TRIGGER WARNING:
This chapter is dark, it contains descriptions and hints of Domestic Psychological Abuse, including Gaslighting, Segregation, Stalking and Non-Physical Sexual Harassment. Please do NOT read this chapter if you feel that such subjects could affect you.
Raoul Fans, this chapter may not be to your liking, Raoul's character (Ralph) is an Abuser in this story.
I apologise for the infinitesimally small amount of humour in this chapter, but it is part of the planned plot line and is needed to add some depth to Christine's background. There is another Chapter due that is just as dark for different reasons that explains Erik and Nadir's past and why they are like brothers.
The comedy returns in the next chapter.
Thank you once again for your lovely comments.
Nothing to do with original books musicals or films of The Phantom of the Opera belongs to me, nothing in The Kay book Phantom belongs to me either. Everything else is my own work.
Forging Ahead
Monday morning and everyone was back to rehearsal. The week went well. Rehearsals were going fantastically. Reyer wasn't getting harassed too much by Erik. Christine was progressing with her lessons, and Erik was happy she was starting to show some modicum of emoting when she sang. Annette was happy the Corps de Ballet had nailed their performances. Meg was happy because everyone else was happy. Nadir finally got to eat a whole bag of cheese puffs without Erik stamping on them. Then they all got to Friday.
Up in his private box Erik was listening to the first run through that morning of the overture and making comments into his headset, which to his irritation, Reyer seemed to be ignoring. Using his opera glasses, Erik discovered why.
Sighing with pure annoyance, Erik placed two fingers in his mouth and one loud whistle later, the rehearsal stopped as Erik's peeved expression appeared over the rail of his box.
"Hey! Di... Dingbat!" Erik yelled at the startled Conductor. "Turn your damned headset on!" he continued, "Apologies for the language ladies." He added, before sitting back down, as Reyer fumbled around before he switched his headset on. With that the orchestra sighed collectively and got ready to start again from the beginning.
"Nice to see everything back to normal." Annette declared, before heading to the studio to begin warming up the Corps de Ballet.
However, one person was not having such a good morning, Joe Bouquet went to see if there was any more of the good stuff, he could steal from the hiding place he had found, to see it was empty.
"Bollocks! Now what am I supposed to do for the rest of the bloody day." Joe moaned, just as the chorus made their way to the wing, he was located in. Then he spied the one female member he had not yet tried his luck with. "Maybe it's time for Swedish 'meet' balls!" he sniggered at his own lame joke, as he plotted how to get Christine Daae alone.
ooo
It was not until just after lunch, that Joe got his opportunity. The rest of the cast and chorus were getting comfy in the green room, the afternoon was for Carlotta to go over her arias, and as per normal, she refused to have anyone on stage with her, even her co-star, the house's own tenor Ettore Giordano was reading his libretto in his dressing room, as he waited patiently to be allowed by Carlotta to join her with the rest of the cast for rehearsal. Not one of them were permitted during the Diva's personal rehearsal time, even if they were required for the scene.
Annette had taken the Corps back to continue practicing in the studio. The only cast member in the wings was Christine, who was watching the diva's performance and studying it ready for her lesson that night.
Seeing his opportunity, Bouquet slunk up behind Christine, as she seemed engrossed in Carlotta's performance of 'In Questa Reggia.'
He never got a chance to figure out what went wrong, one second, he was about to grab the Swedish chorus girl's bottom, the next he received a back kicked heel in the groin, followed rapidly by an elbow in the stomach and a sensation of flying as Christine turned on him, then grabbed him, and with all her might, using a basic hip throw, she tossed him out of the wing and onto the stage.
Erik spotted the little irk flying out of the wings, "Just keep playing!" he instructed Reyer.
Despite the loud thump as Joe's backside contacted the stage, Carlotta was so enraptured with her own singing that she never even flinched at the noise.
Up in his private box, Erik reached quickly for an odd remote control, located the button he needed and pressed it.
