Page 78 of Heartstruck at Dawn
“Don’t worry. I’ll wait for you, okay?”
“I know it’s been a crazy week, but that’s how it is every year right before Christmas.” He sighed. He was so stressed out about work. “I can’t stop thinking about you. I miss you.”
Between finals and his crazy schedule, we hadn’t seen much of each other that week. All I wanted was to feel his arms around me and his lips melting on mine.
“I miss you too.”
“I know it’s my birthday tomorrow, but I have a surprise for you. I know you’re going to love it.”
“What is it?” That’s the worst thing you can do to me. The intense curiosity was already eating me up from the inside.
“Well, that’s why it’s a surprise. You’ll see. I really need to go, but I’ll see you later, okay?”
“Okay, sounds good.”
“Miss Murphy, a package arrived for you,” Aaron said when we came back from the shop. Caleb carried Nathan’s wrapped gift, and Aaron held a large dark green box in his hands. “We’ll help you take everything upstairs.”
Caleb laid Nathan’s gift on the chair by the foyer. That way, it’d be the first thing Nathan saw when he came in. Aaron placed the green box on the foyer table.
The box itself was lovely. I carried it to my room and opened it. There was a beautiful evening gown and two silver envelopes inside. I took the dress out and extended it on my bed. It was a black, strapless, velvet dress. The straight-across neckline had a thick white stripe of velvet fabric. The hem of the dress had thin white piping all around. The tag on the dress readEnzio de Luca.No wonder why it looked so expensive.
I opened one of the silver envelopes, and there was a single ticket forL’Elisir d’Amore.
Oh,my God,Nathan!It was such an unexpected gift. William told me the two dates were sold out. I was so impressed by Nathan’s resourcefulness. He knew how badly I wanted to go.
The Metropolitan Opera
L’Elisir d’Amore
December 11,2009.Friday Evening 8:00 p.m.
Parterre Box 26 Row 1 Seat 1
The second silver envelope had a small, printed note inside.
I know how much you love L’Elisir d’Amore, and I would love nothing else but to be the one to take you to the Metropolitan Opera for the first time. I’m a bit caught up at work, but I’ll meet you there and promise to arrive before it starts. That dress is going to look spectacular on you. I cannot wait to see you wearing it. I chose it myself.
—Quanto è bella,quanto è cara!
Più la vedo e più mi piace…
My jaw ached from my incapacity to keep myself from smiling. The last two lines were part of an aria where Nemorino sings about Adina:
She is so beautiful;she is so sweet!
The more I see her,the more I like her…
Nathan knew me well.
The dress fitted me perfectly. I was convinced Nathan had asked Lily for help with my size. The fabric was delicious, so soft and supple, making it a very comfortable dress to wear. I wore my hair up in a sleek, low chignon, and my lips couldn’t have been any other color than red.
The occasion justified for me to take my mother’s teardrop-shaped pendant diamond earrings out of the safe. They completed the look beautifully. I’d never worn them before.
Aaron, Caleb, and David were going to drive me to the Opera. Since a lot of people were expected to attend, they wanted to keep security tighter that evening. And I didn’t mind. I was so happy and excited about going with Nathan that Big Mike could come too if he wanted to.
I stepped out of the car right in front of Lincoln Square and was impressed by the extraordinary architecture.
Aaron and Caleb escorted me inside while David stayed in the car.Just in case, Aaron said.
