The Phantom Diaries (18 page)

“I… hmmm.” He swallowed again and fidgeted. “I came to see how you were doing. You were great tonight. I’ve missed you and wanted a minute with you before we go out to meet the press.”

Kristine took my hand to reach for his tie and I pulled him to me. “Never mind the press, Aragon. I’ve missed you like you can’t imagine.”

I was horrified and couldn’t imagine what Aaron could possibly think of my sudden wanton behavior. Kristine was going to ruin everything; was going to ruin me.

“Annette,” he whispered huskily slipping his hands around my bare waist. “What’s gotten into you? This isn’t like you at all.”

“I told you, Aragon. I’ve missed you.”

“Your voice…you…you’re so sexy. What’s gotten into you? I mean, I like this side of you, but where’s the Annette who wanted to take things slowly? D’you get some voodoo or something down in New Orleans? Has something changed your mind about us?” He pressed his body to mine and my breasts, barely contained by the revealing bra I wore, crushed against his chest, looking intently into my eyes.

I miss you Aaron, I shouted, remembering how much I miss his friendship and guidance. I do want to take it slowly.
 
I don’t want to jump into anything I will regret…

“Something like that.” I watched helplessly while Kristine controlled my every move, my every speech in her planned seduction of Aaron. Evil laughter filled the room while my arms wrapped around him. My hands into the back of his jacket collar and worked their way to the front. With expert movements I couldn’t control, my fingers clasped his jacket and pulled it back off his shoulders, letting it fall to the floor.

“Annette?” he raised his eyebrows, questioning me.

Kristine ignored his question and continued on with the seduction. With feverish urgency, she tried to use my fingers to rid him of his shirt, but Aaron put his hand over mine, stopping me from completing the task.

“Are you alright, Annette?” he asked. “You’re so wild.” He took a deep breath. “I want you, Annette, but not like this. Not now.”

I felt the fury in Kristine rise to a dangerous level.

“What happened to the innocent Annette I know,” Aaron said.

“Who cares?” came the throaty response. “I want you, Aragon.”

Aaron looked into my eyes.
Can he see through Kristine’s possession of me?

Aaron looked like he was struggling. “Oh, Annette,” he sighed, pressing his chest to mine as he pushed me onto the sofa. “I’ve been waiting so long for you to want me, and now you, this new sensual Annette, wild, free, uninhibited…”

“You’ve not yet begun to see what I can do to you, Aragon.” Kristine used my hands to grip his shoulders and pulled him to me, over me, encouraging him to press his pelvis into mine.

Aaron groaned as he pressed his face into my hair and whispered, “I missed you so much. If this is what you want, Annette…”

Kristine tossed my head back with wanton abandonment and a victorious and throaty giggle erupted.

Aaron’s head lifted from my hair to look again into my eyes before kissing me tenderly and then with more passion.

Just when I thought I couldn’t take anymore, the door opened and Chace rushed in. Why was everyone rushing into my dressing room all of a sudden? Then I remembered…first day back from my trip and everyone wanted to see me. This was the first opportunity for Chace to see me after my return. “Annette…I knocked, but you weren’t answering so I thought something was wrong, and…”

The expression on his face – the pain, the betrayal – killed me. I’d never wanted to hurt him, and here I was practically naked and wrapped in another man’s arms.
Please forgive me, Chace.

I didn’t know how to fight her. Kristine had control over every move I made and no matter how much effort I put into trying to regain control, I was ultimately helpless.

Chace stared at me for what seemed an eternity. Kristine smiled at Chace, taunting him, letting him see how much she enjoyed being in Aaron’s arms.

Kristine, stop this! Don’t hurt Chace.

My heart broke for Chace. His face red and his fists white, he stormed out and slammed the door behind him.

No!
 
I wailed. I’m so sorry Chace.

Kristine – how dare you hurt sweet Chace!

“I didn’t hurt him,” Kristine murmured to me.
 
“You did it all by yourself. Let him go.”
 

“What?” Aaron asked. The loud slam of the door and Kristine’s murmuring brought Aaron out of Kristine’s seductive spell. Aaron straightened up. “As delicious as this is, Annette dear, we have people waiting for us.”

“I’m the star, my dear Aragon. They’ll wait.”

He pulled away and regained his composure. “I know you’re the star, darling. And as much as I enjoy this other side of you, the press, the public, the world is in love with the demure and innocent Annette they’ve always seen.” He pulled close, “As am I. I will always love my sweet Annette.”

Love? My head reeled and my heart skipped a beat. Did Aaron just said he loved me? What timing that he had to tell me now when I can’t even control my body and speech!

Kristine’s triumph turned to fury again. “That’s nonsense.”

Aaron grabbed my hand and pulled me to my feet.
 
He gave me a final, deep kiss and released me. “Annette, that’s one part of you I don’t ever want you to lose. Now, put something on before I completely lose control,” he smiled.

He walked out giving Kristine no choice but to comply. She perused my wardrobe and picked out one of the raciest, most daring gowns.

“You know that young Chace fellow is rather attractive, in a nubile sort of way. Perhaps later we could…”

Leave Chace out of this.

“Ah, are we worried about the poor fellow? He’s just a boy, Annette. He’ll get over his broken heart and marry some nice little woman who’ll make him marginally happy.”

As we stepped into the clingy garment, she eyed our reflection carefully.

“You know,” she said with disappointment. “As amusing as it was seeing the heartache on that young man’s face, the intended victim here was Eric.”

Eric? I was stunned. Kristine, not Eric. He’s suffered enough.

She flashed a brilliant smile as she pulled up a shoulder strap. “Yes, for Eric to see his beloved Annette all cuddled up in the arms of an Aragon. How fitting.”

With the second strap in place, she examined the reflection.

