Chapter 2
"Christian." Her words were so soft I nearly missed them; I knew I couldn't hide the shock of her words from my face before those doors closed. I smiled at the petite brunette I had just had the pleasure of sitting with the last hour.
I turned to where Andrea was currently sitting behind her desk staring at me like a deer in headlights. "Andrea, my office now." I placed my hands in my pockets and casually went back into my office ignoring the longing almost hopeful looks from Olivia.
"Mr. Grey?" Andrea looked like a child who had just been caught with their hand in the cookie jar.
"Andrea, please contact Welch and schedule him to come into my office as soon as possible. Move all other meetings for today for another day, also get Taylor in here." She nodded quickly writing her notes on her notebook whilst I went to sit behind my large desk.
I turned on my laptop and began to google her name Anastasia Steele returned results, but not the ones I desire. There was mention of her in the high school she attended, but nothing of any importance.
Andrea came into the office escorting Welch. "Mr. Grey, Mr. Welch is here to see you." I gave her a slight smile and she politely left us alone.
"Grey, what can I do for you?" Welch was a larger man than the average man, he was ex-military as were most of my 'extra-curricular' staff. He specialized in intelligence, gaining information in ways that could not exactly be used in a court of law.
"I need information on a Miss Anastasia Steele." He knew better than to ask why.
"Understood, how in-depth?"
"Everything Welch, I want to know absolutely everything there is to know about her."
"Am I looking for anything in particular?"
"No. I doubt she will have a record or anything negative but still look."
"Understood, when do you require it?"
"As soon as possible Welch. Bring it directly to me, is that understood?"
"Yes sir." He nodded and went straight to work, as he walked out Taylor walked in.
"Sir?"
"Taylor, the woman that came in today…" I saw his frown before he was able to hide it. "I want to see her again."
"Yes sir. If she returns, I will notify you as soon as possible."
"Good. Welch is conducting a background search on her, the minute – not the second he has the information I want to be informed immediately."
"Yes sir." He nodded and left to go into his security office. I delved into the amassing e-mails I've been ignoring for the last couple of days. While I'm waiting for the information I might as well work.
Only an hour and a half had passed since I gave Welch his activity when my phone was ringing. "Grey."
"Grey, I have some information that you will want to know about." Welch's voice carried through the phone.
"Well! What is it?" I never understood why someone will tell you they have what you want and wait until you ask for it.
"Sir, I request that the information I provide be done in person." How fucking bad is it? My chest aches at the possibility it's something similar to what she did.
"Then fucking come in here." I slammed the phone down and stared at the door until he came in. He looked almost sheepish at how I'd dismissed him, but he had a folder in his hands he promptly delivered to me.
I opened it and looked at the woman's information that had caught my attention.
Anastasia Steele.
Date of Birth: September 10th, 1989
Place of Birth: Montesano, WA.
Current Address: 1147 SW Green Street, Apartment 147, Seattle, WA, 9810.
Current Contact Number: 350-555-4352
Social Security Number: 333-55-4333
Banking Details: Wells Fargo Bank, Seattle, WA, 9810.
Account number: 309361
Current Account Balance: $683.18
Current Occupation: Student – Seattle University of Liberal Arts – English Lit Major.
GPA: 4.0
Prior Education: Highschool – Montesano High School.
Current Employment Status: Employed – Part-time
Current Employer: Kavanagh Media News – Seattle Branch.
Father: Franklin A. Lambert
Date of Birth: 01st September 1969.
Date of Death: 11th September 1989
Marriages: Carla May Wilks.
Children: Anastasia Steele.
Mother: Carla May Wilks
Date of Birth: 18th July 1970
Marriages: Franklin A. Lambert 01st March 1989 – 11th September 1989.
Raymond Steele 06th June 1990 – 12th July 2006
Stephen M. Morton 16th August 2006 – 31st January 2007.
Robbin Adams 06th April 2009 - Present
Children: Anastasia Steele.
Current Children of Anastasia Steele:
Name: Jasmine Steele
Date of Birth: 12th April 2010
Father: Unknown
Political Affiliations: Unknown
Religious Affiliations: Unknown
Sexual Orientation: Straight
Current Relationship Status: Unknown
I stare at the folder presented to me as if it's suddenly grown a second head. She has a fucking child, a child that is the same age as I was when the fucking crackhead died…
She didn't even look as if she's had a child… Her figure was perfect, shapely…
Shut up, I told the voice in my head. At no point should I ever interact with someone who has a child in any capacity other than professionally. Welch slid two photos across the table to me, the first was Anastasia, her blue eyes twinkled with an emotion I couldn't understand. Was she happy or amused at something behind the camera? I would likely never know.
