A/N: Thank you for the reviews on the previous chapter.
I know it's been long, but I was struggling with the direction of the story. Ana is now 17 weeks pregnant and being too emotional is not good for her and the baby. She needs to overcome her fair of letting Christian out of sight, but she also needs to look after herself and the baby.
Important: I do not own the Fifty Shades Trilogy or the characters. They belong to the very talented E.L. James.
Still Ana POV:
"Ana, please calm down," Luke sounds almost desperate for me to calm down, but I don't want to. I don't want to be calm, I want Christian.
"Please… Luke, please… just call…tell him to come back… please…"
Luke just holds onto me and I want to really hit him now. I said to phone Christian and he is not doing what I told him to do. I don't have the strength to get up and do it myself. The way I feel now, I will just wait for Christian here.
"I love you, Anastasia."
How I wish I can hear it from Christian again at this moment. I cry harder and wait for Luke to call Christian, but he doesn't move. Instead he just holds me tighter and run his hand up and down my back.
"He will be back on Thursday, Ana. You have to calm down. I know you must be really hurt and scared right now, but please… calm down for the baby." I really try to calm down for Teddy, but this is too painful and I end up crying harder because I can't stop.
"Oh my God, Ana." I turn my head and come face to face with Taylor and Gail. What are they doing here? Still crying, I see Taylor walking over to me and Luke on the floor while Gail has a hand over her mouth with tears in her eyes.
"Ana, please don't do this to yourself. Think of Teddy. All this crying is not good for him." Luke releases me to Taylor who is now holding me to his chest.
"I can't lose him… not again. I need to talk to him. Please… call Christian." I just want to hear his voice.
"He's already in the air, Ana." I push him away and look at Luke then back to Taylor.
"He's… gone." My voice is soft, barely a whisper and my throat is starting to feel tender.
"Not gone, Ana, in the air. We won't get hold of him until they land and it will only be late this afternoon." So… he's gone. That just makes me cry harder again and I hold onto Taylor. "I promise that I will get hold of him the minute they land." He will, I know he will and try my best to calm down. It takes a couple of minutes to get myself under control while Taylor waits patiently for the tears to stop.
"Would you like some tea, Mrs. Grey?" I hear the housekeeper ask, but before I can answer, Gail walks past me.
"I'll make her some tea." Gail turns to look at me and Taylor, "Jason, please take Ana to the couch, the floor should be uncomfortable."
I get up on shaky legs and walk to the couch with Taylor's arm around my waist. Luke comes to sit on the opposite couch, but he should go to bed, he looks exhausted.
"What are you doing here? You are supposed to be on vacation." I ask the two of them when Gail hands me my tea. My legs pulled up with a blanket over my legs and Gail sits next to Taylor.
"We are still on vacation, but Gail has never been to New York, so we thought that now is as good as a time as any." Yeah, and I'm the Pope in my spare time.
"And the fact that Christian just left me…" I feel my chest tightening again and use every bit of self control to keep from crying, "… alone in New York had absolutely nothing to do with it?" Taylor narrows his eyes, probably waiting for the breakdown.
"Well, Sophie could not fly back to Seattle with the jet as it was in New York and we could not let her fly back on a commercial plane on her own, so we flew back to Seattle with her. When we got to the airport, her mother was already there to collect her and we decided to get onto the next flight to New York and here we are." He sits back on the couch with Gail in his arms looking completely relaxed, although a bit anxious of my mood.
"Thank you. I can't thank you enough." They are always there for me and it makes me feel good right now that they would come all the way to New York to be with me.
"Ana, we love you. We couldn't leave you alone." She gestures to Luke passed out on the other couch, "And it seems it has been a long night."
"Yes. I had a minor meltdown with Ros in the ladies room when we went for dinner and then a full blown breakdown early this morning. I woke up and Christian was gone and immediately thought that he left without saying goodbye to me." I take a deep breath, "It wasn't pretty. He's never seen me like that and it took him completely by surprise." Fuck, I miss him already.
"He will be back on Thursday, Ana. But if it will make you feel better, I will go to him." I'm very tempted to take him up on that offer, but immediately dismiss the idea. I can't ask that of him.
"That won't be necessary. They will be fine. I will see him on Thursday." Taylor picks up that there is no conviction in that statement, but decides not to say anything about it.
"I'm going to put our things away and then start breakfast. Why don't you finish your tea and go have a nice long bath?" I nod and watch as Gail leaves the room. When Taylor is sure she is out of sight, he turns to me.
