I wrote and re-wrote this chapter so many times but it's still a little rough. Didn't get as far as I would have liked but... It's something! Thank you so much for your patience, and for the kind words about this story. The progression will move faster as we go along, but right now I want to take it slow... Some big secrets will be revealed in the next chapter!

Here's chapter 3! Please tell me what you think! :)

Christian's POV

Christian breathes heavily as he reaches for a bottle of water from the refrigerator, home from yet another long run. He has been outdoing himself lately, each morning run lengthier than the one before. Though in spite of that, none of them actually helped clear his mind; it's still very much preoccupied of thoughts about one Anastasia Steele.

It's been five days since their interaction, and he still couldn't seem to free himself of his interest in her. He's been holding back on the urge to run a thorough background check on her, and so far, he's thankfully been able to prevent himself on digging for information. Okay, well, so he did have Welch run a background check on her, but the man had told Christian that strangely, Anastasia's records seem to have a few gaps here and there.

Suffice to say, that only heightened his desire to know more about her. He's not a very patient man, and with the way Ana had reacted to his very simple question, well – his curiosity was piqued. However, he also got the feeling of holding off on a broader research on her, and he's not exactly sure why. Usually, if a person catches his interest, he automatically wants Welch to supply him everything there is to know about the person.

"Anastasia Steele," he mumbles to himself, "Your effect on me is confounding."

"Indeed, it is," a voice interrupts his deep contemplation, and he turns, surprised when he's met with the sight of his brother walking inside his kitchen.

"Elliot," he says, putting his bottle down on top of the counter. "How'd you get in here? I didn't hear you come in." He looks around for Taylor, intending to give him a reprimanding glare, but he's not in the room.

Elliot grins, shrugging his shoulders as he seats himself on the counter adjacent to the one Christian is currently leaning against. "That's probably because you were drowning in whatever thoughts you were having. Tell me, is it about Ana?" Elliot wiggles his brows at him, and he in turn frowns.

"You know her?" he questions, unable to hide the disapproval in his voice. Somehow, the idea of Elliot being anywhere near Ana doesn't sit well with him.

Elliot holds both his hands up. "Whoa, no need to get grumpy, brother," he says, his grin still there, full of mockery, "I do, but only through my girlfriend."

Girlfriend? His brother has someone he calls girlfriend? "Miss Kavanagh?"

Elliot nods. "The one and only," he affirms with a sickeningly sappy smile, "Ana's her best friend; they live together," he informs him.

Katherine Kavanagh…Kate. That's probably her. Yes, yes he remembers now. Ana did mention her to him during their conversation. Wait, does that mean that she told Miss Kavanagh about him? For some reason, the thought pleases him, much to his astonishment. He's aware that it shouldn't; he's a very private man, but seeing as Ana hasn't signed an NDA yet, he'll let it slide. And anyway, he isn't too worried; he made sure he didn't divulge any real information about him towards her.

Much as he wanted to.

Which was another new thing.

"Uh, I'm still here," Elliot says, waving his hand while laughing a little. Christian resists the urge to punch his face just to get rid of that smirk.

"Why didn't you bring Miss Steele to the bar when you invited me for drinks?" he asks without much pondering.

Elliot frowns, says, "As much as it saddens me to say this, Ana's not that into drinking." Hmm. That's good. That means he wouldn't be having a problem prohibiting her from drinking too much, once he finally stakes his claim on her. He suppresses the delighted smile that threatens to appear in his face, certain that that would only worsen Elliot's prying and prolong his mission to get him off his back.

When he takes too long to respond, Elliot speaks again, "Besides, would it have made any difference? It's not like you stayed for long," his frown deepens, "You stayed for like, five minutes after I introduced you to Kate." To be fair, he tried his best to find in him the will to stay longer, but he didn't survive, plainly because Miss Kavanagh irritated the hell out of him. The lady never stopped asking questions.

He decides to throw Elliot a bone, "I might have stayed, had Miss Steele been there. Who knows?" Then before Elliot can say anything, he adds, "Now, Elliot, why are you here? I'm busy." He mutters the last two words.

Elliot raises an eyebrow. "I was just trying to see how you are, brother," he says.

"Really now?" He rolls his eyes, continues, "I'm fine, as you can see. You can leave now."

