Epilogue
Grey House, 8.30am, Monday September 21st
"And, this is your office."
Her new P.A., Kelly, stepped aside to let her see the huge corner office.
"I've put your books and things out, as best I can."
Susannah Moss looked around at her neatly-ordered legal texts and the few personal items that she used to decorate her office. "Thank you," she said to Kelly. Having her own P.A. would take some getting used to. Strike that, she thought. Everything about this job would take some getting used to.
Susannah walked up to the window and looked down at the morning traffic in the busy street below. She leant forward, her head touching the glass and turned to her right but even being much higher than she was before, she couldn't see where she'd come from, a block away at Lane, Neill and O'Driscoll.
"Mr Grey will see you for coffee at eight forty five, ahead of the meeting with Tony Statham. He's one floor above." Kelly pointed to the ceiling. "He sent the flowers."
On her desk were a beautifully-arranged bunch of flowers in the red and gold colours of September.
"I must remember to thank him." Susannah smiled. Kelly Jones could have no idea of the myriad of emotions that went into Susannah's smile, but the woman interpreted it wrongly.
"Yeah." Kelly admitted. "We're all in love with him. I'm… curious. Do you remember anything about him saving your life?"
It wasn't only flowers and a kick-ass new job which Susannah needed to thank Christian for. "No. I don't."
"Pity. We're all desperate to know what he feels like to kiss."
For all her many months as his submissive, Susannah couldn't answer that. He'd never kissed her on the mouth and to her knowledge there was only one person he ever had. "I'll ask his wife for you," she replied.
Kelly blushed. "Oh, no, it's OK. We're better off not knowing. Productivity would truly grind to a halt if we could better imagine that. Anyway, you're having coffee with him shortly, so I guess you won't want one now?"
"No, thank you."
"I'll leave you to get settled. After your meeting with Tony Statham we can talk more about how you like things done."
Kelly closed the door and Susannah sat in the plush leather chair. She had been appointed as GEH's new Chief Legal Advisor. Christian Grey would seek out and value her opinion and that was something she needed to stop and take a moment to think about. A bubble of a laugh escaped her. Sometimes how life worked out was even more implausible than any film or book.
From her bag she took her iPad. An interesting email had arrived this morning. It came with a photograph taken at Six Flags last week, of the members of The Red Audi Owners' Club - all fifteen women who'd had contracts with Christian Grey. And now she had a quite different contract with him.
There was a knock at the door.
"Come in," she said.
She was surprised to see men's shoes when she was expecting Kelly's heels. She ran her eyes up the length of the man's body and found that it ended in the face of Christian Grey.
"Good morning," he said.
"Oh, I thought I was coming to you?" Susannah was a little confused.
"You are, but I didn't know how tired you got, walking. So I came down for you."
"That's very kind. And thank you for the flowers."
"You're welcome."
"I could've made it," she said.
"I'm glad to hear it. But I do have an ulterior motive. Olivia is taking delivery of yet another intern. I'm going through them at a rate of about one a week and I don't think it's worth me learning their names anymore."
"I heard from Ana that Andrea chose not to come back. I'm sorry."
"Yes." Christian said sadly. "But it's for the best. She has her own demons to deal with and she doesn't need mine in her head while she does it. But I still can't bring myself to get a permanent replacement." He picked at a fingernail. "Shall we go?"
Susannah rose from her seat, picked up her iPad and from her bag grabbed a notebook and pen. She walked around the desk and Christian held out his arm for her. She shook her head.
"I'm not an invalid. I'll be fine if we walk slowly."
"OK."
They left her office and Susannah noticed Kelly's flushed face. She smiled and set off with Christian, walking at a sedate pace to the elevator.
"Did you have a good vacation?" She asked.
"Yes. I didn't want to come back into the office this morning," he admitted. "A month away from here was good. We needed some family time. It was a very bruising summer."
"Yes. I would agree."
"And you're up to this? I don't mean work-wise, I mean your health? If you need more time or you need to work part-time, then just say the word."
"I'm fine, Mr Grey. Really."
"Call me Christian, please."
Susannah paused and looked at him.
Christian shrugged. "That was… a long time ago. You're part of my core team now and I'm not the man I was. Ana's seen to that. So, will you?"
"OK. And in return you can call me Susannah."
