by KT Webb
“Are you sure you don’t want me to pick you up for the party?”
“No, that’s okay. Like I said, I’m going to head over with Christine. All of our stuff is already here.”
Drew nodded, “I’ll see you there, I can’t wait to see your costume.”
When she returned to her dressing room, she was trying to decipher the expression she’d seen on Drew’s face. No matter how much she cared for Drew, Aria kept coming back to the feelings she continued to hold onto for D’Angelo. Seeing him in the theater during the performance made her feel like he was toying with her by staying just out of her reach. Other than the brief conversation on the stage and the ibuprofen he left for her, she’d not heard from him, and it hurt her to think he could disappear from her life so quickly. When she finished removing her make-up, Aria stripped out of her costume. Reaching for her clothes, she discovered something that made her draw back.
A single red rose rested on the table in the corner where she kept her personal belongings. The accompanying envelope was tucked into her purse. Aria gently opened it to read the contents.
Dearest Aria,
I was wrong to leave you alone for so long. Words cannot express how it feels to see you in the arms of Andrew Overland. As part of the play, it was a minor irritation, but now that you’ve agreed to be his, the feeling is unbearable.
I must hear you sing for me again. Please know that you are everything to me.
With my undying devotion,
D’Angelo
Aria held the letter to her chest as tears formed in her eyes. He had been in that very room while she was on stage.
“Turn off the lights,” D’Angelo’s voice made her jump.
Aria was only acutely aware of her partial state of dress as she automatically reached out and switched off the lights. The click of the lock echoed through the otherwise silent room. Arms wrapped around her, pulling her into a firm embrace. His hands explored her unclothed skin; he wasn’t wearing gloves as he usually did.
“I missed you,” he whispered.
Aria didn’t dare move for fear of upsetting him again. Goosebumps covered her body as he traced his fingers along her spine. His other hand brought her face up at the angle she knew had gotten her in trouble before.
“What are you doing?” Aria whispered.
“Shhh. Do you trust me?”
“Yes.”
Her lips were covered in his. The intensity couldn’t be matched by anything she’d ever experienced. This time, she kept her arms firmly by her side and refused to let her hands ruin the moment for them. As he pressed on, she was gently pushed against the door. He deepened the kiss, clinging to her as though his life depended on it. Abruptly, he stopped kissing her and leaned his forehead against hers.
“Your body is telling me this isn’t what you want, but your lips tell a different story,” he breathed against her lips.
“Last time I touched you, it didn’t end well. I’m afraid that if I do it now, you’ll leave me again.”
He sighed and kissed her gently before pulling away again, “Touch me.”
Aria didn’t need to be told twice; her hands trailed up his arms until they reached his shoulders. D’Angelo took her hands gently and brought them to his face. Aria was momentarily surprised by the difference in the sensation. Her left hand felt the same rough, maybe scarred, skin she’d encountered before. Her right hand touched a soft, smooth cheek. Whatever affliction he had that left his face deformed only affected half of it.
“I want to see you,” Aria told him.
“No, I can’t bear that yet. I’m sorry. Maybe one day.”
“So, this is it? You’re not leaving me again?”
“Never, not if you want me here.”
Aria stood on her toes to reach his lips again. D’Angelo returned her passion immediately. All the feelings she’d been earnestly trying to repress came rushing back. She didn’t want to waste another second pretending. Aria pulled away.
“There’s something I need to tell you,” she began, “I—”
“Wait, let me go first. I owe you this,” he whispered, “Aria Marie Durant, despite my best efforts to spare you the pain of spending your life with a broken man, I have fallen hopelessly and desperately in love with you.”
Aria couldn’t believe her ears, “I’ve tried to fight it for far too long, but I can’t deny it anymore. No one will ever make me feel the way you do; every time Drew kissed me, all I could think of was how it felt to kiss you. I don’t care if I have to live the rest of my life in the darkness if it means I get to be with you. I hope one day you’ll be ready to show me who you are. I’m in love with you, too.”
D’Angelo reclaimed her lips briefly, “We need to get ready for the party.”
“We?”
“Surely you’ve realized why I insist on a masquerade. I’ve been to every cast party for my productions, I’ll find you there. Count to ten, then turn on the lights,” D’Angelo moved away from her in the darkness.
Aria did as she was instructed, waited the ten seconds, and turned on the light. She was alone in the dressing room. Aria looked around in the corners of the room, he was gone. He said he’d find her at the party, which meant she probably wouldn’t recognize him in whatever mask he chose as part of his costume. It would be like finding one another for the first time.
“He kissed you?” Aria squealed.
Christine nodded, “It was hot, seriously. He said he wants me to be his date tonight.”
Aria wanted to tell Christine about her encounter with D’Angelo, but she wasn’t sure she could. How was she supposed to tell her friend she was in love with a man she’d never even seen face to face? Beyond that, how was she supposed to attend a party with both Drew and D’Angelo?
“Something is different about you, what’s on your mind?” Christine asked.
