Erik's POV

The following week I had a lot of making up to do, especially with Christine. For days she had locked herself away, upset over my temper and rejection. What made things even worse was when she didn't want to take part in her voice lessons while I was in bed. She refused, simply because I refused her. But all of that was about to change. One morning, while Christine was asleep, I stole Gustave and took him out to a local dress shop… The child didn't understand why we were there, but it was for Christine. I was going to be taking her out for a night on the town tomorrow and I wanted her to look beautiful.

"Mr. Erik, why are we here?" Gustave curiously asked. "This is a dress store. It's for girls."

I chuckled and continued skimming through the racks of clothing, trying to find the best dress for Christine.

"I'm going to be taking your mother out for a night on the town tomorrow, Gustave, but this has to stay between you and I. Do you understand?"

Gustave nodded. "Oh, so this is like a secret?"

"Exactly. It's more of a surprise, but we'll leave that for your mother to decide. Anyway, she needs a dress for the place I'm going to be taking her to. A nice dress… Since she's asleep, I figured that today would be the best time to go searching for one."

"But how do you know her size?" Gustave questioned. "What if you get one that's too small?"

"I know your mother's dress size, Gustave."

"How? Only papas are supposed to know dress sizes."

"Your mother and I were once good friends, boy. And I did take her out every once in a while. That's how I know. Now, look through those racks and try to find something elegant, yet beautiful. Something that you could see your mother wearing."

I must have went through at least five racks of dresses, before I found the one I had been searching for. I smiled and pulled out the beautiful green and white evening gown. It screamed Christine all over, and I knew this would be the one she would wear.

"Mama would like that, Mr. Erik."

I smiled. "Indeed. I believe that she would love this dress more than anything in the world."

After purchasing it, I walked home with Gustave, the fall air chilling me to the bone. If there was one thing I hated, it was the winter. Years of living above ground has made me subceptabal to the cold. When I used to live in Paris, the cold never bothered me, for living beneath the opera house had strengthened my immune system. Though, after living in sunlight and warmth, it had weakened it. Just the slightest breeze sent chills down my spine, and if there was one thing Coney Island was known for, it was its cold winters. In a few weeks, there would be snow, and plenty of it. There wasn't a winter that went by where Coney Island didn't at least see ten feet of the white substance. In Paris, if it snowed, it wasn't much, and even then, I didn't mind it. Nowadays, it made me ill most years and made me so cold that most nights I find myself freezing beneath my blankets.

After arriving home, I placed the dress in my room and took a seat at my desk. There were applications that needed to be looked over, those applications being the ones that all of the freaks from Luna park had put in. I went through every one of them, seeking their talents and afflictions. My park, however, wouldn't be basing its freaks on afflictions… No, I planned on basing it all on talent. When I started working many years ago, I hated it when places would seek me for my face, rather than for the talents I possessed. I could play any instrument and write beautiful arias, but that never satisfied them. Even when I would desperately attempt to sweep them off their feet with magic and illusions, they still only wanted to see my face. I would never do that to an employee, which was why I would sit here and look over every application carefully, only caring about their talents and not of their appearances.

Around noon, I heard the front door slam close, making it obvious that Christine had finally stepped out. To be sure, I hurried to my window and looked at the driveway, noticing that she was indeed headed out with Gustave. I wasn't sure how long I had, but I pulled out a piece of parchment and began writing.

"Promises are meant to be broken. Meet me in the foyer tomorrow evening around half past six for a night one shall never forget.

Erik."

I didn't want to make the note seem too serious, therefore, I left it at that and hurried downstairs with the dress in hand. I entered Christine's room and spread its beauty out upon her bed before placing the note beside it. For the remainder of the day, I didn't hear a word out of her… Not even when she re-entered the house that evening. I waited to hear some kind of reaction out of her from downstairs, but instead, I only heard the slamming of doors. In the winter, there weren't too many places to eat, seeing that Luna Park was closed, but there were a few places closer to town that men escorted their women to. There was one that I did hear wonderful things about… It was called "Le Bonne Cuisine." It reminded me of Paris, and I knew it was somewhere that Christine and I could talk and enjoy ourselves. But of course, I had expected too much, especially after the way I had treated her. The following evening, I showered and dressed in my finest attire, dressing as though I were about to dine with the Shah of Persia. I had never dressed up in my best attire before, for there was no reason to. I had never taken a woman out to dinner. Perhaps I had purchased dresses for Christine to wear in my lair, but never, had I ever actually escorted someone to a restaurant before. It made me a little nervous, actually, but at the same time, I was sort of excited about it.

I gazed at myself in the mirror, looking at my hideous appearance. Even with my mask, I was still grotesque, too grotesque for a woman to love me. How could I expect any woman to look on me and love? It was impossible, and I knew that it would never happen. Why did I have to be born hideous? Why did God have to grant me a single breath in this world, only to walk through life hated and unloved? It didn't seem human, which was why I didn't adore the man. To think, others running off to church in order to praise a man who was supposed to be so great and superior…Oh, he was anything but. Why did others find it necessary to worship him? After grabbing my pocket watch, I headed downstairs to wait for Christine… Finding that I needed some air, I decided to walk across the street and take a seat on the nearest bench, for that was sure to calm my nerves. The cool night air chilled me to the bone, but I was dressed in my winter dress coat, and that starved off the coldness a tad bit. From on the left side of my house, the town's clock tower shun brightly, lighting up the time and its large hands. It was already a quarter past six… I was early, but that was to be expected by men, or so they say.

