822All the usual disclaimers apply, E L James owns the story and the characters are all hers, this is just a short alternative beginning to the story... If you want more, holler... lol...
Chapter 1:
A cold spell is upon us.
C POV:
"Andrea..."
"Yes Sir..."
"That woman Kavanagh, has she been in touch?"
"No Sir, but she left a message that sounded like she was full of a cold. She sneezed a lot and well seemed a little off? I sent it to your phone, Sir."
"She is meant to be doing the piece for the damn graduation edition, the piece that goes with my presenting their diplomas. What the hell is she playing at? She badgered me for this interview. Have you a phone number for her?"
"Sir, I have tried ringing and it goes to voice mail."
"Has she an actual address or a land line, god are we even in the twenty first century, what is it with the bloody woman?"
"Yes Sir and I had Barney do a security check on her. I also have all the paperwork for her to sign."
"Bring them in and the address, I'm not used to being blown off. This woman has been the bane of my life for six fucking months and she can't give me the courtesy of a phone call, well we will see about that." I want to do business with her father. Therefore, I need to keep the brat daughter sweet. Andrea brings in the paperwork and I study it. There is nothing unusual in the report, however, she's good at what she does and runs the university newspaper, as she should be it's in her blood. I am finished for the day and I have nothing else to do, I'm flying down to Portland on business, so I will kill two birds with one stone, and hear the reason she fucking ditched the interview. Nobody does that to me, Christian Grey and I'm pissed off she did.
I head down to Portland in my helicopter, Jason Taylor, my head of security is with me in this trip and I don't know why, but her missing the interview has really annoyed the crap out of me. I want to buy her father's company and if keeping the little girl sweet is the only way it is to be done, then so be it.
"Taylor, are the reservations for the Heathman in place?"
"Yes Sir and the car will meet us at the airport. Do you want to fly back or have Stephan come down and take CT back?"
"Fly back; we need to be back as soon as the meeting is over."
"And, the trip to see Miss Kavanagh Sir, when is that to take place?"
"I will get that over with as soon as possible. When we land, take me to her apartment. If Mohammad won't come to the mountain, then I will take the mountain to Mohammad!"
"Sir..." We land and Taylor drives me to the address we have, I look at the place and wonder again the reasons why she blew me off?
"Wait here Taylor this won't take long."
"Sir, do you not want me with you?"
"No. I hardly think she is a ninja assassin Taylor, I think I can handle one little girl!" He gives me the look. I head up and as I knock on the door, I hear a cough and a few choice mutterings for me to hold off on the door banging. Charming... The door opens and a girl with the reddest nose and the worst, most god awful cough I have ever seen sneeze as she opens the door and I am snot upon, and for a little girl there's a ton of the crap.
"I am sow sowwy, I... I... I... *sneeze* Fuck I am ... *Sneeze... Sneeze... Sneeze...* Oh god I'm so sowwy..." Tears, the girl is in tears as my expensive suit is covered in the detritus from her fucking nose. She sneezes again, but this time she passes out, what the fuck? I grab her before she plummets to the floor and just in time too. She is dehydrated and overheating, just who is taking care of poor Miss Kavanagh? I pick her up and carry her to the couch and then call for Taylor to go to the pharmacist and purchase cold stuffs, he comes up and assess the situation and it appears Miss Kavanagh has the flu, and it's a bad case of it too, one she will need help with as she is running a high temperature. He is dispatched to get supplies and tissues, to replace the ones already used, she is surrounded my hundreds of them, as it looks like a tissue infested war zone in her lounge.
I look in the fridge and find water and orange juice; there is some Tylenol in the kitchen cabinet. I try to get her to take the pills and the juice and as her eyes open and she stares at me I am drawn into their beauty. Even dying from influenza, I can see the beauty hidden beneath the red puffy eyes and that horrendous nose. Her brown hair though, it sort of hangs about her like, well not to put too fine a point on the matter, like she has been dragged through a hedge backwards?
