Chapter 10

Elliot opened the door to Christian's office carefully and poked his head in first. Christian was stood staring out at Seattle's landscape, unmoving. He didn't even turn around when he heard the door open.

"Chris." Elliot said. He got no response. He walked into the room slowly and stood next to Christian, looking out at the view too. "You good?"

"I'm fine Elliot. They just weren't doing their jobs. I don't pay them to socialise." Christian murmured quietly.

"Yeah no, I get it. I do." Elliot nodded. "But you know how good Ana's cream puffs were. That guy would've been a fool to turn them down. It was completely harmless. They didn't have any bad intentions behind it. Andrea is definitely no slacker and Ana isn't either and you know that. You were a bit harsh." Elliot said meekly. He didn't want to seem like he was telling Christian how to rule his empire or do his job.

"I really don't pay them to socialise. I pay them to work." Christian said firmly.

Sure, sure. Keep up with the excuses little brother. But we all know the real reason why you're so pissed. Elliot thought to himself. "Andrea said something about matchmaking. So, I mean… it was for a good cause, right?" Elliot attempted to joke. He knew Christian wasn't going to agree but he just wanted to see his reaction.

Christian threw him a disgruntled look. "Is this real-life tinder? No. If Anastasia wanted to be with the guy, then don't you think she could do it on her own terms? She's a grown woman and so is Mr Rodriguez. Why is Andrea setting them up? I don't pay her to play cupid, it's inappropriate. Surely, they could do it in their own time? Then I wouldn't have a problem, I couldn't care less what they do in their own time." There was an edge in Christian's voice. It almost seemed like he was trying to convince himself of what he was saying.

"Okay. Okay. I get it bro. I think Andrea knows she did wrong and I don't think she'll be doing that again." Elliot held one hand up in surrender. "Here." He thrust the plate of cream puffs out in front of him. "Ana wanted me to give you these." Christian finally looked away from the window to stare at the plate. Elliot had no idea what was going through his mind. After a moment he spoke up. "Hey if you don't want them, I'll take 'em. They're the last ones."

Christian snatched the plate from him. "She gave them to me asshole. Not you." He said giving him a thunderous look, while popping a cream puff in his mouth. "Shit. She makes it hard to stay mad at her." He sighed. "Why did she give the last ones to me?" He said confusedly.

Elliot shrugged. "I'm not actually sure. She just said you really liked them. Maybe she was just doing her part to tame the beast." He smirked.

Elliot's joke went completely unnoticed. Inwardly Christian was floored. Why did she give them to him? He was hardly deserving especially after his little tirade at them. Everyone wanted some of her cream puffs, so it's not like she didn't have anyone else to give them to. "I'll have to thank her." He mumbled.

Elliot hummed and eyed his little brother. He could see the thoughts flying through Christian's mind. The man was in turmoil. Poor guy.

"Right. I'm going to go embarrass Ana a little then I'll be on my merry way. It's too easy making that girl blush." He walked to the door. "Might just be my new favourite hobby." He mumbled. Christian just shook his head in amusement.


Ana was getting ready to leave for the day. A lot had happened, and she was ready to get out of here. Andrea had already left. She had her coat on and packed her bag before she remembered her container in the break room. She put her purse down on the table before she started to rinse the Tupperware out in the sink. She had her back to the door so didn't see Grey in the doorway.

"You know Elliot and Mia?" Christian said, leaning against the doorframe with his hands in the pockets of his trousers.

Ana jumped. She whirled around to see him leaning there casually. "You scared me. I didn't realise you were there." She said breathlessly. Ana wasn't sure if he was still angry from earlier or not, so she was a bit wary.

"Sorry. I didn't mean to scare you." He replied, walking into the room. He leaned his back against the counter about 6 feet away from her, hands still in pockets.

"Happens a lot." She waved a dismissive hand before turning back to the sink. "And to answer your question. Yes. I've known them for about a month. But I had no idea that they were related to you. I don't even think we ever discussed surnames, they've only ever talked about their brother 'Chris' and I only told them that I work as an assistant, nothing more so no one ever connected the dots. I wasn't actively seeking out members of your family or anything like that. I'm not a stalker." Ana rambled.

"I never thought that Miss Steele. I believe you. I was thinking about what a small world it is." He shook his a little. "So, what do you think of them? They haven't chased you off yet with their madness?" He smirked. Ana sighed in relief that he was joking with her.

