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Sadly, another weekend is gone...and Monday has arrived. *sigh*
But here is a chapter to brighten your day.
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Chapter 35
~X~
The following morning, after a leisurely breakfast, the two headed for Leathwood. Erik had made sure to call while his wife was in the shower and personally request that Dr. Mills come in to meet with them. He found it a bit humorous when the receptionist told him that the doctor had anticipated this and had just arrived. Erik assured the woman that they would be there shortly.
He had asked Gerald to bring the limousine around, preferring to spend his time talking to Christine and not concentrating on driving. As they made their way down the busy streets, stopping now and then for backed-up traffic, Christine questioned him again about his ability to throw his voice.
"How did you do that last night, it sounded like you were right there beside me!" she told him. "Where did you learn to do that?"
"I picked up that little trick in the Middle East," he explained. "It came in very handy in my line of work."
"And what line of work was that, pray tell?" she pressed, raising an eyebrow.
"One I do not wish to discuss right now," he stated, putting an end to that line of conversation.
"Then shall we discuss how you did it…can you teach me?" she begged, eager to master this rather odd ability.
"That depends…how serious are you about learning?" Erik asked. "It is not something one studies on a whim. It takes time, concentration, and often years of practice to master it fully."
"Oh," Christine said in a rather disappointed tone. "I'm not sure I want to put that much effort into it. How about you just show me again how you did it. Say something?"
"Very well, Christine, what would you like me to say?" a tiny voice asked from inside her purse. Christine was so shocked she nearly let the bag slip off her lap, her eyes wide with surprise.
"That was amazing!" She was now grinning from ear to ear. "Do it again!"
Erik had to laugh at her childlike wonder, more than happy to entertain her all day if the reward was her radiant smile. He spent the next ten minutes making everything in the limo speak, even causing poor Gerald to bat at his ear several times as an imaginary fly buzzed around his head, irritating him to no end. Yet when Christine rolled down her window at a stoplight and looked out at a group of people standing at a crosswalk, Erik knew the bar was about to be raised.
"Make one of them hear you say something," she begged, a devious little grin on her face.
"All right," Erik nodded, scanning the crowd until he saw a man and a woman standing very close together. It was rather easy to tell that they were husband and wife, their matching rings catching his eye. However, the woman looked rather tired, perhaps having been up all night with the children, or working at some evening job. Unfortunately, her husband, though appearing just as tired, was oblivious to this, looking at the signal light, waiting for it to change. So, thinking quickly, Erik sent his voice out, landing in the ear of the poor woman.
The moment he was finished speaking, the woman's eyes grew wide and she turned to look up at her husband, who stared back at her curiously. Suddenly the woman threw her arms around the man and kissed him right on the lips, shocking him, as well as one or two of the other pedestrians around them.
"What did you say?" Christine gasped. The light turned green, causing them to leave the still kissing couple behind.
"I noticed that the woman looked exhausted, and so I made her think that her husband had whispered something sweet in her ear," he explained, rather pleased with his work. "I had him tell her how beautiful she looked, and that each day she became more and more desirable to him."
"You did?" she asked, placing her hand over her heart. "That's so sweet! And it looked like that was exactly what she needed to hear too."
"So it would seem," Erik nodded, rather satisfied by his efforts. He not only made that woman's day that much better…he had impressed Christine as well.
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They continued on in companionable silence until they reached Leathwood, heading inside as Gerald parked the limo. They found Dr. Mills in her father's room, hooking the man up to some strange wires attached to a machine. Two other technicians were working with him, while Susan was standing off to the side, though she waved at them enthusiastically.
"Good morning, you are just in time," Mills smiled, seeing the couple enter.
"In time for what?" Christine asked, instantly concerned by the strange looking apparatus.
"To see how well your father's nerves have healed thus far," the doctor explained. "Susan told me of his rather miraculous feat last night, and while I'm shocked that he was able to respond so quickly, I won't deny that I've seen this happen in a few cases before. It just proves that your father's a fighter, Christine."
"He always has been," she beamed with pride, kneeling down beside her father's chair and taking hold of his hand. "Did you hear that…you impressed even the doctor? You always were an over achiever." She gave him a wink, hoping that he could hear her love for him in her voice. Christine then turned to Dr. Mills. "So…how does this thing work?"
"It measures the amount of stimulation in the nerves, giving us a percentage of how far along he is," Mills told them, finishing up attaching the electrodes to his temples, chest, and arms. "Now, please stand back, we can't have any outside stimuli during the reading."
