*I do not own the rights to the characters, all rights to the characters belongs to E.L James*
AN: I know, I know I have been gone way too long. I have been so busy with school and I have tried to write this chapter multiple times over the months and I have hated every attempt. I was finally able to come up with this and I was kind of ok with it so I thought, what the hell, why not post it? I think I will be back for a long while, I hope to not lose my creative motivation again and I am sorry for going MIA. I have updated the pinterest page with Ana's outfit from this chapter under a board that is the title of this story. Thank you so much for your patience and I hope that you enjoy the chapter. Please do review as always, hope to be back real soon!
xAlysha
PS: Special thank you to lanieloveu for editing :)
Chapter 36: Meeting You
The past few days have been exceedingly difficult for me. Between completing the final steps for Grey Publishing and avoiding Christian, I have been exhausted. I never realized how much work actually goes into the hiring process until I actually had to start doing it myself. I have been running back and forth in between meetings with different directors over the past couple days. Somehow, I have managed to avoid seeing Christian for the last five days which is record breaking if you compare it to only the five hours I use to go without seeing him. From the moment he entered my life, seeing Christian had become a normal part of my day. If we missed each other at work, we would have dinner that night and that usually ended with us spending the night together.
Although, now I hate to admit it, a large part of me misses him. It feels like I am punishing myself by staying away from him because of his mistake. Originally, I didn't see myself giving Christian the cold shoulder, but having time away from him has really given me the opportunity to think and as much as I thought about Christian, there were also times that I thought about Logan and what went wrong in our relationship. The way I handled our problems is something that I don't want to repeat with Christian. So, instead of folding and giving in to his charms, I decided to distance myself for a while. I have gone to lunch with Kate and Jose over the last couple of days to keep busy. Still, there were so many times that I found myself wanting to run upstairs and just forget everything, but he has to learn that he can't treat me like he's my Dominate. He needs to understand that as much as he wants me to be his submissive, I am not. What he did that night hurt me and I know he realized that later, but if he would have just taken a moment to open up to me and stop being so guarded, he would have known.
I have been successful at avoiding Christian, but that ends today. I had been checking my calendar religiously and saw that today at noon, I have a meeting scheduled with Christian himself. It takes place right before we start interviewing possible GP employees. I am slightly embarrassed to admit that I am nervous. I have not seen this man for over the course of five days and in Christian and Ana time that is more like five years!
For my first official day of conducting GP business, I decided to head out to the mall last night to find the perfect outfit. Knowing that I was to see Christian, I did what any reasonable female would do… dress to the nines and blow his mind with my ability to conduct business while attempting to look stylish. Although it did take going into a couple of stores, I finally found a winner: a loose white blouse with lace sleeves that I paired with flowy light blue cuffed joggers which have a bowtie on the waist, complete with white pointed-toe pumps. Now, looking at my reflection in the mirror, I feel confident that my outfit choice will give me the extra push I need to successfully get through my day. I take one last look at myself before grabbing my bag and the notes I need. I head out the door ready to get my day started.
The moment I entered the building, I was instantly thrown into my work. Even though I have made extreme progress with the GP hiring process; knowing that it's happening today makes me feel like I have absolutely nothing prepared. I am sitting in my office arranging the different folders for each of the candidates when I hear the familiar ping of my email. I reach over and grab my laptop from on top of my desk to open my email. As soon as the window opens, I notice that my latest email is from none other than himself.
To: Anastasia Steele
From: Christian Grey
Date:June 1, 2011
Subject: Seeking Amends
Miss Steele,
I would like to have dinner with you this evening to discuss my most recent transgressions. We have not had an opportunity to discuss the situation at length. I have tried to give you space, but let's be honest we both know that I am not a patient man. It is my hope that I have given you enough time and you will consider meeting with me this evening.
Christian Grey
Remorseful CEO of Grey Enterprises Holdings Inc.
We both know that patience is not one of Christian's strong suits. I guess it's about time to put both of us out of our misery.
To: Christian Grey
From: Anastasia Steele
Date: June 1,2011
Subject: Transgressions
Christian,
I agree it has been a while and I do appreciate the space that you have given me. I think it is time to talk. In case you have forgotten, we have interviews to conduct together at noon today. Perhaps we can grab dinner later this evening?
Anastasia Steele
Forgiving intern at Grey Enterprises Holdings Inc.
There! I pressed send and almost immediately I hear the familiar ping of my e-mail. It seems like the both of us just want for this situation to be over and done with.
