Chapter 2:
After securing her apartment, Ana returned to her neighbor's apartment. They talked for over two hours learning about each other. Tara is originally from London and relocated in Seattle for her job in Marketing. Ana gave a short edited version of how she met Christian, but called him Chris, and how they broke up. Tara could relate since she had just ended a five-year relationship with a man that could not commit beyond a sexual relationship. Tara and Ana began a friendship that evening seeing each other as sisters in pain.
Three weeks later…
Ana arrived at SIP before her boss, as usual and she made coffee in the break room. She made herself a cup of tea and returned to her desk, powered up her computer, and went through the early mail. She placed Jack's mail on his desk. Ana returned to her desk and started to read the assigned manuscript and make her editor's notes. By the time Jack stumbled into the office still wearing yesterday's suit it was near ten o'clock and Ana had three manuscripts read and noted.
"If it's not too much trouble, Miss Steele, can you find me some Tylenol or Advil?" Jack sneered down at her. He smelled of whiskey and was in need of a bath. "I also require a cup of coffee."
Ana opened her bottom drawer and pulled out a bottle of Advil. "You can still get your own coffee."
"You don't want this job for long, do you? I gave you this job and I can take it away from you." Jack leaned over the desk trying to intimidate her.
Ana pushed her chair back and stood. "Mr. Hyde, you did not give me this job, SIP hired me to be your assistant. I am not your maid or your glorified gopher. Now, if you will excuse me, I have reports to take to Mr. Roach." She picked up the files and stepped around Hyde.
"Miss Steele, do not get comfortable here. I will be rid of you."
"Mr. Hyde, be very careful who you threaten." She shot back. "I do not take kindly to threats and neither does my Father, who happens to be a Deputy Chief of the Seattle Police Department. So, if you wish to continue this conversation I will be more than happy to call him and the Head of Human Resources to rectify our differences." One dark eyebrow arched in question over her blue eyes. She saw him shrink from his dominant stance. "I also suggest that you go home, shower, and change your clothes before your meeting with the Board."
"Fuck, I forgot about that." Jack's hands fisted at his sides. He was pissed off because this smart-mouthed little bitch probably just saved his ass. He walked towards the elevator while Ana made her way down the hallway to Roach's office.
Four hours later Jack stomped into his office and slammed the door making Ana jump. She surmised that the monthly board meeting did not go well. She returned to her tasks.
"Ana, get in here." He bellowed as he opened the door.
Ana bit the inside of her cheek, picked up her IPad and then walked into his office. She left the door open. "Mr. Hyde, I would prefer that you address me as Miss Steele."
"I prefer that you quit so I can get a decent assistant." He growled sitting down. "But, you did save my ass today, so I guess I should thank you." He stared at her with his intense dark eyes. She didn't move or show any fear. When he first saw Ana, he thought she was a docile little thing that he could control and use. He never expected to find a fireball of confidence in that little package. "So, um…thank you."
"You are welcome, Mr. Hyde."
"The news from the top, SIP has been bought out. The new owner will be coming around sometime today." He sighed heavily. "Another asshole to kiss."
Ana remained cool and collected but inside she was quaking with fear. Would she still have a job come next week? The old adage of "last hired, first fired" came to mind. "Who are the new owners?"
"Owner, Miss Steele. We were not bought out by Barnes & Noble or Amazon, but some damn wanna-be publisher CEO."
Ana sat quickly feeling a bit nauseous. No, he wouldn't! He couldn't! Please, please, don't say Grey…not him…fuck…I will be fucked! "Who?"
"I can't say because I wasn't told." He rubbed his brow still suffering from a headache. "We will find out today."
"Well, this day just gets better and better." Ana said softly, then she went back into work mode. "You have a three o'clock meeting with Jennifer Diffy for the final walk-thru of her contract, and then at four, you have a conference call with Portland Publishing, a Mr. Stephan Hunt."
"Crap, the last thing I want to do is mess with Ms. Diffy." He looked over Ana. "You do it."
