You'll recognize someone in this chapter ! ;) next one, singing lessons get more interesting.
Christine awkwardly smoothed her pink floral skirt down below the small table in the cafe that she and Meg frequented. Instead of her best friend across from her, Lance was giving her shy peeks over his coffee.
It seemed as if without Meg and Sam there to boost his confidence, his anxiety was ten times worse. He had said probably four sentences to her since she'd arrived.
"You... uh, look nice."
Christine looked up at him and attempted a smile. He was trying, poor thing. "Thank you. I brought clothes to change into after work. I didn't want to smell like a wet dog," she laughed nervously, trying to put them both at ease.
He smiled, his fingers tapping on his plastic cup. "I appreciate it. I don't know how you do it. I'm man enough to admit I'm actually nervous around dogs. I'm more of a cat guy."
Christine was pleased to hear the tension begin to release at the harmless conversation. "I don't blame you in the slightest. I was really nervous when I first began working with them. Some can be really intimidating. Even now."
Lance's smile continued, even when he took a drink of his coffee and his eyes flickered around her face. "What do you do with the vicious ones?"
Christine felt herself relax too at the easy subject. "We refer them out. We wouldn't want to stress them out too much. We tell them to go to the vet for anything they need. Those dogs are pretty far and few between though. Normally, it's nothing pets and treats can't fix."
They continued to talk about simple things, like her work and specific dogs that made her happy, and then ventured in on his line of work. He spoke of his physical therapy work and surprised her by being more intelligent than she had previously realized. He was currently working in an office in the next town over.
"So you're taking singing lessons. Are you as good as Meg says?" Lance asked, a teasing quality to his voice that she smiled at.
Christine used a spoon to stir her coffee. "Yes. Well, yes to taking lessons. I wouldn't say I'm all that good. Mediocre at best."
"Your voice is unlike anything I've ever heard."
Christine's hand froze for a second at Erik's low timbre in her ear. Every time she began to feel doubtful of her potential, his words always returned to her and spoke directly to her heart.
"I'm sure you sound great, if everyone praises you so much," Lance told her. "I can't carry a tune to save my life. My mom used to tell me I sounded like a cat dying," he laughed and Christine winced at the story.
"That's horrible. No one should say such things," she told him. Even if he wasn't good at singing, no one, especially a child, should ever be discouraged from being themselves. Sam had said he'd had a rough childhood and his mother was crazy, she wondered what else the woman had told him.
Lance shrugged, his leg bouncing under the table all of a sudden. "It's not a big deal," he laughed again, this time more awkwardly. "She's right. I'm horrible. I was right to stick with basketball when I was in school."
Christine could tell he was getting uncomfortable with how personal it was becoming. It was getting late anyway and so she figured she would end it while they were ahead.
When she began edging toward leaving, Lance looked alarmed. "Oh! You're right, sorry. I should... should I drive you home?"
Christine shook her head, giving him a smile. "Oh no, don't worry about me. I enjoy the walk back to my apartment. Thanks though."
"Oh, all right," he said, a frown flickering over his face as they stood from the table.
Christine held her half drunk coffee and decided to bring it home with her. She popped the lid back on and followed him toward the door. "Well thank you for coming out with me. This was nice."
Did she like him enough to see him again? He was somewhat easy to talk to when he calmed down, but there was just... no attraction on her part. Could he feel it too? She was unsure.
"Yeah, it was. I... I hope we can do it again sometime."
Christine smiled but inwardly she knew that they probably wouldn't. At this point, she just didn't think a relationship was in the cards for her. Was something wrong with her?
Lance excused himself to throw his trash away and Christine took the opportunity to exit the cafe. As she pushed the door open, she looked up too late and ran right into a hard torso. She blinked and threw herself back just in time for the lid to pop off of her coffee and dump down her white blouse.
Gasping, she stared down at the mess on her clothes in shock.
"Oh my god, I am so sorry! Are you burnt?"
The voice was familiar to her in a way but she wasn't sure if she was just half crazed from the commotion. She raised her eyes and her mouth went dry at the bright blue eyes and shaggy blond hair staring back at her.
"Raoul?" It couldn't be.
His eyes widened substantially and a wondrous smile spread over his handsome, aristocratic face. "Christine? Christine Daaé? Is that you?"
An unexpected rush of happiness overwhelmed her and she grinned despite the mess on her shirt. "Yes! Raoul, oh my god, what are you doing back here? Didn't you go off to law school—"
He took her shoulders when he noticed customers wanting to get to the doors with half annoyance, and directed her over to the side, smile never wavering. "I did but I'm back for now. I'm opening my own office here in town. Dad's retiring soon and he needed help with the house and - good lord, Christine. I can't believe it's you. How have you been?" He took the empty coffee cup and lid from her hands and dropped them in a nearby trash can.
