14/01/2012 Saturday
Anastasia POV
I wake with a start. The source being someone who is jerking on my shoulder. I jump out of my bed and throw myself at the intruder, yelling as I charge.
"Ouch, Steele!" the person yells as my fist connects with their jawbone.
I back down when my eyes adjust to the light flooding into the room and the person I just punched was Luke, thank god it was him and not someone else who would make my life miserable. I relax the muscles that I tensed up for the attack.
"Luke Sawyer!" I scold him. "What in the name of Chilli Cheese Fries are you doing in here, shoving me around like an ogre?" I yell at him.
"Shhh!" he shushes me, what the actual fuck?
"Don't shush me!" I whisper-yell at him. What is he doing in my room and what time is it?
"I wanted to come get you for our work out but you were out cold, I started to think you're dead." He says, he scrunches up his face making me laugh. Luke Sawyer, my clown of a friend.
"Is it five already?" I ask him in disbelieve, my insomnia usually gets the best of me and lets me sleep for less than an hour and I went to bed almost three hours ago.
"Yep, now get your ass in gear so we can get our day started." He says patting my shoulder.
"You better get out of my room before your bestie hears the commotion you're creating," I say nodding my head in the direction of the room next door.
"Wanna piss her off?" Luke is and always will be the child of the team, always over eager to be mischievous. His green eyes are bright and there is a god awful grin plastered on his face.
"I'd love to, but, not now. Let's give the poor woman a chance to catch her breakfast first – maybe she'll be in a better mood." I say making him laugh but the boyish giggle fades away and an impish look appears.
Luke walks past me and starts pounding his balled up hands against the wall, creating a banging rhythm. Bang… Bang… Bang…
"Oh, ANA, YES, YES! DO THAT AGAIN, BABY! HMMMM."
"LUKE!" I yell at him, looking at the door waiting for the bitch from next door to storm in like she did last time.
"What?" Luke asks me innocently.
"Get out!" I yell pointing at the door, Luke's face falls and he sloths out of my room.
I close the door creating a barrier between me and the trouble maker. I turn around after I locked the door, making sure the pervert doesn't come back into the room.
Fifteen minutes later I walk out of the room, showered, dressed and ready for my workout with Luke.
"Hiya good looking. You must be from Jamaica." Luke says leaning against the doorframe. I frown, Jamaica?
"Cause, ya making me crazy!" he laughs. I roll my eyes at his stupid pick-up lines. I pity the woman that ends up with him one day. I walk past him, glaring at him.
"What did I do now?" He yells, grabbing my arm as I walk away and pull me around and crushing me into his chest.
"Ana Banana, are you okay?" He's speaking into my hair, his warm breath making my neck hairs stand up. I ball my hand up and punch him in his crotch-area.
"You know how I feel about touching, Mr Sawyer, don't do that again." I scold him, I don't really care about small hugs and all that jazz but not at work, and not when I woke up two seconds ago. I start laughing when I see the picture in front of me, Luke Sawyer, on the ground clutching his package, but it is the look on his face that has me…
His mouth is opened in a small 'o', his eyes shut and his nose scrunched up.
"Yeah, laugh all you want Steele, payback is a bitch."
"Whatever,"
X x x
Luke and I are jogging back to Escala after an hour of our work out plan. I'm thankful that Luke didn't plan kickboxing in the park for today like we did yesterday.
The city is already awake.
There is movement in the apartment buildings and the café owners are turning the signs on their doors, stating that it's yet another day to do business. Even on a Saturday, Seattle is busy. I'm grateful towards
Luke's silence the entire time.
He didn't try to conversate with me, allowing me to daydream. To think of what to do and to say in my lovely boss's presence in less than an hour.
Luke coughs, which tells me that he's going to break the silence. I take a deep breath and blow it out through my nose, so much for silence.
"So, I heard that you're walking on thin ice, Prescott says that Mister G want to fire you," Luke says, probably relieved that he can open his big mouth again. I know that the poor man hates being silent.
I realised that on our movie night, he caused us to be shushed at and the result was the two of us being kicked out of the cinema.
"Oh yeah? And what else did she say?" I ask him slowing our pace.
