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BONUS CHAPTER!

Why? Why not?

Just feeling generous today I guess. ha ha.

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Chapter 7

~X~


Christine woke to the pleasant sound of chirping birds. Not cars honking, not screaming babies, or people yelling obscenities at one another…but to honest to goodness songbirds! Her eyes flew open as she quickly took in her surroundings, desperately trying to remember where she was. When the events of the previous day came flooding back to her, she shut her eyes once more, releasing a moan of displeasure.

"Good morning, my wife," came Erik's voice from behind her, causing Christine to instantly roll over and scoot away from him. She gave a yelp of panic when she suddenly ran out of bed and began to fall backwards, frantically grasping for anything with which to impede her descent. Like lightning, Erik's left hand shot out, grabbing hold of her arm as he prevented her from painfully toppling onto the floor. "Careful there, little one, we don't want you taking a tumble now, do we? I would hate to have to explain to Antoinette how you got a few bruises and a broken arm…especially on our wedding night! And with her long history of trust issues, I hardly doubt she would ever believe the truth." Erik laughed, pulling Christine safely back from the edge, her silk night dress offering little to no resistance against the satin sheets. "I hope that you slept well, discounting your rather abrupt and eventful waking, that is."

Christine was far too stunned to speak and simply gathered the blankets up around her chin and stared at him. She had caught the brief flash of pain in his eyes at her attempt to distance herself, but as quickly as it came, he seemed to push it down once more.

Erik was already fully dressed, wearing a pair of designer suit pants and a pristine white dress shirt, complete with gold cufflinks. He was currently resting on top of the covers and had just returned to his position of leaning against the headboard, supported by several fluffy pillows. She noted that he was again wearing his white mask, and it suddenly struck her that she had fallen asleep so quickly last night, that she had no idea if he had removed the black one during his slumber. Erik had told her that she would never see him without it, and she highly doubted that he would have risked her waking and catching sight of him if he had chosen to take it off. It couldn't possibly be comfortable, wearing that thing all day and all night, even if he appeared to have one specifically for sleeping purposes. However, it had been his rule, not hers…so she kept her mouth shut.

Christine noticed that in his right hand, Erik still held a packet of papers he had apparently been working on, with a ballpoint pen lying on the covers between them, where he had dropped it in order to grab hold of his falling wife. He seemed to be completely at ease with this odd situation, something Christine wished she could say she felt as well…but she couldn't. Still, Erik had kept his word and not demanded that she do anything more than sleep beside him last night. And if she was forced to admit it…her slumber had been very serene indeed, no bad dreams, no lying awake all night…just perfect peace. How in the world had that happened?

"I do hope the sandman has not robbed you of your beautiful voice," Erik continued, retrieving the pen and clicking the top as he folded the pages closed, before setting them on his nightstand next to his iPhone. "I was so looking forward to us sharing a bit of conversation over breakfast. Are you hungry?"

Her first inclination was to say no, yet her lack of appetite last night had finally caught up with her, leaving her completely famished. In fact, at the mere mention of food, Christine's stomach gave a quiet rumble, firmly protesting the hunger strike it felt she had cruelly instigated.

"It…it would appear so," she told him with a slight blush, as she placed her hand over the disquieted area.

"Excellent! I will see to it while you get dressed," he nodded, easing himself off the bed in a single elegant motion. He had made it halfway to the door before he stopped, snapping his fingers as if he had forgotten something, and returning to the nightstand to retrieve his papers and phone. "Mustn't forget these. I will leave you to get dressed and see you downstairs in, shall we say, thirty minutes?"

Christine nodded silently, and after acknowledging her reply with a slight bow of his head, Erik quickly left the room. Now alone, she couldn't help but wonder if he had taken the papers and his phone with him because he needed them…or because he didn't want her to see them? What exactly had been on those pages? Could he be hiding something nefarious from her? They had appeared to be just a series of numbers…but maybe it was more than that. They could have been anything, from secret Swiss bank accounts, to computer codes designed to crack Fort Knox. Or perhaps all the phone numbers of his past lovers?

Oh, for pity sake, Christine thought to herself. Now who was being overly dramatic? Still…she supposed that none of her suspicions were outside the realm of possibility, and Erik had alluded to his sexual exploits a time or two before. It would be foolish for her to expect that a man such as he had lived a celibate life up until now. How old had he said he was…thirty-eight? The chances of him still being a virgin were pretty slim, especially considering the state of his financial situation. Even despite the fact that he wore a mask, Christine was certain he could easily get a woman willing to look the other way…for a time.

