Christian and Elliot ended up sleeping over at our new apartment. Per my decree that we not fuck until my flow stopped, Christian and I just cuddled and tried to ignore the sounds coming from Kate's room. I loved her like a sister, but Christ was she loud in bed. And Elliot wasn't exactly quiet either.
In the morning, Christian and Elliot helped us unpack everything and get ourselves situated in our new home. We were reasonably close to done by 3:00, when I sent them to go get changed for the family dinner we would all be attending later. Kate and I both got ready, which naturally was an hour-long process. Beauty takes time and effort, people.
At 4:30, there was a call on the entry-phone. "We're both ready to escort our lovely dates to dinner," came Christian's smooth voice.
We locked the apartment behind us and walked out onto the street. Elliot was there waiting by his Jeep, and Christian was smiling at me next to a sleek, silver sports car I only recognized because I'd used active telepathy on him and had read every thought he'd ever had.
"The Vanquish? What's the occasion?" I asked. Just because I knew as much as Christian did on the power of the engine and the handling didn't mean I saw what the big deal was.
"It felt like a Vanquish day," Christian shrugged with a boyish grin.
He held the door for me like a gentleman and I buckled myself into a car literally out of a Bond movie. For all its potential speed, he drove defensively all the way to Bellevue and the manor home his parents had raised him and his siblings in. We parked in the driveway and Christian held an arm around my waist as we walked up to the front door. I detected a new, rather hyper mind voice waiting just behind the door.
Christian rang the doorbell, and Mia Grey opened the door. "Christian! I wasn't sure you'd show up!" Christian's adopted sister beamed up at him and leaned in for a quick hug. She was the only person in the world who could do that besides me, we were the only exceptions to Christian's strong haphephobia as a consequence of his childhood abuse.
"I promised on Thursday I'd be here, Mia," Christian rolled his eyes even as he leaned down to kiss her hair. "This is my girlfriend, Anastasia Steele."
"Oh, God, you exist!" Mia said cheerfully as she pulled back to smile at me. "If it wasn't for the Facebook thing and the TMZ article, I'd have thought you were some GEH person and the press just assumed. You don't know how long we've waited for you! I never thought Christian would get a girlfriend, or even a boyfriend!"
"Nice to meet you, Mia," I grinned, seeing what Christian had meant about her effervescent attitude. I gave her the once over. Shorter than me, which was saying something. Slender but with muscle in a way that reminded me of gymnasts, I remembered she was an avid yoga practitioner. Her black hair was cut in a fashionable pixie do, and she barely needed makeup to look stunning. I thought Ethan was doomed.
"Hey Mimi!" Elliot called, coming up behind us with Kate on his arm. I'd noticed that Elliot had a habit of assigning nicknames to people he cared about.
"Hey, El. Who's your flavor of the week?" Mia asked teasingly. She held out her hand to Kate. "Mia Grey. Nice to meet you!"
"Kate Kavanagh, likewise. I'm Ana's roommate and best friend," Kate grinned at the girl a tad younger than us. If I had my dates right, and I always did, Mia only turned 21 in April.
"Your brother Ethan showed up earlier. He's in the parlor with Mom and Dad. Cutie patootie, you mind if I snag him?" Mia asked hopefully.
"Have at him, but your work might be cut out for you. He has this complex about dating anyone younger than me," Kate warned.
"I live for the chase!" Mia grinned, not daunted in the slightest. "So, Ana, I read your Facebook profile and the TMZ thing. You're really in Mensa?"
"Get the newsletters and everything," I nodded as we all entered the mansion proper and made for the parlor.
"And Mom said Christian hired you to be his Head Translator or something since you know, like, a bazillion languages!" Mia continued, clearly impressed.
"Fluent in 19 including English, can carry a conversation in 37 others, and I'm working on American Sign Language at the moment. It's all just memorization, and I have a photographic memory," I explained.
"And there was something about a Millenium Prize Problem? No idea what that is but it sounds like a big deal!" Mia pressed, eager to get to know her brother's first girlfriend.
"They're 7 of the biggest, toughest problems in mathematical theory. The Clay Mathematics Institute offered $1 million dollars to anyone who can solve them in 2000. To date, the only winners have been Grigori Perlman for the Poincare conjecture and me for the Riemann hypothesis," I answered.
"Wow, you really must be smart then! But Dad said something about how what you really want to do is build Skynet or something?" Mia asked as we neared the parlor, where the Grey family enjoyed drinks and conversation before family dinners.
"I want to become an AI scientist, and I have hopes to contribute to the creation of the first artificial intelligence to pass a Turing test," I nodded. "I'll do my best to make sure he/she/it is friendly too."
"What's a Turing test?" Mia asked curiously.
"It's a test named and invented by Alan Turing, one of the fathers of modern computer science. He came up with it as a way to ascertain whether a computer could ever pass for human, which is the only example we have for sapience. An AI and at least 1 human are kept in locked rooms and have to answer a series of questions from a panel of judges. If at the end, the judges can't decide which one is the AI, then the AI passes the test, it's close enough to human that nobody can tell the difference. It's not a perfect measure of self-awareness and understanding the world like a human, but it's still the yardstick most scientists plan to use to test any future AIs," I told her.
We reached the parlor, where Ethan was in conversation with Carrick Grey, the patriarch of the family. Grace, my future mother-in-law, grinned at us as we came in. "Dears, it's so good to see you all! Congratulations on graduating, Anastasia and Katherine!"
"Thanks, Grace," I grinned at the good doctor.
"So, I know Anastasia is set to start working at GEH next week. What about you, Katherine?" Grace asked after giving her sons kisses on the cheek.
"Daddy got me an in at the Seattle Times. I'm not above nepotism, I start when I get back from our vacation in Barbados," Kate told Grace.
"What's everyone drinking?" Carrick asked with a friendly grin.