Erik helped Christine to her feet, and the two of them stepped back, watching as Dr. Mills and his assistants readied the machine.
"Will it hurt him?" Christine questioned, worry in her tone.
"Not a bit," one of the other men said with a comforting smile. "It is much like a lie detector test, reading slight elevations in blood pressure, synapse function, and a few other things. He won't feel even a tickle."
"Now, here we go," Dr. Mills said, flipping the switch as the machine began to hum. He next turned to Charles, leaning down so that the two men were face to face. "All right, Charles…here's your big chance to impress your daughter. Can you try and move your fingers for us again. I know it's difficult and might wear you out, but it would be a big help if you could."
Everyone in the room held their breath, once again waiting to see if he could do it. Time passed…and then, there is was. Movement!
"Excellent Charles!" the doctor told him, reaching over and turning off the machine. "Now, let's see what the results say."
While Mills studied the long paper that began to feed out the side, Christine helped Susan remove the electrodes, peeling them off gently and laying them on the silver tray beside the machine. They had just finished buttoning up his shirt when the doctor turned around with an impressed look on his face.
"Well, Doctor?" Erik asked, encouraging him to speak.
"It would appear that the serum has indeed halted the attack on his nerves and their protective coating," he told them, a smile spreading across his face. "And while it took a great deal of strength and energy for your father to move even that fraction of an inch…he was able to do it. These numbers tell me that he expended eighty-three percent of his strength, with seven percent results."
"Is…is that bad?" The figures did not sound encouraging to Christine.
"Not at all. It's very good in fact, and I predict they will only get better," he assured her. "Since your father came to us unable to move at all, having lost a great many of his automatic functions already, I was afraid that more would disappear before we turned this all around." He gave Christine a sympathetic look. "I didn't wish to alarm you with this information until it became necessary, but your father stood a good chance of losing his ability to swallow next, as well as blink instinctually, leaving us with no other choice than to hook him up to a feeding tube and possibly tape his eyes shut to avoid infection due to them drying out." When Christine's eyes grew wide with fear, he reached out and placed a hand on her arm in a reassuring manner. "But that is not going to happen now, for your father is improving, not getting worse. This is a very good sign, one that you should celebrate."
"Thank you, Doctor," she said with a heavy sigh of relief. "I can't tell you how wonderful that is to hear." She then looked down at her father. "So what comes next? What can I do to help?"
"Just keep doing what you have been, for I think he is working all the more to get well because he loves you so much," Mills told her, signaling for the other two men to take the machine out of the room. "A lot of the healing will have to be done from the inside, with his body working on repairing itself, but we will aid him all we can. I will continue to check his results, and as soon as he's able, we can try setting up some form of buzzer or light system where he can respond to questions you pose with yes or no answers."
"You mean we can talk to him…and he can answer?" This was almost too wonderful to believe, and Christine reached out and took hold of Erik's hand, clinging to him in her moment of joy.
"That's the hope, yes," he nodded. "Now, why don't we give you three some time to visit and I'll head home to my own family." Here Mills gave Erik a knowing wink. "It is, after all, the weekend."
"And we appreciate you coming in on your day off, Doctor," Erik told him, not looking at all guilty over having called him in. The fact that Christine was currently holding his hand, and had the most lovely smile on her face, had made it all worthwhile in his opinion.
"I would say, anytime…but I fear you might take me up on that," Mills laughed, as he followed the other doctors out the door.
"I'm so happy for you and Charles, Christine," Susan told her, as she passed, reaching out to give the grinning girl a warm hug. "I'll be back in soon to check on him. You just call if you need anything."
"Thank you, Susan," Christine said, watching the kind woman leave.
Once they were alone, Christine pulled up a chair in front of him, while Erik remained standing, not quite sure he wished to intrude on this father/daughter moment.
"Did you hear that, Papa?" she asked excitedly. "Before long we can talk again! Have an actual two way conversation! I have so many things to ask you, Papa, so many things I want to know. And this means you're getting better, that one day you'll be back to normal…back with me!"
Christine continued chattering away, the joy in her voice evident to all. Yet Erik couldn't help but feel a twinge of jealousy over her last statement. Back with her. Erik was not sure he wanted to share his new wife with anyone…not even her father. He had been enjoying being the man in her life, the one she would turn to for help and comfort, but should her father recover, that might all go away. It saddened him more than he cared to admit…and yet, he wouldn't have it any other way. Christine needed her father, and Charles needed her. Erik would never take that away from either of them, and even if it hurt to imagine that day arriving, he would face it with a smile – because he knew it would bring joy to his wife.