Shaking her head to rid herself of such disturbing thoughts, Christine climbed out of bed and headed for her closet. Choosing her attire turned out to be harder than she anticipated. If one thought deciding what to wear was difficult when you had only a few outfits to choose from, it was ten times as bad when you had too many! When she had at last selected an outfit, a pair of dress slacks and a complementary blouse, she headed for the bathroom to shower.

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At thirty minutes on the dot, Christine began her descent down the stairs and made her way towards the kitchen, the delicious smell of bacon and eggs leading the way. When she opened the door, Erik was standing over the small table in the corner, spooning fluffy yellow scrambled eggs out of a frying pan and onto a couple of plates.

"Right on time," he complimented as he placed the empty pan back onto the stove to cool. "Please, have a seat, I will bring over some coffee and we should be set."

Christine sat down and eyed the feast before her with great anticipation. Normally she raced out of her apartment so quickly each morning, in order to make it to the care center before her father was served his breakfast, that she would often overlook her own. And even when she did take time to eat, it was usually just a piece of buttered toast or cold cereal…assuming she had any milk on hand.

"I was not sure how you liked your eggs, so I took the liberty of scrambling them," Erik continued to speak as he brought over two full mugs of steaming hot coffee.

"Scrambled is perfect," she informed him, taking her napkin and placing it in her lap.

"We also have toast, fruit…and bacon," he told her, lifting a small metal dome to reveal the sizzling pork strips. "I figured it was a safe bet that you were not a vegetarian…since I once saw you eat a hamburger at the restaurant during your dinner break."

"No…I'm not a vegetarian," she assured him, taking several of the delicious looking pieces of bacon onto her plate, along with a large spoonful of fruit and two pieces of toast.

"Ahhh, you are hungry then?" Erik chuckled, helping himself as he watched her dig in. "Last night I began to fear I might have married a woman who ate like a bird. I much prefer to see you with a healthy appetite than foolishly starving yourself to enhance your figure…which is lovely just the way it is." Erik was attempting, in his own odd way, to compliment her, expressing his appreciation for her curves and healthy appearance. Yet when he saw her blush and look away, he decided that speaking of her body might not be the best way to begin a conversation…at least not at this early point in their relationship. However, try as he might, Erik could not think of anything else to discuss…her lovely face and form being the only subjects on his mind at the moment. Thankfully he was saved by Christine, who apparently did have other things she wished to converse about.

"So…tell me, what do you have planned for today?" she inquired, savoring her third piece of the crunchy bacon.

"Nothing of importance. Just a few business meetings and a lunch date with a new client," He paused here and gave her a pointed look. "A male client, in case you were wondering." Erik was not sure why, but he had hoped for some reaction from his wife, perhaps a look of jealousy? Still, Christine seemed more interested in the bacon than in him, thus he continued speaking. "After that, just tons of paperwork that will keep me tied up all day. You know what they say…no rest for the wicked." Erik added a sly smile to his words, catching her eye over the rim of his coffee cup as he took a sip.

"Oh," she replied, quickly turning her attention back to her eggs and away from his heated gaze.

"Might there be a reason for your inquiry, or are you simply attempting to make conversation?" he asked, actually enjoying her apparent interest. Sitting here with her as they talked about their day seemed very mundane and ordinary…and Erik was loving every moment of it!

"May I ask…" Christine began, wondering if she were treading into any grey areas where the contract was concerned, "what is it that you do…I mean, what kind of business is Phantom Industries?"

"A very successful one," Erik told her, a touch of pride showing in his tone. "I employ a little over seven-hundred people, with four-hundred and thirty seven of them working out of our building here in town. The rest are oversees, or in other offices around the country."

"That's…that's a lot of people," Christine said, sounding rather impressed. "But what do you do there?"

"Quite a few things, actually, for we are not limited to manufacturing a single product, or providing a specific service," Erik explained, becoming more serious. "I have my fingers in a lot of different pies, so to speak, from marketing, real-estate, corporate take-overs, and bankrolling many other businesses, big and small. If I see profit in something, I tend to take an interest – whether by investing in a new idea, or buying up a failing company and turning it around."

"And is there a profit to be made in financing research centers…like Leathwood?" she pressed.

"No, there is not," he was forced to admit. "However, I admired the work they were doing and felt that funding them would be a wise investment in other ways, besides monetarily," Erik added, almost appearing embarrassed by his altruistic pursuits.

"And what about me? How shall I be spending my day?" Christine asked as she finished up the last few bites of her delicious breakfast. "What do you expect me to do, now that I'm your wife?"

