Fifty Grades Harder Chapter 18
Anastasia's POV
Walking into my apartment with Christian after a long day at work was an amazing feeling. I had lived here for many years and it had always felt so empty. Gail would meet me, but it wasn't the same. Christian was always so unpredictable and I loved seeing him treat my home as his own. I ordered him straight to the shower, remembering that after another tough day at work he'd done the same thing.
While he was doing that, I coordinated dinner with Gail before going to my office and getting some more work done. Ros had done good in my absence, but the accident had cost me almost two months out of work, so there was lots to be done.
There was a knock at my door a while later and I already knew it wasn't Christian because he never knocked.
"Anastasia?" Gail said, sticking her head in. Her voice was low and I knew she was struggling with calling me by my first name, but it's what I wanted. I looked up. "Dinner is ready."
"Where's Christian?" I asked.
"I'm not sure."
That was weird, especially after the day he'd had. I pulled up the apartment security feed on my computer to search for him.
"Keep it warm," I told Gail, "we won't be long."
I searched every room for Christian, but I couldn't find him. I even checked the playroom. The camera in there was always turned off, unless I switched it on, but for security measures, it did turn on when someone entered the room. It was a safety function I could personally switch on and off. He wasn't in there. I checked Taylor's security bunker, still nothing. Maybe he was in a blind spot.
I knew he hadn't left the apartment, so I went searching for him with a lump in my stomach. I shouldn't have told him to take a shower, I should've kept him close.
I found him in his closet of all places, sitting on the floor, holding the lanyard I had given him, the one with 'Miss Steele's boyfriend' written on it. That was a good memory.
"Gail has dinner ready," I told him.
He looked up at me.
"Are you alright?" I asked.
"Yeah," Christian said, but he didn't stand up. "I just wish this wasn't happening to us. We already have so much shit with your issues and my dissociative amnesia, we don't need this Jacklyn and Elena crap too."
I sat down on the floor and wrapped my arms around him.
"You need to start doing what I'm doing," I told him, "forget Jacklyn, let Taylor and the guys handle it, they're more than capable. You're the most important thing to me, Christian, and I want my silly boy back. Let's eat, then you can do your homework and then you get your reward, remember? Don't let them taint us, you taught me that, you've taught me many things."
Christian allowed me to pull him off the floor and I hugged him. When I pulled back, he was smiling. It was good to see. He put the lanyard away and we walked out, hand-in-hand. Gail smiled when she saw us and she plated up our food before leaving. We sat at the breakfast bar and I had to angle myself to see Christian.
"I was thinking about buying a small table," I told him, "just big enough for the two of us. The dining table is too large and sitting here is too informal. I want to be able to sit directly in front of you."
"Sounds good."
He still seemed off and I hated that.
"We should go shopping this weekend," I said, "brighten this place up a bit. I want this to feel like your home too, Christian."
"It already does." He said it so earnestly that it made my heart melt.
"Yes, but you love to spend money," I told him, "I saw how happy it made you at the auctions. Let's do it, no limit, you can go crazy."
"Maybe."
Fuck, Jacklyn Hyde. I pulled out my phone and sent Taylor a message.
Anastasia Steele: Hire more people to work on the Jacklyn Hyde case, I want her found
Jason Taylor: Yes, ma'am
I didn't try and engage Christian anymore, I just left him to his thoughts. I wished I could read his mind to truly see how he was handling all of this, but I couldn't. Hopefully, if I could make him my Chief Operations Officer, he'd find his purpose elsewhere and be able to back off the Jacklyn case. I really didn't want him working on it anymore. When we were finished, I ordered Christian to do his homework while I worked. I told him to find me when he was done.
Forty-five minutes passed before I went looking for him. It shouldn't be this hard for him to tell me what he wanted to get out of work. I found him in the living room, sitting by the window, with his knees drawn close to his chest as he looked out the window. The notepad and pen I'd given him were sitting on the floor beside him completely untouched. I sat on the couch.
