A/N I was so excited that so many of you like the last chapter, so I had to get started on this chapter and well what do you know, I finished it in record time. So here it is, the chapter that gets the ball rolling, I hope yall don't hate me too much right now, because yall are in for a surprise. So here it is and please enjoy it and please review it! Also, Thank you to those who reviewed the last chapter!

Ch. 10

Erik took several looks around the ball room and smiled happily at himself. Weeks of rigorous planning had proved to be worth ever single stress filled moment because as he took in the sight of everyone's masks and costumes, the look of delight across their faces said it all. They were enjoying themselves and at the moment, it was enough.

The last six weeks of planning and purchasing what was needed had about done Erik's head in. On many occasions there had been endless arguments with Clark and Nadir about certain details, but in the end they compromised. Clark would pick out the menu that consisted of all types of food ranging from French, Spanish and Italian. Nadir would get to decorate the ball room which looked spectacular with the theme of his Persian homeland.

The fiery colors that adorned the room made it look more like a night spot rather than a sophisticated social gathering to promote a business. They had left Erik to deal with the music, since both men knew it was his specialty. He had decided that since he really didn't have much of a choice than to just hire the orchestra that would normally be down in the pit playing that he'd go along with it and move on. He was surprised when he didn't spend too long sulking about it. He had other things to worry about, but once the invitations had been ordered, made, and sent off, he took a deep breath and just hoped everything would fall into place.

Erik looked over at the dance floor to see Clark and Meg dancing. The look upon Clark's face made Erik want to burst out laughing. The look of love was painstakingly obvious on Clark's face, everyone in the room would have to be a fool not to see it, Erik thought.

He turned his attention over to Christine to see her gorgeous curls were left down and untouched. The exact way Erik had always preferred them. He costume was very magnificent also; her dress was white with accents of black around the top. Her mask was also stunning; it too was white with black faded in around the eyes. If he had to take one guess, he would go out on a limb and say she had decided to come as a swan. It was truly a beautiful costume.

"Excuse me." A small voice called behind Erik.

He turned to see a blond haired beauty standing behind him. Erik's felt his knees go weak at how beautiful she was. He eyes were very large and contained a pair of aqua colored orbs. Her skin was very light and it looked to be as soft as cream. He took a look at her costume and she had come dressed as a peacock. The dress itself was very low and from what Erik could tell, she seemed to be very well endowed in the upper regions of her body.

Erik smiled politely. "Can I help you with something?"

"I was hoping you'd care to dance with me!" She said mischievously.

Erik, being a man who followed no rules was intrigued by her forwardness and if he didn't know any better, he'd say she was intrigued by him also.

"I like your approach." Erik remarked.

"How lucky for me." She replied, a twinkle in her eye. "So, would you care to dance?'

Erik smiled again. "Yes, I would."

OOOO

Christine took in the sight before her. It was truly like nothing she had ever seen. She particularly loved the Persian atmosphere to the room. It reminded her of some of the stories Erik used to tell her. Tonight was really a success for Erik. That was a fact. Even the Masquerade back in Paris had not been this flamboyant.

"Dance with me?" Raoul asked as he suddenly appeared at Christine's side.

"Raoul! What are you doing here?" Christine asked very surprised, her expression clearly showed her disappointment in the fact that he was there.

"Please don't look so upset Christine." Raoul said sarcastically, his heart broke each time she gave him a look like such.

"I am just surprised that you are here." She told him.

"Well I am here so please, would you just dance with me?" He persisted.

"I don't know if it is such a good idea." Christine said hesitantly.

Raoul couldn't help but roll his eyes. "My God, Christine! I am not asking marriage, all I want is a dance." He said, clearly frustrated.

"Yes, but every conversation always turns to the subject of us getting married." Christine quickly reminded him.

"Christine really, all I want is a dance." Raoul said tiredly.

Christine contemplated her decision in her mind, though, it wasn't a very difficult decision to make, but she knew she would rather dance with someone else. "I am going to go and dace with Erik." She told Raoul as she began to walk away.

Raoul followed after her as she speed walked away from him. "He can't dance with you." He replied.

"Why not?" Christine asked upset that Raoul would go so far to say such a thing.

"Because he is dancing with someone else already." Raoul told her.