"Aw, come on, Christian," Elliot says, almost whining. Seriously. Annoying. "Just tell me a little about it."

"About what?" he asks. "And stop whining like a little boy."

"About Ana," he says, ignoring his last comment, "I heard you two talked for, like, a day." How the hell did he know about that? Oh never-mind, Katherine Kavanagh probably told him. Christian grimaces inside; she really does seem like the type who couldn't keep her mouth shut, nor keep her nose out of other people's business. How apt, seeing as Ana mentioned that she studied journalism – it suits her perfectly. "You don't even spend that much time talking with us, and we're family. Ana, on the other hand, was someone you just met," Elliot carries on matter-of-factly. "Do you like her?"

"Fuck off, Elliot," Christian scowls at him, pushing his body off against the counter and walking out of the kitchen, and into the great room. To his aggravation, Elliot follows him.

"You do like her!" he accuses merrily, which irritates him further.

"For fuck's sake, Elliot, this is none of your business," Christian snarls. He understands where Elliot's excitement is coming from; after all, he knows his whole family has always thought him to be gay, though they never asked. But all this nagging is only pissing him off. He's not even sure if he likes Ana. Hell, he doesn't even know what it's like to truly like a woman who's not family. These…circumstances are completely foreign to him, taking him far, far away from his comfort zone. And to have someone question them so soon before he even deciphers them himself – well, it gets on his nerves.

There's only one thing he's very, very certain of though: He wants to fuck her. On a level with which he's never wanted to fuck anyone ever before.

And somehow, that scares the shit out of him. He's not used to wanting a woman this much. But it also brings him up for the challenge all the more. It heightens his desire to make Anastasia his. He's just not sure where to begin.

"Oh, you so do, I can see it in your face right now," Elliot says, almost sounding triumphant. He resists rolling his eyes once more. He guesses Miss Kavanagh's personality is starting to rub off on his brother. "How lucky are you, right? She's Mia's employee, and my girlfriend's best friend. Lots of opportunities for you to see her often," Elliot wiggles his eyebrows conspiratorially.

Christian stifles a snort. "Stop mingling with my business, Elliot. I don't like Ana. Hell, I haven't even seen her again since that day I met her. So no, contrary to what you believe, I don't like her." Or does he? Confusion engulfs him once more, as even he can hear how futile his own words sound.

Elliot puts both his hands up again, placating this time. Honestly. Everything his brother is doing right now is making him want to punch him even more.

"Okay, okay," Elliot's voice is sing-song, "But you want her, don't you? You can deny that you like her all you want, but I can tell that you want her." He starts walking away from Christian, heading towards the foyer with a rather secretive smile gracing his face. It's so easy to tell when Elliot's up to something that isn't good, so he frowns at him. What the hell is he playing at now?

Before he can ask, Taylor appears and escorts Elliot all the way out of the territory of the penthouse and into the elevator. As they enter, Elliot finally looks at him again with a bright grin, as if he's just come up with the greatest idea. His final words before the doors close on him and Taylor, "I'm going to have so much fun telling Mia all about this."

Shit. Not Mia. Now he's sure he'll really never hear the end of this Christian likes Ana subject.

He sighs, resigning himself to his fate, and pushes through the doors to go back inside to take a long shower. He needs to find a way to clear his mind.

Ana's POV

"I thought you two had a connection," Ally muses as they both untie their aprons, having just finished off with their Monday shift. It's been exactly a week, and Ana still hasn't seen nor heard from Christian. To say that she's disappointed is a gross understatement.

"Well, it seems like you thought wrong," she tries not to sound dejected, she does, but Ally's returning sympathetic gaze tells her she isn't very accomplished. Honestly, she's not even sure why she's feeling this way. She isn't surprised, not really. It's not like Christian showed her any reason for her to think he's interested.

Yeah, except you know, he spent most of the day talking with you, getting to know you… He bought your tea… He took you to lunch… No big deal… Her subconscious points out.

She wants to believe that he is interested in her, she wants to so freaking badly, but he was probably just being nice. Who would want her, really? Not even Jose would if he only knew…everything. She's nothing special. Not to mention tainted with secrets she wants to bury deep, deep down underground just so nobody ever finds them; and a past she desperately wants to let go of, but also doesn't at the same time. Ergo, fucked up. If men only knew what she went through, and the baggage she carries, they'd run far away from her in less than a second.