Joe had barely regained his surroundings, when there was a click sound and he disappeared without even a chance to yell, down a trap door and out of sight.
Erik sighed with relief, as the trapdoor shut again. "I just hope Nadir collected the special order and has hidden it where I told him to." He said under his breath, and he put the remote back and went back to watching the rehearsal. Which lasted all of five minutes as Carlotta decided to throw a diva tantrum regarding her role now being Mezzo-soprano instead of the Soprano role it was originally written as.
ooo
Down under the stage, Nadir had just finished hiding the special-order, when he got quite the shock as one of the trapdoors near the left wing opened and deposited a rather bewildered Joe Bouquet on the safety mat below before automatically shutting.
Getting out without Joe noticing him, was for Nadir not as difficult as it seemed, as Joe Bouquet's nose lead him right to the stash and he grinned happily as he pocketed it.
With Joe occupied with getting to the cellar in order to enjoy his once more apparently stolen goodies. This allowed Nadir to exit from one of the secret passages Erik had placed under the stage.
ooo
Meanwhile up in the manager's office Mr Andrews and Mr Firman were busy. The owner was demanding that it was time to start planning the end of run masquerade event and the managers had the task of contacting all the patrons and updating their details ready for the invites that were due out.
However, this year they had hit a snag, all the patrons were asking the same thing. After four years of Erik's apparent nonattendance, they all demanded to meet the Musical Director.
Andrews sighed, "Richard, I have just had Lord Smyth-Jones's secretary saying that unless his lordship can meet our musical director then he is seriously going to reconsider his patronage. Oh, our second biggest Patrons are already on their way here demanding to see Mr Jardinier today." Andrews added wearily.
Mr Firman, nodded wearily, "Giles old boy, I have had a similar conversation with the Wallingford-Dickinson's PA, no musical director no patronage. That is the seventh request in as many phone calls."
"That bloody man doesn't have an office I can find, so we will have to grab him in his box." Andrews announced as he stood up, with a huff Firman followed suit.
ooo
"I'm surprised the owner let's him get away with it." Andrews moaned, as both managers made their way to Erik's private box.
"I do not think the owner cares!" Firman replied waspishly. "From what I have seen he only attends the masquerade to see who the patrons are and needs the head of security to translate for him. Rumours have it the owner is some foreign Middle Eastern millionaire who had this place built cause he couldn't buy the Royal Opera in Covent Garden." Firman added as they reached the door and knocked.
ooo
Erik was less than impressed at being caught by the two men, but since he had just spent twenty minutes soothing Carlotta's ruffled feathers, which had required him standing on his bad foot, he was in pain, feeling tired and not thinking, so he allowed them in.
"Ah, Maestro." Andrews grovelled, as Firman put on his fakest smile.
Erik sighed inwardly, it was already not a good day, made even worse now since these two grovelling was a bad sign, something was definitely up. Little did he know his bad day was going rapidly down like a sky diver with no parachute.
ooo
Christine's day was not any better, after nearly being assaulted by Bouquet she had then been insulted by Carlotta. The last little nasty surprise of the day finished her right off, and she headed up to Erik's office for her lesson in the foulest mood.
ooo
Up in his office Erik was unwinding from his own badly trying day. First his foot was aching like buggery, the issues with the headsets, then Carlotta's paddy whack, finally having to host a sudden tour and 'constructive conversation' with the house's second largest patrons after Piangi.
After pounding out the angriest, darkest music he could think of, Erik strode to his drinks cabinet and poured himself a restoring drink. Sitting himself back comfortably in his chair behind his desk, he lovingly looked at the brandy balloon with its sanity restoring triple measure of Armagnac, and took a large swig, removing the glass from his lips just as his student barged through his door, shut it forcefully turned to face her tutor with a look that could kill at a hundred yards, took a deep breath and still warmed up post rehearsal, promptly hit an impressive G7 at full volume.