To: Anastasia Steele
From: Christian Grey
Date: June 1, 2011
Subject: Grateful
I have not forgotten about the interviews this afternoon. I look forward to seeing you. We can leave for dinner once you get off of work this evening.
Christian Grey
CEO of Grey Enterprises Holdings Inc.
I find myself smiling at the thought of seeing Christian. I knew that I was going to see him today already, but I am glad that we will be able to spend time together outside of work. I miss our silly banter and pleasant conversation. It will be good to have dinner with him again and to see him outside of his usual CEO persona. I decide that I won't reply to his suggestion over email, but wait until we see each other in person instead.
I look up from the stack of files I have arranged to check the time. It's now eleven forty-three and the moment I have been waiting for is finally here. I am not only just excited to see Christian, but to also actually get the wheels for GP in motion. I have worked so hard, it will be exciting to actually see some of my hard work come to light.
Once we have chosen the candidates that we feel will be the right fit, we can start the training process. Once everyone is trained they'll be placed on leave until it is time to actually start putting together the GP fundraiser. Then, they'll be able to help with the funding process and secure more authors for the company. Once construction is done, we will be able to move everyone into the building and start conducting actual publishing business. I find myself smiling for the second time today because I realize that choosing GEH as an internship was probably one of my best decisions. The experience has taught me how to be a skilled business woman and on top of that I've also met someone that I hope to keep in my life for a long time. Although I am enjoying this moment of victory, I know it is time for me to go. I don't want to start things off on a bad note today by showing up late. I grab my files and place them in my work bag, as well as my laptop and other useful items before heading upstairs.
I make it to Christian's floor and I am met by an always prepared Andrea. She offers to help me with my things that I've brought up specifically for the meetings. I give her half of my load as she tells me that Christian is ready to see me now. We both head in the direction of his office while engaging in small talk. I find her very easy to talk to. Christian sees our slight struggle as we enter his office. He helps the two of us place all of my things comfortably where they need to be before he dismisses Andrea. He quickly turns towards me. His eyes rake up and down my body in obvious approval. Objective complete. My subconscious is high fiving me before she whips out the victory flag. He noticed. His beautiful Gray eyes are now smoldering as they finally lock with mine. I can't help but bite my lip out of nervousness.
"Anastasia, you know what biting your lip does to me, especially when I have not seen you in days." He says while striding towards me like an animal stalking its prey.
"Woah, woah, woah! Slow your roll there tiger," I say to him in an attempt to stop his movements, and lucky for me it works. "I am here because we have a meeting to get through before my hiring process, which by the way is due to start within the next hour. There will be no funny business, especially since we still have some things to work over if I remember correctly." I state confidently.
As much as I just want to give in and let him carry out whatever mischievous actions he had planned, I know I can't because I want us to work… whatever this is we have between us. In order for that to happen, we need to be able to act with clear minds and I know that the two of us will not be able to think clearly once we are enthralled in one another. Christian lets out a frustrated sigh while racking his hands through his beautiful copper locks.
"Anastasia I am trying. I have attempted to be patient but we both know that patience is not one of my strong suits. I want you to be able to trust me again but in order for that to happen we actually need to see each other. I sent you an email asking you to dinner to discuss everything that happened that night and you didn't reply. I need you to meet me halfway here." He says while sounding exasperated.
"I know, and that's why I came up here early. I wanted to tell you in person that I would love to go to dinner with you this evening. I think our separation has run its course and we should just get this over with." I explain to him.
"Good," he says while walking towards me in a much calmer manner, "because I have missed you. I do not like it when you are upset with me." He stops in front of me and tucks a loose strand of hair behind my ear.
"I've missed you too." I whisper back to him.
"I am not good at this. I have never had someone truly hold me accountable the way that you do. I've also never had someone who has made me feel this out of control since I was a small child. I know that I fucked up, but I am trying Ana… I promise." He says sweetly before running his knuckles along the side of my face. I close my eyes in response to his touch. I cannot deny that I have missed this.
"I know, and we will talk about everything tonight." I tell him gently before turning into his hand to leave a chaste kiss on his knuckles. He cups my face as he looks straight into my eyes and I feel myself getting lost in his stare. In this moment, there is only him and me. He looks at me for what feels like an eternity before he leans his forehead against mine. I feel the quickness of his warm breath fanning out across my face.