Christine looked out at the dance floor and felt her heart melt at the sight before her. She couldn't even describe the feeling she was experiencing at this particular moment. Pain, heartache, pity, and the one emotion she least favored feeling, jealousy. She turned back to face Raoul with a look of fury on her face.

"Fine, I'll dance with you."

Erik smiled at the young woman in his arms. She didn't seem to possess the innocence that Christine had, but there was something about her that seemed so pure. The fact that she was a complete mystery to him was another factor that turned him on a bit. When he looked down at her, he felt as if something had sparked on inside himself.

"What is your name?" Erik asked.

"What's yours?" She replied back.

Erik smiled at the girl's boldness. "Fine, I will play it your way." He told her. "I am Erik Destler."

"Isabella Cortez!" She said confidently. "But most people call me Bella."

"Well, it is lovely to make your acquaintance Bella."

"Same to you too, M. Destler."

"How old are you?" Erik asked.

"How old are you?" She countered back.

Again, Erik smiled. "I am forty my dear girl."

She smiled slightly before responding. "I am nineteen. So it seems that you are about half my age." She pointed out.

"Yes, but age is nothing other than a number." Erik said, his melodious voice lingering in her ears.

"It would appear so." She responded as she gazed up into his eyes, hers blue orbs were sparkling magnificently up at him.

OOOO

Christine couldn't help but laugh at herself. She had been dancing in Raoul's arms for the last fifteen minuets and though she knew she would never want to be with him again, she still found comfort there. Christine had to use all the power in her body to not let the tears she wanted to spill come out. She had not known how terrible it would feel to see the man she loved more than any man she had ever loved before in the arms of another woman.

She instantly felt sick to the stomach when she realized that this is what Erik must have felt when he saw Raoul and her together. Christine looked back over at him, he actually looked happy as he danced. She looked up at Raoul and smiled as she bit the inside of her moth to keep from crying.

"What is wrong my love?" Raoul asked seeing the sad look in her eyes.

"Nothing is wrong; I am just a little tired." She said as she walked off the dance floor.

How could this have happened? She was not supposed to be the one in this position. She had left him and that was it. Now it seemed fate was dealing her a cruel card now that the roles were suddenly reversed.

"Would you like me to walk you to your dressing room? It would be no problem for me." Raoul asked her.

Christine smiled at his politeness. Even though she didn't want Raoul as her husband or lover anymore, she still loved him for who he was. For him being a noble back home, he was one of the only gentlemen she had ever come across. He was a good man, and Christine was thankful that she could at least have him in her life

"Let me get a quick drink and then we can dance a bit more. Then I will be glad to have you walk me to my room." She told him.

Raoul nodded. "Okay, if that is what you wish."

Christine walked over to the refreshments and got a quick drink before joining Raoul back on the dance floor.

"Raoul, who is that girl dancing with Erik?" Christine asked.

"Which one?" He asked as he scanned the room.

"Her." Christine said pointing to where Erik was.

"Oh, that is Isabella Cortez. Her father is a noble in Spain." He explained to her.

"She is Spanish." Christine said shocked.

"Yes she is, although you would never guess so by her features." He replied.

"Well, what is she doing here?" Christine questioned.

"I last heard that she had come to America to search for something to invest her money in. She is an extremely headstrong girl from what I have heard. She is driven with dreams of making her own fortune. I am just guessing that she has come here interested in becoming a patron for the opera."

"What, why?" Christine said clearly upset.

Raoul looked down at his love completely confused. He had just explained why she was here and Christine was questioning it. "Have you not heard a word I said?" he asked.

"I am ready to go now." Christine said because she knew that is she didn't leave soon; she would break down in front of all these people or worse, in front of Erik.

"Would you like me to walk you?" He asked her again just to make sure that she really did want his presence.

"No, thank you for offering, but I think I would prefer to walk myself right now. I am not feeling to well." She said. "Thank you for dancing with me, it was lovely."

Christine walked back to her dressing room in tears. She was being ridiculous and she knew it. He was just dancing with her, but she could already tell that his dancing with this girl was going to be a very bad thing. When she got back to her dressing room she began to cry some more. Then when she thought about something she felt her heart rip.

He didn't even ask her to dance with him.

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