Thank you for your kind words. I write a lot in the first person, as if I'm telling the story myself, so these characters are like a version of me. I don't always properly introduce them as a result, and I should do something about this as a writing style. What do you think, going forward should I introduce the main character somehow, for clarity?
In the real stories of the things that we've done, the main character really is me, and in the other more fictional stories it's the me that would like to have the courage and opportunity to do some of these things, but the real world just doesn't work like that. Some of those are very loosely inspired by real world things, and others flat out fiction. My stories from the male perspective are like that too, but those have been with limited success to be honest, as in House Punishment.
Mr. B knew something was up, that he wasn't getting the whole story from my alter ego, but he's a wealthy man who's used to looking past the BS, and he reads his key people well as a result. He has the store detective to keep him informed too, and other sources as well, so he knows, or will know, that there is some hidden truth, just not exactly what it is yet.
My alter ego main character isn't clearly defined, some may love her, some may not, and I like that you picked up on her obvious imperfections. She's had a lot of experiences so far, and not all of them positive, so this has given her a pragmatic and perhaps jaded way of seeing things, where Rose isn't quite there yet. I like Rose as a character, and if I can get around to a part three I intend to have her in a position of authority over my alter ego at the store, because the two worked so well together on the bear project, by Mr. B's direct order.
As far as the kept guessing part, I thought just about everybody would have expected my alter ego to end up in the bear for part two, so I decided to have a surprise and NOT do that.
I as well like to read other's work, and there are a bunch of talented writers like yourself at the plaza with which to chose. Thanks again for your kind words, Jackie.