"Ana." He whispers while shaking his head. "I would really like to kiss you right now." He says before he raises his head to look into my eyes once again, clearly trying to gauge my reaction. "Please." He says before running his thumb along my face. I silently answer his plea by reaching up to leave a chaste kiss on his lips. His arms drop around my waist in an attempt to deepen the kiss, but I quickly put a stop to that. I break our kiss and pull back causing him to look at me in confusion.
"Christian, I don't want to go too far right now. First of all, we don't need to confuse ourselves by doing this without having talked first. Secondly, we are at work and someone could see us. And lastly, I would like to run everything by you before we begin the actual interviews." I explain while trying to let him down gently.
"Ok." He says before leaving a kiss on my cheek. His strong arms fall from my waist and he gestures for me to move towards his desk. We turn to walk and out of the corner of my eye, I see him discreetly shift his pants. The sight of him makes me giggle.
"Yeah, yeah, yeah. Clearly I have missed you Anastasia, but as you said, we have work to do." He replies. He slips into CEO mode before sitting down to get started.
I am really glad that we were able to have a meeting before the interviews start. I feel a lot more comfortable with my skills for this hiring process after talking things out with Christian. I was able to run my approach by him and iron out all of the small areas that had potential for error before the actual interviews. It is now one thirty, we've eaten our lunch and finished going over my files. The first interview starts at one forty and I must admit that I am a mixture of both excitement and nervousness. I find myself restlessly tapping my foot against the ground. Christian and I are both seated in the section of his office that has space for interviewing. We are together on the large couch across from two individual seats reserved for the applicants. My nervousness must show because I feel Christian's hand on my knee in an attempt to stop my tapping.
"Anastasia, you are going to be fine. If anything, it should be the people that are being interviewed that should be nervous. You are completing one of the most vital steps of your business by simply making sure that you find the best people to help you in the establishment and growth of your company. I know that you are going to make the best choice for you, and if you ever find yourself doubting your choices that is what I am here for. Everything is going to be fine baby." He says while leaning towards me to leave a quick kiss on my cheek. He moves further away from me once he hears Andrea announce that the first applicant has arrived. He gives me one last reassuring smile before the door to his office opens.
Let's get this show on the road.
The interviewing process is a long and tedious one. You have to re-read all of the different resumes and applications that you were sent in addition to listening to them present themselves. After a while though, it gets boring. You start to realize that people are repeating some of the same things over and over again. The good thing is there are moments where you meet someone that really seems to be worthwhile and want to help further your company. Thus far I have met maybe three possible candidates. One of my favorites right now is Hannah Hamilton. She applied for the position of being my personal assistant once things at GP really start to kick off. It was nice to actually see someone who is generally interested in the well being of the company. What is also comforting is the fact that Christian agrees with me on my assessment of her. He also thinks that she will be a wonderful asset to the company once we actually start getting things kicked off.
We have been interviewing people for a little over an hour and fifteen minutes and we still have three more people to see. The last applicant left a little over five minutes ago and Christian and I discussed our opinions of him. His name was Anthony Smith and something about him just did not sway me in a positive direction. It did not take Christian and me very long to determine that he would not be receiving a call for a follow up interview. I reach into my bag to get the file on the next applicant so that I may have a quick refresher on the details.
Grey Publishing Employee Application:
Name of Applicant: Julia Andrews
Position desired: Editor
Date of Birth: 12/15/89
Address: 2482 Sheldon St Seattle, Washington 98101
Social Security: ***-**-2119
Relationship status: Married as of 2011
Level of Education: High School Diploma at St. Agnes High School, Baccalaureate degree in Biology at The University of San Diego
References:
Mary Wilks
(858)-334-6930
Relationship: Previous employer
Past Places of Employment:
Seattle General Hospital.
After taking a glance at her credentials again, I am surprised that she has taken an interest in this company. She received a degree in Biology and seems to have started her residency at a local hospital in the city. I don't know why someone in the medical field would suddenly decide to have an interest in publishing. I do know that everyone is entitled to change their mind, I just find it strange. I will make sure that I mention that during her interview today. All too soon, I hear the sound of Christian's office door open again. In walks a drop dead gorgeous woman. She confidently struts into the room wearing a simple black pencil skirt and a fitted white top underneath. Her red hair is pinned up into the neatest bun that I have ever seen. I find myself being oddly intimidated. She walks confidently towards the both of us before she offers us her hand giving both of us a confident handshake before taking a seat across from Christian and I. Christian sends me a small gesture, letting me know that he is ready when I am.
