Take My Breath Away

In the kitchen, Matthew methodically added some ingredients into a glass bowl and began to stir.

As soon as Erica stood up from the carpet, he snapped, "Sit down! Don't move!"

He had no intention of letting her into the kitchen again!

His wife pursed her lips and spoke in a low voice. "Don't get all excited. I just wanted to ask you one more question." In fact, what she really wanted was to learn how to make chocolate. Why couldn't he teach her?

"Well, go ahead and ask. Just stay where you are!" Matthew insisted.

"If I'm sued, will you help me?"

Matthew stopped what he was doing. Pressing his hands against the counter, he fixed his sharp eyes on the woman and said, "Remember your identity, no matter when or where you are!"

"Huh?" Erica's confusion was plain in her face.

"You're Mrs. Huo, and I'm Mr. Huo. If Mr. Huo doesn't help Mrs. Huo, who else should he help?" Matthew asked. 'Not Tessie, ' he added silently to himself. 'I'm not crazy!'

His explanation drew a smile out of Erica. "So if I'm in trouble, you'll help me out? I mean, without telling my father?"

"The same answer as above!" Matthew declared.

"And if I want you to help me investigate something, you'll help me then too?"

"Same as above!"

Erica thought his choice of words was odd. Still, she was glad he seemed so willing. "Then can you help me investigate Tessie?" she asked. Tessie had been away for so long, and Erica had been taking care of Tessie's son for all this time. She deserved the truth. If nothing was done, Tam would not give up custody of Ethan, and Erica wouldn't be able to eat or sleep well for the rest of her life.

"Sure," Matthew answered.

Erica hadn't expected Matthew to be so easy-going this time. So she decided to keep going. "Can you do me another favor?"

"Of course."

"Great. Remember you said yes!" There was a cunning look in the woman's eyes. For his part, Matthew suddenly had a bad feeling that he shouldn't have answered so quickly.

His wife's next request was as terrible as he feared. "Teach me how to make chocolate!"

"Forget it!" he blurted. That was a bridge too far! He wouldn't agree to anything that involved her entering the kitchen.

"Oh, come on. Just let me try!" Erica pouted, looking just as gloomy as her husband.

Matthew ignored her and went back to stirring.

There was a pause as Erica decided to change tactics. Blowing him a kiss, she said, "Matthew, if you teach me how to make chocolate, I'll accompany you to watch a horror movie tonight!"

Matthew looked up, thoughtfully studying her sweet expression. Did his father-in-law know how good she was at turning black into white?

'She made it sound like she is doing me a favor. Seriously, who accompanies whom?' he thought.

"Come on," she went on. "Just stand right by and watch me and tell me what to do. If you're so worried about me making a mess, well, hold my hand and teach me how to do it right."

'Hold her hand?' Matthew wryly thought it was good enough just to imagine the scene.

Still, the more she used her charms on him, the harder it was to say no. "Come here!" he said, his mouth barely moving.

Erica started to run over, and then, realizing she was barefoot, went to the porch and put on a pair of slippers.

A moment later she was at the counter with Matthew behind her, teaching her how to stir.

It was fun at first, but her arms started to tire after a few minutes. As they went on, Matthew started to take over, holding her hand.

"Matthew, when will you compensate me for my macaroons?" she asked.

Matthew had her hold the bowl in both hands, and then started stirring with one hand. He put his free arm around her waist gradually pulling her closer. "Now, why should I compensate you for those?" he teased. "I'm the one who made them."

Erica explained, "Yes, you did. But you made them for me, so when they were done, they were mine. It was my food. So shouldn't you compensate me?"

Once again, Matthew found no way to refute her logic. But he could be just as stubborn as her. "No, I don't think so!"

Nodding at the bowl, where the batter was now becoming recognizable as chocolate, she warned, "Then when you're done making this, I'll eat it all."

Matthew was deadpan. "Go ahead. I wasn't going to have it anyway." In fact, he didn't care for desserts.

