Without a word, Ana grabbed Hanna by the arm and dragged her to the ninth floor's bathroom. Hanna had begun protesting, but Ana shot her a warning look that had silenced her immediately. The last thing Ana needed was for Sawyer to become suspicious.
When they reached the bathroom, Ana checked all three stalls before she turned to face her captive. "I need you to do something for me. This is really crazy, but you are my only chance for pulling this off."
Hanna's interest was peaked, so she motioned for Ana to continue.
"I need to trade you outfits during lunch. Please tell me that you brought a long coat to work like you usually do."
Startled, by her outburst, Hanna just nodded. Ana felt herself getting excited about pulling the switch off. She could take the stairs to evade Sawyer by the elevator and once she was outside it would be difficult for new guy would recognize her if she wore Hanna's clothes. After all, they had just met and he was watching from a distance.
As always, Hanna was dressed in a fashionable and professional way. "Oh, um... what size are you Hanna, if you don't mind me asking?"
Hanna shrugged, still unsure about the plan. "I am a size 4 dress and size 9 shoe."
Ana cringed. She was a size 2 or 4, too, so the dress would fit well enough, but her shoe size was a 7, so they would need to keep the shoes that they had on. As if on cue, Hanna held up her hands.
"I am down for helping you out, Mrs. Grey, but you have got some serious explaining to do, starting with your wedding and ending with what the hell you are planning on doing in my clothes."
Ana gave a genuine laugh before she lowered her voice and proceeded to tell Hanna all about Las Vegas, the interview and her need to sneak out of the building.
Ana waited on the edge of her seat as she watched the clock. She had not been able to focus on the manuscripts that she was supposed to be reading because there were a serious amount of butterflies fluttering around in her stomach. Being pregnant and hormonal probably didn't help, either.
The plan was for Hanna to come upstairs wearing her long jacket at noon. After they met in the bathroom, Ana would go on lunch and then race down the stairs and make it to Fox Publishing down the street in time for her interview at 12:30. The person who had confirmed her appointment in the email had said that they were impressed with her resume, so the interview itself would be quick and to the point.
If all things went as planned, Ana was hoping to meet Hanna in the downstairs bathroom, change clothes quickly and then get back to her desk within an hour, though in all likelihood she would be a few minutes late. She thanked her lucky stars that she was early because maybe Jack would have mercy on her and not make a big deal about it.
Right on time, Hanna met Ana in the bathroom, looking both excited and scared about the plan. She could only be gone from her desk for so long, so they needed to make the change quick and then she had to get passed Sawyer.
Ana had already undressed and was waiting for Hanna to join her in the large handicapped stall. In all of the hustle, Ana was not even worried about modesty. Hanna unzipped and they exchanged garments hastily. Ana was slightly smaller, so her dress was a little too snug for Hanna to zip up all of the way. Thankfully, the coat that she had brought with her covered that fact up nicely.
Ana, on the other hand, did not fill out Hanna's dress in the way it was intended to be worn, though it was still flattering and conservative enough for an interview. Ana was going to leave her jacket at her desk, too paranoid that the new security guy would recognize it. Unfortunately, it had been raining all day, but Hanna had pulled off another miracle to keep the plan from falling apart. She had brought an umbrella to work, which would effectively shield Ana from the rain and would help to keep her face hidden from view.
Ana checked her watch before giving the other woman a nervous smile. "Thank you so much, Hanna. You are a really great friend."
Hanna smiled back and motioned to her to hurry. They were only wasting precious time by talking. Ana slipped out of the bathroom, careful to check for Sawyer, though to the best of her knowledge he had not left his post all day.
Without incident she made it to the stairwell and removed her high heels so she could take the stairs two at a time. The workout was more than she was used to, but she didn't dare stop or slow down. The time was just too precious to waste.
Ana made it to the floor level and looked through the glass to make sure that the coast was clear of anyone who had seen her already during the day; changing clothes would almost certainly spark interest.