"Christian," I said, "why haven't you started your list. This is important to me and it shouldn't be that hard to come up with at least ten things you want to get out of work."
He turned to face me. "I don't know what I want anymore," he said.
He had said that before, when we were broken up.
"You worked at Clayton for four years," I said, "you must know what you liked, what you didn't. You were only at SIP for a week but that would've given you more reasons. And you've been at Steele International for months now, working two different jobs. You should have plenty to write about. Please, Christian, this is important to me. I want you to be happy, not just with me, but with work as well. I want you to thrive.
"Please do this for me. If you're having trouble relating it to work, then write a list about what you want out of life and for the future. Half an hour, Christian," I sharpened my voice, "no longer or you won't get your reward. Find me in my office the moment you're done."
I left him and switched on the security camera feed for the living room. He just sat there for a moment and then he looked back out the window, then he picked up the notepad and paper. I could see he was still struggling, but once he wrote down a few things, the rest just flew out and he even turned the piece of paper over to write more. I was anxious and excited to see what he had written. When he stood up, I minimized the feed and pretended to work.
He came in and sat it on my desk. I picked it up and made a show of checking he'd done his job before I smiled at him and told him he had earned his reward. I knew he needed to let go after today, so I gave him the key to the playroom and told him to go up there and figured out exactly what he wanted. Then I told him not to come and get me, he was to wait, when he was ready, by the door, and I would be up when I could.
Christian left and I switched on the playroom feed, so I could keep an eye on him. He hadn't entered yet, so I picked up his piece of paper and read through what he wanted out of work and life.
-I want you
-I want to be with you forever
-I want to live here forever, unless we have kids
-We should talk about kids
-I think I always assumed I wanted kids, but we've never talked about it. It's not a deal breaker for me. I just want you to be happy
-I want you to be happy
-I want you to be safe
I paused. Everything he'd written so far had been about me, I frowned, this better be about him or he wouldn't be getting his reward. I looked at my screen. He was now in the room and he was going through the drawers.
I had never thought about kids, not really. With my early start in life, I had decided not to put another human being through that, let alone my child. Then with Grace and Carrick, they were good parents, but not perfect. It just never seemed like a possibility. I hadn't had sex, males were a hard limit, I was too focused on work, but now… Maybe.
I couldn't shake the thought of a little boy who looked exactly like Christian, it made me smile. Then the vision shifted to a little girl who looked like me, except she wasn't starving, scared or scarred, she was happy and loved. I think I wanted that, but only with Christian. We definitely needed to talk about it. I went back to his list.
-I want to live my life with you
-I want to love you
-I want to stay close, I like working for your company
Now we were getting somewhere. I eagerly read on.
-I don't care what I do as long as you approve
-I like to work hard at work worth doing
-I like to have a clear purpose
-I like people
-I don't want to fail
-I like to slack off
-I like looking out the window at the great view Steele International has
-I don't like confusing bosses
-I want to feel valued
-I just want you Ana, that's all
The list had ended and part of me was proud of him for doing this and part of me was wondering if he had even answered the question. I did know one thing, making Christian my COO was still something I wanted. I hoped Ros would agree tomorrow, and furthermore, I hoped Christian would. We could always try it out and if he didn't like it, he could do something else, or become my sex slave, either or.
I looked back at the playroom feed, Christian was sitting by the door, in his underwear, waiting for me. I smiled. He was a good boy, but his mental health was my top priority. I watched him. He was sitting up straight, but he kept shifting. I zoomed in and could see he was already hard. I was thankful for that. I think we both needed the playroom in our lives.
I needed to be dominant and he needed to be submissive. I had thought with all this progress I was making that maybe I could give up this part of my life. I never thought BDSM was healthy or normal. I thought it was just something I needed to do, an outlet for me, but with Christian it was totally different. I loved doing it with him. Seeing his submissiveness, he was the best one I had ever had, even though I hadn't pushed him and he had never fought back. It showed me that he enjoyed and needed it too.