"Not Susie?" He arched an eyebrow.
"No. That's reserved for a few close family and friends."
Christian laughed. "Just throw my old life back in my face, why don't you?"
"OK, then. You can call me Susie."
"Thank you."
They walked on.
"So, I hear that you and Scott McDowell at the Seattle Times are dating."
"It's early days, but yes, we are."
"Dating?"
"Dating. With me not having much capacity for great exertion, we'll have to find… another way."
"Speaking from experience, Miss Moss, I can highly recommend finding another way."
"Thank you. I am similarly optimistic."
"And Ana told me you went down to Six Flags last week?"
"Yes I did. Have you ever been?"
"No."
"You should take Ana."
"Perhaps I will." Christian put his hands in his pants pockets. "She said you went with some friends. Fourteen friends to be precise."
Susannah pressed the button to call the elevator. "Did she tell you what we call ourselves?"
"The Red Audi Owners' Club?"
"We thought it sounded better than the…" She looked around. "Sub Club."
Christian gazed at his shoes. "They're all OK?"
The elevator doors opened and they stepped in. Christian pressed the button for floor 20.
"They're all fine. Do you want to see a picture? Janey forwarded it to me this morning."
"Like pictures haven't gotten me into enough trouble this summer."
"Well, this one's pretty harmless." Susannah swiped her iPad called up her email and opened the picture. She handed it to him.
Christian Grey looked silently at the picture of his past as the elevator slowed to a halt and the doors opened. He ambled out and stood in the reception area outside his office staring at the photograph of fifteen happy, smiling women. He put down the cover and handed the iPad back to her.
"Thank you," he said a little croakily. His eyes held some unfathomable emotion that she couldn't read. He cleared his throat. "Would you like some coffee?"
"Yes please."
"Olivia? Can you bring some coffee through to my office, please?" He looked up and down the large sandstone desk. "Where's the new girl?"
"In your closet."
"What's she doing in there? We don't give interns such personal work." He snapped.
"I know," she sighed. "But apparently it's not how you like it."
"No it isn't, but…" He tailed off, stared at Olivia and a smile twitched at the corners of his mouth. "Andrea's here?"
Olivia nodded, grinning. She'd already shifted into the other seat to make way for her.
"She's my new intern?"
"Yes."
"Well… I'd better introduce myself. Could you get Susannah some coffee, please?"
Christian strolled into his office and as silently as he could, pushed open the door on his bathroom. His shoes were pulled out and a woman was on her hands and knees, half in and half out of the closet. She was wearing a grey pencil skirt, black high-heeled shoes and the scarlet soles of her Louboutins matched her scarlet blouse. She knelt back, put down a cloth and a can of polish, picked up his spare shoes and replaced them on the cleaned shelf. He let the door go and the hinge gave a little squeak.
"Olivia, I'm pretty sure I left detailed instructions about how this place was to be kept. Being his P.A isn't just about firing off emails and booking his appointments, you know?" Andrea grabbed his gym shoes. "It's everything, from handling his schedule all the way down to his shorts." There was silence and it was clear that Andrea was expecting a reply. "Do you hear me?"
Christian grinned. "I'm reassured to know that my shorts are being so expertly handled."
Andrea Parker hurriedly reversed out of Christian's closet. Her face was as scarlet as her shirt. She scrambled to her feet and straightened her skirt. Several sections of her blonde hair had escaped from her chignon. For Andrea's standards she looked a wreck and it wasn't even 9am yet.
"I thought you hated me?"
"I don't hate you. I just don't understand you. But then again I never did, so no change there."
"Why are you here?"
"I miss my job. I miss my friends. I miss… you."
"But you have issues with me?"
"I have bills. They're bigger issues."
"But you're an intern. Why?"
"Because I resigned. Yes, it's the biggest mistake I ever made and being your intern is a way back in. It was Luke who told me that another girl had left on Friday. I called Erica at home and she told me to come in today because it would save her the job of looking for someone else. So, here I am, your new intern, if you'll have me?"
"No…"
"OK." Andrea's quick reply was barely audible. "I'll get my stuff."
She bent to pick up the cloth and can of polish, held herself as upright as she could manage and, keeping her eyes on the floor, walked past him out into his office. She replaced the polish and the cloth in the cupboard and from another, took out her coat and bag.
