a/n: Thank you all so much for the reviews for last chapter!

Some of you saw this one coming! ;)

"Hey!" Anastasia said as Kate opened the front door.

"Hello," Kate said as she stepped to the side, allowing Ana entrance into her apartment. "What's in the smaller box?"

Ana grinned at Kate as she walked over the coffee table and put the two boxes down. "It feels like a hot wings kind of night," she replied as she unzipped her coat and pulled it down over her shoulders. "It's getting chilly out there."

Kate nodded in agreement. "And it's only going to get worse. You want a beer?"

"Sure."

Ana followed her friend into the kitchen, grabbing some plates and silverware before returning to the living room. She placed them on the table, and then opened the boxes. "Pepperoni or cheese?" Ana yelled.

"Cheese," Kate answered as she walked back into the room.

Ana took the bottle of beer from her friend and put it next to her plate. "Thanks."

"So," Kate said as she picked up her slice of pizza. "You excited to start work?"

"Yes. I'm so sick of being stuck inside all day. And my savings is almost gone."

"It's funny how it all worked out, isn't it?" Kate asked in an amused tone of voice.

Ana's hand froze halfway to her mouth, her pizza just inches from her lips. "What do you mean?" she asked cautiously. If she didn't know better, she'd think the Katherine Kavanagh inquisition had just begun.

"Well, I mean…you were just about to sign for that job in Chicago and then all of a sudden you get a call from one of Christian's companies and you're offered a job on the spot," Kate reminded her.

As if I need reminding, Ana thought.

"That's quite a coincidence, don't you think?" she pressed.

Ana shrugged noncommittally. "Not really. I think it was luck more than anything," she muttered, taking a bite of pizza.

"I guess."

Ana swallowed, then cleared her throat. "Do you think there's more to it?" she asked, hoping Kate didn't notice the shrillness in her tone.

"Well…I mean…I don't see how there can be," Kate said.

Ana didn't realize she was holding her breath until she let it out. "See! Just luck," she said brightly. "What about you? Are you working on any new stories?" she quickly asked, desperate to change the subject.

To her relief, Kate took the bait and began to tell her about a litter of puppies someone had left in a dumpster.

"How much is this going to hurt?" Ana asked as she narrowed her gaze at Kate.

"Not as much as it did when you had the jungle between your thighs done."

Ana cringed as Kate dipped the wooded stick into the melted wax and swirled it around. Having her legs buffed did not seem like a good idea, but she was pretty sure if she did this, she could con Kate into watching The Notebook with her. She hated watching it alone.

"Are you making me go first because you know you're going to scream and you don't want to scare me?"

Kate giggled as she continued to churn the wax. "No. You are going first so I can show you how to do it. I don't need you pulling flesh off my thighs," she teased, eyes dancing. "It would take forever to heal, and I'm not sure Elliot could stand the wait."

"This might pull the skin off my thighs!" Ana exclaimed anxiously.

"Ana, you've had your brows done before."

"Yes, but there's not nearly as much extra skin on my face!" she reasoned.

"I was kidding," Kate informed her. "It's not going to—"

The sound of a key in the lock drew both sets of eyes to the front door. Ana screeched when Elliot walked in, Christian right behind him.

"Elliot!"

Ana was thankful when her friend jumped to her feet and stood in front of her.

"What are you doing here?" Kate asked shrilly

"I realized this was going to be the first night since we'd met that I wasn't going to get to say good night in person," he said. "I didn't want to break tradition."

Ana resisted the urge to roll her eyes.

"While that's very sweet, I'm afraid Ana here is just a bit indecent."

"Indecent?" Elliot asked in confusion.

"She's not wearing any pants," Christian clarified in an amused tone.

Ana felt her cheeks begin to flame. Of course he'd seen her without her pants. God forbid she ever run into Christian Grey and manage to keep her clothes on.

"Oh!" Elliot said in surprise as Christian sprang into action and grabbed the quilt off the chair next to him. He tossed it to Kate, who passed it to Ana.

"Thank you," she said dryly as she situated the blanket around her lower body.

"You're welcome," Christian said, grinning. Ana was pissed when she felt her heart do a little flip flop in her chest. Did his smile really have to be so damn disarming?

Once Ana was covered, Kate made her way over to Elliot. "That's so sweet of you," she said, then slapped him on the side of the head. "But next time knock." She turned to glare at Christian. "And call first if you're going to bring company."

Elliot chuckled. "Got it. So, what's on the agenda for tonight?"

"We're waxing things," Kate answered. "It's a girly night."

Elliot wrapped his arms around Kate's waist and lifted his eyebrows. "When does the pillow fight commence?" he teased.

Kate giggled as Elliot's mouth swooped down for a heated kiss.

Ana had been desperate to avoid Christian's gaze, so she'd kept her eyes on Kate and Elliot. But now she felt as if she was spying.

Curious to see Christian's reaction, she glanced his way. His eyes met hers before she could look away and Ana's breath caught in her throat as he quirked a brow at her. Her toes curled into the carpet as his gaze skimmed gradually down her body; her nipples strained against the satin fabric of her bra as he dragged his gaze back up her face. He grey eyes turned stormy as they lingered on her breasts.

"Ready to go?"

Elliot's voice interrupted them, thank God. "Yes," Christian bit out as he turned to the door.

Elliot grinned at Kate. "Laters, baby."

"You told her." The words were out of Christian's mouth before the screen door shut behind them.

"How in the hell do you know that?" Elliot asked in disbelief.

"Because I saw the way she glared at me."

Elliot grinned. "And how was that?"

"Like I just took her best friend's virginity," Christian snapped.

Elliot hooted with laughter. "I think we should go back in," he said.

"We are not going back in," Christian said firmly.

"Why not?"

"Because Ana is still pissed at me for getting her the job The Lux—" He came to a stop and turned to his brother. "You didn't tell Kate that I didn't set that up, did you?"

"Of course not," Elliot said offended. "You asked me not to."

"I also asked you not to tell her that I'd slept with Ana," Christian said wryly.

"Yes, but that's over and done with. I'm excited to see how this is going to play out."

"So your boss just saw you in your panties." Kate grinned as she slathered wax over Ana's thigh.

"Yes," Ana agreed as she watched Kate prepared her for torture.

"That'll be a bit awkward on Monday morning, huh?" she asked as she put a piece of fabric over Ana's thighs and applied a bit of pressure so the wax could dry against it.

"Definitely."

Kate sighed. "Ana, are you ever going to tell me that you're banging your boss?"

Ana howled in pain as Kate ripped the fabric from her thigh. "What the hell was that?" she shrieked. "Punishment for not telling you?"

"No, but it did make me a little happy," Kate conceded.

"You sadist!" Ana snapped accusingly.

"Why didn't you tell me?" Kate demanded.

"Because I didn't want you to think I was a slut," Ana said, rubbing the bright red welt on her leg.

"Honey, I don't think you're a slut."

Ana loved her friend for being so loyal.

"I don't have enough information to make that determination yet."

Bitch. "Thanks a lot," she said dryly.

"Ana, that night at the restaurant—"

"He told you about the restaurant?" Ana asked in shock.

"Yes."

Ana sighed, relieved that she could finally talk about this with her friend. "I never should have slept with him while he was on a date with another woman," she said miserably.

Kate's eyes widened. "What?"

Ana gasped. "You didn't know?"

"Elliot told me Christian copped a feel, not that you had sex! You had sex in a restaurant?"

Ana covered her face with her hands. "In a coat closet, to be exact," she confessed.

"Anastasia Rose Steele," Kate said disapprovingly.

"You think I'm a slut now, don't you?"

"A little bit."