I shut down my computer and went to my bedroom, it was time. I went into my closet and paused in front of my white blouses. I pushed them aside and looked at the item I had hidden in the back, it was Christian's jacket from the night I had rescued him and we'd spent the night at the Heathman. I don't know why I took it, I think it was to convince myself that he was real. I had never looked at a man until he came along. They scared me, I knew what they were capable of, I had seen it all. I had been spared, but that was only because I was so young. I had been told once I turned five that it would be my turn. Thankfully, I never got that chance. I was lucky.
I ran my hand down the dark gray material. It had a red flannel lining, my boy loved his flannel, I loved it too. I wanted to keep the jacket hidden, I wanted it just in case Christian and I didn't work out. It had become a security blanket for me when we had broken up, but I didn't think I needed it anymore. My mind was telling me I was foolish to give it back, but I trusted Christian. He loved me and I him, I didn't need his jacket when I had him.
I pulled it off it's hanger and put it in Christian's closet with his casual jackets. It was where it belonged and I smiled. I would never let him go again, no matter what was said or what happened to us. I looked at my handcuff bracelet, wishing we were truly handcuffed together for life. Marriage would be the closest thing, I needed to get on that. I wanted to tie him to me for life. I sent Andrea a message.
Anastasia Steele: Book me an appointment with Marty from Harriet's. ASAP, preferably tomorrow if my schedule allows. I will go to him
Andrea Russell: Yes, Miss Steele
Good, this was good. Now, I just had to plan the perfect proposal for him. ...Oh, Christian and the things he makes me do. He was saving me, showing me the life I always should've had. He was amazing, and he was waiting for me in the playroom, hard and willing. I went to my usual domme outfit; black heels, black stockings that attached to black panties, and then I had two choices, it was always a corset, but I had also worn a black bra with Christian.
None of it seemed right anymore. I used to hide as much skin as I could, but I had started wearing the bra instead of the corset just so Christian could see more of me, I knew he loved that. He was such a visual person. I re-locked the cabinet and went over to my everyday underwear, searching for something new. I wanted to keep the color black, but aside from that, I wanted to let go of the past.
I found a pair of black lace tanga panties with blue accents. I got undressed and pulled them on. They went up high, showing off my legs and hip bones and my ass cheeks were showing out the back. I knew Christian would love it. I caught sight of myself in the full-length mirror and I stepped towards it. I was only wearing the panties and my handcuff bracelet. My eyes went to my chest.
I used to hate it. The cigarette burns, although small, reminded me of everything I had endured. It was horrible and no one knew the full truth. I didn't like to think about it, it was too painful, but now, I didn't have that physical reminder. It was great. My new scars covered the left side of my chest and stomach, and my left arm from shoulder to wrist. You could see the skin grafts on my left collarbone, my left bicep and my left wrist. The skin color didn't match perfectly and you could still see the fish scales from the fish skin they had used, but it didn't make me fall into a pit of blackness, it made me feel love.
Christian had looked after me in the hospital, he had stayed by my side, he had loved me. Yes, Jacklyn may have caused the accident and the scars, but I wasn't looking at it that way, I couldn't. I wouldn't be burdened again. These scars showed me Christian's love and nothing else. They were a reminder of him and how I could finally let go and put my trust in him. I knew he would never betray me.
I decided against wearing a bra. What was the point anymore? I wanted Christian to see my breasts freely, to feel them. He was the only one who had touched me there, and even though it was still new and raw, I was getting better at letting go and enjoying it.
My boy had waited long enough, so after bringing up the camera feeds on my phone to make sure Taylor and Gail weren't lurking in the apartment, I went upstairs to the playroom. I took a deep breath, centering myself, and then I opened the door.
Christian had started slouching, but he straightened himself out the moment I entered. I smiled, I couldn't help it. His head was down again, which was fine, I preferred we start off that way, but I wanted him to look at me, for him to watch me, which was another new thing for me. The others, when they looked at me, it always made me feel uncomfortable, but all Christian ever looked at me with was love and desire. I stepped further into the room and stood in front of him.
"You may look at me," I said.