Erica was so surprised that she could have discovered a new continent. She couldn't help but stare at him over her shoulder. "So, you made this for me?"

Matthew raised his eyebrows. Why else would he have made it? Not for himself, certainly. Still, he decided to tell half a lie. "Not exactly. For you and Gwyn."

"Okay!" Erica's feelings were mixed. At first she'd been intrigued by Matthew suddenly starting to make chocolate for her. But now it seemed he was making it for Gwyn, and just giving her some by the way.

She was silent for a moment as she gripped the bowl. Matthew sure seemed to like Gwyn a lot. He had mentioned her several times! But he never mentioned Godwin or Godfrey.

Matthew went and fetched a mold, poured the chocolate batter into it, and placed it in the refrigerator. When it had cooled and hardened, then it would be ready to eat.

While he did that, Erica went to the living room and sat down in front of the TV. Joining her moments later, Matthew took a black plum from the fruit tray on the coffee table and offered it to her. "What's your plan tonight?" he asked.

Erica took the fruit but didn't eat it. "Nothing. I have a class in the afternoon. I'll beautify my pictures tonight." She had taken a lot of photos recently but hadn't retouched them.

"Are those photos very important? Are they your homework?"

"No, just some pictures I snapped," Erica said, shaking her head. In order to practice focus and exposure, she had taken a lot of photos. At least seventy of them were no good and would eventually be deleted.

"I'm going to attend a charity auction tonight," Matthew suggested after a moment. "Let's go together."

Erica looked from the television to his face. "What am I supposed to do at a charity auction?" Wesley and Blair had attended many similar occasions, but Erica never went with them.

Casually, Matthew drummed his fingers on the sofa's armrest. "To see if there is anything you like. If there is, you bid and get to bring it home."

Erica finally took a bite of the black plum, made a face, and offered it back to him. "I don't like this. It's too sour."

Matthew frowned down at the fruit. "What do you want me to do with it?"

"Just eat it. Men are not afraid of sourness!" As Erica said this, she was thinking of Wesley, who always was willing to eat whatever she disliked.

"Who told you that?" asked her husband.

"My father will eat whatever I don't eat. Matthew, are you afraid of sourness too, just like I am?" Realizing this possibility, she couldn't help but snicker.

Matthew was left speechless. He didn't mind sourness. What he did mind was another person taking a bite of something, and then expecting him to finish it.

Only Erica dared to do this to him!

Steeling himself, he grasped the plum with confidence, took a large bite, and choked it down. "Men are indeed not afraid of sourness!" he declared, though inwardly he was screaming.

Erica nodded. She had been right all along!

Pointing at the fruit tray, she put on an exaggerated, commanding tone. "I want to eat a banana! Hand me one!"

Matthew, the powerful CEO, instantly turned into a humble servant. He silently picked up a banana, peeled it deftly, and handed it to his wife.

Taking a bite of it, Erica said, "I'm not going to this charity event. I'm not interested in that kind of thing. If you see anything I might like, you can buy it for me. But it's okay if there isn't anything."

Matthew glanced at her. "I'm not getting you anything if you're not going with me."

Her brow furrowed. "Um... Well, fine, then. I don't really need anything." She was sure Matthew would have plenty of acquaintances at this event, but they'd all be strangers to her, so she would rather not go.

Matthew's face turned hard as he tried to restrain his anger. When had he ever been turned down by a woman again and again like this? Never! "Well, I won't force you to go," he said at last. "But men usually go to this kind of activity with a female companion; it's not proper to just go alone. So if you won't come, I'll just have to find someone else."

"Okay then," she said. Her tone was a bit testy. Even so, she seemed more interested in finishing her banana than the conversation.

Matthew was even angrier now, and he stewed in his frustration, trying to think of a way to coax her into coming.

Suddenly she turned to him, her eyes wide. "Are you going to take Phoebe with you?"