Ana and Christian even dance for a while, but due to the alcohol, she abruptly collapses. He is accompanied by his brother Elliott, who strikes up a flirtation with Kate. However, by this point, Ana is so drunk that she ends up vomiting.Ĭhristian takes charge of the situation, and takes care of Ana. She tries to resist, and suddenly Christian is there. She hangs up without telling him where she is, and a few minutes later she finds herself in an awkward situation when José tries to kiss her. Impulsively, she phones Christian, who is alarmed by hearing that she is drunk. That night, Kate, Ana, and José go out to celebrate, and Ana drinks more than usual. Kate has by now warned her several times that it seems like Christian is toying with her, and that she doesn't trust him, but Ana can't stop her curiosity.
She assumes that he thinks he is too good for her.Īna throws herself into studying for her final exams, and comes home one day to a surprise gift from Christian: a first edition of the novel Tess of the D'Urbervilles. Emboldened by their interaction, Ana begins to flirt with him, but is hurt when Christian seems to distance himself and tells her that he is not the man for her. He asks her questions about herself and her past, including whether or not she has a boyfriend. After the photo shoot is over, Christian asks Ana to join him for coffee. The next morning, Ana, Kate, José, and José's assistant Travis go to the Heathman Hotel, where Christian is staying. Nonetheless, Ana and Kate eagerly arrange the photo shoot for the following day, enlisting José to take the photos. Paul is the younger brother of Ana's boss, and the warm rapport between the two of them seems to annoy Christian. However, her happiness shifts when she encounters Paul Clayton and sees how Christian's behavior changes. Ana offhandedly mentions that Kate had wished for some photos to accompany the article, and is shocked when Christian agrees to have photos taken. He explains that he is in the area because of some research he has donated funds toward, and flirts with her as he makes several purchases. The next day, Ana is working a shift at Clayton's and is astonished when Christian Grey walks into the store.
Ana has never met a man she is truly attracted to. Ana is very close with José, a talented photographer, but sometimes feels uncomfortable with the suspicion that he has romantic feelings for her.
On Friday night, Ana and Kate meet up with their friend José. She has a happy life, and a good relationship with her mother, who lives in Georgia, and her former stepfather Ray, whom Ana considers her father. For the rest of the week, Ana keeps herself busy with work, her classes, and friends, but finds her thoughts returning to Christian. She gives a brief account of the interview to Kate, and then hurries off to work a shift at her part-time job at Clayton's, a local hardware store. Ana is somewhat rattled as she concludes the interview and drives back to Vancouver. Christian also seems to be intrigued, and cancels his next meeting in order to spend more time with Ana, asking her questions about her life and future plans. However, she can't resist interjecting and asking her own questions Christian's calm arrogance and good looks both irritate and excite her. Instead, he is young and extremely handsome.Īna conducts the interview, trying to stick to the list of questions Kate has prepared for her. She is also confounded when she meets Christian and realizes that he is not the middle-aged businessman she had expected. Ana feels uneasy and out of place when she arrives at Grey corporate headquarters, a huge and impressive building where everything is managed with meticulous detail. Kate has come down with the flu, so Ana has agreed to drive to Seattle and interview Christian Grey. Ana's best friend and roommate, Kate Kavanagh, is an ambitious journalism student, and Kate has secured an opportunity to interview Christian Grey, the powerful CEO of Grey Enterprise Holdings. Ana is a 21-year-old college senior who lives in Vancouver, Washington and attends Washington State University. The novel opens with Ana (Anastasia) Steele, the protagonist and narrator, preparing for an interview.