I'd like to say that the rest of the morning passes by without any more interruptions or strange happenings, but it does. It goes on all morning. At half ten, Andrea brings in a box containing a new laptop, and iPhone and an iPad which I swiftly return with some unsavoury words. The message couldn't have got to Grey for three seconds before he was back in my office, insisting I take them and that it is part of company policy.
Of course, as you can guess I don't just take the technology with a thank you, I continue my argument which ends with me pulling out my job contract and showing him there was no company policy of for accepting stupidly expensive presents from billionaires you don't know. This followed by his angered exit with the promise that he would draw me up a new contract for my job.
I have to admit, at that moment I think what encouraged me to argue back was to belief that he would stay in the room for longer. It felt cold and empty without him, not to mention he was very easy on the eye and I wouldn't complain if he just stood there for me to stare at all day.
At eleven is when the emails started. I am surprised if I will be able to get any work done if he keeps on emailing me every two minutes! Doesn't he have his own work to do?
To: Anastasia Steele
From: Christian Grey
Subject: Lunch
Sent: 11:03
Miss Steele,
I have booked us a tablePalisade for lunch today. Be outside my office at 13:00 sharp.
I will not tolerate tardiness from you again.
Christian Grey, CEO, Seattle Independent Publishing.
The Palisade? No way. I am not letting him take me there. It's like $20 for a starter! I quickly reply.
To: Christian Grey
From: Anastasia Steele
Subject: How about no lunch
Sent: 11:05
Mr. Grey,
I am going to have to decline your offer for our trip to the Palisade, as quite simply, it is far too expensive for me to even think about and I do not want to go to lunch with you.
Also, I was only late because there was traffic, if I am ever late to your office then there has to be a ten car pile-up along the hallway.
Anastasia Steele, Editor, Seattle Independent Publishing.
I hit send and it is not long before I get a reply.
To: Anastasia Steele
From: Christian Grey
Subject: In definite need of lunch.
Sent: 11:09
Miss. Steele,
You ought to be careful of that mouth of yours. It can get you in a lot of trouble, in a very short time.
If you won't let me take you to The Palisade, then please choose a venue yourself because there is no way I am giving up lunch with you. Especially when you are in that dress.
Christian Grey, CEO, Seattle Independent Publishing.
I shake my head at his comment, but he is right, I look bloody gorgeous in this dress. For several minutes I attempt to do some work, but before I knew it, I was replying to his email again.
To: Christian Grey
From: Anastasia Steele
Subject: McDonalds
Sent: 11:17
Mr. Grey,
As you can see in the subject, I have chosen my venue. I will attempt to enjoy my deep fat fries when we get there.
In addition, I would like to remind you of the severe inappropriateness of your comment on my dress code and if you do deem it something that may distract you and others from important work that needs to be done today then I suggest you lay down a clear dress code for the future.
Anastasia Steele, Editor, Seattle Independent Publishing.
I send the message without a second thought, but before returning to work, I find myself with a blush spread across my cheeks. What is happening to me? Kate would say it was flirting. It isn't flirting. Then why am I blushing? Oh just stop it, Steele! I snap myself out of it and focus on my several tasks at hand before my compulsory lunch date. I am proud of myself that I didn't even notice his reply until ten minutes before meeting him.
To: Anastasia Steele
From: Christian Grey
Subject: Maccy D's it is!
Sent: 11:31
Miss. Steele,
Although I definitely do not approve of your choice of restaurant, if that is what it takes for lunch with you then so be it.
As for the dress code, I have one in place as of tomorrow morning.
Dress code: Lingerie only.
Christian Grey, CEO, Seattle Independent Publishing.
Cheeky bastard! I shake my head and grin. Anywhere else, with anyone else, I'm pretty sure I would have quit by now but as I said, there is just something about him I can't shake. I decide not to reply to him and instantly begin to regret my choice of McDonalds for lunch. I do not eat fast food, I rarely eat more than I child's portion of food and will now look like a fool in just ordering fries when I would much prefer just a coffee or a salad if I am hungry. Which I am not.
A few minutes before one, I log off my laptop and pack my bag with necessities such as, deodorant, always a must have, eye-liner and lip gloss, especially when with America's biggest sex god, and finally my new phone which can easily be used as a quick getaway excuse for if he turns out to be utterly mental. My feet had gone slightly numb from sitting down too long so I stumble as I stand. Thank god he didn't see that. I look up and through the clear office door I see him staring at me with a grin plastered across his face. Oh fuck. How the hell am I meant to play that off? Blame it on the heels! Yes! I manage to walk out to him, without falling this time, trying to mask the blush on my face.
"It's these heels. I don't know why I wore them. I can't even walk." I force a smile and I see him shaking his head. Who am I kidding? He knows it was a lie.