She turned off the tap and grabbed a dish towel to dry off her hands and container. "Elliot's a goof. it's nice to be around him, he's like the older brother that I never had. Embarrassing me is apparently his favouriting thing to do. I guess he's also like an annoying younger brother." She returned his smirk. "Mia, on the other hand, I was a little wary of her. She's so exuberant and at first, I thought I wouldn't be able to keep up with her because she's so extroverted and I'm… not, you know, and she's just so different from me but the more I hang out with her, the more I like her. I judged her a little in the beginning which was wrong of me. She keeps trying to get me to come shopping with her and I really don't like shopping but she's adamant that one day I'm going to go and discover my inner shopaholic or something." Ana laughed. She finished drying her container and went to grab her purse on the table. All the while she could feel Grey's eyes on her.

"Mia is larger than life itself. Apart from fashion and clothes, she enjoys simple things. She always has. You two balance each other out. I'm glad she has a friend like you." Since she was all packed and ready to leave, he gestured for her to walk with him to the elevators. He was staying for a bit longer. He didn't see the blush on her cheeks as he walked behind her. "So, she hasn't annoyed you yet? Trust me that will soon come. She means well but sometimes she just can't take no for an answer."

"Yeah I'm beginning to realise that." Ana smiled.

"And Elliot's just Elliot. There is no excuse for his behaviour. Imagine growing up with the two of them. There was never a dull day in the house. I was the only normal one." He joked.

"Hm… 'normal' you say?" She said cheekily.

Christian pressed the button for the elevator. "What's that supposed to mean Miss Steele?" He said in mock seriousness.

"Absolutely nothing Mr Grey." She said innocently as she stepped onto the elevator. "Have a good evening sir. I'll see you tomorrow."

"You too Miss Steele." He said. She gave him a little wave as the doors closed.


During the weekend, Ana decided to hang out with Emily. Kate and Elliot were spending the day doing 'couplely' things, whatever that meant so Ana was happy to leave them alone. She hadn't hung out with Emily properly in a while, so it was long overdue. They met up at the coffee shop as Emily finished her shift. The vibe in the place was very different from a weekday.

They spent the day walking around Seattle with Emily showing Ana a few landmarks and other touristy things since Ana still hadn't had a chance to fully explore the city. It was peak summertime, so it was the perfect day. They exchanged stories about their lives and Emily told her stories about customers during their excursion and Ana felt like she hadn't laughed this much in a while.

They sat on opposite sides of a park table after grabbing some burrito bowls from a food truck and sat in silence for a few minutes both savouring their food.

"So." Emily started. Ana looked up at her in suspicion. "How's Christian Grey?" Emily asked casually.

Ana's fork fell into the box. She furrowed her brows. "What do you mean? He's my boss. He's bossy?" Ana said confusedly, while resuming her eating.

"I meant has anything happened between the two of you since he fired that Jack guy for you?"

"Emily, no. He didn't fire Hyde for me. He did it for the safety of everyone in that building." Ana stressed.

"Sure, sure. Believe what you will. But has anything happened?" She asked eager for information.

Ana thought for a moment. "We interact as employee and employer?" She said. Emily just gave her a look. Ana sighed. "I made cream puffs for him the other day and he really liked them. He also got pretty mad when Jose came to our desk for cream puffs. Andrea had called him up. He basically, threatened his job. I really need to make it clear to Andrea that me and Jose will never be more than friends. Otherwise she'll keep trying to set us up and cause more problems in the future." Ana said. She saw Emily's eyes widen a little. "Oh! And you know Elliot and Mia? They're his siblings!" Emily choked on the bite she'd just eaten. "Yeah I know. Surprise of my life. Elliot showed up to the office and Grey caught us hugging." Ana sighed. "it was a very bizarre day."

"No way." Emily took a few deep breaths to calm down as she processed this information. "They're all related to each other. Shit." Ana just hummed her agreement through a mouthful of beans. "About Jose. One thing I've noticed about you Ana, is that you can be a little oblivious when it comes to guys. I've probably seen you and Jose together three times? And it's so obvious to everyone he likes you. He doesn't even have to say it, you just know in the way he looks at you. Hell, I'm pretty sure even Grey knows too." She looked at Ana with a serious expression. "You need to let him know of your feelings and not lead him on."