Erik knew there was something very wrong when his brandy balloon started vibrating, he managed to get it above his waste bin just as the glass shattered dumping his sanity restorative, into the bin along with most of the balloon, leaving him holding just a short glass stem.
Christine stopped holding the note as the glass shattered and looked like she was going to cry. "den där jävla ljugande jäveln" she shouted to no one in particular, "Den där luriga lilla skitväskan, jag hoppas att hans nötter blir ruttna och faller av!" she added before taking a breath and realising that Erik was sitting like a statue at his desk, holding a broken glass and wearing a horrified expression.
"Urm, not one to pry..."Erik started cautiously, "but have I done something wrong?" he enquired gingerly.
"You understood that?" Christine asked, her face going from puce of anger to white, to bright embarrassed red in rapid succession.
"Yes." Erik answered simply, "You have just stormed into my office, hit a perfect G7, then declared in Swedish that fucking lying bastard, that devious little shitbag. Then you hoped his nuts would go rotten and fall off!" Erik replied, as Christine's face went even darker red.
"Erm it's not you." Was all she could say as her expression told Erik; her anger had started bubbling again.
Fearing for the rest of his glasses and himself, Erik dropped the stem of his shattered brandy balloon into the waste bin, checked quickly to ensure there was no broken glass anywhere but in the bin and jumped out of his chair, hobbled straight to his libretto library and hurriedly found the piece he was looking for.
"You seem perfectly warmed up." Erik noted as he handed the music to Christine, then went and sat down at his piano. "Let us work on this tonight, let the stress of the day out. I think this is the most suitable piece." He declared as he began a short intro.
Had this been a beautiful aria about love, Erik would have been delighted at the fact that Christine was for the first time showing in her voice exactly the emotions required for the piece. Alas, the piece he chose for his student to vent her anger through music was 'Der Holle Rache Kocht in Meinem Herzen' from the Magic Flute and the wrathfully boiling anger that came through her singing was making Erik uneasy.
It took Christine singing the entire aria three times before Erik started to hear her anger fading and her voice tire, so he made her stop.
"Refresh yourself and we will start your cool down exercises." Erik instructed as Christine took a long drink from the glass of cool water that Erik had prepared before her arrival.
"Thank you Erik I needed that." Christine acknowledged, refusing to alliterate further the cause of her vexation. She then sat down on the club chair nearest his desk cradling the rest of her water.
"Remind me never to make you that angry." Erik declared as he collected the music and put it back in his library.
ooo
Once Christine's voice was cooled down, Erik looked at his pupil from his seat at the piano, "I think that is enough for tonight." He said calmly before thinking for a moment. "My foot is giving me hell, I think you also need a rest, how about we head home, get freshened up grab Annette and Meg and go out for dinner?" he asked.
"Don't forget Nadir!" Christine replied, a dose of him and Erik negotiating over dinner, seemed just the tonic after this day.
Erik was already pulling a face at the request, when Christine pointed out a flaw in his plan. "Otherwise, you will be the only man at dinner and will bombarded with Girlie talk."
Erik's expression at that thought screwed up even more. "You have a fair point there, also he can drive my car, since my foot will not take it." He conceded. "I'll place the calls and book a table for us all." He finished already dialling Annette's number.
ooo
When Erik, Nadir and Christine pulled up outside Annette and Meg's home, the two ladies happily climbed in the back with Christine, grateful that Erik's car was a luxurious and spacious Bentley.
"Whoa, nice car!" Meg commented as Nadir pulled the car away from the pavement and towards everyone's dinner. "You get to come to work in style." She added smiling at Christine.
Shaking her head Christine corrected her bestie's assumption. "No Nadir picks me up each morning in his Micra." She explained, "Can you imagine the rumours if anyone discovered I live with Erik? Life would become very awkward for both of us, and the managers would find it hard to see past that, if I go for any auditions, they'll think that I'd get the part because Erik is my patron, if you get my meaning." She added with a wink.