The other photo was of a small child, her hair was the same auburn brown her as her mother, her eyes impossibly wide and crystal blue. It was the small dimple on her right cheek as she smiled and the mischievous look on her face that made the thoughts of her go away.
"Is that?"
"That is her child." She looks exactly like Anastasia, but yet so different…
"You don't know who the father is?" I tore my gaze away from the pictures.
"The father is unlisted on the birth certificate, from the investigation I conducted it appears Miss Steele attended all her birthing classes and anything else for the child with Miss Kavanagh. The father has never been mentioned or named."
"Why would anyone give up those two?" I murmured to myself.
"I cannot say Sir, all I can say for certain is that there is no father in that child's life. Anastasia receives no child support in any capacity as every expense is detailed through her budgeting app on her bank, but also listed in the deductions from the account. It appears the moment she realised she was pregnant, she started planning for the child straight away."
"What do you mean?"
He slid across two more photos, one was of Anastasia's budgeting, the dates things were changed or added, the other was of the transfers from her chequing account to a savings account. "Around 5 weeks into the pregnancy is when someone is generally clued into the possibility of pregnancy, Anastasia changed her budgeting from merely 'textbooks' and 'university costs' to adding in 'birth' 'furniture' and 'university for child'. She continued to put away the same amount for her own costs but managed to save enough money for the birth of the child, furniture for the child and start a college fund for the child."
"That's…"
"Outstanding for a 17-year-old. She not only continued to attend school every day whilst pregnant, only taking time out towards the end of the pregnancy but continuing to study. But she also maintained her GPA. She got into her university on a scholarship for new mothers, studied online where possible, but placed her daughter into day-care for the days she was unable to remain at home. She also took a part time job throughout high school and university."
"Fucking hell." I was shocked at the evidence of how well she prepared for this, was her daughter planned? No, what 17-year-old kid would plan for that?
"Yes, from this evidence it would suggest that Miss Steele was not attempting to fall pregnant but did her very best to ensure the child had a good upbringing." Welch seemed almost proud of her.
"Thank you, Welch."
"Did you require any further information?"
"Find out the location of where her daughter attends day care, run a background check on the workers. I want to ensure that child is not placed in harms way accidentally." He nodded.
"I will do the same for the people she works with in Kavanagh Media, Sir."
"Good." He left my office promptly and I was left to stare at the pictures. How can a girl so young, so full of life and possibilities do everything that Anastasia has done for her daughter? I hit the button to call Andrea.
"Yes Mr. Grey?"
"Book an emergency appointment with Dr Flynn."
"Yes Sir. Anything else?"
"No Andrea." I hung up and continued to stare at Anastasia until Taylor told me it was time to go, I placed the documents in a secure safe located in a drawer in my desk, ensured it was completely locked before I left.
In the car the image of how different the life that little girl will have compared my childhood continues running circles in my mind. What if the same thing happened? A mother that dedicated would and could never do that…
I nodded at Flynn's receptionist ignoring the fluttering eyelashes, immediately let myself into his office sitting down in the same chair I always did. Flynn was sitting in his seat, tablet in hand and a coffee in the other.
"Christian." He said in greeting.
"John." I nodded back, the elder man smiled, put down his tea after taking a sip and focused on me entirely.
"So, what's happened to bring you to me today Christian?" His smile was polite.
"I met a woman."
"You always meet women Christian, what about this particular woman caught your attention?" Fucker has always been a smart ass.
I smiled slightly at him, ignoring the little remark. "She came in to do an interview with me."
"Was she rude in the interview?"
"No…"
"Then what about her caught your attention, Christian?"
"She looks exactly like the others…" He nodded in understanding.
"Like your submissives? Like your mother?" I nodded. "I can understand why she would catch your attention, is she a part of the lifestyle Christian?" The idea of Anastasia bound, helpless to being whipped, flogged and fucked made my stomach turn.
"No, I don't think she is…"
"Why is that, Christian?"
"Because she's only just graduating University." He continued to stare at me, the silent question but you were in the lifestyle at her age Christian screamed in my head. "And… She has a child." His eyes went wide for a moment before the indifferent mask settled on his face.
"Then it would be understandable she may not be in that lifestyle, how does her having a child make you feel?"
"I was very attracted to her the moment I saw her, I wanted to imagine her in the same scenarios that I've had other women in. When I ran the background check on her and found out about her child, the thought of doing that to her sickened me."