Christine's heart hammered in her chest, she couldn't believe her own eyes either. It was like she had been transported back into the past. "I've been great. I-I work at a dog grooming salon."
"You aren't in school?" He asked her, a flash of confusion crossing his features.
A wave of shame washed over her. Here he was, a lawyer, and she was just a pet stylist without aspiration. "Oh, no. I dropped out a couple years ago. I couldn't stay focused and it's fine. I'm fine, really."
He glanced down at her clothes, as if remembering, and gave her a look of disapproval. "Not at the moment you're not. You should get home and change. Are you living with the Giry's still? Mom told me you were living there, you know how she is with her gossip."
She blushed when she realized she was standing in a soaking wet white blouse in front of her childhood friend who was very much a man now. "No, no I'm not. I moved out a couple months ago into my own apartment. It's been nice, but you're right. I should go get changed," she said regretfully. She didn't want to leave him so soon after seeing him again.
"Here, give me your number. We can catch up later!"
She grinned in response and took her phone out, Lance and the awkward date forgotten. They exchanged numbers and he surprised her by throwing his suit jacket over her shoulders to keep her from being exposed. She embarrassingly accepted the offer and promised to return it to him soon.
"I'll hold you to that," he said with a charming grin, looking more attractive than she had imagined him to be. In her mind, he had always been that young boy.
And goodness, he smelled good. What sort of expensive cologne did he wear?
Christine walked home, holding the jacket around her shoulders with a smile permanently glued to her face. Who would have thought that Raoul Chagny would reappear in her life all of a sudden?
She was blissfully unaware of the narrowed brown eyes watching her leave.
Christine was surprised to see Karim walking up to apartment A1 in the early evening, not noticing her appearance just yet. She took in his brown suit that looked slightly too large for his frame as she hesitantly headed forward. He knocked on the door and with a glance in her direction, caught sight of her.
"Miss Daaé. How are you doing this..." he paused and eyed down her person, "... evening?"
She followed his gaze, seeing the bright brown stain on her shirt, and self-consciously grabbed the sides of the jacket to pull it around her. "I'm fine. Just had a slight accident with coffee," she laughed nervously and met his eyes through a light blush.
"I hope you're not burned," he said with concern and she shook her head quickly.
"How are you?"
Relieved, the corners of his mouth turned up, making his eyes crinkle at the edges. "I'm doing just fine, thank you for asking." He was always so polite and nice.
"Good," she smiled. "I should go get changed. Tell Erik hi for me."
"Oh, yes, of course," he replied, a little startled by her request. "Have a good evening."
She gave him one more smile over her shoulder as she walked up the stairs to her door. While grabbing her key, Erik threw open his door and she froze, peering down to see him in the doorway dressed immaculately as usual.
"Why do you still incessantly assume I need a babysitter?" His velvety voice drifted up to her with clear annoyance. "I am quite busy."
"Good evening, Erik," Karim said smoothly, not perturbed in the slightest by his friend's hostile greeting.
Erik didn't respond and Christine watched with silent interest as his pale eyes slowly slid upwards and caught her shamelessly staring down at him in curiosity.
Jumping as if she'd been scorched by his eyes alone, she fumbled uselessly with her keys for a brief moment and scrambled to get inside as quickly as possible, her cheeks burning with humiliation. Her frantic heartbeat left her breathless.
She shut the door and leaned against it, taking a deep breath to calm herself. There were far too many men in her life, she concluded. She just needed to focus on her work... men were complicated and required too much energy.
One in particular enticed terrifying reactions from her.
oO0Oo
Christine told Meg as much when they got together for coffee that week, well minus how Erik tended to make her feel. Her dark haired friend laughed and rolled her eyes.
"Oh please, Christine. You're not even interested in any of them. I wouldn't classify it as a love triangle. Or... square? I guess?" She laughed again at her joke.
Christine took a gulp of her iced latte, suppressing her irritation and placed it firmly back on the table. "I wasn't saying it was love, I was just stating that my life has become more complicated with men in it. First, I try to give Lance a chance - I mean, he's nice okay? I just don't think we are compatible in the slightest. Then, there's Erik. He has more mysteries than a Sir Conan Doyle novel, with Karim as his secret keeper or something. Now, there's Raoul." She let her aggravation finally break through and scowled down at the table.
Meg aimlessly played with her straw. "You're so strange, Christine. Lance, I get. If he's not your type, he's not your type. Raoul, understandable. You were childhood friends. But Erik and Karim? What do they have to do with anything? Has something else happened that I don't know about?"
Christine realized that she was unintentionally revealing how Erik affected her. Which, if she was being honest with herself, was absurd. She knew Lance more than she knew her downstairs neighbor. So why was it bugging her so much?
