Chapter 44 (1/2)

From: Christian Grey

Subject: Errant Wives

Date: August 22, 2011 09:56

To: Anastasia Steele

Wife

I sent the e-mail below and it bounced.

And it's because you haven't changed your name.

Something you want to tell me?

Christian Grey

CEO, Grey Enterprises Holdings Inc.

Attachment:

From: Christian Grey

FW Subject: Bubble

Date: August 22, 2011 09:32

To: Anastasia Grey

Mrs. Grey

Love covering all the bases with you.

Have a great first day back.

Miss our bubble already.

x

Christian Grey

Back in the Real World CEO, Grey Enterprises Holdings Inc.

Shit. I hit reply immediately.

From: Anastasia Steele

Subject: Don't Burst the Bubble

Date: August 22, 2011 09:58

To: Christian Grey

Husband

I am all for a baseball metaphor with you, Mr. Grey. I want to keep my name here.

I'l explain this evening.

I am going in to a meeting now.

Miss our bubble, too . . .

PS: Thought I had to use my Blackberry?

Anastasia Steele

Commissioning Editor, SIP

This is going to be such a fight. I can feel it. Sighing, I gather up my papers for the meeting.

The meeting lasts for two hours. All the commissioning editors are there, plus Roach and Elizabeth. We discuss personnel, strategy, marketing, security, and year-end. As the meeting progresses I grow more and more uncomfortable. There's a subtle change in how my colleagues are treating me - a distance and deference that wasn't there before I left for my honeymoon. And from Courtney, who heads up the non-fiction division, there's downright hostility. Maybe I'm just being paranoid but it goes some way to explaining Elizabeth's odd greeting this morning.