They were on their way to the event center in the backseat of a cab, Aria glanced at the driver. He wasn’t paying attention to them, so she decided to ask Christine for some guidance.
“I have something to tell you, but you have to promise not to ask too many questions,” Aria began.
Christine crossed her heart and held her fingers up to indicate a “scouts honor”.
“I’m in love with someone. We have a connection I can’t explain. He cares for me, looks out for me, and invests his time in helping me. This wasn’t supposed to happen this way, but it did. I’ve never even seen him. He’s always hidden in the darkness when we’re together. I trust him implicitly. There’s something about him that I can’t explain,” Aria gushed.
“Cryptic. Does this guy have a name?”
“Yes, but I’m not ready to tell you that. I only just admitted to loving him, I need to see where things go. I need to let the relationship grow.”
“You need to kick Drew to the curb,” Christine advised.
“Yeah, about that. My guy is going to be at the party tonight. He’s going to find me, but I have to find a way to tell Drew that it’s over.”
“Ooooo, that’ll be fun.”
“Yeah, tell me about it.”
They arrived at the party and climbed out of the cab. Aria’s costume was black. The dress was much shorter than she was usually comfortable with, but Christine insisted she looked great. Her mask was simple. It covered her eyes and framed her cheeks like a butterfly resting on her face. Christine’s costume was the same as Aria’s, except white. They’d had so much fun picking out every detail.
Music thumped loud enough to hear it from the sidewalk. The girls linked arms and walked into the party. It was disorienting to see so many people who’s faces were obscured by masks and make-up. The variety of colors and costume styles filled Aria with awe. She was busy taking in every detail in front of her when someone came up behind her.
“Found you,” the voice was low and hard to place amongst the other noise.
Aria leaned back into the arms that wrapped around her. She reached up to grip D’Angelo’s hand as
Patrick came up to them, his eyes glued to Christine. Aria was so happy her two friends had finally admitted their feelings for one another. It seemed too good to be true that both she and her new best friend were spending the evening with the men they loved.
A waiter walked by with a tray filled with hors d’oeuvres; he leaned down with the dish to offer them something to snack on. Patrick grabbed a couple of the small items wrapped in bacon and offered one to Christine.
“Can you tell me what these are?” She asked.
“Yes, ma’am. These are Grilled Scallops in a Prosciutto wrap,” the waiter explained.
Christine looked at Patrick, “Are you trying to kill me?”
“Um, no. . .why?”
“I’m allergic to shellfish. Like, deathly allergic.”
“Oh, it looks like I have a lot to learn about you,” Patrick replied. “Wait, if I eat these, can I still kiss you?”
Christine shook her head, vehemently, “Nope. And you better wash your hands really well too.”
Aria laughed as Patrick walked to the nearest trash can and dropped the scallops. He headed directly for the bathroom to wash his hands. As soon as he returned, he whisked Christine off to grab a drink and join the party on the dance floor.
Aria was content to stand in D’Angelo’s arms. Undoubtedly the people at the party would be wondering who she was with. Absently, she wondered if his hair was exposed in his costume. Before she made the decision to turn and look, a man caught her attention across the room. He wore a full-face mask with a distinct separation between the two sides. One side was black and textured to look like a skull; the other half was white, smooth, and perfect. He was staring directly at her. Drew. Aria pulled D’Angelo’s arms tighter around her and prepared for the confrontation she knew was coming. Drew sauntered at first, never taking his eyes off her as she allowed herself to be held by a stranger. When he was within a few feet, Aria squeezed D’Angelo’s hand, hoping he would keep his irritation at bay. She knew how he felt about Drew.
“Miss Durant, I believe I told you I would find you,” Drew said.
“Who are you?” D’Angelo asked.
Aria froze and immediately let go of the hand she’d been holding. She’d had it wrong; it wasn’t D’Angelo who had come up behind her, it was Drew. The man in front of her was her D’Angelo. She ducked out from underneath Drew’s embrace. When she turned to face him; she knew she had indeed been mistaken.
“Drew!” Aria tried not to look as surprised as she felt.
“Um, yeah. Who did you think it was?” He demanded while looking at the man who’d approached them.
Aria realized they were about the same height. In fact, if they were barefoot, she would guess them to be exactly the same height. D’Angelo’s hair was exposed, but he’d slicked it back, it was much darker than she’d imagined. She felt awful for allowing Drew to hold her while she was waiting for D’Angelo.
Drew was sizing up the man who seemed intent on approaching his girlfriend; something about the guy made him uneasy. He also noticed there was something about the way Aria stared at him as though hypnotized by his presence. He didn’t like the idea that some other guy had drawn her attention. He wanted Aria for himself.
D’Angelo tried desperately to keep his temper under control. He’d seen Drew put his disgusting hands on Aria many times, but there was something about the way she’d been leaning into him that sent D’Angelo over the edge; he now understood that she hadn’t realized who was holding her. He should have told her what to look for at the party, but it seemed more in spirit with the theme to leave her guessing.