Once he'd mixed us all our preferred social lubricant, Mia turned to me and Christian. "So, tell me everything, the whole damn story! How'd you two end up together?"
"I went to interview Christian at Grey House for the graduation issue of the college newspaper for Kate since she was sick," I answered readily. "Christian learned how smart I was and the fact I was a hyperpolyglot and decided to hire me. We agreed to get lunch that Saturday before I signed the contract, and that was our first date. Which one are we on now, Fifty?" I asked my boyfriend.
"If you count 'date' as us just spending time together, not a formal outing, then this dinner is number 11 I believe," Christian said after a sip of his drink.
"And they're already saying the 'L' word and everything," Kate added with a teasing grin.
"Really?" Grace asked breathlessly, delighted beyond words.
"I love you, Christian," I grinned up at the man I'd marry someday, if my precognition was to be believed.
"Love you too, Anastasia," Christian smiled tenderly before leaning in for a chaste kiss.
"Oh my gosh, that's so adorable!" Mia gushed.
Carrick seemed a bit apprehensive, not as pleased as his wife and daughter. "Are you sure you're not moving a bit fast, Christian? This is your first real relationship, after all."
"I know I've never been in love before, Father, but I feel it whenever I look or even think about Anastasia. Maybe I'm making up for lost time, maybe we're just soulmates, maybe I'm horribly wrong and this won't end well. But at the moment, there's not a doubt in my mind that I'm in love with Anastasia and, by some glorious stroke of fortune, she loves me back. If you can't accept that, then please keep your opinion to yourself," Christian said, staring his adoptive father down.
Carrick looked his son in the eye and finally nodded. "Very well. If you two are sure, then I'm happy for you both, really."
"You're one to throw stones about falling too early, Carrick. As I recall, you proposed on the 6th date," Grace chuckled.
"You are not allowed to use something I said after 10 tequila shots and our first time together against me," Carrick blushed.
"Ew, parent sex, changing the subject!" Elliot said, in an exaggerated way meant to make us laugh. "So, Ethan, Katie Kat says you work for your dad?"
"Marketing Associate at Kavanagh Media," Ethan nodded. "Dad wanted to make me a junior VP right out the gate, but I talked him down. I'm not as comfortable as Kate with nepotism."
"That's nice, shows you have integrity!" Mia grinned up at her target.
"Thank you, Mia. So, you just got back from studying cooking in France, right? What's your plan?" Ethan asked. I tuned into his thoughts and emotions and realized with dismay that he wasn't that attracted to her. He really was hung up on the age thing, I guess. So much for the three of us ending up siblings-in-law.
"I don't want to just start my own restaurant right away, that's getting too ahead of myself. I'll apply around the city and spend at least a year just getting experience working in a real kitchen," Mia told us.
"What kind of restaurant do you want to open someday, though?" Kate asked.
"I know this sounds silly, but I always dreamed of something like a 5-star diner! Classic American comfort food, served with class and the best ingredients! I'll call it Mimi's," Mia beamed.
"Aw! I'm touched, sis," Elliot grinned, hearing her use his nickname for her.
"I'll give you the startup loan at the 'friends and family' rate, Mia," Christian smiled fondly at his little sister.
"Thanks, bro, and I swear I'll pay you back once I get the guts to go for it!" Mia grinned at him. She turned to Grace. "Hey, Mom, is Aunt Elena coming? You usually invite her, right?"
The mood plummeted, the atmosphere tangibly changing as 6 of the 8 of us were reminded of the pedophile bitch who'd raped Christian.
Ethan stood up straight, picking up on our stricken expressions. "Whoa, the temperature just dropped 5 degrees. What happened, who's this Elena person?"
Christian held me tight. "Elena Lincoln is a former friend of the family. She's currently in custody while they build the case for her arraignment."
"What?! What'd she do?" Mia asked with wide eyes.
"What didn't she do?" Elliot growled under his breath.
"The detectives aren't supposed to disclose details of an open investigation, but as one of her victims and the one who drew the authorities' attention to her, the Chief of Police has been giving me regular updates. It started with tax evasion, and since digging into her computer and interviewing her other victims, she's up to 4 counts of statutory rape and over 100 counts each of production, ownership, and distribution of child pornography," Christian revealed to Mia and Ethan.
Mia looked like she might faint. "Child porn? Statutory rape? And you said you were one of her victims. Oh, God, Christian, tell me she didn't…"
Christian couldn't look his sister in the eye. "Ages 15-21. She groomed me very well, it took Anastasia telling me to my face and seeing the looks on Mom, Dad, and Lelliot's faces when I told them for me to realize it was rape."
"I… I think I'm gonna hurl," Mia said, covering her mouth.
Grace led Mia to the nearest bathroom. Ethan pounded the rest of his drink. "Fuck, Christian, I'm so sorry that happened to you. But she's been arrested?"
"Last week, and they keep finding more and more evidence of her crimes every day. I was an investor in her chain of salons, turns out she was embezzling funds from me on top of everything else. I'm actually impressed at how much she got away with, I thought my accountants were the best," Christian sighed.
"She's facing federal charges. If she's smart she'll take a plea deal and rat on all her 'clients' for the pictures she took of Christian and those other boys," Carrick said, combing his hand through his hair in a gesture I'd seen Christian and Elliot do repeatedly. Guess they'd picked it up from him.
"But based on what I've heard, she swears blind she's innocent. I don't know if she's in denial or just wants to take me down with her, but she'll probably take it to trial. Then all this shit will be public record," Christian said, finishing his drink.
Mia came back, and her eyes were red either from vomiting or crying. "Christian, bro, are you okay?" She asked, looking up into his eyes.
"I'm texting my psychiatrist daily. And Anastasia has been a huge help and support. I'll get through this shit storm and then this will all be behind us," Christian assured his beloved sister.
Mia unexpectedly gave me a hug. "Thank you for saving my brother, Ana," she said into my chest.
