Basically, this is what happens when I'm frustrated with something that I'm reading and the piss-poor choices that a character makes.

As usual, this is unedited, but please let me know if there's any glaring grammatical mistakes.

Please enjoy, and if you really liked it, I would love a review.


With sleep-filled eyes, I get up and go over to the computer to check my email. I don't know how that it's become such a habit in the few days since Christian gave it to me.

"You have five unread messages!" a cheerful prompt tells me before I can even get to my inbox. Holy crap! Since the email address is brand new, thanks to the man who gave me the laptop, I know that those five emails can only be from one person.

I'm too annoyed right now to deal with this. With him and his… well, whatever the fuck his problem is. His issues, I guess. I don't want to deal with this right now.

Or maybe ever, whispers a small voice in the back of my head. That voice sounds oddly seductive to me right now.

Ana, Christian is the only man that you have ever been attracted to! Exclaims my inner goddess. Do you want to be old and alone, except for your fifteen cats?

Oh, come on, whispers the new part of my mind. It's not like Christian's the only guy in the world. And it's not exactly like you were actively looking for romance, either.

"Yes," I whisper to myself. This new part of my mind is right. There are other guys out there.

But Christian Grey wants you! My inner goddess chimes up.

What about Paul? And Jose?

Oh, come on! Jose is like a little brother, and you know it! Inner goddess says with a roll of her eyes. She isn't happy with the new voice inside of me.

Yes, but that doesn't mean that other men don't find you attractive, Ana. I look at my reflection in the mirror. I mean, look at that, girl! I know that you're no Katherine Kavanagh, but you are beautiful in your own way.

"You know what? I am pretty. I don't need to set myself to unachievable goals in beauty."

Damn right, you don't!

I'm broken from my conversation with the new-found voice inside of my head by my cell phone ringing. I leave the bathroom and go over to my night-stand where I left my phone. Crap; it's Christian. What do I do?

Ignore him, hon, says the new voice in my head. You are strong and in charge of your own life. You don't need a man to tell you how you should give him pleasure, sir.

With new-found resolve, I press the red reject button before I toss my phone onto my bed and decide that I need to get dressed for the day. Before I've pulled a blouse on over my head, my phone chirps with a new text.

"Ana, answer your emails." Oh no, he sounds really angry. A second text comes in before the voices in my head can even come up with a response. "And don't ignore my calls!"

Tell him to piss off, suggests the new voice in my head.

No! Don't do that! Then you'll never see him again! Screams my inner goddess.

But don't you remember when you emailed Christian that it was nice to know him? Whispers my subconscious.

No, Ana, whispers new voice. This guy is a creep, and you don't even want to do any of that stuff. Why do you continue to string him along when you made up your mind almost as soon as you saw his Red Room of Pain?

The voice was right. I had made up my mind. Just because I was exceptionally sexually attracted to Grey and he appeared to be the only guy that I'd ever felt like this doesn't mean that I should change who I am just to remain with him.

And not only to change who I am, but to put myself through things that, deep down, I know that I wouldn't like to do.

I shivered as I remembered the flogger.

But, what should I tell him? The last time that I told Grey, jokingly or not, that I was breaking up with him, he came over and we had sex.

You need to tell him that it's over. And not via email, either, hon, said new voice. You need to call him.

But what if he comes over?

If that happens, then we'll deal with it, says new voice.

During my inner musings, I had revived seven new texts, all from Grey. You need to call him RIGHT NOW, insists new voice. This guy is turning into the male version of the obsessed girlfriend meme. It's funny on memebase; not so much when you're the object of the creep's affections.

I picked up the phone and pressed the redial button. Christian answered before the phone had rung once; he must have been waiting for my call. Gods, this guy was a complete creep.

"Ana," Christian breathed. "Why haven't you answered any of my emails, texts, or calls? I've been worried about you!"

"Christian, this isn't working out," I find myself saying.

