Editor, SIP
This is going to be such a fight. I can feel it. Sighing, I gather up my papers
for the meeting.
The meeting lasts for two hours. All the commissioning editors are there, plus
Roach and Elizabeth. We discuss personnel, strategy, marketing, security,
and year-end. As the meeting progresses I grow more and more
uncomfortable. There’s a sub一tle change in how my colleagues are treating
me—a distance and deference that wasn’t there before I left for my
honeymoon. And from Courtney, who heads up the non-fiction pision,
there’s downright hostility. Maybe I’m just being paranoid but it goes some
way to explaining Elizabeth’s odd greeting this morning.
My mind drifts back to the yacht, then to the playroom, then to the R8
speeding away from the mystery Dodge on I-5. Perhaps Christian’s right . . .
perhaps I can’t do this anymore. The thought is depressing—
this is all I’ve ever wanted to do. If I can’t do this, what will I do? As I walk
back to my office, I try to dismiss these dark thoughts. When I sit down at my
desk I quickly check my e-mails. Nothing from Christian. I check my
BlackBerry . . . Still nothing. Good. At least there’s been no adverse reaction
to my e-mail. Perhaps we’ll discuss this tonight as per my request. I find that
hard to believe, but ignoring 131 | P a g e
Fifty Shades Freed
my uneasy feeling, I open the marketing plan I was given at the meeting.
As is our ritual on a Monday, Hannah comes into my office with a plate for my
packed lunch courtesy of Mrs. Jones, and we sit and eat our lunches
together, discussing what we want to achieve during the week. She brings
me up to date with the office gossip, too, which—
considering I’ve been away for three weeks—is pretty thin on the ground. As
we’re chatting, there’s a knock on the door.
“Come in.”
Roach opens the door, and standing beside him is Christian. I’m
momentarily struck dumb. Christian shoots me a blazing look and stalks in,
before smiling politely at Hannah.
“Hello, you must be Hannah.
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