Stan Russ

Anastasia (Ana) Steele is a 22-year-old college student living in Vancouver, Washington with her wealthy best friend/roommate, Katherine (Kate) Kavanagh. They are both on the cusp of graduating from WSU, where Kate is a journalist for the college paper. She is scheduled to interview the “enigmatic CEO of Grey Enterprises Holdings, Inc,” Christian Grey, who is a benefactor of the university and will hand out the diplomas at graduation. However, she comes down with the flu and gets Ana to go to Seattle to do the interview in her place. Ana reluctantly heads to Seattle to conduct the interview and is caught off guard when she comes face-to-face with the handsome 27-year-old billionaire CEO. The interview is rather awkward with Ana being rather nervous and Christian being very intense and arrogant with his responses. We learn a few things about Christian: He is a control freak, and he is adopted, and he is not gay (apparently many people think he is because he is never seen with women despite his good looks and status). He even turns the tables and starts asking Ana questions about herself, and we get a slight sense of a flirty attraction between the two. The interview ends, and Christian sees Ana out to the elevators where they part ways.

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Ana feels embarrassed and foolish in the way she conducted the interview, and she is also rather smitten with Christian but ignores her feelings. We meet Ana and Kate’s friend, Jose Rodriguez, who is a photographer and has a crush on Ana (though she is not interested in him in that way at all).

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Later in the week, Ana goes to her part-time job at a hardware store called Clayton’s and is surprised when Christian walks in. He says he is in town on business and needs a few things (cable ties, duct tape, rope, etc). They exchange some friendly banter, yet Ana tries to remain professional despite being totally disarmed by Christian. Paul, the son of the owner of Clayton’s, comes into the store and gives Ana a rather intense hug which immediately puts Christian off. Paul retreats and Christian and Ana discuss doing a photo shoot for Kate’s article the next day. Christian gives Ana his business card and tells Ana he is glad Kate wasn’t able to make the interview. Ana finally accepts that she “likes” Christian, but knows that it’s a “lost cause” because of who he is.

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Ana and Kate arrange for Jose to take photos of Christian at the Heathman Hotel in Portland. The photo shoot goes well, and Christian asks Ana to go for coffee with him afterwards. Kate and Jose are not happy about this turn of events, and Kate even feels that there’s something “dangerous” about Christian and that Ana is too “innocent” to start anything with him.

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During their coffee date, Christian and Ana get to know each other a little more personally. He talks about his mother Grace (a doctor), father Carrick (a lawyer), older brother Elliot (construction worker), and little sister Mia (studying cooking in Paris). Ana talks a little about her mother Carl

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