"Mr. Hyde, I do not have the authority to negotiate a contract."
"You do now." Hyde said with a shifty smile.
"I will call Roach to make sure." She said making notes on her IPad. "Is that all, Mr. Hyde."
He dismissed her with a wave of his hand. Ana went back to her desk and made a call to Roach about this situation. Roach was not happy to have an assistant editor working on contracts but he had faith in her abilities and gave her permission to work with Jennifer Diffy. At three o'clock Ana met with her first author to negotiate her contract and an hour later she had that author signed, sealed, and delivered. Roach was more than happy and told Ana to take the rest of the day off. She was at her desk powering down her computer and organizing her desktop when Jack walked up to her desk.
"Are you leaving early without my permission?" He snarled. She could smell that whiskey on his breath once again.
"Roach told me to take the rest of the day off. I got Diffy signed up on our terms." She gave him a smile. "Maybe you should go home before someone smells the booze on your breath."
"You are a fucking bitch, Miss Steele." He said harshly.
"Hyde!" A deep voice roared making Jack turn around. Ana's face went white when she looked up to see a familiar face and that copper colored hair. "You are fired, effective immediately!"
"Fuck off." Jack spat. His dark eyes swept up and down the man that stood before him. Christian's fists clinched and un-clinched, preparing for a physical altercation. Jack had enough alcohol in his system that his bravado was more than over-full. "Who in the hell do you think you are to come here and tell me that I am fucking fired?"
An evil smirk graced the handsome face of Christian Grey. His eyes were cold and hard. "I am the new owner of SIP which is now known as Grey Publishing, Inc. Hyde, I own your miserable fucking ass."
Jack Hyde turned as white as a ghost. His blood ran cold and he knew he had fucked up. "Mr. Christian Grey, I presume?"
"You presume correctly." Christian stood with his feet shoulder width apart ready to attack if he needed to. He looked to Ana who had fell into her office chair when he announced that he now owned SIP. "I suggest that you get your desk cleaned out of your personal belongings." With a subtle motion, Christian gave his right hand-man, Jason Taylor the order to follow Hyde into his now former office. "Good-bye, Mr. Hyde. Your final paycheck will be mailed to you or directly deposited into your account. I hope you understand that you will not be given any references from this company." His attention went to Jason Taylor. "Do not let him touch the computer or any files in that room. He only leaves with his own personal items."
Taylor escorted Hyde into his office while Christian approached the woman that he desired. It was because of her that he purchased SIP. He had to have some connection with her, to provide security for her. "Are you alright? I do apologize for the behavior of Mr. Hyde." He turned to the room that had gone silent watching the office drama. "Let it be known that Grey Enterprises Holdings does not condone or tolerate any kind of abuse on any gender or sexual preference. Anyone guilty of such actions will be terminated immediately." His attention went back to Ana. "Can I get you anything? Some water, tea?"
"Why, Christian?" She whispered. She was in shock by the turn of events. In the back of her mind she contemplated the chance that Christian was the new owner, but to have that idea be fact was too much for her to bare. "Are you going to fire me?"
"Of course, not, Miss Steele, your job is very secure." He sat on the edge of her desk. "You are expected to go far in this company. Many of your fellow editors and many of the "higher-ups" give you high marks on your abilities. I would be a fool to fire such an asset in my new company."
"You did this because I left you." She said almost to herself. Her stomach was rolling and she knew her stomach was going to rebel. She covered her mouth and ran to the ladies' room. She sat on the cold tile of the floor before the toilet. She hung her head knowing that she would have to find another job. She thanked her father for teaching her to be financially responsible and to put away a percentage of her earnings in savings. She quickly calculated that she enough savings put away for six months to pay rent, utilities, and food.
The sound of heavy footsteps made Ana struggle to her feet. She knew who was in the ladies' room with her. "Ana, please don't be upset with me. I had to do this to keep you safe." He stood behind her as she went to the sink to wash her hands. She watched him through the reflection of the mirror. He could see the confusion and fear in her magnificent blue eyes. "Hyde will never speak to you like that again."
