I've been trying to get myself to start this chapter for days now - this book is becoming much more difficult to look at as it goes on. I'm insanely stressed out and agitated tonight, so I figured I would try rage blogging a little bit.
It should come as no surprise to any of you, but we're off to Georgia in this chapter! Thank the gods Christian decided to stalk Ana down there. Could you imagine ELJ having to come up with an entirely new plot for him while she was gone? This chapter would go from 33 to 3 pages real fast. And probably the sentence, "And suddenly Ana was back!" would be in there somewhere.
"Bill has managed to arrange a meeting with the Savannah Brownfield Redevelopment Authority tomorrow, and I might be meeting them for a drink this evening. So if Anastasia is otherwise occupied, or doesn't want to see me, the journey won't be a complete waste of time.
Yeah, yeah. Tell yourself that, Grey." -- What? You think I flew all the way down here to see you? You think I sat on my private jet for 7 hours (or something I don't know how long this stupid flight takes) for you???? Psh. Obviously I am having very legitimate drinks with this company because I'm very rich and flying 3000 miles for a fucking martini is just something we DO. And of course I didn't tell you what an amazing coincidence it was that we were both going to be in Georgia at the same time because I'm very mysterious how many times do we have to go over this???? GOD Ana, you are so stupid!
"The light up here is brilliant. Golden. Tranquil. The sinking sun reflecting off the cumulus clouds. For a moment I wish I were in my sailplane. I bet the the thermals are fantastic up here.
Yes!
That's what I should do: take Ana soaring. That would be more, wouldn't it?" -- Just keep it below 35,000 feet, Christian. I don't care how great the thermals are.
"'Taylor.'
'Yes, sir.'
'I'd like to take Anastasia soaring in Georgia - at dawn tomorrow, if we can find somewhere to do that. But later would be fine, too.' If it's later I'll have to move my meeting." -- dude she doesn't even know you're coming and you're just gonna plan shit not knowing if she's already fucking busy. you are the shittiest person.
After they land in Georgia, Christian is surprised by the car he'll be driving.
"The rep hands the keys for both cars to Taylor. I raise a brow at him. 'Ford Mustang?'
'It's all I could find in Savannah at short notice.' Taylor looks sheepish.
'At least it's a red convertible. Though in this heat I hope it has AC.'" -- How rich do you have to be before the phrase "at least it's a red convertible" becomes something you can comfortably say? While the rest of the world is over here like "Hell, at least it runs.", fucking Christian is like "It's not a Ferrari but I guess I'll make it work." ALSO what fucking rental car in 2011 IN THE MIDDLE OF GEORGIA DOESN'T HAVE AIR CONDITIONING.
"In the Mustang, I cruise out of the airport and onward to downtown Savannah, listening to Bruce on my iPod through the car sound system." -- I'll get to the sloppiness of this sentence in a minute, but who the fuck is Bruce? Are you listening to Bruce Springsteen? Bruce Willis's 'Armageddon' speech? Does Bruce Lee have an audio book no one knows about? WHO THE FUCK IS BRUCE? And also, you don't need to specify the way in which you're listening to music. We're all smarter than you. We can figure it out.
Christian gets to his hotel and, after turning the AC on as high as he can, calls his assistant for an update on I don't know what.
"I set up my laptop, crank the air conditioning to full blast, and call Ros for an update.
'Why the sudden interest in Georgia, Christian?'" -- BECAUSE I'M CURRENTLY STALKING AN ENTICING YOUNG WOMAN ROS, JESUS PAY ATTENTION.
"There's a knock on the door - my luggage and room service have arrived simultaneously. The food smells delicious: fried green tomatoes and shrimp and grits. Well, I'm in the South." -- I'm pretty sure ELJ got her knowledge of literally everything in the US from a Wikipedia article very similar to the one she used to learn about BDSM.
From here, Christian ponders his relationship with Ana, and is baffled as to why she might have an issue with him having dinner with Elena (she likes you, you absolute walnut). He goes down to the hotel bar and magically, Ana and her mother are in the same bar. So, obviously, instead of walking over there and declaring an incredible coincidence, he lurks in the dark and texts her so he can watch her reaction.
His text simply tells her that yes, he had dinner with Mrs. Robinson and that she's an old friend. Ana's not buying it and is clearly still angry.
"She's not just an old friend.
Has she found another adolescent boy to sink her teeth into?
Did you get too old for her?
Is that the reason your relationship ended?
What the hell? My temper simmers as I read.
Isaac is in his late twenties.
Like me.
How dare she?
Is it the drink talking?" -- JFC, Christian. Would you get off of this 'obviously Ana is saying these things because she's intoxicated and not because she's a thinking human with opinions and feelings' thing. It's exhausting. Also, you may be mad, but she's sort of right. Elena snatched you up when you were 15. That's rape, and there's no way around it. If you're so upset about the assumptions Ana is making, theN FUCKING TALK TO HER ABOUT IT.
