Fifty Shades Darker Part 45

"Good morning, Jack."

I set about ordering a messenger to take his brochure to the printers. He pops his head around his offce door.

"Could I have a coffee, please, Ana?"

"Sure." I wander into the kitchen and b.u.mp into Claire from reception, who is also fxing coffee.

"Hey, Ana," she says cheerfully.

"Hi, Claire."

We chat briefy about her extended-family gathering over the weekend, which she en- joyed immensely, and I tell her about sailing with Christian.

"Your boyfriend is so dreamy, Ana," she says, her eyes glazing over.

I am tempted to roll my eyes at her.

"He's not bad-looking," I smile and we both start laughing.

"You took your time!" Jack snaps when I bring in his coffee.

Oh! "I'm sorry." I fush then frown. I took the usual amount of time. What's his prob- lem? Perhaps he's nervous about something.

He shakes his head. "Sorry, Ana. I didn't mean to bark at you, honey."

Honey?

"There's something going on at senior management level, and I don't know what it is.

Keep your ear to the ground, okay? If you hear anything-I know how you girls talk." He grins at me, and I feel slightly sick. He has no idea how we "girls" talk. Besides, I know what's happening.

"You'll let me know, right?"

"Sure," I mutter. "I've sent the brochure to the printers. It will be back by two o'clock."

"Great. Here." He hands me a pile of ma.n.u.scripts. "All these need synopses of the frst chapter, then fling."

"I'll get on it."

I am relieved to step out of his offce and sit down at my desk. Oh, it's hard being in the know. What will he do when he fnds out? My blood runs cold. Something tells me Jack will be annoyed. I glance at my Blackberry and smile. There's an e-mail from Christian.

From:Christian Grey Subject:Sunrise Date:June 14, 2011 09:23 To:Anastasia Steele I love waking up to you in the morning.

Christian Grey Completely & Utterly Smitten CEO, Grey Enterprises Holdings Inc.

I think my face splits in two with my grin, and my inner G.o.ddess back-fips over her chaise longue.

From: Anastasia Steele Subject: Sundown Date: June 14, 2011 09:35 To: Christian Grey Dear Completely & Utterly Smitten I love waking up to you, too. But I love being in bed with you and in elevators and on pianos and billiard tables and boats and desks and showers and bathtubs and strange wooden crosses with shackles and four-poster beds with red satin sheets and boathous- es and childhood bedrooms.

Yours s.e.x Mad and Insatiable xx From: Christian Grey Subject: Wet HardwareDate: June 14, 2011 09:37 To: Anastasia Steele Dear s.e.x Mad and Insatiable I've just spat coffee all over my keyboard.

I don't think that's ever happened to me before.

I do admire a woman who concentrates on geography.

Am I to infer you just want me for my body?

Christian Grey Completely & Utterly Shocked CEO, Grey Enterprises Holdings Inc.

From: Anastasia Steele Subject: Giggling-and wet too Date: June 14, 2011: 09:42 To: Christian Grey Dear Completely & Utterly Shocked Always.

I have work to do.

Stop bothering me.

SM&I xx From: Christian Grey Subject: Do I have to?

Date: June 14, 2011 09:50 To: Anastasia Steele Dear SM&I As ever, your wish is my command.

Love that you are giggling and wet.

Laters, baby.

x Christian Grey, Completely & Utterly Smitten, Shocked and Spellbound CEO, Grey Enterprises Holdings Inc.

I put the Blackberry down and get on with my work.

At lunchtime, Jack asks me to go down to the deli for his lunch. I call Christian as soon as I leave Jack's offce.

"Anastasia." He answers immediately, his voice warm and caressing. How is it that this man can make me melt over the phone?

"Christian, Jack has asked me to get his lunch."

"Lazy b.a.s.t.a.r.d," Christian gripes.I ignore him and continue. "So I'm going to get it. It might be handy if you gave me Sawyer's number, so I don't have to bother you."

"It's no bother, baby."

"Are you on your own?"

"No. There are six people staring at me at the moment wondering who the h.e.l.l I'm talking to."

s.h.i.t ... "Really?" I gasp, panicked.

"Yes. Really. My girlfriend," he announces away from the phone.

Holy cow! "They probably all thought you were gay, you know."

He laughs. "Yeah, probably." I hear his grin.

"Er-I'd better go." I am sure he can tell how embarra.s.sed I am to be interrupting him.

"I'll let Sawyer know." He laughs again. "Have you heard from your friend?"

"Not yet. You'll be the frst to know, Mr. Grey."

"Good. Laters, baby."

"Bye, Christian." I grin. Every time he says that, it makes me smile ... so un-Fifty, but somehow so him, too.