Annette sat quietly listening and watching for a silent but listening in Erik's reaction. She didn't have to wait long before his ears went brilliant red with embarrassment. Smiling to herself, Annette wondered if that was because he would like to be his student's patron. Christine had certainly made a big impact on the man. The fact he was taking them all out for dinner instead of ordering dinner to be brought to his home was a massive step for him.
La Vert Mer was one of the best restaurants in the city, and as Nadir pulled up, the valets assisted the ladies and then to Erik's annoyance, himself out of the car before taking the keys from a sniggering Nadir and parking the car, as the friends entered the reception area to be greeted and seated.
Nadir kept his comments to himself until they were all seated in a secluded corner and their pre-dinner drinks and menus had been handed to them. "I say Erik, do you think the chef would puree your dinner for you?" he asked cheekily a grin appearing as his comment reached Erik's ears. "I mean you're getting on a bit, they had to help you out the car and all." He added as Erik scowled.
"Do you think Nadir that they have consommé on the menu, since you're going to need a straw to eat if you keep that up" Erik responded with a huff as Nadir laughed.
"Stop picking on Nadir!" Annette hissed, "He's only doing it to get a rise out of you!" She added, as Nadir looked smug. She then turned her laser like glare to Meg and Christine who were giggling at the men's antics. "Since when has encouraging these two been appropriate in a restaurant?" she pointed out.
Before Christine and Meg could say anything, Erik whined, "He started it!" setting the two younger ladies off giggling again.
"He cannot help being an idiot." Annette declared, as Nadir looked suddenly like he had been slapped. "Like he couldn't help smashing my tea service when he tripped over your cat!" she added.
Nadir developed his own scowl and directed it at his friend. "You told her!" he complained, "You said you wouldn't!" He whined.
It was Erik's turn to look smug, "What can I say..." he started explaining, "The lovely lady forced it out of me." He replied using Nadir's own excuse back at him.
Annette glared at both of them, her ire clear, "You!" she said pointing at Nadir, "Blabbed happily about Erik's bad foot." Then turning to glare at Erik, "And you!" she growled pointing to Erik, "Actually made a point of telling me that Nadir dropped my tea service." She added, making both men look like naughty children as Meg and Christine gave up giggling and started laughing.
"It is no good." Christine said quietly as she got her laughter under control, "I need the powder room." She added as her cheeks went pink.
His eyes locked on the menu he was suddenly holding, Erik piped up quietly, "It is over by the bar."
Christine thanked him waited until the men had both gotten up from their seats before taking her leave of the table.
Erik was just about to sit down when he spied two other patrons entering the restaurant, "Oh god no! Not those two idiots again!" he grumbled, as Annette and Meg looked up from their own menus.
"Mama!" Meg whispered urgently.
"I know, we need to shuffle around the table, Christine cannot come back and see those two!" Annette hissed quickly.
"Why?" Nadir asked puzzled as to why Erik looked like he wanted to blow the newly arrived party from the face of the earth, and strangely enough so did Meg and Annette.
"Do not ask, just move!" Annette commanded quietly, the vehemence in her voice told Nadir that this was not a time for questions.
ooo
By the time Christine had arrived back at the table she found a slightly stilted atmosphere at the table, and she was now sitting next to Erik and her back was to the restaurant, Meg was sitting in her mother's place and Annette and Nadir were now sitting facing the busy restaurant.
"Have I missed something?" Christine enquired as she took her new seat next to her tutor.
Meg spoke up, her instantly concocted white lie working perfectly, "Drat, Nadir and I hoped you would not notice!" she said before turning to Nadir with a grin, "You own me five pounds, I told you Christine would notice we all changed places!" she said brightly.
"Wha… I…" Nadir started, as Annette elbowed him in the ribs,
"Just pay her the five pounds, I will return it later!" she hissed, just as the waiter arrived to take their orders.
ooo
The evening continued without further issues. It was just what was needed for everyone. Nadir even forgot that he had given Meg five pounds for no particular reason.