Ana frowned. "I don't want to break his heart or anything, but yeah, I probably should have done that sooner. I just don't see him like that." That was what she was going to do. She'll text him about lunch or something and let him know then. "Speaking of Jose, he said you need to sell my cream puffs in the café. They were a very big hit."

"No problem. Just send me the recipe when you get a chance. A lot of people come just for your bakes, so there'll be no shortage of customers. Anyway, what was grey's reaction to seeing you and Elliot hugging?"

"Uh… he seemed a little angry at first. But I think that was because Elliot and I were both shouting in the hallway. He kept glaring at Elliot, but he seemed to relax when we explained to him how we knew each other. Elliot wasn't helping the situation at all." Ana said, leaning her face on her hand. Emily eyed her. "What?"

"Have you ever thought that maybe Grey is, I don't know, jealous?" Emily said hesitantly.

"Jealous? Of what?" Ana asked sceptically, straightening her posture.

Emily thought for a moment. Ana had only been working for Grey for about a month and a half. She was probably still getting used to things and she didn't need this extra information weighing down on her. "You know what. Nothing. Forget I said anything." She shook her head and went back to her food. "So crazy that you and grey are almost connected though. Get some inside info on the boss." She said quickly, changing the subject.

Ana rolled her eyes at Emily's attempt to change the subject. "Very subtle Emily. And no way. I won't go asking for information on my boss! He's a very private guy and it would be a violation of his privacy. Elliot and Mia will probably give up information on him anyway without realising. Those two can talk." They both laughed.

Ana was waiting for Emily to finish up her food, when she got a call from Kate, letting her know that she'll be staying at Elliot's for the night. As she hung up, she glanced at the notifications on her phone and among the texts from her dad and Mia and social media notifications, was an email from Grey. But it was to her personal email account which she thought was odd.

Curiosity got the best of her and she opened it up. She let out a combination of a gasp and a cuss and her hand flew to her mouth as she read the email. "Holy crap."

Emily looked at her concerned. "Ana what's wrong? Did something happen?" She asked worried.

"No. nothing like that. Give me a second to process." Ana said without looking up from her phone. She looked up after a moment. "Grey just sent an email to my personal account and it has an invitation to the 23rd annual gala of the Coping Together foundation attached." Ana said in shock.

"What!" Emily dropped her fork. "Oh my god Ana. I'm getting tired of all these surprises today. Read the email out!" She encouraged.

"Dear Anastasia, I would like to invite you to attend the Coping Together gala with me on the 8th of August. Please see the invitation attached. It has been a while since we discussed you attending events with me to give you the opportunity to network and make connections and I thought this would be the perfect event for you to make your 'debut' so to speak. I hope this is the first of many events you attend. The Coping Together foundation was actually founded by my mother, Grace, and the purpose of the gala is to raise funds for children affected by substance abuse. A lot of the big names of the Seattle business world will be in attendance, providing you with ample opportunities. Elliot and Mia will also be there. I will get your answer back at the office so you can have some time to think. I sincerely hope you accept. Enjoy your weekend. Sincerely, Christian." Ana looked at her with wide eyes.

"Oh my god Ana!" Emily squealed. This was huge! Grey was basically asking her to go as his date, but Ana obviously wouldn't believe that. Ana had caught the man's attention that was for sure and this way they'd be spending time outside the office in a social setting giving them a chance to talk properly. The things that could happen! And his parents were going to be there. Grey might have pitched it as a business move but it definitely sounded like it was more than that to her. Maybe not to Ana though.

"The 8th is next Saturday. And I have to give him an answer by Monday." Ana bit her lip nervously.

Emily frowned at her. "There is no debate. You are going. You have to." At Ana's worried look she decided to elaborate. She could see Ana was starting to overthink. "Ana, this could be the start of your publishing career. You'd be wasting the chance to go and talk to the big wigs. Who knows? You might even meet the head of a publishing house and he might decide to hire you on the spot. Being with Grey and working for him will impress them too. He has a lot of influence or he could introduce you to the right people and you can go from there. You guys have discussed it before so I don't see why you wouldn't go."

"I know. I know. I didn't think he was being deadly serious. I'm just realising how weird it would be. He's my boss. CEO of a huge company and I'm his trusty PA. People would talk or question it when they see us. And have you seen the guy? I'm pretty sure there's no shortage of beautiful women who want to be with him and I'll just be judged."