For years, I have done nothing but read. I have read everything from books about how to treat a lady, books on how to make her heart flutter… Even books about how to please her in bed. Though, never before tonight had I ever experienced any of it. For fifteen more minutes, I waited, my palms sweating around the pocket watch I had gripped in my hands. She would show up… She had to! I had left her a note. This was what she had wanted…She became angry when I told her no… I had changed everything, and now, here I was, waiting for her to show up. It was now a quarter to seven, the chime of the clock tower sending my heart aching. She was late now, late and nowhere to be found. Perhaps she was running a little late… That made sense, seeing that women always wanted to look their best at dinner. Needing to know this for myself, I wallowed back to my house and peeked into her bedroom window to find her and Gustave playing a game of some sort… She wasn't even dressed to go out, and the dress was nowhere to be found. At that moment, my heart was crushed… So much, that pain shot through my shoulder and burned into the center of my chest. This was all too familiar, the familiar pain of rejection. The rejection that she had bestowed upon me years ago. If there was one thing Christine enjoyed, it was taking my heart and crushing it within her very grasp. But oh, no more! I wouldn't allow her to do this anymore! From now on, our business would be business and nothing more!

I wanted to cry, but I stayed strong, heading back towards the street. Deciding not to let a fine glass of wine go to waste, I headed towards the restaurant anyway, sitting at my booth and sipping on my glass of wine.

"Fancy seeing you here…"

When I looked up, I saw Meg standing before me, dressed in her finest attire. I sipped on my wine and looked away, not really interested in being in the woman's presence.

"Well, aren't you going to answer me?"

"Go away, girl…"

"And you're alone… Where is your better half? Ditched you again, I see."

Oh, I was about to pound this girl into tomorrow… I would have done it already, but I didn't want to cause a scene. Instead of leaving though, Meg took a seat across from me and poured herself a glass of wine.

"I know how it feels, Erik," she seductively began. "When you love someone so much and they don't love you back. It hurts more than anything in the world. What hurts worse is to be stood up… Especially in a place like this. Society is a cruel reality… Men like you can't find the love and attention they need."

"Men like me?" I growled. "What does that mean? I know what I am, girl… I've come to accept it without question. But Christine, she's different."

"And that's why you're sitting here alone. She's using you, Erik… And you truly want to make her your leading lady next year at your opera house? That would be a terrible mistake…"

"How? How would that be a mistake? You're crazy… Christine has the best voice in the entire world. She would bring my park a lot of money."

"And where would that leave you? Rich, perhaps… But how much would it hurt to stand there each night and watch Christine sing? Watch her sing and have men howling at her, men that Christine would date in a heartbeat. How would that feel, Erik?"

"Enough," I growled. "Enough, please…"

All of this was hurting me deep inside. What Meg was saying might have been hurtful, but it was still true.

"I believe you should put aside Christine and hire me instead."

Meg got up from where she was sitting and sat closer to me, her hand running across my thigh. Oh, what was she doing? She was looking at me with seductive eyes, her hand traveling along my thigh and to my knee. No one had ever done this before, no one…

"I could give you everything you could ever wish for. Those other men don't care about love… They only want the fame and fortune that they're looking at on stage. Me, I believe in more, Erik. Isn't that what you want as well? Don't you want love? Don't you want a woman to wrap your arms around every night after the park closes?"

I nodded, knowing that it was indeed what I wanted. Finishing up my wine, I stood from my table and paid the bill, walking outside with Meg following me.

"So, do we have a deal?" Meg asked, pushing me up against the nearest wall.

I stared at the woman and looked into her green eyes.

"You've gone too long without getting everything you've ever wanted. Christine doesn't care about you, and I know that it's hard to believe, but Christine is never going to love you. If she did, she wouldn't have left you all of those years ago. She simply uses men for everything and then, afterwards, she ditches them. But for you, it's different. Christine doesn't just ditch you, she breaks your heart."

Meg placed her hand firmly against my chest. "You deserve to have all the love you want, Erik… You're going to be the wealthiest man in Coney Island come spring time. Shouldn't you have a woman who loves you? Money can't buy you love…"

Before I could say another word, Meg pressed her lips against my own, the alcohol making my head spin. I would have pushed the woman away, but I was too drunk to do so. Her kisses didn't feel like the very few I had received from Christine. No, they weren't anything like them. I stumbled backwards and pushed the girl away, causing her to look at me with a look of disgust.

"What's wrong with you?" she angrily questioned. "I'm throwing myself at you, and yet, you're pushing me away. I'm better than Christine… You know this."

"You," I slurred. "Are nothing but a gold digging whore…"

But Meg wasn't listening, she pressed her lips against my own again, and when she did, I heard Christine's upset voice.

"Erik?"

I broke away from the woman, looking ahead to see Christine coming towards me dressed in her evening gown I had bought. She had seen everything… She had seen Meg and I kiss.

"What are you doing here?" I growled.

"You invited me, remember?" Christine cried. "You left me a note."

"Yes, for half past six!" I cried. "It's ten o clock now!"

"Why were you kissing Meg?"

I was about to answer her, when Meg intervened.

"I'm his new star, Christine," she sneered. "You're no longer going to be working at Erik's opera house…"

But that wasn't true. None of it was… I was drunk, and that was the only reason this conversation between Meg and I had gotten this far. But it was too late, for Christine had tears in her eyes.

"Is that true?"

And when I didn't answer, she ran off in her beautiful gown.

"Look what you did!"

I pushed Meg aside, turning one last time, threatening her to leave me alone. And when Meg was gone, I ran off to chase after Christine. Everything had gone wrong tonight, everything, and all because Christine had decided to make up her own time schedule…

DUN DUN DUN...Well, you wanted jealousy...That should have did the trick. Anyway, please review everyone! Thank you!