"Who are you? *sneeze, sneeze, sneeze!* I don't know you mister? *sneeze, sneeze, sneeze!*" Great, I'm projectile snotted on and she is crying again. I wipe the snot from her face as she apologises again.
"I'm Christian Grey, you were meant to be interviewing me for a very important piece for the student paper, you bailed on me and if I am honest have never been bailed on before, and it riled me a little and Miss Kavanagh, if I'm honest curiosity got the better of me."
"I'm not Jate, she had to fly to New York her father was taken ill, he is at deaths door and I was supposed to do the interview for her, but I got out of bed this morning and phoned to cancel, I left a message I swear I did. Oh god did I not, shit I thought I did? She will kill me if this damned cold doesn't do it first."
"You left some sort of message, full of sneezing and incoherent ramblings about fluffy rabbit pj's and needing soup!"
"You got Jate's message, she got yours, I'm sorry, but I'm going to sneeze again." Sure enough she let loose again, this time into the handful of tissues I placed in her hands. What the hell am I Christian Grey, doing here playing nursemaid to a really ill, yet adorable girl?
"Have you relatives you could stay with?"
"Nope, here on my own until Jate gets back."
"You mean Kate?"
"I said Jate. I am so tired of this damned cold. I am not making any sense of all this, sorry, but who did you say you were? Sorry, my head is full of snot and it hurts, it really hurts. Don't leave me alone, I don't want to die alone." I laugh as she pleads with a stranger to end her days with her.
"I will not leave you, I promise, now here take these it should help; you need a hot bath and a change of clothing really. Can you manage to do that?"
"Nope, but I think I need to throw up!" I see her chest start to wretch, snot is one thing but being covered in puke no way, I don't think so.
I grab her and run in the direction she points at. We make it as the contents of her stomach are heaved into the toilet. She cries again, this time for her daddy to help her die and I laugh as I tie her hair back with a carelessly abandoned hair scrunchie and wipe the little ladies face and neck, then she passes out on the floor. As I lift her into my arms I then notice just how cute she is, she looks like the others and I wonder if she is like them too? God, you fucking perverted bastard Grey, she's dying, a stranger and you're thinking with your dick again. I regain my control and place her on the bed in the room we ran through, or rather I ran through, in here is as bad as the lounge, the tissues and mess is everywhere. I place her between the sheets and pick up the mess, just as Taylor gets back.
"Taylor we can't leave her alone like this, she has nobody to help her, should we perhaps take her to the hospital?"
"No Sir, this is just the first or second day of a bad cold, she will be fine in a couple of days. Give her this." He hands me a bottle of some sort of cold elixir and she gratefully sips at the spoon, I give her more, much to the amusement of my security guard.
"Taylor, why are you laughing at me?"
"Sir, you are the chairman of a multibillion empire and you are spoon feeding Miss Kate Kavanagh cold medicine and are covered in her snot and your shoes have her vomit on them." I look down; crap, the pesky toilet bowl didn't catch it all then damn it.
"Can we hire a nurse for her or fly Gail down here; she does this thing so well?"
"No, she's at her sisters, remember? I will stop here with her. She will be better tomorrow." I don't like that idea for some stupid reason.
"No, she doesn't know you Taylor, go get my bag from the car I will stay here on the sofa, please?" A little forward of me I know but something and I will be fucked if I know what, is keeping me here.
"I will cancel the hotel and stop here too, I notice there are three rooms, one looks to be a guest room!" I know I blush as I say this, but I want to look after her for some stupid reason.
"No, I will take that room, can you go to the hotel and have their kitchens make food for her fridge, perhaps some light soups and broths? I promised her I would not leave her. If I find her phone I will get someone to come and sit with her, her father or a friend."
"Sir...?"
"I promised not to leave her. She is not Kate either; do you have any idea who she is?"
"According to the paperwork, Miss Kavanagh has a roommate, called Anastasia Steele, this I presume is she!" She has a beautiful name to go with the messy face before me.
