Chp10 Christian work ethic.
sorry i screw up the dates:correct
I lay on the couch, completely and utterly relaxed, drifting along on a peaceful wave of bliss. Lost is empty space. Ring. Ring. Ring. shit the phone I get up, putting my shit on. I feel relaxed, but so tired. I refocus. Back to business mode. The day flies' bye.
Anna left for the day headed home to mom's. Mom's planning a dinner Sunday, I look forward to it. I miss my family. I have to start making more personal time. We need to expand and delegate more. I know Roz and everyone need some down time. Once the big six are done. I'll sent them on vacation. I can hold the fort while their gone. Roz, Andrea, Scott, and I have a teleconference with a Taiwan semiconductor company at 6pm. We eat dinner at the conference table, planning the call. I feel good. I think I'll go home tonight; can't remember the last time I sleep in my bed.
# #shit %frigging! # %*% I really need to fire people. The Dallas and the New York acquisition need me to finalize the deal in person. I have to leave tonight. I shatter my cell against the floor. Roz is mad, she'll have to meet me in New York. "Andrea get me a flight tonight to Dallas, New York on Sunday night probably the red eye. Roz you meet me Tuesday morning." So much for family dinner. I could take Anna? No, she just started; too much. I need to define what I feel. I miss her already. "Andrea is my travel bag packed?" "Yes Mr. Grey, ready to go. I have you on a plane at 9pm. Scott will drop you off." Shit I only have 10 minutes to grab everything, so I can wait in security at Sea-Tac for an hour. I really need to buy a plane. "Roz when big six is done, we're buying a friggin plane." "Talking to the Chorus, Christian. See you Monday." Out the door I go.
I arrive in Dallas at 5am. Managed to get a nap on the plane. Strait to the hotel. Shower change strait to work. I manage a couple of pastries. I'm spending lunch clearing e-mail, when a secretary brings me a Sub with chips and pickle. "I didn't order this?" "You're PA ordered, sir" "Ok. Thank You" I eat. Andrea never done this. Back to work. The day drags on meet after meeting, then cocktails with a bunch of assholes, each and every one trying to save their ass. They ran this company into the ground, not one is worth keeping on, I mean how do you blow a technology breakthrough in six months.
Thursday 9pm:
A knock. Room service? A dinner, Salmon and rice. I sign the check. What is going on. I realize I'm hungry. I have to thank Andrea tomorrow. After eating, I'm tired. I sleep until the phone rings at 7am. I feel better. I'm half dresses when room service arrives with breakfast, I didn't order. I have a breakfast meeting. I hate wasted food. Ring. Ring. "GREY" "Good Morning grumpy. Sit down and eat." "Anna, I have a breakfast meeting." "Yes, where you talk and work and eat almost nothing. Now eat the breakfast I ordered you." "Bossy little thing." I sit and eat. She updates me on the emails I sent yesterday and the New York Problems. "Our you in the office?" "No, I'm in your room, wearing your shirt, on my new laptop, talking to you on my new phone, while sipping tea. Nosey" I nearly choke, my bed. My shirt. Oh's I am so hard just picturing her. I'm going to be late I need another shower. "Anna, thank you for breakfast. Now go back to bed." "I miss you, bye" ugh I feel so lost. So longing to go home. To peel that shirt off her perfect body. Ugh, I strip and head back to the shower.
friday 10pm
The day goes by long and slow. The idiots are stalling hoping another company will swoop in and save them. I tell them sign tomorrow or I'll buy the scraps at auction. All through the day food have arrived. Courtesy of Anna. Andrea spend ten minutes telling me how happy she is with Anna performance. I relax. Wishing she was here with me. I am so tired. I just can't get to sleep. My phone rings. "GREY" "Sleepy head you should be in bed, not sending email." "Anna, I need to get these done." "No, you don't, they'll keep till tomorrow. Now put the cell on the charger and lay down. I'll sing you to sleep." "ok, but you need to let me work." "No, I need to make sure you rest. Now lay down." "Alright. alright, I'll laying down bossy little wifey" I laugh. "hmm, hmm, everybody wants to rule the world hmm." "very funny!" "but so perfect for you hubey. Sweet little lamb, walking thru the wild flowers, sweet little lamb…." I wake up to the phone ringing. Its 8am. I remember Anna singing to me. In the shower, laughing how good her calling me husband felt, how right calling her wife felt. I wash away the world. Breakfast arrives I eat. I feel happy and light.
Saturday
The idiots' signs off; I move my team from acquisition to fixing the company. The board is gone, the upper management is gone, hell half the clerical staff is gone. I move my people in by close of business. The new head of the company is ready to move forward. He has a month to get up and running, back on track. I'll spent tomorrow working the engineer to reclaim the tech lead. Late Friday night I miss Anna. I call the house.
