I must apologize for the brooding Erik had been doing, it was part of him for so long and he has a hard time parting with it.

I do hope this chapter will bring some joy to your hearts; it is a pivotal, life-changing chapter for Erik…he will never be the same!

Happy Reading!

If you control your tongue, you will master your life.

God's Best for Your Success

I Surrender All

CHAPTER 13

Demi caught sight of him as he was strolling, with determined steps, toward her. She smiled sweetly and watched him approach, amazed at how graceful his steps were.

"You look as though you have just seen a ghost." Demi remarked, taking in his flushed cheeks and pained eyes. She noticed he was holding his hand and his face was bandaged in areas, and she wondered about the injury.

Erik was happy to see her, despite himself. Demi was a breath of fresh air to him. He did not feel as though he had to walk on pins and needles around her and she knew just about everything there was to know about him.

He quirked his eyebrow at her and smiled a crooked smile, "Good to see you too, Demi."

"Erik, what did you do to yourself?" Demi closed her eyes and concocted her own version of events, "Don't tell me…you were having a heated affair with a beautiful woman and her boyfriend stepped in on you…a fight occurred and then you had to fling your fist into his face to keep him from gaining the advantage!" Demi's eyes were lit up with amusement and she awaited his retort.

Erik chuckled; a low, husky sound that lifted his spirits even more. His features were ten years younger looking, as a stunningly attractive smile lit up his face.

"If only, Demi…if only." He chuckled, while rolling his eyes.

It did not take long for Erik to realize that he was a totally different person in Demi's presence. Around her, he found he had a sense of humor and a certain…something…he didn't know what, but it lit up her eyes and kept a smile on her sweet face.

"I sank into one of my self-loathing pits and rammed my fist into the wall, and one of my nightmares went sour on me." Demi's sharp intake of breath indicated her concern, "I dislocated the wrist bone and Roland just finished helping be get it back in place…hence the ashen color, pained looks and sweating brow."

Demi reached up and placed her index finger under his chin, lifting it so that she could see his eyes, "Erik…I think I liked my version better." She chided, and Erik chortled.

"Me, too." He said with amused commitment, "Demi, to what do I owe this unexpected and unannounced visit?" Erik asked, with a raised brow.

"I just came by to tell you that the funds are available for Mr. Yung and his staff. I transferred the money into the general ledger, line item #1024, Opera House - Staff Uniforms and Costumes." Demi offered, with her best business-like voice.

"Thank you, Demi, I appreciate it." Erik stated.

"Now, I have one other order of business." Demi caroled, "I went shopping, just as you asked me to do…although, I am not your personal assistant…" Demi lifted animated eyes to Erik's searching ones.

"How much more would that cost me?" Erik jested.

Demi laughed and squeezed his arm playfully, "Oh sweetie, you couldn't afford me…better just stick to letting me do this as a friend." His laugh made her heart sing.

She walked him back to his quarters, where the pageboy had unloaded all the packages. Erik had given her his sizes and measurements, so that he would not have to be present for the tedious task of shopping.

Erik was stunned at the number of packages, "It is a wonder I have any money left at all!" He stated, jokingly. Demi playfully gave him a light shove.

"Erik…this mortician look may have been the accepted apparel of France…but here in the states, we are under the impression that a handsome man should dress less…morbidly." Demi offered, with a smile on her face.

"And your hair…" she gawked, as she reached up and ran her hands through it, messing up the perfect, slicked-back look and causing it to fall loose and wavy around his face. She was pleased with the texture and thickness of it.

"…much better." Her eyes were approving and she winked at him again. "Oh yes Erik, you are certainly going to turn some heads." She waggled her finger at him in mock discipline when he started to degrade himself again.

His amused look made her laugh. She approached him, and lifted his uninjured, gloved hand and began removing the glove. Erik just sat there with a stunned look on his face.

"There will be no more gloves, Erik. You have beautiful hands with long, elegant, well-manicured fingers and yet, they are still so masculine." Erik gazed at his hands as if seeing them for the first time.

"Here in America, there is this wonderful material called denim. We have an item of apparel called jeans and I have purchased you several pairs…along with some short and long sleeve colorful shirts to accentuate the wonderful color of your eyes." Demi rattled on, ignoring Erik's I-don't-believe-a-word-you're-saying look.

She held up a long, black leather coat in the finest quality of leather money could buy. Erik approved…it was beautiful.

"This will be for the cooler days and nights…although, we are going to work on finding other means of keeping you warm," she winked and Erik blushed, understanding her insinuation.

"I also bought you three dress suits; one in green, one in black and one in chocolate brown." She was full of excitement as she showed him each suit and the way they accented his eyes, broad shoulders, slender, masculine hips and his coloring.

