Disclaimer: No, I do not own Erik. He is simply borrowed for my own purposes.

AN: I'm about to kick Erik and Anne. Yes, we know getting to know each other is important but my readers want something more! Let's get on with it already! Black ribbon roses to all those who review and favorite!

Chapter 18

I waited patiently for Erik to put his hand in mine. I had a feeling that everything was going to be like walking on hot coals with him, so I had to go slowly. My heart warmed when I felt him not pressure me into telling him anything about my past. Apparently, neither of us wanted to talk about it. He would hear things about me and I would hear things about him, but we would probaly not trust each other enough to be completely open. There were things he would never tell me and there most certainly things I would never tell him. When he took my hand, I helped him to his feet and kept my distance this time. Having him stand so close to me as he helped me out of the boat was both thrilling and terrifying.

"So…are we going to actually get down to business or spend our time going over the past?"

His entire body changed and the mood shifted to something a bit more professional, which I was glad of. Anything more than strict professional relationship was not something either of us, I'm sure, was bargaining for. He took my hand and led me approximately thirty feet to his home. The house was just one story, but was large enough to house him and possibly one other. He directed me immediately to my left which was an informal sitting room. He placed me in one chair and he moved to another across from me. Professional, formal, and proper. I breathed a sigh of relief, for what, I wasn't sure.

"I'll expect you to be dilligent in your studies," he said, breaking the silence. "No extra curricular activities. You can rehearse with the troupe and with Madame as often as you wish and need to, but your lessons must be a high priority. You cannot see anyone, romantically, and must avoid social functions at all costs."

I blinked. "Excuse me?"

"Any outside distractions are a hindrance to your talents and will crush you. That's why I didn't want you living anywhere else than the Opera House."

I sighed and rubbed my forehead. "Well, as far as seeing anyone romantically, I can assure you, you have nothing to worry about there. But if I want to socialize with someone other than the cast and crew of the Populaire, than I should be allowed that liberty."

"And who would you socialize with?"

"Whoever I think fit for my company," was my indignant reply. "I shouldn't be dictated to on who I can and cannot see. Others, I'm sure if they knew, would do everything in their power to persuade me from seeing you. And I would take as much credit to their words as I do to yours at this moment."

He stiffened and I realized I had stepped a little too far.

"I'm not saying that I think you as part of the dregs of society. To be quite honest, I know that I'm going to enjoy your company and my lessons, but that does not mean I will spend every waking moment with you or around music." I smiled. "Everyone needs a break, sometimes, from the things or people they love most."

"But you see my point…"

"Erik, I was able to give up my Grandmother and sister in order to find some small way to be happy. That is all I am trying to do, is to be happy. I'm not saying as soon as some elegible bachelor comes along I'm going to drop music entirely and get married. I'm never going to get married. But I will do what it takes for me to be happy and that means associating with whomever I think will make me happy."

He sighed and leaned back in his chair.

"Keeping a captive didn't work for you the last time, Erik."

"I'm not trying to make you a captive!"

"No, you're just trying to bend me to your will! Same thing!" I rolled my eyes. "Great, now we're arguing again. We seem to have a knack for doing that."

"At least you're not trying to appease me in everything."

"Believe me, if I find something wrong, you'll know about it." I leaned forward and looked at him earnestly. "But now that we've got that out of the way, how about your payment."

"Ah, yes. Your time."

I sighed and held my arms out. "I have barely enough to live on, now. So, I know you won't want my money. What else can I give you?"

"You can perform when the time comes."

"Perform? In public? Playing?" I tilted my head, entirely confused at what he was asking. "There's never a call to play in publi, Erik."

"But should the time arise, you'll share your talent with the world. In the meantime, I think I would like your company."

I smiled and stood up. I looked out the window towards the lake. It was silent, and I could hear the water softly lapping at the shore. "I'm sure it gets lonely here. I'll do all I can to stay out of your way."

"I'll show you some of the easier ways to get here that don't involve a lake and a siren."

I laughed. "Thank you. That would be greatly appreciated."

We spent the next hour coming up with a basic schedule of lesson times, and times that I would be here just to keep him from going a little too far insane. As he had seen a number of rehearsals, he knew how the schedules flowed and in the end he gave me my own copy so that I could keep track of everything in my head. After talking about lesson times, we talked about what I was interested in learning and what I had already learned. My technique was adequate in his eyes, though I thought I was pretty flawless. I loved to play Haydn, and Beethoven, while he introduced new names like Chopin, and Debussy.