The now happy and relaxed friends were getting ready to leave, when a rather drunken young man stumbling back from the bar area approached the table, much to Annette and Meg's dumb struck horror.
"I thought it was you!" the man slurred as he came up beside Christine and Erik, Erik's expression instantly became a mask of anger as his ears and neck went puce. Christine then turned towards the interloper and fixed a neutral expression on her face.
"Hello Ralph." She replied crisply.
"Heh!" Ralph slurred, before grinning like he was insane, "Too frigid to succumb to me, but still chasing the money eh! Philip was right." He continued, "You caught the old opera guy with a gammy leg who probably couldn't get it up if he tried." He added crassly as he indicated Erik. "If I was you, I'd drop her like a hot stone and stay well away, that one is pure poison all wrapped up in a cute and innocent façade." He then slurred at Erik. Ralph's vitriolic diatribe most likely would have continued if a slightly older version of him had not hurried up to the table.
"What on earth are you doing?" this new man demanded, "Come back to our table, you are making a spectacle of yourself." He instructed before looking with distain at the group Ralph had accosted, ignoring everyone else the man looked directly at Christine
"Hello again!" the new man sneered.
"Good evening to you too Philip." Christine replied coldly, as Philip grabbed Ralph by the shoulder and tugged him away. Christine turned to face her tutor, who was standing there glaring at Ralph and Philip as they returned to their own table and slowly reaching into the sleeve of his jacket, before Nadir grabbed Erik's arm and stopped him.
"Nah Deewana!" Nadir hissed as Erik looked at his friend, came to his senses and stopped.
"Tashakkor!" Erik replied before turning to Christine, "Are you alright?" he enquired noting that her neutral façade was starting to fail.
"I want to go home please." Christine answered softly.
ooo
It was an almost silent ride to Annette and Meg's home, Christine sat numb and mute in-between Meg and Annette as they held her in a group hug murmuring comforting words. In the front of the car, Nadir was driving, his thoughts running overtime. It had been many years since Erik had even considered pulling his garrotte from its hiding place and using it but the fact that he was about to do so in public spoke volumes, as did the rage pouring off his friend. Nadir could feel it almost like it had a corporeal presence in the car.
ooo
Arriving back at Annette and Meg's home, the two ladies offered Christine the couch and overnight girl's support which she declined for the safety of Erik's rooftop fortress. The car headed back to the Angle. The three friends each deep in their own thoughts took the lift up, breathing a sigh of relief as Erik opened the front door.
ooo
As Christine excused herself to change, Nadir took a seat on the sofa and Erik hobbled straight for the drink's cabinet in the library, returning with three shot glasses and a bottle of clear liquid covered in strange writing. Placing the glasses on the side table nearest Nadir, Erik preceded to remove the seal from the Cork.
Cracking open the top of the bottle, Erik poured three shots. "Aragh, are you planning for me to stay over? This stuff is lethal I won't be able to drive." Nadir noted.
"I have a feeling that Christine would feel safer if you and I watch over her tonight. That arrogant bastard really shook her up." Erik replied, as Christine joined them.
"I take it you are talking about Ralph Chagny." She stated softly taking a seat beside Nadir.
"I'm sorry to ask but how do you know him and his brother?" Nadir enquired taking the shot glass Erik proffered him.
"That... That nasty piece of work was my fiancé." Christine replied as Erik offered her one of the remaining full shot glasses. Taking the glass, Christine thanked Erik for the shot of Vodka and tipped the contents straight down her throat, resulting in her coughing. "What on earth is that?" she croaked when she finally got her breath back.
"Not Vodka." Erik replied as he followed suit but without the coughing.
Nadir took a sip from his glass, "This is Aragh Saggi, a strong alcoholic drink from my home country of Iran."
