A/N Hey everyone, sorry for such a short chapter last night. It was late and I was so tired hehe…and well its late now and this probably won't be to its best either. Thanks for all the reviews; they are what keep me writing!
Chapter 9- For You
Mdm Giry paced the dressing room nervously. She knew an angry patron wasn't a good thing, and she relied on Christine to keep him at ease even though he was to hear she loved another. Christine opened the door and cold air swept in. Mdm Giry looked up at her. "Did you tell him?"
She nodded. "Yes, we are only friends now."
"How did it go?" She was curious.
"Better than I thought, he went to Meg." She said with some sarcasm at the end of her reply.
She threw her hand over her mouth in shock. "What? NO! Not my daughter." Meg was all she had in the world that was of her own flesh and blood. She hated the idea that someone like the Vicomte would be taking her in, despite all his fortune.
Christine laughed. "I was only kidding Mdm."
"Did you tell him about Erik?" She asked. It was the question she feared the most. How he reacted and what he had said were all important.
"I told him I loved an Erik." She replied taking off her coat.
"How did he take that?" She asked curiously.
"He looked shocked. I don't think he thought it possible for me to love someone who wasn't a Vicomte." She turned around and looked at her.
"Oh, speaking of Erik…I have word from him. He says he will be gone another week." Christine frowned. She was sick of all this. All she wanted was for Erik to come back so she could finally be with him once again. Two weeks was just too long.
"But I need you to run this package to this address." Mdm Giry handed her an address written down on a piece of paper. "Please do it tonight."
Christine nodded and then thought for a moment. A smile spread across her lips. "If I can have two good seats for the next opera."
Mdm Giry sighed. "Alright, alright child." She walked over to a drawer and took out a yellow piece of paper and handed it to her. "Give this to the box office. Now go" She led Christine out the door quickly. "It's already getting dark."
Christine nodded quickly and she ran to the box office collecting the two tickets and she walked down the dark path towards the dress shop.
The shop was dark inside, but still open. There wasn't a day besides holidays that the dress lady wasn't open. She was old, poor, and in desperate need of francs. A few candles were leaving a warm glow inside. Christine ran in quickly disturbing the peace. "I GOT THE TICKETS!"
The old women jumped. "Oh heavens you scared me!"
Christine hushed her voice. "I'm sorry."
"It's quiet alright. What do you have?" She stood up from the small desk.
"The tickets for an opera I'm soon to be singing in. I brought them in exchange for that dress." She smiled panting slightly from the brisk walk.
"Oh wonderful! I knew you would sing again. A pretty girl like you will always sing again." She smiled and walked to the back and a moment later she brought out the dress. "A man came in today wanting this dress for someone, but I made sure to hold it for you since I knew you would be back."
She looked at her curious. "What did the man look like?"
She smiled. "Oh, the normal middle aged man I suppose. Mind you I have terrible vision, but the sharp eye for sewing. He was only a shadow to me."
Christine handed her the tickets and smiled taking the dress. "Thank you."
"You are most welcome." The women smiled and bid her goodbye.
Christine left the shop and looked at the piece of paper Mdm Giry gave her remembering she had to drop off the package. "Stupid package… What do I look like, a delivery girl?" She walked down the dark street and shivered as the wind howled against her ears. Twenty minutes later she showed up infront of the small shop she was instructed to go to. She looked at it funny. "This can't be right." There was only one candle in the window and a sign on the door that said open. She sucked in a breath and walked inside only to find darkness all around her.
"Anyone here?" she spoke in a shaky voice. She hated the dark.
A figure began to move in the darkness. "Indeed mademoiselle." A low voice spoke somewhere within the room
She became more nervous and she looked at the paper even though she couldn't see it in the dark. "I um…I have a package." She slowly moved back towards the door and she wrapped her fingers around the knob.
The man began to move towards her. He took the package from her in the darkness and he backed away to open it. He held up her music box which began to play softly.
She tried to look at the music box in the darkness. "That's mine." She spoke still in a state of fright.
As the soft melody continued to play he began to hum along with the tune. "It's a lovely song." He moved closer to her.
She nodded slowly. "Yes it is…" She fiddled trying to open the door. The candle then lit up one side of his face revealing pure white. She squinted at it and then her eyes grew wide in realization. "E-Erik?" He smiled.
She smiled brightly and grabbed the music box out of his hand putting it on the small table that was to the side of them. She threw her arms around him hugging him tightly. Erik smiled as he missed the feeling of her warm flesh against his. "Oh I've missed you." He spoke softly. "I'm glad Mdm Giry did as I requested in my letter."
She took a moment to look at his features. She was disappointed that she couldn't see his eyes in the dark though they did sparkle warmly. She hugged him again. "Oh I have missed you too!" She kissed his cheek and set down the dress.
He looked at the dress recognizing it and he smiled. "I knew you liked that one."
She smiled and looked at him. "So, it was you in the shop today."
He nodded. "Yes it was me."
She smiled and looked around squinting in the dark. "What is this place?"
He smiled and began to walk away into the shadows. Christine stood still. "Erik, where are you going?" He had taken the candle with him leaving her in the dark. "Erik…" she started to breathe hard growing nervous again.
He held the candle up to a chandelier and the room lit up revealing the room full of mirrors and a piano in the middle with a red rose on top of it. Christine gasped slightly and looked around and smiled. "It's beautiful. How did you find it?"
"I didn't find it my dear. I made it. I went to London to get my opera published and as soon as I did I thought of you and came here to make all this." He held out his hands displaying the room to her. "It's for you." He growled with a smirk as he looked at her.
Christine smiled and a shiver ran up her spine as he growled. It was low and seductive as she was sure he hoped it to be. She walked to the door and closed the curtains around the window. She turned the sign to close and she pulled back the drape over the door. She looked at him and smiled. "I love it."
"Excellent." He smiled. "Here we can sing. It's far away from other places. Here is where we will make music." Erik's heart began to soar and he continued to talk of the future. "You will light up the stage for all of France to see, and you will sing in the finest operas."
She smiled warmly and walked over to the piano running her hand gently across the shiny keys. "Is it new? It looks and feels like it, and I don't think that I can get past the Opera Populaire. I'm not that good Erik." She looked up at him. "Besides, if I left…I'd miss you."
He shook his head. "No Christine you are that good. The finest operas will be our operas, and we will make the most beautiful music. My spirit and your voice."
She smiled and looked at him. "Erik…" she spoke softly. She walked over to him and put a finger to his lips silencing him. "Shh…" she smiled and kissed him softly.
Suddenly it was different to him. She had kissed him this time. She had done it all on her own. No music, no songs, no words, only emotion. She pulled away and looked at him smiling. He was truly stunned and after a few moments he finally recollected himself. "Christine…I-I love you…so much." He took her hand and pressed it to the cold mask.
She flinched slightly at the touch. It was much different compared to skin. She felt bad realizing what she had done. "I didn't mean to flinch." She suddenly realized he had said the words she longed to hear, for the first time. She smiled warmly. "I love you too."
