Love is an Art
Chapter 1
I do not own The Phantom of the Opera. I would like to thank my beta and best friend Hollie, or as you know her GerardPhantomHot!
Christine walked up the steps of the Opera Garnier in Paris, wearing jeans and a maroon shirt, carrying a backpack full of books on the history and art of the Opera Garnier, and Paris. At the age of 22 she was an Art History major, who had her master's in the History of Art. Her specialty was European architecture.
She had brown curly hair, and ivory skin. She wasn't fat but she was skinny and curvy. The brown pools that were her eyes would catch anyone's attention.
She was doing some personal research on the history and art of the Opera Garnier, and what better way then to visit the miraculous building its self?
As she walked into the building, there was a group of people being given a tour. She walked until she was at the base of the grand staircase. She looked at the foyer and admired the room. When she was through she walked into the auditorium, there were only a few people in there, so she walked down and sat in the third row. She opened up her backpack and took out a voice recorder. She hit the record button and started to talk into it.
"Opera Garnier, architect was Charles Garnier. It is regarded as one of the architectural masterpieces of its time. The construction of this building started in 1862 and was completed in 1874. The ceiling in the auditorium was painted in 1964 by…I can't remember, think Christine, think. The ceiling was done by-"
"Marc Chagall."
Christine stood up and looked behind her when she heard a man's voice. She looked at him and smiled. He was tall, and lean he had black hair which was slicked back. He was wearing black shoes, black slacks, and a black button up shirt which was tucked into his pants. What she noticed most was a white half mask that covered the right side of his face from his forehead to his lip. She pushed the thought out of her mind and smiled as the man said more.
"The ceiling was painted by Marc Chagall. The chandelier that hovers above our heads weighs over six tons. This auditorium seats 1,979. This opera house was formally inaugurated on January 15, 1875 with a performance of Fromental Halevy's La Juive and excerpts from Giacomo Meyerbeer's Les Huguenots." There was a pause then he smiled. "Pardon me, I got carried away. Hello, my name is Erik Rozier."
"Hello Erik Rozier, I am Christine Daae. Thank you for helping me remembers that guy's name. I spaced out." She laughed and he chuckled as she turned her voice recorder off.
"I'm glad to help." He said.
"I am going to go out on a limb and say, since you seem to know a lot about this place, you work here."
"Actually I am a tourist. I am an architect I am just here in Paris to admire the art. What brings you to Paris?"
"I am a tourist, I am an Art and History major, my specialty is European architecture. I am here doing personal research on the Opera Garnier." She said.
"Are you here with anyone?" he asked.
"Nope, I'm all by myself."
"Well that makes two of us. If I may ask, would you like to tour the Opera Garnier with me?"
"You may ask, and yes I would like to tour it with you."
Christine put on her backpack and walked out with Erik as they talked about the Opera House while admiring the structure and its splendor.
"Mr. Rozier, how long will you be in Paris?"
"I leave in three days, Miss. Daae."
"Interesting." She said more to herself.
"Why is that?"
"No reason." She said quickly.
"When did you arrive in Paris, Miss. Daae?"
"Please call me Christine." She said.
"Then you must call me Erik."
"All right, Erik, I arrived late last night, but by the looks of Paris, I may not want to leave." She laughed.
Erik was about to say something when Christine's cell Phone went off, Erik smiled, he recognized her ring tone as the William Tell Overture.
"Hello?" Christine barley got the word out when her best friend Meg yelled into the phone. Christine held the phone away from her ear and both she and Erik could hear Meg's screams. She smiled at him and blushed with embarrassment.
When Meg was done screaming, Christine put the phone back to her ear with caution.
"Meg, are you trying to make me go deaf?"
"Where the hell are you Christine?" Meg said.
"Meg as my best friend and room mate you should know. I have been planning this trip for weeks. Unless you have been smoking, you and I both know that I am in Paris." Christine said with irritation dripping from her tone.
"Paris! What the hell are you doing there!" she exclaimed.
"Meg, clearly you have been drinking, call me back when you are sober." Christine hung up the phone and put it in her back pocket. "Sorry about that, my friend Meg can sometimes drink."
"It's alright." He said.
"So, Erik Rozier, where did you graduate from?"
"California State Fullerton University, there I received my Master of Arts in Design, my Master of Science in Architecture and my Ph. D in Architecture, the program there was superior; and you, Christine Daae?"
"Well I actually have a double major. I majored in music and architecture, Meg always had a guy on the couch so I spent most of my time in the library studying. I went to Biola University in California for my music degrees. I have a Bachelor of Music Degree in Performance and a Bachelor of Science Degree in Music in Worship. For my architecture major I went to UC Berkeley where I received my Masters of Architecture"
"I as well have a passion for music, but I didn't go to school for it. I taught myself. Well, Christine, it is five thirty, I have had a very nice day today. Seeing as we haven't finished here, why don't you meet me at row three tomorrow around noon?"
"I would like that very much." Christine yawned and covered her mouth. "I need to catch up on my sleep, I should have slept longer but I was too excited."
"Well until tomorrow Christine," he picked up her hand and kissed the back, and her knees went weak. "Au revoir."
"Good bye, Erik" she spoke softly.
They went their separate ways. Christine walked to her hotel and grabbed a McDonald's. She would have to remember to tell Meg she had McDonald's while she was in Paris. For the rest of the evening, she could not get her thoughts off of Erik Rozier. He was very charming, and a complete gentleman, but why did he wear a mask. It didn't bother her at all, it added to his charm, but she was still curious. Her dreams were filled with the day playing over and over again.
---End note---
Here is the rewrite of this chapter I hope you liked what I added. The Chapter two rewrite will be up soon!
-Kate