"Grey residence"
"Hi, daddy."
"Christian? Is everything all right"
"Yes, I wanted to talk to Anna?"
"She's having a slumber party. The Girls are camped out in the TV room."
"I don't want to bother them?"
"nonsense, son, I'll get her, here your mother"
"Hi, mom how are you."
"I'm good, worried about you. Are you eating and sleeping enough?"
"? Yes, Ma'am. Sorry I won't make the dinner Sunday?"
"I've rescheduled for next week. Oh here's Anna"
"What up? Hero." She sounds drunk. Shit Anna.
"Our you drunk?"
"Yep, a little wine, some peppermint schnapps. Why"?
"you're under age, that why. You know that! Anna in my parents' house."
"keep your hair on Grey. We're under supervision. And were not drunk, so chill out. Or I'll hang up"
"Anna… I worry about you."
"I know babe; I worry about you too. Now are you laying down?"
"yes,"
"good, turn off the lights and tell me about your day."
I talk and wake up at 8am Sunday morning. Just talking to her calms me. I don't even remember falling asleep. I feel better. I miss her.
Monday 2am; New York.
I arrive at my hotel; I really need to get a place here. I hate hotels. The floor butler sees me in. a fruit basket is on the table. "Juice and a fruit Salad is in the min-frig per your PA instruction. I'll be back to pick up your laundry." Anna is so good to me. I eat then sleep. Waking up after noon; someone, brown haired someone, canceled my wake up call. I feel better. I work a couple of hours than go for a run. The laziest day in four years.
Tuesday:
I meet Roz for breakfast. Planning a long day. I want the Cutlass Shipping Company. The ships are less than ten-year-old, the dock contracts and facilities are recently upgraded. The new owner is 12 million in debt, drug user, and wasted individual. Squandering his grandfather legacy in less than two years. The idiot fired the only three people who knew how to run the company. I've already hired them. The company will go on the auction block if they don't sale. I can turn them around and save 400 jobs.
After a long day, the company is mine. The waste toke his 1million dollar. The other 20million went to the debt, and lawsuits. I doubt he'll live the year out. We're catching the red eye home. Roz is asleep on my shoulder. As we wait at Newark airport. I feel drained and listless.
4am: Wednesday
I dropped Roz off. I should head home, but I arrive at the office. I crunch some power bars, drink coffee, and plow thru the emails. I get more and more angry, agitated. By the time Andrea and Anna arrive I'm in a full blown temper tantrum. I scream and shout. Nothing is going right. I can't seem to get people to do what I pay them to do. I focus on each and every detail till I can't stand the idiot I've hired.
Andrea pov:
Wednesday 9am
I am going to brutally blunge Christian Grey to death with the employee handbook. I have never seen him this angry, ill tempered, or just mean. He even yelled and swears at Anna. I know it hurt her. I know the company will disintegrate if this continues. He's working himself into a nervous breakdown. I wish he had not gone to Dallas or New York. He was so happy last Wednesday, after the massage. Yes, Anna massage. She calmed the beast last time. Maybe she can do it again.
I check the interns are hiding in the file room, they still haven't finished the packing. "Anna, I would like you give Mr. Grey a massage." "our you sure?" "Yes, he is working himself into breakdown. We have to stop him, and help him cope. So please the massage" "I don't have any stuff to do it" "What do you need? I can have it here within the hour." "It's not much, I can go to the drug store down the street." "here take a corporate card." "no, it won't be that much." "ok, but bring me the receipt." She leaves as Roz come in. mad and upset. Grey call her at home. Insulted her and blamed a mess on her. She red hair and flame flaring as she barges into his office. I'm sure the people across the street can hear them go at it. Roz storm to her office. Scott already has a large whiskey waiting.
Anna returns and hands me the receipt. $28.68. I wonder if it will be enough. She gets some towel. Stop and stares at the door. Squares her shoulders and stomps her foot. Entering the lion den and I hear the door lock click. I hear music, soft classical. I hope I did the right thing. I go check on Roz, we calm her. I confess sending Anna in. Roz calms, we work on undoing all the mess Grey has caused and realize how much work load he is under. Roz start hiring people to more evenly distribute the work load.
Anna pov:
Can I do this. I need to help my friend. Andrea right he is working himself into an early grave. I see him coming apart. He's tired, so tired I see the pallor of his skin, the tremble of his hands, voice. The loss of focus, and compassion. I can do this I square my shoulder, stomp my foot. And enter his office.
*tears for fears = everybody wants to rule the world
*hippie nursery rhyme= lost little lamb
