A/N: Thank you all for your reviews and support! I hope you enjoy this next chapter :)

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

Chapter 15: Before I knew I had begun

For a split second, Ana was frozen in place as she stared at Christian standing before her, feeling like she had been caught doing something illicit. After a moment, however, she felt her heartbeat begin to pound loudly in her chest and her face immediately turn bright red.

Oh my God, is this really happening?

"Christian," Ana squeaked out, clasping her hands in front of her. "Um… hi."

"Hi," Christian said, taking a step toward her. He didn't look nearly as embarrassed as Ana, though his surprise clearly mirrored her own. "…What are you doing here?"

"Oh, um… no reason," she stammered out, tucking a piece of hair behind her ear before gesturing toward the road. "I-I was just in the area. I had an interview a couple blocks away, at a publishing company. It's for a future internship."

"Oh," Christian said before smiling. "That's great. Did it go well?"

"Yeah I think so," Ana nodded, smiling slightly.

"That's wonderful. I hope you get it," Christian said.

He sounded sincere when he spoke, but Ana still couldn't decipher his true feelings from his expression. Had he forgiven her for what she accused him of the last time they had seen each other face-to-face? Or was he still angry and upset? Regardless, Ana was more than ready to leave his presence and get out of the awkward situation as soon as possible.

"So… how's your family?" Christian asked politely after a moment of silence.

"They're good," Ana nodded. "They're, um… they're still in Portland. I mean, they're not here with me now, obviously. I'm actually staying in Seattle tonight with Charlie. I should probably go and meet up with her soon…"

"Oh," Christian said, blinking. "Do you have to meet up with her right now?"

"Well… she's still in class at the moment," Ana explained, blushing. "I was going to meet up with her at her apartment in a couple hours…"

"Well, if you're free now, I'd be happy to show you around my company," Christian said quickly. "I mean, if you're interested."

"No," Ana said immediately. "I-I mean, no you don't have to do that just because I was standing here and looking at your building. It's a beautiful place, don't get me wrong, but I was just walking to that deli next door to go grab some lunch. That's all."

"You can have lunch with us," Christian offered without hesitation. "Elliot's coming by soon, and we were going to eat in the GEH cafeteria. You'd be welcome to join us."

Ana hesitated. She felt a bit better at the prospect of Elliot being there so she and Christian wouldn't be alone together for too long, but she was still too uncomfortable spending any sort of one-on-one time with him. "I don't know…" she said after a moment, frowning.

"Just one tour of my company," Christian said, still gazing at her expectantly. "If you're not seeing Charlie for the next few hours then you have plenty of time, right?"

"I suppose…" Ana said slowly, biting her lip. "I just don't want to take up too much of your time. I'm sure you're busy."

"No not at all," Christian assured her with a kind smile. "You've caught me on a good day, actually. Aside from a meeting this morning, I'm pretty much free all day. The only other thing I was going to do was have lunch with Elliot."

Ana blinked, and she couldn't help but smile slightly. "Taking a break from the whole 'hard-working CEO' thing?" she asked.

Christian smiled too, looking more relaxed than Ana had ever seen him before. "Gotta do it sometimes," he said, shrugging. "So what do you say?"

Ana could still feel her heart beating uncomfortably in her chest and her blush overtaking her face, but Christian seemed sincere when he said he wanted to show her around his building. She was afraid she might end up regretting this, but right now she couldn't bring herself to refuse.

"Okay," she finally agreed, smiling. Christian smiled widely back.

"Wonderful."

He began to walk toward the building, and Ana moved to walk alongside him. She was silent, acutely aware of what she had agreed to do and that Christian was now only a foot away from her as if this was the most natural thing in the world.

Try to breathe, Steele.

"I've mentioned it before, but this company was actually started by my father," Christian explained as they walked together up the steps. "He began GEH in a small office inside a business park near Montlake, but then he bought this building a few years later. After I took over as CEO, I contracted Elliot's company to redo a lot of the interior spaces so it had a more modern feel."

They reached the rotating glass door, and Ana went through first. She didn't know what to expect, but the moment she stepped inside the front lobby, she stopped in her tracks, gazing around her in shock. The place almost looked bigger on the inside, with the high vaulted ceilings going up nearly three stories, the massive floor-to-ceiling windows showcasing the whole city of Seattle, and the shiny marble granite floors that clicked and clacked as dozens of well-dressed people walked across the area toward the elevators on the opposite walls.

"The atrium's redesign was probably the biggest investment we made," Christian spoke from beside Ana, and she finally tore her eyes away to look at him. He was gazing around at the huge lobby. "It was definitely worth it though, I think."

"Definitely," Ana agreed, turning her gaze back to the beautiful opulent atrium. "This place is amazing, Christian."

"Thank you," Christian said sincerely. "Can I get you a visitor's pass and then show you some of the upstairs offices?"