"No," she sighed and ran a hand through her hair. "I've seen him a few times and we've had small conversations. It's just... I guess he's interesting. A part of me wants to get to know him. To uncover all of those mysteries he hides. I mean - why does he wear a mask all the time? Why do I only see him in the dark? And... Does he play piano professionally? The songs I hear him play always sound so sad. Is he sad? He says he's in the music industry but what does he do? Play, compose? Produce? All the questions are maddening."
Meg was silent, eyes wide as she listened to Christine ramble on without realizing.
"And what exactly did he mean by my voice sounding like nothing he's heard before? What was that about?" She pressed her palms into her eyes with aggravation. It had only now occurred to her how much it was actually affecting her.
"Wow," Meg eventually mouthed, setting her drink down. "Well... first of all, it seems to me that Lance and Raoul both do not stand a chance."
Christine tensed and lowered her hands to her lap to look at her. "What do you mean?"
Meg rolled her eyes and chuckled fondly at her. "You don't see it, do you?"
Christine tried not to scowl in annoyance at her cryptic behavior. "See what? What are you talking about?"
"Think about it, you find Erik interesting right?"
Christine grew suspicious immediately. "Well, yes... from what I know of him, I suppose but—"
Meg put a hand up to stop her from continuing. "And you can't get what he says out of your mind? Plus, you're stressing over not knowing anything about him."
"What's the point, Meg?" But she already knew. Her face was already warming in preparation.
Meg grinned triumphantly. "Someone's got a crush," she sing-songed.
Christine gaped for a full three heartbeats before scoffing, her chest becoming red traitorously. "That's absurd. There's no possible way I could have a crush on someone I don't even know. I've had like what - three real conversations with him? So what if he likes my voice, a lot of people do. And who cares if he plays amazing music. There's a billion musicians out there. That doesn't make him special. No! Of course I don't have a crush on him." What did Meg know anyways?
Meg picked her drink back up and purposefully stared at her while taking a drag from her straw.
"No, Meg. Crushes are for kids and besides, I'm not looking for someone right now. I only tried with a Lance because I wanted you off my back - I... just no."
Meg sighed dramatically and set her drink down. "Ugh, whatever. I just want you to be happy, okay? That's all - and if mysterious men with masks turn you on, well... so be it, I guess. Let me know when you wear his collar. I won't judge."
Christine's skin felt sunburned and she placed her hands over her face. "Oh god, stop it."
Christine couldn't get the conversation with Meg out of her mind that night, tossing and turning in her bed, angry at herself for letting any of it get to her. She didn't even know Erik. Why on earth would she allow herself to get so caught up in him. He probably was right now, sleeping soundly and not thinking about her in the slightest. As it was, she did not hear his piano, as if confirming her thoughts.
She frowned up at the dark ceiling. A small pang of rejection hit her belly and she took a deep breath to rid herself of it.
Nothing good was going to come of this.
Erik was so out of reach. She'd tried multiple times to talk to him and it'd been so difficult unless it was about her voice. How on earth would she ever get to know him? He obviously didn't want to be known. From what she did know of him, told her exactly that.
She only saw him during the evenings or at night, meaning he preferred to avoid the busyness of the day. He wore a mask to hide either his identity or something wrong with his face. He had one steady person in his life at least. He was really talented at playing piano and was in the music industry. He adored the color black.
He also really liked her voice.
Perhaps the key to getting to know him was her voice. Maybe the next time she saw him she could ask him for a few pointers, if he had any.
"Ugh!" She groaned and rolled over to her stomach, throwing her face into her pillow. Was she actually entertaining the idea of getting to know him better?
There was also the way he made her feel. His voice alone made her heart quicken and she blushed continuously around him like a smitten school girl. It was so strange!
She'd never even had a real relationship before, except for a couple boyfriends in high school that amounted to nothing. She never would have thought the person she'd end up interested in would be someone like Erik.
Even so, what would she even be offering? He seemed otherworldly. Why would he want anything to do with her? A plain, poor, orphaned pet stylist with an all right voice. It sounded ridiculous to even her. Even if she did try to get to know him, she'd probably be rejected on the spot. He was closed off and at his age, if he'd wanted someone, he'd more than likely already have one.
With a pang in her heart, she knew there was no way she could allow herself to even think about trying. She just needed to work hard, get some more furniture, and focus on her singing. Maybe one day something would come of it and she wouldn't have to bathe dogs anymore. Who knew?
No, romance wasn't for her. She'd only get herself hurt in the long run and she'd had enough pain to last a lifetime.
She eventually fell asleep, sort of relieved of her decision to not pursue the weird fantasy of Erik. Let her curiosity and incessant need of answers cause her torment.
And yet, it was the first time she dreamed of him. Her masked, dark prince of shining armor, rescuing her from drowning in her own darkness with music that only they could hear.