She gave a quick nod to Olivia and then went to call the elevator. It took what seemed like forever to reach the twentieth floor. But finally the doors slid open to reveal Elliot and Ana Grey, Tony Statham, Jason Taylor and her own boyfriend, Luke Sawyer.
Andrea stood aside to let them out. Luke turned to look at her questioningly, but she didn't acknowledge him. She got into the elevator, pressed the button for the first floor and tried to hide herself in the corner. The doors slid shut and whisked Andrea down to total humiliation.
On the first floor she got out and her prized Louboutin heels seemed to be nailing her coffin shut with every tap they made on the polished floor. Down the hall she could see Cassie on the main desk and David and Bill the two security guys. Only a few minutes ago she'd talked with them about how glad she was to be back. But now here she was, making the Walk of Shame. Each step made her heart break a little more and it became harder to see where she was going from the tears swimming in her eyes.
Andrea didn't see the man exit another elevator ahead of her, with a face set like flint. He walked straight at her and as he reached her, he bent slightly, scooped her up around her thighs, threw her over his shoulder and strode back into the elevator that she had just vacated.
He pressed the button for the twentieth floor and only when the elevator was moving did he put her down. Christian Grey was not a happy man.
"As I was saying, before you so rudely walked off; I don't want you as my intern, because you know that I don't allow interns to handle my shorts. And I want you to handle my shorts. Because it's taken two P.A's and six interns to appreciate how well you handle my shorts, my schedule and in general, the whole shit around here. I employ the best people and you, Andrea Mary Parker, are the best P.A. in Seattle. For that I will pay you whatever you demand. Your title from now on will be Executive Assistant and your working hours will be 9am to 5pm Monday to Friday. Is that OK?"
For a beat there was no sound but the elevator machinery.
"Yes." Andrea replied, stifling the urge to launch herself at him and kiss him with gratitude.
The elevator came to a halt and the doors slid open on the busy reception area.
"Good. Now, take your coat off, get behind that desk and manage the shit out of me. I have a busy day."
"Yes, Mr Grey."
The two of them got out of the elevator and Andrea strode over to her seat wearing a smile that could power the sun. Luke collected a kiss from her as she passed.
Christian made a beeline for Ana who was talking to Susannah.
"How's working for a living, instead of hanging round the boatyard, getting in Matt's way?" she asked.
Christian tugged at the white collar of his shirt. "Horrible, this thing feels tight."
Ana looked at his stomach, which didn't sit as flat as it used to and the waistband of his pants, which was under a little strain. She smirked and patted his stomach gently. "I think Cornwall had side effects."
Christian looked rueful. "You could be right."
In Christian's office the group settled themselves on the white leather sofas. Tony had set up his laptop and connected it to the projector. He gave a nod to Christian.
"Elliot, Ana. I've asked you here today because our businesses all have one thing in common. They need more space. You're already looking for new premises, Elliot. Ana's staff are having to office share and I've pretty much filled Grey House. Tony's got a project in the pipeline for a new complex in Seattle and I'd like the two of you to come in on it with me."
Tony brought up the artists impression of the multi-level skyscraper, which from the look of it filled an entire block.
"Grey Plaza," said Christian.
Ana was speechless and Elliot's mouth dropped open.
"What do you think?" Christian asked, anxious. Across from him Susannah was also looking at it in awe.
"How…big is that?" asked Elliot.
"It's not tall, the main section is only eight hundred feet, but underneath, it has an array of facilities from a shopping mall, a central courtyard garden, movie theatre, restaurants, parking, you name it, it's got it," said Tony in his distinctive British accent.
"And where the fuck are you planning to build that?"
"On 4th Avenue." said Tony.
"What? You'll never get it passed." Elliot looked at his brother and noticed a look in his eye. "Oh… It already has."
"It was going to be Jared Baker's. I called Tony when Jared ran into difficulties a few weeks back to say that if he needed finance to give me a call. And he did."
"Grey Plaza, huh? Is there no end to your empire?" Elliot grinned.
"It's for you and Ana, too. For Mia if she wants to set up a business in there and Dad if he wants to relocate his law practice. But all GEH's divisions will operate from here."
"And Mom? Will you be building her the Christian Grey Memorial Hospital?"
"I'm trying not to be dead just yet, Elliot."
