Hello everyone. I know I said I would hopefully be back in Summer but that soon past so for a new story, Autumn will have to do.
As always EL James owns everything Fifty, I'm just playing with their lives and putting them through the wringer again.
As it's Guy Fawkes night here in the UK, I'm off out to watch the bonfire and fireworks and hopefully not get treacle toffee stuck to my teeth. If you're lovely and warm inside, Enjoy x
Cpov
I sat in my office, gathering together the paperwork for the shipyard which in less than an hour should be mine. I had seen all the details put forth by my team so the only thing I should have to worry about was getting across town for my lunch meeting, hoping that one, I didn't get soaked with the winter storm that was blowing up outside, a late companion to the snow we'd had to endure for the past few weeks here in Seattle and two, no idiot decided to speed in this weather, causing an accident which would make me late. I had an important call with Taiwan later this afternoon and I needed to have this business over with and be back in my office for that.
This morning had been one problem after another. This afternoon, I needed to be better but with just a few words from Andrea it wasn't starting out that way.
"Mr Grey, I have Leila Lincoln on the line for you, again" Andrea announced exasperatedly.
"I'm busy" I replied.
"Yes sir, I've already told her that, seven times today."
"Shit... put her through and then put her name on the block list" I replied knowing that none of us would get any work done today if she continued. "Leila, I'm busy," I said upon the call connecting.
"I know" she giggled, "You're such a busy man."
"Why are you bothering me then," I asked, needing this conversation to be over with now.
Why did my mother have to give her my office number? To help with a hospital ball our families hosted together last year, I was told at the time. It was either that or my cell and if she had that number, it would've been changed the second the ball was over. I had hoped Leila had lost the number as I hadn't heard from her in the past year, that was until last week.
"I wanted to speak to you about Susie's wedding, with you going and me also being there."
"You're her sister, the maid of honour Leila, of course, you're going to be there" I stated, cutting her off.
"Yes but I thought we could sit together afterwards, you know, go as dates."
I knew this was where it was heading. I've told her in the past I wanted nothing to do with her like that. Our families were friends and that was where it ended but she seemed to now think otherwise. A recent breakup I had heard my mother and hers talking about. A desire to not attend the wedding alone no doubt fuelling the calls that had been recently heading my way.
"I'm already bringing a date," I lied.
"What, who" she moaned. "Your mother never said you were seeing someone."
"My mother doesn't know every detail of my life Leila" I stated. "Now if you will excuse me, I have a meeting to get to."
Before she could moan or complain anymore, I ended the call.
"Mr Grey, Ros is here to see you" Andrea announced over the intercom a few moments later as I was getting my jacket on.
"Send her in" I replied, wondering what couldn't wait until later today as she knew I was about to leave.
"You might want to look at this before you go," My COO told me, placing a folder on my desk.
Upon opening it, I found it contained financials for my business lunch ahead. Looking at her quizzically because I had seen these papers many times before, she quickly started to explain.
"They sent those through late yesterday. I thought they were duplicates at first until Simon practically took my door off just as I was leaving. He found a few discrepancies from the first paperwork that was sent through, quite a few actually. Maybe they sent them through at the last minute hoping we wouldn't check them so thoroughly, to say we'd had the information all along when the details of the purchase were set" she stated as I took a closer look at the papers. "We've reworked the figures, in our favour, it's up to you if you want to push it, or stay at the agreed price. The amount of time we've wasted on this deal though, we should be taking off double."
"What I offer will depend on their reasoning as to why they have not been upfront with us. I want this company Ros, it would be beneficial to us and profitable in the long run but I won't be taken for a fool. Call Simon, have him meet Marco in the foyer in five minutes, he can join us for lunch."
Ros smiled and turned towards the door. Before she could leave though, I called her back.
"Christian?"
"Tell me again the reason why you're too busy to accompany me to this meeting."
"I'll tell you two, no three reasons if you want... Number one, Mr Han prefers speaking to a man, not a woman. Two, his son is a creep who does nothing but look at my cleavage. Plus after my last meeting with them, you said I wasn't allowed to attend anymore after I told you if he looked again I was going to break his nose. As I won't be there if Junior protests at the offer tell him from me that time is money and he's had enough of our time. Not forgetting three, I have a much more important meeting to attend here."
I looked at her, waiting for her to elaborate but she didn't. She departed just as quickly as she had entered, leaving me alone.
…
When I arrived in the foyer, I was greeted by an enthusiastic Marco and a nervous Simon. It only took one look at the glass doors, the wind and rain battering them to get inside for the plan to change and for me to gesture for them to join Taylor and myself in the elevator and for us to make our way down to the parking garage. I like to leave through the front of my building but not today.