Christian responds:
"This is not something I wish to discuss via e-mail.
How many Cosmopolitans are you going to drink?" -- YOU'RE A FUCKING CREEP
Naturally, Ana's reaction is to startle and look around and freak out a little. Christian walks over and introduces himself to her mother before making more unnecessary observations.
"I need something stronger than beer. 'I'll have a gin and tonic,' I tell the waiter. 'Hendrick's, if you have it, or Bombay Sapphire. Cucumber with the Hendrick's, lime with the Bombay.'
'And two more Cosmos, please,' Ana adds, with an anxious look at me.
She's right to be anxious. I think she's had enough to drink already." -- well news flash asshat, no one fucking cares what you think because she's supposed to be enjoying time away from you with her mother and you can't put your fucking ego on hold long enough to respect that. "I did try to stay away from you." but what? That didn't work so now you're following her across the country in a fucking jet to comment on how much she's drinking.
I hate you I hate you I hate you I hate you I hate you I hate you I hate you I hate you I hate you I hate you I hate you I hate you I hate you I hate you I hate you I hate you I hate you I hate you I hate you I hate you I hate you I hate you I hate you I hate you I hate you I hate you I hate you I hate you I hate you I hate you I hate you I hate you I hate you I hate you I hate you I hate you I hate you I hate you .
"I take her hand, because I want to touch her, and I give it a gentle squeeze. Slowly I caress her knuckles with my thumb, and her breathing alters.
Yes, Ana. Feel it."
Ana's mom goes to the bathroom, so Christian and Ana can have a moment and so we can be annoyed.
"'So you're mad at me for having dinner with an old friend.' I kiss each knuckle.
'Yes.' She's curt.
Is she jealous?
'Our sexual relationship was over long ago, Anastasia. I don't want anyone but you. Haven't you worked that out yet?'
'I think of her as a child molester, Christian.
My scalp tingles in shock. 'That's very judgmental. It wasn't like that.' I release her hand in frustration.
'Oh, how was it then?' she snaps, sticking out her stubborn little chin.
Is this the drink talking?" -- just. fucking. stop.
After not really discussing this any further, Ana's mother is back and Christian decides to leave.
"Ana is quiet, imploring me with a look that I ignore. I kiss her cheek. 'Laters, baby,' I murmur in her ear, then turn and walk through the bar and back down to my room.
That girl provokes me like no one has before.
And she's pissed at me; maybe she has PMS. She said her period was due this week." -- Fuck you. FUCK. YOU. FUCKKKKK YOUUUUUU. HOW ABOUT WE STOP BLAMING PMS FOR WOMEN HAVING TOTALLY LOGICAL AND SENSIBLE EMOTIONS. HOW ABOUT WE FUCKING ACKNOWLEDGE THAT WHEN A WOMAN IS ON HER PERIOD, SHE'S AS CLOSE HORMONALLY AND EMOTIONALLY TO A MAN AS SHE WILL EVER BE. THAT'S RIGHT. MEN THINK WE'RE IRRATIONAL AND EMOTIONAL ON OUR PERIOD BUT THEY'RE IRRATIONAL AND EMOTIONAL ALL THE GODDAMN TIME. HOW ABOUT WE STOP FUCKING VILIFYING AND TRIVIALIZING WOMEN FOR BEING WOMEN. IT'S NOT PMS ELJ AND EVEN IF IT WAS CHRISTIAN IS A TOTAL JACKASS AND DESERVES TO BE SURROUNDED BY HORDES OF WOMEN ALL ON THEIR FUCKING PERIOD.
Let's be honest, Christian is basically a 30 year old Donald Trump at this point.
Apparently, fighting in a bar about a potential child molester really gets these two off because they proceed to have sex in Christian's bathroom. After, Ana wants to talk more about Elena, probably because Christian won't just fucking get it all out in the open and has to be a cryptic dick about it.
So they talk for a while, and it's boring and angsty and delves into Christian's life more than I cared to know. They both decide that Ana isn't an awesome submissive (which we all knew) and then they're in the bath and everything is fine again.
"'Did you just splash me?'
'Yes,' she says.
'Oh, Miss Steele.' I wrap my arm around her waist and tug her onto my lap, slopping water onto the floor once again. 'I think we've done enough talking for now.'" -- of course you have. because once you stop having sex, ELJ actually has to come up with a plot.
After they've had sex a second time, Christian gets Ana into bed. She still has no idea they're going soaring in the morning, and this pleases him. Ana wants to talk some more, which he doesn't love, but it's nothing he has to think about ('what's your favorite movie?') so he actually ends up enjoying it. He even admits to her that he's paid for sex. Cue shock, cue awe. Ana yawns, and Christian decides that the time for talking is over.
"I pull the sheet up over her, roll onto my back, and stare up at the whirring ceiling fan.
Well, talking isn't so bad.
Today worked out after all.
Thank you, Elena . . .
And with a sated smile, I close my eyes."
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