"Happy to do it, Mia," I told her, patting her back.
We moved on to happier topics until Gretchen, the Greys' cook, informed us dinner was ready. We sat at the table, two extra chairs brought in to fit all of us. I held hands while the Greys said grace but kept my mouth shut. I respected all faiths, but I wasn't a practitioner of any major religion.
"So, Anastasia, what are your plans for the week before you start at GEH next Monday?" Carrick asked after a bite of his pasta.
"I'm going hunting with my dad, we do it every year after I finish school. Not sure we'll do it again next year or going forward, though," I told him.
Grace froze. "Hunting?" She sounded like she hoped I was joking.
I winced. Both Carrick and Grace had strong opinions on guns. But I'd already been too honest, so I revealed the truth to them. "Ray was in the Army and he's a police officer. There's been a gun in the house for as long as I can remember. He started teaching me and taking me on our yearly hunting trips when I was 12."
"Do you possess a firearm?" Carrick asked, eyeing me with flat eyes.
"5, actually, purchased legally and in my name. I have a concealed carry permit for the two handguns," I answered honestly.
"Anastasia, dear, guns are dangerous things," Grace said with clear disapproval.
"So are scalpels, but people trust you to cut open their kids to help cure them, don't they Dr. Grey? I know exactly what I'm doing and afford them the respect and caution they are justly due, but they're my possessions to use as I deem fit within the bounds of the law," I said firmly, not backing down.
"Mother, Father, I've seen Anastasia shoot. As with every other thing she sets her mind to, she's quite skilled and knows every detail needed to do it properly. You don't have to approve of the fact she owns and uses weapons, but at least respect the fact it's her life and her decision," Christian said in my defense. He held my hand under the table.
"... Very well," Carrick said, returning to his meal. But I could hear in his thoughts that I'd lost points with him.
"Where are you going hunting?" Mia asked. She actually thought the fact I could use guns was kind of cool, gave me a 'bad girl' vibe.
"Grant county, the fishing's good and there's lots of waterfowl," I answered, taking a sip of the wine Gretchen had picked for the meal.
"So we'll be eating duck for a week when you get back?" Kate asked in a fake aggrieved tone. She loved my cooking, even when I used more 'exotic' ingredients.
The conversation moved on, Mia dazzling us with talk about what it was like to live in Paris. I exchanged words with her in French, which she was delighted to do. After dessert, which had been a sorbet sampler I wouldn't be surprised if Gretchen had made from scratch, we adjourned to the parlor.
"So, Ethan, I'd love to get an outside opinion on whether I'm actually any good, and I can't count on my family to be unbiased. How about I make you dinner some night?" Mia asked, batting her eyelashes just so.
Ethan gave her a look. She'd grown on him over the course of the evening. Plus, it was my observation that men thought with their stomachs half the time. He decided that a free meal and an evening with a pretty girl, even one younger than his 'baby' sister, wasn't a bad idea. "Sure, Mia, I'd be delighted. Should I come here or would you mind bringing all the ingredients and equipment to my apartment? I live mostly off takeout, I'm afraid to say."
"Sure thing! I'll come to you. When would be good for you?" Mia beamed at the Kavanagh male.
We chatted over drinks for an hour, then those of us who didn't live in the mansion made our goodbyes. Elliot took Kate back to his apartment, giving me and Christian privacy in the condo I shared with Kate. But I still felt a touch of PMS, so I wasn't in the mood. I made sure to suck Christian off like a pro though.
I woke up early and tucked Christian back into his car to head back to Escala to get dressed for his first full day back at Grey House since he'd temporarily relocated to Portland to be near me. I gave him a kiss I hoped lasted him the whole week, gave him one last "I love you, Fifty," and waved him goodbye. Then I grabbed the duffel bag I'd kept packed in anticipation of the hunting trip with my dad, including the case for my assault rifle, and waited for Ray to pick me up.
We got to the campground Monday afternoon and left Sunday morning, loaded up with a cooler apiece filled with preserved fish and duck meat. It had been fun and relaxing to spend all day on the lake fishing or hunting around the water with Ray. These trips had always been our special father-daughter bonding time. We exchanged maybe 100 words total the whole time, but that was just our way. I could read Ray's every thought and he was comfortable with silence if I didn't feel like talking. I gave him a big hug when he dropped me off at my apartment. "Love you, Dad. Take care of yourself. Say hi to Esther for me, can't wait to meet her someday."
"Love you too, Annie. Don't go getting knocked up or anything," Ray chuckled.
I winced. "Um, does it count as being knocked up if the wedding is before the due date?"
Ray gave me an exasperated look. "Am I going to have to clean my shotgun, Annie?"
"Christian has fully accepted my visions are guaranteed spoilers, and he knows we'll already have two kids by May 2015. According to my visions, I'll be in my third trimester at our wedding. We've decided to just not use birth control," I admitted to my father in all but blood.
"If you're sure, Annie. Might have to move up here, I want to see my grandkids on a regular basis," Ray shrugged after processing that little nugget. He kept things simple, and if I said I was okay with being a mom in the near future, he'd accept that and move on.
"I'll call you every Sunday, Ray, keep you posted. You're invited to the first sonogram," I chuckled, giving one last hug.
"Be smart, be safe, Annie. And don't forget you had a life before Christian, he doesn't have to take over every single thing. It's healthy to have interests outside your relationship," was Ray's parting advice before getting in his truck and driving off.
I got up to our door and let myself in. Kate was gone, off in Barbados as planned. I put my catch away in the freezer and pulled out my phone. I'd kept it off for the whole hunting trip, after a text to everyone I cared about that I'd be incommunicado for the week. I saw I had a total of 13 texts from Christian, him wishing me a good morning and a good night each day of the trip. I grinned at how sappy he could be for someone new to 'hearts and flowers'. I also saw I had a text from an unknown number. I opened it and felt a sense of disquiet fill me.