Now the three of them were locked in an awkward moment. The only one who fully understood what was hanging in the balance was Aria. The last thing she wanted to do was hurt Drew. She didn’t love him, but she also didn’t want to be with him the way he wanted to be with her.
“What’s going on here, Aria?” Drew asked, turning from the interloper as though ignoring him would make him disappear.
Aria took a deep breath and his hand. She led him away from D’Angelo. She wouldn’t put him through being dumped in front of the man he was being dropped for. When they were out of earshot, Aria stopped and turned to face him.
“Drew, do you remember how I told you there was someone I had feelings for? I told you I was waiting for him to wake up and realize I wanted to be with him.”
Drew remembered the conversation, but he assumed whoever the man was, he had disappeared from the picture as soon as Aria chose to date Andrew. He glanced at the other guy; it wouldn’t be wise to make a scene. Aria wouldn’t like that, and if he pressed the issue, she’d be unlikely to forgive him. Drew knew enough to accept that for now, he’d been beaten. Whoever the mystery man was, he was going to need to watch his back now that he’d gotten in the way of what Drew wanted.
“Listen, I get it. I can see there’s something between you. I’m not going to try to stop you from seeing where that goes,” Drew looked over at D’Angelo, “But, I’m also not going anywhere.”
“I appreciate that, Drew. Thank you for understanding. I promise you this hasn’t been going on longer than today. We got to talk after the performance, and we’re both ready to take the next step. I never wanted to hurt you; I hope you know that.”
Drew leaned in to kiss her forehead. As he did, he made direct eye contact with the mystery man who had swooped in to claim what was his. Drew only hoped the look in his eyes told his competition that this wasn’t over. He wouldn’t cause a scene in front of all the party-goers, but he wasn’t going down without a fight.
“Who is he? Do I know him?” Drew asked.
“Probably not, he doesn’t socialize much,” Aria skirted the question.
D’Angelo watched the conversation unfold; Drew took the news better than expected. The problem was, he knew Andrew Overland. It wasn’t going to end as easily as Drew led them to believe. Watching him kiss her on the forehead told him Drew wanted him to know he wasn’t giving up. Neither would D’Angelo, it was up to him to keep Aria safe from the damage a man like Andrew could do.
Aria left Drew, slowly walking toward D’Angelo as though they were the only two people in the room. He took her hand in his. Again, she noticed they were not concealed by the leather gloves she’d known him to wear previously. He couldn’t believe she truly wanted to be with him. D’Angelo had remained hidden and alone for so many years, the idea of being at the party with Aria was both foreign and exciting. The way she looked at the telling mask he’d chosen led him to believe she really didn’t care what was underneath. Secretly, he knew showing her the truth would raise too many questions that he couldn’t answer until he knew she would be safe.
“Would you like to dance?” He asked.
“Sure, but I don’t want to stay long. I’d like to get home at a decent hour,” Aria replied, thinking about the feeling of his lips against hers and his hands exploring her body.
Hazel eyes burned back at her through the eyeholes of his mask. D’Angelo could only imagine the thoughts going through her mind, and he hoped he would be able to give her what she wanted. Aria caught a glimpse of Christine in Patrick’s arms as they danced. The entire party had a classic feel; the music was performed by a live orchestra. Aria recognized many popular Broadway tunes mixed in with classical renditions of contemporary music. It put her in mind of the lavish parties that may have been thrown in the 19th century.
Christine saw her friend in the arms of her mystery man. Drew was near the bar, watching the pair as they began to dance together flawlessly. Something about the way his eyes followed every movement made Christine uneasy. She knew he would be the jealous type. Aria had absolutely no obligation to Drew whatsoever, but he wouldn’t see it that way. She thought about the affairs he’d been purported to have in London; girls who were used to help him step up another rung on the ladder toward fame. Aria deserved to be more than a stepping-stone in his career. As she watched the way Aria and her mystery man held one another, it was ap
parent that their relationship was one built on much more than superficial selfishness.
“Who is Aria with?” Patrick asked.
“I’m not sure who he is, all I know is it isn’t Andrew Overland. She told me a little about him, he seems to be what she wants,” Christine replied.
“Good, she shouldn’t settle for Drew.”
Christine was surprised by his statement. She had been under the impression that Patrick and Andrew were friends. Patrick had never given any indication that he was leery of the actor. Maybe there was something about him that made everyone uncomfortable. Christine remembered the story she’d read in an online tabloid that painted the picture permanently imprinted in her mind. About a year ago, another actor was cast in the coveted role of Jean Valjean; a big-name actor who was sure to bring in large crowds. The rumor was that Andrew didn’t take being passed up for the part as well as he pretended to. Many people circulated the story that the “accidental” drowning of the other actor was actually a plot orchestrated by Andrew Overland himself. The evidence was too circumstantial for anyone to prove the theory, and Andrew ultimately received the role he wanted.