Chapter 11

Ana

It's been over two weeks since Christian slept at my apartment. Christian. In my apartment. Electively. What a strange concept, still. Yes, he loves me, but he's very snooty about small spaces.

Hardly a stranger concept than what I've been doing lately, though. It felt… like a mixed message from me to say that I can't move in with him yet, then drunkenly call him in the middle of the night because I can't sleep without him next to me. I love that man to a frightening degree. And yet, instead of giving in to what I think deep down we both want, I've instead tried being Miss Independent these last few weeks. Sure, I see him, but sleeping in the same apartment? Nope.

I'm truly a fucking idiot.

No… no, I'm just trying to get my head on straight in therapy. And it's going well, I think. It is helpful to talk about these things, and weirdly, Christian hasn't been super persistent about moving in since that night. Whenever I tell him I'm going home at night, he just smiles blandly and says he'll see me tomorrow. This has to be for the best, right? We've been together just over two months now. Normal people don't move in together after that length of time.

But have we ever been normal? Really?

Okay, so I still have some inner turmoil. The poor sleep isn't helping. Christian's arms are better than melatonin, and I'm in withdrawal.

I take a swig of coffee, switch over to my email, and smile. Christian Grey is sitting at the top of my inbox.

From: Christian Grey
Subject: Guess who?
Date: October 12 2021 09:35
To: Anastasia Steele

Hello, my favorite girl.

I have a surprise for you today. Stay tuned.

I love you. x

Christian Grey
CEO, Grey Enterprises Holdings, Inc.

I giggle to myself as I type my reply.

From: Anastasia Steele
Subject: Intrigued
Date: October 12 2021 09:47
To: Christian Grey

Hello, my favorite guy.

What kind of surprise? Should I be nervous?

I love you too. xxx

Anastasia Steele
Editor, Seattle Independent Publishing, Ltd.

He doesn't respond within the next few minutes, so I begrudgingly go back to work. I'm still keeping my head low around here, but the outright hostility has calmed down quite a bit. But I'm sure it has a great deal to do with the staff audits that just concluded, with the survey and then the anonymous interview process. It was pretty weird being honest with Ros about what was happening to me here when it was my turn, but I tried to keep what Christian said in the back of my mind. It was unprofessional, inappropriate for a work environment. Sure, I can see why people would have their backs up about my relationship with Christian, but since it began before either of us even had a job, that has to be different. Context is everything.

Rationally, I recognize this, but there's still something about it that feels… illicit. And maybe that's part of why I'm dragging my feet. And why I need therapy.

Half an hour or so passes while I try to get my head in the game. Can't be daydreaming about the boss all day… I'm knee-deep into a new book when I start to hear a commotion outside. Maybe someone brought donuts or something. Right on cue, Maya does her signature knock on my door and peeks her head in. "Hey. Roach wants to talk to all of us."

A nervous fluttering blooms in my stomach. "What about?"

She shrugs. "I'm just the messenger."

I put my computer to sleep and follow her to the conference room. Jerry is pacing at the front, looking sweatier than usual. Maya and I are the last ones in, closing the door behind us. At the clicking sound, he nearly jumps, stopping his nervous march and facing all of us. "Uh… morning, everyone. I just got word from GEH that they'll be here momentarily for a meeting."

"Who?" someone asks. I don't see who, I'm too busy feeling somewhat blindsided.

"Mr. Grey and Ms. Bailey," he answers.

"For what?" one girl snaps, glancing at me. The excitement I might feel at the prospect of seeing him in the middle of the day is quieted by the feeling of… ensnarement.

"An announcement."

One of our human resources guys sitting next to me laughs. "Well, nothing to be nervous about, Jerry. We've got an insider on our side." He playfully nudges my arm with his elbow.

I feel my cheeks heat. "Um, I don't know anything either," I mutter. There are too many eyes on me now. Goddamn. I wish this wasn't so weird. Yeah, we've definitely never been a normal couple. Most people don't worry about their entire office turning on them due to who their partner is. Is this my surprise? Very funny, Christian.

We sit there in relative silence, waiting. Maya pats my arm reassuringly. "Stop thinking. You did nothing wrong," she hisses in my ear.

"I know," I whisper back. "That doesn't make this situation any less bizarre."

The quiet is then disturbed by the creaking of the conference room door. The secretary from our front desk leans inside. "Um… Ros Bailey and Christian Grey are here." Her cheeks burn as she says his name. Ugh. I know he's delicious, but come on, I'm right here.

"Yes, yes, send them in," Jerry says quickly. And there he is, the man of the hour, sweeping through the door with complete ease. He makes eye contact with me and smiles for a split second before Jerry addresses him. "Mr. Grey, Ms. Bailey! Please." He gestures at the two empty chairs near the head of the table.

Christian nods once and Ros smiles. "Thank you," she says pleasantly. They both sit and she looks to Christian.

"Thank you all for pausing your work day to accommodate us," he says smoothly. "We're here to announce an upcoming change for this division, and since we were in the area, we thought we would deliver the news in person." Oh, God. We're doing this? Now? He looks to Ros then.

