“Come on,” Eric says, pecking a kiss on my exposed shoulder before sliding out of bed. “I’ll take a quick shower now and make us some breakfast.”

I think he wants me to follow him, but I need to sleep just a little more.

“All right,” I say as I get up and then slump back down on the bed.

I grimace at the thought of having to put on last night’s clothes, but I don’t have anything left at his place. Then again, I must have some panties here somewhere from the last time I stayed here. I get up to look around his bedroom instead of waiting for him to get out of the shower and asking him.

Sure enough, I find a pair of panties, properly folded, in one of his own drawers. I note the boxers and briefs folded inside before I close the drawer. I hear a door open and turn to see Eric coming out of the bathroom.

I pout a little when I realize he’s wearing a pair of shorts and a T-shirt. He sees the look on my face and grins.

“As much as I’d like another round, we have things to do today, so we need to get going.”

I hold up the pair of panties. “At least I have a change of underwear.”

“It’s not my fault you keep leaving them.”

I roll my eyes, and a smile curls my lips when he laughs.

“I’ll get breakfast. Hurry up and get showered.”

I salute him, “Yes, boss. Anything else?” He smacks my butt and says, “Quickly!”

He leaves the room still toweling his hair, and I go into his bathroom. It’s big and luxurious, like everything else about Eric, and I take my time with the hot shower. Once I’m out, I towel dry and dress in yesterday’s clothes.

The smell and sound of breakfast leads me out of the bedroom. As soon as I follow my nose to the kitchen, I’m surprised to see a fully prepared breakfast with eggs, bacon, pancakes, and coffee.

“Wow, someone’s been busy?”

He laughs, “Well, I had a few lessons from Gloria. She’s been teaching me a bit in the kitchen.”

He indicates for me to sit next to him. I can’t believe that he bought the bookstore and has been improving his culinary skills. Maybe that’s the secret and the thing that he really wanted to surprise me with.

“Lee-ya, Daddy makes cereal usually,” Rose says, scooting up to the table next to me.”

I laugh. “Rose, you tell me all the secrets.”

“Not all of them! Daddy said not to tell-”

“Rose!” Eric says, giving Rose a stern look.

Rose widens her eyes. “Yeah, Daddy said I really can’t tell...something!” She waves her hands up in the air and then snatches up some bacon.

I sit down as he hands me a plate, then wait I before serving myself.

“This looks really good.”

He grins, looking smug. “Try it, I’m hoping that it tastes good and you’ll like it.”

I pop a bit of egg and bacon into my mouth.

“I love it. I’d love to try what you can make for dinner sometime, seeing as you’ve been having lessons.”

“I’ll cook dinner for you, if you do it first?”

He has a point there, I’m not the best person in the kitchen at the best of times.

“Why do I have to be first?”

He snorts. “Because I made breakfast for you first. It’s only fair.”

We banter back and forth all through breakfast. Rose insists that she’ll make lunch, and we all agree that’s a good idea. She says she’ll need help with macaroni and cheese but it will be everyone’s favorite lunch.

Hard to disagree with that. Once we’re done, Eric insists on doing the dishes, and I help out, trying to pluck up the courage to ask him what’s on his mind in between talking to Rose about how she wants to learn how to make pizza but it all needs to be star shaped. He carries his briefcase when we leave his place. Our way to the car is silent, and it holds out once we’re inside and he’s driving. With the silence, I can’t help but say exactly what’s on my mind.

“There’s something you’re still not telling me, right?” I ask Eric after we drop Rose off at school. Rose and I had agreed that star pizza would best be formed out of the triangle with a circle pizza, and my voice is still laughing from Rose’s confusion about why circle pizza made of triangles would make circles. Like, she has a point. Think about that for a minute!

“Well, yes,” Eric admits. “But don’t worry about this. Really this time. You’ll get to know everything today.”

I purse my lips. If he wants to get on the topic of trust, I can do the same thing.

I notice that he’s taking me to the bookstore. I told him that my shift wasn’t until this afternoon. I thought that he was dropping me at home and then going to the office to see patients. That’s the way our routine works, I wonder why he’s changing it?

“What are we doing here?”

Eric doesn’t answer at first, opening one of the backdoors and pulling his briefcase from the seat.

“You’ll see,” he says as he opens my car door and puts his arm around my waist. We walk to the bookstore together. It’s silent inside, as expected, then he moves to the counter and sets down his case and pulls some papers out of it.

“What are those?”

He smiles at me, laying them out and stepping aside, gesturing for me to come closer. “These are the new plans for the store.” He nods in the opposite direction. I see all the girls looking at me. I have a feeling this big secret has something to do with what’s going on right now. I just can’t imagine what...Eric already told me that he owns the store. I don’t imagine he’s lined them up for being fired like joked. So what is going on? And why does it feel like Eric’s secret and the weird behavior of my co-workers is connected?

Oh, and what is the secret that Eric is keeping with Rose? I’m proud of myself, honestly, for not pumping a six-year-old for information. Especially a sweet girl that talks to me so easily.

But even nice girls, understanding girls, trusting girls, can only take so many secrets.

Seriously, I am ready to burst!