"Thank you Taylor, if you get my bag and put it in the spare room, then I can get out of these snot infested clothes, before I too come down with her cold. Taylor, nothing is going to happen, I made her a promise that's all."
"Sir..."
I know he is confused, because I am a little too. He leaves as I tuck her up in bed. I tidy the lounge and take out my laptop and fire off an email to Barney, I want to know everything there is to know about Miss Steele. I wander to the kitchen and load the dishwasher, this I can do. I then grab the coffee beans and make a pot of strong coffee. Taylor has dropped off my bag and has reluctantly left for the hotel. If I didn't know where I was, then any would be assassins won't know either, he is so over the top, the nearest thing to his being a body guard is keeping the woman at bay. I look around the apartment and it is simple and nicely decorated. It is a typical student house. With my work finished, I have a quick shower in the guest room, which actually has a small amount of male clothes hanging in the closet. One of the girls has a boyfriend perhaps, or they have a male lodger too? I hope it isn't Miss Steele. What, where the hell did that come from?
I go in to check on Miss Steele as she begins another coughing fit. I am not sure what to do, so I rifle through the bag of supplies and empty the contents on the chair in her room, as I begin looking, she suddenly hurls again and this time both the bed and she cannot escape the vomit. I clear away after her and run her a bath. This is not how I envisaged my day going, stripping a stranger, bathing her and nursing her back to health. Hell it's been a good day so far, but a naked hot, ill, sweet, ill, did I say ill? Yes, ill girl needs my help. I keep her underwear on; it can be taken off when I try to dress her again. She is almost zombified as I place her in the tub, a tub I filled with bubbles so that her temptation is hidden. She lets out a guttural moan as her weary body hits the foamy water. God my dick twitches hearing those moans; I need a fucking cold shower and soon. I wash her hair and clean her as best I can, without having too much contact with her body. I then quickly strip the bed and change the sheets. Rushing back in I help her out of the bath and dry her in the towel. She is like a child, as I gently place on her pj's; the ones with fluffy rabbits on seem the obvious choice. I even managed to get off her underwear without sneaking a peak. I can add that to my resume, un-dresser of women and non ogler of their bodies, which is a great accomplishment for me, the non ogling part. I get her back into bed, just as Taylor lets himself in and he gives me the look.
"For fucks sake I am not about to have sex with a stranger, a very ill stranger at that! She vomited over her bed, and she couldn't lie in it, I didn't look at her as a sexual object Taylor, more like a sort of an ill Mia type of a thing!"
"Sir, here are the dishes you require, do you wish me to take over? I cancelled the meeting, and rescheduled it for tomorrow. Did you happen across any contacts for Miss Steele?"
"No, I haven't had time, besides it's been fun, in a weird sort of a way. I don't think she is going to be a problem. Take the night off, or go across and see Gail, I can handle Miss Steele, if I need you you're only half an hour away."
"If you are sure Gail would love the surprise, are you sure, if she wakes up and finds you in her room there could be hell to pay?"
"I am sure, and what about it, she asked me to stay, so I did. I can work from here go and see Gail." I usher him out, I want to know more about Miss Steele, I want to get to know my patient, I want to know all about her, and her love life. I am at her door checking on her. She moves in the bed and sighs as she grabs the pillow; I watch as she kicks off the covers and her body lays in those hideous pj's, she does look adorable and sexy whilst wrapped within the sheets folds. I need a cold shower. I turn on the night stand light and head into the lounge, Taylor has had them send food for me too, what would I do without him? I hope I never have to find out, he has been the best CPO I have ever had and is extremely tolerant of my lifestyle. Speaking of lifestyle, I take an incoming call on my cell phone from Elena Lincoln, my business partner and lifestyle confidant.
"Elena, what can I do for you?"
"Christian Baby, I have the next batch of girls for you to interview, what was wrong with the last lot?"
"Nothing, it's just none of them had the 'it thing' that I need."