"We're slowly entering a new age of music, I think. Music that is more than just chordal harmonies and simple melodies. Beethoven is going to lead us there." Erik poured over his piano scores which he promised he would find me exact copies of that were not covered in markings. When he moved away to pull other music off the shelves, I looked over the pages of sheet music that were covered in his writing. I was amazed at how legible it was! Most men's handwriting I had seen was completely illegible and almost took an hour or two to decipher. What struck me the most was that whatever he wrote was more about the expression of the music rather than any technical about it. He seemed to be more moved by the soul of the music rather than anything else.

He had just sat down a new score when my stomach made its presence known. I put my hand over it and chuckled nervously.

"Sorry. I guess I haven't eaten anything but the little I had of tea at Grandmama's."

"I can fix that."

"Oh please don't go to any trouble. Just take me back up and…"

"There's a kitchen here in my home. I suppose it's been a while since either of us ate." His cryptic reply confused me but I pressed on.

"Tell you what. I'll start by paying you back now and make us something to eat."

"That isn't necessary. You're my guest. And I can't believe you know your way around the kitchen."

"I'm full of surprises, Erik. Now are you going to show me where the kitchen is or do I have to start poking my nose into ever room I can find?"

He froze as if suddenly realizing that I could find something he did not want me to find and it gave me cause to wonder. What sort of secrets was he hiding in this house? And did I really want to find them?

"Have it your way then. Let's go." He gently took my arm and guided me out of the sitting room and down a hallway. He pointed out the library, and music room to me as well as a guest bedroom and a study. Two rooms however were not given certain names but I knew from how he avoided my questions that I was not to go in them. One was obviously his room, and I had no desire to enter the room of a confirmed bachelor.

"Here's the kitchen, then. You sure you'll be alright?"

The kitchen had a small eating area adjoined to it. I laid my shawl on the nearest chair and pushed my hair over my shoulders. "I'll be fine. You go about your business, and I'll let you know when my concotion is ready."

His eyes, which I suddenly realized to be brown with very visible gold flecks, widened and his lips parted.

"Kidding, Erik." I laughed and pushed him out of the kitchen. I was surprised to find this kitchen so very well clean, but considering he was a bachelor, I had no doubt that this was the least used room in the house. After a thorough search, however, I found it to be well stocked in fruits and vegetables as well as bread, and eggs. I even found a rotisserie chicken, just waiting to be dug into. My mind scrambled for ideas and then I unbuttoned the cuffs of my sleeves, rolled them up and got to work.

Thirty minutes later, I stepped out of the kitchen and called for Erik. "It's ready!" He didn't answer, but I did hear his footsteps make their way towards me. It was unearthly quiet, down here, I could hear the faintest sound. I was going to have to find someway to bring some noise in around her or else I'd go crazy. I went back inside the kitchen and took off the apron that I had found hanging in the pantry. I hung it back up and stood by the table waiting for Erik to come in. The expression on his face at seeing what I had laid out on the table was not insulting, rather amusing. He knew so very little about me and what I had done with my life that it was quite understandable that he would be shocked I knew my way around the kitchen and knew the difference between bowl and a pot.

"You'll catch flies you keep standing there with your mouth open," I teased, instantly snapping him out of his daze.

"I'm sorry…it's just…"

"Apologies aren't necessary when there are things you don't know about." I brushed it aside and motioned for him to sit down at the table. I hadn't prepared anything grand, just simple chicken sandwhiches with sides of sliced fruits, vegetables, and cheese. I had managed to toast the bread over a fire I was surprised to find burning. I'd made coffee and had taken some more of the bread and put it back over the fire sprinkled with sugar and nuts. If he thought this was astonishing, he was in for a pleasant surprise.

He sat down and a few minutes we sat in companionable silence as the two of us ate our meal. I was halfway finished before I broke the silence.

"You're home is very beautiful. Did you build it all yourself?"

"Yes," he replied, taking a sip of his coffee.

"How long did it take you to build it?"

"How did you learn to make such excellent coffee?"

A teasing and good natured question it was, but I could see that I had stepped on unwalkable ground. If one of us didn't take the first step and say something about who we were and where we came from, nothing would ever get accomplished because we wouldn't be able to understand each other. But I wasn't ready…not yet. And I knew he wasn't either.

"Let's just say my mother taught me." I smiled and took a sip of my own coffee. For the rest of our meal and all through clean up, which he helped me with, we talked about the weather, music we liked, and music we didn't liked. He talked about books he had read, and I told him about books I had only dreamed of reading. We talked about the managers and their silly ways of doing things, about the Prima Donna whom we both liked exceedingly, and about the Opera. I hadn't seen it, Erik had selected it himself. We talked about evrything and anything we could except the one thing that mattered…ourselves. And when I left, Erik showed me a more suitable way of leaving, and he promised me that he would come get me tomorrow after my duties were over so we could begin our lessons. The gondulet was fun and relaxing, but I think what happened today made him a little uncomfortable as it did to me.