"Sure," Ana smiled, and she and Christian began to walk toward the security desk on the west side of the huge lobby. Ana couldn't help but notice a lot of the business people were staring at her and Christian as they walked together toward the desk, whispering amongst one another.

"Why is everyone looking at us?" Ana asked Christian quietly, gazing at the people around her.

"Probably because people don't usually see me walking through the main lobby in the middle of the day," Christian answered. "I tend to just stay in my office to do my work."

"Your ivory tower?" Ana asked, smirking up at him, and Christian chuckled. They reached the desk, and Ana noticed the two blonde women sitting there looked shocked to see their CEO standing before them.

"Mr. Grey," one of them said breathlessly, smiling brightly up at him. "Good morning, sir."

"Good morning, Linda," Christian greeted her kindly, and he gestured toward Ana. "Could you get Ms. Anastasia Steele here a security pass, please?"

"Of course, sir," Linda quickly began typing something on her computer. "What level security clearance would you like her to have?"

"Priority one."

Ana blinked, looking up at Christian in surprise. "You're giving me top security clearance? You really don't have to do that, Christian."

"You're here as my guest, Ana," Christian said to her firmly. "And I know you personally. All my friends and family get full clearance when they come to my office building."

Ana went silent, briefly shocked by the fact that he considered her a friend. Was he just being polite to her in front of his employee? She didn't know, and she didn't speak again until Linda finished printing her security pass and Christian handed it to her.

"Thank you," Ana smiled, accepting the small laminated card with a lanyard clipped to it. On it was her name printed in a bold font with a security code listed underneath it.

"Feel free to use that whenever you want," Christian smiled, and Ana looked up at him. He gestured toward the elevators. "Shall we?"

Ana smiled. "Sure," she said, and the two of them walked toward the other side of the lobby. "So where to first?" she asked, pulling the security pass over her head so she wore it around her neck.

"Well, I doubt you have enough time for the full tour," Christian said. They reached the elevators and he pressed the button to go up. "Not if you have to meet Charlie later. I thought I could show you some of our bigger departments, starting with Marketing on the fifth floor, the research department on the seventh, and then the executive offices at the top floor. How does that sound?"

"You're the boss," Ana said, biting back a smile. She saw Christian's lips twitch in an amused grin, and the fact that she could make him smile made her feel happy for some reason.

They got into the elevator with several other business people before the doors slid closed behind them. One of the men in the elevator with them greeted Christian in a friendly manner, and the two of them had a brief discussion about next quarter projections. Ana didn't understand much about what was being discussed, but it was clear Christian knew what he was talking about.

The elevator doors slid open, and Christian stepped out, gesturing for Ana to follow suit. She did, but almost stopped when she saw the floor they were on… she thought the atrium was the most beautiful area in the building, but these offices were a close second. The Marketing department was a wide, open-concept floor plan with white walls, dark mahogany molding, and huge floor-to-ceiling windows on the north side, allowing natural light to stream in. Ana saw dozens of people sitting at their desks and typing away on their computers, or walking around and talking to each other.

"Welcome to the Marketing department," Christian said, leading Ana through the area. "GEH has a world-leading team of marketers specializing in both print and digital platforms. And it's not just in-house marketing - we also do web development and promotional advertising for a lot of our acquired businesses."

"Wow," Ana said, impressed as she gazed at their surroundings. The two of them continued to walk around the Marketing department, Christian pointing out different parts of the office while politely greeting several of the employees who passed by. Ana was a bit surprised at how friendly Christian sounded when talking to his subordinates, and how a lot of his employees seemed both awed and excited to see him walking amongst them. Ana felt almost proud to be the person important enough to be seen alongside him.

Christian finished showing her around the Marketing department before taking her up a few more floors to Research & Development. This place was an open-concept office similar to that of the Marketing department, but this place had a laboratory that could rival an ivy-league university science department. A lot of the employees on this floor behaved the same way as the Marketing people, greeting Christian with the level of awe and enthusiasm one would usually reserve for a revered public figure. Christian took it all in stride, and Ana couldn't help but be impressed by his good reputation within the company. Ana had almost expected people to be scurrying away in fear upon seeing the big boss, but that's not at all what was happening.

Christian was well-liked here - quite the opposite of what Ana's first impression of him was. She had to admit, the idea of a friendly, likable Christian Grey was a bit weird.

After Christian finished showing her around the department, he led her back to the elevator, which would take them up to the executive offices on the top floor. The elevator was empty once they stepped inside, and after the doors closed behind them, a short silence hung between them.

"Your company is amazing, Christian," Ana said after a moment, turning to smile up at him. "You've really accomplished a lot since you took over as CEO."

"Thank you, Ana," Christian smiled back at her. "Although I'm sorry we don't have more time to show you around the rest of the building. I'm exceedingly proud of my father's company, and I do feel honored that I get to carry on his legacy. He was well-loved by all his employees, and I just hope they see me the same way."

"I can tell that they do," Ana said assuredly. "They're all clearly very impressed by you and everything you've done for this company."