And she was all that mattered.
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After a nice long visit, the two departed, heading back into the city. Christine was still talking a mile a minute, and Erik sat there listening with a smile on his face. He loved having a chatty wife.
"Can we please find a flower shop and take a bouquet by to Stacy Martinez?" she asked all of a sudden. "I wish I had thought to bring one of the bouquets from our bedroom, and then we wouldn't have to stop anywhere."
"No, Christine, those flowers are for you alone," Erik insisted. "You earned them…each and every one."
"Well…I still say you're spoiling me," Christine grinned.
"As is my right," he replied with a nod of finality. "And certainly we can stop and get flowers for Miss Martinez. Do you know where she lives?"
"Yes, I asked the school nurse for her address last night before the program," she said with a look of excitement. "And I really want to stop in and see how she's feeling. I know she was terribly disappointed."
"I can imagine," Erik nodded, no stranger to regret himself. "And of course we can, that is very kind of you to think of her. The gesture will be appreciated, I have no doubt."
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So after a quick stop at a flower shop, they headed to Stacy's apartment. The girl lived with her two sisters, all three of them pursuing the arts in one fashion or another. After knocking, they were given admittance, the two other girls a bit in awe over having the famous Erik Thorn in their living room, not even giving his mask a second look. Stacy was feeling well enough to be out on the couch, watching television, and was excited to have visitors. The flowers were a hit, and helped a little to ease her regrets about not going on.
"I was so sick last night, there was no way I could have sung a note, Christine," Stacy told her. "I heard that you took on my part as well as yours. I don't know if I could have done that if I were in your place. And from what I'm told…you brought the house down!"
"Well…you know what they say, the show must go on," Christine laughed, blushing at the compliment. "Edward did marvelous too. You should have seen all the girls in the audience swooning when he sang."
"Oh, I bet," Stacy chuckled. "Men have no idea what they do to us when they sing…am I right?"
"Ummm, yah…no idea," Christine agreed, daring to give Erik a side-glance as she said this.
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Soon it appeared that Stacy was growing tired, so they said their goodbyes, telling her to get better soon. Out in the car, Christine started to giggle, causing Erik to look at her in confusion.
"Are you unwell, Christine?" he asked, finding nothing humorous enough to evoke such a reaction in his wife.
"No…it's just that…well, didn't you notice?" she asked, trying to stifle her laughter. "The way Stacy's sisters were nearly drooling over you the whole time?"
"They what?" Erik looked shocked. "You must have been seeing things."
"Oh, I was seeing things all right…things like them undressing you with their eyes!" she informed him. "And right in front of me too! Looking back, I probably should have scratched their eyes out or something!"
Now Erik was truly speechless. Was Christine…jealous?
"I mean, I wouldn't have, of course," she continued, unaware of her husband's reaction to her words. "I'm not the violent type by nature. But come on, they were ogling you like you were a piece of prime grade A meat in a store window. And while you're probably used to such things…I am not!"
Erik had indeed been on the receiving end of many women's attentions, but he had always believed it was due to his wealth and power. Could he have been mistaken?
"You do know that you have nothing to worry about, correct?" Erik was quick to assure her. "I promised you complete fidelity in this marriage. I will not break that promise Christine…or your trust. Do you believe me?"
She turned to stare up into his eyes, seeing that he was indeed deadly serious.
"I do believe you, Erik," she nodded at last. "Just as I hope you know I'll never be unfaithful either."
"I do," he assured her.
"Then…I guess we both have nothing to worry about, do we?" she stated matter of factly.
Oh, but Erik did have plenty to worry about…so many things that were out of his control. So much that could potentially go wrong, things that could take Christine away from him. And he dearly hated that feeling of helplessness.
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Since it was Mrs. Murphy's day off, Erik had suggested they remain in the city and go to dinner at a nice restaurant, but Christine said she was not up to eating out. Claiming that after working in food service herself, the idea of dining out lost a bit of the appeal. So, placing an order for take out, they picked up something and took it home, arriving back at the mansion just as it got dark.
"Would you like to eat in the dining room, or the entertainment room?" Erik asked, setting the food containers on the counter and getting out a couple of plates.
"The entertainment room is fine," she assured him, grabbing a few sodas from the fridge.
"As you wish," he nodded, carrying their meals into the comfortable room, with Christine right behind him.