"The 'it thing', what the fucks that when it's at home? They are all perfect as are this lot. Really, you have been a little lack luster in the past few months. You need a girl to beat the shit out of. I have the perfect girls file here before me, she had no hard limits, anything goes and she comes with impeccable references. She is just what you need Christian. Just what you need after a day in the office, a nice pussy to bang anyway you fucking please, with what you please and for as long as you please. Should I send her to you?" I have not been feeling it with the last couple of subs I have had, not since Leila fucked me over, by telling me that she was in love with me, I haven't felt the urge to go down the path, in fact the last two were expensive two week things. Leila and the in love thing took the wind from my sails as they say. Never did I imagine she was heading in the hearts and flowers direction. When she suddenly started turning up at work with lunch and being there at home, awaiting my arrival back from work, never did I suspect she was falling in love with me, that word is a foreign concept for me and a word and a world I want nothing to do with. I dismissed her pretty damn quickly, before it was too damn late, they know the rules and she broke them."Christian are you listening to me? Paulina will be the best submissive I have ever found you darling, should I send her to Escala tonight? If you don't want her, I could come and elevate some of the stress for you personally darling, whip you into shape, allow you to dominate my ass for a while. What do you say?"
"One, you and I are never going there again Elena, you too have been warned for the last time. Secondly, I don't want a submissive from you, and when I do need one, I am capable of finding one myself, and lastly, I am in Portland on business for a few days, so there would be no point in either you or the girl turning up at Escala, now would there?"
"Wow, you need to let go all of your frustrations. Go and get yourself laid Christian, you need it. Call me when you realise this too!" She ends the call and I answer the one from Anastasia, yet another cry for Kate to come and help her pee. I throw my cell phone on the couch and head in. She looks at me, covers herself and screams all at the same time, wow she has recovered.
"Hello, please calm down Miss Steele, I am Christian Grey and I have been here all day with you, nursing you."
"Jate got me a male nurse? She didn't have too, but hell, I am going to have to say stay there, I need a female nurse and I know you male nurses are as good at your job, but I would prefer a female nurse, thank you."
"I am not a nurse and Kate, Miss Kavanagh, did not ask me to call in on you. I was here seeing why she skipped out on the interview. You passed out as you opened the door, and over the course of the next few hours you have managed to hurl all manner of bodily fluids my way. Hello, please let me introduce myself, I am Christian Grey, non nurse and a stranger to your humble abode, and take it from me I am not an axe wielding rapist, nor am I a danger to you or your cold, I am however starving, are you hungry Miss Steele?" She is sat up and about to hurl abuse when she realises she is in her bedroom and obviously in fresh bedding and pj's, great now the fun explaining that one. Yep Taylor was right; this was not one of my better ideas.
"How... Who... What the hell... Crap, have you seen my naked body? Get the fuck out of my room now, before I call the police."
"I assure you I did nothing inappropriate and I barely glanced at your body. I left on the underwear and bathed you in so many bubbles I would have needed a snorkel to see your body. I then dried you under a towel, again not looking as I removed the remaining clothes from your body. I then dressed you in the fluffy pj's you asked my secretary to fetch you and then I put you to bed."
"You did all that for me, but why?"
"You begged me not to leave you and for you not to die alone, a little over exaggerated, but none the less it moved me to want to help. I can assure you I have better things to do with my time than to play the perverted nursemaid role; to a woman I do not even know, that just isn't as they say how I roll!"
"I am so sorry to have put you out, I can assure you I was not myself, I feel the worst of the fever is broken, thank you. Now can you leave?"
"Not until you have eaten something and taken some more pills, then if you manage to keep that down without showering these clothes in sick and other bodily fluids, I will submit to your request and leave."
"I am sorry, I sound so ungrateful, but can you imagine if the roles were reversed, and you woke to find tending to your needs?" I smile.
"I think I'd like you to tend to my needs Miss Steele. Very much in fact; however, I would not have sex with any woman without her prior consent ever, and I would not have started with you. You may sleep soundly in the knowledge of this fact, that I only have sex with a fully cognitive and fully consenting women, I didn't want to start the change whilst being your nurse." She blushed and hid under the sheets, she's cute when she is angry too...