'Why did Master choose you?' was all it said.
I called Christian immediately.
"Anastasia, such a pleasure to hear from you. You're back from your trip with Ray, I take it?" I heard him answer.
"Yeah, but this isn't a simple check-in call. Are any of your ex-Submissives mentally unstable?" I asked.
"Why do you ask?" I could hear the apprehension in his voice and knew in my gut that something had happened while I was gone.
"I got a text from a stranger that reads, quote 'Why did Master choose you?' It's dated Thursday night, did anything happen while I was gone?" I asked my boyfriend.
"One of my ex-Submissives, Leila Williams, broke into Escala Thursday night and attempted suicide in front of Gail. I wasn't there, I had a fundraiser dinner. She broke out of the hospital after they stitched her up and she's in the wind. I had Welch look into her, she was having an affair and her boyfriend died in a car accident. She was always my… clingiest partner. My best guess is she's fixating on me, wants what she had with me back, and she's trying to draw my attention. Prescott will be at your door as soon as possible to keep an eye out for you, if she texted you then it's possible she might have her attention on you too."
"I'm the competition," I sighed. "If she gets rid of me, there's nothing stopping you from getting back together with her. I've got a stalker. Just perfect. Speaking of, did Welch dig up anything on Hyde?"
There was silence on the other end. I didn't even pick up Christian breathing.
"Christian?" I asked, getting a bad feeling.
"Welch needed Barney's help, but they cracked into his personal laptop. There were videos of him seducing and then raping a number of women. He's into BDSM, and not in a healthy way. He made each girl bleed. We dug into who the women could be, and found out that most of his personal assistants last less than 3 months. Elizabeth Morgan lasted a year before being promoted to Assistant Editor. The catch is we can't go to the police since we obtained the videos illegally, it'd be fruit of the poisoned tree. We're trying to track down the women and convince them to press charges," Christian finally said in a dull, dead tone.
I knew where his thoughts were without having to use telepathy. "You're nothing like him, Christian."
"You don't know the things I've done, Anastasia," Christian said with self-hatred.
"Actually, I do. I've read your every thought, and I haven't forgotten a single detail. You might have had a fucked up introduction to BDSM through Elena, but you never raped a woman or hurt her more than she was willing to take. You always respected limits, safe words, and administered aftercare. You were a Dom, Jack Hyde is a sadist. Two completely different animals," I told him in no uncertain terms.
"... Fair point well made, Miss Steele. When Flynn says it, it goes in one ear and out the other. When you say it, I feel it in my bones," Christian said, his tone a bit lighter.
"Family dinner at your parents' tonight?" I asked to check, moving to happier topics.
"Kate invited Elliot to Barbados with her, Ethan, and their family. It'll be us, my parents, and Mia. I'll pick you up from your apartment at 4:30," Christian said, sounding eager to see me.
"We'll have a real talk later tonight. And then we're going to bang each other's brains out," I said, my gut clenching in lustful anticipation. I'd been looking forward to my first night back the whole trip with Ray.
"Anastasia, I can hardly wait. See you tonight," I heard him all but purr before hanging up.
I heard Prescott's mind voice enter my range about 15 minutes later and buzzed her in from the entry-phone. "Miss Steele," she greeted with a businesslike nod. "I have orders from Mister Grey not to let you out of my sight until Miss Williams is found and apprehended. When Sawyer is assigned to you tomorrow, he'll maintain a stakeout of this location in case Miss Williams discovers your address and comes looking for you."
"I'll be carrying my Taurus in my ankle holster to Grey House and have my Desert Eagle out of the safe where it can be easily reached in my room," I nodded, letting her know my own measures I'd be taking to protect myself.
"Understood. You and Miss Kavanagh are the only ones with keys to this apartment, yes?" Prescott checked.
"The superintendent has one, but otherwise yes," I nodded. "I suppose it's possible Leila could pretend to be me and ask him to let her in and then she could just wait for me to come home to ambush me. So I hope Sawyer doesn't take a break if she has that idea and shows up while he's gone."
"You will be as protected as humanly possible, Miss Steele. And if I may say so, I like your odds in a fight if it comes down to it. I wouldn't be too worried," Prescott said with a grin.
I checked on my PC rig to make sure it hadn't crashed while I was gone. I spent the time until 2:30 reviewing my OS, Bartok, to make sure it was running sweet as a nut. Then I got my first proper shower since I'd left and focused on beautifying myself for dinner with the Greys.
At 4:30 on the dot, the entry-phone buzzed and I heard Christain say "I'm here, angel," when I answered.
I let Prescott lead the way out of the apartment building, and I greeted Christian with a long kiss. I used the opportunity to use active telepathy and catch up on everything I missed during my trip. I pulled back and frowned. "Elena's out on bail? What the fuck?!"
"I'll have to get used to having no secrets from you," Christian said with a wry chuckle. "The judge set it at $10 million. Her ex-husband, for whatever reason, got a bond for her. She had to surrender her passport, though. I'm having a team of 4 watching her around the clock and we've tapped her phones. If she tries to run, we'll catch her. As it is, she's cashing in every rainy day account she has to hire the best defense lawyers she can."
"She can't be smart enough to have stayed under the radar this long and delusional enough to think she has a snowball's chance in hell at the same time. She must know you went to the cops on her by now, this is all to make a media circus of the trial and drag all your dirty laundry into court along with her," I sighed.
"All I care about is that she ends up in a locked cage where she can't hurt anyone else any more than she already has. I'll go on the stand and testify to every single sex act she ever did to me or convinced me to do to her if I have to," Christian said, unafraid.
"I'll be there for you," I swore to him.
He kissed me and held me tight. "Come on, we should get to my parents' soon enough to talk before dinner," he said, opening the door of his Audi Spyder for me.
He drove us to the Grey Manor, as it was officially named in my head, in Bellevue. We parked in the driveway and Grace let us in when we knocked on the door. "Christian, Anastasia, dears! A pleasure as always! Come in, come in!"