They talked while they ate, with Christine sneaking glances at Erik when he was not looking. She found it interesting that he could manage to eat while wearing a mask. Granted, it didn't go so far down as to impede his lips, but doing anything with half of your face covered couldn't be easy. If she wasn't here…would Erik normally take it off when dining? How about sleeping? Did he ever take it off?
"What is it you are thinking about, Christine?" Erik asked, taking note of her quizzical look.
"Oh, nothing…I was just…never mind," she stammered, quickly going back to her own meal.
Erik's mind was spinning with possibilities, and most of them revolved around his face…yet that was never a subject he wished to discuss, especially when he and Christine were having such a pleasant evening. He could only hope it never came up…ever!
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"I have a gift for you, Christine," Erik announced, once they were finished eating.
"A gift?" she asked, instantly curious. The two of them hadn't been out of each other's company all day, when did he have time to get her anything?
"It is a small present, but something I think you will enjoy," he told her with a smile. He stood up and walked to his desk, returning with a thin, square object, wrapped in pretty paper and tied with a bow. "For you."
Christine, never one to care about saving paper or anything, ripped into it with abandon. Yet when she saw the contents, she looked up at Erik in confusion.
"A book?" she asked.
"Not just any book…read the title," he prompted.
"The New York Department of Motor Vehicles…driver's manual," Christine read out loud, full understanding finally hitting her. "You're going to teach me to drive?"
"I said I would," he reminded her. "And I think if you study hard, you could easily try for your permit next week. How does that sound?"
"Uhh, how about I study hard and let you know when I'm ready?" she suggested, flipping through the pages a bit nervously.
"That sounds fair," Erik nodded, sensing her trepidation. "And we can begin your training by driving on our private property…that way you can get some time in behind the wheel and not be at risk of getting a ticket."
"Or killing anyone," she stated with a nervous laugh.
"I highly doubt you would do any such thing, Christine," Erik said, shaking his head. "For I will see that you are properly schooled in every safe driving technique."
"And will I get to drive your Ferrari?" Christine asked, excitement showing in her eyes.
"Of course…but not until you pass all your tests," he informed her, holding up his finger as a warning.
"Then what car will I practice in? I can't just take the driving test without first being behind the wheel of a car."
"No, you cannot," Erik agreed. "Thus…we will use Amir's car."
"Oh, we will, will we?" Christine giggled, wondering what the Persian would think about that. "And why is that?"
"His BMW is much more suited for learning to drive than any of mine," he reasoned. "Amir's car is also an automatic, where mine are all stick-shift. I think it would be much safer for you this way."
"And will Amir agree to this?" she asked.
"More than likely…and if he does not, we will just not tell him." Erik's evil grin told Christine that he almost hoped his friend would say no, just so he could pull one over on him.
"Well, I promise to study hard and learn everything I can to make sure I don't wreck anything," Christine promised.
"I am certain you will do just fine," Erik assured her, having long ago come to the conclusion that there was nothing Christine couldn't do once she set her mind to it. He only hoped she had the same determination about making this marriage a success.
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Monday arrived, and with it a great deal of adulation from her professors and peers at Juilliard, making Christine's face hurt from all the smiling she had done throughout the day. Yet that smile faded quickly when she headed out to meet Gerald in front of the school like always.
"No, babe, I'm sorry…I can't come right now," she heard her driver say into his phone as she approached the car. The large bald man was leaning against the limo with a despondent look on his face. "Can you hold on for a bit longer…maybe an hour and then I might be able to come?"
"What's going on?" Christine asked, not liking what she was hearing. "Who are you talking to?"
Gerald asked the person on the phone to hold on, covering the mouthpiece with his hand before answering her.
"It's Charlotte," he explained. "Her car broke down and she can't get it started."
"And why can't you go help your girlfriend out?" she questioned, not sure what was holding him back.
"I'm still on duty. I have to take you to Leathwood…and then home," he told her, sounding as if his reasoning should be obvious.
"Oh, pish!" Christine said with a wave of her hand. "Where's she at?"
"Downtown, on west thirty-fourth street," he answered. "But Mr. Thorn wouldn't be happy if I…" But here Christine cut him off.
"You let me worry about Mr. Thorn," she instructed. "That isn't far from Phantom Industries, so why don't you drop me off there and then go rescue Charlotte. I'll tell Erik that I just wanted to pop in and say hello, and have him drive me home. I don't think he'll mind."
Gerald was torn…on one hand he truly did want to help his girlfriend. Yet, one never knew what Erik Thorn would say or do when plans got changed at such short notice. But still…wouldn't his own wife know best?