"Oh hell, Sir... I should have interviewed you for Kate she will bloody kill me, if my embarrassment doesn't do it first off! Hell what sort of fudging mess have I got myself and Kate into, she will oh crap she will lose the plot, months she chased you for this, and oh heck I let you down too, fudgsickle and flip and blast it Mr Grey. Sir, can I do the interview, at least let me ask you her questions, I will do anything, even get on my knees and beg you?" I like the image of you on your knees Miss Steele, very much and the way she says Sir, umm get down Grey, she needs the favour not you!
"Miss Steele, I am here for the weekend, how about we do the questions tomorrow? Now though you need to be back in bed, after you've eaten you need to get some rest, because not even six hours ago you were a mess of epic proportions and now you seem to be about to panic and stress yourself into a relapse. How about we sleep and talk in the morning, my things are in the guest room, unless you or Miss Kavanagh's have a male roommate? Only, I did notice that there are a selection of men's clothes in there?"
"No, they are either her brother Ethan's or leftovers from a party. I haven't the time or the inclination for a male companion."
"A female companion then, are you into women?"
"No Sir I am not, and even if I was this is the twenty first century, actually you could clear an argument up for me, it's just Kate wanted me to ask you if you had a predisposition to the male of the species?" She went there.
"I like working with them, yes I find they don't need time off for children etcetera. Other than that I find I can work with almost everyone."
"Very smooth Sir!" My dick is as hard as nails, four times, she has said that in this conversation and each time my boner got harder, add in the begging down on her knees and I need relief like you wouldn't believe! "You were not answering the question as it was meant to be answered, are you gay Mr Grey?" What the fuck, how dare she, how and why would she say that, should I drop my trousers and show her how very not gay I am, and that this was her doing? Shit she is crying again. Way to go Romeo, at least my dick's beating the retreat. "Crap, I am so sorry, its none of my business, forgive me?"
"Anastasia, please stop crying. I fear your cold has not departed and it was just the pills and sleep you had lulling you into thinking you are cured, they have given you a false hope of feeling well again. This cold flu thing has not gone, here take some more of these pills and sip this water, and no I am not gay, why would you think I was?" It's something my family think to be true, but why would Anastasia think it so?
"I didn't think you were, it's just you attend functions alone, you're only ever photographed with your family and so Kate assumed you to be gay. So, do you date Mr Grey?"
"Is this another one of Kavanagh's questions?"
"No, just one from me, it seems only fair you asked me! Mr Grey, Sir!" I smile as she lies down and her eyelids seem to be getting heavier. "Well Mr Grey, Sir are you in the market for a girl friend?" I smile as she closes her eyes and sighs.
"No Miss Steele, I have very singular tastes. I have certain needs and I do not do the girlfriend thing nor do I do romance."
"Umm, it makes for Christian being a very boring boy then, good night Mr Grey, I will win you over with my charm and witty disposition in the morning, and did I tell you that you are kind of cute?" I am staggered she said that aloud, but she is as high as a kite on Night Nurse! No Miss Steele you did not tell me I am cute, but thanks. I tuck her in and head for the shower in my room, or rather the guest room. I salivate when I relieve myself thinking of everything the mink haired vixen has said to me and as I come hard I do so to the cat call of her name, fuck me I needed that, and I need damn more too. I head to bed after reading the report. All of which is pretty straight forward, she has no vices and no boyfriends, and she owes the usual student loans and works at a book store and weekends at a bar called Fifties. If she subs for me, she will have to give up the jobs and concentrate on my needs. Then I realise I have led myself to believe she is a born submissive. I can't sleep, not with the beginnings of another boner, for fucks sake I will have bloody pneumonia if I carry on with the cold showers...
