Chapter 84

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.”