It is my first day on the new job and I'm very very excited about it. In fact I woke up this morning and got ready before Christian even stepped one foot out side the bathroom. The only thing that could make this day bad is if Julie became even sicker than she already is. Other than that it's hard to contain my excitement while we drive to Grey House.
“Ana, no need to be so anxious about the job. It'll be a breeze.” My wonderful, powerful, dominate husband places a caring hand on the top of my thigh, squeezing it while leaning over to place a kiss on my temple. I look over at him and give him a smile, but my toes continued to tap until we pull up to the curb.
Christian, of course, gets out first and walks over to my side to open the door. I have been to this building on more than one occasion, a lot when the kids were younger or if I wanted to surprise him with lunch, but it feels like the first time. I feel like that almost college graduate who doesn't know a single thing about the company and asks uncomfortable questions, like “Are you gay?” but now I'm the proud wife of the CEO. Times have surely changed.
“After today people will know that you work here so you don't need a pass for anything, and we can share a set of keys.” My husband informs me opening the door for me to enter through first. Immediately pairs of eyes are attracted to me, not use to seeing Mr. Gray's wife on the property. Christian grabs my hand once again and walks us straight to the elevators. As the doors close his arm slips around my waist and pulls me closer.
“You nervous?” He smirks. I glance up and roll my eyes. I feel him stiffen beside me.
“I'm just really excited.” I shrug and lean into his side. He just flashes a fond smile my way as I feel his hand creep down and grab my backside. I giggle, actually giggle.
“What is it about elevators?”
“Hi, Andrea.” I wave at the receptionist as Christian leads me to his office. Over the years I have befriended the platinum blonde woman. I use to find it irritating how every woman in this building had blonde or close to blond hair. Looking down at my hair covering my shoulder I notice just how much I am going to stick out.
“Good morning Anas...I-I mean Mrs. Grey.” I watch her eyes flicker to Christian knowing he must be the reason she is being so formal with me. He has a strict policy here. When he unlocks the door I take a step into the familiar office. Nothing over the past 18 years has changed about this space. It is still bright, clean, and open. The only detail that was added was a desk. It sits facing the right side of the room at the corner of his desk.
“Anything you should need is already in the drawers. Pens, pencils, paper, note pads, all that stuff. But if you just need something else, all you have to do is come sit on my lap and beg.” He smirks. I nod my head, running my hand over the black polished wood, and the top of a shiny silver laptop.
“Oh, I most definitely will.” I sit down and cross my legs. Christian nods his head with a smile and leans down capturing my lips with his.
“Unfortunately babe, I have to answer some calls and emails.” He returns to his seat and slowly an awkward silence falls onto the room. I open the lap top and instantly go and make folders for any subjects I'm sure I'll be busy with.
“I just remembered...”Christian says handing me a folder. My first assignment! “Just some information I'm sure you want to record down somewhere.” I open it and what was there dampened my mood just a bit. It is just a lot of papers with upcoming events. At least it's something.
“For you or me?” I question. He smirks at me and licks his lips.
“For us.” I blush as his answer. And start writing in the dates.
9:30 am. After an hour I am finished penciling everything in. It turned out that most of the papers were just information about the event. Christian is on the phone with an important client, so he says, so I am relaxed back in my leather chair scrolling through all my social media accounts but nothing that is more interesting than the circumstances now is happening. I start watching Christian pace in front of the window with his Black Berry in hand pressed to his ear, and his other hand gesturing in the air in front of him as if the person on the other side can see him. “I understand, but the product and company combined still is not worth the donation you are asking for.” His voice is stern and his eye brows furrowed. Truly a beautiful sight.
10:30 am. I found a clean piece of paper and had started drawing random shapes on it about thirty minutes ago and now it looks like our toddler just found out what happens when marker meets wall. It's a mess. Christian has already made five meetings since his first call, decided to donate one hundred thousand dollars to a college's medical department to go on a mission to Africa to help a children's hospital. He has done one interview, yelled at three employes, and the day isn't even half way over. I've received three texts from Teddy and Phoebe saying that Julie's fever has gone down a bit but she is still getting sick. I told Christian, so we took a little break (from absolutely nothing) to call home and check on them. They insist they are okay, and Teddy said he would even bring us lunch in about two and a half hours.
11:30 am. All morning and no work. I came back to work, to work. Obviously that isn't going to happen. Christian hasn't touched his phone and is now shifting through papers and typing away on his lap top. I sigh and sit up straighter in the chair.