We got to the parlor, where Carrick and Mia were waiting. "So, Anastasia, your first day at GEH is tomorrow, yes?" Grace asked once we all had drinks.
"Yeah. I'll show up in the morning, get my employee ID, and then I'll get right to work. Christian's giving me my own office on the 20th floor so I'll only be a few doors away from him," I chuckled.
"If Elliot were here, he'd make some joke about dipping your pen in the company ink," Mia chuckled at Christian. "Instead, he's getting tan with his girlfriend on a beach in the Caribbean."
"It's nighttime over there right now, he's probably balls-deep in Kate at the moment," I rolled my eyes. "How was your dinner with Ethan?"
"We had a great talk and he really liked the food. But he didn't even kiss me, even after we finished off the bottle of wine," Mia pouted. "My age really does bother him, I guess."
"Well, to quote Robin Scherbatsky, you only need two things: chemistry and timing. But timing's a bitch. Maybe try again in a couple years or something," I offered her.
We had a pleasant evening of conversation, Gretchen's excellent cooking, and Christian and I bid his family farewell at 8:00. We drove back to my apartment, and I let him into the condo after we got a report from Prescott that nothing out of the ordinary had happened, no suspicious characters looking around or anything.
"So, what do you want to talk about?" Christian asked as we both sat down on the sofa.
"Can I count on you to be professional while I'm working with you at GEH?" I asked upfront. "I mean, don't get me wrong, if you want a quickie in your office just shoot me a veiled email and I'll drop everything to come over. But I'm already playing with a handicap in the business world being a woman, let alone your publicly acknowledged girlfriend. No one is going to take me seriously at first. You calling me 'angel' and being all lovey-dovey when we're in meetings going over the contracts isn't going to fly. And you can't cancel a whole deal if some sexist foreign CEO snubs me in a conference call."
"I swear to you, Anastasia, that while you're on the clock I will treat you with all the respect and courtesy due to any member of my team. And I'll do my best not to fly off the handle if you get insulted or demeaned by chauvinistic pigs in suits I sadly have to deal with on a regular basis. You give me your heart, just as I give you mine, when we're alone together. But so long as you're working, I'll only ask for your phenomenal brain," Christian promised.
"Good, glad we understand each other," I grinned. "Now, just to be absolutely sure, you don't want to use any contraceptives at all? Teddy's birth could be a mere 9 months and change away if we're not careful."
"Since you read my mind, you know the only reason you're not wearing my ring already is because it's still being made," Christian grinned. "You're it for me, Anastasia. Let people think you locked me down or something stupid like that. I love you, you love me, so I'm going to marry you. And I can't wait to hold Teddy in my arms."
There were a few more things I was planning to talk about, but once he said that all I cared about was getting him inside me.
We were in the middle of our 7th round when my alarm clock went off. I blinked and used telekinesis to shut the damn thing off. "Wow, an all-nighter. I didn't think those actually happened."
"I'm insulted you even noticed that thing, I need to step up my game," Christian growled as he just kept on pounding me into the mattress.
I used my powers to start a feedback loop of our pleasure and bring the all-night fuckfest to a satisfying end. When we both could see straight again, I maneuvered myself out of Christian's arms. "I'm going to get showered and dressed. I'll cook us both breakfast while you get your own. You can stop by Escala to get changed while I go to Grey House. I'll let you know as soon as I finish translating the contract for the manufacturer in Guangzhou."
"I fucking love you," he gasped, still coming down from the unnatural high I'd sent us to.
I got cleaned up and applied a tasteful amount of makeup before leaving the bathroom. I smacked Christian on the ass as he passed, which made him stare over his shoulder at me as I went to my closet. I had intentionally gotten a colorful wardrobe of business clothes to stand out from the monochrome color scheme of Grey House, so I got into a sunshine-yellow pantsuit with a white blouse and selected a pair of heels that didn't clash. I tucked my ankle holster and my Taurus high enough that my slacks covered it from easy view.
I had finished making the coffee when Christian came out in last night's semi-casual clothes he'd worn to dinner. We both drank our joe black fresh from the pot, so he took a big gulp as soon as I handed him his mug. "Jose's exhibit is Thursday night in Portland. I promised to come, you want to join me?" I offered as I flipped the omelets.
"Sure, we'll take Charlie Tango," Christian agreed. "What kind of photography does he do, again?"
"Candids, capturing people in their natural state without them knowing they're being photographed," I recalled. "I always caught him when he tried to get me, so I don't think he'll feature any of the ones of me he took over the last few months."
"You're certain I shouldn't be concerned about how he feels about you?" Christian asked warily.
"He's not some degenerate who took photos of me through the bathroom window, Christian. He's an artist whose medium is photography and I just happened to be one of his most readily available muses. I've made it very clear that I only see him as a friend. And he thought your move with tossing Mike Newton's phone was 'badass'. Give him a chance, for me, please," I asked my boyfriend.
"If you trust him and consider him a friend, then I'll try to keep an open mind. But I'm never going to forget that he's one of your exes," Christian said after a sip of coffee.
"That's all I ask," I nodded, giving him a quick kiss before plating our food.
After we ate, Christian took the Spyder back to Escala while I got into my Honda Accord. I drove to Grey House, Christian's headquarters in downtown Seattle, and parked in the garage. I went to the front desk and got the receptionist Maggie's attention. "Hi, Anastasia Steele, I start today on the 20th floor. I need my employee ID."
"Miss Steele," Maggie acknowledged with a nod. She, like half the staff in the building, knew that I was Christian's girlfriend and fresh out of college. She wasn't nasty about it, but she assumed in the privacy of her thoughts that I'd slept my way to the top. But if there was one thing I'd learned as a telepath, it's that it's what people actually say that says the truth about their character, not what just goes through their head unbidden. "HR is on the 7th floor. Just give your name at the desk."