She vaguely registers Ally's voice as she exclaims, "We're here!" Ana focuses her gaze on the shop in front of them, only to be greeted with lots of clothes. Uh-oh. Shopping. Definitely not her scene.

"Uh . . . I thought we were going to unwind?" she says, blinking at Ally, who nods enthusiastically.

"We are!" Ally affirms, clapping her hands excitedly. She grabs Ana's hand and drags her inside the boutique. They're about to walk around when Ana's phone starts ringing.

"Hold on, Ally, I'm just going to take this call," she says, hurrying outside the boutique once more. She takes a deep breath as soon as she gets outside, thankful to be spared a few moments of dreadful shopping.

She shudders before answering her ringing cell, "Ana Steele."

A woman speaks on the other end, entirely formal, "Miss Steele? This is Elizabeth Morgan from Seattle Independent Publishing."

SIP? She stops breathing. "Miss Morgan, hi," she manages, "To what do I owe the pleasure?"

"You see, Miss Steele, we have received and examined your résumé, and would like to interview you for the position of assistant editor, if you are still interested to work for SIP."

She's so shocked it takes her a moment before she finds her voice. "I – um, yes, of course. Thank you, Miss Morgan," she says, struggling to keep her voice calm. "May I ask when the interview is?"

"Wednesday at 2:30 PM."

She nods, before realizing that the other woman can't see her. She vocalizes, "Noted, thank you, Miss Morgan. I'll see you then."

"Good day, Miss Steele." Then just like that, the line gets cut.

She blinks a couple of times, hardly believing what just happened. Did she really just get a call from SIP, wanting to interview her? Yes, yes, she did. Holy cow. She can hardly contain her excitement as she rocks on the balls of her feet, debating on whether to call Kate first, inform Ally who's probably trying on some clothes inside the shop, or rush home altogether.

Ally saves her from making a decision, "Hey, Ana, what's taking you so long?" she asks from the door of the boutique. "Is everything alright?"

Ana turns to grin at her brightly, so brightly she sort of feels like her face might split in half. She probably looks like a fool right now, but she really is having a difficult time containing her glee. Finally, a real opportunity to get her life together! "I just got a call from SIP. They asked me if I'm interested on being interviewed for a position on Wednesday!" she squeals. She catches the attention of some passers-by, but she couldn't care less.

"Get the fuck out!" Ally cries out excitedly, making her way over to Ana in what looks like a combination of a run and a hop. Apparently, she doesn't care about the passers-by either. "Ana, that's such great news!" she engulfs her in a tight hug.

She laughs, hugging Ally back. "I know, but we shouldn't get too excited though," she says, "It's just for an interview. Nothing's certain yet."

Ally pulls back and stares at her incredulously. "Come on, Ana, they'd be dumb not to hire you."

She feels herself blush. Compliments somehow always make her feel a little uncomfortable. "Thanks, I guess," she mumbles shyly. She takes a deep breath. "Come on, I think we should celebrate a little. Do you want to go with me to my apartment? I'll cook then we can do…something. I don't know. You can meet Kate."

"Kate as in your room-mate?" They're already walking towards the direction of her apartment, Ally's yearning to buy new clothes seemingly forgotten.

"The very same. She also has an attachment to shopping. You'd get along pretty well."

-x-

Ally leaves their apartment later in the evening, muttering something about the fact that unlike Ana, her shift at the café tomorrow is early. Ana and Kate – whom predictably, Ally got along with pretty well – chuckle at her grumbling while they both wave goodbye at the door.

"Well, she's a fun person," Kate says as they close the door behind them. They start walking towards the sofa to finish their drinks. At dinner Ana cooked some pasta, and they decided to have some wine to help digest the food better. The bottle Kate bought at the nearby shop was pretty expensive, but Ana really couldn't complain – hey, she wants to celebrate.

"She is," Ana nods. "Very talkative, too. She's like my Kate at work." She giggles, as does Kate, as they take turns drinking the rest of the wine from the bottle.

Kate suddenly changes the subject, "So . . . Grey still hasn't made a move on you?"

