Solitude

Seeing SIP Again

Anastasia AKA Starlight Evans
I walk in to SIP with David walking next to me. I ask the receptionist if Jerry Roach is available to chat with? She looks me and David up and down and asks me who wants to speak to him?
Hannah Smith Receptionist
This girl can't be serious dressing like she is and asking to talk to the owner of the company well not for much longer. When she says that she writes under the name Starlight Evans I can't believe her. Those books can't be written by someone this young. Suddenly the phone rings and it is mr Roach telling me that Starlight Evans might arrive sometime today and I am to send her to his office right away.
Jerry Roach
Carrick Grey calls me and let's me know Starlight is on her way to see me but he doesn't know when she will arrive but it will be today. He describes her and her security and what they are wearing and I chuckle. He says she is very young but looks younger than her years. She looks 14 but she is actually 19 or about to turn 19. He tells me the public appearances are still off the table for safety and security issues and once I see her I will understand why. I find out that she is already in the lobby and I tell Hannah to escort her to my office immediately.
Anastasia
The receptionist Hannah hangs up the phone and we are finally led to mr Roaches office by the receptionist who leaves her assistant in charge and escorts us personally to his office. An older man with glasses sitting on his forehead comes out of his office and greets us with a hand shake. He brings us into his office and has us sit down. He asks me how I liked the new books covers and illustrations? I don't really know about those kind of things but they looked like they would draw readers attention though.
Jerry Roach
This young lady writes far better than her age. But most people can research the things she has in her book and add emotional inputs in just the right places and you have a good story and then add a few plot twists. Like the loss of the family to a drive by shooting during a vacation. I recall meeting her family and they signed the original contracts for her books. It was strange how the attorney started representing her and she stopped coming to sign the contracts any more. I tell her I sold the company and the new owner is keeping everything status quo for now. Mr Grey should be contacting her about the buyout soon. She understands and hopes to keep the no appearances or in person book signing status quo. She doesn't want to attract stalkers of any kind. After seeing her in person I can see where she might get stalkers without them knowing she is a best selling author. He asks me if Hyde's demands of her coming in for a meeting and trying to force her to do public appearances and book signings.
Anastasia
I tell him that Hyde's insistence on my coming had no effect on me, because I have been getting offers better than they have offered and his last one about not publishing my books I was in contract with already would be SIP breaching the contract and they would lose money and have to pay the contract along with penalties for doing so. So I was going to get the money plus what my last book earned royalties wise. So they would lose a lot of money by not publishing my three books. They would have to pay the same royalties on each of the three new books that my last best seller brought in in royalties.
Jerry
I ran the numbers on it and I was pretty angry about it. Because of the sale is how I found out what mr Hyde was doing.
Anastasia
Wait aren't the cops looking for him?
Jerry
Yes and we fired him already, he was an issue for not just you, but we found out he was not the kind of employee we wanted around.
Anastasia
They never tell the whole story on the news just the fact he somehow escaped and if the public sees him to call the cops right away. My security is pretty good at protecting me, plus I am very well trained to defend myself along with I am very good at shooting my personal firearm that I carry in a holster. I have my carry conceal license thanks to David here. I was trained how to drive like my security team does. But I finally got news my family's murderer was found and will never get out of prison because he was found guilty of killing ten people that one time. His phone rings and he asks if he can get it and I nod my head.
Jerry
I answer the phone and Christian Grey is on his way to see me Hannah said he just breezed right by her and she thought she should let me know he is in the building and on his way, but she isn't sure who he coming to see but suspects it is him. I am about to ask Anastasia if she would mind meeting the new owner because he has arrived and possibly headed our way.
Anastasia
I guess it couldn't hurt to meet him. We wait and there is a knock on the door and Jerry says come in. A very good looking, very tall well dressed man walks in and I suddenly feel a tingling and I feel very underdressed at this precise moment. Behind him is Jane, Jerry's receptionist and another well dressed good looking GI looking man. He is a bit taller than the first man. I am introduced to mr Christian Grey as Starlight Evans also known in real life as Anastasia Steele. We shake hands and chairs are brought in from outside. Glad Jerry's office could accommodate the extra seating otherwise we would be sitting close enough to touch each other.
Christian
I breezed past Hannah and head to Jerry's office. I was given a heads up that Starlight Evans was in the building and meeting with Jerry. I am anxious to meet her and Mia wants to meet her in person as well. It was a birthday wish of hers and I have a chance to make that dream come true. I knock on Jerry's office before his receptionist Jane can alert him to my presence. I am very sure Hannah has already advised him of my presence. Security has already started checking out all the issues with SIP and their lack of it. Madeline might be an editor here, but she is my eyes and ears as well. I don't know how she got the intel on Starlight but she did and I won't question her about it yet. Thomas will tell me soon though. This is a high school student I am being introduced to. She is very beautiful and can see why they didn't want to do public appearances. I sit in the chair closest to her, and think I have seen her somewhere before. She smiles and asks me the oddest question.
Anastasia
How are Elliott and Mia and your mother ? I didn't get the chance to ask your father this morning because he had a meeting and I was determined to speak with Jerry as well.
Christian
You know my dad and my family?
Anastasia
We have met when my dad retained him as our family attorney. Then he became the executor of my parents estate and helped me with my contracts since my first book. Your family were very nice to us and they were all at my family's funeral. All of you were very kind to me. But that is how I know your family. Your dad has been my attorney for a long time now.
Christian
How old are you anyway?
Anastasia
Don't let my outfit fool you I am 19 years old. Why draw unwanted attention. Let's face it if I wore what I would be expected to during a meeting I think it would distract me and some wouldn't take me as seriously as they should. Jerry you would have never thought me to be Starlight Evans dressed like this if you hadn't been tipped off by Carrick I was on my way and what I was wearing would you? Your receptionist didn't take me at my word until you gave her a call to give her a heads up. She definitely wasn't going to take my word for my being Starlight Evans. David thought she did an excellent job by stopping us from entering the building. David nods at Jerry.
David
I see a lot of issues security wise, your receptionist can't stop someone if they really wanted to get by her. If the one security person has to go relieve himself or eat there is no stopping someone getting to anyone they wanted to in this place including you Mr Roach. So my client is at risk just being here even with me and mr Grey's man Jason Taylor. By the way nice to see you again and thanks for getting me on with the Steele family. Nice family they are greatly missed but we keep Anastasia very safe. They caught her parents killer so she decided to join the world again after the agent left today. So here we are.
Jason
I agree with David and we are definitely doing something about it. There are two new security at reception right now. I called them in the moment we cleared reception. A team is headed over right now.
Christian
Jerry you might email everyone and let them know that security teams are coming along with the email with everyone's identification and photos Hannah will need help and they are coming in soon. Miss Steele my sister would love to meet you. Could you come to dinner at my parents home this evening? I hand her my business card with my personal cell number on the back of it. It would make her very happy and it is her birthday wish I would love to give this to her, she doesn't ask for much.
Anastasia
I can do that and I still know the address. We get up and leave them to their own devices and I ask the time we need to arrive at the Grey family home. I ask what I should bring?
Christian
Yourself and a pen to sign your books she has of yours. She laughs and says okay and leaves.