Chapter 12: Ana attempts to clear her head by going for a run, but she ends up just wanting to run to Christian’s hotel and demand sex. She wants him, but doesn’t know if she can accept him on his terms. Get your head straight, lady. And do your thinking with the right part of your body!
She wonders if she can be totally submissive to him. I don’t think that’s much of a problem, considering she’s pretty submissive to him already. But finally she’s asking the right kind of question: is she prepared to give him total submission? The most important question has yet to be answered, though. Why would she give him total submission? Is she just after the sexual high? Is she clinging to the idea that she and Christian can someday have the kind of relationship she’s always wanted?
She sends Christian an email saying, “It was nice knowing you,” meaning it as a joke. Apparently she’s forgotten lesson 1 of email courtesy: written tone is sometimes difficult to determine, so don’t make joking remarks over email, especially if you’re dealing with someone whose moods change faster than Texas weather.
Naturally, he doesn’t respond to her silly email, he comes over to her apartment to talk in person. She’s rendered speechless by the fact that Christian Grey is in her bedroom, sitting on her bed. And her hair is in pigtails again. What woman regularly wears pigtails in daily life and not as part of schoolgirl cosplay?
He’s apparently come to respond in person to Ana’s silliness by tying her to the bed and having his way with her right there in her bedroom while her roommate is in the next room.
This guy has a thing for white wine. It seems like whenever Ana’s with him, if he’s not drinking coffee, he’s drinking white wine. Does the author have a white wine fetish just like she’s got a Twinning’s English Breakfast tea fetish?
The scene here is actually not improbable. Mild restraints, ice, white wine, and fairly vanilla sex. On the whole, not much to say about it beyond the fact that Ana actually seems to have learned the proper term for her happy place in her extensive internet research. I’d give it an 8 out of 10 on the plausibility meter.
Afterward, Ana asks him why he doesn’t like to be touched. That’s actually a fair question; I’m wondering the same thing myself.
Ana wants someone to talk to about this alternative lifestyle that she’s probably going to choose, and Christian suggests that she talk with one of his former subs. She’s appalled, and insanely jealous. Yet another sign that these 2 are made for each other. They both get unreasonably jealous of the people in each other’s lives.
Christian keeps doing things with Ana that he says he never does. I’m beginning to wonder if he’s actually telling the truth or if he just wants to make this insecure chick feel special. On the way out the door, Ana is “[for] the first time… wishing he was normal” but it’s totally not the first time she’s wished he was normal. She’s been wanting him to be normal all along and was, in fact, shocked to find that he was in any way abnormal. Both of them are dishonest, either with each other, or with themselves, and possibly both.
Kate comes to check on her after Christian leaves her feeling empty and sad (again). Ana’s roommate is shocked to learn that a powerful man like Christian uses sex as a weapon. Shocked. Like it’s never been done by millions and hundreds of millions of men before. Ana wishes that she could tell Kate everything so that Kate could stop her from “being a fool.” Hold the phone, if you know that you’re being a fool and that you’re going to get hurt; why can’t you stop yourself?
Elliot and Kate, in sharp contrast to Christian and Ana, seem to be a perfectly normal pair in love. Ana is envious. She should be.
Ana reads over the contract again and sends Christian an email with her concerns. One of them being the stipulation that she is to obey him in all things and accept discipline without hesitation. She’s saying she’ll have a problem doing that. I think not. She’s already proven in this chapter that she is more than willing and able to obey him, especially when it comes to punishments. And another thing: out of all the things in this contract that could be deal breakers, the food list is her deal breaker? Are you kidding me?
He emails her in reply, telling her to GO TO BED in capital letters. She has a bedtime. /end scene
Time for jaundice– I mean, cocktails. Only one this time. I’m gettin’ worn out.
Mimosa
Champagne
Orange juice
Mix together in a glass. More champagne than juice, says the book, but if you’re a lightweight like me, or you just don’t like the taste of champagne (hey, it happens), use the opposite ratio.
Enjoy! Hope that I can actually finish this book by the end of the year. It’s not looking good.
Land of Midnight Baking 