Christian slowly lifted his gaze. I was met with his usual love and desire. His mouth fell open and I swore he was moments away from drooling. This would usually be the moment I told him to look down, but not anymore.
"Stand up," I commanded.
He did so, gracefully. He never acted too eager, like some of my subs had, and I loved him for it. I kept my distance.
"This is a reward," I told him, "for doing your homework. Tell me what you want, Christian, and remember the rules. Rewards are yours, don't give the power back to me. Be honest and you will get exactly what you ask for."
He faltered for a second, dropping his eyes. "I have chosen the items I want you to use, Sir."
I smiled, I loved this. All of my other subs had called me mistress, people at work called me ma'am, only Christian called me Sir and it made my heart race. I looked over at the bed. Christian had chosen tape, which he had once been fearful of, his belt, another soft limit for him, and a small dildo the size of a finger. What was he planning?
"Very well," I accepted, "and what do you want me to do with these?"
"Secure me with the tape," he said, "however you wish. Work me into a frenzy with the belt. Use the dildo on my ass."
He had told me before that he had done a little bit of anal play on his own, but I had to check this was okay.
"Tell me why you want to use the dildo," I asked him. "Speak freely."
"I always enjoyed it," Christian all but panted, "and I want to try it with you. There's only so much we can do and I want to try it all."
So, he was pushing himself. I noted that he was doing it for himself though and not for me which was good. I had pushed myself for him too many times and it never worked out. I think after the day he had today he needed to let go and try some new things, put his control in me. I would go with his plan, but I would take it easy on him.
"Remember your safe words," I told him.
"Yes, sir."
"Did you choose where you wanted to do all of this?" I asked. I had my own ideas, but this was Christian's reward.
"The bed," he answered.
I smiled. That was smart. Everything today would be new and harsh for him, but the bed would be familiar and soft.
"Kneel by the door again," I told him and he jumped to it. So submissive. I had once told him to go against me, but I truly believed he couldn't do it, he loved following me too much.
I picked up the items and sat them by the bed, trying to work out exactly how I wanted to use them.
"Do you mind if I change the dildo for a different toy?" I asked and I saw him tense up. "Put your trust in me, Christian, I would never hurt you."
He relaxed, I loved how easy to read he was.
"Okay," he said, his voice shaky, "Sir," he added as an afterthought.
"Drop your head," I told him, somewhat for almost forgetting the 'Sir' and because I didn't want him figuring out my plan.
I took the dildo and walked over to my toys. There were so many I wanted to use on him. All of these were bought with a female sub in mind, but all my subs consented to anal play, so I knew what to do. I had even participated in it under Elena's command. I chose a toy that was slightly thicker, it was essentially anal beads in dildo form. The non-beaded parts would allow Christian a chance to catch his breath. I grabbed some lubricant too. I set the new toy and lube in the drawer, not wanting him to see it and freak out.
"Stand," I told him, "look wherever you want."
Now, where to begin. I knew he liked to hear my plan, but I wanted to push that a little today. I would give him the basics, but no more. One of my favorite things was surprising my subs. I loved seeing their mouth's make the perfect 'o' shape in shock. I was good at what I did and I wanted to show that to Christian.
"Take your underwear off."
He slid them off, freeing himself. I watched his cock bob, my god it was beautiful. I liked that he didn't have a monstrous one, it looked like the perfect size and not intimidating at all.
"Interlock your fingers together, keep your hands flat."
He did that and I stepped over to him. "Where your fingers meet, sit your cock on top." So obedient. "Bring your hands together, so you're holding it, keep your grip lose. Yes, good, thumbs cross over the top. Perfect, don't move."
I grabbed the tape and Christian tensed. I was going to tell him to put his trust in me, but I decided to just show him instead. I pulled a length of tape off and stuck it back onto itself to cover the sticky part, just leaving the end sticky. Then I wrapped it around one of his wrists, looped it over his hands and attached the sticky end to the tape, not his hands. Some tapes worked better on skin than others, but the tape I had gotten from Clayton's left a sting, so this way it wouldn't directly stick to him.