I took the elevator, trying to ignore the fact I was the youngest in the moving chamber by a significant margin. Getting my official GEH ID card took 10 minutes, and then I went up to the top floor. "Andrea, Olivia," I nodded in greeting to the two gatekeepers of the executive level of Grey House. "Christian told me I'd have my own office?"
"Yes, Miss Steele. Olivia, show Miss Steele to her office," Andrea ordered her underling.
Olivia got up and showed me to the space Christian had cleared just for my use. It was small, but it was on the corner of the floor with a killer view. "Your employee ID functions as a key card. Slide it into the reader and you'll be automatically logged into your account in the Grey House intranet," Olivia informed me. She paused. "I'm sorry, but I just have to ask. Which came first, you dating Mr. Grey or him hiring you?"
"Our first date was the same day I signed the employment contract," I answered her readily. "He offered me the job the day I interviewed him last month, and he asked me out by text later that week. He's my boyfriend, but I'm here because I can do the work he expects me to do."
"Well, none of my business, really. If you have any questions, just call the desk and ask me or come fetch me in person," Olivia grinned politely before leaving me alone in my new office.
I knew from my active telepathy with Christian exactly what he'd had planned for me to do. I sat at my desk, after the obligatory swirl to test the spinniness of the chair, and slid my new ID into the card reader. The iMac turned on and showed me the homescreen set up for me. I spotted I already had two emails in my inbox. I opened them.
From: Christian Grey
To: Anastasia Steele
Subject: First Day
Miss Steele,
As your boyfriend, I am unspeakably proud of you and have no doubt you'll excel at your new job. As your boss, I expect you to pull your weight. I offered you this position because I hire the best, and you proved you were part of that exclusive group when it comes to languages, especially those used in the Far East. I expect a full translation of the contract for the deal in Guangzhou by the end of business today. Email me and Ros a copy as soon as you're done. I trust you, don't disappoint me.
Christian Trevelyan-Grey
CEO, Grey Enterprises Holdings, Incorporated.
The second email was a 17-page document filled with tiny kanji.
I grinned and cracked my knuckles. Atomic batteries to power, turbines to speed. Holy hyperpolyglot, Batman.
I opened an empty document and translated the contract from Yue Chinese to English line for line. I provided the literal translation, with notes on certain phrases that carried different meanings in China than the USA. I could type over 100 words a minute, so I had a rough draft of the whole contract by noon. I spent an hour reviewing everything to make sure I hadn't missed anything and that my translation was a polished gem. That done, I crafted an email.
From: Anastasia Steele
To: Christian Grey, Ros Bailey
Subject: Guangzhou Deal Translation
Mr. Grey, Ms. Bailey,
Attached you will find the original contract for the purchase of the auto parts manufacturer in Guangzhou, along with the English translation I have created. I have included my personal notes to help explain certain segments that are open to different interpretations depending on if the writer was thinking of a Chinese or American audience. Feel free to email or call me with any questions.
Anastasia Rose Steele
Head Translator, Grey Enterprises Holdings, Incorporated.
I sent the email and decided it was lunch time. I pulled out my Blackberry and called Prescott.
"Yes, Miss Steele?" answered my CPO.
"If I ask you to fetch food, does that come out of your pay or mine? I'd just go out to a deli or something, but I know Christian will want me in his fortress unless absolutely necessary that I leave," I asked her.
"I'll save the receipt and it'll be deducted from your paycheck, I believe. Standard protocol for all GEH executives with CPOs," Prescott answered readily.
"In that case, have you eaten yet?" I asked. "And before you say anything, a Powerbar doesn't count."
"I could eat, Miss Steele," Prescott chuckled.
"Find the nearest place to get a Reuben that won't give me food poisoning. I'll also take a bag of chips and a bottle of water. And you get whatever you want too," I ordered.
"I'll be up with your food presently, Miss Steele," Prescott told me before hanging up.
I tucked the Blackberry back into my pocket and went hunting through the GEH intranet. No reason why I shouldn't get more work done while I wait. I found the folder where they kept all the contracts and correspondence for deals outside the USA and/or in another language. I started to read, familiarizing myself with Christian's progress in taking over the world one business at a time.
Prescott arrived with my lunch within 20 minutes. I thanked her and ate carefully, not wanting to get a stain on my new, expensive clothes. I was just about to get back into a deal with Singapore when my inbox pinged with a new email.
From: Christian Grey
To: Anastasia Steele
Subject: Executive Meeting
Miss Steele,
Ros and I have reviewed your translation. If it's accurate, and I have every confidence it is, then your predecessor was indeed a plant trying to actively sabotage this deal. Whole sections of the contract we were unaware of have been brought to our attention, and your notes have cleared up a few misunderstandings we had regarding the deal and certain comments our Chinese counterparts made in talks. Please report to Conference Room 1 at 2:00 pm sharp to meet with us and the rest of the GEH executive team to go over the contract.
P.S. You've made me proud, angel.
Christian Trevelyan-Grey
CEO, Grey Enterprises Holdings, Incorporated
I glanced at the clock and saw I still had 20 minutes. I set a timer and kept reading about the deal with Singapore. I was spotting some irregularities. Not enough to make me think whoever Christian had working on it was a plant like Gregory Farris had been, but whoever did the translating from the original Tamil to English obviously wasn't fluent and little mistakes added up over time.
When my alarm went off, I got up and went to Conference Room 1 right there on the 20th floor. Christian was there, seated at the head of the table, with Ros at his right hand. I counted 3 more men and 1 woman whom I recognized from all the research I'd done into GEH for the newspaper article, plus my active telepathy with Christian.
"Anastasia, right on time. Everyone, this is Anastasia Steele, our new Head Translator. Anastasia, you know me and Ros. These are August Tate, my CFO; Barney Sars, my CIO; Beth McDermit, my CMO; and Zachary Bexx, my CCO."