"What?" Christian says. I think that I hear a door being closed on the other end of the line. Oh no, is he leaving the hotel to come to me? "What is this about, Ana?"

"Christian, you are nothing but a complete creep." I don't even feel like myself right now. I start to pack some things into a purse as I talk. "You've been harassing me with emails and phone calls and text messages almost non-stop. And it has to stop. Actually, we… whatever 'we' are, has to stop."

"I don't understand what you're saying, Ana." I hear a faint ding in the background; he's riding the elevator down. I head out to the living room.

"Let's face it, Christian. I'm no sub, and I have no interest in being one. And I have no interest in anything that you've offered me so far."

"Ana, we can work this out, please."

"No, Christian. It's over. Good bye." I snap my phone closed, toss it onto the couch, and head out the door. I feel empowered. Bold. Like I could do anything right now.

I get into Wanda and drive off. I won't be here when Christian comes around.


The only problem is that I don't know where I want to go. I know that I probably shouldn't go back to the apartment for some time; after all, Christian could linger around the apartment.

If he does, you should call the police. That guy has already proven that he is dangerous, whispers new voice. Subconscious and inner goddess are oddly silent.

But, where should I go? Work?

He knows where you work. Like some sort of stalker, new voice reminds me. I remember how he tracked me down at the bar by illegally tracking my phone, but I smile with glee as I recall how I left my phone in the apartment. Kate can deal with him, and she'll hopefully send him packing.

I get onto the freeway to take me to Seattle. I worry for a fraction of a second that Christian Grey will somehow find me there, but then I remember that there are millions of people who live in the city, and with my phone at home and Christian on his way to the apartment, there's almost no way that he'll track me down.

It's a nice day, so I roll down the windows, and turn on the radio. Somehow, I no longer feel like classical music, so I fiddle with the dial until I pick out Dee Snyder telling me that he's not going to take it anymore. The song was oddly fitting.


I drove until I reached Seattle, but now that I was here, what next?

Ooh look! Karaoke! New voice exclaimed.

Go into a bar? At 10 in the morning? Would they even be open?

Why would they have their karaoke sign on if they weren't open? New voice asked with a roll of her eyes.

You aren't much of a bar person, Ana, my subconscious reminds me. And you sure as hell don't want to be rubbing elbows with the people who hang out at a bar at this hour. New voice has nothing to say to that because subconscious has a point.

Well, would you look at that, new voice says. There's a coffee shop inside of that used book store down the block.

Curling up in a chair that smells of age with a cup of tea and one of my favorite books sounded really good right about now. I drove past the bar with the flickering karaoke sign and pulled into the parking lot of the used book store. I pause just inside the door to inhale the scent of old books. There is nothing quite like it in the world, and it's almost like some sort of powerful aphrodisiac to me.

The first thing that I do is to go over to the romance section. But, as I look at the rows of books with half-dressed characters depicted on the front cover, I realize that a romance is the last thing that I want to read right now.

But, aside from classical romance novels, what do I like to read?

Unbidden, something that Christian asked me comes to my mind: What do you like, Ms. Steele?

That is the thousand-dollar question. I don't even know if I like to read horror, mystery, sci-fi, or action-adventure novels, and that's sad. I walk around the romance shelf, and it just happens to be sci-fi. Like the romance section, the sci-fi section is packed with novels. Only, these books depict strange creatures and oddly dressed people on the front covers.

There are so many of them; how do I even know what's good and what's not?

"Can I help you find something?"

"Oh… um… I don't know," I say timidly.

This guy works here; ask him for a book recommendation! New voice hisses at me.

"I'm looking for some classical sci-fi novel," I tell him.

"Okay. Have you read Hitchhiker's Guide?"

"I said a sci-fi novel," I clarify. But, the guy had already pulled a book off the shelf, and I flush, embarrassed at my book naivety. Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy. Right. I've heard of that before.

"If you like funny books, you'll probably enjoy this."

"Alright, thanks," I say as I accept the book.