She nods. "We've begun preparations to move this company's base into Grey House." A chorus of gasps flutters through. I can't tell if they're excited or shocked. Though, honestly, I think I've gone into shock myself. "We'll also be making a few adjustments to the staff. As I'm sure has become clear over the last few weeks, professionalism and ethics are a cornerstone of GEH's philosophy as a company. Unfortunately, it's come to our attention that not everyone here adequately embodies those values. All of these changes will be in your inbox tomorrow. Those who will not be making the move have four weeks of employment left and then will receive severance packages. Any questions?"

I stare blankly ahead as a few voices pipe up. "When are we moving?"

"The offices will be prepared for moving by November 1st," Christian answers. I think I feel his eyes on me, but I keep mine averted.

Part of me wonders how much of this ambush was in retaliation. I know he's not exactly patient and he might be eager to move forward with our future in the way he thinks he wants it now… so could this be what this expedited move and surprise meeting was about? A reminder? A… warning that he won't let up?

Jesus. If that were the case, it's well-played. But I thought that we talked about things like this. And how ruthless is the game going to be going forward?

A few more questions are asked and answered, but I don't hear them. I tune back in when Ros starts to wrap things up. "Thank you all again for your time. We'll be in touch by email for all further updates on this matter."

They stand and the rest of us follow. Autopilot keeps me going with the crowd. Again, I can feel Christian looking at me, but I'm clearly not here as the girlfriend, I'm here as the subordinate. So, I follow the rest of my colleagues and go back to my office.

I'm not surprised when about thirty seconds after I close my door behind me, it opens and shuts again. Christian lingers in the doorway. "Surprise," he murmurs.

I sigh and cover my eyes with my hands. "Don't act like this was for me."

I hear him take several steps forward, then feel his hands grasp my upper arms gently. "I thought you would be happy. I don't usually see you during the day."

"Okay, so take me to lunch. Don't schedule a surprise meeting where you just casually drop by and change the course of all of our futures. Or if you do, at least tell me about it. It would be nice to get some mental preparation time before everything gets all weird around here again. Seriously, this couldn't have been an email?"

"Ana," he says cautiously. "You knew the move was happening."

"I didn't know it was so soon. I didn't know it was being announced today."

"Ana—" he says again, his tone placating.

I move my hands away from my eyes and place them on his, pushing them off of me. "I'm sorry. Can we not talk about this right now? I think it's a bad idea for you to stay in here very long. People probably saw you."

He blinks in shock. "Are you kicking me out?"

"I'm asking if we can talk about this later. But you're the boss. You don't have to leave. I'm sure you have better things to do, but who am I to tell you what to do?" I feel like shit because I can recognize that I'm being bitter, and I haven't worked out whether or not I believe it's justified, but I can't reel it in just yet. Another reason he should go.

He looks incredulous for a moment, but then puts on a poker face fit for Vegas. "Fine. But I will see you later."

"Yeah, you always do," I mutter. I turn away, expecting him to leave, but to my surprise, he catches my hand and all but yanks me back, pulling me flush against his body. He grabs me behind my neck and kisses me roughly, pushing us up against the desk. Holy shit. I feel almost betrayed by my body, because my irritation with him doesn't make this feel any less heavenly.

He pulls away after several long seconds of invading my mouth with his tongue, looking down at me wild-eyed. "Don't punish me for needing to be near you. I do whatever it takes."

His words remind me of the situation at hand. We are at work! Abort mission! "Christian, later. Please," I pant. "And don't use the fact that I could jump you at any moment of any day against me right now. Please?"

"Any moment, baby? Really?" he purrs.

"Christian!" I groan, pushing him away again. Thankfully, he lets me go, and I walk around the desk. A piece of furniture between us is probably for the best right now. "Please go. We'll talk later."

"I can't even take you to lunch?"

"No, I need a minute."

He presses his lips together, but doesn't protest. "Fine. Until later, then."

"Yes," I confirm. He gives me another long look before he turns and leaves, closing the door firmly behind him. I sink into my chair, my legs feeling like jelly from both the rush of the kiss and the anxiety of the last half hour. I glance at the photo of us framed on my desk, from our hike to the waterfall when we went camping for my birthday. A few hours before he saved your life. Yeah, that guy. I sigh and lay my head on my desk. "What am I supposed to do with you?" I mutter aloud.

I pick myself up and turn back to my computer. Work. That's what I'm supposed to do. Difficult bosses/boyfriends later.

At the end of the day, I hide in my office a little longer than strictly necessary, but I feel more comfortable leaving when mostly everyone else has gone. By the time 5:30 rolls around, I think I'm safe. Sawyer follows me out to the parking lot, but blocking the path to my car is another familiar vehicle, with a familiar megalomaniac leaning against the driver's side door.

My knees lock mid-step. "What are you doing here?" I ask.

"It's later," he answers. "Thank you, Sawyer, I've got it from here."

"Sir," Sawyer nods. I know him well enough now that I can hear the humor in his voice. Traitor.