She blanches a little, not really in the mood to wallow in her self-pity because Christian would never be interested in a person like her, but decides to answer anyway, "No, he hasn't." This time, she manages to make her voice neutral.

"Well, he's slow," Kate says with a shrug of her shoulders.

"What? Maybe he's not planning to make a move at all." She swallows the lump in her throat. Honestly, she's met the guy once and yet she's this affected by the thought of him not wanting her?

He's the only person who's made you feel comfortable enough to open up to him. Her subconscious explains once again. She's right, though. Well, she wouldn't say comfortable per say, but Ana truly didn't feel uneasy all the while Christian asked questions about her. For once, she felt like if she told someone everything about her, she wouldn't be judged or pushed away. And that's all she ever wanted. Reassurance that someone would stay.

Kate clicks her tongue in disagreement, "Elliot tells me otherwise. He says his brother has got it bad for you," Kate looks at her with a twinkle in her eye as she says this.

She tries her best to suppress the little hope that's blooming in her chest.

"Maybe Grey just doesn't know where to start," Kate continues.

"I don't know, Kate. I really don't want to get my hopes up."

Kate's about to open her mouth to reply when they're interrupted by a knock on the door. Ana stands up, heads for the door, and opens it, only to be greeted by nobody.

There's a bouquet of flowers, a box of chocolates, and a bottle of champagne on the floor though.

She picks everything up, goes back inside and closes the door once more. "Uh, Kate?"

Kate looks up and at her, then bolts upright to rush to her. "Oh, who are those from?" she asks excitedly.

Ana puts the things down on the center table in their living room, plopping herself down again on the couch. She shrugs her shoulders. "Maybe Elliot?"

"Wait, there's a card." Kate picks up a card attached to the box of chocolates, her giddy eyes scanning through it. "Ana, it's from him!"

Him? "Who? Elliot?"

"No, Christian! These are for you!"

For the second time this evening, her breath leaves her lungs. "Really?" she asks dumbly, taking the card from Kate.

Anastasia

I heard about your impending interview with SIP, and I wanted to offer you my congratulations.

Please accept these gifts, and my wish of the best of luck. I know you'll do well.

I look forward to seeing you again soon. I quite miss that smart mouth.

And that beautiful face.

Christian

"Ana, say something!" Kate urges, now sitting beside her.

She shakes her head. "I, uh . . . I don't know what to say," she starts. She's still holding the card tightly.

"Seems like Grey is starting to make a move, huh? Finally. I have to say that though he took too long, his actions are on point," the blonde says in approval.

Ana looks at the bouquet of flowers again, only now noticing that they're gardenia. Her favorite. Is it coincidence?

"You should try the chocolates. I think they're Belgian. Aren't those your favorite?" Kate carries on talking.

What? Two of her favorites? She shakes her head again. It's only pure coincidence, Ana. How could he possibly know about her preferences? She's pretty sure she didn't tell him about those. She looks at the champagne, and while she doesn't have a favorite in that certain aspect, she could tell that it's not cheap.

She resists the urge to snort. Of course it's not cheap. It's from a billionaire for crying out loud!

"Ana, are you there?"

She finally turns her focus on Kate. "I think I'm going to help clean this up and then . . . head in . . ." She stands and starts on the task, Kate following her cue without another word. Thank God. She's in so much disbelief by Christian's gesture that she's pretty sure her brain has stopped functioning well at the time being.

She heads for the shower then to bed after they finish cleaning up their mess. She's about to succumb into a slumber when her phone pings, indicating a text message.

I hope you received my gifts.

Sleep tight.

Christian

What the hell? She hurriedly types her reply.

How did you get my number?

And how did you know my favorite flowers and chocolates?

But thank you, that was very sweet.

She doesn't have to wait too long before she gets a response.

I have sources. I know plenty about you, Anastasia.

Now go to sleep. I'll see you tomorrow, perhaps.

Good night.

Tomorrow! He'll see her tomorrow. Her insides rejoice in delight and anticipation. With a grin, she types her final response before sleeping, anxious for it to be tomorrow already. It's official - Christian Grey has made her feel like a teenage girl.

Are you stalking me, Mr. Grey?

I'll see you. Good night.