3) Barely even friends

Meg hurried into Christine´s dressing room and slammed the door shut behind her. She had intended to be here at least ten minutes ago, but the curtain calls after the performance had taken much longer than she had expected. That in itself was positive, meaning that the audience had like the opera, yet it had mixed up the timetable the girl had set up for this evening.

Although she didn´t necessarily look like it Meg liked to plan things carefully, especially when they were important. And the next hours would be most important. If she managed to stir up Erik´s interest for her, he would want to meet her again. Maybe, but this she hardly dared believe, he would even fall in love with her.

Meg didn´t know when precisely these feelings had started. The first time she had been told stories about the Opera Ghost in hushed whispers? The first time she had witnessed what he was capable of? The first time she had heard his voice? It had probably been a mixture of all impressions which had led to this result. Of course she had never mentioned any of it to Christine as she hadn´t wanted to be called crazy for being in love with a legend, a seemingly disembodied voice. Later, when he had not only shown that he was a real person, but also whom he was interested in, it had been equally impossible.

Now was her one big chance, and she was about to face it … in her sweaty dancer´s costume. The girl looked down at her body, sighing in frustration. This was what happened when you didn´t stick to your timetable! A few more minutes would have been enough to wash herself and change her clothes. Involuntarily she moved in front of the mirror, examining herself from all sides. It was a beautiful piece of furniture, though Meg had always wondered why Christine needed such a large mirror.

Slowly Erik walked through the passage which led to her dressing room. Unlike so many other times before, he didn´t want to arrive there too soon. He had spent the last 24 hours rehearsing what he would tell Christine, and still he hadn´t found the right words. ´Christine, I´m sorry.´ - each of his little speeches began like that. But he didn´t know what he should apologise for. Having rejected her? Not being able to show his feelings in an appropriate way? Being himself?

He hadn´t attended tonight´s performance for he hadn´t wanted to distract her. Besides, he couldn´t bear seeing his student before he had had the possibility to make things up with her. Erik was more than willing to apologise for everything as long as she didn´t look at him the way she had done last night: so utterly without warmth that his heart had immediately turned to ice.

By now Meg was desperate. The tight costume was sticking to her body like a second skin, and she was longing for fresh air. But if she went into her own dressing room to get a new dress, she would miss Erik. Her gaze fell on Christine´s dressing gown, which hung from a chair. Surely she wouldn´t mind if Meg used it; they swapped things all the time. However, she had to get rid of her costume first. The sweat was starting to dry, and the clothes were becoming very uncomfortable. Unceremoniously she took them all off, stretching her tired limbs before reaching for the dressing gown.

The sight which greeted Erik as he came to the mirror made him forget all he had wanted to say. A girl was standing in the room. It wasn´t Christine, but Meg, Mme.Giry´s daughter. And she was completely naked. Erik tried hard to look into the other direction, but it didn´t work. He watched, transfixed, as she turned around to fetch a dressing gown and put it on.

Never in his life had he seen a woman in that state. He had always resisted the temptation of spying on Christine while she was changing. He hadn´t even dared imagine what she may look like without clothes. But now he was sure he wouldn´t be able to erase Meg´s picture from his mind: the long blond hair, which reached down to her small breasts, the slender thighs and the flat stomach…

Erik felt himself react instantly, which made him slightly confused. He had thought not to be concerned by this physical aspect of love, thought of course he knew it existed. He forced himself to regain control over the speed of his breath, which had become alarmingly fast and so loud that he was afraid Meg could hear him. Or was it this what he secretly wanted?

No! He turned on his heel and ran back to where he had come from, only stopping when he was in the security of his home. He couldn´t understand what had just happened to him. Why did seeing some naked woman have such a strong effect on him? Although the physical consequence had vanished by now, he was shocked how easily one particular emotion had taken charge of his body.

On the other hand he was still overwhelmed by the intensity of what he had felt. It was completely different from the innocent, almost chaste love for Christine. But was it possible to unite these two feelings? Erik was determined to find it out. He sat down at his organ and started playing while he pondered deeply over the next day.