Sonic and a Call
The following day, Christine was sitting alone at the kitchen table eating lunch. She occasionally hummed a piece of music she was studying for the summer.
After finishing her grilled cheese sandwich, she began washing dishes.
Then, suddenly, the phone rang.
It seemed every time someone called, she would jump. It was just.. he had said he would call frequently. She took a deep breath and answered the phone. "Hello?"
"May I speak to Christine Daae?" a woman asked.
"This is she."
"Ms. Daae, this is Sharon Tufts from Sonic. You turned in an application yesterday. I would like to talk to you more about it. Can we set up an interview time?"
Christine was stunned. Sonic's not so bad, she thought optimistically. "Yes, that'd be great."
"Are you free today at 2?"
"Yes, I am." This lady sounds nice. Yes!
"Excellent. I will see you then."
They hung up with one another, and Christine proceeded to jump excitedly in the middle of the kitchen and throw her hands in the air triumphantly. "Yes!"
Erik paced his office looking down at his watch every few minutes. When should I call? When? All he could think about was seeing her again. He could not even compose. His thoughts were locked on Christine.
There was a knock at his door, and Erik stopped pacing. "Come in, Nadir."
Nadir entered the room looking tired and ill-set.
"What is wrong with you?" Erik asked eying his partner with annoyance.
"Erik, the phone has been ringing off the hook. People want to do business with you. I know that you told me to leave you be, but we are losing potential customers."
"Nadir, we are rich as kings. We could retire now if we wished to. The ones who are calling will go elsewhere. Do not worry about such things. Go-.." Erik thought for a moment before continuing. "Go finish off the brandy. You look horrible."
Nadir couldn't help but laugh at his words. Erik said nothing, but Nadir knew he was about to say the usual, 'That will be all'. He couldn't let that happen. I need to get to the bottom of this.. this mess with Christine Daae. "Erik.. old friend.. Why are you doing this?" There, he'd finally gotten it off his chest.
Erik had a look in his eyes like Nadir had just falsely accused him of something. "Why am I doing what?" he asked icily.
"Why continue to think of her? She is gone, Erik."
That was when the masked man exploded in rage. He clung to the edge of his desk with a hard grip. "She is not gone! She is not! My angel is waiting for me! She knows I will call!" He then began searching for the phone with clouded eyes. "I must call her."
Nadir rubbed his forehead succumbing to exhaustion. "Erik.." Then, when his friend said nothing but continued searching for the dreaded phone that was right in front of him, he yelled in a voice he rarely used, "Erik!"
Erik was not used to Nadir's tone, and his eyes regained focus. He turned and looked at Nadir in a more stable frame of mind. "I know… I know she is gone.. She will not think of me.. She does not wish for me to call.." Covering his masked face with his bony hands, he shuddered and proclaimed, "She does not love me!"
Love? Nadir had no idea that the dreaded word had entered the picture. "Love?"
Erik was breathing deeply and hunched over, as if in physical pain. And, perhaps he was. "I love her, Nadir! Oh, how I love her. All of her.." He began petting the thin air. "Her hair.. Those dark brown curls.." He stopped and turned towards his desk chair. Pointing, he said, "Nadir, she sat in that chair. The angel sat in my chair! Oh, how I never wish to sit in it again for fear of losing the scent of her! That sweet, sweet fragrance.."
Nadir had had just about enough of his friend's drama. I thought Christine would be the cure! But, she is only worsening things.. And without her knowledge! He groaned knowing there was nothing he could do and decided to take Erik up on his previous offer. A glass of brandy is precisely what I need. Without saying a word, he left the room.
"Ms. Daae, why do you feel that you are a good candidate for this position?"
The questions went on and on. It seemed this Sharon Tufts wanted to know everything about her. Christine inwardly rolled her eyes and continued to be the nice and charming job hunter.
Finally, about 45 minutes later, there was a moment of silence. Christine anxiously awaited the lady's next words.
"Well, Christine, I believe you meet all of the criteria for the position." She looked at her sheets one last time. "Yes. You have the job."
Christine stood in excitement and shook her new boss's hand. "Thank you so much!"
"I want you to start training tomorrow at 4. Is that alright?"
"Yes, yes. I can start whenever you want me to." Christine was aching to tell her father the good news.
"Good. I will see you then."
Christine jumped in her car and drove home singing with songs on the radio. Her father was sitting in the small den when Christine entered the apartment.
"Hello, sweet heart." Gary stood and hugged his anxious daughter. "What's up?" he asked curiously.
"Dad, I got a job!"
Her father's curious expression turned to excitement. "No kidding? That's great! Where at?"
"Sonic!"
Gary frowned. "Well, the waitresses certainly do not sing at Sonic.." He then smiled. "I'm just kidding! That's wonderful, Christine!"
They celebrated a little more before sitting on the couch. "So, how was work, Dr. Daae?"
"It was just fine. The students seem to be interested in my lectures."
"Good, I'm glad the summer courses are going well. It must be interesting teaching college students like me."
Her father nodded and then, changing subjects, said, "Oh, I forgot to tell you.."
Christine looked at him expectantly.
"Mr. Delozier called earlier."
Her breathing stopped and her eyes widened.
"Yeah, he asked how the construction was coming along."
Christine didn't say a word.
Her father thought for a moment. "Oh, and he also asked about you."
She sucked in a breath.
"He asked how you were. I told him you were just fine. It's kind of him to ask."
Christine faintly whispered, "Yeah.."
Gary, unaware of his daughter's nerves, stood and said, "I had to tell him that the construction wasn't coming along at all. He gave me a few names and encouraged me to make some calls. So, I think I'll do that right now."
Christine watched him leave the room before sighing and sinking into the couch. Oh, how strange life was… Erik.. Why did he feel the need to ask about me? But, maybe that was just his way of being 'kind', as her dad had pointed out. Christine didn't know, though. It's true, Erik has always been nothing but nice to me. Although.. he's just so creepy. Her head hurt when she thought about it. I wonder what Mom would say..
She thought of her mother often. I wonder what she would look like. It felt so weird to have never known her, since she'd died when Christine was still so young.
But, Christine did know her grandmother, her mother's mother. She had been the kindest woman, Mama V- that was what she used to call her. Mama V had truly been a mother to Christine.
Sometimes, she could still hear her grandmother's voice in her mind. It was because of her that Gary and Christine had money at all to build a house. Mama V had always insisted that Christine needed a stable home to live in.
Mama V died when Christine was thirteen years old leaving her and her father everything she owned.
"Christine, we've got it!" Gary suddenly exclaimed, interrupting Christine's thoughts. "We're good to go! Construction is going to begin immediately." Gary stepped into the den with a huge smile on his face. The house and Christine's happiness were all he ever wanted.
It seemed everything was coming into place. Christine smiled. This was nice.
But, Christine was completely unaware something. There was something that probably would not make her smile, for in the distance -in a mansion to be exact- there was a shadow, a man, who would do anything to make her his.
