For the record, you stood beside me knowing what I was going to do.
You didn’t at any time ask me to stop—you didn’t use either safe word.
You are an adult—you have choices.
Quite frankly, I’m looking forward to the next time my palm is ringing with pain.
You’re obviously not listening to the right part of your body.
Alaska is very cold and no place to run. I would find you.
I can track your cell phone—remember?
Go to work.
Christian Grey
CEO, Grey Enterprises Holdings, Inc.
Fred is in full flow when I get Ana’s response.
* * *
From: Anastasia Steele
Subject: Stalker
Date: May 27 2011 08:36
To: Christian Grey
Have you sought therapy for your stalker tendencies?
Ana
I smother my laugh. She’s funny.
* * *
From: Christian Grey
Subject: Stalker? Me?
Date: May 27 2011 08:38
To: Anastasia Steele
I pay the eminent Dr. Flynn a small fortune with regard to my stalker and other tendencies.
Go to work.
Christian Grey
CEO, Grey Enterprises Holdings, Inc.
Why hasn’t she gone to work? She’ll be late.
* * *
From: Anastasia Steele
Subject: Expensive Charlatans
Date: May 27 2011 08:40
To: Christian Grey
May I humbly suggest you seek a second opinion?
I am not sure that Dr. Flynn is very effective.
Miss Steele
Damn, this woman is funny…and intuitive; Flynn charges me a small fortune for his advice. Surreptitiously, I type my response.
* * *
From: Christian Grey
Subject: Second Opinions
Date: May 27 2011 08:43
To: Anastasia Steele
Not that it’s any of your business, humble or otherwise, but Dr. Flynn is the second opinion.
You will have to speed, in your new car, putting yourself at unnecessary risk—I think that’s against the rules.
GO TO WORK.
Christian Grey
CEO, Grey Enterprises Holdings, Inc.
Kavanagh throws me a question about future-proofing. I let him know that we’ve recently acquired a company that’s an innovative, dynamic player in fiber optics. I don’t let him know that I have doubts about the CEO, Lucas Woods. He’ll be gone anyway. I’m definitely firing that idiot, no matter what Ros says.
* * *
From: Anastasia Steele
Subject: SHOUTY CAPITALS
Date: May 27 2011 08:47
To: Christian Grey
As the object of your stalker tendencies, I think it is my business, actually.
I haven’t signed yet. So rules, schmules. And I don’t start until 9:30.
Miss Steele
SHOUTY CAPITALS. I love it.
I respond.
* * *
From: Christian Grey
Subject: Descriptive Linguistics
Date: May 27 2011 08:49
To: Anastasia Steele
“Schmules”? Not sure where that appears in Webster’s dictionary.
Christian Grey
CEO, Grey Enterprises Holdings, Inc.
“We can take this conversation offline,” Ros says to Kavanagh. “Now that we have an idea of your needs and expectations, we’ll prepare a detailed proposal for you and reconvene next week to discuss it.”
“Great,” I say, trying to look engaged.
There are nods of agreement all around, then good-byes.
“Thanks for giving us the opportunity to quote for this, Eamon,” I address Kavanagh.
“It sounds like you guys know what we need,” he says. “Great to see you yesterday. Good-bye.”
They all hang up except Ros, who’s staring at me as if I’ve grown two heads.
Ana’s e-mail pings into my inbox.
“Hang on, Ros. I need a minute or two.” I mute her.
And read.
And laugh out loud.
* * *
From: Anastasia Steele
Subject: Descriptive Linguistics
Date: May 27 2011 08:52
To: Christian Grey
It’s between control freak and stalker.
And descriptive linguistics is a hard limit for me.
Will you stop bothering me now?
I’d like to go to work in my new car.
Ana
I type a quick reply.
* * *
From: Christian Grey
Subject: Challenging but Amusing Young Women
Date: May 27 2011 08:56
To: Anastasia Steele
My palm is twitching.
Drive safely, Miss Steele.
Christian Grey
CEO, Grey Enterprises Holdings, Inc.
Ros is glaring at me when I unmute her. “What the hell, Christian?”
“What?” I feign innocence.
“You know what. Don’t hold a goddamn meeting when you’re obviously not interested.”
“Was it that obvious?”
“Yes.”
“Fuck.”
“Yes. Fuck. This could be a huge contract for us.”
“I know. I know. I’m sorry.” I grin.
“I don’t know what’s got into you lately.” She shakes her head, but I can tell she’s trying to mask her amusement with exasperation.
“It’s the Portland air.”
“Well, the sooner you’re back here, the better.”
“I’m heading back around lunchtime. In the meantime, ask Marco to investigate all the publishing houses in Seattle and see if any are ripe for a takeover.”
“You want to go into publishing?” Ros splutters. “It’s not a high-potential-growth sector.”
She’s probably right.
“Just investigate. That’s all.”
She sighs. “If you insist. Will you be in later this afternoon? We can have a proper catch-up.”
“Depends on the traffic.”
“I’ll pencil in a catch-up with Andrea.”