When we first met, I knew that Christian Grey was a well-known billionaire businessman with important business connections around the business world, but I never realized just how widely known he was, as I do now, many years later, a partridge in a pear tree.

Seeing a crying President Obama exiting Christian's office (Really. It's right there in the first chapter of Fifty Shades of Parody.) on the day I met my future husband should have been my first clue.

When Christian later took me on a romantic getaway to Europe, France's President Sarkozy made it a point to nonchalantly come by to say hello to Christian. We were in England having dinner with the Queen at the time.

It was the same with Vladimir Putin, when Christian and I traveled to Russia for our honeymoon.

"Wow," I told Christian, after Putin left to go invade another country, "you know everybody."

"Yes, I do," Christian said, matter-of-factly.

"I bet you don't know the Pope," I teased.

Christian shrugged.

"We play golf together," he told me, but the gauntlet had been tossed.

The next morning, we found ourselves on a flight to Vatican City. During the Benediction, Christian excused himself and slipped away. Sure enough, a few minutes later he reappeared side by side! with the Pope on the fabled papal balcony.

Hearing me gasp in surprised recognition, a Japanese tourist tapped me on my shoulder and asked, "Who's the guy with the big hat standing next to Christian Grey?"