The dress left little to the imagination, and I wondered how it could’ve gotten into my wardrobe. Then I remembered it was a dress left by Marie who wanted me to loosen and expand it by a few dress sizes. Mortified by what I saw, I tried to imagine what the press would have to say about this. I’d never paraded myself in such a revealing garment.

“We’re going to show them what an opera diva is, my dear.”

Don’t play with my public, Kristine.

“Don’t worry. They’ll be putty in my hands.” She opened the door.

“Hmm,” Aaron mused. His eyes drank in the vision of my body so artfully exposed. “Interesting choice. I must say you are tempting me more and more with every minute, Annette, but are you sure this is what you want to wear for the public to see?”

Kristine answered back curtly. “Aragon, why are you such a prude? You are not at all like Ru…ah…what I expected.”

Aaron’s eyebrows lifted. “Annette, I’ve had my share of ladies because of who I am, and believe me, I am not a prude.” Aaron lowered his eyes. “You’re special, Annette, you’re not someone men can just have their way with and toss aside.” He placed gentle fingers on my face, as I looked up into his eyes. “Remember that, Annette. You’re untouchable. Like an angel. Believe me, I want to ravish you, take you into my arms and make…” he stopped and took a breath. “Come on, we have the press waiting, and I don’t want to keep them any further.” Aaron escorted us to the line up of photographers and columnist eager to get a word on my first night back. Just as we arrived, Kristine slipped under his jacket, around his waist and down to grab his buttock.

“An angel?” Kristine mused. “Before you know it, Aragon, I’ll change your mind forever on how angelic you and everyone think sweet Annette is.”

“Play it sweet, my dear,” he said, gritting his teeth. “Let’s do this quickly and then we can find some time to ourselves.” He took both my hands in his and presented me to the masses.

Kristine smiled, waved, turned and winked back at the crowd. She played them to the hilt, wooing them, charming them and seducing them.

“You seem like a new woman, Annette,” one reporter asked. “What’s brought on this change?”

“Success,” Kristine declared. “The sweet, avenging taste of success.”

“How was your trip back home?”

“Oh, precious, let’s not waste time with that. I’m here now and that’s all that matters.”

“Are you and Mr. Aragon involved?”

I recognized the woman as a reporter who wrote for a trashy paper. She’d been hounding me for a scoop since opening night. I dreaded Kristine’s response to her question.

“Mr. Aragon,” Kristine said in clear and deliberate syllables. She reached out for him and brought him closer.
 
“Look at that angelic face. How can a young woman like myself resist the allure and charm of such a worldly man?”

“Are you happy to be back at the Met?”

“Delirious,” she crooned.

“Please, do excuse us,” Aaron said once a satisfactory number of photos had been snapped. “We do have to run along.”

He scurried us off to the back exit. “I’ll call to ditch Mr. and Mrs. Wainwright. I don’t think tonight’s a good night for you to meet them. How about we have a quiet dinner alone?
 
Choose the restaurant of your liking.”

“Why bother with a restaurant? They’re so noisy and crowded and –” She leaned in close to his ear. “ – public.”

“Well now, what did you have in mind?”

“A cozy and intimate dinner at my apartment.
 
Wouldn’t that be more pleasing? No interruptions. No gawkers. Just me and you.” Kristine was back to her seduction.

“Excellent, Annette.” He clasped my hands in his and gazed into my eyes. “I am baffled and thrilled by this change in you, Annette. I look at you and still see the innocent girl, but now I see an Annette who is not afraid. I see an Annette who is not just passionate in her music, but in her life. Is it because of all this success, really?”

Aaron, it is Kristine, but maybe it is also a part of me that Kristine is unleashing.
 
I don’t know.
 
I’m so confused!

Aaron looked a little wistful. “I supposed I helped turned you into this opera diva I see tonight. You’re now this woman who can see the man I am, and not just your manager.”

“Yes, Aragon. I have a very deep sense of the man you are. More than you can imagine. Take me home and I’ll touch you so deep within your soul, you’ll never forget the time you spent with Kr… Annette.”

Aaron gripped my hand. “It’s what I want, Annette. I want you to finally see beyond our friendship and my ridiculous role as your “employer” and see me as just a man, a man who wants more of you, more than friendship, Annette.”

Kristine laughed. “Oh, I do, Aragon. I do see you as just a man.” We crossed the street to my building and held each other all the way up in the elevator while Kristine planted kisses along Aaron’s throat and face.

Her throaty giggle had Mrs. Weinstein from down the hall opening her door to investigate. With a look of disdain, she quickly slammed her door shut.

Great, now alienate my neighbors.

So horrified with what Kristine had in store for Aaron, I missed seeing that the door wasn’t lock when Kristine opened it. Why wasn’t it locked?

We stepped into my apartment and Kristine kicked the door shut. Before she could reach for the light switch, Aaron was pulled away and a second later the loud crash of splintering wood was followed by a disgusting thud that echoed in my living room.

She finally flicked the switch revealing Aaron lying flat on his face, a small trickle of blood lining his forehead.

Oh no, Aaron! Why was Chace in my apartment in the dark? Chace, have you lost it? Oh Chace, no. You look horrible, and your violin. I’m so sorry!

Chace stood there with a destroyed violin in his hands. “Leaving the key under the doormat, Annette?” he said with an odd note of cruelty. “Haven’t you learned anything since you’ve been in New York? Anyone can get in.”

No, Chace! I want everything to be the way it was between us. Not this!

My heart was breaking. I was aghast, though I had no doubt Kristine hid it well. Back home we’d always left the key under the mat.

“How can someone so naïve end up acting like such a tramp? I thought we have something Annette…” His eyes held a depth of rage with an ounce of fear and sadness.

I never wanted to hurt you, Chace.