Erik was finding it difficult to keep his senses from the way Christine was kissing him.
"I am so proud of you." She kissed him again. "You were amazing. My God, you need to start singing too. Everywhere. You're too good not to." She kissed him again. "Hmm... On second thought, maybe I should only have you sing duets. Do you see all these women, just gazing at you?" She turned and looked back the audience and mouthed, mine. She then kissed him again.
Finally, Erik pulled a few inches away from her. "Christine! What are you doing? Everyone is watching!"
"Then let's give them a show!" She giggled and then kissed him again. When she pulled away, she kissed his ear and whispered. "I need to talk to you privately. Is there somewhere we can go?" She then looked at him lovingly.
"Are you alright? What happened? How did you know where to find me? I thought that…."
"Shh." She placed her finger to his lips. "I was so worried what you might have thought but when I came here, and I heard you…. The faith and love you have in me…. You do believe in us and in me this time, don't you?" She touched his heart. "No matter what, you need to always know that I love you and I chose you. I always have and I always will."
She was going to kiss him again, when Erik pulled her from the stage and walked her quickly towards the back of the club. He ignored the crowd and Bronson who called after them. When they were alone in the side office, he looked at her half in amazement and half in shock.
"What has come over you? What if someone was with the press tonight? If they see you kissing some masked man…."
"I don't care who sees me anymore. I love you. I want everyone and anyone to know how I feel. Just now was nothing compared to the spectacle I intend to cause when we are outside or at Phantasma or maybe if we sing together on stage…. Oh Erik!" She wrapped her arms tightly around his neck. "You have no idea what seeing you tonight has proven to me. I know I did the right thing."
"What are you talking about? What happen with Hammerstein?"
"Forget him! He's not good enough to manage me. I want my Angel of Music."
He shook his head. "We talked about this. I told you that he would only want his people to…."
"I didn't even try to negotiate. I told him no as soon as he offered me the job."
"You what?! Why?" Erik pulled away.
"Because it dawned on me after my performance that I didn't want to work for him. I only wanted to know I could. What I want is to sing for you and be with my family. I understand how not everyone gets that luxury, but I do. I do and I'm smart enough to see it and not take it for granted."
"You…. You turned him down? You were flawless this afternoon. I have nothing left to teach you. You don't need me or anyone. You…."
"How do you know how I sounded?" She arched one of her eyebrows.
"I…" He froze. "I mean you no doubt sounded…."
She shook her head with an enormous smile on her face. "I knew you were there! I could sense you! I heard you! Erik!" She beamed at him.
"Don't be mad. I only wanted to hear you for a few minutes. I left as soon as the song was over. I just couldn't stay away."
She ran to his arms. "I'm mad about you!" She embraced him tightly. "I feel the same way you do. I was such a ninny. God, when will I ever learn?" She then faced him and touched his unmasked cheek. "My voice belongs at Phantasma, as the rest to me belongs with its creator."
He took her hands and kissed them, then slowly looked up into her eyes. "Christine, you would be respected by the world if you performed under Hammerstein's name."
"Maybe that's true, maybe it isn't. Yet I would only respect myself if I followed my passion and lived the life that makes me whole."
"But…."
"I love singing at Phantasma and I can sing your music there and anywhere." She looked around. "I can sing here too."
"Here?" Erik hadn't really considered it before.
"And if I wish to sing outside this country, why can't I go under your production? Mr. Y's Soprano of the Century." She moved her hand out in front of his face, as if she was selling him on the idea. "You've been all over the world. If you ask me, I'd be foolish not to want someone as experienced and as cultured as you to accompany me."
"But you didn't want any special treatment. You said with me that…"
"I still don't want any special treatment but at last I know that you aren't the only producer/director/creator that wants me. No one was sending notes or making threats." She winked.
"Christine…."
"I know now I was being foolish, but it was important for me to know. And yet the minute I did, I changed my mind. I knew exactly where I wanted to be. Anywhere you are."
"Then why were you late? Was he trying to convince you to change your mind?"
She shook her head no. "Not really." She knew she had to tell him but not yet. She wanted to know something first. "You bought this place, because?"
"I bought it, so I could have reason to come and stay here when you performed. I wanted to be close at hand."
"Why didn't you tell me?"
He shrugged. "I didn't want you to tell me no."
She kissed him. "I say yes. I love this place."
He looked at her as if she had two heads. "There is a lot of work that needs to be done. I am going to make this place into something extraordinary."
"I have no doubt but whether you change everything or nothing, it will always be extraordinary to me. It's where I first heard you sing from your very soul, not for me, but for yourself."
"Christine…."
"You can't imagine how worried I was tonight. I didn't know how I long it would take for me to convince you of my true intentions and yet, I didn't have to. You believed me. You trust me. You have no idea what a glorious present you have given me tonight, angel."
"I didn't know what made me say it all out loud. I just kept talking and I couldn't stop."
"They loved you."
He chuckled. "I just want you to love me."
She kissed him again. "You better." She giggled. "I'm serious, I didn't realize how many women were in the crowd tonight. Well, you best start telling me when you are performing, Mr. Y. It is far too risky to let you out alone."
"Why? Don't you trust me?" He grinned.
"Oh, I trust you, Erik. It's them I don't trust." She stuck her tongue out at him.
He laughed, and his eyes shined that hint of gold, she adored. "God, I want to kiss you."
"God, I want you too."
He took her in his arms but stopped himself from going any further when he realized something.
"What is it?"
"Why were you late and how did you find me?"
"Erik, can't we talk about that later? I think right now it's absolutely necessary for you to kiss me with all you might and leave me breathless."
He was tempted. Very, very tempted but he was also Erik. He released her and crossed his arms over his chest. "No words, no lips."
She sighed. Damn his self-control. "Perhaps we better sit down for this."