"Hello," I nodded politely.
"Finally! I'm not the only Mensan in the room!" Barney chuckled. He was 30-something, had glasses with blocky frames that made him look dorky, and wore a graphic t-shirt under his suit jacket instead of a shirt and tie. "Hey, thanks for that tip about BTC, by the way!"
"Welcome to the team, Miss Steele," said August. He was probably the same age as Carrick, plus/minus 5 years. He wore a 3-piece suit and had a genuine pocket watch on a chain hanging out his jacket pocket.
"Ros says you earned this job, so I'll try to keep an open mind. But in my experience, anyone under 25 can't tell their head from their rear end," Beth said in a thick Scottish brogue. I noted the tartan handkerchief hanging out her pocket.
"Zachary, nice to meet you," the CCO nodded at me with a polite grin, but he was already mentally undressing me. He was the youngest in the room after me and Christian, maybe 30, and had a tattoo sticking out his collar.
"So, let's get straight to why we're here," Christian spoke up. He did something at his computer and the projector built into the ceiling turned on. A screen behind his head showed a side-by-side view of both the original contract in kanji and my English translation. "Anastasia, could you clarify a few points for us, please?"
"Certainly," I nodded, all business.
I answered all their questions, and by the end of the hour even Zachary had realized I wasn't just a pretty face. Christian nodded. "Okay, I think this clears up all the misunderstandings left behind by Farris and his tampering. I'm ready to reestablish talks with the Chinese. There's a 15-hour time difference, so an evening meeting for us is a morning one for them. Anastasia, I'll get back to you with an expected time for the meeting. You'll be there to translate everything we say into Yue for them to understand, and I want your second opinion on the English translation their translator gives us for what they say."
"Of course," I nodded. "While I've got you, I have some concerns about the Singapore deal."
"Please elaborate," Christian said, his eyes locking with mine with laser intensity.
"Whoever you've got working on it now, from what I'm reading, picked up Tamil by memorizing a dictionary. There's some consistent grammatical errors and a few mistranslations here and there. I'd be more comfortable taking over than leaving it to them," I explained myself.
"Very well. Until the call with the Chinese, I want you to retranslate everything we've already done in regards to that deal and get it back to me. We'll adjust our current strategy once we're finally on the same page. Good initiative, Anastasia," Christian grinned.
"If that's all, I'll get right on that," I nodded.
"You may go," Christian nodded.
I returned to my office and worked on the Singapore deal, my fingers moving like lightning as I crunched through all the correspondence and making proper translations that the original interpreter had mangled. I had just emailed the full file to Christian when I heard a knock on my door. I used my passive telepathy and realized it was Christian. I got up and opened the door. "Hey. What is it?"
"It's past 7:00, angel. Are you at a stopping point?" Christian asked gently.
I blinked and looked over my shoulder. Sure enough, the sun had set and the lights of Seattle gleamed in the night. "Huh, didn't even notice. I emailed you everything on the Singapore deal just now, by the way."
"Anastasia, that deal's been going on for 3 months. You did everything in one afternoon?" Christian asked with raised brows.
"I want to earn that $700 an hour," I shrugged.
"You seem to be on the right track," Christian chuckled. "Can I interest you in a sleepover at Escala? It seems a crying shame that you haven't even seen my bedroom yet."
"Sure, just let me grab an overnight bag from my apartment," I grinned.
I drove back to the condo in my Accord and got into the back of Christian's SUV as Taylor drove us to Escala. We got in the elevator and Christian put in a code for the penthouse. As soon as the doors closed, a familiar electric charge filled the air. Two seconds later, Christian's tongue was in my mouth.
"Normally, I pride myself on my endurance. But I'm quite curious to see if I can manage to fuck you in that elevator in the trip from the garage to the penthouse one day," Christian said a few minutes later as we stepped out into the main area of his home.
"With or without me 'cheating'?" I asked him as I got my breath back.
"Yes," Christian grinned salaciously.
We reached his kitchen, and I was introduced to Gail Jones, a kind but professional woman I knew had worked as Christian's housekeeper and cook since he moved into Escala. She handed us two plates filled with pork chops and sides before retiring for the night to the apartment she shared with Jason Taylor, Christian's CPO.
"So, how was your first day?" Christian asked after a sip of wine.
"Converting emails and contracts from one language to another is simple to me. What I'm not looking forward to is the in-person calls. There's the whole human factor, mucks everything up," I sighed.
"It's going to be pretty hard for me to focus on business when I'll be listening to you speak another language. It just does things to me," Christian grinned hungrily. "Say something in Tamil."
"நான் தமிழ் பேசுகிறேன்." I rolled my eyes. "Literally 'I speak Tamil', by the way."
"Anastasia, you know how I feel about you rolling your eyes at me," Christian said in a low, sultry tone.
I figured we'd eaten enough.
We ended up in his bed, him gripping my hips hard enough to bruise on a normal person as he slammed his cock into my hole doggy style. I felt him slide one finger into my pussy alongside his girthy cock, getting it slick, and I didn't need to read his thoughts to know what he had planned. I braced myself as Christian withdrew the finger and it began to trace my rosebud.
"Angel? May I?" he panted as he slowed his pace a little.
"Go ahead," I moaned.
He slid the digit gently into my ass, and I experienced my first double penetration.
"Anastasia? How's it feel?" Christian asked, circling his finger to stretch me out.
"Like I wish you had two cocks so I could take you in both holes at the same time," I replied. It was strange, but not uncomfortable, and actually felt kind of good.
"You sure about that? I have a drawer full of dildos and butt plugs in my playroom, you know," Christian said, like he could hardly believe his luck.
"Baby steps, Christian," I chuckled. "But you can move your cock a few inches north once you stretch me out some more."