"Hello Julia, thank you for meeting with us today. This should be a very simple interviewing process. We can just go over your basic information on your file and resume and then we can venture into more things about the actual company." I say in a friendly tone, while offering her a small smile.
"Sounds great." She says.
"So, it says here that you are actually living in the city. Is it safe to assume that if hired, you would have the ability to make it to work around the area?"
"Yes, both my husband and I have a car so that should not be a problem." She says while putting much emphasis on the word husband. Okayyyy…. that was strange.
"Great, I also see here that you were married this year, congratulations." I reply while trying to add some positives into the confusingly tense atmosphere.
"Thank you, my husband and I were married a couple of months ago and are blissfully happy." She replies while showing me her ring.
"Wow, this is a beautiful ring that you have here." I reply oddly, I look towards Christian for clues as to how he feels this interview is going and he looks conflicted. He is looking at Julia as if he is trying to figure her out. Before the conversation can go any further to the left, I decide to broach the subject of her sudden change in career paths.
"So, I also see that you have a degree in Biology and had actually started a residency at the local hospital. I must admit, I am curious about your sudden shift in direction." I say curiously. As I lift my eyes from her file, I see that her eyes are all but staring a hole into my head. I see that her breathing has changed, she is letting out very deep and harsh breathes. If I am honest, she looks five minutes away from blowing her top... and I have no idea why.
"Mrs. Andrews, are you alright?" I ask while getting concerned. She then shakes her head as if she were trying to rid her mind of a crazy idea.
"You know, you are a fucking piece of work. To sit here and act all innocent like you don't know what you are doing," she says.
"Excuse me!" I exclaim. Who the hell does this lady think she's talking too? And what the hell is she talking about.
"Oh, don't be coy! You know that you are trying to sway my husband back into your lanky little arms, but it is too late Anastasia he is MINE! I have won. You were in a relationship with him for years and you could never get him to see you the way that he saw me. That's how I got the ring Ana! I got the ring by being noticeable! Now that he finally got rid of you, I thought that we would be able to move the hell on, but no! You are like a leech, you have latched onto him and he can't seem to shake you off!"
"THAT'S ENOUGH!" Christian exclaims angrily beside me while rising up from his seat.
"No, I want to hear this. What are you talking about? I assure you that I am not attempting to have any sort of affair with anyone who is in a relationship. I don't know who you are and how you have come to these conclusions about my personal life, but you are mistaken about me." I resort back.
"What I am talking about is that your use to be boyfriend of many years that cheated on you with me is my husband. We were dating and fell madly in love. After months of seeing each other, he proposed. Logan Andrews married ME at the court house two months ago. I am no longer Julia Rene Holks, I am now Mrs. Andrews. And I think it would be in your best interest to stay the hell away from my husband. You lost! You weren't enough for him which is why he found me. So I need you to do us all a favor and just stay the hell away from him!" She yells before Taylor comes bursting into the room.
He must have clearly heard the commotion in here and took control of the situation because her voice is now sounding further and further away. All I can hear are little bits and pieces like "not enough," "Logan," "married me" and "cheating" being repeated over and over again. As much as I want to pretend that this doesn't hurt… it does. The man that I have loved for so long suddenly married someone else. It's not even like he waited years before he decided to marry a women he met while being in a relationship with me. Months, it only took him a few months. I feel like my heart is breaking all over again. All the feelings of inadequacy and betrayal are starting to consume me. I can't seem to move or even conjure up a sentence. My eyes are just locked onto the seat that was previously occupied by her.
I didn't even realize that I was crying until I felt Christian trying to snap me back into reality. He is trying to console me and cease my tears, but I am in complete hysterics. I am scared because while I no longer want to be with Logan, I am hurt. I am hurt that someone who was supposed to be so close to me managed to hurt me again. It seems like every time I find out something new about him, it ends up being worse than before. I don't know how much more heartbreak I can take.
I don't want Logan, I know that and I am confident in that fact. I am also confident in the fact that I want Christian… and I am now scared shitless because if Logan couldn't love me after years of being together, how can I trust that Christian will ever truly love me?
I have known for a long time that I love Christian, but I never really allowed myself to fully admit it. The thought of Christian doing what Logan has done to me is physically and mentally painful. I wouldn't be able to take it. The thought
Hopefully I am not too rusty, thoughts?