It was one of Welch's men who drew the short straw and collected the car from the street, bringing it to us. For those few seconds that he had been outside, he looked like he'd stepped into the shower fully clothed.
I was soon in the back seat, Simon fiddling nervously with his briefcase as he sat by my side, while Marco took the passenger seat upfront. Taylor though, I could hear grumbling as he was now sitting in a wet seat.
"Speak to me," I said to Simon. "Tell me what you've found out."
I'd quickly scanned through the papers Ros had brought me in my office but before I went into this meeting, I wanted to know more. Simon told me from the calls he had made this morning about the unfinished work that was laying around the yard, those unfinished orders that were worth thousands and thousands of dollars. I was buying the shipyard from the dry docks to the cranes up above, the company was in trouble which is why they needed to sell. Han though had tried to hide just how much trouble that was and how many of the companies he purchased materials from were about to go bust having been unpaid.
It was Taylor's curse that brought us out of talk of paperwork and figures as we all felt the car start to slow.
"Taylor, what's wrong, we have a meeting to get to" I stated. "Is there a problem with the car?"
"No sir, my apologies" he replied. "A woman back there, I hit her."
"What," I said, turning my head to see behind me. I saw nothing through the misted windows, knowing that we had hit nothing physically other than the water falling from the sky.
"She was close to the curb waiting to cross. I'm afraid I covered her, all of her in water."
"Carry on" I replied and I could see his want to argue.
It had only been a few weeks ago when I had wanted the driver found who had done the same to Mia. Being out there though on a day like today, she would've been soaked anyway and to stop would make us late.
Taylor didn't say another word to me as he continued to drive us to the restaurant. Simon carried on talking quietly to Marco and I just nodded at the right places.
….
Entering The Mile High Club, I smiled at the maître d who quickly showed us through to our private dining room. We were the first here, without stopping we had made it on time, the same couldn't be said for my guests who turned up twenty minutes late.
"The weather here is horrible" Mr Han grumbled upon shaking my hand before I introduced him to my team. Ros was right about junior, his arrogance grating on my nerves the second he started to speak asking in a very predatory way, where she was.
"Rosalind is running the company while I'm here with you and it couldn't be in better hands. Now would you like to order some lunch first, or shall we get straight down to business considering we're running late?" I asked.
"Eat" Han replied, smiling. "Never talk business on an empty stomach."
I looked to the waiter signalling for him to bring the menus over and wishing I could ask him to bring me a scotch. After just a few minutes with these people, I think I'd need it but I never drink when business is involved.
…
Their excuses were feeble at best as to the deception and I could see the look of shock on their faces when I offered them millions less than the figure originally put on the table considering that I would have suppliers to pay off. The truth, if only they'd been upfront from the beginning as I knew the company was in trouble then I would have been only too happy to part with the money but now they were just wasting my time.
"You suggested lunch on the basis that business would be concluded and now you ask for more time" I stated, getting ready to finish this meeting now.
"We have a lot to think about" Han replied.
"No, no you don't. You're the ones who hid everything, you should've realised with how thorough we've been with the details up until now that we wouldn't just ignore the papers you tried to slip through last night. Now if you will excuse me, I have a more important meeting to get to. You can contact Marco from now on, call him when you make a decision. My time on this deal is done."
I stood, turning my back on Han, his son especially with Marco and Simon following me behind. Speaking to the maître d on the way out, I told him to give Han the bill.
Petty, I know but that family need to realise that I will not be messed about.
"Mr Grey, Grey House or as Escala is closer, did you want to take your conference call there?" Taylor asked as we went down in the elevator.
I looked at my watch, knowing Taylor also had his daughters parents evening tonight and as we were running late he had to get off soon. I had other work to do at the office besides my call though so Grey House is where I needed to be.
"Drop me off in the parking garage of Grey House and then you can go," I told him.
"Sir" he replied, not liking the sound of that by the look on his face.
"I still have some work to do there as well as my call. I can get Welch to drop me home, but then again my R8 is parked up there so I can drive her home."
I'd spent the past weekend out on the water, driving myself around while Taylor had been away spending time with his daughter. There was nothing better, nothing more peaceful than being out on the water, well unless I have time to fly.
…
Entering the parking garage with just five minutes to spare before my call came through, I quickly left the car with Marco and Simon, keen to be sat in my office for this call and not in the elevator. Simon, I told to go home and get some rest, his work done for now as he'd spent every moment since the papers came through yesterday working in his office a few floors below mine.