"Ana, I think you need something to keep you occupied while Christian is in Darfur. Something other than work I mean." It will have to be something really big to keep my thoughts occupied and I look to him in confusion so he continues, "I want to ask you a favour." Okay, now he's got my attention. Jason Taylor never asks anyone for anything. "I want to ask Gail to marry me… tomorrow night… but I want it to be perfect." Holy shit! I wasn't expecting that, but that might just be able to do the trick.
"Oh that is awesome. She will be so happy. What can I do?" All traces of tears gone and I'm clapping my hands in excitement.
"Can you take her out tomorrow? Shop for new dresses, get your hair done, maybe go to the spa. Tell her that you need a girl's day so that she won't know something's up. I already have the ring and will reserve a restaurant for the four of us." This certainly seems to be the year for weddings.
"I would love to. I will need to go to the office later, but tomorrow I will reserve for Gail. This will be so much fun." I get up and go to our bedroom while Taylor tries to get Luke to his bedroom. The poor guy needs some sleep.
I walk into the bathroom with a lump in my throat and stop dead in my tracks looking at the vanity. Can I possibly love this man anymore than I already do?
Christian put all his things back in the bathroom. His toothbrush, aftershave… everything is where it was. On the top side of the mirror, written with some of my lipstick, he wrote "Always with you." I put my hand on my tummy and take comfort in the fact that at least a part of him is physically with me.
The water is warm and relaxing and I close my eyes wishing I was in the shower with Christian instead… immediately regretting my thoughts when I start to sob again. This has been such a long day and it's not even six thirty yet. I will be exhausted before dinner.
I must have fallen asleep as I woke up in cold water and quickly washed myself before getting out. Wrapped in a towel, I walk over to the vanity and take my toothbrush. Looking at Christian's toothbrush, I can almost convince myself that he simply had to go to the office earlier and I will see him later. Thoughts like this are not exactly healthy, but right now, I just don't care.
Dressed for work in black from head to toe with light makeup and hair in a messy ponytail, I walk into the kitchen and it just smells amazing. Taylor had to forbid Gail from cooking and she is not happy with being waited on, but she is on vacation after all.
After breakfast I prepare myself for a hard day at the office, an office I've never been to, and leave with a partially rested Luke and a promise from Taylor to pop in and check out the security as soon as possible. As I walk into the lobby, the receptionist immediately stands up to greet me. Since I have not met her before, she must have seen my picture in the papers.
"Good morning, Mrs. Grey." Under any other circumstances, I would ask her to call me Ana, but I don't feel like Ana today, so I'll just go with Mrs. Grey.
"Good morning. I'll just go straight up." She nods and sits back down reaching for the phone, probably to phone Marilyn since I decided not to let them know I was coming in advance.
As we step out of the elevator on the eleventh floor that is occupied by Grey Publishing, I'm in shock. Clearly it is not Grey House. The reception looks uninviting and the further I proceed, the more pissed off I get. I was not in a good mood to begin with and this is certainly not helping. I look towards Luke and he just shrugs.
"Not really Grey House, is it?" The desks are full of clutter. There are cables everywhere. The furniture doesn't match. Apart from that, the walls are a hideous colour and should have been painted before we moved in. I should have come to New York to oversee the move from the Crossfire and ensure the offices are in line with the image of all things Grey.
I know a lot have been happening since the day we got Christian back, but still, I should have been here a lot sooner. Just another thing to keep me busy… yeah!
I walk straight to Marilyn's office and ask Luke to come in with me as well as since we have to clean this place up. Christian will have a heart attack if he came in here now. Marilyn jumps up from her desk and I'm actually surprised by her office when I compare it to the rest of the offices. Floor to wall windows on the one side with elegant blinds, a meeting table, mahogany furniture and leather couches.
"Mrs. Grey, this is a pleasant surprise." I shake her hand briefly before I take a seat on the visitor's chair with Luke next to me. I can't quite put my finger on it, but something with this woman just doesn't add up. The monthly reports normally require revision before finally finalised half way into the next month, but since there have been a perfectly good explanation every month, I let it go. The offices are a mess and overall, I don't like her fake smile that doesn't reach her eyes.
"Marilyn, I'm sorry for not letting you know of my visit in advance. How are things?" I keep my voice casual and she takes a seat and begins to play with her fingers… not a good sign. I'm immediately suspicious as the first thing Ros taught me is that people get anxious when they have something to hide.