Thankfully, there were only a few people lingering in the foyer, so she put her heels back on and summoned up all of her courage. She held her breath the entire time, exhaling only when she reached the front doors. It was still sprinkling a little, so she opened the umbrella as she stepped outside, shielding her face from where her car was parked.
Ana felt a little guilty about having the new guy sit in her less-than luxurious car for nine hours since it wasn't as necessary as she had thought it would be, but she pushed the emotion away as she hurried down the steps in front of the SIP building.
Keeping a brisk pace, she made it past the intersection and across the street. When she reached the building where Fox was located, she had five minutes to spare. The large building housed several businesses, but she had been informed that her interview would be conducted on the fourth floor by a man named Issac Comer. She hastily pressed the elevator button, using the waiting time to check her hair and catch her breath.
After what seemed like an eternity, the elevator doors finally opened for her. Ana wasted no time pushing the button for the fourth floor. She was so close to making it to the interview on time. She was not going to accept being late by a few minutes after what she had gone through to get there.
When she finally made it to her floor, Ana again felt tears coming. She had actually made it with a few minutes to spare. She walked up to the reception desk with a smile on her face and a spring in her step. "Hi. I am Anastasia Steele and I have an interview with Mr. Isaac Comer at 12:30."
The receptionist glanced up at her before reaching for the appointment book. "Mr. Comer is just getting out of a meeting, so please have a seat and I will let him know that you are here."
Ana practically floated over to the small collection of deep armchairs. She grabbed a copy of The Seattle Times off of the end table. She had just started skimming the articles when she heard an all-too-familiar voice. What the fuck is Christian doing here?
She gripped the paper tightly, panicking when she realized that Christian was headed in her direction. She strained to hear the conversation he was having with the woman who was accompanying him.
"Mr. Grey, as always it has been a pleasure. However, you must know that I will remain firm in turning your offer down. This company is my baby and I wouldn't sell for any amount of money. Besides, I am sure that SIP will have a strong quarter with you in charge now."
Ana held her breath; Christian must be talking to the legendary owner of Fox. The woman was known throughout the publishing world for her grit and determination. Apparently, the rumors were true because she was effectively turning Christian's offer down and Lord knows that man could be persuasive.
"Well, if you ever reconsider, please let me know, Jessica." It was so strange to hear Christian pout. It was defiantly not something that he was used to and it showed.
"Have a great day, Christian. Are you sure you don't want to join us for lunch?"
"No, thanks. I plan on surprising my wife and picking her up for lunch after this." Ana nearly fell out of her seat. God, this had to happen today. She frantically tried to think of what to do. If she fessed up right now there is no way she would get the job. Christian was known for his outbursts and it would defiantly be a messy situation.
"Yes, well, until next time, Christian."
Ana waited for a full five seconds after Christian's elevator closed before she dared to lower her paper. In all of the rush, she had forgotten about taking a purse with her. As of right now, she did not even have a cell phone to call Christian and explain what was going on.
"Ms. Steele? Mr. Comer is ready to see you now."
Rising slowly, Ana tried to find the silver lining in the situation. At least if she was hired, there was no way that Christian would be able to interfere with her job; the owner of the company had the right to refuse to sell to him and for that Ana was thankful. Now if she could just ace this interview and rush back to SIP before too much damage was done.
She pushed the door open and found Mr. Comer seated behind a large, solid desk. It reminded her of the one in Christian's office, though it was unlikely that they were very comparable. Everything Christian owned reeked of wealth and was distinguishable as lavish to the trained eye. For the time being, Ana's eyes had remained very, very untrained to such details.
"Please sit down, Ms. Steele." Mr. Comer radiated the appearance of good nature, so different from the vibe she got from Jack. He was rather short and stocky, with large round glasses and a receding hairline. His blue eyes twinkled as he regarded her. "And, please, let's begin with why the wife of the owner of SIP would be applying for the position of assistant editor at our firm."
