Summary
Ana wakes up the next morning in the bed of Christian's hotel room. Ana tries to rebuke him for having tracked her and intervened in her evening, but she can't help being excited by the interest Christian is showing in her. As they eat breakfast together, Christian expresses his attraction to her, and asks that she come back to Seattle with him that evening. Ana agrees. She is surprised to learn that Christian plans for them to travel there by helicopter. As Christian and Ana take the elevator down from the hotel room, he kisses her for the first time.
Christian drives Ana back to her apartment, where his brother Elliott has spent the night with Kate. Christian and Elliott depart, and Kate helps Ana prepare for her date that evening. Then, Ana goes to work her shift at Clayton's. That evening, Christian picks her up and drives her to the heliport where his helicopter is ready. He flies them to Seattle, where they land on the roof of his building. They enter his opulent and beautiful apartment, where Christian has Ana sign a non-disclosure agreement.
He shows her his "playroom," a space elaborately designed for bondage, domination, and kinky sex. Christian reveals that he is a dominant, and takes pleasure in controlling women. He would like Ana to agree to a dominant-submissive sexual relationship with him, and begin spending weekends at his apartment. However, Christian is clear that this would not comprise a traditional romantic relationship, since he is not interested in any form of emotional intimacy.
Ana is both intrigued and frightened by what Christian is offering. She questions him, and learns that he has pursued these types of relationships before. Christian shows Ana a contract stipulating rules she will have to obey if they pursue a relationship, and outlining his sexual boundaries. When he questions her about her own sexual preferences, Ana admits that she is a virgin. Christian is shocked, and decides that they should begin by having "vanilla" sex. He takes her to his bedroom and makes love to her, leaving Ana astonished by the pleasure she experiences.
In the middle of the night, Ana wakes up to find Christian playing the piano. She is impressed by his talent, but also senses that he has a melancholic side.
The next morning, Ana wakes up early and makes breakfast for Christian. He initially wants her to stay with him until the following morning, but she negotiates that she will spend the day with him and return to her apartment that night, as she has to work the following day. Their morning is interrupted by a phone call from Kate, who is eager to hear all the details. Ana asks Christian if, despite the non-disclosure agreement, she can discuss her experiences with her best friend. He doesn't like the idea because he fears the information will get back to his brother. Christian and Ana enjoy a lazy morning making love, only to be abruptly interrupted when his mother arrives at the apartment with no warning.
Analysis
Ana and Christian are propelled into a new stage of intimacy after her drunken evening at the bar. Although Christian had initially tried to push her away because he feared that they will not be compatible in their desires and relationship goals, he can't resist going to help her after he suspects she may be in a dangerous situation. When Ana collapses, Christian's dominant and protective instincts are triggered. While almost anyone would want to help Ana under these circumstances, Christian makes the bold choice to take her back to his hotel room, rather than the more obvious possibilities of returning Ana to her own apartment or having one of her friends take her home. Once there, he also undresses her and sleeps in the same bed as her. This could be a gesture of intimacy, especially since Christian indicates that he has never shared a bed with a woman before. It also shows Christian's boldness and sense of entitlement: he could easily have slept somewhere else in the suite, or gotten himself another room. Throughout Christian and Ana's relationship, it will be hard to discern whether he is being protective or totally violating her boundaries, and Ana herself will struggle to gauge the difference. Especially as more details about Christian's past come to light, it seems increasingly likely that Christian himself doesn't know what the difference is between the two. He is terrified of loss, and driven to rigidly control and protect anyone or anything he cares about.
The intimacy between the two also prompts Christian to abandon his attempts at self-restraint. His invitation for her to come to his apartment in Seattle is clearly sexual in nature, and when he kisses her for the first time in the elevator, Ana can no longer hide from the knowledge that he desires her. This evidence of his desire provides her with both a sense of power and anxiousness. Because Ana is sexually and romantically inexperienced, she feels that she is at Christian's mercy to be introduced and instructed. The location of the first kiss reflects the themes of their relationship: the space of an elevator is confined and temporary. It is a liminal space that feels somehow separate from day to day life. Christian's surrender to his desire in this space shows that he is interested in pursuing Ana only under highly specific circumstances which will have to remain divorced from the rest of their day-to-day experiences. The helicopter flight further develops this theme: Christian can literally sweep Ana off of her feet and away from the banal realities she usually has to live with. However, their relationship has to be confined to enclosed, private spaces where no one else is allowed access.
Ana was already overwhelmed by the prospect of having her first sexual experience, and Christian's revelation of his sexual desires shocks her. She was already unsure about whether she could please him and live up to his expectations, and the idea that she will have to engage in sexual acts she is totally unfamiliar with leaves her rattled. Christian makes assumptions and miscalculations about the degree of Ana's sexual experience, creating dramatic irony as he tries to get her to clarify her own tastes and preferences. Christian assumes that Ana is just being shy and reticent, when in reality she has no idea what will give her pleasure. As a result of this lack of experience, even the "vanilla" sex which Ana and Christian initially have still has an aspect of power imbalance and submission. He is the one who takes control, and initiates her based on knowledge and expertise which he possesses and she does not.
