Peter broke the seal on the envelope and opened it. A ticket to the opera from John, a parishioner who had no one else to go with. Peter sighed. He was very fond of John, a bachelor who lived alone with his dog and who Peter had often shared a drink with at Fitzgerald's. He would usually jump at the chance of experiencing an opera, but nothing could lift the dark cloud that hung in the air. He wanted the world to go away, to leave him to his misery. Of course he would go. Didn't he always do the right thing? He thought about her, closing his eyes. Misery was all he wanted.

Later that evening, Peter went to Fitzgerald's-forcing himself to go through what had been a daily routine for so long but was now done in a resentful effort to appear normal. Two minutes from his door. Two minutes to think about the places on her body Leo had touched, and kissed. He thought about hurting him.

A quick scan of the room-no Assumpta, a friendly nod from Brendan and Leo smiling. Of course he was smiling.

Assumpta, it turned out was on her way back from Dublin with Naimh having gone there to buy a dress to wear to the Opera. Leo was telling anyone who would listen about the new contacts he had made getting him tickets for the box. Brian was livid he hadn't managed to bag any himself. Peter smiled and crumpled a little more, deciding not to mention he was going too.

Halfway through his first pint, Leo answered the phone to Naimh who had called to say they were half an hour from home. Peter left in plenty of time to avoid seeing them.

…

The night of the opera and Assumpta was exhausted. Weighed down by a life she didn't want; consumed by thoughts of Peter. She did love the dress though. She ran her hands over the soft deep red material and thought about what Peter's hands would feel like on her body. Would he like how she looked in this dress? How would it feel to have him slowly undo the zip while he kissed her neck? She looked away from the mirror and resolved to stop thinking. She could hear Leo calling from downstairs. Stopping the tears with a tissue before the fell, she grabbed her bag and went to her husband.

"I think I've just seen the ghost of Audrey Hepburn." Brendan remarked as Assumpta walked into the bar filled with all the regulars. She blushed. She could feel everyone's eyes on her as Leo came towards her, planting a kiss in her hair. As he began to whisper how beautiful she looked, she flinched then at once tried to cover it by placing a hand on his arm.

"Have a fantastic time you two lovebirds!" Padraig offered and Naimh beamed. How little she really knows me.

Leo put his hand on her back as they walked outside to meet the taxi.

…..

John had driven Peter to the theatre in Killdargan and they had arrived early. John had insisted on booking them rooms at the hotel over the road so they could make the most of the evening and have a drink. Peter would usually have loved the escape but he knew he wasn't going to be able to avoid seeing Assumpta; this was some kind of torture. He was sure she still didn't know he was going to be there. What would she be wearing?

"Peter, wake up would you!" John nudged his friend as they sat side by side at the bar drinking a whisky. "What's on your mind?"

"I'm fine" Peter lied

"How was the retreat? Get some good time to think while you were away?"

"Too much time probably."

"Look I know you're the one that usually does confessions, but if you need to talk about anything, I'm very discrete."

"I'll bear that in mind. "

"You do that."

"Do you mind if we find our seats." Peter was determined he wouldn't see Leo and Assumpta in the bar and be forced into small talk with them.

…

They had been sat down for about ten minutes, talking mostly about football, and he was actually beginning to relax when he saw them walk into the box. She looked incredible. A deep red dress that clung to her soft ivory skin. Her hair was up making her neck look so long and beautiful. Tendrils he wanted to run between his fingers. Leo was behind her with his hand on her back. An older man, perhaps in his fifties, followed them in with a young blond woman in white dress blonde woman. Leo and the man were laughing. He could see Assumpta looked uncomfortable, nervous maybe.

He tore his eyes away to carry on listening to John without really listening at all. When he stole a look again he could see the older man and Leo laughing as the women talked, all holding champagne glasses. Assumpta's back was to him and he'd never seen so much of her skin, so white and smooth. He looked away again and felt the emotion rise, part anger and frustration, part despair making his palms sweat and his heart race quicken. John continued to talk, about the programme in his hand now, and Peter offered vacant nods and agreements.

