Fifty Shades Trilogy 01 - Fifty Shades of Grey

23:14
    To: Anastasia Steele
    Dear Miss Steele
    You are quite simply exquisite. The most beautiful, intelligent, witty and brave woman I have ever met. Take some Advil – this is not a request. And don’t drive your Beetle again. I will know.
    Christian Grey
CEO, Grey Enterprises Holdings Inc.
    Oh, not drive my car again! I type out my reply.

    From: Anastasia Steele
    Subject: Flattery
    Date: May 26 2011 23:20
    To: Christian Grey
    Dear Mr. Grey
    Flattery will get you nowhere, but since you’ve been everywhere the point is moot.
I will need to drive my Beetle to a garage so I can sell it – so will not graciously accept any of your nonsense over that. Red wine is always more preferable to Advil.
    Ana
PS: Caning is a HARD limit for me.
    I hit send.

    From: Christian Grey
    Subject: Frustrating women who can’t take compliments
    Date: May 26 2011 23:26
    To: Anastasia Steele
    Dear Ms. Steele
I am not flattering you. You should go to bed.
I accept your addition to the hard limits.
Don’t drink too much.
Taylor will dispose of your car and get a good price for it, too.
    Christian Grey
CEO, Grey Enterprises Holdings Inc.

    From: Anastasia Steele
    Subject: Taylor – Is he the right man for the job?
    Date: May 26 2011 23:40
    To: Christian Grey
    Dear Sir
I am intrigued that you are happy to risk letting your right-hand man drive my car – but not some woman you fuck occasionally. How can I be sure that Taylor is the man to get me the best deal for said car? I have, in the past, probably before I met you, been known to drive a hard bargain.
Ana

    From: Christian Grey
    Subject: Careful!
    Date: May 26 2011 23:44
    To: Anastasia Steele
    Dear Ms. Steele
I am assuming it is the RED WINE talking, and that you’ve had a very long day.
Though I am tempted to drive back over there to ensure that you don’t sit down for a week, rather than an evening.
Taylor is ex-army and capable of driving anything from a motorcycle to a Sherman Tank. Your car does not present a hazard to him.
Now please do not refer to yourself as ‘some woman I fuck occasionally’ because, quite frankly it makes me MAD, and you really wouldn’t like me when I’m angry.
    Christian Grey
CEO, Grey Enterprises Holdings Inc.

    From: Anastasia Steele
    Subject: Careful yourself
    Date: May 26 2011 23:57
    To: Christian Grey
    Dear Mr. Grey
I’m not sure I like you anyway, especially at the moment.
Ms. Steele

    From: Christian Grey
    Subject: Careful yourself
    Date: May 27 2011 00:03
    To: Anastasia Steele
    Why don’t you like me?
    Christian Grey
CEO, Grey Enterprises Holdings Inc.

    From: Anastasia Steele
    Subject: Careful yourself
    Date: May 27 2011 00:09
    To: Christian Grey
    Because you never stay with me.
    There, that’s given him something to think about. I shut the machine down with a flourish I don’t really feel and crawl into my bed. I switch off my sidelight and stare up at the ceiling. It’s been one long day, one emotional wrench after another. It was heartwarming to spend some time with Ray. He looked well, and weirdly he approved of Christian. Jeez, Kate and her gargantuan mouth. Hearing Christian speak about being hungry. What the hell is that all about? God, and the car. I haven’t even told Kate about the new car. What was Christian thinking?
    And then this evening, he actually hit me. I’ve never been hit in my life. What have I gotten myself into? Very slowly, my tears, halted by Kate’s arrival, begin to slide down the side of my face and into my ears. I have fallen for someone who’s so emotionally shut down, I will only get hurt – deep down I know this – someone who by his own admission is completely fucked up. Why is he so fucked up? It must be awful to be as affected as he is, and the thought that as a toddler he suffered some unbearable cruelty makes me cry harder. Perhaps if he was more normal he wouldn’t want you, my subconscious contributes snidely to my musings… and in my heart of hearts I know this is true. I turn into my pillow and the sluice gates open… and for the first time in years, I am sobbing uncontrollably into my pillow.
    I am momentarily distracted from my dark night of the soul by Kate shouting.
    “What the fuck do you think you’re doing here?”
    “Well you can’t!”
    “What the fuck have you done to her now?”
    “Since she’s met you she cries all the time.”
    “You can’t come in here!”
    Christian bursts into my bedroom and unceremoniously switches on the overhead light, making me