Fifty Shades Darker

Chapter 1 opens with 21-year-old Anastasia Steele lamenting the loss of her relationship with Christian Grey, the rich entrepreneur with whom she broke up at the end of the previous novel. Ana recently started work at Seattle Independent Publishing (SIP) as assistant to an editor named Jack Hyde. Ana returns from work and receives a delivery of white roses from Christian. She keeps them. The next day, Christian emails her asking if she would like a ride to her friend José’s art show in Portland. Ana agrees.

Christian picks her up from work on the day in question. Before she leaves the office, Jack asks if she would like to go out for drinks. Ana feels extremely uncomfortable with the interaction, thinking Jack “smiles cool and assessing, making me uneasy” (20). Christian’s first words to Ana are about how much weight she has lost. He asks her when she last ate and makes her feel like a child. The two board Christian’s helicopter. Christian straps Ana in, and then completes his preflight checklist. Ana marvels at his skill. The two fly to Portland as the sun sets. Ana compares herself to Icarus flying into the sun.

The two enter José’s show, and Ana is taken aback by how her friend’s dreams are coming true. Ana hugs José and congratulates him. Many people at the show seem to be looking at Ana. She then discovers several intimate close-up portraits of herself in the show. Christian stalks off to the gallery employee when he sees them. After a short interval, Christian hauls Ana out to get dinner. Christian guides Ana down an alley, presses her up against a wall, and kisses her forcefully. The two share an intense kiss. Christian tells Ana, “You. Are. Mine […] I have spent all my adult life trying to avoid any extreme emotion. Yet you…you bring out feelings in me that are completely alien […] I like control Ana, and around you, that just […] evaporates’” (40).

Christian pulls Ana into a nearby restaurant and orders for them both. Ana makes a comment of protest regarding her lack of choice in the matter, causing Christian to snap at her. Ana feels chided, “it’s as if he’s slapped me” (43). The two discuss their relationship. Ana admits to missing Christian and leaving out of fear. Christian asks Ana why she did not use her safe word if she was not enjoying being hit. Christian states that he cannot trust her if she will not be honest about her limits. The conversation turns to how they feel about each other. Ana admits that she still loves him. Christian demands that Ana eat under threat of physical violence.

When dinner is finished, Taylor, Christian’s driver and head of security, picks them up at the restaurant. They climb into the backseat. Taylor puts in earbuds so as not to overhear Christian and Ana’s conversation. The two begin to renegotiate their relationship. They decide to recommit to the relationship, but without the contract. They will have some BDSM elements, but no canes. The two snuggle all the way back to Seattle, discussing their limits. Ana asks about Christian’s mother; he tells her that “[s]he was neglectful. She didn’t protect me from her pimp […] when she finally killed herself, it took four days for someone to raise the alarm and find us” (55). Ana tells him that is terrible. The two make it back to Seattle, and Christian walks Ana to her door, stating that he will not touch her until she begs for it. He leaves her a new iPad loaded with books and music as a gift. She emails him from it to thank him.

Ana takes the bus to work the following morning, reading on her iPad the whole way. Jack comments on her radiance when she arrives and then sets her to reading chapters and drafting reports on them. She logs into her computer and sees an email from Christian. The two exchange emails as she goes about her work. At lunch, she listens to music on the gifted iPad. She emails Christian as her day drags on. He lets her know that SIP monitors email correspondence. At 5:30, Jack asks if she would like to go for a drink with the rest of the team at a bar called Fifty’s. She invites Christian to join them after she agrees.

As she walks out of the building, she is stopped by a woman calling her name. The woman has dark hair, fair skin, and brown eyes that look sorrowful. Ana experiences warning tingles up her spine as she asks the woman for her name. The woman says she is nobody and as she tuns to leave, Ana catches a glimpse of a bandage on her wrist. Bemused, Ana makes her way to the bar.

She sits with the SIP group as Jack grabs her a beer. Ana’s mind wanders to Kate and the Ghost Girl she just met. Elizabeth, the HR rep, gets Ana another beer as she carries on conversing with Claire, the receptionist. The guys from finance buy Ana another beer. Jack joins Claire and Ana’s conversation. Ana tells him that she enjoys the work. Christian joins them at the bar, causing Jack’s demeanor to change to impassive. Christian and Ana leave together.

In the safety of the backseat of the Audi, Christian tells Ana that Jack “wants into your panties” (78). Ana brushes the comment off and asks where they are going. Christian then informs Ana that he is buying SIP. Ana gets angry, saying “Of course I’m mad at you […] what kind of responsible business executive makes decisions based on who he is currently fucking?” (78). Christian explains that it is a sound investment.