"Busy, really busy. Not that I'm complaining, don't get me wrong. It's just that we have a couple of staff issues and that sort of puts pressure on the rest of the team. Apart from that, everything is running smoothly." Is this woman for real? How the hell can things be running smoothly if they have staff issues?
"And why have I not been informed of this? Have you at least informed Elizabeth?" Please tell me she has done something at least.
"Well… no. I'm hoping to have it resolved soon." I knew that she hated the fact that Grey Enterprises took over and then the name change as well, but could that have affected her performance this much? The reviews I got from Gideon regarding her work were excellent, but maybe it's time to step in and take over myself for a while.
"I'm going to be quite frank with you Marilyn. I'm actually glad that I came here without warning, it tells me what it's like to work here on an average day. As I walked into the reception, my mood already shifted and not in a good way. The place is disorganised and messy. The reception is uninviting and dull. You were given the responsibility to relocate Grey Publishing out of the Crossfire building, yet this is the environment you moved your staff to. Now, to top this off, you tell me there are staff issues that you failed to mention to me and you didn't inform Elizabeth who is responsible for HR. Looking at these offices, I'm not at all surprised that you have staff issues. I'm not happy, Marilyn." The blood drains from her face and she looks up to me with a deviant look in her eyes. Oh my, did she pick the wrong fucking day.
"Mrs. Grey, we don't have money to waste on décor and the staff issues are my problem to resolve. I don't appreciate you coming in here and finding fault when I have done everything to keep this place going while you resolve your personal issues." As I said, the wrong fucking day. I turn to see Luke's horrified expression and he is busy typing away on his cellphone so I should expect Taylor here soon. "And who is this?" She points to Luke while taking her seat again. I keep calm as homicide does not look good in a resume and it will not please my husband if his pregnant wife is arrested while he is out of the country.
"Ms. Winters," Yes, blondie, no first names as the casual conversation are long gone, "as you have been keeping so up to date with my personal life, you should now that Luke Sawyer is my bodyguard. Furthermore, my personal life is none of your damn business. Are we clear?" She reluctantly nods and right now, I don't give a shit as long as she gets what I'm saying to her." Secondly, don't tell me you don't have money to waste on décor since it is my money that you would be wasting, not yours. Thirdly, please keep in mind that it is my staff and therefore my staff issues and that includes you. As the manager of this office, I expected you to keep me informed. Lastly, as for me coming in here and finding fault with everything, I don't give a damn what you appreciate. Let me remind you, this is my company and if you don't like it… there's the door." I point to the door and see that Taylor has quietly entered and is staring down little Ms. Winters who don't appreciate my attitude. Marilyn gets up and fastens the buttons of her jacket before looking back at me.
"In that case… good luck finding someone to replace me. I should have no problem finding another job the second I step out of this building." She packs up her stuff and leaves with her head held high. I sit back down and sigh loudly. Taylor and Luke don't say a word; just look at me, probably waiting for my reaction.
"Fuck, did she pick the wrong day to piss me off." Taylor and Luke burst out laughing and I can't help but to laugh too. Christian would have been so proud of me.
Taylor walks in and takes the seat Marilyn just vacated.
"So, Mrs. Grey, since you practically just fired your Chief Editor and Manager of this office, that looks like crap by the way, what do we do now?" I honestly have no idea and get up to look out the window.
"I'm actually glad Christian is not here to see this, even though I will have to tell him." I whisper mostly to myself, but they give me a sad smile as nothing in the world can really make me glad that Christian is out of the country at the moment. "Obviously the first thing to do is fix these damn offices. Naturally staff would be unhappy working in a place like this after you are used to working in the Crossfire. Taylor, please get me a decorator that can see me immediately, but they need to be able to start today. Luke, please can you arrange a staff meeting for me in the main boardroom for in an hour's time, I need to work out a plan of action first. Also, get Elizabeth here as soon as possible. I will work on the management issues while she tries to resolve whatever staff issues there is. I will need your help to co-ordinate with the cleaning crew, IT and the decorators as well. Get them whatever they need and fix this place." They get up to leave and I call them back, "Thank you for helping me and Taylor, thank you for coming. Not much of a vacation now, is it?"
"Anything for you, Ana." They leave and close the door behind them.
I just sit there with no idea what to do next, so I pick up my phone and dial the one person I need now more than anything.
"Grey, leave a message."
"Hey baby, I just wanted to hear your voice. Call me as soon as you get this. I love you." I end the call and wait for the tears to fall, but I'm too pissed. Who does this woman think she is?
There is a faint knock and the door and I know it can't be one of the guys so I prepare myself for the worst and tell whoever it is to come in.
