What Love Gave Us
by
Ava LeBeau
Seven
Christian sat behind his desk, staring at his screen, the table top cluttered with papers and glossy brochures.
He bit his lower lip, his eyes slightly narrowed as he stared at the excel sheet that was flickering on one of the screens in front of him.
And as him brooding over the numbers seemed to have melted them into one big blur, Christian slammed his hand flat on the table, hissing, "Shit."
"Crashed?"
His mouth set in a hard line, Christian looked up at the man who was standing in the doorway.
"Doug," Christian said and rose from the executive chair, rolling his shoulders in an attempt to ease the tension, "Come on in."
The other man nodded and walked over to the desk that stood in the middle of the spacious office.
"I've read it."
"Bad, isn't it?"
"They're a goner."
"Mhmm. Espresso?"
Doug nodded and moments later Andrea entered the room with a tray and set it down on the coffee table in the middle of the seating area by the window.
"You know I was wondering how to save what can be saved… Any ideas?"
"The new project is promising but you gotta be quick, Christian," the older man drained his cup and glanced at Grey, who nodded slowly while his expression hardened.
"Anything else?"
"I would streamline their whole portfolio. Diversification can expose you to a lot of risks. They've clearly lost focus which is increasing costs and complexity as well as competition. That's why they're losing customers," Douglas set the cup down and patted Christian's shoulder, "It's not worth the risk, Christian."
The man turned to leave.
"Are you available tomorrow?"
"Sure. Just call me," Doug nodded and said, "And get their data confirmed."
"I have."
"Not from them," the other man smiled softly, "From reliable sources, Christian."
Rubbing the back of his neck, Christian nodded and watched Douglas leave.
"They are intelligent, good conversationalists and listeners. They tend to provide advice, most often without cause and that's not always a positive thing, though, because they're also good at lying and are highly convincing. Also he's most certainly extremely terrible at communicating his emotions and will try to avoid the whole topic at all costs," Hannah sighed, "Good at lying, Ana. And highly convincing."
"Yeah," Anastasia mumbled, typing another quick email, holding the phone between her ear and shoulder.
"Gemini men may also have difficulties expressing their emotions in conversation. He's a Gemini, did you know that?"
"Hannah, seriously?" Anastasia rolled her eyes, "You should probably stop internet stalking him, that's really creepy."
"I was only trying to find out if he's fired staff before and that's when I fell down a rabbit hole," Hannah had lowered her voice.
"Oh, really?"
"Mhmm, and did you know that he has a pilot's license?"
"No, not really," Anastasia wasn't sure if she even wanted to know.
She hadn't seen or heard from him all morning and had decided that it was probably better that way anyway. Yesterday had been enlightening but she was trying to not get her hopes up and had decided that it was on him to prove what he had promised.
"Also Gemini men are unable to tell their love interest about their intentions. … his erratic behavior might make him take a long time to establish a relationship. Oh my God."
"Don't worry, Hannah, I doubt he would want a relationship."
"You could try to convince him he should, I mean, we've all seen how he looked at you."
"Stop it, Hannah," Anastasia's cheeks were crimson by now and she felt that hope blooming inside of her once more.
"Again and again he's looked at you like this. You know what? Wear a minidress to work tomorrow–"
"I sure as hell won't wear a mini dress to impress a guy."
"Then don't," Hannah let out another sigh while Ana's gaze darted to the messenger icon in her taskbar that had started flashing.
Surprise trembled inside of her when the tiny window popped open.
'Ana? Are you free?'
Chewing on her bottom lip, Ana wrote, 'Yup'
'Can we talk?'
'Sure'
Before she even could surrender to the wave of anticipation and happiness that was washing over her, the incessant ring of her desk phone made her jump.
"Gotta go, Hannah," she said, "Bye."
Her hands clammy when she picked up the phone, Ana struggled to make her voice sound casual.
"Anastasia Steele," she piped, already knowing who was on the line.
"Hello Anastasia," she closed her eyes, inhaling a long breath before she said, "Hi Christian."
She felt like she was floating.
"Ana?" his voice was carrying her, only elating that feeling of being engulfed in an unexpected haze of bliss and euphoria.
"Mhmm," was all she managed to say, reaching for one of the pencils in the tray to busy her hands with while the laugh he let out only made her happiness grow.
"Are you in the office today?"
