Fifty Shades Trilogy 01 - Fifty Shades of Grey

her at dinner, she was in her element: funny and flirty and amongst many friends at the golf club. Bob was warm and attentive… they seem so good for each other. I’m really pleased for her. It means I can stop worrying about her and second-guessing her decisions and put the dark days of Husband Number Three behind us both. Bob is a keeper. And she’s giving me good advice. When did that start happening? Since I met Christian. Why is that?
    When I’m done, I dry myself quickly, keen to get back to Christian. There’s an e-mail waiting for me, sent just after I left for dinner a few hours ago.

    From: Christian Grey
    Subject: Plagiarism
    Date: May 31 2011 16:41
    To: Anastasia Steele
    You stole my line.
And left me hanging.
Enjoy your dinner.
    Christian Grey
CEO, Grey Enterprises Holdings Inc.

    From: Anastasia Steele
    Subject: Who are you to cry thief?
    Date: May 31 2011 22:18 EST
    To: Christian Grey
    Sir, I think you’ll find it was Elliot’s line originally.
Hanging how?
Your Ana

    From: Christian Grey
    Subject: Unfinished Business
    Date: May 31 2011 19:22
    To: Anastasia Steele
    Miss Steele
You’re back. You left so suddenly - just when things were getting interesting.
Elliot’s not very original. He’ll have stolen that line from someone.
How was dinner?
    Christian Grey
CEO, Grey Enterprises Holdings Inc.

    From: Anastasia Steele
    Subject: Unfinished Business?
    Date: May 31 2011 22:26 EST
    To: Christian Grey
    Dinner was filling – you’ll be very pleased to hear I ate far too much.
Getting interesting? How?

    From: Christian Grey
    Subject: Unfinished Business - definitely
    Date: May 31 2011 19:30
    To: Anastasia Steele
    Are you being deliberately obtuse? I think you’d just asked me to unzip your dress.
And I was looking forward to doing just that. I am also glad to hear you are eating.
    Christian Grey
CEO, Grey Enterprises Holdings Inc.

    From: Anastasia Steele
    Subject: Well… there’s always the weekend
    Date: May 31 2011 22:36 EST
    To: Christian Grey
    Of course I eat… It’s only the uncertainty I feel around you that puts me off my food.
And I would never be unwittingly obtuse, Mr. Grey.
Surely you’ve worked that out by now ;)

    From: Christian Grey
    Subject: Can’t Wait
    Date: May 31 2011 19:40
    To: Anastasia Steele
    I shall remember that, Miss Steele, and no doubt use the knowledge to my advantage.
I’m sorry to hear that I put you off your food. I thought I had a more concupiscent effect on you. That has been my experience, and most pleasurable it has been, too.
I very much look forward to the next time.
    Christian Grey
CEO, Grey Enterprises Holdings Inc.

    From: Anastasia Steele
    Subject: Gymnastic Linguistics
    Date: May 31 2011 22:36 EST
    To: Christian Grey
    Have you been playing with the thesaurus again?

    From: Christian Grey
    Subject: Rumbled
    Date: May 31 2011 19:40
    To: Anastasia Steele
    You know me so well, Miss Steele.
I am having dinner with an old friend now so I will be driving.
Laters, baby©
    Christian Grey
CEO, Grey Enterprises Holdings Inc.
    Which old friend? I didn’t think Christian had any old friends, except… her. I frown at the screen. Why does he have to still see her? Searing, green, bilious jealousy courses through me unexpectedly. I want to hit something, preferably Mrs. Robinson. Switching the laptop off in a temper, I clamber into bed.
    I should really respond to his long e-mail from this morning, but I’m suddenly too angry. Why can’t he see her for what she is – a child molester? I switch off the light, seething, staring into the darkness. How dare she? How dare she pick on a vulnerable adolescent? Is she still doing it? Why did they stop? Various scenarios filter through my mind: he had had enough, then why is he still friends with her? Ditto her – is she married? Divorced? Jeez – does she have children of her own? Does she have Christian’s children? My subconscious rears her ugly head, leering, and I’m shocked and nauseous at the thought. Does Dr. Flynn know about her?
    I struggle out of bed and fire the mean machine up again. I am on a mission. I drum my fingers impatiently waiting for the blue screen to appear. I hit Google images and enter ‘Christian Grey’ into the search engine. The screen is suddenly littered with images of Christian: in black tie, be-suited, jeez – José’s pictures from the Heathman, in his white shirt and flannel trousers. How did they get on the Internet? Boy, he looks good.
    I move quickly on: some with