Fifty Shades Deeper

The Gala

The walk from the elevator seemed especially long today as she approached the office of Christian Grey for the third time that week, this time carrying a garment bag that had to be thoroughly searched by security before she could even step foot in the elevator. Eliza sat behind her desk, absentmindedly typing on her computer with her auburn curls tied into a high ponytail. She could see Grey through the double glass doors, pacing his office on what seemed to be an important phone call. From all she knew about him, he was a very conservative man so she couldn't imagine he would want her to wear this on their first date.

Eventually, she worked up the courage to open the door and march up to Eliza's desk, dropping the garment bag in front of her. "I need to return this to Mr. Grey."

The assistant jumped, finally looking up from her screen. She recognized the bag immediately, as she had been tasked with getting it to Ana following their brief lunch. It was a dress he had from a previous fling since there was no time to order a new custom dress for her. They had to guess what size she was and for a moment she thought she hadn't landed close enough.

"Was there something wrong with it? Did it not fit?" Eliza scooped up the dress, glancing over her shoulder at Grey still on the phone, more than a bit hopeful that he wouldn't notice the exchange.

"I'm not a cheap hooker!" Typically, Ana was not quick to become irate. In fact, she would much rather avoid confrontation altogether, but standing in the place where she had been humiliated once again compounded everything she had felt up to that moment. "I'm not gonna walk around almost naked!"

This was far from the first of Christian's playthings to scream at his assistant about some perceived indiscretion. Most of the time they were justified in their anger, but this was the one case that Eliza couldn't understand. Anastasia had received a free, one of a kind, luxury gown to her doorstep. She didn't even technically have to wear it on that particular date, though it did in fact fit the venue.

"I'm sorry, Mr. Grey in no way meant to imply anything about you with dress choice. He simply selected something that would fit the event," her smile was cold and crisp. "If you would like, I can have a different dress sent to you later this afternoon before the event."

This gave Ana pause. Never had it crossed her mind that she could ask for another dress. Now she felt she was past the point of no return. "No, I don't think I'd be comfortable going out with a man who would choose that dress," she turned on her heel, immediately regretting turning down the offer. Still, she stuck to her guns and made the short walk back to the elevator.

Well now what? Eliza was still cradling the garment bag, already dreading relaying the message to Grey. She almost wished that Ana would have told him herself, though that wouldn't have been much better for her.

"What was that about?" the CEO leaned out of his office and his assistant breathed a heavy sigh.

"Your date canceled over a dress," she lifted the bag. "She's not a fan of the nude look I guess. Said she's not a cheap hooker."

"Did you offer her another dress?"

"Of course I offered her another dress. She said she doesn't want to go out with someone who would choose this dress for her."

"Damn," he kicked himself for going against the advice of his assistant, who had suggested a more conservative gown. Women were not his area of expertise, though he had been with enough of them to consider himself an expert.

"Don't worry, I'll find you another date for the gala. I don't think you completely burned the bridge with the blonde from last month, I'll give her a call and see if –"

"I don't want a new date."

"Well, you RSVPed for two and I think your mother –"

"Then you'll come with me," his tone was very matter-of-fact.