“Christian, when am I going to get work to do?” I ask. He turns his head and looks at me for a moment before speaking.
“When I give you some.” He answered in a business like tone. Once I know he is looking back at the paper I rolled my eyes.
“When will that be?” I attempt to be as polite as possible and not snap.
“When I want to.” The tone of voice tells me the conversation is over. He held my gaze, slightly squinting his eyes as if to offer a challenge. I purse my lips and stiffly nod my head, focusing on my blank laptop screen. Christian sighs and continues to type away on his computer. I stand from my chair and walk over to the enormous window. The view is gorgeous. I don't understand how Christian can stay in this office all day and have his back towards the scene. When I look out of it, it feels like I'm on top of the world. No wonder he chose this office.
“I have to go check on a few departments for a couple of minutes, will you be okay by yourself?” He comes up behind me, cupping my cheek. What happened to never letting me out of his sight? I lean into his touch and nod.
“I'll be fine.” I smile as he steps back, spins on his heel, and walks out the door. I look back out the window and watch the big hand on my watch. After one minute I open the ginormous wooden door and peek down the hall. Christian is no where in sight.
“Hey, Andrea?” I walk over to my friend and lean on the counter in front of her. She has stacks of papers around her and her hands are moving across the key board at lightening speed. “You look really busy.” I acknowledge.
“A little?” She replies in a questioning tone. I nod my head and sigh.
“Do you need help with any of it?” Andrea leans back and sighs.
“Okay, look, you didn't get anything from me,” She whispers, “There's paper work that I need to do that I won't give you. But if it goes missing for a couple of hours and returns completed I won't say anything. Got it?” I grin.
“Got it.”
“I'm going to the restroom.” She says standing up, smoothing out her gray pencil skirt, and stacking a pile of papers in front of me. “Make sure no one steals this while I'm gone.” She winks.
Once she enters the restroom I anchor the papers to my chest and walk back to the office.
The first page calls for a spread sheet to organize prices, profit, and budget. It doesn't take me long to plug in the numbers and functions, and email a copy to Jackie. The next page has Grey Enterprises Holdings, Inc. printed at the top. The bottom half of the paper consist of questions that I don't know the answer to, so I resume to the next page. It's a letter from Christian to the CEO of some solar energy company. There's a little card paper clipped to it that says “Please edit” in my husbands neat cursive hand writing. I spent four years in college for this and he still passes this work to his desk attendant? I pull out a red pen and start tearing the letter apart.
Comma splice here...spelling error there...Damn. For a CEO Christian's English skills kinda suck. Finally, something I'm better than him at.
I start on the next page when I hear the door slam.
“What is that?” Christian's voice startles me. I look over at him, at a loss for words at first.
“The work you wouldn't give me.” I answered in an innocent tone, but knowing full well he will take it as sass. I resist the urge to smirk or roll my eyes.
“Yes, that I didn't give you. Therefore, it has no place on your desk.” He scolds, walking closer to my desk. “Where did you get it?”
“I lightened the load for a friend.” I shrug. I look back at the papers and just when I'm about to start typing, my lap top is closed. Christian comes behind my shoulder reading the contents on the page then took a seat on the corner of the desk. "I thought being the assistant to the great and powerful CEO would involve being tied up with paper work!" I throw my arms in the air explaining my reasoning further.
“I'm thinking just being tied up and bent over the desk would be just as good.” He folds his hands in his lap. I should have chosen better words. I roll my eyes and try not to smile at his innuendo.
“Why do you insist on disobeying my rules?” He asks. I cross my legs and turn my chair toward him.
“Why do you insist on so many rules?” I challenge. He leans forward pressing his lips to my ear. I close my eyes and relished in the feeling of skin to skin because by the look in his eye the gentleness will be short lived.
“When I get back, you better be ready and bent over the desk for your spankings.” He whispers roughly in my ear. I open my eyes once his touch is gone and I watch him casually start cleaning off his desk.
“Wait, here?” I ask in shock. He simply nods his head and continues to place important documents in drawers and items on my desk. “There is this big thing right here called a window, and people can see through it.” I said pointing to the view behind us.
“I'll be right back.” He looks at me then glances to the newly clean desk. I watch him walk out of the room and walk straight to Andrea. I can see her face pale when he places the folder on the counter. He taps the papers and says something to her before walking back to his office. I don't miss the sound of the lock when after he closes the door.
“And you aren't ready because?” He asks, unbuttoning his jacket and slipping it off.