"That you fucked up bad this time." He says pulling his shoulders up.
"Oh, is that so?" I narrow my eyes. That bitch, since when is she and Mr Grey keen on sharing their every thought with each other.
"Yup." He says it with a little popping sound.
"Well, she's an arrogant bitch who feels threatened by anyone who looks like they can do a better job than her," I say, frustrated with the god-awful woman.
"Sheesh, when did you climb out of your shell?" he mutters
"I had enough Luke, and Mia isn't making my life any easier," I say picking up the pace again.
"You know that you were set up to fail, right?" I look over at him, confused
"What?" Set up to fail? By who?
"Yeah, no one wanted to take Mia, we were just lucky when you came along." There he goes again, with the useless information. I sigh in frustration
"I figured that much. But why am I set up to fail?" I ask him, breathless, we round the corner there is about four blocks left to Escala. I hear him sigh.
"It's like a game, a bet under the other CPO's" I stop in my tracks and look him up and down.
"And were you a part of this game?"
Luke's ice blue eyes wander away from my glare.
"No," I know he's lying, I always know when he is lying.
"Tell me the truth." He looks at me again, his baby blues apologetic.
"Yes, I was for a while. But I mean who wouldn't?" Luke says in a rushed tone. I scoff. I can't believe this.
"Who wouldn't? Maybe my friend." I poke his chest with my finger as I say the last part.
"You were new blood Steele, it's like those initiation things you see on the television. It's a test, to see how much you can handle until you break." He says, he looks ashamed. "I backed off, I swear,"
"I believe you, but, I bet Prescott didn't like that," I whisper.
"I don't know. But I know that she has some sort of vendetta against you."
"You don't say?"
"What is it with the two of you?" He asks me.
"It's not the two of us, it's her, singular Lucas."
"To be honest in the beginning it was hot, but now it's downright weird." I roll my eyes. Men. They are all the same, only with different names and faces.
"I just can't believe you were a part of this Luke," I say and start running again. Making sure that my pace is fast enough for Luke not to catch up with me.
The burning in my muscles drives me. It's my fuel. The pain sensation reassures me that if I hold out just a little longer; I'll be at the top in no time, I will pick the fruits of my hard work.
X x x
"Good morning Ana," Gail Jones says as I walk into the kitchen in our part of the apartment. Her Atlantic Ocean coloured eyes are searching mine, she looks worried.
"Morning, Gail," I say as I reach over the counter to grab a few berries and pop them into my mouth.
"You look, formal this morning, its Saturday darling." She tells me.
I look down at myself, it's the usual attire, black trousers, white button up dress shirt and a blazer. The only thing that is missing today, is the heels that Miss Mia Grey insists I should wear.
"Oh, I know, have a good day Gail, send my good wishes to your sister for me."
"Will do Ana," she says stunned as I walk out of the room.
I walk past a few other guys as they make their way back from their workouts or come from the late shift to raid the kitchen of Mrs Jones's delicious treats.
I don't really know why they are here because they don't live here, so they can eat at home, right?
Other than Gail and Jason, it's only me, Prescott and Ryan who lives here.
Actually, I'm staying here until Kate, my roommate since university comes back.
She's in Hawaii with her family and she forgot to leave me a key since it's my first time back in Washington in three years.
"Good morning Taylor," I say as I walk into the foyer in the main apartment.
"Steele," he acknowledges me. Oh boy.
"Mr Grey wants to see you,"
"Okay," I say, nodding my head and start in the direction of Mr Grey's office but Taylor's hand around my palm stops me.
"Ana," I turn around to see him looking down on me. I stifle a giggle because when I wear the tremendous heels Mia gave me my eyes are at his nose. "Just relax," he says
"I'll try." Taylor's eyes soften. He's like my second dad, or shall I say my third dad but I never knew my first dad to be honest. Raymond Steele has been the only real father to me in all my life. But now I can add Jason to that list.
"I don't think anything bad will happen. I promise."
"Okay." I nod. Well, that's reassuring. He doesn't think that anything bad will happen.
"Alright kiddo," Taylor says and walks away.
I watch Taylor disappear into the apartment, leaving me to fend for myself.