He walks to my car while Christian walks to the passenger side of his, opening it. "Come on, baby." I suppress my sigh and walk around to get in. He's not technically wrong… it is later. You didn't specify. He shuts the door and walks to the driver's side, getting in and looking at me appraisingly. "You're still mad."

"I'm not mad." Mad isn't the right word. I'm on edge, but any ire I had before is cooled. It's been hours.

"Then why didn't you kiss me?"

If this is a game, I can play, too. I turn and grab his chin, pulling his lips to mine in the same unfiltered fashion that he did earlier. "There." I lean back over to my side and fold my arms. "Where are we going?"

"Home," he says, a hint of frustration in his voice.

"Whose? Yours or mine?"

"Escala," he responds flatly.

We drive the short distance in silence. I feel him glance at me a few times, but I'm trying to stay focused. Honestly, the thought of his mouth is still swirling around in my head. I'm only human. If we're going to have a rational talk about this, my thoughts can't all be dirty.

When we pull into the garage, I don't wait for him to open my door. I get out and walk to the elevator, summoning it and standing a few inches away from him when he joins me at my side. It's empty when it comes, and we walk in together. I keep the distance there. The air feels thick, and as we climb a few floors, it only gets worse. Some deeply unsettling mixture of emotional tension and pure pheromones.

To my shock, Christian reaches over and presses the stop button. Before I can ask why, he pins me against the wall with his hips, his arms a cage around me, and stares down at me almost nose to nose. "Tell me why you're upset."

"Why did you stop it?"

"Tell me," he repeats.

Okay, I guess we're doing this now. "You ambushed me."

He sighs and brushes my hair back behind my shoulder, planting a kiss on my neck. "I thought you wouldn't want special treatment. You hate to acknowledge work between us. I was trying to treat you like everyone else, and even then, I couldn't do it. I gave you a hint."

Oh. Shit. Well. "I… I don't, per se. But I thought you would keep me updated since I already knew about the move. I don't want… promotions I don't deserve, for you to fire everyone who looks at me wrong, that kind of thing. But this would have been nice to know."

He nods. "Okay. I'll give you all the relevant updates before anyone else, then. Is that all it is?"

I swallow. "Why is the move so quick?"

He shrugs. "It's ready. There's no need to wait."

"This has nothing to do with the fact that I haven't moved in with you yet, then?"

He looks confused. "This was already planned before I asked you."

"I know. But it seems… rushed. And I sort of felt like you were… sending me a sign to move it along."

The confusion on his face mixes with some hurt. "Ana, I'm trying my best to give you the space to make that decision. You know what I want. And you know that I want you nearer to me, personally and professionally. Frankly, I don't know how long you'll be staying at SIP, so maybe I was moving things along. I love you. I wanted more of you. I can't apologize for that and mean it."

I sigh and lean my head against his shoulder. "You are giving me the space… I know you are. I just… I wish giving you everything you want didn't feel so complicated. I wish work wasn't weird and moving in with the love of your life didn't feel rushed after two months. I'm trying, I—"

"Baby, I know. And you are everything I want. Everything you are. I'm not trying to rush that decision, but you knew this one was coming. I'll take what I can get."

Something else he said pricks at my awareness. "I'm going to stay for now. With SIP. I don't have plans to move on. I'll give it a chance."

His eyes widen, and a smile tugs at his lips. "You'll stay?"

I take a deep breath and nod, my resolve solidifying now that I've said it out loud. "I like my job. I'm not going to let the fact that the person I love is the boss ruin it when that had nothing to do with why I'm there." And I love you. And I know you want this.

Instead of answering, he just kisses me, softly this time. I practically melt against the wall. "Then is there anything else to fight about?"

I laugh. "Fight? Do most people fight in elevators, all pressed up against each other?"

He chuckles and shrugs. "I guess every day feels like a fight against myself not to lose you."

My heart aches at how casually he says this. It's not a ruthless game he's playing. It's him floundering in fear. Unfounded fear. "I quite enjoy being found by you, thank you. I don't intend to get lost." I nuzzle his nose, then glance to the side. "Can we go upstairs now?"

"Mmm… I kind of like having you all to myself here." He pushes the button again, stepping away, but keeping my hand. "Which reminds me. I'd like to take you away this weekend."

I giggle. "We just went somewhere."

"A month ago. Besides, we can go anywhere whenever you want."

I roll my eyes. "Yes, I know, you have resources. But I was hoping to see Kate and Jose this weekend."

"Good thing they're invited. Elliot is also coming, and why don't you bring your friend Maya, too?"

Well, I really have no excuses now. "Okay. I'm sold. Where are we going?"

The doors open and he kisses my nose. "Surprise. Good one this time."

He takes my hand and leads me to the kitchen. And to think, if I make the right decision, it'll be us at work and us at home. Every day. Never far.

Maybe he was right when he said we were going home.

A/N: I'm sorry for so long without an update! The makeup work after having covid was REAL. Happy to report that I feel exactly like my old self again now, though. I appreciate everyone who checked in on me! Please review, let me know what you think and how you're doing. xo