When eventually the lights went down, Peter watched the party in the box sit down and he could now only see the tops of their heads. At least she hadn't seen him. His tux and tie were so uncomfortable, even more so than the dog collar. He felt so constricted and resigned himself to watching a performance through his fog of thoughts of her.

….

About 20 minutes into the performance, he knew he'd been hearing Madame Butterfly but he hadn't engaged at all. Another of many glances at the box and he saw a waitress bringing them more champagnge. Assumpta stood up as this happened and seemed to be pulling her arm away from someone. She moved to the edge of the box and looked out across the audience as the others appeared to be still sat down; she clung the box edge breathing deeply. He couldn't stop looking at her even as she slowly looked around the theatre. They locked onto his and he froze; she was clearly startled. He still couldn't look away as she frowned at him, asking what he was doing here. They stayed like that, unblinking and questioning until the older man in the box stood and put his hand on Assumpta's shoulder. She pushed him out of the way and turned leaving the box and out of Peter's sight.

….

She stood at the top of the stairs, expecting Leo to have followed her, ready to tell him to leave her be. But he didn't appear. That idiot from the paper in Dublin making excuses to lean over and out a hand on her knee. And Leo had just watched it happen and let it go. She had never thought he would be so desperate to take a job from such a low life. That poor young wife of his just sitting there too as if that behaviour was perfectly normal. Who was she kidding though, she could've handled it, told him where to go. The reason she fled was more to do with the shock of Peter being there to see it.

She thought about Peter looking so handsome in the tux and cursed. She made down the stairs, gripping the bannister tightly, feeling a rage rise inside. Anger at herself for still wanting him so badly.

She reached the landing above the bar at almost a run and stopped dead as she saw him below her at the foot of the stairs. She audibly gasped and put a hand out to the wall to steady herself.

"Sorry I startled you". She smiled weakly at him and made her way down the stairs as he came up. She suddenly became aware of her dress moving against her skin.

"What are you doing here Peter?"

They met halfway "Can I get you a drink Assumpta?"

"As long as it's a large one." He smiled warmly at her. She loved that smile; she hated it.

They walked side by side towards the bar and she could feel the tension between them. Was he shaking?

She walked ahead and made eye contact with the bar tender "A bottle of Champagne, put it on Mr Lewis' tab. Just the two glasses" The young man looked unsure for a second then nodded.

Peter was looking back at the stairs

"Don't worry Peter, they won't come looking for me, they're too busy trying to impress each other."

"Who's worried?"

The barman poured two glasses of champagne. Peter downed his glass in one and Assumpta just stared at him.

"What?" he ventured.

"Peter are you ok?"

"It should be me asking you that shouldn't it? That contact of Leo's- a bit of piece of work is he?"

"A total creep, but I can handle it."

"I've no doubt about that".

She saw his eyes twinkle. She had missed that. He never really looked at her anymore. He poured another glass and they sat silently for a minute.

Peter spoke down to his glass "I like your dress."

"Erm Thanks." She turned to look at him, forcing him to turn to her.

He was unflinching then as he looked her in the eye, so close she couldn't see beyond him. Her heart began to beat so loudly she worried he could feel it.

"How'd you like the opera?" she managed.

" I've not really gotten into it to be honest. I've a lot on my mind."

"Oh yeah?"

"Are you happy" he ventured.

She shrugged "Are you?"

Silence. She expected he was as unlikely to answer as she was. But then,

"I'm not actually sure priests are meant to be happy." He took a sip of the champagne and opened his mouth to speak, then closed it again. She waited, hoping for more.

"Look Assumpta, if you're ok I need to get back to John. Maybe you ought to get back too."

He got up to leave. She drained her glass and followed him to the stairs.

"Peter…I miss you." She cursed herself again and looked at the back of his neck as he stopped dead.

He turned and walked back towards her "You're married Assumpta." He said it like an accusation, pinning her with his eyes.

"Thank you for reminding me Peter." She spat it out. They simultaneously took a breath and he let his frown go.

"I'm sorry." He breathed

"What for? Stating the bloody obvious."

"For walking away." He continued to look at her. Her mind raced. Did he mean what she thought he meant? She waited for more but nothing came. And then he turned to walk away.