Is it foolish of me to be terrified of the person who's waiting for me in just a few rooms on?
Yes, it absolutely is.
I am Anastasia Rose Steele, a woman of steel, I proved it the day that I walked on to that plane in Afghanistan, leaving in one piece, to come home. I may be a little rusty because of circumstances, but it's time to oil up.
I'm going to show these bastards who I really am. I am officially done with them fucking me over. They say a star falls to rise again. I will shoot across the sky like a meteor.
I'm standing in front of the door to Mr Grey's office with broad shoulders and a puffed chest. I have my decision whether or not to stay. I give one loud knock on the cherry wood door.
"Come in!" I flinch as Christian Grey bellows.
I turn the knob on the door and walk into the room. He's sitting at his desk, reading through a stack of paperwork. This man really needs a woman or something because he has no life outside of his job. It's sad.
"Good morning Mr Grey," I say when I stop in front of his desk.
"Miss Steele," he nods. Surprisingly he's calm. I'm shocked. Usually, by now, he would have shoved the poor employee out of the window and even that would be less painful than the words he shouted at you.
"I cannot begin to tell you how, disappointed, I am." Christian's voice is wavering, it sounds like he's struggling to keep on his bad side.
"You were under strict orders, stating distinctly that you should not FUCKING, leave Escala or Bellevue with Mia, she was to be kept under surveillance and in a safe place at all times." He says sternly.
"And what did you do?" He asks the rhetorical question.
"YOU WENT TO A FUCKING CLUB!" he roars.
"Is it that hard to obey instructions?" he whispers and I think that what he says has a double meaning, the way his eyes darkens when he says 'obey' and 'instructions'. I'm lying if I say that I'm not affected by this man who is sitting in front of me.
His copper hair is a mess and his grey eyes are dark, burning into my own.
I have and can notice every small detail of the man that is Christian Grey: the way he pulls on his hair when he's frustrated or when he rubs his face.
The way all of the muscles in his face clench when he's angry.
And when he's deep in thought he'd run his fingers along the table and press on imaginary piano keys.
I even notice the faint dark circles he has under his eyes when he finds it hard to sleep.
The way he broadens his shoulders whenever Mrs Lincoln comes up.
The way he holds eye contact until you look away. How he tries to intimidate you even when he's sort of intimidated by you.
I have seen him vulnerable, the first night when I saw him play the piano.
With all of this, I know that I have feelings for him, and it may run deeper than I think. And this is the reason I would have to leave here eventually, because, I can't be in love with my boss.
"Sir, I'm terribly sorry for the way I acted early this morning and I'm embarrassed that Miss Grey manipulated me into giving her my cell phone," I say in a clear voice.
"Miss Steele, I would have to fire you for such a failure," says he. There it is. His decision.
"I'm sorry sir," I whisper and begin retreating. I fight the tears that are threatening to fall as I turn on my heel. What am I going to do now? How will I pay everything? My mind is racing with all the 'what now's'.
"But," He says as my hand reach the doorknob.
"I've decided to give you the benefit of the doubt." I turn around to face him.
"However, I need you, to be honest with me from now on. No secrets." He says. All I can do is nod, afraid to use my voice because it may just give my real emotions away.
"Is there a reason you are so unfocused lately?"
"Yes, sir, but I'll do better now. I promise."
"what is the reason?"
"It personal, sir."
"Tell me." "I mean, you can tell me if you want."
"It's my father sir."
"what about him?"
"he's ill"
"I'm sure he'll get well soon."
"I hope so," I say
X X X
The day drags on slowly after Christian and I spoke he told me to take the day off. I took out Wanda, my old Volkswagen Beatle.
I'm sitting on the beach playing with the sand letting it fall through my fingers.
The sound of the crashing waves calms me.
I look up from my hand full of sand and look at the sun setting in the horizon. I shut my eyes and make the same wish I make every day…
"Please let my daddy live."
The wish making is interrupted by my cell phone's noise.
I pick the dreadful device up from the sand and answer with a honeyed 'Hello' hiding the sadness in my voice.
"Anastasia, if you tell my brother the reason I went out. I'll send him the photographs of you and Luke."