"Yes, of course it was." He grins down at me and leads me to the elevator. "Are you still serious about that McDonalds, if I am completely honest I don't think I could stomach it right now. How about a Denny's? Or Subway? Is that your thing?" He tries to make conversation and satisfy his own needs for at least moderately healthy food. Judging by his physical appearance, he hasn't got much to worry about on that part.
"Erm, sure, We can go somewhere else. Just nowhere too expensive."
"And why not?"
"Because some people aren't billionaires and do not have the money to be paying $200 for lunch." I step inside the elevator and lean on the wall, looking at him with a grin.
"Miss. Steele, you really don't think I would allow you to pay for your own lunch? When I forced you to come out today? And after the comments I have made which I agree are wholly unacceptable?" He looks down at me with a flush of confusion on his face.
I look down at my feet, not wanting to show the look of surprise on my expression. He was just messing around? He was trying to provoke me? Now I really don't understand this man, if he is a man at all. I would not be surprised if he is some sort of robot by now.
"Well yeah. It's not like normal people go out and have their lunch paid for them by strangers."
"So I am a stranger, am I?"
"Obviously."
"Anastasia, look at me when you talk because I have already noticed an extremely irritating mumble of yours, which gets worse when you look away. Besides, I can't see—" He stops himself and gently lifts up my head with his delicate yet strong fingers.
"There. Much better." I feel a blush spread like wildfire across my cheeks. I look away again with a grin and soon enough the elevator reaches the ground floor and we step out together into the lobby. He reached out to hold my hand and immediately I flinched away and I saw a look of pain in his eyes, a look of rejection that was alien to him. I brush it off and take his hand, trying to wipe away the guilt.
We wandered with little conversation down to the nearest Denny's, which surprisingly wasn't awkward. It was comfortable, and besides, the surrounding area was far too loud to have a proper conversation anyway. It would be an endless cycle of "Sorry? What was that?" and "What did you say?" so really it was a blessing.
Secretly, I was dreading the lunch part. The sitting down and talking I was fine with. The other parts I wasn't, and he didn't seem like a man who would understand the way she was.
Eyes turned in our direction as Christian and I took a seat in the booth at Denny's. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw two waitresses arguing over who would serve us both, and as the winner headed towards up, she hiked up her skirt and undid her blouse button. Slut.
I watched as Christian scanned the menu, he obviously wasn't one to attend a Denny's often. "I will have the double cheeseburger, fries and a diet Pepsi please and Ana will…" He looked up at me for my order and I could tell he wasn't going to be best pleased.
"Just a small portion of fries and some orange juice please."
"Anastasia, I told you money is not an issue now order some proper food." He rolled his eyes and placed the menu down.
"It's not about the money. I am not that hungry, that's all." I shrugged my shoulders and looked down at my thumbs that spun around each other, distracting me from the goings on around.
"Make that two double cheeseburgers." Christian pushed the menu into the arms of the waitress and not once pulled his eyes away. "You need to eat, Ana. You are skinny enough already. And you didn't have breakfast, did you?"
"Yes."
"Don't lie to me, Anastasia. As your boss, I am saying that unless you eat breakfast, lunch and dinner then you are fired, an adequate amount of each as well." He straightened his tie in his domineering way and leaned back in the seat.
"You can't make me eat anything. I don't know who you think you are, but you don't have that authority!" I snapped back at him in a hushed voice, the last thing we need is more eyes staring at us.
"I don't like the thought of you not eating, Ana. You need to be healthy for this job. It is long hours and you will need the energy. It is for your own good." He mimicked my volume and replied through gritted teeth.
"I am fine, Christian. I have never eaten very much and I don't need to start now, so take your head out of your ass and be a normal human being for once." I never got a reply from that comment. We sat in silence until our food arrived, and through guilt I tried to eat as much as I could before vomiting over the next table. Of course, Christian finished all of his, and the rest of mine. Thankfully, the conversation started to build up again. It varied from work, to where we grew up, to school, to our family. The latter was a subject he was rather touchy on, so we brushed past it quickly.
By the end of lunch, though my eating habits had been an argument of the past, I was pretty sure it wasn't over, not yet anyway. We dawdled back to SIP, this time not in each other hands but laughing at conversation. He could be quite funny if he wanted to.
As soon as we started work again, the emails stopped the visits to my office stopped and the day dragged by as if it was no different, and that's what confused me about my first day with Christian Grey.
So I have started to lay down some baggage for Ana and soon I will add some for Christian too. I know I spent a while on Ana's first day with Christian but I feel it is important to lay down foundations of the characters and story first. I hope you have enjoyed this Chapter and I am incredibly sorry for being so late. I feel it is safe to say that I am far too unorganised to keep to a schedule so please, please, bear with me. Thanks again for reading and feel free to leave a review!