Demi stopped talking and focused on Erik's face. He was relaxed and enjoying himself, but there was a thin cloud of melancholy hanging over him.

Erik looked into Demi's beautiful eyes and his own became stormy with emotion, "Demi, why is it that I can be a different man around you than I am with any other woman?"

Demi lifted her hand and caressed his perfect cheek. She removed his mask and caressed that cheek as well. Her tone was that of a loving friend.

"Erik, for all your life you have hidden the true aspects of yourself behind his mask. You didn't just use it to hide your face." Demi took his hand and led him to the edge of the bed and they both sat down.

Her tone remained calming, "You took everything that you knew you could be and pushed it so far down in your heart and then slapped the mask on to keep others from forcing it to the surface."

Demi paused to wipe a single tear creeping down Erik's cheek, "You're not the mean spirited, egocentric, belligerent man that you wanted everyone to believe you were…you felt safer behind that guise…it kept people, especially women, from seeing just how vulnerable, sensitive, and amiable you could be.

"Yes Erik, you have scars that have altered your face and your mind; but they need not alter your life any more than they already have." Demi watched as Erik lowered his head and dropped a few more tears.

"You're afraid of getting hurt...and I understand that." She again pulled his chin up to make eye contact, "Erik, you've only tried at love once…many of us try at it time and time again…but never find it."

Erik creased his forehead and began to respond, "But Demi, no woman wants a…"

Demi interrupted him before he could finish that thought, "Erik, I refuse to hear you say how no woman would want a man who looks like you…with a face so 'hideous', or a 'repulsive carcass' as I have heard you refer to yourself." Demi was adamant and indignant, "You are a very attractive man, Erik Clairvaux, and I know that I am not the first woman to tell you this!"

Erik noted her fierce eyes and stern tone; he had angered her with his self-loathing…for some reason…that made him feel better; it was proof to him that she cared.

"Am I?" Erik looked up at her as she questioned him. She was still perturbed, but Erik knew that her anger was not really centered on him.

He had to shake his head no, "No Demi, you're not." Demi lifted her head in acknowledgement of his admission. Erik reluctantly smiled and lifted guilty eyes, "The others were the woman that rescued me from the gypsies when I was eleven, her daughter; who is a big flirt anyway, and Christine…" Erik dropped his eyes at the mention of her name, "…but I never believed any of them…they were only trying to appease me."

Demi knew he had more to say and chose to remain quiet, "At the first opportunity, Christine ran into the arms of a handsome, titled, young man and promised to marry him." Erik's voice dropped to a whisper, "What chance did I have?"

Demi had heard enough, "Erik…for one thing…Christine was a child…you need a woman; for another, Raoul came back into her life before you revealed yourself to her as a man and not an angel." Erik looked at her with surprise in his green eyes; where had she heard all of this? "And…last, but not least…she was scared of your TEMPER…not your face."

Demi saw the look in his eyes and knew that he questioned where she had gotten her facts, "I have talked with Roland, Erik; he clued me in on your past."

Erik nodded, thanking Roland for sparing him the telling of the squalid tale. He had lived it once; he did not much care to live it again every time he told the story.

Reaching her arms around his slender waist, Demi gave Erik a much deserved and unexpected hug. "Erik, if you will be around her, whoever she is, as you are around me…you will have no trouble winning her heart."

Erik smirked at her but was given a stern look back, "Trust me Erik, try some light-hearted flirting, verbal bartering, battles of the wit; anything that will show her that you are interested in her not only because of her beauty, but also because she stimulates your intellect." Another wink and tight squeeze, and Demi released him.

Erik took Demi into the kitchen of the opera house and made them both a roast beef sandwich. He hadn't eaten for a couple of days, he still found that food did not mean a great deal to him; but he did enjoy eating when there was someone with him.

They chatted about future plans and investments Erik wished to make in the shipping business.

The subject of Michael, Demi's husband came up, and Erik had question he had been wanting to ask.

"If Michael is breathing on his own and can be fed to keep his nourishment, why can't he come home?" Erik had been curious about this since her heard of Michael's condition.

Demi's eyes were filled with tears that cascaded down her cheeks as she spoke, "I checked into it Erik, but I am not a qualified nurse and I cannot afford to hire one." She sniffled daintily, "The cost is $250.00 a week for a live in nurse and care…I can't do that Erik…no matter how much I would like to."

Erik saw the regret she had dealt with when faced with the decision to leave him in the hands of the government in Birmingham or bring him home; as usual in these circumstances, it was how deep you pockets went that made up your mind for you.

They parted company after Erik hailed her a cab and watched her crawl in and start home. Overall, he was pleased with the evening. He went back to his room and debated his next move.

To Be Continued…