"Well, if there's anything else I can help you find, I'll be around."

"R-right." He leaves, and I go over to the coffee stand with the book and order a cup of tea. I sit down at a table with my beverage, and open the book to the first page to find out if I like sci-fi.


As it turns out, yes. I devour most of the book in one sitting; it's just that good. I had no idea that sci-fi novels, even older ones, could be so funny and good.

"'He was busy staring at the two white mice sitting-'"

"Hi," said a voice, which drew me back to the present. I looked up from the book and looked at the man who had helped me earlier.

"Hi," I said. "This book is really good."

"I'm glad that you're enjoying it," he said with a hesitant grin. "Listen, I… um… I was wondering if you'd like to grab a cup of coffee sometime."

"What?" I asked; I was a little surprised.

The guy is asking you out, Ana. Say yes, said new voice.

"I'm sorry; I know that we don't even know each other's names, it's just that you're really pretty and you've been sitting there all afternoon, reading one of my favorite novels."

You should say yes; this guy is a total babe. Surprisingly, it's not new voice who says this, but rather, inner goddess. And he is exceptionally good looking. He has dark hair; piercing, baby blue eyes; and stubble grows on his cheeks like he hasn't shaved in a day or two. He isn't Christian Grey, but he is a babe, as Inner Goddess said.

"Sure. I'd love to. I'm Ana."

"Remy."

"Why don't I give you my number and you can call me later, okay?"

"Um, sure." Remy grabs a business card from the coffee shop counter, borrows a pen from the barista, and I write my name and number on the back of the card.

"I should… uh… Get back now. I live in Vancouver, but my… um… roommate was driving me crazy, so that's why I came up to Seattle."

"Oh. Is that…?"

"Oh, we're in the process of packing up to move to Seattle," I quickly explain. "We've already got an apartment picked out, and we'll be moving in a week."

"Oh. Alright then. I'll… uh… I'll call you." I smile at him as I take my cup back to the coffee stand counter, and then purchase the book.

I can't wipe the smile off my face as I drive back to Vancouver. Who needs Christian Grey when I gave my number to Remy?

Maybe Remy won't get sexual gratification from hurting people, says new voice. She's got a giant grin on her face, too.


A very noticeable sports car is parked in my usual space in front of the apartment when I get back. And even though I'm certain that some of my neighbors must drive sports cars, I know that it can only belong to one person.

Why can't this guy take a hint? New voice says with a snarl.

What do I do? I ask her.

You're going to march in there with your head held up high and you're going to tell him in no uncertain terms that he is to leave, take his things with him, and not return.

I park a few spaces away, and then I march up the steps and unlock the door.

"Ana! Thank goodness that you're alright!" Christian says the second that I have the door open.

"Christian, I told you that 'we' were over," I tell him sternly. I walk into my bedroom, but he trails after me.

"Ana! Please! If it's the contract, we can work something out!" he begs me. I don't say anything; I just grab the laptop and shove it into his hands.

"Take this and leave."

"But-"

"NOW!" The sad look on Christian's face is instantly replaced by something cold and unreadable.

"If that's how you're going to talk to me, then I suppose that it's just as well that we didn't pursue this any further," he says. "You're right; you would not make a very good sub for me at all." That's it? After coming over and staying in the apartment all day, and all of the harassing emails, he's just going to leave? Just like that?

I can hardly believe my luck, but new voice shakes her head sadly at me. Christian leaves the apartment, and I follow him out. "Ana…" He starts when he's outside. But, I shut the door in his face, and turn the dead-bolt.

Nope. He is out of my life now. New voice is still shaking her head, and despite how quiet that she has become, I somehow know that this isn't over quite yet.

But, I'm broken from worrying about what Christian Grey might do to me as my phone starts to ring. I don't recognize the number, so I answer it.

"Hi, is this Ana?"

"Speaking?"

"Hi, Ana. This is Remy… from the book store."

"Remy! Hi!"