"All right, if you think it'll be all right?" he agreed.
"I know it will," she grinned. "Now tell Charlotte you're on the way."
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Ten minutes later, Gerald pulled up in front of the fourteen story building, thanking Christine once again for allowing herself to be inconvenienced for his sake.
"Just tell Charlotte I said hi," she grinned, hopping out of the limo and waving to him as she sprinted up the steps and through the glass doors.
Once inside, Christine took a moment to enjoy the view. Granted she had walked through this lobby twice before, but both times she was in a bit of a state, and had not taken time to look around. The third time she had come to Erik's office had been for the interview, and they had bypassed the lobby altogether, coming directly from the parking garage. Now, with time to spare, Christine did take a moment to gaze at the magnificent things around her.
There was a large circular desk in the middle of the room, with two men and one woman apparently there to direct visitors to where they needed to go. She counted two other men, dressed in security uniforms, standing next to large pillars, alert and ready for any danger. There were also copious amounts of plants, artwork and even a pretty little fountain with a statue of a woman holding a water jar on her shoulder in the center. The sound of the liquid pouring out of the jar was very soothing, making the whole place feel warm and inviting. Christine could only imagine that those that worked here enjoyed the ambiance as they arrived each morning.
Once her visual tour was over, she headed for the elevators. There were three of them, all in a row, but she knew that the one she needed was the one in the middle. For while all three would take you to the first twelve floors, only the center one would go to the top…and that was where she would find Erik.
When the doors opened, and she stepped inside, Christine looked at the panel…and unable to help herself, she pushed the button for the thirteenth floor. Erik had said that was where he had created his private apartment, and she found that she would very much like to see it. Yet, instead of the elevator starting to lift off, taking her to the floor of her choice, a red light began to blink, followed by a little display screen telling her to enter a code.
"Well, I don't know the code," she huffed, realizing that Erik wouldn't allow just anyone to visit his personal space. "So I guess I'll just have to go straight to the top." And pushing the button for the fourteenth floor, up she went.
However, since she also didn't have the code to make the elevator bypass all the other floors, like Erik had done, she found it stopping periodically to pick up a passenger. Soon she was crammed in with two other women, and three men…one pushing a mail cart. As they shuffled around, letting some off and others on, Christine ended up blocking the mail cart, forcing her to exit the elevator on the ninth floor, in order to let the man get off at his destination. Unfortunately, the mail person took so long doing so, that the doors began to shut before she could make it back on. Christine thought about sticking her hand in between to stop it, but really never felt comfortable doing that…worried it would continue to shut and cut her arm off.
So, with a sigh, she pushed the button, requesting that it stop again on its next trip past. While she waited, Christine looked around, wondering what kind of work took place on the ninth floor. It appeared very busy, with everyone heading this way and that, phones ringing, and dozens of people sitting in their cubicles, typing away at computers. There were sounds of laughter, talking, and the beeps and clicks of machines whirling away, leaving Christine to guess that everyone was working hard. It made her happy to know that her husband supplied all these people with employment…that because of Erik, everyone here had a paycheck at the end of the week.
"Well, hello there," came a voice to her left, causing her to turn. There stood a very handsome African-American man, a few years older than her, she guessed, dressed in a fine suit. "You appear to be lost. Might I assist you in some way?"
And while his offer was kind, Christine couldn't help but notice that his body language gave her the impression that he had more on his mind than simply offering directions.
"No, I'm fine," she told him, giving him a friendly smile. "I just got off at the wrong floor, and I'm waiting for the elevator to return."
"If you're not in a hurry, I was about to get myself a cup of coffee…might I interest you in one as well?" he offered, gesturing to the small room nearby that looked to be their little kitchen area. "We serve only the best here at Phantom Industries."
"Oh, I'm sure that's true," she giggled to herself, knowing that Erik was a stickler for details. And while Christine found his interest in her a bit inappropriate, seeing as how she was obviously wearing a wedding ring, she couldn't help but also be flattered that such a handsome man would be coming on to her. Still, flattered or not, Christine knew she needed to put an end to this. "Thank you for the offer, but I fear I must decline."
"That's too bad," he said with a disappointed smile. Yet before he could say any more, assuming of course that he meant to, they were interrupted by a rather threatening voice behind her.
"Is everything all right here, Mrs. Thorn?" Amir asked, approaching them with a stern look on his face.
"Just fine, Mr. Dessan," she assured him, turning around and giving him her sweetest smile. "And I suppose I shouldn't be surprised at all to find you lurking nearby."