"I can handle a man like Hyde, but you…I'm not so sure of." She swallowed a sob. She refused to cry. This man did not deserve any more tears. "I believe I will be tendering my resignation effective immediately."
"No, Ana, I won't let you leave." He squared his shoulders and his voice went deeper.
Ana recognized his stature. She almost bowed her head but then remembered a very important fact. "Mr. Grey, I am not and I have never been your submissive, so I will appreciate it greatly if you would not treat me as such."
Christian saw his little Ana become composed and demonstrate her dominant side. He had to smile. "I know this my sweet girl." He reached out and caressed the curve of her slender neck. "Listen, come to dinner with me tonight and we can discuss our options. I promise I will be a good boy." He smiled that smile that melted every female's heart and made her drop her panties. "You can choose the restaurant and the time."
Ana wanted to go to dinner with him, hell, she wanted him to take her here and now in the bathroom of now Grey Publishing. "I'm sorry; I have plans for this evening."
Christian crossed his massive arms over his impressive chest. "A date, Miss Steele? I don't think I care for that."
"You don't have to care for it one way or another." She said lowly. She started to walk past him but he pushed her up against the wall. "Mr. Grey, did you forget your own speech that you gave to the employees of Grey Publishing about sexual harassment? I do believe this is unwanted attention and borders on assault." He let her go and she rubbed her arms gently where his strong hands bit into her tender skin.
"I will be by later this evening for our discussion. I suggest that you be there, Anastasia. Don't make me come looking for you." With that warning, he walked out of the women's restroom leaving her flabbergasted and near tears.
She didn't have a date. She was making dinner for Tara and they were planning to watch a few movies. Tara showed up with Practical Magic and Something About Mary, which were Tara's favorite movies. Ana fixed smothered pork chops with cheesy potatoes, green beans with onions, and a lemon zest bar for desert. They fixed their plates and sat on the floor of Ana's living room watching the first movie.
"Wow, you are one good cook, Ana." Tara declared smacking her lips. "Girl, you can cook for me any day." Tara smiled at her. "Hell, I might propose." She laughed lowly.
"Sorry, Tara, you are one hot little cookie, but I don't swing that way."
Tara laughed again. "I don't either but if the man ocean doesn't start replenishing the man count, I might have to switch teams." Her English accent was so charming. "I saw that guy you got rid of the other night. Damn, Steele, he's a hottie tottie."
"He's a control freak." Ana declared deciding that her description did not violate the NDA she signed that fateful night that she lost her virginity to Seattle's answer to a sex god. "We were together for a short time because I couldn't handle his domination of my life."
"Wow, so he was controlling?" Tara's thoughts went to the man she followed from London to Portland five years ago. He was the same way. "My ex was a Dom." Ana nearly choked on her food. "You alright, Ana?"
"I'm fine, that bite just went down the wrong pipe." She joked.
"Do you understand what I'm talking about?" Tara watched Ana carefully.
"I know about the BDSM lifestyle…from psychology classes in college." She knew that was a blatant lie, but she couldn't tell anyone about Christian's preferred way of life. "So, you were the Sub?"
"Yes, for five years."
"And, now?"
"Never fucking again." Tara lowly said. "I only agreed because I was crazy in love with Ryder. If I wanted to be with him…I had to."
"What happened?" Ana grabbed the bottle of wine that Tara brought and refreshed their glasses. They might have to send out for more wine. It looked like this night could end up being a two-bottle night.
"I didn't want it anymore. Five years is a long time to pretend you are something that you're not. I wanted more than just being his sex slave and eye candy on his arm."
"He took you out?"
"Well, yeah." Tara said.
Ana felt warmth spread across her body. "Do you still…I mean…do you participate…?"