Christian relaxed when he saw the measures I had taken to prevent hurting him. It was a long task, but worth it, and soon his hands were firmly secured around his cock. I knelt down and checked it wasn't too tight. I moved his hands and they moved perfectly. His cock head was sticking out and there was enough room for everything to breathe. It was good.
My eyes met his and they were so dark. He was so ready and willing. I picked up his belt next.
"Are you attached to this at all?" I asked him.
"No, Sir."
Good. I stepped behind him and grabbed a pair of scissors, cutting the leather. I knew I would be careful, but I didn't want to accidentally hit him with the buckle. When it was free, I sat the buckle down, far away from him and came back to stand in front of him.
"How are you doing?" I asked him. "Do you still feel steady on your feet?"
"Yes, Sir."
Perfect.
"Back up against the bed," I told him, "but stay standing. I don't want you to sit down or fall back, stay upright. If you feel yourself struggling, say yellow."
I showed him the belt and what I had done to it. He relaxed again. That's right, baby, I know you, and just like you respect my boundaries, I respect yours. I would never punish him again. It was hard because that was part of the BDSM relationships I knew, but I think I could get around it by doing other punishments such as denying him an orgasm. The good thing was, he hardly ever needed to be punished.
I cracked the belt against my forearm first. I liked to gauge how it felt and how much pressure I could use before subjecting my subs to something. The bite stung, but then the numbness faded and brought forth pleasure. I wanted to tell him to close his eyes, but that may be too intense for him after today, so I just cracked the leather on his right nipple before doing the same to the left. It tinted his skin pink and he groaned, thrusting his hands and cock forward.
This was good. I kept my blows light, not wanting to hurt him, and whipped him all over his chest. He was doing well. I did his upper legs next. I was almost done and it was a good thing as Christian had his eyes screwed tightly shut. His mouth was open, he was panting, and the head of his cock was so swollen. Oh, how I wanted to swallow it, but not yet.
I set the belt down and Christina took a deep breath before opening his eyes.
"Sit on the bed." He did and I helped move him so that he was laying flat on his back. I put my hand under him and lifted his hips so I could put a pillow underneath him. He settled back down and something didn't seem right. I waited a moment, staring at him. He was uncomfortable, I could tell that much and I was hoping he would speak up. He couldn't stay silent, we couldn't go backwards.
"Sir," he said and my heart soared, "can you untie my arms?"
"Why?" I asked.
"It's hurting my shoulders."
I wasn't sure if his reason was the complete truth or not, but it didn't matter. I helped him to slid his hand free of his cock and then I grabbed the scissors, cutting the tape apart. His arms fell out to the side and he just left them there. Okay, good, we were ready to continue. I leaned over him, letting my breasts brush his chest as I grabbed the items I needed out of the drawer. I kept them hidden from him.
"Remember your safe words," I told him as I spread his legs apart and dribbled lube down his crack and onto my fingers.
I started really slow and Christian seemed to be enjoying the attention. He wasn't resisting which was a good sign. I easily slid one finger in and pumped it in and out. Christian was grunting and moving his hips. I added a second finger. He closed his eyes and began panting. All good signs. I didn't stop pumping him as I dribbled lube onto the toy. My plan was to do the switch quickly.
I pulled my fingers out and before his hole could close up, I pushed the first anal bead inside of him. He grunted, but he seemed fine. I left it, wanting him to get comfortable with it. When he started shifting again, I moved it around a little. I didn't want to pull it out. When he was ready, I pushed the next bead in. He groaned and when there was no negative reaction, I pushed the next one in. There were only two more to go. On the fourth bead he groaned deeply and his cock jumped.
"Steady," I told him, "we're almost there."
I pushed the final bead in and then I leaned forward, bringing his dripping, hard-as-nails cock into my mouth, sucking deeply. His hips shot up. I started moving the toy in and out of his ass. It wouldn't take him long. I pulled off his cock just long enough to tell him to cum when ready. I felt him hit the back of my throat and I pushed down further. I loved sucking him and I couldn't wait for him to cum so I could swallow it all.