"Hey, who cares what other people think. Anyway, wasn't he the one who suggested you go to events with him? He definitely does not care if people talk. And if there was someone else, he wanted to take with him, why would he ask you in the first place? Stop worrying about it all. You'll be there for one reason and that should be your focus. Everything else is irreverent. You need to jump headfirst into uncomfortable and scary situations if you want to go anywhere in life." She stared at Ana for a moment. "And Ana. Any guy would be lucky to have you with them. It doesn't matter if he's some billionaire who owns nearly half of Seattle or your boss. The point is he asked you, not someone else. He wants to help you achieve your dream so that's what he's doing. And if Elliot's going, then Kate's probably going too so really why wouldn't you go? If all else fails, it can just be a fun night." She fixed Ana with stern eyes daring her to say no, after all that.

Ana crossed her arms lightly and rested them on the table as she gazed around the park, thinking. Her eyes eventually flitted back to Emily who was looking at her expectantly. "Okay. You're right. I'd be stupid not to go. I won't get anywhere in life if I'm worried about what other people will think. As much as I like GEH, I don't want to be stuck as an assistant there for the rest of my life." Ana said.

"You need to stop overthinking things. It only stresses you out more." Emily told her.

"I can try." Ana chuckled. "Crap I need to find a dress!" She said in a panic

"Don't worry. You've got a week. Plenty of time. I know all the good dress shops in this city and I'm sure Mia and Kate will lend you a hand. I can help you get ready too." Emily said excitedly. "I'll be able to see Grey in a tux." She wiggled her eyebrows suggestively.

Ana rolled her eyes at her and laughed.


It was mid-afternoon on Monday when she finally saw Mr Grey. They'd both been busy and hadn't seen each other up until now. Ana was actually a little nervous to see him after the email. She didn't know why though. Nothing had changed but she felt like something had. She didn't know how to approach the gala subject and tell him of her decision. she also wanted to do it face to face rather than a simple email. It felt like the right thing to do. She knocked on the door to his office and walked in when she heard him say come in.

"Anastasia." He said in greeting from where he was perched behind his desk.

"Hi Mr Grey." She smiled at him. "I have some contracts here that need your final seal of approval and your signature." She said, handing him the papers.

"I will get right on that." He smiled at her. She was kind of shifty he noticed. Ana stepped back from his desk and was about to turn away when he spoke up again. "So, Miss Steele, do you have an answer for me?" He asked curiously. Ana stopped her movements and made eye contact with him.

"Yes, I would love to go with you. Thank you so much for asking me." She smiled. "We talked about it so long ago that I thought you weren't being serious and had just suggested it in the moment." She said bashfully.

Christian shook his head. "I wouldn't have suggested it if I wasn't serious. I don't go back on my word. I'm a firm believer in saying things you mean, no matter what it is. There just hasn't been any events worth going to recently and I'm sure you know; things have been a little hectic." He ran a hand through his hair. "But this one is important to me and my family. How are you feeling about it?"

Ana blew out a breath. "I'm nervous. I've never been to anything like it before." She said fiddling with her fingers.

"Don't worry. You'll be fine. It's like a glorified prom for the rich and famous of Seattle." They both chuckled. "Elliot and Mia will definitely be there so you should feel more comfortable. And I'll be there with you if you need me. Like I said in the email, I hope it will be the first of many. You'll be an expert at these in no time." His eyes crinkled at the corner with his little smile.

"I hope so too." She returned his smile.

"Taylor will be driving us, so you can drink and have a good time without worrying about driving. I'll pick you up at 7pm on Saturday?" He asked.

"Yes, that sounds great." She turned around to leave his office. "Thank you again Mr Grey. I don't know how I can repay you."

"it's no problem at all Anastasia. You're doing me a favour too by going with me. My mother won't be nagging me to take a date who I don't even know and spend the whole night making small talk. I'm very glad it's you I'm going with." He grinned at her. "Oh, and about your repayment?" Ana paused at the door. "I was thinking… cream puffs? A whole batch to myself maybe? None for Elliot." He said cheekily.

Ana shook her head at him while chuckling. "Sure, Mr Grey. I can do that."

Ana walked down the hall back to her desk and Grey was looked down at the papers on his desk, both of them still smiling.