fifty-shades-of-grey

I frown as he hands me my degree.“No.”“Then you are ignoring my emails?”“I only saw the mergers and acquisitions one.”He looks quizzically at me.“Later,” he says, and I have to move on because I’m holding up the line.I go back to my seat. Emails? He must have sent another. What did it say?The ceremony takes another hour to conclude. It’s interminable. Finally, the Chancellorleads the faculty members off the stage to yet more rousing applause, preceded byChristian and Kate. Christian does not glance at me, even though I’m willing him to do it.My inner goddess is not pleased.As I stand and wait for our row to disperse, Kate calls to me. She’s heading my wayfrom behind the stage.“Christian wants to talk to you,” she shouts. The two girls who are now standing besideme turn and gape at me.“He’s sent me out here,” she continues.Oh…“Your speech was great, Kate.”“It was, wasn’t it?” she beams. “Are you coming? He can be very insistent.” She rollsher eyes, and I grin.“You have no idea. I can’t leave Ray for long.” I glance up at Ray and hold my fingersup indicating five minutes. He nods, giving me an okay sign, and I follow Kate into thecorridor behind the stage. Christian is talking to the Chancellor and two of the teachingstaff. He looks up when he sees me.“Excuse me, gentlemen,” I hear him murmur. He comes toward me and smiles brieflyat Kate.“Thank you,” he says, and before she can reply, he takes my elbow and steers me intowhat looks like a men’s locker room. He checks to see if it’s empty, and then he locks thedoor.Holy shit, what does he have in mind? I blink up at him as he turns on me.“Why haven’t you emailed me? Or texted me back?” He glares. I’m nonplussed.“I haven’t looked at my computer today, or my phone.” Crap, has he been trying tocall? I try my distraction technique that’s so effective on Kate. “That was a great speech.”“Thank you.”“Explains your food issues to me.”He runs a hand through his hair, exasperated.“Anastasia, I don’t want to go there at the moment.” He closes his eyes, looking pained.“I’ve been worried about you.”“Worried, why?”“Because you went home in that deathtrap you call a car.”“What? It’s not a deathtrap. It’s fine. José regularly services it for me.”“José, the photographer?” Christian’s eyes narrow, his face frosting. Oh Crap.“Yes, the Beetle used to belong to his mother.”“Yes, and probably her mother and her mother before her. It’s not safe.”