"No, I'm done with that. I will never let a man dominate me ever again. I don't care how big his dick is or how well he can use it. It's taken me months to get my head straighten out. He really fucked me over." She took a big gulp of her wine. She looked off into space and Ana knew that her new friend was lost in a memory. "He would take me to sex clubs and let other Doms touch me. They couldn't fuck me, but he would let them touch me, bite me or perform oral sex on me."
"Oh God." This revelation horrified Ana. Christian was over-bearing and domineering but he never shared her with anyone else. If anything, he was over-protective and didn't want her to speak to any man. She remembered how jealous he had been over Paul Clayton and Jose Rodriquez. Jose was a college friend and Paul was a guy she worked with at Clayton's Hardware Store. The only real date that they had gone on was at the Heathman for dinner and the contract talk. Her thoughts were interrupted when she heard a soft sob from Tara. "Did he hurt you physically?"
"Nothing I couldn't handle at first. I only safe-worded twice in five years." Tara sighed heavily. "I never enjoyed it like some Submissives do. I subjected myself to his fetish to be with him."
"Was it worth it?"
"Truthfully? No. I lost myself in that man. I wasn't me anymore. He turned me into an object that he could play with. My self-esteem went into the toilet and I am just now climbing out."
Ana nodded understanding her neighbor and new friend. Being with Christian kept her knotted up in her stomach. She couldn't eat, her sleep was disrupted, and her nerves were damn near shot. She always thought it was sexual tension, but it was because she could never be what he wanted. Their relationship was doomed from the start. Not even the attraction they held for each other was not enough. "Chris, that guy, wanted to control my life. Tell me what and when to eat, how much sleep I should get, I couldn't go out with friends, and … well there were other things I didn't like." Like that damn belt. I hated the belt and the pain he enjoyed inflicting on me. I hated that he took pleasure in causing pain and dishing out punishment. I hate that he only wanted me on his terms and never would compromise. I hate that he is one fucked up individual and no matter what I still love him! I'm so fucked!
"He sounds like a closet Dom. It's probably good that you got out when you did. I can tell you from experience that it only gets worse. Ryder put me in the hospital a few times. Believe me when I say that I wished I had told him to go straight to hell when he asked me to be his Sub. I should have run like the very devil was after me, but noooo I ran right into the arms of the devil." She rolled up her sleeve to show Ana scars up and down her arms. "Those are from a caning I got because I dropped a glass and it broke. He decided that I needed bigger boobs so he made me go under the knife for a breast enlargement. It was painful and I still can't feel my nipples."
"He was a monster." Ana softly said. She wanted to reach for Tara and give her comfort. "More wine?"
"Yeah, more wine." Tara felt better now that she had a woman to speak to even if Ana seemed to be so innocent and unworldly. There was a certain unspoken and casual grace and beauty in this young woman. "Do you love this Chris?"
"He was my first love and my first lover."
"So, he popped your cherry." She gave Ana a gentle smile. "We are a pair. Both nursing heartbreaks."
"Does the pain go away? I hurt all the time," She pointed to her chest. "I hurt here. It's like he has stolen my heart and soul."
"I don't know. I just know that Ryder Hamilton damn near destroyed me, but somehow, some way I survived him."
"What did he look like?"
"Tall, dark black hair. I mean really dark like the night. His eyes mesmerized me. He had the most vivid green eyes. I'm talking emerald green." She shivered at the thought of the man who introduced her to such kinky sex that she never knew about. "Just thinking about him makes me uncomfortably horny."
Ana bit her lip as she giggled. "We might have to go buy you some sex toys."
"Too late, already done that." Tara was smiling for the first time in a very long time. It felt good to have a female friend to speak to about "girly" things. All that was needed to make this a perfect night was some chocolate. She was about to say something when the buzzer went off.
"Crap." Ana said as she struggled to her feet just a little tipsy from all the wine. Such a lightweight! She went to the intercom. "Yes."
"Let me in, Ana." A familiar voice demanded.
"I don't think so. Just go away." Ana replied bravely. She could afford to be brave since he was downstairs and she was safe in her apartment.