I am woken at stupid o'clock in the morning by Ana's ear piercing screams for help, fuck is she being ill again? I put back on the sweat suit pants I took off from the second cold shower and head in. I open the door to see a boy sat on her bed holding her. I don't think and throw him to the ground. He is as shocked to see me there, as I am to see him.
"Who the fucking hell are you? What are you doing in Ana's room? Ana are you all right Baby?" I hold her and look her over for obvious signs of tampering. There is none, thankfully!
"I am Jose, an old friend of Ana's and Kate's, she sent me to check in on her. Ana, Kate called me because you hadn't returned her phone calls. I see why now, she was getting busy with you. Ana return your fucking calls and I would have saved myself the pleasant walk over, in the rain, I might add just to get my ass kicked by your boyfriend!"
"Jose this is Christian and he..." I see red, how dare he say that about her, and this is a supposed friend? I might add, one I will not be leaving her with. He was rubbing his dick as I came in, and then I cringe what could have happened to her, had I not been here?
"...Is going to see you out, thanks for the visit, I think I better put the chains on the doors, because your surprise visit, whilst reeking of booze, at three in the morning, it has frightened poor Ana half to death. This way Mr...?"
"Rodriguez, Jose Rodriguez, the old friend and university buddy. I know the way out, just not your name!"
"Christian Grey, CEO of Grey Enterprise Holdings, in Seattle. Here taking care of Ana whilst she fights off a nasty cold, luckily here during this unpleasant visit from a drunk and hornie friend, so thanks for calling, she is being adequately being taken care of thank you." I bungle the oaf out of the door before the puddle of drool he was standing in got big enough to drown him in, now there's an idea! I return to Ana's room to find her shaking. I rush over and take hold of her; she's freezing. I carry her to the toilet and leave her to her lady thing, apparently women do not like an audience when they pee, go figure! I then take her to the breakfast bar and get some reheated soup into her and join her for my reheated dinner, she takes the rolls and eats the soup,
"I don't remember there being food in the fridge, I hadn't done any shopping!"
"My security guy had the chef at the Heathman prepare some simple broths and soups, they are meant to help rid you of your cold, Miss Steele!"
"Make your mind up, is it Anastasia, Ana, Miss Steele or Baby? Only you seem to flit from one name to the other?"
"I'm sorry the Baby was a reassuring gesture, to the boy, to make him think I was more than a stranger, a stranger I might add you didn't even have the courtesy to buy a drink for before you had your wicked way with me!"
"We have had sex whilst I was ill? Fuck; we had sex whilst I was out of it and dying?"
"No, I do not engage in Necrophilia, rape or any other act of sexual intercourse without the woman in questions signed paperwork!" She was sat with the roll in her mouth, but as she opened it to protest some more, it plopped into the chicken noodle soup and startled her.
"What sort of relationship needs paperwork?" That's what she is worried about, the damn paperwork?
"The business type, they are the only ones I engage in Ana, the safe, no strings, no complications, that type of thing, and thus I do not have relationships or do the girlfriend thing!"
"You do cold hard business sex, what do you do, pay a prostitute? Very interesting Mr Grey, so you're into the no love, just sex thing?" I sigh and go to my brief case and hand her the non disclosure paperwork.
"Here sign this and then we can talk more, if you still want to?" I hand her the paperwork and she signs without even looking. "You didn't read it!"
"I am not a tattle tale, never was never will be, I keep secrets and respect everyone's right to privacy, so shoot!" I am taken a back she didn't say go to hell as I expected her to.
"Miss Steele, you amaze me."
"I amaze myself sometimes. I bet when you woke up yesterday you didn't in a million years expect to be playing nursemaid to me? What did the day begin like, and why did you search out Kate?"
"I would be lying if I said I knew why. I honestly don't know why I sought her out; perhaps I wanted to know why she had ditched me, in all my years in doing business nobody has ever blown me off before. She had badgered me for months for the interview and well I was a little pissed off if truth be told, that she used a mere cold as an excuse."
"A mere cold, a mere cold... I had man flu of the worst kind; have you never had it so bad?"