"Nothing, Christine," Erik insisted, setting his cup down and leaning back in his chair. "You are not my prisoner, nor my servant, and are free to go wherever, and do whatever, you wish. I only ask that you be home in time for dinner, which you and I will share in the dining room. Then, if you are feeling up to it, I would enjoy your company as we spend some time talking and telling each other about the day's events. I will be out of the house a good portion of the time and I certainly do not expect you to sit around here just waiting for my return. You may do as you please. In fact, I had thought you might wish to visit with your father this morning, so I told Gerald to make himself available to take you wherever you would like to go."

"Really?" she asked hopefully, feeling a bit of her worry melting away at his words. When she saw how he was about to respond, she held her hand up to stop him. "I know, I know…you never joke around. You're always deadly serious."

"I see you are catching on," Erik replied with a slight chuckle of amusement at her words.

"So will that be what I should expect for my life from now on?" she pressed, liking to have everything spelled out in detail, so there would be no more surprises…like sharing the bed last night. "Apparently, you have quit my job for me, and I'm sure the staff at Leathwood will not appreciate me hanging around from morning till night, so what else shall I do with my time?"

"What did you enjoy doing before your father's illness took over your life?" Erik asked thoughtfully.

"I…I loved to sing, and I was taking classes in musical theatre at NJCU," she revealed, feeling as if that had all taken place a lifetime ago. Singing and voice lessons had been her complete focus since high school, but the moment her father needed her, it was shocking how quickly she had given it all up. All the while doing her best to convince herself that singing at the restaurant would be enough to fulfill her need to perform. But she had been very wrong.

"Well, from what I could tell, you were a very dedicated student, since you sing beautifully," Erik complimented. "I very much enjoyed listening to you each night when you performed at the restaurant. However, now that you no longer have an outlet for your talent, might I suggest you think about returning to school? You could take some classes and further your education."

"But I can't afford the tuition," she blurted out, speaking before she had a chance to think about what she was saying. Her hand clamped over her mouth as she saw Erik's eyes narrow in frustration once more. She sure had a way of upsetting his apple cart…mostly without meaning to.

"Christine," he said with an exasperated sigh. "You need to stop thinking this way. You may have been hurting for money yesterday…but today is a whole new story. I promised that you would want for nothing…that includes money for school, if that is what you desire to do."

"I…I'll try and remember," she promised, knowing that it was going to take some getting used to. "And I would very much enjoy taking singing lessons again. But I'm not sure anyone would admit me this late in the year."

"No need to worry," Erik told her, waving his hand in a casual manner. "You already have an interview scheduled at Juilliard this Monday at ten in the morning."

"WHAT?" she gasped, almost choking on the sip of coffee she had just taken. "Erik…this time you must be joking!"

"Oh, my silly little wife…when will you learn?" he chuckled, apparently enjoying her disbelief this time. "I am not joking, and I have no doubt that once they hear you sing, you will be accepted immediately."

"But…Juilliard? Do you know how many famous singers came out of that school?" Christine placed her palms against her now pale cheeks, trying to process what Erik was saying. "I…I wouldn't know what to do…or how to act! Besides, there's no possible way I could work up a decent audition piece before Monday! Oh, Erik…what have you done?"

"Calm yourself, Christine," Erik said with another heavy sigh, now wishing that there was not a solid piece of wood separating them, for he wanted nothing more than to take his distraught wife in his arms and soothe her. Although, in retrospect, this might only agitate her further. "You have nothing to worry about. You will walk in there with your head held high, act just like yourself - and no one else - and do splendidly. As for your audition piece, do not fear, I will assist you with that, assuring that you are more than ready by Monday."

"You will help me? How?" Was Erik going to hire some expensive tutor to train her vocally? The idea was ludicrous, but suddenly Christine did not doubt that he very well might do exactly that.

"I will explain everything tonight when I get home," he informed her, finishing his coffee and standing up from the table.

Christine had always hated being kept in the dark and quickly opened her mouth to protest. Yet a stern look from Erik, along with his finger raised in a warning gesture, halted her words of objection.

"The plan I have come up with is very detailed, and I do not have the time to explain everything right now, Christine," Erik told her as he picked up both their breakfast plates and carried them to the sink, taking the time to rinse them off before stacking them neatly to be washed later. "Thus you must have to curb your curiosity until this evening."

Christine was still a bit upset over being put off, but from his words and actions she knew better than to argue with him. She would know his mind when he deemed it time to tell her. In the meantime, Christine found it bothered her to be waited on like this, used to taking care of herself, as well as those around her.

"I can wash my own dishes," Christine protested, scooping up the coffee cups and other utensils as she followed him to the sink.