Less than a minute later he came. I kept pumping the toy slowly with my face buried against him. His cock twitched in my mouth and I swallowed it all. One final spurt. I pulled the toy from him which made him spasm again. I slowly pulled off him, licking him all over, and sat above him. He had his eyes closed and I waited for him to open them.
"Fuck," he hissed when his eyes met mine, "that was incredible."
I smiled and moved in between his legs, holding his thighs apart. "Good," I said, "maybe one day I can fuck you." I pushed my hips against him. I did miss fucking my subs, the power, the control, and with Christian there would be love and care too.
"Yes, please," he said.
"Not tonight, my greedy boy. I have an early meeting tomorrow morning."
He pouted, I don't think he even realized when he was doing it, but it made me want to give him the world. I stepped away, it was late, and we needed to get to bed. I got rid of the tape off Christian's hands and then I rubbed him down, paying extra attention to his shoulders, but he seemed fine. He was being quiet, but I think he was just tired. I took him to bed and he collapsed on it. I joined him.
"Aren't you going to cover up?" he asked me, already half asleep.
I still only had panties on. "No," I told him, "I trust you." I had held him last night, but I knew he wanted to hold me. "Hold me, Christian," I said and he did. He wrapped his arms around me and pulled me close. I sighed in contentment. "Don't forget," I told him, "I have an early meeting tomorrow, so I'll be gone when you wake up. When you get to work at nine, come to my office first." He didn't answer. "Christian, did you hear me?"
"Mmm, yes, your office, nine am."
I smiled and pulled his arms tighter around me. Ever since our first night together at the Heathman, when we had shared a bed and I had ended up in his arms, this had always felt right and I no longer fought it. I had come so far, but I still had a way to go, we both did.
It was a peaceful sleep again. Christian calmed the bad thoughts in my head, he made me feel safe. When he was gone though, especially during our break, the nightmares crept back in, but as I continued to push myself to let go of the past, they were lessening. I knew I would have to deal with the trauma from my early years, but I wasn't going to force myself. I just wanted to focus on me and Christian.
It was so hard to leave him when my alarm went off at six. I wriggled out of his arms and kissed him on the lips before getting ready. I was excited for my meeting with Ros. I really hoped she didn't think Christian as my COO was a terrible idea. I had a shower and got dressed for the day. I kissed Christian again, I really didn't want to leave him.
Gail already had my coffee and omelet waiting for me. I ate it, resisting the urge to check on Christian again. Sawyer would be here to drive him to work, he would be fine. Taylor drove me and I warned myself not to get my hopes up, but even if Ros thought it was a terrible idea, I didn't have to listen to her, and then Christian still had to agree. I pulled out his list. All of the things he wanted for me, I wanted for him too.
Above all else, I wanted him to be happy.
Andrea was already behind the front desk, she really was the best.
"Good morning, Miss Steele," she said.
"Andrea," I greeted, "schedule a meeting between you and me to discuss giving you a raise. Today preferably."
Her eyes went wide. "Yes, Miss Steele, thank you," she stuttered before catching herself. "Mrs. Bailey is in your office."
I'd have to look over how much I was paying her currently. I sent her a message as I stepped into my office.
Anastasia Steele: Forward me all of your pay slips
Andrea Russell: Yes, Miss Steele
I wanted to see if I had given her a raise before and how much she was currently getting. Whatever it was, I was going to double it.
Ros was sitting at my desk and I wondered whether we should be sitting in the less formal seating area. I decided to stick with the desk, I wanted her to agree more than anything. I sat down. I needed to get something out of the way first.
"Thank you, Ros," I told her, "for pulling me from Charlie Tango."
"It was nothing," she said, "I just did as you said. I wish I had been faster though."
"Forget about it," I told her. "I know you won't be able to understand, but the scars I received, they've been the best thing to happen to me."
She was going to speak up, but I didn't let her.
"Are you happy here?" I asked her.
"Yes."
"And you're happy with your position?"