"No, my mother insists I get flu shots and I keep myself physically fit, I eat well I watch what I put in my body, I exercise control in all things Miss Steele."
"Wow, all work and no play makes you Grey a boring boy, err, an, um no you're a, well, a man. I will have you know I went running in the rain three days ago, and came down with a slight chill, I went to bed and well the next thing I remember is a god awful racket on the door and well the rest is a little fuddled."
"I apologise for taking over. I don't know what came over me. Had you had a friend I could have found I would have phoned them, but you do not seem to have a cell phone!"
"I erm, I well I lost it on the run."
"How very careless of you, Miss Steele, so why were you running in the rain?" I sense she is lying to me, as she cannot or will not look at me.
"I... I... Okay big shot, my car broke down, I got out kicked poor Wanda and well as I grabbed my bag I spilled the contents from my bag, or rather, the crappy handle of the damn bag broke and my phone, well she died when a car ran over it. I had to get home so I walked, and I wasn't exactly dressed for wet weather, I got cold and wet through, I caught a chill, which turned into the mother of all colds. Some of us don't have manservants to pander to their every whim. Satisfied Mr Grey, I walked half way across Seattle, because I was stranded with no money, no car and I had to get home. What's betting poor Wanda is in impound somewhere, I can't even remember where I left the pile of crap car." I laugh.
"You indeed did have a crappy day. It was very fortuitous for me though, because believe it or not, I have had a very pleasant few hours with you Miss Steele."
"Oh sure you have, snotted on, puked on, and god damn it shame upon shame, you gave a stranger a bath and copped a feel and oh god shoot me now, you dressed me. You Christian Grey; have seen more than me than anyone ever has, and I mean anyone!" As in what, exactly, like she makes love with the light off, now there's an interesting thought? She is so fucking cute and has her head on the counter top banging it. "Kill me now, before Ray kills you, oh hell I haven't rang my dad in a while, he will be worrying. Crap I need my phone." I hand her mine and laugh.
"Call your father I insist. I will not have you worrying about him too. It will only hinder your wonderful recovery. I am an excellent nursemaid it seems."
"Yeah, yeah all hail the snot shifter. Gimme your phone and shut up whilst I ring. My father knows how to kill someone with one finger apparently!"
"I will clear away the pots and make myself scarce. Please feel free to take the call in your bedroom, in bed. I will be in with more pills and a juice after you have finished." She sort of gives me a smile and goes to her room, all be it slowly. I watch as she goes into her room and quickly tidy away the pots as it seems I am capable of doing this, it isn't rocket science though. Perhaps I should do more for myself, then I laugh and think again, god I may be coming down with Ana's cold, that's what I pay Gail for. I give her ten minutes and return to her room. I need to get some sleep I have meetings tomorrow. I hear her tell her father goodnight and knock and enter to see her slumped on the pillows.
"Thank you, he was about to get in the car and drive down and fend for me, or take me back home!"
"Home is where exactly?"
"Montesano, just outside of actually. He hates it, that I am so far away. He thinks Kate's looking out for me, I didn't tell him otherwise. I don't think he'd appreciate a hunky man bedding his daughter down for the night, and being as intimate as we have been, do you?"
"No, I guess my father wouldn't be so keen on Mia being looked after by a stranger. I didn't think when I started all this, I am sorry."
"Don't be, I am grateful, embarrassed but very appreciative. You have a sister?"
"I do, she is twenty two and studying in Paris, fashion and design. She wants to be the next Dior! I also have an older brother, called Elliot, who has a construction company."
"Oh, I wish I had siblings, but I'm an only child." She sighs. "What do your parents do?"
"Oh, my mother is a paediatrician in Seattle and my father is an attorney, with his own practice. Your father, Ray, what does he do?"
"He's a retired marine, he is a woodworker now, he fishes mostly, but don't tell him I told you that. He came out of the marines to care for me. I know he was a Special Forces guy, but other than its all hush, hush and need to know crap."