Christine thought for a moment, "I thought you told me not to drink strong alcohol?" she enquired of her tutor as Erik poured himself another shot, before refilling Christine's empty glass.
"I think after today, we could all use a stiff belt. And since it is the weekend, you can be excused lessons." Erik explained, taking his glass over to his chair and sitting down. "Help yourselves to a top up." He added before downing his second shot.
ooo
As the three of them started getting tipsy on the Aragh, Christine relaxed and started to explain about her and Ralph.
"It was after Papa, and I moved here that I first met Ralph at senior school I started there in the September as our exams were due in the following summer. I had been home tutored before that because Papa toured playing his violin, guest starring with many orchestras all over the globe until he became too unwell to continue and we moved into a town house not far from Meg and Annette." She started, stopping only to take a sip of her drink. "I was the shy naive nerdy new girl and if not for meeting and becoming best friends with Meg my life would have been hell."
"Where does that nasty git fit into this" Nadir asked.
"This isn't an interrogation, ease off." Erik pointed out good humouredly.
"He was the school's top track star, top... everything really, and he knew it." Christine continued, "He found out I was Swedish, and well teenage boys being what they are, thought that..." she finished with a rosy hue to her cheeks that had nothing to do with the alcohol.
"Ah! We can gather the rest." Erik interjected.
"High expectations regarding his warped perception of your culture." Nadir clarified.
"Precisely." Christine confirmed, "He never left me alone. Coming from a wealthy family, he simply thought that a few gifts and he could claim his rewards he kept pestering me even after I returned all his crummy gifts and refused. Despite me reporting him, nothing was done, money gets you everything including ignoring the head of the PTA's brother targeting the poor new girl, it got worse after that. That was until Meg and some of our other female friends threatened to remove his masculinity, he stayed away from me after that."
"Did he not try to get them all expelled or something?" Nadir asked.
Erik shook his head, "Someone like that would rather lick his wounds and bide their time than admit to girls scaring him off. Bad for the ego." He added as he got up and topped up all three glasses.
Christine sighed, "In hindsight that is exactly what he did... It was the day Papa was given his diagnosis; I was twenty two that same day. Meg and I were out window shopping to take my mind off of everything when we bumped into him. I should have listened to Meg, but Ralph said he had grown up and changed, he asked me out on a date, and I agreed." Christine finished before downing the contents of her glass and filling it up again.
"Why on earth would you agree?" Erik had to ask this time.
"Scared of being alone, scared of making decisions. On our first date Ralph offered to shelter me from all that." Christine answered. 'He told me that his appalling behaviour when we were teenagers was because he didn't know how to express his love for me, and naive idiot I was I believed him, thought I was in love with him."
Erik hung his head, "Oh, Christine!" He exclaimed softly, Whilst Nadir just shook his head, and noticed that Erik's knuckles were white as he gripped the arms of his chair, a sign his friend was still internally raging.
"Three years of Ralph's care!" She began darkly. "Looking back, it was three years of gas lighting, manipulation and control. He initially encouraged me to not get a job but stay with papa and take care of him during the day so I could panda to Ralph's ego whenever it suited him. He insisted that Meg was not a suitable friend because she kept trying to 'ruin our love', so I cut her out of my life, when looking back she was trying to save me from my own idiocy. That was until papa needed full time care as his health declined. Which meant that Ralph took a back seat in my life. Then he encouraged me to place Papa in an expensive private hospice told me he would help with the bills. True papa got wonderful care and very well treated, but I needed to work to pay a share of the bills."
"He let you get a job. Where?" Nadir interrupted.
"Working some nonsense job at the family company. Chagny and Co, he convinced Philip to employ me. I was paid a token wage, but I managed to cover most of my expenses, except for the hospice bills."
"Those Ralph took care of?" Nadir enquired hopefully, somehow knowing the answer was no.