"Yes," she began to doodle on a piece of paper, scrawling a heart.
And another.
And another.
"And are you free in the afternoon?"
"Why are you asking?"
"There are some things I wanted to talk with you about."
"Things?" She mused if there had been the tiniest hint of tremble in his voice.
"The project…"
She'd hoped for other things but guessed the project was fine, too. After all she would see him, would be in one room with him. But there was also that question again, was she authorized to tell him everything about it, was it okay?
"Ana?"
"Right here," she chuckled and smiled to herself when he laughed as well.
"What would you like to eat?"
"Uhm, what?"
"Brown bag session."
"Brown bag session?" Anastasia chuckled.
"Okay, let's call it lunch and learn then… What would you like to have for lunch? Sandwiches or maybe sushi?"
"You choose," obviously he was more acquainted with all the upscale restaurants and delis downtown than she was. Also she was way too nervous to even think about food, or eating for that matter.
"No, you do."
"But you know so—"
"No buts about it."
Another chuckle, her cheeks were crimson and she was feeling dizzy with excitement.
"That sandwich was nice…"
"Great choice."
Anastasia bit her lip when both of them seemed lost for words for a moment.
"Okay, fine. I'll be there in about an hour. Can't wait to see you again."
Her heart skipped a beat and before she could say another thing he'd hung up.
Rubbing her palms together, she smiled to herself.
Learn and lunch with Christian Grey. And he'd even buy sandwiches for them.
"Andrea? I need sandwiches from La Migliore in one hour."
Christian stood in front of the large window that was overlooking the city, "Exactly. Maybe they have an assortment? For two. And I want some of their chocolate cake. Thank you."
He crossed the room and stopped by his desk, looking down at the stacks of paper.
"Oh, and one more thing, Andrea. Try to find out if my father is in today. I need to talk to him. Thank you."
Anastasia gasped when the ringing of the desk phone yanked her out of her day dreams.
"Yes, I'd love to try a piece of that chocolate cake, Mister," she said instead of a greeting and chuckled.
"Ms. Steele? Is that you?"
Anastasia sat up straight all of a sudden and her heart skipped a beat, but not in a good way this time.
"Yes, Mr. Roach."
"Ms. Steele, I want you to get him up to speed and answer all of Mr. Grey's questions regarding the project you're working on."
"Okay, sure, sir."
"Good."
Anastasia slammed down the receiver as soon as Jerry Roach had ended the call, mumbling, "Oh my God."
"Oh my God, indeed," Jack's voice made her gasp again.
"Jack… what's wrong?"
"Let's just say everything," he frowned but seemed less upset than he'd been.
"Can I get you something? You look tired," Ana said and rose from her chair.
Jack Hyde smiled, "We could go out for lunch."
"I-I'm sorry, I can't. Not today…," she held Jack's gaze but somehow she felt guilty even though she knew that she had no reason to feel that way.
Ana noticed when Jack's gaze wandered to the piece of paper on her desk, to the scrawled hearts, and she could feel a prickling sensation crawling up the back of her neck.
"I see," he said flatly, not looking at her.
"Jack, I—," Anastasia tried.
"It's okay, Ana, don't worry, it really is," he said, sounding exhausted, and walked into his office and closed the door.
"Father? Yes, I'm on my way to S.I.P and I was wondering if you have any remarks on the status report?"
Christian steered the car out of the employee parking lot, a sudden bout of anxiety knotting his insides, fully aware that he'd whitewashed the report in an attempt to put a quick end to this whole charade of his father trying to hold him back.
"I'm going to sign off on it for now, but I want you to dig deeper," as per usual Carrick's voice was cold and condescending, making it difficult for his son to gauge if there was any use in trying to bring up the trust fund and that latest tranche due for payment.
For now, what the hell did that even mean?
Christian was almost speechless with irritation, but ground out a miffed, "I thought as much. There is a project they have, that I want to talk with you about."
"Gloria can always slot you in, Christian. And don't forget to call your mother. I really have to go now."
"Of course you do," Christian said, more to himself.
It had always been that way.
Carrick Grey had always been busy. He'd always had to go, even when his sons had needed him, when they had needed his advice and encouragement. He'd always been too busy to be involved.