"Yes." She sounded worried. "What's going on, Anastasia? You're not firing me, are you?"
"No." This was it. "I was thinking of hiring a Chief Operations Officer. What do you think about that?"
"Do you want me to do it?" she asked.
"No."
Relief washed over her. "What would they do exactly?" Ros asked.
"They would be in charge of the operations in this building," I told her, "you know, staff problems, efficiency, complaints, workplace safety… All the stuff that I either suck at or gets ignored. I want someone my staff can come to, I know I'm not the most approachable."
"I think it's a good idea," Ros said. "So, have you placed an ad yet? Why are you asking me?"
"I wanted to get your opinion," I said, "and we won't be advertising this position. I want to hire from in-house."
"Really? Who?"
I could tell she was trying to figure it out.
"Christian," I said and her mouth fell open.
"Anastasia, you know I respect you, but this… What the hell do you think you're doing?"
This wasn't going well.
"He's your boyfriend. Why are you doing this?"
"Because I think he'd be good at it."
"And that's the only reason?" Ros asked.
Shit, I was losing her. I needed backup. I picked up my phone.
"Andrea, can you come in here please?"
I hung up the phone and Andrea appeared. She looked confused and I motioned for her to sit next to Ros.
"So, what?" Ros said. "Just because I don't agree, we're getting your assistant to weigh in on this? If this is how you're going to be doing business now, I might just quit."
"Stop being dramatic, Ros. I know this will be a big change. Write me a list of things you want, ask for a raise, I don't care, just don't bitch at me. I asked Andrea in here because she was the one who hired him."
Andrea looked frightened. I shouldn't be doing this, but I needed someone who would be on my side and Andrea liked Christian, I had seen their daily greetings when he worked in IT, and she was the one who hired him behind my back.
"I want to hire a Chief Operations Officer," I told Andrea, "do you know what that is?"
"I do, and, Miss Steele, I don't want that position, I'm happy being your executive assistant."
Her honesty and refusal both annoyed and impressed me.
"Good," I snapped, "because the job isn't yours."
"Anastasia wants to hire Christian Grey as her COO," Ros said.
"Oh, wow, umm. Chris…" Andrea trailed off, thinking about it. "I think that's a wise choice. He's smart, he goes after what he wants, and people like him."
Exactly.
"What do you mean he goes after what he wants?" I asked her. When did Christian show drive and initiative? I hadn't seen the from him here, but Andrea had?
"When I interviewed him, Miss Steele," she said, not meeting me eyes, "I did the standard interview, followed all protocols, but before we started, he clearly stated his intentions to me."
"And what were they?" I asked.
"In Chris' words, he said, 'I want this job so I can get Ana back'. I'm not sure if you've connected the dots, but he went to great lengths for this job, to get you back. He saw the ad, he applied, his cover letter was the best I'd ever read, and then he ditched Sawyer the day of the interview, a task we both know is not easy, and then, instead of lying to me, he just told the truth. I think Chris will be a good COO because he cares for Miss Steele and this is her company. He will do whatever it takes and everyone who's met him loves him."
"Thank you, Andrea," I dismissed her.
"I still think this is a mistake," Ros said, "he has no experience in such a role."
"I don't care."
"You're going to have to announce this at a press conference," she said, "and the reporters aren't going to hold back. They will chew him up and spit him out."
"I know, but I think he can handle it."
"What has Chris said about all of this?" Ros asked.
"I haven't told him yet, I wanted to get your opinion first."
Ros laughed. "I would say thank you, but then you basically went over my head anyway. We both know you're going to do what you want, Anastasia, but please be careful with this. I haven't met him yet, but I've heard good things and he's brought about a welcomed change in you, which we all thought was impossible, so I think you're right, he will be good for this company. I will stay, but if we start taking on water, don't be surprised if I jump ship."
"And if the opposite happens?" I asked her.
"Then I will be here and I will swallow my pride and admit that I was wrong."
That was good enough for me. I couldn't wait for Christian to get here so I could ask him to be my COO. I hoped he said yes.