"That is comforting, though I don't necessarily set out to do my work just to impress people," Christian said.

"So this tour you're giving me wasn't designed just to impress me?" Ana teased.

Christian chuckled, and Ana felt her heart skip a beat. She realized in that moment that this was probably the most friendly conversation she and Christian had ever had.

Oh my God, am I actually... flirting with him?

"It would be designed to impress you, if I thought you were the type of girl who was impressed by things like money and power," Christian said smoothly. "I suppose this is all an effort in futility, isn't it?"

Ana giggled at his joke, but didn't say anything to that. A confluence of emotions filled her chest as she realized she was starting to feel attracted to Christian… an attraction she hadn't felt before he took her on a tour around his company.

God, was she really that shallow? Was it really his money and power that attracted her? Or was there more to it than that?

They were silent as the elevator took them up to the top floor, and once the doors slid open, Ana saw a familiar person standing and leaning against the large mahogany door on the opposite side of the foyer.

"Elliot," Christian greeted him as they stepped out of the elevator, and Elliot looked up. His face lit up in a huge smile when his eyes fell on Ana.

"Hey there, stranger," he greeted her happily, walking toward. "Long time no see!"

"How are you, Elliot?" Ana couldn't help but smile. Elliot had such an infectious personality, it was difficult to not enjoy being around him.

"I'm good," Elliot grinned, reaching them and pulling Ana into a big bear hug. "I didn't know you were in the city today, Ana. Are you, um… are you with the rest of your family?"

Ana knew he wanted to know about Kate, and she couldn't help but smile knowingly at him. "No, sorry. It's just me - I had a job interview this morning."

"I was hoping it would be okay if Ana joined us for lunch today," Christian said to Elliot.

"Of course it's okay. The more the merrier!" Elliot grinned widely. "Want to head down to the cafeteria right now? I'm starving."

"Yeah, let's go," Christian said, gesturing for Elliot and Ana to walk ahead of him back to the elevators. Ana blushed and smiled at him before walking forward, her heart beating loudly in her chest, and she could have sworn she saw Christian smile back.

The GEH cafeteria on the fourth floor was a beautiful open space with white floors and large windows overlooking the city. The place was set up almost like a food court, with multiple kiosks containing a wide array of foods, including a cafe with coffee and pastries, a soup and sandwich shop, and a drinks bar.

Ana, Elliot and Christian all bought sandwiches and sat together at a booth near the window, chatting happily with one another. Elliot was always entertaining and silly, but more surprisingly Christian was actually making a real effort to be engaging in the conversation. Ana remembered how Christian used to always act quiet and taciturn in public settings, so this new friendly version of him felt like a complete one-eighty. What had caused this change in personality for him?

Could it really be me?

Ana shook that thought away as soon as she had it. There was absolutely no way Christian felt the same way about her, so she should just put it out of her mind.

"Ana, do you have to go meet up with Charlie soon?" Christian now asked, and Ana checked her watch, surprised and disheartened to see how much time had passed.

"Wow, yeah I do," she said, bringing her wrist down. "I'm sorry guys, I'm going to have to cut our lunch short."

"It's no problem, Ana," Elliot said kindly. "I'll bus your tray for you, and Christian can see you out."

"Thanks Elliot," Ana smiled at him. "It really was great seeing you again."

"You too, Ana. Say hi to your whole family for me!"

"Will do."

They said their final goodbyes, and Christian led Ana back toward the doors of the cafeteria, where the elevators were waiting to take them down to the lobby.

"Thanks for lunch, Christian," Ana said as they walked together toward the elevator doors. "And for the tour of your company. It really is amazing here."

"You're very welcome, Ana," Christian said sincerely, and he hesitated a moment. "You said you're staying in Seattle with Charlie until tomorrow, right?"

"Yeah," Ana said, feeling her heart pounding in her chest.

"My sister Mia is actually flying in from San Francisco tonight," Christian explained, and they stopped in front of the elevators before turning toward one another. "She and I were going to go out for brunch tomorrow morning, and I was wondering if you would like to join us."

Ana raised her eyebrows, feeling surprised and flattered by his offer. "Really?"

"Yeah. I mean…" Christian cleared his throat awkwardly, and Ana couldn't help but smile. "I just thought since you were still going to be in Seattle tomorrow, and Mia was going to be here too, I hoped the two of you could actually meet."

"That sounds nice," Ana said sincerely, and she blushed slightly as she smiled at him. "I'd love to join you guys for brunch."

Christian blinked before smiling at her. "Great. I'll be sure to let my sister know."

Ana smiled again, feeling strangely delighted at the prospect of meeting Christian's sister. What made her feel happier, however, was the fact that Christian clearly didn't resent her for what she had said to him months ago.

It was a good feeling, knowing that Christian didn't hate her. She couldn't explain why, but the thought of him hating her was almost unbearable.

A/N: Hope you all enjoyed that! Next chapter, Ana meets with Christian and Mia for brunch.

Please review and tell me what you think!