His sons? Nothing more than a burdensome obligation, a nuisance to be slotted in by his assistant when they required some sort of fatherly guidance. But everybody worked hard to keep up those deceitful appearances, anything to make Seattle's top lawyer Carrick Grey look good.
Another quick message had notified Ana of his arrival and hugging her laptop and a notepad to her chest she was now walking down the long corridor that led to his allocated office on the third floor. The room, actually a conference room, was spacious and bright.
"Hi," she piped, stopping in the doorway, hugging the laptop even closer to her, her flustered state choking her up for a moment.
"Anastasia," Christian looked up and smiled.
"Are you busy? I can come back later if that's more convenient…"
He shook his head and gestured for her to come in.
"Thank you," Anastasia said when he pulled out one of the chairs at the conference table for her, motioning for her to sit before he walked over to his desk again to fetch his tablet, choosing the seat at the head of the table and at a right angle to her when he returned.
Resting his elbows on the table, folding his hands, he looked at her, "It's good to see you again, Ana."
She wondered if he was doing this on purpose, anything to make her blush, but when she studied his features she noticed that there was nothing mocking about his expression, in fact he looked rather weary and drawn.
"Same here," Anastasia smiled and reached out to gently touch his elbow, "Are you okay?"
Christian glanced down at her hand and a muscle in his jaw twitched.
"Work's crazy," he admitted blatantly.
"Because of the audit?"
"No," he shook his head, "it's always like this in the run-up to the end of the year, Ana. Nothing new really."
"I see," Anastasia nodded while he looked at her again, "And are you making progress?"
He tilted his head, raising his eyebrows as if he was unable to follow her drift.
"The audit."
"Ah, right, yeah," Christian cleared his throat and rubbed the back of his neck, "kinda."
Anastasia tried to read his expression but it proved to be a difficult task and so she asked, "Is there something wrong? I mean, we all know that the market situation is tense."
"What? Uhm, no, not at all," he held her gaze and licked his lips, "it's just… a rather complex process."
"Okay," Anastasia looked down at her hands, shifting in her seat, once again unsure what to make of his reaction, deep down inside she felt as if there was something wrong but wasn't sure if it was safe to simply ask. And so she decided to let it go unchallenged.
"But are you going to issue your audit opinion soon?"
Christian looked at her and his voice was edged with tension when he said, "No, not yet."
"Please, don't disappoint me."
Christian's expression had hardened noticeably, "You know I'd never—"
"Hannah's still worried you're gonna fire her," Ana said and pressed her lips together, "And, to be honest, I'm worried too."
"I told you she won't be in trouble," Christian reached for her hand and Anastasia let him take it, a quiet contentment spreading through her.
"Promise."
"I promise you," looking down at her small hand in his, he cleared his throat again, unable to swallow back the pangs of conscience that were tightening his throat, and it was now that he knew that he had to do something bold to stop the whole situation from going south.
"Good," she smiled and pulled her hand back out of his grip, saying, "I'm really hungry."
Christian, his face somewhat ashen, let out a strained laugh and reached for the plate to push it across the table and towards her, "Please help yourself."
Watching Ana happily munching away at one of the sandwiches he said, "The anti-poverty project…"
"Mhmm," she said and nodded, still chewing.
"How did you come up with the idea?"
Anastasia dabbed her mouth with a napkin and said, "Well, Jack and I were talking about new markets and their potential. And then he asked me to explore trends. I mean we are a rather traditional publishing house and we knew that it was kind of risky but we wanted to try anyway."
There was a tiny crease between his eyebrows when Christian nodded, "When you say we, do you really mean Hyde and you? Or was it all your idea?"
"I… uhm," she looked down at her hands, obviously weighing her words before she spoke, "Well, at first it was even difficult to convince Jack. Jerry is a whole other story," Ana rolled her eyes and took a sip of her water, eyeing Christian over the rim of her glass for a moment. He was typing something into his tablet but looking up when she stopped talking.
"Here," she said and pushed the platter towards him with her fingertips, "you should try some, too."
"No, thank you," Christian raised a refusing hand.
"But they're delicious, Christian."
"I'm not hungry," he mumbled, dread was fluttering in his stomach and he was wondering if she could tell, "Anyway, tell me more about the project."
"Suit yourself," she eyed him curiously, "As for the project, I really believe that publishing can address the issue of poverty in several ways."
