Prologue
Tonight is the night. I'm going clubbing with Kate, something we haven't done since graduation. And I am planning on getting stupid drunk.
We recently achieved some promotions at work and want to celebrate our success with a few friends.
Bigger pay. Newer positions. This is a great opportunity for us and one that I'm not preparing on leaving behind. Tonight is the night.
"Hey Ana, you ready to go?", Kate calls out from her room as I apply some last-minute mascara on and take one last look in the mirror. I fluff my hair up to look more confident, apply a little more lipstick, and finally make my way out.
"Wow. You look HOT, Ana", she exclaims. I give myself a little twirl to acknowledge her compliment.
"I do clean up pretty nice. We meeting Elliot later on?"
"He's gonna meet us there."
"Awesome. You ready for this?"
"Hell, yeah!", she yells and I giggle in response. She checks her hair one last time, I slip on my heels, and we head out for the craziest night of my life.
The club is loud and it's impossible to find a table through the crowd of sweaty bodies and tequila shots all around. Finally, we find Elliot sitting at the bar and Kate pulls him in for a hot and heavy make-out session, even though they just hooked up last night; don't they ever stop?
"Hey, baby. You look good", he addresses towards Kate and she expresses her humility as only she can.
"You do too. I missed you."
"I missed you too", he replies before directing his attention to me. "Hey, Ana. You look nice."
"Thanks, Elliot. You too", I respond before looking at Kate. "Hey, I'm gonna head to the restroom but order me a beer okay? Figured I take it slow before we lighten up."
"That's my girl! Hurry back. I'm buyin' the first round." She exclaims and I make my way out.
A few minutes later, Kate and Elliot are in the middle of the dance floor getting a lot more close than usual, so I make my way to the bar and order a Cosmo. I welcome the liquid to my throat and order another one before the first one's even done.
"Don't you want to take it easy?", I hear someone ask and I turn to see a beautiful man in a formfitting shirt and dark jeans—I think. The lights are too bright for me to tell—taking a shot of a Whiskey before signaling to the bartender for another round.
"Easy's not really my style", I declare. "Who are you?"
"Does it matter?"
"Guess not."
"What about you?"
"You really wanna know?"
"Just want to make sure your name is as beautiful as you look", he smirks and I find myself blushing at his comment.
"Good try. Ana. My name's Ana."
"Good. You're safe", he remarks with an amused look in his eyes.
"Wouldn't know about that", I confess. I came here for one thing and one thing only; a good time away from the stress. Jack is kicking my ass and I need this before I go insane. As if I hadn't already…
"You here with your boyfriend?", the man asks as I take another swig of a Cosmo before ordering another drink; this time, vodka.
"I don't have a boyfriend. Not really my thing."
"Why not?"
"Why should I explain myself to you?", I remark dismissively but I'm having some fun as well.
"Just figured you for a party girl is all."
"And what are you?" As I ask this, he stands to his feet and looks deep into my eyes before gently running his thumb over my bottom lip. My breath catches as I lean into his touch. God, he's beautiful.
"Just a man looking for some fun", he whispers. I gasp at his words. Is he being serious? Even my subconscious is at a loss for words.
"What kind of fun?", I ask shakily. He reaches for my hand before bringing it up to his lips and kissing it gently.
"The kind I want with you", he answers coolly and I'm lost in my tracks. How cow. He really is being serious. I haven't had a boyfriend since…
Before I can think about it further, the man ultimately takes my hand and gives it a gentle squeeze before leading me off the dance floor and towards a staircase and velvet rope with a tough-looking bouncer completely covered in tattoos. The man shows his wrist to the bouncer who scans it, types something on a computer, and moves the rope for the man to enter. He leads me upstairs and my heartrate spikes. Am I really doing this? I just met this man and now where am I heading? Have I ever done this before?
Never, my subconscious remarks but I ignore her as the man takes out a card of some kind and unlocks a door.
He leads me inside before putting a Do Not Disturb sign on the handle as he closes the door. I watch as he removes his shoes and socks before heading for the mini bar and pouring himself a glass.
"Would you like one?", he asks me. I shake my head. No more alcohol for now.
The man takes a quick drink and sets the glass down on a nearby counter. He walks over to me with a carnal look in his eyes. Oh my…
"I wanna be very rough with you", he says quietly. I clear my throat before responding.