Elliot exhaled a whistle through his teeth. "It's a huge thing. I gotta think about it."
"Well, do that. But don't talk about it." He turned to his wife. "Ana?"
"Build it and I'll move in."
Christian grinned. "Thank you. Susannah, can you get in touch with Ana's legal team and start the ball rolling?"
"Sure."
"What are you going to do with this place?" Elliot pointed at the ceiling.
"Eagle Pacific Holdings are interested."
"Ros's company?" asked Ana.
"Yes."
"How's she doing?"
"She's doing well. Too well. I now have some serious competition. She knows how I work, I know how she works and we both get interested in the same things."
"Sounds like someone for Ana to get worried about?" cautioned Elliot.
Ana laughed. "You really don't know Ros if you think she'd be interested in Christian."
"Likes blondes does she?" said Elliot, theatrically tossing his head so his blonde curls bounced.
"Women, yes," said Christian and smirked while his brother looked embarrassed.
With Elliot and Tony gone and Susannah also heading back to her office, Christian slowly walked Ana to the elevator.
"Did you have a coat?" he asked.
She laughed.
"What?"
"I just got the most incredible sense of déjà vu. I think you've walked me to this elevator and asked that once before."
"Perhaps I did."
"You did," said Olivia. "I remember that."
Christian arched an eyebrow at his Personal Assistant. "You remember that?"
"It's seared onto our brains," said Andrea, sardonically. " Mr Cancels-his-next-meeting-on-a-whim-just-so-he-can- spend-more-time-with-Miss-Steele, Grey." She stared at him.
Christian stared back and Andrea stuck her tongue out at him.
"Miss Parker, I may have to reconsider your appointment. Perhaps you may enjoy a spell with the building's janitors? After all, you've already proved yourself adept at cleaning out my closet."
"She cleaned out your closet?" asked Ana. "Did you find anything interesting in there?"
"No. Just a lack of shorts."
"I expect you to give my shorts your full attention."
"I'll get right on it, after I've actioned your latest plans for world-domination."
"Good." He turned his attention back to Ana. "Now, where were we?"
"You were putting on my coat and seeing me to the elevator."
"Back then, did I call it for you?"
"I think you did."
Christian pressed the button to summon the elevator. Beneath them the machinery rumbled to life, bringing the metal box up to the twentieth floor.
He stole a soft kiss. "Do you have time for lunch at Escala today?" he murmured.
As he watched, Ana deliberately bit her lip. "Morning, noon and night? You're insatiable.
"I need the exercise. My wife tells me I'm getting fat."
"She did not. You're merely a little squidgy in the middle from all that full-on Cornish relaxation."
"Precisely why I need some exercise."
"Let Claude put you through your paces."
He kissed her ear lobe. "I'd rather put you through yours." He whispered.
She smiled and ran the flat of her hand over his chest. "But it's our first day back." Next to them the elevator doors slid open. "And I have a mountain of paperwork."
He stared at the empty elevator and then quirked an eyebrow at her. "Will you say it or shall I?"
Ana flung her bag into the elevator. "Oh fuck the paperwork!" She growled.
They fell on each other and into the elevator. Out of sight of the two women there was a dull clang as somebody, they couldn't see who, got pushed up against the polished steel. The doors closed and the machinery whisked the couple away. Behind their sandstone desk, Olivia Lucas sat dumbstruck.
"I definitely don't remember that," said Olivia in a strangled voice. "I'm pretty sure he just said her name or something. But that was hot!"
"Whatever." Andrea clicked on Christian's schedule. "So much for his busy day. I guess I'd better block out the rest of it, re-arrange his meetings and call Hannah down at Grey Publishing." Andrea gave a fond sigh and picked up the phone. "Something tells me they won't be back."
The End
Thank you's......To you for reading
...To everyone who left a review, I loved reading your speculations about what was going to happen
... To Spooky Mehta for beta comments, without whom this would have been a far weaker story
... and for E L James for writing a character in CG that I couldn't let go.
The last line of this story is pretty poignant for me as, although you should never say never, I'm not planning on writing more FSOG stories. This is because I was in the middle of writing my own first original novel when my plotlines were hijacked by re-reading FSOG and I just HAD to write something. But, please keep in touch through Twitter or Facebook - the links are on my profile.
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