"Your mother has died?" I need to read that damn report.
"No, she was and is just a useless mother. I ran away to my grandparents, after her new husband was a little hands-on and that is all I will say about that. My father came to my rescue and well it's been him and me since I was twelve. She is on husband number five, and is a little erm, god she is a damn sight more than a little, she's a lot self obsessed."
"You don't get on with your mother then?"
"No, I do if I have too. Let's not go there. So why did I have to sign away my rights to spill the dirt Grey? All you have told me is family stuff, oh here are the questions Kate wanted answering, other than the gay thing, it's pretty much how did you get to being a mega bucks big player in whatever it is you do!"
"So, you didn't research me then?"
"God no, I am a literary major, not a journalist major, doing you was a favour not the norm for me."
"Doing me, really for a literary major your use of the English language is very street wise!"
"Ha, like you'd know what streetwise was. Have you ever done a menial job to make ends meet?"
"I cleared away rubble for my neighbours, when I was in high school and decided that was the first and last time I did it too. I do sometimes work with my brother, he's in construction and I like getting my hands dirty with Elliot and he likes to show me he's the gifted builder too and that I am just his manual labour for the day."
"Your face is relaxed when you talk about your family and your smile is kind of cute."
"Why thank you Anastasia."
"Irk, I don't like being called that. I prefer Ana please, even Miss Steele is better."
"It is so regal and mysterious and it suits you."
"Purleazeeee, it's the name of an animated Russian Princess. My mother liked the damn film, so gheeze called me it, all I can say on that is I'm damn glad she didn't call me Cruella, because she watched the spotty dogs movie a lot when she was having me!" I laugh, god she is serious, and I thought she was joking! "Yes I am serious, had I wanted to impress you I'd have said she read Russian History at University, but alas she didn't finish college due to yours truly, and boy does she let me know it." I try to keep in the laugh I know is escaping, but I failed miserably.
"I am so sorry, I shouldn't be laughing, but your face is a picture, I didn't know if you were joking or not, but if it helps, your face is more Anastasia than Cruella."
"Thank you, I feel sleepy again, what drugs are you keep slipping me?"
"They are all over the counter pharmaceuticals, and bought by Taylor earlier, just Night Nurse and Tylenol. Here, let's get you back to your bed I unfortunately have to be up early in the morning. I mean later. I had to put on hold an important meeting to tend to the sick of the parish!"
"Oh how very gallant of you Mr Grey."
"It's Christian, given we have been intimate, I think Mr Grey is a tad too formal."
"Yeah about that, it stays between us, and please remember what the mega millionaire saw stays between us. I still can't believe you rescued me!"
"You have my word, and it has shocked me a little too. Just call me gallant and noble to Kate a few times and we will call it quits!"
"You really want her father's business don't you?"
"Guilty as charged, we were to begin negotiations next week, as he wants to retire."
"Kate isn't for running the place; she's more a behind the scenes person, a bloodhound news woman. She spit feathers not interviewing you. I still have to remember?"
"Have to what?"
"Interview you, silly and here's me with the cold and disorientation!"
"I will stop by tomorrow after my meeting, would that suit madam?"
"You don't need to, but thank you, perhaps I could cook for you, a small thank you for being my Knight in shining armour?"
"That won't be necessary."
"Oh, I'm sorry, what was I thinking about, you have plans and god I didn't think. Yes, thank you I will set up and be ready for you. I just..."
"Just what...?" I want to spend more time with her, and that has stunned me too.
"I just thought we were getting on well, and it's not as though I even know you. Let's just get to bed I'm fine Mr Grey I can see to myself now. Goodnight." I have embarrassed her and that wasn't my intention at all.
"No, I would like you to cook for me, but will you be okay to do it, I mean hours ago you were at deaths door?"
"I will be fine, say about seven?"
"Seven would be perfect, good morning Ana."
"Good morning Mr... Christian." She heads to her room looking happier. I head to the guest room even more confused...
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