"Very harsh and conflicting emotions Christian."
"Yes."
"So, you have a choice right now to make Christian, you can pursue this woman knowing she has a child, and that she will never be yours to control because her responsibilities will always be to her child first. Knowing she is likely not into BDSM like you, or you can walk away." My heart clenched at his words.
"She fell in the office, and she held onto my arms to stable herself… I didn't cringe or flinch at all. It was the moment I saw how beautiful her eyes are, how the pink dusts across her nose when she blushes." John remained silent. "I want to talk to her again, if only to be a small insignificant part of her life, just so I can see her smile and blush again. But her child…"
"Is a part of her, and she will not give up that part of her for anything if she's a good mother."
"I know, I would never ask that or expect that. How can I trust myself around a child John? My fucked-up life… No child deserves to experience anything to do with that." John allowed a brief look of pity to cross his face before hiding it again.
"Christian, children are wonderful, miraculous things. They accept us without any stipulations or expectations. They love with their whole being because they can, this woman seems like a loving, trustful, responsible mother. Nothing like your own, it stands to reason her child would most likely be full of love, understanding and acceptance. Something I believe you will greatly benefit from."
"What if she hates me?" I whispered staring down at my hands.
"I don't think it'll even be an issue, Christian; you care for people very deeply, you spoil your little sister as if it's going out of fashion. For this little girl, whose mother works to the bone to provide for, having you be there to ease her mothers worries and be a best friend to her will make you a favourite for certain. If she's not allergic and her mother says yes, chocolate is always a great form of bribery." John smirks.
I could do this… I could meet Anastasia again, interact with her like any normal man would and maybe she would give me the time of day… Maybe even allow me to meet her little girl… Would she allow that? Could I even bring myself to meet her?
"But I would have to give up everything for her…"
"Would that be such a bad thing Christian? I believe even if you got a new submissive today and took her into your playroom that the activities of old would not bring the same level of satisfaction or control you desire now. A sexual relationship does not need to be master and slave, or dominant and submissive or even just vanilla as you call it. A sexual relationship is what two consenting adults require it to be, whether it's purely in a bedroom always in the same position or adding toys into it to make it naughtier it matters not. It just has to be consensual and what you both want and need."
"Meaning I could do some things I like…"
"And some things she likes." That's… Fair. "She may not be interested in a sexual relationship straight away Christian, introducing a new man into her and her child's life may take time. Most women will ensure that he is good to not only her but her child as well before introducing the two."
"Like a test?"
"Yes, similar but not quite." He smiles. "I believe in you Christian, as a friend I would say go and talk to her, take her on dates, meet her child and show her the Christian I know, the Christian that loves his family and treats them to the world and everything he has in him. As a professional, I would advise you to take the time to think through where you want to be relationship wise five years from now and go with the option that suits that lifestyle."
We both stood from our chairs, I shook his hand and couldn't help the smile that came to my face. John thinks I can do this, I hope I can do this… Hopefully Anastasia also thinks I can do this.
Hello!
I want to thank everyone whose kindly left a review, it is always appreciated.
A little backstory - Ana's story of how she became pregnant will be coming up soon. I don't want to say anything now and give it away. Pleeeease hold onto your seats - it'll be worth it.
I wrote this story in 2016, I was only 22 and vastly unaware of what a relationship was actually like, the compromise, insecurities and changes we go through when we meet someone. Now I'm happily married, and a little more aware of the level of work one goes through when working on a relationship - married or not. So when I started reading the work I did in 2016, I was actually kind of embarrassed. It was quite immature in some aspects and now I'm glad to be working on it again. It's a story that I always want to come back to but haven't worked up the nerve.
Why did I stop?
Man, trolls suck. Whole heartily suck. The negative reviews were on spelling, grammar etc, etc, etc and I was a kid in adult form. I had only just gotten my high school certificate and not aware of how to really write. Then when they didn't like a character development - it was like Armageddon. So the over-all style of the writing should be better now, but the characters development will stay pretty much the same. If anyone, and I mean anyone has an issue with this. Please, don't bother telling me, just stop reading. I love this story too much to stop for that reason.
Update status:
I will update as I finish a chapter essentially, I work full time, coming home afterwards got to feed the furbabies and husband, clean etc. So I may get around to one a night, but otherwise it'll probably be 2-3 on a weekend. I hope you continue reading, leave a comment, review, message anything really. Also feel free to contact me if you want to read the original story, to see the difference between them. :)
- AnnoyedPrincess