"Mrs. Thorn?" the man to her left all but squeaked, taking a step back as his eyes grew wide with fear. "You're…you're the boss' wife?"
"Yes, Christine Thorn," she introduced herself, extending her hand in a friendly gesture. "And you are?"
"Dead meat if the boss hears about this!" he gasped, holding up his hands as he began to back further away. "I'm nobody…less than nobody…in fact I was never, and you never saw me!" And with that, he turned and disappeared, not even saying goodbye.
"Well, that was rather odd behavior," she chuckled. "Are all the employees this afraid of Erik?"
"Pretty much," Amir shrugged. "And they have good cause to be, especially if they dare to hit on his wife."
"He had no idea who I was," she assured him, waving off any concern he might have on the subject. "The man was harmless, and I could have handled it all on my own."
"I'm sure you could, but if I'd have let you, then I wouldn't be doing my job, now would I?" he pointed out.
"And we couldn't have that, now could we?" Christine laughed.
"I do have to earn my salary, you know," Amir agreed. "If not, how will I be able to afford TV dinners and Starbucks coffee? A man's gotta live…right?"
"And I do feel so terribly sorry for the deplorable conditions you are forced to endure," she told him, sticking out her lip and giving him a sympathetic pout.
"Dang girl…do you use that look on Erik?" the Persian asked, a wide smile gracing his lips. "If so, no wonder he can't say no to you."
"Oh? So, you think this pouty face can work wonders on my husband?" she asked, feeling as if she had just been handed a secret weapon.
"If I know Erik, and I think I do, I can say without a doubt, that you have no idea the kind of power you hold over that man," Amir said with an amused shake of his head. Just then the elevator bell rang and the doors opened. "Now, if you're quite finished frightening poor men out of their wits, what say we head up and put a smile on Erik's face? He's not expecting you, I take it?"
"Nope, not at all," Christine confirmed, stepping inside the now empty lift. "Do you think he'll be pleased that I came?"
"Christine, I can guarantee that he'll be tickled right down to his socks," Amir laughed, hitting the button for the fourteenth floor…along with the code for a direct and fast ascent. Amir wasn't taking any more chances with Christine running into other employees set on asking her out. He had to snicker to himself, imagining that poor man scurrying to the restroom to change his pants. However, this was probably not something Erik would find amusing, so he decided it was best not to even mention it. Amir would let the man live…this time.
That was very generous of Amir to let that poor man live. ha ha.
So, her Papa IS getting better, and soon will be able to answer yes and no questions. Hope Erik is ready for that.
Erik got hit on! And look so did Christine!
Wonder what Erik will say to her visit this time?
Guest Reviews:
Guest: Yep, three in a row...all for YOU! They are working on the openness...it is better that way I think. Thanks.
Kristin: Yes, the man CAN be taught, it would seem. ha ha. After ten years with the two of them dancing around each other but never making a move...I think they WILL need a little push. ha ha. Oh, Christine...can you help with that? Thanks.
Gummy: YOU are the one who brought it up...so you have to deal with the haunting visual. ha ha. Oh yes, I'm sure Christine DID think she was going bonkers. But she quickly got over it and is rather intrigued by Erik's ability. Thanks
Cayla: (chapter 33) I think Christine was on cloud nine after all that happened. Her dad moving was the highlight of the evening too. Erik is a pretty good smooth talker too, isn't he. He's getting much better as well...a lot better in fact after that whole "you are the least objectionable woman I know" thing. Amir is never safe from Erik's quips. ha ha. Phil knows something, doesn't he...but what, and will it mean trouble for Erik? Raoul is like a dog with a bone...not going to let it go easily. I too like Meg and Raoul as a couple, but I've put her with others in the past as well. But no, she does NOT deserve to be played. Thanks.
Cayla: (chapter 34) Yah! when a man gets rid of your horrible X for you, it means love. ha ha. BUT...I think next time he should just send flowers. Antoinette is usually a woman of action...but she's been burned before, so this is scary! Erik is just the type to fill a room with flowers...he knows the way to a woman's heart. And the fact he is willing to give her time and space to discover her feelings, is a BIG BONUS. I am so happy that you find my story entertaining enough to hold your attention even when it looks to be a long one. I TRY hard not to put in 'filler chapters' but from time to time, I have no choice. But I always want something exciting happening to hold your interest. Thanks for your super kind words, they really keep me motivated to keep writing. I love doing it, and am tickled that others enjoy what I do. You are awesome.