She used her fingers to count off her points, "With books, articles and other published materials we can raise awareness for the topic, helping to educate the public. That way we are sharing Perspectives as publishing allows individuals living in poverty to share their stories and perspectives, providing a platform for marginalized voices to be heard. This can help humanize the experiences of those affected by poverty and challenge stereotypes and misconceptions."
Christian looked at Ana, who beamed at him. He could tell just how much she was burning for the matter.
"What?" she asked and tilted her head a little, biting her lower lip.
He managed a grin and said, "Nothing, just impressed with your enthusiasm, Ana."
"I really believe in this mission," she nodded, "and there's more to it… Take academic publishing, it can contribute to a better understanding of poverty through research, data analysis, and scholarly discourse. This can inform evidence-based policies and interventions aimed at alleviating poverty and by publishing educational materials we can empower individuals living in poverty by providing access to knowledge, skills, and resources that can help them improve their circumstances. I would be so happy if we were able to contribute to a greater understanding of poverty and drive positive change at individual, community, national, and global levels."
She let out a deep breath and looked at him, excitement had tinged her cheeks a rosy pink, "Well, what do you think?"
"I'm impressed," Christian said curtly and looked down at his hands.
"Not sharing the enthusiasm?" Ana teased, grinning. "You don't like it, right? Come on, just tell me. I can take it."
"No, I like it, Ana. I really do," his gray gaze met hers and his features had softened noticeably.
"I have an outline if you're interested," Anastasia opened her laptop to forward the paper to him, "You know, Jack is busy trying to convince investors. I'm burning to launch the second component of the program."
There was a low sound when he received her email on his tablet and Anastasia glanced at the device while his slender fingers glided across the glossy display.
"So it consists of several components?" Christian looked at her, tapping the pad of his index finger against his lips for a moment.
"Exactly, we have a picture book with a selection of photographs. We were also thinking about an exhibition with ensuing silent auction. I have them here if you want to see them…," her gaze darted to him, he seemed preoccupied with the e-mailed document but nodded his head.
"As for the second component," she tried to regain Christian's attention and was successful, "we have an author program planned and are currently trying to identify authors from the third world and reaching out to them."
Anastasia licked her lips and reached for her water glass to take another sip.
"Impressive," Christian said absent-mindedly, still skimming over the sent outline, nodding slowly.
"Why so serious?" Ana asked and helped herself to another slice of sandwich, eating it ravenously seeing that she hadn't had breakfast today.
"I'm not."
Anastasia could tell that he was forcing that flawless smile, it hadn't reached his eyes.
"I was just trying to gain a quick overview, Ana. Now show me the pictures."
Christian's gaze wandered to her hands, to those nimble fingers that were dancing over the keyboard of her laptop, quick in their search for the wanted photos.
Anastasia pushed her chair towards the edge of the table and towards him, her forearm brushing against his when she turned the laptop to offer him a better view of the photographs.
"We have two categories so far. One shows adults going about their day, the other one depicts children," Anastasia clicked to enlarge one of the pictures.
Christian's stomach clenched again, the uneasiness the picture was causing took him by surprise, making him feel like he might throw up. His body felt numb when he said, "How awful." And as the words left his lips he felt even worse, deeming his response beyond shallow and trite.
"It is. And so powerful," Ana mumbled, not looking at him, clicking through several more photos while Christian held his breath for a moment, his hand tightening into a fist under the table.
Sheer panic was throbbing inside of him but he managed to say, "I will look into it. Thank you for the introduction, Ana."
"My pleasure," Anastasia said and smiled at him, flipping the laptop shut.
"Chocolate cake?" he asked and reached for the dessert plate, he could tell that she had noticed just how shaken he was, all blanched and almost clammy.
"Mmmh, yes," Anastasia smiled and took the plate.
"You know, I was wondering about your Christmas party here…," Christian was breathing steadily, slowly calming down again.
"What about it? We won't have one this year or at least no decoration which makes it only half the fun," she forked up a piece of the cake and savored the rich chocolatey flavor, looking at Christian.
"But you are still thinking about planning a party, decoration or no decoration?"
"Of course we do," she nodded quickly, "Why are you asking?"
"Strictly financial reasons only," he teased and winked, making her chuckle.
"You should really come, Christian."
"I'll think about it."
A/N: As always I'd like to thank you for reading my new chapter and all your reviews, favs and follows.