The pair arrives at Ana’s apartment but then go to the grocers upon realizing that there is no food in the place. They cook dinner together, the sexual tension building between them until Christian and Ana pause dinner and retire to the bedroom.

Christian and Ana finish dinner and eat on the coffee table in the living room. They discuss family and friends. The conversation turns back to Jack and SIP, but they agree to let it go for now. Christian grabs the vanilla ice cream from the freezer and takes it to the bedroom with Ana. Ana gives into the sensations, thinking, “I’m a butterfly caught in his net, unable and unwilling to escape. I’m his…totally his” (110). She and Christian climax together.

Christian then invites Ana to his parents’ annual fundraiser. Ana agrees to go. They fall asleep and Ana dreams of the Ghost Girl outside of SIP. She wakes screaming. Christian comforts her as she tells him about the girl. Ana discovers that the woman is one of Christian’s ex-submissives named Leila. She recently left her husband and attempted suicide in front of Christian’s housekeeper, Mrs. Jones, trying to get Christian’s attention. Christian soothes Ana and takes her to bed before falling asleep.

The two wake tangled together, have sex, and eat breakfast together. They discuss their days and routines. Christian tells Ana that Taylor has brought her Audi back. Ana bristles that it is way too large a gift. Christian gives her a check for $24,000 for her VW Beetle. Ana rips up the check. Christian then direct deposits the money into Ana’s bank account, leading to another argument about privacy and boundaries. They let it go. Ana needs a haircut, so they go to a salon Christian knows. While they are waiting for a stylist, Ana and Christian see the woman who assaulted and groomed Christian when he was 15.

Ana asks the receptionist for the woman’s name, which is Elena Lincoln. Ana chides Christian for his “stupidity “in bringing her here and storms out of the salon. Christian follows and the two discuss the salon, Christian’s part ownership, and Elena’s continued role in Christian’s life. Christian states that their relationship is simply a friendship. He sees no problem in her sexual relationship with him when he was 15.

They are interrupted by a call informing Christian that Leila left her husband for another man who then died in a car crash. Christian arranges for Ana to get her hair cut at his place. Ana refuses to go, but Christian picks her up and begins to carry her. She agrees to go, stalking down the street making a list of all the things Christian has done wrong. She realizes the threat must have escalated for Christian to feel this much paranoia. Leila recently obtained a concealed weapons permit. Ana realizes that Christian is in great danger, though she brushes off the danger to herself. Ana and Christian make their way to his apartment discussing Elena and Christian’s history, including that Christian dropped out of college and received a start-up loan from her. They get to the apartment and head in their separate directions. Christina makes work and personal calls, and Ana calls her mom. Christian and Ana make amends, and the hairstylist, Franco, comes to cut Ana’s hair.

After the haircut, Christian and Ana continue their discussion of Elena, Christian’s physical boundaries, and Ana’s lack of privacy. Christian discloses that he has a dossier on Ana and knows all her personal information. Ana takes in the information and decides to let it go. Christian goes back to work and Ana begins to make dinner.

Ana makes a Spanish omelet, gets interrupted by Christian’s lusty looks, and then completes the task as Taylor brief Christian on progress in the hunt for Leila. Ana comes into his office with lunch when it is ready. The two eat, and then head to the bedroom where Christian directs Ana to outline the parts of his body that are off-limits in red lipstick. After the mapping is complete, they have sex.

They lie in bed discussing the men in Ana’s life as Christian expresses his jealousy. Ana tells Christian how much she dislikes Elena being a part of his life and that relationships have those inevitable compromises. The two have sex again.

Ana takes a shower and gets ready for the fundraiser. She pokes through the closet of clothing Christian bought for her. Christian walks in on her pulling up stockings and offers to place the two steel balls used in the first book back in her vagina. She agrees, asking if he will spank her later, too. He will not but wants to use the balls. Her running outfit price tag includes $500 underwear and $3000 shoes. Christian gives her Cartier earrings and dresses to match her dove gray satin dress.

Ana marvels at how beautiful she feels in the dress. She meets Christian in the living room for a glass of champagne before they leave for the event. Christian gives her a mask in the car on the way, informing her it is a masquerade ball. They have their photo taken upon entry, greet Christian’s family, and find their table. The emcee discusses the charity, and the attendees eat a lavish meal with wine pairings for every course. Ana’s intoxication and arousal increase as the auction begins. She bids $24,000 on a getaway in Christian’s Aspen home and wins.