"No, Christine, your days of busing tables are over," Erik informed her, shutting off the faucet and wiping his hands on a nearby towel. "You now have much loftier goals to pursue."

"But…how did you even know I would want to go back to school? What if I'd said I had no interest in singing anymore?" she questioned, still amazed at how he apparently knew what she was thinking before even she did.

"From what I have observed of you, I was already quite certain of your response," Erik stated, looking extremely pleased with himself. "However, not to be caught unprepared, you are also currently enrolled in a cooking class, art lessons, a gardening program, and a defensive driving course."

"Well…aren't I the busy girl!" she responded, finding it all a bit overwhelming. "Why the driving course?"

"I once overheard you telling your workmate that you always wished you had learned to drive," he explained, feeling the need to justify his choice in activities. "That living in the city had never afforded you the opportunity to do so. I thought perhaps you might wish to learn such a skill, now that you have the time. Although there is not really a need for you to do so, I know how to drive very well, and Gerald will take you anywhere in the city you wish to go."

"Well…I'll have to think about it," she mused. City life had indeed never required her to learn to operate a vehicle on her own, and since she and her father had never owned a car, why bother? Buses and subways had always been her only mode of transportation, and up until now they had served her quite well. Still…it might be fun.

"Take your time in deciding, there is no rush," Erik shrugged, not at all concerned if she chose to take the classes or simply blow them off – the fees had already been paid but he couldn't care less if the money ended up being wasted. Christine was worth it. "Your things from your old apartment should be arriving sometime this afternoon, but Janet will be here to receive them if you choose to go out."

"Janet?" Christine questioned, not knowing who that was.

"The young lady who cleans the house," Erik explained. "She comes in around eleven and then leaves when Mrs. Murphy arrives at three, so you will not need to rush home. Take your time and have a nice long visit with your father." He then looked at the Rolex on his wrist and gave a tisking sound. "As much as I would love to stay and chat, I must be getting to work. It would certainly not do for the boss to be late…although, one might expect me to be a bit tardy, seeing as how I was just married yesterday." He gave her a sly wink at his insinuations, but allowed no time for a response as he headed out the door and into the foyer.

Christine followed, watching as he reached for his tie, which was lying over his jacket on the back of a chair near the front door. Slipping it around his neck Erik began to tie it with amazing skill and speed, obviously having performed the task a million times before.

"Antoinette dropped off your purse this morning while you were still asleep," he told her, gesturing towards the long, thin table to the right of them. "You left it at the Pavilion last night and she felt you might have need of it today. I have taken the liberty of replacing your old phone with a newer model…the one you were using was positively primitive." Noting her look of shock out of the corner of his eye, he quickly added, "Don't worry, I transferred all your information and data over, as well as programmed the numbers you can reach me at as well. So if during the day you require anything, anything at all, please do not hesitate to call. I have also provided you with some cash and a credit card to use. You are a wealthy woman now, Christine, and I expect you not to be shy about purchasing something if it catches your eye."

At first Christine was extremely irritated that he had gone through her purse and phone, feeling like it was an invasion of her privacy. Yet a part of her wanted to giggle at the idea of him finding her emergency stash of feminine products in the zipper pouch; would Erik have been embarrassed? Knowing him…probably not. Still, she fought down her annoyance and chose to bite her tongue, not remarking on the offence.

"What time will you be…home?" she asked, stumbling a bit over the word and all it implied.

"I shouldn't be any later than five, but one never knows with New York traffic," he told her, grabbing his coat and a set of keys before heading for a door to the left of them. Not knowing what else to do, Christine followed once again, finding herself standing in the doorway to an oversized garage. She was shocked to see not one…but three cars parked there, all polished so brightly she could see her reflection in them. She had never been good at identifying cars, but even she knew what a Ferrari, a Porsche, and a Jaguar looked like. A slight thrill ran through her as she wondered if Erik would ever let her drive any of them…assuming she passed the driving course he had signed her up for.

"Are these all yours?" Christine asked, stepping forward and running her fingers down the side of the sleek, black Ferrari in front of her. She was startled when he reached out and gently tipped her chin towards him, locking her in a captivating gaze.

"Ours, Christine. The cars belong to both of us," Erik once again reminded her. "What's mine is yours, just as what's yours…is mine."

Christine could hear his possessive tone in his final words, reminding her all too well of her obligation to share with him the one and only thing he could never buy for himself. And yet, he apparently could - and did - for he had bought her!