A half hour later, Ana glided out of the front doors and onto the sidewalk in front of Fox Publishing. The owner of the company, Jessica Harp, had joined them in the interview. Apparently, she too, was curious as to why Ana wanted such an entry level position at a firm that rivaled her husband's company.
After reviewing her résumé and ascertaining that she earnestly wanted the position, Jessica had been willing to offer her the job. It had been made clear, though, that everything that went on at work was to be held in confidentiality, meaning that Christian, in particular, could not be informed about what was going on at Fox.
Despite the potential conflict of interest, Ana suspected that Jessica was too entertained at the idea of hiring her competitor's wife to pass up the chance. Apparently, being Mrs. Grey still brought her perks, even when she did her best to avoid receiving them.
Ana's good mood vanished when she remembered what was likely waiting for her at SIP. I guess being Mrs. Grey involves more than just perks. Jesus, Christian was going to be so pissed.
Ana began speed walking back to SIP, checking her watch to calculate how much time had passed since she had seen Christian at Fox. It had been 40 minutes, maybe 45 minutes since she had seen him. That was plenty of time for him to flip the company upside down and come up with every possible scenario as to what had happened to her.
When SIP came into view, Ana knew that her worries had not been misplaced. The building had been swarmed with fancy black cars and it looked as though everyone was in the process of being evacuated. To make matters worse, it had begun raining in earnest again and there was not enough awning to cover everyone standing outside.
When Ana made it to the area surrounding the building, she found Hanna and handed the girl back her umbrella. Hanna looked relieved to see her, but was obviously still concerned.
"What the hell is going on, Hanna?" Ana whispered, still hoping for an accidental fire alarm pull or something.
Hanna glanced around before answering. "Mr. Grey came to take you to lunch. I tried to stop him from going upstairs so I could call you, but you didn't answer your phone and now he has people searching the building for you."
Hanna paused and chewed on her lip. "Should I have told him where you were, Ana? I think he is worried that something bad happened to you…"
Ana shook her head. "No, you did excellent, Hanna. I need to find him to get everyone out of the rain, but thanks again for everything! Please keep the dress and I will find a way to get this one back to you, too."
Hanna shook her head. "Keep it. I don't want anyone to recognise it as mine. Besides, this outfit is way more gorgeous and will give me an incentive to fit into a size 2." Ana shot her a grateful glance and squeezed her hand before turning away.
Moving her way through the crowd, she could hear her fellow employees grumbling about the rain and the evacuation. Apparently, they had not been told why they had been forced to leave the building, which Ana was silently thankful for. Even though it was all her fault, maybe they would never have to know that.
When she made it to the fount steps, her eyes locked with Sawyer's. God, was he mad. Ana had never seen Sawyer mad before since he generally had a pleasant demeanor and the change was startling. He quickly caught up with her and grabbed her gingerly by the elbow.
"What the hell are you playing at, Ana? Do you want to get me fired? Do you want to freak everyone out?" Ana gasped at his questions, trying to find the words to explain herself, but failing miserably in the process.
Sawyer did not wait for a response and instead led her inside to Christian, who was on his cell phone in the foyer. The look on his face made Sawyer seem downright cheerful. He hung up the phone without a goodbye and closed the distance between them in a few strides.
Not knowing what to expect, Ana stiffened and was surprised when Christian enveloped her in a fierce hug, It felt like they stayed that way for an eternity, him holding her so tightly and not moving at all. The fabric from his jacket muffled all of the noise around them and the only thing Ana could hear clearly was the sound of his heart beating.
Finally, Christian pulled away from her and led her to his car without a word. The rest of the employees had begun reentering the building and Ana was thankful that she had not made contact with Jack in the hurried passing.
Christian slammed the car door behind her after she had climbed inside. He went around to the other side and shut his own door with an equal amount of enthusiasm. They sat together in silence until Taylor climbed into the driver's seat and entered traffic.
"Christian," Ana began, but she was cut off by her husband's look of hostility.
"Anastasia, we will discuss this when we get home. Until then, do not speak." And for once, Ana was more than willing to obey his request.