"So…be rough with me", I answer in a quiet whisper and he takes the cue as he pulls me into his arms. He kisses me hard and I try to match his movements as best I can. He pushes me back until my legs hit the foot of the bed and he pushes me down. I watch helplessly as he slowly lifts his shirt and pulls it over his head, throwing it on the ground. He climbs on top and unzips my jeans and pulls them down ever-so-slowly, leaving me in agonizing wait. He finally pulls them off completely and throws them on top of his shirt. He kisses me again as his tongue glides past my lips and finds my own, intertwining with no intentions to stop. He lifts my shirt and slips it completely off my head but just as he goes to undo my bra, I stop his hands before he has the chance.
"I don't wanna go that far", I quietly say and he smiles as he accepts my decision. He kisses me one more time and then glides his tongue down there. I inhale sharply as he moves my panties to the side and inserts two fingers deep inside me. I hear him groan in approval and he pumps his fingers in. Out. In. Out. I tilt my head back at the sensation and feel my climax fast approaching. Just as I feel my walls tightening, he suddenly removes his fingers and I'm left in a hot mess. I pout in rejection but he just smirks in response.
"Not yet, baby", he whispers and before I know it, he lifts me up and sets me on his lap.
"Hold on", he orders and lifts me again as I watch him undo his jeans and pull them down, along with his boxers. I stare wordlessly and he gently slides me unhurriedly onto his length. I revel in the feel as he works up a pace. I bounce on him as he humps me from underneath, and soon I feel my walls tightening again and hold onto him for dear life.
"That's it. Come for me, baby", he hisses and that's all it takes for my orgasm to rip through me and I shout to the ceiling, coming hard with his arms holding me tight. He keeps up the pace until I feel him stiffen under me and mumble my name. We sit there for a while as we catch our breath.
"Wow", I huff.
"Wow, yourself", he replies. I giggle.
"I can't sit up", I say and he takes the hint as he gently lifts me up and lies me down. I can barely keep my eyes open and find myself falling asleep. I feel the bed shift as the mysterious man kisses my head and holds me close.
Tonight was not what I was expecting. But I'm glad. More than I know.
The next morning, I wake with a jerk and it takes me a moment to realize where I am. My bedroom. My bedroom… When did I get home?
I hold my head as my hangover takes over. Jeez, I only had three…
I carefully sit up and see that I'm wearing my blue PJ's that Kate got me for my birthday. As I contemplate last night, I'm then reminded of the mysterious stranger that I met. Did I?
It was too good to be true.
"Fuck. No more hangovers for a while", I grumble to myself as I struggle to sit up straight. I then see a glass of water and two Advil on my nightstand and welcome the remedies without hesitation. I hear a voice coming from the living room and figure Kate must be home early. Thank God I don't work today. Jack would kill me if I came to work drunk…again.
"There you are. I was worried you weren't coming home", she remarks as she takes a bite of Rocky Road ice cream straight from the container. When's the last time she did that? We haven't done it since we were kids.
"Where's Elliot?", I ask groggily. She hesitates and lets out a long sigh before answering.
"Busy. He had to go work early", she replies disappointed. Ever since her and Elliot got together, he hasn't exactly been there for her and it's stressing her out. If I could help her, I would. I hate seeing her like this.
"Are you okay?", I ask carefully. She fakes a smile and takes another bite.
"I could be asking the same thing about you. Where were you last night? It's not like you to wander off." Here we go again. The Kate Kavanagh Inquisition.
"It's nothing. I just, um…I think I hooked up with someone."
"You think? Ana, that's not how this thing works", Kate jokes.
"I'm aware of that, Kate, but my head hurts too much to think about it right now."
"You take some Advil?" When she asks this, I look at her quizzically.
"Didn't you leave it out?"
"No? I was with Elliot last night and didn't come home for a while. We slept in."
"What?", I ask more to myself than to her but before I can ponder it any longer, I start to feel faint and need something to eat. I head into the kitchen and pull some chicken salad out of the fridge. I set the bowl on the counter right next to a newspaper that catches my eye. I look at the headline and read it aloud.
"Christian Grey Leads Company into New Heights. More on Page 6." Christian Grey… Why does that name sound familiar?
I open the newspaper to page six and my jaw nearly drops.
"Ana? What's wrong?", Kate inquires and I don't even notice that she's standing across from me at the counter.
"Kate", I say timidly as I hand her the newspaper "I think I just hooked up with Christian Grey."