When I exit moments later, Sawyer is waiting on the doorstep of the building.

"Miss Steele," he greets me formally.

"Sawyer." I nod in response and together we head down to the deli.

I don't feel as comfortable with Sawyer as I do with Taylor. He continually scans the street as we make our way along the block. It actually makes me more nervous, and I fnd myself mirroring his actions.

Is Leila out there? Or are we all infected by Christian's paranoia? Is this part of his ffty shades? What I'd give for half an hour of candid discussion with Dr. Flynn, to fnd out.

There's nothing amiss, just lunchtime Seattle-people rushing for lunch, shopping, meeting friends. I watch two young women hug as they meet up.

I miss Kate. It's only been two weeks since she left for her vacation, but it feels like the longest two weeks of my life. So much has happened-she'll never believe me when I tell her. Well, tell her the edited NDA-compliant version. I frown. I'll have to talk to Christian about that. What would Kate make of it? I blanch at the thought. Perhaps she'll be back with Ethan. I feel a rush of excitement at the thought, but I think it's unlikely. She'd stay on with Elliot surely.

"Where do you stand when you're waiting and watching outside?" I ask Sawyer as we get in line for lunch. Sawyer is in front of me, facing the door, continually monitoring the street and anyone who comes in. It's unnerving.

"I sit in the coffee shop directly across the street, Miss Steele."

"Doesn't it get very boring?"

"Not to me, ma'am. It's what I do," he says stiffy.

I fush. "Sorry, I didn't mean to imply ..." My voice trails off at his kind, understand- ing expression.

"Please, Miss Steele. My job is to protect you. And that's what I'll do.""So, no sign of Leila?"

"No, ma'am."

I frown. "How do you know what she looks like?"

"I've seen her photograph."

"Oh, do you have it on you?"

"No, ma'am." He taps his skull. "Committed to memory."

Of course. I'd really like to examine a photograph of Leila to see what she looked like before she became Ghost Girl. I wonder if Christian would let me have a copy? Yes, he probably would-for my safety. I hatch a plan, and my subconscious gloats and nods ap- provingly.

The brochures arrive back at the offce, and I have to say, they look great. I take one into Jack's offce. His eyes light up, and I don't know if it's at me or the brochure. I choose to believe it's the latter.

"These look great, Ana." Idly, he ficks through it. "Yeah, good job. Are you seeing your boyfriend this evening?" His lip curls as he says boyfriend.

"Yes. We live together." It's sort of the truth. Well, we do at the moment. And I have offcially agreed to move in, so it's not much of a white lie. I hope that it's enough to throw him off the scent.

"Would he object to you coming out for a quick drink tonight? To celebrate all your hard work?"

"I have a friend coming in from out of town tonight, and we're all going out for din- ner." And I'll be busy every night, Jack.

"I see." He sighs, exasperated. "Maybe when I'm back from New York, huh?" He raises his eyebrows in expectation, and his gaze darkens suggestively.

Oh no. I smile, noncommittal, stifing a shudder.

"Would you like some coffee or tea?" I ask.

"Coffee, please." His voice is low and husky as if he's asking for something else. f.u.c.k.

He's not going to back off. I can see that now. Oh ... What to do?

I breathe a long sigh of relief when I am out of his offce. He makes me tense. Christian is right about him, and part of me is p.i.s.sed that Christian is right about him.

I sit down at my desk and my Blackberry rings-a number I don't recognize.

"Ana Steele."

"Hi, Steele!" Ethan's drawl catches me momentarily off guard.

"Ethan! How are you?" I almost squeal with delight.

"Glad to be back. I am seriously fed up with sunshine and rum punches, and my baby sister being hopelessly in love with the big guy. It's been h.e.l.l, Ana."

"Yeah! Sea, sand, sun, and rum punches sounds like Dante's Inferno." I giggle. "Where are you?"

"I'm at Sea-Tac, waiting for my bag. What are you doing?"

"I'm at work. Yes, I am gainfully employed," I respond to his gasp. "Do you want to come here and collect the keys? I can meet you later at the apartment.""Sounds great. I'll see you in about 45 minutes, an hour maybe? What's the address?"

I give him SIP's address.

"See you soon, Ethan."

"Laters," he says and hangs up. What? Not Ethan, too? And it dawns on me that he's just spent a week with Elliot. I quickly type an e-mail to Christian.

From: Anastasia Steele Subject: Visitors from Sunny Climes.

Date: June 14, 2011: 14:55 To: Christian Grey Dearest Completely & Utterly SS&S Ethan is back, and he's coming here to collect keys to the apartment.

I'd really like to make sure he's settled in okay.

Why don't you collect me after work? We can go to the apartment then we can ALL go out for a meal maybe?