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Kate is ecstatic

"But as he doing at Clayton&039;s?" Her curiosity oozes through the phone I&039; to keep my voice casual

"He was in the area"

"I think that is one huge coincidence, Ana You don&039;t think he was there to see you?"

she speculates My heart lurches at the prospect, but it&039;s a short-lived joy The dull, disappointing reality is that he was here on business

"He was visiting the far soiven the departrant"

Wow

"How do you know this?"

"Ana, I&039;uy It&039;s my job to know this"

"Okay, Carla Bernstein, keep your hair on So do you want these photos?"

"Of course I do The question is, who&039;s going to do them and where"

"We could ask hi in the area"

"You can contact him?"

"I have his cell phone nuasps

"The richest, ton State, just gave you his cell phone number"

"Er yes"

"Ana! He likes you No doubt about it" Her tone is e to be nice" But even as I say the words, I know they&039;re not true

- Christian Grey doesn&039;t do nice He does polite, ht My scalp prickles at the idea that ht like lad Kate didn&039;t do the interview I hugfroht like s me back to the now

"I don&039;t knoe&039;ll get to do the shoot Levi, our regular photographer, can&039;t

He&039;s home in Idaho Falls for the weekend He&039;ll be pissed that he blew an opportunity to photo one of A entrepreneurs"

"Hmm What about Jose?"

"Great idea! You ask hi for you Then call Grey and find out where he wants us" Kate is irritatingly cavalier about Jose

"I think you should call him"

"Who, Jose?" Kate scoffs

"No, Grey"

"Ana, you&039;re the one with the relationship"

"Relationship?" I squeak at her, uy""At least you&039;ve met him," she says bitterly "And it looks like he wants to know you better Ana, just call his up She is so bossy soue out at it

I&039;e for Jose when Paul enters the stock roo for sand-paper

"We&039;re kind of busy out there, Ana," he says without acri to leave

"So, how coly nonchalant

"I had to interview hi, trying to sound casual and doing no better than hiure," Paul snorts, amazed He shakes his head as if to clear it "Anyant to grab a drink or so?"

Whenever he&039;s home he asks me on a date, and I always say no It&039;s a ritual I&039;ve never considered it a good idea to date the boss&039;s brother, and besides, Paul is cute in a whole-some all-American boy-next-door kind of way, but he&039;s no literary hero, not by any stretch of the iuratively raised

I slap her down

"Don&039;t you have a fa for your brother?"

"That&039;s tomorrow"

"Maybe soht I have my finals next week"

"Ana, one of these days, you&039;ll say yes," he smiles as I escape out to the store floor

"But I do places, Ana, not people," Jose groans

"Jose, please?" I beg Clutchingout of theat the fading evening light

"Giveher silken red-blonde hair over her shoulder

"Listen here, Jose Rodriquez, if you want our newspaper to cover the opening of your show, you&039;ll do this shoot for us toh

"Good Ana will call back with the location and the call time We&039;ll see you tomorrow" She snaps my cell phone shut

"Sorted All we need to do now is decide where and when Call him" She holds the phone out to me My stomach twists

"Call Grey, now!"

I scowl at her and reach intobreath, and with shaking fingers, I dial the nu His tone is clipped, calm and cold

"Grey"

"Err Mr GreyIt&039;s Anastasia Steele" I don&039;t recognize my own voice, I&039;m so nervous There&039;s a brief pause Inside I&039;

"Miss Steele How nice to hear froed He&039;s surprised, I think, and he sounds so warm - seductive even My breath hitches, and I flush I&039; at me, her mouth open, and I dart into the kitchen to avoid her unwanted scrutiny

"Err - we&039;d like to go ahead with the photo-shoot for the article" Breathe, Ana, breathe

My lungs drag in a hasty breath "Tomorrow, if that&039;s okay Where would be convenient for you, sir?"

I can alh the phone

"I&039; at the Heath?""Okay, we&039;ll see you there" I arooton

"I look forward to it, Miss Steele" I visualize the wicked glearay eyes How can hepro at me with a look of complete and utter consternation on her face

"Anastasia Rose Steele You like him! I&039;ve never seen or heard you so, so affected by anyone before You&039;re actually blushing"

"Oh Kate, you know I blush all the time It&039;s an occupational hazard with me Don&039;t be so ridiculous," I snap She blinks at me with surprise - I very rarely throw my toys out of the pra, that&039;s all"

"Heather a call and negotiate a space for the shoot"

"I&039;ll make supper Then I need to study" I cannot hide my irritation with her as I open one of cupboards toand turning Dreaers, and dark, dark unexplored places I wake twice in the night, reat tomorroith so little sleep, I scold myself I punch my pillow and try to settle

The Heathman is nestled in the don heart of Portland Its impressive brown stone edifice was completed just in time for the crash of the late 1920s Jose, Travis, and I are traveling in my Beetle, and Kate is in her CLK, since we can&039;t all fit in opher, here to help out with the lighting Kate has ed to acquire the use of a rooe for a credit in the article When she explains at reception that we&039;re here to photograph Christian Grey CEO, we are instantly upgraded to a suite Just a regular-sized suite, however, as apparently Mr Grey is already occupying the largest one in the building An over-keenexecutive shows us up to the suite - he&039;s terribly young and very nervous for some reason

