fifty-shades-of-grey

Elliot stands and admires his handiwork. He has re-plugged our TV into the satellite systemin our Pike Place Market apartment. Kate and I flop on to the couch giggling, impressedby his prowess with a power drill. The flat screen looks odd against the brickworkof the converted warehouse, but no doubt I will get used to it.“See, baby, easy.” He grins a wide white-toothed smile at Kate, and she almost literallydissolves into the couch.I roll my eyes at the pair of them.“I’d love to stay, baby, but my sister is back from Paris. It’s a compulsory family dinnertonight.”“Can you come by after?” Kate asks tentatively, all soft and un-Katelike.I stand and make my way over to the kitchen area on the pretense of unpacking one ofthe crates. They are going to get icky.“I’ll see if I can escape,” he promises.“I’ll come down with you.” Kate smiles.“Laters, Ana.” Elliot grins.“Bye, Elliot. Say hi to Christian from me.”“Just hi?” His eyebrows shoot up suggestively.“Yes.” I flush. He winks at me, and I go crimson as he follows Kate out of the apartment.Elliot is adorable and so different from Christian. He’s warm, open, physical, veryphysical, too physical, with Kate. They can barely keep their hands off each other – to behonest it’s embarrassing - and I am pea-green with envy.Kate returns about twenty minutes later with pizza, and we sit, surrounded by crates,in our new open space, eating straight from the box. Kate’s dad has done us proud. Theapartment is not large, but it’s big enough, three bedrooms and a large living space thatlooks out on to Pike Place Market itself. It’s all solid wood floors and red brick, and thekitchen tops are smooth concrete, very utilitarian, very now. We both love that we will bein the heart of the city.At eight the entry-phone buzzes. Kate leaps up - and my heart leaps into my mouth.“Delivery, Miss Steele, Miss Kavanagh.” Disappointment flows freely and unexpectedlythrough my veins. It’s not Christian.“Second floor, apartment two.”Kate buzzes the delivery boy in. His mouth falls open when he sees Kate, all tightjeans, t-shirt, hair piled high with escaping tendrils. She has that effect on men. He holdsa bottle of champagne with a helicopter-shaped balloon attached. She gives him a dazzlingsmile to send him on his way and proceeds to read the card out to me.