"Mrs. Grey, Mr. Taylor asked me to inform you that the decorator will be here in fifteen minutes." The woman standing at the door can't be older than twenty and I point to the chair in front of my new desk.
"Thank you. Please show them in when they arrive." She nods and stares at me, ever efficient with a note pad and pencil in her hand. "What is your name and what do you do here?"
"My name is Lydia and I'm Ms. Winter's assistant." She looks very young to be a qualified editor's assistant and at my confusion she continues, "I'm her personal assistant, she also has an Editor's Assistant, Macy." Wow, not even I have two assistants.
"And what is your duties Lydia?"
"Well, I make coffee, take in her dry cleaning and fetch them again, fetch her lunch, arrange her meetings and functions, make the arrangements for gatherings at her house, things like that." Oh, you've got to be kidding me… dry cleaning? It's not as if Marilyn pays Lydia's salary.
"I see. Ms. Winters has decided to leave the company." She lets out a breath of relieve and I start to get the feeling that Ms. Winters was partially the cause of the staff issues. "As from today, you work for me and no one else. I will give you a list of duties and tell you what I need from you and you will report only to me. I'm going back to Seattle on Thursday and that will not change your new job status… you will still only report to me. A big part of your duties will be to ensure that the reception and offices remain clean and clutter free at all times. Will that be a problem?" She looks like she has just won the lottery while I'm trying to figure out in my head what her duties will entail.
"That won't be a problem at all, Mrs. Grey. I promise not to disappoint you." I already like this girl. She is full of energy and looks like she would be willing to learn anything she possibly can.
"Good. First thing, please let IT know that I want to see them after the staff meeting. Then I want to see the cleaners and lastly the receptionist for this floor. Oh, and I will need to see Macy as well this afternoon." Exhausted and not even noon yet.
"Would you like some coffee?" I tell her how I like my tea and that she should ensure there are some for me with every visit.
As she is about to leave, the decorators come into the office. The woman is small and petite with a neat blue dress and the man is dressed in a designer black suit with a neat hairstyle. I stand to greet them and he looks at me from head to toe, and not in a good way. It's a good thing Luke is running around somewhere. I should set the record straight right now.
"Thank you for agreeing to meet with me on such short notice. I'm Mrs. Anastasia Grey." The two look at me in shock, but recovers quickly.
"I'm Gwen and this is my partner, Stefan. We were requested to come here immediately for some sort of crisis and as we rarely get a request like that, we were curious to see what the emergency could be. Excuse me for asking, but any relation to Christian Grey?" I hope she keeps better informed on decorating trends than with tabloids, although I like it when people don't know who I am for once.
"Yes, he's my husband." They share a look and obviously think of how this could profit them if they manage to keep me happy. "The problem is that we have bought this company a couple of months ago and gave the manager the task to oversee the relocation. It's the first time that I get to spend some time here. As you could see when you came in, the décor needs to be changed immediately. I will be here until Thursday and I don't care how many people you have to bring in, but I want it done before I leave. Everything, from the floors to the walls and the furniture. These office do not reflect the image that we have at Grey Enterprises Holdings and Mr. Grey will not be happy when he walks in here and sees this." I hope these two can pull this off.
"Do you have anything in particular in mind?" I think a massive change is needed and since almost all of the employees are young, maybe make it modern and not quite as formal as Grey House.
"Yes, but not much. I will need to see what you can come up with. You can work from the boardroom after my meeting later and show me what you suggest we do. While you work out the rest, I have something in mind for the reception. I want the wall behind the reception desk as well as the opposite wall painted apple green with white furniture. The other walls should be painted white. The lights should be replaced with something more modern and I want a big, sand blasted mirror behind the reception desk with Grey Publishing – New York on it. Mr. Taylor will get you the logo and font that should be used. The visitor chairs needs to be replaced with white, comfortable couches with glass coffee tables and a fluffy white carpet. People should feel relaxed and refreshed when they walk onto this floor, not tired and depressed. Could you start with that today?" They both look like I must have lost my mind and who knows, maybe I have.
"We can certainly start today, but if you want all these offices to be done in that much detail by Thursday, we would have to bring in a lot of people and we will have to pay a premium price to get everything we want on short notice."
"That won't be a problem. Start today, give me the final costing my tomorrow and ensure everything gets done by Thursday. Any furniture should please be approved by me and since there won't be any structural changes to the office right now, it is just a matter of paint, lights, furniture and a couple of pieces of art." I know I make it sound easier than it really is, but honestly, this should not be a problem.