Upon entering the elevator, my mood that had started to lift being away from the Han's quickly plummeted when I did too, my knees hitting hard on the elevator floor.
"What the hell" I groaned, ignoring the hand that was offered to me as I pulled myself up using the handrail.
Seeing the small pool of water that should've been cleaned up the second it had appeared, I was pissed. This was the executive elevator so how it got in here with so few that used it, I didn't know but I was going to find out.
"A leak," Marco said, my eyes joining his as we looked to the ceiling, seeing it completely dry.
"No, someone has some explaining to do."
We exited at the top floor and I was angry to see water, dirty water here too. Andrea was not at her post so I had to contend with Olivia.
"Yes, Mr Grey," she replied, fluttering her eyelashes when I called out her name.
"The water, where the hell did it come from," I asked.
"Sir?" she replied, looking like she had no clue as to what I was speaking about.
"Come here" I seethed as she came from around the counter to which I then pointed to the marble floor.
"Oh."
"Yes, oh. Why has it not been cleaned up, inside the elevator too."
"I don't know," she replied, shrugging her shoulders. "I'll call umm, maintenance. I'll call them and have someone come up to clean it."
"No, you can go to the kitchen, grab a towel, a napkin, I don't care what and get on it."
"But, but, Mr Grey, Sir, it's not my job" she spluttered.
"It is now, so get to it."
I ignored her mumbles, following the footprints in the direction of Ros's office. Whoever has left this water behind is in there and I was about to find out who sooner than I thought when the door opened.
Emerging from the office after Ros was a woman. I couldn't see her face as she looked to Ros, continuing their conversation, only a mass of damp blonde damp.
"Christian" Ros addressed me happily as I now saw the face of the woman who stood by her side.
I could see she was dirty and wet, no she was soaked to the skin. Despite this, despite the smear of something on her cheek, she was beautiful. With the towel, she passed back to Ros she had been at least able to dry her face. Did she not have a coat out in this weather, what kind of person goes out in this unprepared. I was about to ask her that when Andrea arrived holding a coat which continued to soak my floor.
"Christian, this is…" Ros started to say when the phone rang and Andrea upon giving the woman the coat quickly went to get it who then informed me it was my call. "Andrea, can you please hold the call for a moment," Ros said, infuriating me as she knew it was important. "Christian, I wanted to introduce you to…"
"Andrea put the call through," I said overriding my COO, my order which I had said louder and harsher than intended, shocking all around.
"Christian, please, this is."
"By the look of it, the person who's messed up my building" I replied, hearing a gasp from one of the others. Who it was I'm unsure of as I was soon face to face with Ros.
"Christian" she spat and I knew instantly I had pissed her off but I didn't have the time to argue.
"Excuse me," the woman said, trying to get my attention but I ignored her.
I knew I was taking my anger out on a woman who seemed to be having just as bad a day as I was and even though I should've apologised, I was determined that at least one meeting would go right today.
"Andrea put the call through to my office" I called out to her, hearing Ros's protest again. "Time is money, Ros. Isn't that what you said earlier about the cost of wasting time which is what I'm doing now when I should be in my office answering the call."
"No, Mr Grey is it" the woman addressed me quietly, her soft voice taking all the anger out of the room. "Time is precious, especially when you don't have a lot of it left… Thank you for meeting with me today Miss Bailey, I'm sorry for wasting your time. I think it's best if I find somewhere else."
"Ana, please and it's Ros."
I watched as this woman, Ana, squeeze Ros's hand. Her words had left me frozen in place, stunned, as I watched her back as she headed for the elevator. My once so important call for a moment, forgotten.
"Christian, you're an ass, a fucking ass" Ros shouted to me before leaving me behind to slam her office door.
I watched the woman press the button to call the elevator, the doors opening instantly as it had not moved from this floor. As they started to close, she looked up and the look of sadness in her eyes had me unable to look away.
Had he been in the elevator, Christian would have seen the tears that fell from her eyes as it started to descend. He would've seen her pull the blonde wig from her head revealing a few wisps of hair in its place.
He would've also heard the quiet berating, knowing that despite the pain she felt, words would do nothing to make it go away.
Tears, words, they won't change anything, nothing can.
Thank you for reading, I hope you enjoyed it.
Before anyone panics, there will be no Christian or Ana deaths in this story, I couldn't write that. Other characters though, I won't give the same guarantee.
I'm hoping to have another chapter up this weekend and then it will be every weekend from then on.
Until next time, take care.
Caroline