A night at the theater...

DISCLAIMER: I do not own Erik or Christine. They are the wonderful creation of Mr. Leroux – but ALW gave them depth and humanity – as did Kay. I do not own any lyrics that are used; they will be credited at the end of the chapter in which they appear.

I do however; own the plot and any original characters, which appear from the dark caverns of my mind.

Character portraits:

Erik – Gerard Butler (There is no other – not for me!)

Christine - Scarlett Johansson (with violet eyes, and a little more of a mature look)

Meckenzie - Emma Karwandy (from Butterfly on a Wheel)

Vince - Pierce Brosnan (slightly shorter)

Karen - Bette Midler (only about ten year's younger, seven inches taller, and long,brown hair)

Ms. Jennison- Samantha Bond (Miss Moneypenny from the latest Bond movies)

Mr. Lynch - Bruce Davison (Senator Kelly from the first X-Men movie)

All other original characters, you can use your imagination.

Enjoy.

CHAPTER 30

"Erik, ' Swan Lake' is such a popular show, how did you get tickets this late?" She asked.

Erik smiled and shrugged, "I guess I should have mentioned that I am majority owner of The Majestic Theater in down town Boston."

Christine gasped.

"Yes, you could have shared that little tidbit of information with me." She laughed.

"I am sharing it with you!" Erik teased. "I have a reserved private box for every season, box five."

After they had squared away all the details about the theater, Erik took Christine to her house and allowed her shower and dress appropriately for the evening. He said he would be back by 5:30 to pick her up.

Christine had never been to a play before, unless she had been in it; but that was years ago. She was so excited.

She wore the perfect, little, black dress with romantic draped sleeves and a graceful neckline; it showed just the right amount of leg and cleavage; she had bought it for one of her Broadway after-the-show parties---she had never worn it. She wore black, high heels, and tied her hair back with black ribbon.

Around her neck, she wore the only precious memory she had left of her mother…a beautiful necklace of cultured pearls.

Standing back from the mirror, she saw a sexy seductress, although she didn't think she was one– not in every sense of the word, anyway; but she loved the idea of playing the part where Erik was concerned. She smiled at her reflection and wondered if every woman who was deeply in love looked as radiant as she did.

She finished applying a light coat of makeup; giving her eyes a dusting of evergreen eye shadow, highlighted with the violet shadow to bring out the natural violet of her eyes. She didn't wear lipstick – it made kissing messy – and she intended to do some of that tonight.

The thought of Erik's lips on hers made her heart beat quicker and her stomach flutter...she shook her head and giggled at herself, 'Girlfriend, you havegot it bad. You'd marry him tonight if he asked you.' Her thoughts kept her smiling and she couldn't help the longing that crept into her eyes at the thought of marrying Erik.

She needed to wear an outer coat, and she really didn't have anything appropriate enough for the evening, so she picked up the onlysemi-formal coat she had, a half-shawl made of faux wool; at least it was black.

Erik rang the bell at precisely 5:30 and Christine smiled at the punctuality of the man. He was perfect…in so many ways. She hadn't seen him in three hours…it seemed like an eternity.

When the door opened, Erik thought he had died and gone to heaven. She looked like an angel…no, that wasn't completely accurate, she was entirely too desirable to be an angel…she looked like a seductress; dangerous and on the prowl.

He knew the look on his face must be one of complete dumbstruck, but he didn't care…she was sensual and sexual – and Erik couldn't take his eyes off her.

He swallowed the nervous catch in his throat and smiled.

"Madam, you look stunning." He purred.

Of course, Christine was completely unaware of his visual assessment of her; she was too busy drooling over the man before her.

His tuxedo was a black satin finish, contemporary fashion design, with a violet vest, white shirt, and black tie. He had exchanged the white half-mask for a black half mask – which only emphasized his ocean green eyes even more. He looked every bit the deliciously dark, decadently dangerous, and devilishly handsome lord.

His hair was hanging loose around his collar and swept back from his face; Christine didn't think she could muster any words, so she smiled brightly and allowed her eyes to do the talking for her.

When he broke the silence with his compliment, Christine cleared her throat and offered her own,

"So do you."

"My dear, I pale in comparison to your beauty." He breathed as he bent over her hand and placed a kiss to her inner wrist.

She took his offered arm and they walked to his BMW.

"Is that the warmest coat you own?" He asked, noticing how she shivered slightly in the November evening breeze.

Christine smiled and shook her head, "I've never had a formal coat, this is the closest I could come…it'll be fine."

"Well, I shall simply have to keep you warm." He suggested with a seductive slur. "I have made us reservations for 6:30, at La Porte Du Ciel. I hope you enjoy French Cuisine."

"I've never actually eaten at a French Restaurant." Christine confessed.

Erik smiled at her, "Then I am happy to experience this 'first' with you."

OOOOOOOOOOO

The restaurant was across the street from the theater, and Erik had his own private parking spot as the main owner of the theater. They parked there and walked across the street to the restaurant.

"Mr. Trudeau, will you be having your usual wine selection?" the host asked.

"That will be fine, Pierre."

They were seated in a private alcove and Erik noticed that Christine was gnawing on her bottom lip.

"Are you alright?" He asked.

"Will you order for me, I have no idea what to order." Christine whispered as she leaned over toward him.

Erik swallowed hard and decided she was not going to run, "Certainly, my dear."

"Erik, you don't have to wear that mask around me – or at anytime for that matter."

Erik chuckled, "My dear…the world is not ready for that yet."

Christine looked disgruntled at him. She did not want him feeling as though he had to cover his scars…they had helped mold him into the man he was; the man who was where he needed to be, when he needed to be there...for her.

She decided to change the subject…

They talked about theater and art, music and architecture – everything. She even got Erik to open up about the accident.

"The skins grafts and surgeries were excruciating, but it would have been worth it had the finished product been worth the pain." He mused.

Christine squeezed his hand, knowing he still felt that pain every night in his nightmares.

"I wish I could have been there to help you though it."

Erik smiled, "I think, somewhere in my subconscious, you were."

They finished the meal, including dessert, and sat talking for a few minutes before having to leave.

"I'll probably never fit into this dress again if I keep eating like this." She teased.

Erik chuckled, "Women worry too much about their weight..." He stated. "…a few inches here or there does not change who a person is on the inside."

"Neither do a few scars, here or there, change who a person is on the inside." Christine emphasized, stressing her point to him.

"Point taken." He smiled.

Christine smiled at his submission, knowing it was a difficult notation for him to hear.

"Raoul always told me that if I ever gained weight, he would divorce me – he monitored my weight and my clothing…he would have never approved of this dress."

Erik raked his eyes over her figure and smiled seductively, "He's a fool, I love that dress…" Erik stated aloud, '…and the woman who wears it.' He added in thought.

They finished the meal and headed for the theater.

"The play should be over by 10 pm, I have to be at the studio at 11." Erik stated as they walked into the building and took their seats.

"Why don't I just go with you?" Christine stated. "I would love to see you work."

Erik smiled nervously; he had not counted on that; he had a song he had written that he was going to play while she listened on the radio…now she would see him in person. Well, at least he knows she will be listening.

"Please." She asked again.

"What about Meckenzie?" Erik asked, wanting to make sure she was taken care of.

"Karen wants to keep her overnight…the doctor said not to send her back to school until Monday."

Erik was glad to hear that; she needed the time to regain her strength.

"Sure, you can come to the studio with me."

He had revealed himself to her, she had remained unaffected by the revelation, and she still wanted to be seen with him.

Life was full of surprises…he wondered what she would do if he asked her to marry him.

TBC