting acquainted with Sparky. Eventually, she had to put him in his crate in order to start dinner. I use the time to resolve some unfinished business. Business that requires me to do something I haven't done before: Lock my study door. I'd be royally fucked if Anastasia knew what I was doing.
I finally came up with a plan to get rid of Lewis.
I'm actually going to give him a choice. If he's smart, he'll take what's behind door #1. Door #2 will only lead to him being a pariah that no one in their right mind would ever hire.
The tentacles of GEH extend far beyond the imagination. The industries that we influence are countless. If any top executive ever gets word of someone who worked for my company being dishonorably terminated, they would never sign them up to work for them. Anyone who's anyone knows not ever to piss me off by hiring an enemy of mine.
Confident in my resolution – and after making the needed phone calls to Portland, I give Welch a call.
"How can I help you this lovely Sunday afternoon, Mr. Grey?" And I know that he's giving me much shit for bugging him a Sunday. He usually gets over it rather quickly once I make a big fat deposit into his account.
"The asshole I called you about last week," I start. From there, I run down the entire plan to Welch to be executed as soon as he hangs up from me.
In so many words, I'm giving Gunther Lewis the courage to walk away from his current job. I am encouraging him to call Brad Smith tonight at home and resign without explanation.
Lewis is well aware how valuable of an asset he is to the finance team. He can be of great use at a partner location in Portland where GEH is working with them to spearhead new green innovation. I already contacted the partner and sold him on Lewis as their new finance manager, offering him a salary almost twice as much as he's earning today at GEH.
Now, one may ask, 'Why in the fuck are you rewarding this asshole?' Yes, this very same asshole has caused my girlfriend a lot of pain and grief. But hey, so have I. However, the difference between Lewis and me is that I am fucking my girlfriend and he wants to fuck her. So by default, Lewis has to go.
Do I blame him for wanting to fuck her? I mean he obviously has great taste in women. Unfortunately for him, he's picked the wrong woman to be jilted over. Lucky for him, my girlfriend is full of kindness and mercy. So for her sake and hers alone, I'm giving Lewis an opportunity to be the big shot that he's always wanted to be.
I chose Welch to make the call to Lewis because I needed steady and reliable muscle to make sure that Lewis leaves GEH quietly. If I made the call myself, I'd be liable to lose my shit by the off chance that the doucheberg said something to me that I didn't like. I'm already on edge, so calling him personally would've been a terrible idea.
After filling him in, Welch is on board and he quickly hangs up from me to make the call.
...
Ana outdoes herself once again, preparing us a delicious seafood bake for dinner. Each time this woman cooks for me, I know that I don't deserve her. Each time she is even in my presence, I know for a fact that I don't deserve her.
But I want her.
I need her.
After dinner, she and I take the new pooch for a walk. A few moments into our walk, I take the dog's leash away from her.
"Baby, I'm sorry for the way I reacted about you potentially being pregnant." And although the words easily pour out of me, her reaction throws me for a complete loop. It's as if she never expected me to ever apologize to her.
Realistically, I should've apologized to her the second that I lost my damned mind. I shouldn't have let three days go by without telling her sorry. I shouldn't have let ten minutes go by without telling her that I love her.
"I picture the two of us getting married at our brand new home at The Sound. We're going to do things right, Ana. Marriage first. Then for a few years, we'll travel the world together…with Sparky, of course. Then sometime after that, we'll have children."
Finally, I see her fighting a smile from the corner of her beautiful mouth. This is the exact reassurance she wanted. And with that, I go for the gusto.
"Also, I want you to eventually be my equal and run GEH along with me." Her expression falls.
Too strong, Grey.
Too strong.
I should have waited to tell her that part. She instantly turns from joy to fear. But since the cat's out of the bag, I might as well soften the blow for her. I need to reassure her.
"Baby, I know you can do it. You're already doing it."
"Christian, I really appreciate your faith in me – honest I do. I hate sounding like a broken record, but being co-CEO of a behemoth of a company has never been a dream of mine." And here we go again. She's not even giving the idea a shot. She's writing it off forthright.
"I love books, Christian," she emphasizes.
"I know, I know, I know," I painfully acquiesce.
Shit…why can't she just enjoy books for fun? She is extremely talented in what she does for GEH. Being an editor would be a complete waste of her time and talent. Ana has the power to make the world a better place right where she is. I don't think she can say that about working in publishing.
However, I reflect on my recent strategy with the upcoming acquisition of SIP and our plans to pioneer the digital market. Now that's world-changing. Ana can most certainly be a part of that. Maybe I can warm her up to the idea of me acquiring SIP without actually telling her. I give it a shot.
"What if I create a publishing division and you can run that too?"
She gapes at me. "Christian, you promised me that you wouldn't do that. The condition of me moving in with you at Escala in the first place was that you wouldn't create a publishing arm at GEH."
And there she goes – throwing past words back in my face. I wince in pain, but then I internally reassure myself that I'm doing nothing wrong.
I'm not creating a publishing arm from scratch.
I'm not breaking my promise to Ana.
And even though I'm not breaking any rules, I frantically run my hands through my hair. I still feel a sense of dread about what I'm doing. I'd be foolish to think that she wouldn't be upset with me once the SIP acquisition is final.
I have to figure out how to make her believe that this isn't being done maliciously.
I only want the best for her. For us.
"Christian, that beautiful picture you just painted of us…it's still there. I'm in that picture. You, me, Sparky… Nothing will change. I just won't be working at GEH."
Her last words are like a punch to the gut.
"Well – why do you need to work at all then? You don't have to work. You can stay home and read all of the books you want." And I say this with a straight face, knowing very well that I'm out of my goddamn mind for even speaking the suggestion.
Ana's having none of it.
"Christian, I can't just sit at home and do nothing, you know that." Of course. But to humor myself, I keep the ruse going.
"You wouldn't be doing nothing, Ana. You'll be reading, which you love to do. And if you get bored with that, you can always come to work at Grey House whenever you'd like."
She all but laughs in my face.
"Thanks but no thanks. I'm going to work and I'll be working in publishing. That's all there is to it."
Fine, have it your way Miss Steele.
I decide to finally let the sore subject go when my Blackberry buzzes in my pocket. Ana smirks at me as she reclaims Sparky's leash from my hand, and we continue along our path. While she concentrates on her new furry friend, I glance down and check the new text message.
Welch
8:13p: It's done
A/N: So now you see that Christian is always thinking a step ahead of Ana and everyone else. What a sneaky, sneaky boy!
In the next chapter, its red room or bust time. Ana flips her lid after finding out what Christian did behind her back and forces him to do something that he was afraid to do. And although she fulfills just about every one of his fantasies, it's enough to send him running and screaming right to Dr. Flynn.
So sorry for the long delay, faithful readers. I got a brand new boss at work, so I've been working hard to make a good impression on him instead of sneaking away on the job and writing as I normally do, haha!
I've also been getting lost in a number of books. I've actually read 20 books since March, finishing the Beautiful and the Wild Seasons series by Christian Lauren, and the Bad Boy Billionaires series by Max Monroe. Those books – all amazing. I highly recommend them if you haven't already read them.
My next update will probably be for Family Business. I already have the skeleton for that chapter prepared; I just need to fill in the holes. And as usual, I'm posting sneak peaks on my Facebook page. You can find me at username storietella2.
By the way, I'm off from work the first week of July and have no more trips planned this summer since we took a big one to Disney World last month. So you know what that means: More frequent updates!
Thanks so much for your patience everyone! – ST2