Ana's morning at work was turning out to be a disaster. Jack seemed to be in an even more awkward mood than usual. She shuttered to think about the looks he had been giving her and the way his hand had traveled to the small of her back when he had given her a "welcome back hug" the first morning she had returned to the office.
She had to smile when she thought about the big scene she made earlier, though. He had made a big deal about her getting him a cup of coffee and then he startled her so badly when she got back to his office that she spilled all of its contents into his lap. It had been almost comical to see him try to control his anger as he worked to clean up the mess. At least that situation had him returning home to get a change of clothes and Ana doubted that he would be back until tomorrow.
Thankfully, her workload had lightened a bit and she had been able to catch up on the assignments she had missed and then some. By now Jack would have normally given her more work to do, but with him gone she was at a loss. She had been twiddling her thumbs for the past half hour, unsure of how she should occupy her remaining time. If only she had some kind of distraction… like sexy emails from a certain irresistible CEO…
Ana shook her head to release the thought. Oh, Fifty, as if you still cared. She glanced at the clock on her computer and realized that it was almost noon. Finally she could get out of the office, not that she was very hungry for lunch.
Her insides clenched at the very thought of eating, sure that doing so would make her physically ill. Once more, she put her hand to her forehead and sensed that she was feverish. All morning Ana had been cold one moment and hot the next. She had considered calling in to work sick today, but doubted very much that Jack would have approved. Ana had only been back to work for a week and was determined to suck it up and push through.
She smiled to herself as she thought of all of the ways she had asserted her independence over the last few days. She was back in her own apartment, in her own bed, wearing her own clothes, and driving her own car. She had even opened her own wireless account and now had a blackberry that she, Ana Steele, had paid for. Christian might have been expecting her to mope around his apartment like a lost puppy until he decided to grace her with his presence, but that was just not Anastasia Steele's style. At least, that was what she was telling herself.
Ana grabbed her purse and made her way to the front entrance to take her lunch. The cold air on her face as she stepped outside made her feel a lot better. She had been getting too warm in the office and a walk to the deli for a cup of tea seemed to be a good distraction from her wandering thoughts. Without having to worry about security and Mr. Crazy-Ass-Christian, the walk over was all the more sweet.
The deli had an odd charm about it, similar to many of the shops in Seattle. It may not be what a health inspector would deem "clean," but it served her purposes well enough. The lighting was slightly dim and the upholstered chairs made for a good place to get lost in a book.
Anastasia had to make a wobbly smile at the thought of reading books again. She had left the ipad Christian had bought her at Escala, so it was back to musty old pages for her. It felt… clarifying. Yes, this was the real Ana. But then why do I feel so unhappy?
Finally! It was the end of the workday and Ana was ready to go home. Meaningless tasks at work were more draining than physical labor, if you asked her. She had spent the remainder of the day filing and making copies. And scrubbing the coffee stains out of the carpet in Jack's office.
She was about to reach her car when her phone vibrated. There was a text from Kate, asking if she wanted to go out tonight. Ana bit her lip as she thought it over. She really wasn't ready to go drinking; it seemed like that always got her into trouble. With who? He's not here anymore… Ana gritted her teeth at the thought. Just because she was single didn't mean that she had to go making bad decisions. And if she was honest with herself, she was still broken. Alcohol was not going to fix that.
She quickly texted Kate back, declining the offer. After buckling her seatbelt and starting the engine, something caught her eye through the passenger's side window. Christian?
Yes, there he stood, in all his glory, about 20 feet from her car. Expression unreadable, body completely still. Ana felt something pull inside. She still loved this man, this fifty shades of fucked up man.
Not sure what else to do she waved slightly and he smiled a little. She sucked in a breath and tried to clear her senses. This was the same man who had abandoned her over one night of drinking. He was the same man who wanted to control every aspect of her life. The same man who had probably been fucking Leila senseless for the past weeks. Not wanting to succumb to his charm and good looks, she stepped on the gas and did a burn out, effectively launching the vehicle from the parking space. If she had bothered to look in her review mirror she would have seen Christian Grey, CEO, with his mouth agape.
There was a lot more to Ana than what met the eye. Christian could not do prevent his jaw from dropping to the floor as she peeled out of the lot and entered traffic. Where the hell did she learn to drive like that? He had thought that everything was going to be okay when she gave him the small wave, but then in an instant her expression had changed. What he would give to put her over his knee for evading him like that, not to mention putting herself in danger by driving so erratically.
After meeting with his parents he had guessed that Ana would not be driving the Audi, but he had not realized that she had bought a car for herself. He should have Taylor check for any other surprises that Ana may have concocted when he was away. What did all this mean? Was she gone for good? Christian knew that the only way he was going to get answers was if he followed her back to Kate's house. God, he hoped that Kate was out of town again. Dealing with both of them was going to be too much.
Christian stopped mid-stride on the way back to his car. What if that fucker Ethan was still there? His parents had defiantly been under the impression that he was. Well, if it came to it Christian was willing to fight for the woman he loved, even if it meant decking her best friend's brother. Christian chuckled darkly. If Ethan had slept with Ana, it would even be his pleasure to do it.
It took no time at all to get to Kate's house, but he was not surprised that Ana had managed to beat him there. The woman drove like a maniac when she was in a hurry. His Anastasia defiantly had spunk, that much was certain.
Christian took a deep breath before knocking on the door, bracing himself for who might answer. To his relief, it was Ana. "Anastasia," he said, loving how her name rolled off of his tongue. "May I come in?" She had obviously lost some weight and looked rather ill, although that might have been due to his behavior, he grudgingly admitted to himself.
Ana's eyes grew wide at the sight of him, almost as though she hadn't expected him to follow her. He watched as she built up her strength from within and pouted her lip out. "No," she responded. And with that she slammed the door in his face.