I suspect it&039;s Kate&039;s beauty and co manner that disarms hiant, understated, and opulently furnished

It&039;s nine We have half an hour to set up Kate is in full flow

"Jose, I think we&039;ll shoot against that wall, do you agree?" She doesn&039;t wait for his reply "Travis, clear the chairs Ana, could you ask housekeeping to bring up some refresh-mentsAnd let Grey knohere we are"

Yes, Mistress She is so do I roll my eyes, but do as I&039;m told

Half an hour later, Christian Grey walks into our suite

Holy Crap! He&039;s wearing a white shirt, open at the collar, and grey flannel pants that hang from his hips His unruly hair is still da at hi hot Grey is followed into the suite by a man in his mid-thirties, all buzz-cut and stubble in a sharp dark suit and tie who stands silently in the corner His hazel eyes watch us iain" Grey extends his hand, and I shake it, blinking rapidly

Oh my he really is, quiteAs I touch his hand, I&039;hmust be audible

"Mr Grey, this is Katherine Kavanagh," Ihih How do you do?" He gives her a senuinely a betterAnastasia said you were unwell last week"

"I&039;m fine, thank you, Mr Grey" She shakes his hand fir an eyelid

I remind myself that Kate has been to the best private schools in Washington Her farown up confident and sure of her place in the world She doesn&039;t take any crap I a the tiives him a polite, professional s his gray gaze on ain Darapher," I say, grinning at Jose who smiles with affection back at me His eyes cool when he looks from me to Grey

"Mr Grey," he nods

"Mr Rodriguez," Grey&039;s expression changes too as he appraises Jose

"Where would you likeBut Katherine is not about to let Jose run the show

"Mr Grey - if you could sit here, pleaseBe careful of the lighting cables And then we&039;ll do a few standing, too" She directs hiainst the wall

Travis switches on the lights, y

Then Travis and I stand back and watch as Jose proceeds to snap away He takes several photographs hand-held, asking Grey to turn this way, then that, toto the tripod, Jose takes several more, while Grey sits and poses, patiently and naturally, for about twenty minutes My wish has come true: I can stand and admire Grey from not-so-afar Twice our eyes lock, and I have to tear " Katherine wades in again "Standing, Mr Grey?" she asks

He stands, and Travis scurries in to remove the chair The shutter on Jose&039;s Nikon starts clicking again

"I think we have enough," Jose announces five ain, Mr Grey" She shakes his hand, as does Jose

"I look forward to reading the article, Miss Kavanagh,"by the door "Will you ith me, Miss Steele?" he asks

"Sure," I say, cos atbehind her

"Good day to you all," says Grey as he opens the door, standing aside to allow me out first

Holy hell what&039;s this aboutWhat does he want I pause in the hotel corridor, fidgeting nervously as Grey ees from the room followed by Mr Buzz-Cut in his sharp suit

"I&039;ll call you, Taylor," he murmurs to Buzz-Cut Taylor wanders back down the corridor, and Grey turns his burning gray gaze to ?

"I wondered if you would join "

My heart slaif you want a coffee Maybe he thinks you haven&039;t woken up yet, ain I clearto control my nerves

"I have to drive everyone hoers in front ofdown the corridor, turns and heads back toward us

"Are they based at the university?" Grey asks, his voice soft and inquiring I nod, too stunned to speak

"Taylor can take thee 4x4 here, so he&039;ll be able to take the equipment too"

"Mr Grey?" Taylor asks when he reaches us, giving nothing away

"Please, can you drive the photographer, his assistant, and Miss Kavanagh back home?"

"Certainly, sir," Taylor replies

"There Now can you join me for coffee?" Grey smiles as if it&039;s a done deal

I frown at him

"Um - Mr Grey, err - this really look, Taylor doesn&039;t have to drive them home" I flash a brief look at Taylor, who remains stoically iive uarded, natural, all-teeth-showing, glorious smile Oh my and he opens the door of the suite so I can re-enter I scoot around hi Katherine in deep discussion with Jose

"Ana, I think he definitely likes you," she says with no prealares at me with disapproval "But I don&039;t trust him," she adds I raiseBy some miracle, she does

"Kate, if you take the Beetle, can I take your car?"

"Why?"

"Christian Grey has asked o for coffee with him"

Her rabs sarea of the suite

"Ana, there&039;s soorgeous, I agree, but I think he&039;s dangerous Especially to someone like you"

"What do you mean, someone like me?" I demand, affronted

"An innocent like you, Ana You knohat I mean," she says a little irritated I flush

"Kate, it&039;s just coffee I&039; my exa"

She purses her lips as if considering my request Finally, she fishes her car keys out of her pocket and hands them to me I hand her , or I&039;ll send out search and rescue"

"Thanks" I hug her

I e up against the wall, looking like a azine

"Okay, let&039;s do coffee," I rins

"After you, Miss Steele" He stands up straight, holding his hand out for o first

I make my way down the corridor, my knees shaky, my sto a dra to have coffee with Christian Grey and I hate coffee

We walk together down the wide hotel corridor to the elevators What should I say to him My oing to talk about?

What on Earth do I have in common with himHis soft, war have you known Katherine Kavanagh?"

Oh, an easy questions for starters

"Since our freshood friend"

"H?