I pulled open my office door to see Luke’s smiling face. He held out a stunning bouquet of peonies and chrysanthemums. I took them gratefully, pressed them to my face, and inhaled deeply. It smoothed over some of the wrinkles on my brow.
“They’re beautiful, Luke.” I let him wrap his strong arms around me and pull me in for a hug.
Nothing in the world made me feel as good as when Luke held me close like this. I never felt stronger, sexier, or more loved than in his arms. I felt like I could conquer the world.
“Not as beautiful as you,” he said and kissed the top of my head. “But you need flowers on opening night. I’m pretty sure that’s the tradition.”
“That’s sweet of you.” I pulled him into my office and shut the door. “Did you get everyone where they need to be?”
He nodded. “Your parents are in the box seats with Nic and Sadie. Jessie went to get a drink, but she’s all set too.”
My eyes burned with emotion. “You’re a good man for flying them all up here.”
“This is a big deal,” he said. “We couldn’t let them miss it. For all the shows after this? They’re on their own.”
“I’m nervous.” I shook my hands out at my sides like I could shake off the jitters.
Luke turned me so I was facing away from him. Then he rubbed my shoulders and whispered soothing words to me, which helped a little.
“You are going to be great tonight,” he said from behind me, like a ring man coaching a boxer before a fight. “You’ve planned out every scene change. You’ve practiced with the crew. You’ve been rehearsing the set changes for weeks. You’re ready.”
I shook my head. “Tonight’s different. Tonight we have an audience.”
“Well, that’s the idea,” he said with a chuckle. “A full house is better than an empty one, right?”
I smiled at that and turned around to face him. “I guess so. But my parents are here. Nic is here.”
“Yeah, and they’ll be proud of you even if everything falls apart.” Luke grinned. “Nic might actually enjoy that more. As excited as he is for your big night, he doesn’t seem super thrilled to sit through an entire play.”
“He’s never seen a show like this. I can promise you that.” I ran my fingers over Luke’s chest, taking strength from him. “What about you? Are you excited?”
“Of course. Obviously, I would say that anyway, but you’ve been telling me about it for months. I’m dying to see how all that planning looks on stage.” He smiled down at me. “Someone wouldn’t let me come to the rehearsals.”
I grinned back. “That was Ganymede. No one was allowed in. She likes keeping her shows a surprise.”
“Well, I’m looking forward to it. And I have a little surprise for you, too.” Luke shot me a mysterious look.
“Is that so?”
“Yes, but after the show,” he insisted. “You need to concentrate.”
“Yeah.” I sighed. “Speaking of which, you should probably get back out there. I need to go wrangle the crew and get everyone in place. Curtain’s up soon.”
“Break a leg, gorgeous.” He kissed me. It was a hell of a distraction from my nerves. We didn’t have time for a backstage quickie, but the thought crossed my mind. That would have really gotten my mind off things.
Luke left to take his seat with the rest of my family. Feeling a lot more centered now, I walked out of my office and got to work.
Sets for a show this big weren’t just big paintings in the background of the stage that we switched between scenes like a slideshow. Pieces of scenery moved around mid-scene to give off the impression the actors were performing in a changing environment.
It took a skilled team, and I was in charge of them. The designs were all mine, and since I knew how everything was meant to work, I was team lead. It was a ton of responsibility, and I didn’t have a lot of experience as a leader, but everyone I worked with was a total sweetheart, and as a group, we had put together something special.
The performance kicked off and my life became laser-focused on the work. We got through the first act without any problems. During a lull in scene changes, I peeked out through the curtain where no one from the audience could see me. I wasn’t trying to distract from the play.
Luke had reserved a box seat for the show before the tickets even officially went on sale. Now, months later, he was finallysitting up there beside Nic and Sadie. My mother and father were next to them. Then there was Jessie.
But there was one more person up there. Someone in what looked to be aPhantom of the Operamask. No one seemed alarmed by the figure, which meant he was harmless or I was hallucinating. I had no idea who it could be. Was this the surprise Luke had mentioned?
Whatever he had up his sleeve, I couldn’t wait to see it. In the meantime, I locked in and made sure I didn’t embarrass myself or let Ganymede down. She had put a lot of faith in me and I refused to make her regret it.