Christine laughed, there was no humour in it. "No, I still would not give him what he wanted; I just asked to be married first that was all, then not a problem. I really should be grateful he never tried force." She tacked on, "Anyway, his reply to the invoices from the hospice, was always the same, 'next month, got some other things this month' and I was so trusting, I agreed, not understanding that he would only pay the bills when he got his rewards." She finished, draining the rest of her glass.
"Papa died one spring morning, and I fell apart, Ralph dumped me hours after I said my goodbyes, as I was too much work for no rewards. The following day after, I was called to the company to collect my items, I was told I had been laid off due to downsizing and to never contact the company again. So, there I was no Papa, no fiancé, no job just the townhouse papa left me and the bills for his treatment." She added her hand heading towards a now empty bottle.
Erik was listening to this real life horror story and despised every word, but on Christine noticing the now empty bottle most of which he had drunk, he had to get some space.
"I think that is enough alcohol for tonight, I will make us some tea." He announced before rapidly hobbling into the kitchen.
As tipsy as she was and as enmeshed in her past as she was, Christine still noticed Erik and his reactions. "Is he alright?" she asked Nadir as Erik entered the kitchen and shut the door.
"He just needs to calm down, that man feels far too much and right now all he is feeling is anger and pain on your behalf." Nadir explained.
"He pities me?" She asked sounding a little annoyed.
Nadir looked like his eyes were going to pop out of his head, he appeared to sober up remarkably fast. "For all you hold dear never say that word in Erik's presence. He believes pity is just another manipulation and something he despises; he would never pity someone, nor will he accept pity." Nadir hissed urgently. "Erik is far more than he seems, if he cares for you, he will do anything, even fight to the death to help you. And you dear Christine he really cares for you.
"Erik is a lovely gentleman, but I thought he was being kind because he is training me to become the new Diva." Christine declared.
Nadir smiled gently, "Trust me Christine, if you believe nothing else, I tell you believe this. I saw that man nearly ruin his own life and liberty this evening, planning to defend your honour." Nadir exclaimed. "If I had not stepped in as quickly as I did, your ex-fiancé would have died in the restaurant tonight."
"What!" Christine hissed.
Giving up all hope of getting around it Nadir hoped that a drunk Christine would remember nothing about this in the morning. "Erik has some rather interesting additional skills for a genius musician and architect. One of which is a variety of extreme self-defence skills, shall we say. It was one of those he was about to use when I stopped him." Nadir explained.
"So that was what he was reaching for in the sleeve of his jacket." Christine clarified, to which Nadir just nodded. "What did you say to him, it sounded foreign." She asked.
Making a large mental note to get hold of Annette in the morning for that talk they had not yet had. "Your tutor is a most amazing person, he has a heart of solid gold, for example, his cat was a dumped kitten, nearly dead due to cat flu, he found her on the roadside in a carrier bag, he collaborated with a vet and saved her, never gave up on her and now Ayesha rules this place. Erik speaks at least seven languages that I know of including Persian the language most associated with my country. He is self-taught in music and to my knowledge unmatched in his skills in voice, piano and violin. Do not get me started on his architectural abilities. And yet he is the loneliest man, he has never paid attention to any lady as long as I have known him, due to an issue he has no control over until you. Before you ask about the issue that is for Erik to tell you, if and when he ever decides to." Nadir finished.
"Nadir, you didn't answer my question. What did you say to him." Christine asked.
"No Crazy!" is what I actually said. Erik replied with Thanks. We spoke Persian, less noticeable than using English." Nadir replied. As Erik reappeared carrying a tea tray.
"I feel like some Ralph beating, Erik declared as he placed the tea tray down on the table beside Nadir, "Meet me in the gym… Oh, and Nadir bring the tea tray, Christine has had a hard night." He remarked before hobbling off.
"Does he care for you?" Christine had to ask as Nadir sighed, got up and picked up the tea tray. "Yes, like a brother, not in the way he cares for you…I hope." He responded lightly, "Come let us see what he has concocted for bashing a Ralph." Nadir added as they made their way to meet Erik in the gym