Erik's actions and kind words this morning had managed to lull Christine into a false sense of comfort, causing her to temporarily forget all the things she had been forced into the day before. Suddenly the large diamond ring on her finger began to weigh heavy as a renewed sense of panic took hold. And as she stared up at the man she was now bound to, she realized that she needed to be far more careful around him than she at first anticipated. He was a danger, to be sure, and not just in a physical way, but to her innermost thoughts as well. Here was a man who took the business world head on, facing down financial moguls, and tearing their companies apart if that be his wish. So, what was one small girl's fragile mind to him? A plaything that he could manipulate simply with the tone of his voice? Christine felt a shiver run through her and she took a step back, pulling away from his fiery touch.

Erik saw the veil of fear falling over her eyes, and he cursed his foolish words. He had schooled his every action thus far, doing all he could to appear the benevolent husband and to put her at ease…until now. Yet it appeared he simply could not help it, for at times her beauty completely overtook him, driving him to release his baser instincts in the form of words. Thank goodness he was able to keep them from emerging as actions…and yet, he knew he could not hold those in for too long either. Yet he had to try, and he could only hope that he would not be required to do so for very much longer.

"Well then, I am off," Erik announced, doing all he could to pretend the last few moments had not happened. He had been hoping to receive a goodbye kiss, as typical husbands were often gifted by a loving wife…yet apparently that had been wishful thinking. Still, he would not give up on the possibility that one day things would change. After all, it was only the first day. With one final look, and a halfhearted smile, he opened the door and slid into the racy leather seat of the Ferrari, turning the key as the engine roared to life. With a push of a button the garage door opened, and Erik made his way out and down the driveway, doing all he could to force himself not to look back.

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Christine stood there and watched as his car disappeared down the long, tree lined driveway. From her vantage point, looking out the garage door, she could see a bit more of the vast grounds of her beautiful new home. Yet the sight of the long black limousine parked in the circular driveway quickly captured her attention. Gerald had been leaning against the hood reading a newspaper, but when he saw her as well, he gave a friendly wave, letting her know he was ready whenever she was. This caused a smile to spread over Christine's face, dismissing the anxious feelings she had just been experiencing in exchange for ones of anticipation. She was going to see her father!

Giving Gerald a quick wave in return, she spun around and headed inside the house, just as the garage door began to automatically lower back down. Grabbing her purse and checking her hair, she headed for the front door. Christine was just about to pull it closed when she realized that if she locked it, she did not have any way of getting back in. However, a quick inspection of her purse assured her that Erik had thought of everything, as an unfamiliar set of keys was found tucked inside. Each was neatly labeled for her convenience: house, gate, garage, and even one that said it was for the mailbox…wherever that might be hidden. Shutting the door firmly behind her, Christine practically skipped towards the awaiting chauffeur.

Gerald was not a small man, in fact she thought he looked more suited for a job as a wrestler than a driver, but she was not about to judge. He had a bald head, though she got the impression it was more by design than typical hair loss, but he had a kind smile which did a lot to soften his almost threatening appearance.

"Where to, Mrs. Thorn?" he asked, opening the back passenger door so that she could get in.

Christine paused momentarily at hearing her new title spoken out loud by someone other than her husband. That was her name now, wasn't it? A brand new bride and one day soon…a mother! But she refused to think about such things right now. For all Christine wanted to do was go see her father, make sure he was being taken good care of, and forget all the rules and responsibilities that apparently came with her new name.

Well, she thought to herself, I might indeed be Mrs. Christine Thorn, wife of the powerful and frightening Erik Thorn…but today I'm going to pretend that I'm still just plain old simple Christine Daaé!


Oh, sweetie, in Erik's eyes you were never plain, old, or simple. You are his Angel of Music. ha ha. Might as well get used to it now.

So, how did Erik do with his first morning as a husband?

Sorry there was no waking up wrapped in each other's arms. WAY too soon for that. ha ha.

Wow, Erik...you really know how to sign a girl up for a lot of classes! Julliard she is both happy and scared about, but the defensive driving class seemed to perk her interest, especially after seeing your fancy cars! Va-va-voom!

Well, next we will see how her first day as Mrs. Thorn goes!

See you Friday!


Guest Reviews:

Guest: Shocked you, did he? Yah, Erik is on the fast track to marital bliss...he just doesn't realize that not everyone travels at the same speed as him. ha ha. I do fancy the darker Leroux or Kay version of Erik, as opposed to the clingy Erik of Webber's making. I believe I said earlier that she was 23...yep, just went back and checked. He is 38, and she is 23. And while Christine is not naive...she is still innocent and uncomfortable with most of what Erik is proposing. Oh well, too late now, she signed. ha ha. Thanks!