I was pleasantly surprised to discover that anal orgasms were a distinct flavor from vaginal orgasms, though almost as pleasurable. And it was worth the slight burn just to hear the sounds Christian made as he plundered my nether hole. We went to sleep once he spilled his seed up my ass, we hadn't gotten any sleep last night after all.
Christian's alarm woke us at 6:00. We took turns using the toilet then got our first proper shower together in his luxuriously roomy cubicle. It had shower heads built into the wall and used a touchscreen instead of handles, it was an experience for me. I got dressed in the clothes I'd packed, going for a green pantsuit with a brown blouse today. I'd been thinking of the woods I'd seen during my hunting trip with Ray.
Christian finished affixing the cufflinks he'd picked for today and offered me his hand. We went to the kitchen, where Gail had made lox bagels for both of us.
"So, Miss Jones, how long have you and Taylor been together?" I asked after finishing a bite.
"A little over 2 years, Miss Steele," she grinned.
"I insist you call me Ana, I get enough Miss Steele's from Christian when he's being all formal," I chuckled. "So, you've met Sophie and everything?"
"Yes, and she seems to like me well enough," Gail nodded. "And only if you call me Gail, Ana."
I had a nice chat with the woman who kept my boyfriend fed and not living in a sty. Then we took the elevator, thankfully without attacking each other, to the garage and Christain put me in the passenger seat of his Audi Spyder.
"Oh, can't believe I forgot. Mother throws a charity ball every June called Coping Together. It's to help children in foster care who've been affected by drugs. Will you come with me?" Christian asked as we stopped at a light.
"I was waiting for you to ask," I grinned. "Sure thing. It's a masquerade ball, right? Saturday night?"
"Yes, at my parents' house. We can get you a dress at Neiman Marcus earlier that day," Christian nodded. "It should be fun. Though I expressly forbid you from participating in the dance auction."
"Like I would have participated anyway," I chuckled. "I mean, I get it raises a lot of money for the cause, but it's still objectification."
"I tend to agree, but Mia gets a kick out of it, talks all her friends or whatever they are to participate each year," Christian nodded as the light turned green.
We got to Grey House, and we walked into the lobby together. I had told Christian he wasn't allowed to hold my hand while we were on the premises, I was determined to keep our working and our romantic relationship separate. We got a thankfully crowded elevator to the 20th floor, so we weren't tempted to tackle each other.
"Have a good day, Mister Grey," I nodded at him as we left the elevator.
"To you as well, Miss Steele," Christian nodded back before going towards his office after asking Andrea if anything had popped up overnight.
I got to my office and put my ID into the card reader. My job description was to help out with all GEH deals in a foreign language I was able to speak or read. With the Chinese deal waiting for the conference call and Singapore handled last night, I figured I'd just start working my way through the list.
I was halfway through a contract in Hindi with an oil company in India when I got an email.
From: Ros Bailey
To: Christian Grey, Anastasia Steele
Subject: Double Date
Yo, lovebirds,
Gwen's just dying to meet Ana and I checked, we're all free for lunch. Want to meet up at the Capital Grille at 12:30 today?
Ros Bailey
COO, Grey Enterprises Holdings, Incorporated
I was onboard, and I texted Christian to see if he was okay with it. When I got his approval, I sent a reply to Ros that Christian and I would meet her there.
At noon, Christian knocked on my door and we went down to the garage. He drove us to the preferred lunch spot for GEH executives. It was also where Christian and I had our first date. The Maitre'd recognized Christian on sight and led us to the 4-person table where Ros was waiting with a model-worthy blonde woman with her long hair tucked into a French braid.
"Hey Christian, Ana! Ana, this is Gwen, my future wife once the state of Washington legalizes gay marriage," Ros grinned as we took our seats.
"It is such a pleasure to meet you!" Gwen beamed at me with a slight accent. That plus her bilingual thoughts clued me into the fact she spoke German.
"Das Vergnügen ist meins," I grinned back. 'The pleasure is mine.'
Gwen blinked before her smile doubled in intensity. We started to get to know each other, speaking German the whole time. Ros and Christian just chuckled and made small talk as their respective partners gabbed away in another language.
It was a very nice lunch, and I was sure Gwen could be a good friend. Given she and Ros also lived at Escala, I was planning to invite them over to dinner at some point. Christian drove me back to Grey House and I worked for the rest of the afternoon, crunching my way through all the work. At my current pace, it would take 2 weeks just to review everything already in the works by my estimation, and I knew new content was being generated every day. I'd prioritize based on what Christian assigned to me, but otherwise I'd just try to help out where I could.
Christian had to knock on my door at 7:30 to snap me out of my focus on the work. "I thought I was a workaholic," he chuckled as I logged out of the computer and got up. "Oh, and I figured I'd tell you in person instead of sending an email. The call with the Chinese is tomorrow at 6:00 pm, so 9:00 am local time for them."
"I'll do the translating, but you'll still have to do your master of the universe thing if you want to get what you want," I grinned as I followed him to the elevator.
He drove me back to my apartment. I took a moment to meet Luke Sawyer, my second CPO and the man Prescott had a crush on. He was polite and professional, reporting that he detected no suspicious activity or saw any sign of Leila Williams all day. I left him to let Christian into the apartment. "I'll make dinner. Pop HIMYM in the Blu-ray player or something, I can listen from the kitchen. I can't make allusions and quotes to make you laugh until you've caught up with me and Kate," I said as I slid out of my stylish, if slightly painful heels.
The fridge and freezer were mostly empty, I hadn't had a chance to go grocery shopping since coming back from my hunting trip and Kate was in Barbados until the 17th. But I'd stocked the pantry, and I had all the fish and duck I'd caught for meat. I spiced and cooked two duck breasts and made mashed potatoes with garlic and butter as a side and heated up some canned soup as an appetizer. Christian and I ate at the coffee table so we could watch the show. Around 10:00, Christian got bored of the show in favor of doing 'couple' activities. As I clutched his body tight to mine, I mused I could get used to days like today.