"Damn it, Ana. I told you that I was coming by." His voice then softened. "Ana, baby, don't make me beg."
"Just leave." Ana said closing her eyes. "I have company and I don't want to be bothered."
"Who is it, Ana? I swear to God, if it's that damn Paul or Jose!" He was raging now. "Damn it, Ana let me in." Ana was about to tell him to go to hell when she heard another voice offering to let him in.
"Fuck." Ana whispered. He was in the building and he would be pounding on her door in just a few minutes. She ran to the television, muted it and began to turn off lights. She motioned for Tara to be quiet. She knew that the door was tripled locked and there was no way that he would get in.
Just as she thought, a few minutes later Christian was at the door ringing the bell and pounding on the door. He was swearing loudly. Ana crumbled to the floor next to her friend and said a quick prayer. If she was lucky Christian would go away or another neighbor would call building security or the police.
"He's persistent, I give him that." Tara whispered after nearly ten minutes of knocking and yelling. She finally stood up. "This is ridiculous. Ana, go lock yourself in your room-mates room and I will deal with loverboy." After Ana ran down the hallway and Tara heard the door shut she went to the door and unlocked it. When she opened it Christian nearly hit her as he was going to start pounding on the door once again. "Do you mind? I am trying to watch a movie here?"
"Who in the hell are you?" Christian raged. His eyes were nearly black in anger.
Tara laughed at him. "Who do you think you are coming up here and interrupting my evening? You know, I work for a living and I have the right to come home and just relax." She had to bit the inside of her cheek to keep from laughing. She was making this man believe that he had the wrong apartment. She could see the confusion clouding his eyes. "Good evening." She slammed the door shut and worked the locks. She stood by the door listening to his grumbles and then finally his heavy footsteps in the hallway.
Tara knocked on the only locked door along the hallway. "He's gone." She said still laughing.
"Really? How did you do that?"
"He thinks he got the wrong apartment." Tara had to laugh. "He won't be happy when he figures this out, but at least we have some peace and quiet."
"He'll be back. Chris is tenacious to say the least."
Tara frowned. "Ok, let's move our little movie party across the hall."
Christian was confused. Did he really go to the wrong apartment? He texted Taylor to get Ana's correct apartment number. Taylor texted back: Apt. 7-C. Christian swore under his breath. He did have the correct apartment and he was played royally. He went back up to the Third Floor and stood before the door of Apartment 7-C. "She's a little vixen." He whispered as he placed his forehead on the door. He rang the doorbell. He waited. Nothing. He rang the doorbell again. Still nothing. "Damn it, Ana, I know you are in there. Open this damn door. Don't make me lose my temper."
Tara watched her through the peephole and had to fight to keep her laughter contained. She turned to Ana who stood beside her. "He's knocking." She whispered very lowly.
"I can hear that." Ana replied. She took Tara's hand. "Let's go finish our wine and watch the next movie. Let him stay out there and hopefully one of our neighbors will call security."
Tara giggled as she looked once more to see Christian sliding down the door. He was facing her so she could see the very evident pain on his face. This man was hurting. Maybe, he did love Ana. "Look at this."
Ana closed one eye and spied on Christian. Her heart broke for him, but she could not open the door and offer him comfort. She had to self-preserve. Her heart, mind, and soul needed to mend. "He'll live." She whispered.
"Ana, that's a broken man." Tara softly said.
"No, that's a man upset because he didn't get his way. You don't understand, Chris. He is a big adolescent trapped in an adult's body. He pouts and rages when he doesn't get his way." She walked away from the door. "If you want to offer him comfort, go ahead, but I refuse to be his savior. It's not my job to keep him happy."
"No, thank you. I don't need the grief. Besides, we have the girl rules, no dating our gf's exes. It's just the way I roll."
Having such an understanding friend touched Ana's heart. She felt a tear slid down her cheek. Tara understood what she was going through. She understood so much more than Kate could ever do. "Thank you, Tara, for this night and for everything."