"Do you have a colour scheme in mind for the rest of the offices?" I think about it for a while before looking back to them who is taking very detailed notes. I really like the look of our new offices and Christian likes it too.
"Natural colours, but incorporate a bit of red to give some colour to it. No white furniture, keep to dark colours for the furniture and light colours for the walls. See if you can find me some appropriate paintings as well." They nod and start to discuss ideas, but I have to run to the staff meeting. "Please feel free to use this office until we can set you up in the boardroom, but you will have to excuse me as I'm late for another meeting."
The boardroom is filled with anxious faces and I hope they will all have happy faces when they leave here, but I'm a bit doubtful and wish that Elizabeth can be here today still.
"Good morning, everyone. Please take a seat and if there aren't enough chairs, please don't worry, this won't take long." I wait for some of the staff to sit down before I continue, "Firstly, Lydia will move into a new position as Personal Assistant to me, so Lydia, please take notes and give me a copy of the minutes later on." She nods and I can see the question running through everyone's mind. "Ms. Winters has decided to leave the company this morning." I'm interrupted with a commotion from the staff that is clearly relieved that they will get a new boss, but I'm intrigued as to the reason for their reaction. "As I said, Marilyn has left the company. Elizabeth, who is responsible for Human Resources for Grey Publishing, will be here tomorrow at the latest to discuss some staff issues that was not brought to our attention earlier. If you would like to discuss any issues with Elizabeth, please let Lydia know to make an appointment for you. I will be here until Thursday, but will try to come to New York at least once a month. A replacement for Marilyn will be appointed as soon as possible, but until Thursday at least, you can come to me should you need to discuss anything. I'm sure a temporary replacement will be appointed by Elizabeth before I leave." There is people talking amongst themselves again and I give them time to settle down. "As for the offices, I have to apologize for the way it looks. The person assigned with the task to oversee the relocation out of the Crossfire was clearly not up to the task. There will be a team today still to renovate the reception as well as the offices. I can assure you that this is not the Grey Enterprises standard and we will get it resolved as soon as possible. As for general housekeeping, I ask that every employee make a conscious effort to keep the offices clean and presentable at all times. Desks should be clear from clutter and only what is needed should be on top of it. No unnecessary items in plain sight and definitely no boxes or piles of papers lying around. I'm sure that won't be a problem." Everyone nods and I can see that they are excited about the idea of newly decorated offices. "I will get IT to tidy up the cables as well. Is there anything you would like to discuss?" I wait for a response and no one says a word. "It can really be anything at all." And there is a small hand from one of the ladies. She is neatly dressed and looks like she is in her late thirties.
"I'm Mackenzie Sullivan, Senior Editor. I've been working at this publishing house for the last eleven years. Recently, a lot of excellent manuscripts have been declined for publishing by Ms. Winters. Would it be possible to pull those manuscripts, with the editor's notes, for you to take a look at?" And this day just keeps getting better.
"Yes, if anyone feels that a manuscript, worthy of publishing, have been declined and should not have been, please give it, with the notes, to Lydia and I promise to work through as many as possible before I leave. The one's I don't finish, I will finish in Seattle and get back to you." I wanted something to keep me occupied and it seems that I will have more to do than possible in four days. "Anything else?"
"That will be all, thank you, Mrs. Grey." I want to tell them to call me Ana, but I still don't feel like Ana without Christian. I need to speak to him and soon.
"Thank you for your time, please enjoy the rest of your day. If you have anything to discuss, please arrange with Lydia. I won't be in the office tomorrow, but I will be back on Wednesday." Tomorrow I've already promised to keep open for Gail.
As I leave the boardroom CEO Ana stays behind and I again feel the absence of Christian. I look at my watch and it is only just after twelve. They should land within the next couple of hours. I just need to hear his voice and I will feel better. I quickly dial his number again as soon as I get to my office and close the door.
"Grey, leave a message." That does it and I begin to cry.
"Baby, I just needed to hear your voice. Everything is a mess and… I just need you. I miss you so… unbelievably much already. Please… please call me as soon as you can. I love you." I end the call and put my head in my arms on top of the desk and just let the tears fall. If someone came in here now they would think that I lost it, but I don't care right now. This feels like I have a relationship with his answering machine all over again and I hate it. I need to hear him tell me that he loves me and that he is okay and all I get is that damn answering machine.
A/N: I know no one expected drama in the workplace, but bear with me… you won't be disappointed.