the other girls with their hair and makeup. It happens to be something I’m good at, and I usually end up doing at least a half a dozen faces before performances. I walked back upstairs about thirty minutes before curtain, and was looking for an usher when Abbott walked up and offered his arm.
He wore a charcoal suit with a black shirt, and an eggplant tie with subtle charcoal and black diagonal stripes, pulling everything together. His black hair looked a little longer tonight, giving him more the look of a well-dressed rogue than businessman, and my heart gave an extra pitter-patter when I placed my hand on his cool arm. The vampires had said their Master would need to meet me, and I couldn’t shake the idea this might be the master vampire. However, his aura wasn’t quite right, but was nothing like that of the shifters. Of course, Gwen and Kieran’s aura hadn’t been different, either.
I’ve seen the box seats before, when wandering around the theater during practice. I knew the chairs were more comfortable, and was aware we’d have a birds-eye view, but hadn’t expected the feeling of being higher than everyone else in the theater. I wasn’t sure I liked looking down on the audience as well as the performance, and thought the floor seats might have the better view, or at least one more intimate with the performers.
The final show is always poignant for me — the last time I’ll see my daughter perform this part with this cast — and I warned Abbott before the curtain rose, saying, “I’m not normally an emotional female, but I always cry at the last show, so you shouldn’t be alarmed.”
His grin made him look even more the bad boy, and he had a happy twinkle in his eye as he thanked me for the information.
I managed to hold it together during the first part of the performance, and excused myself to the bathroom during intermission. When I returned, Abbott asked, “Do you have plans after the show?”
“Yes, there’s a cast party, since it’s the final performance.”
“I’d planned to make an appearance, and would be honored if you would consider me your date for the party.”
I grimaced and warned, “My parents will be there, playing the part of the doting grandparents who’ve just watched their only grandchild give a fantastic performance. I doubt they’ll stay long, but if you’re with me you’ll have to meet them, and my mom isn’t always nice. I also have a young lady from China staying with me while she attends UTC, and she’ll be there as well.”
“I believe I can handle your mother. I’m curious about your young lady from China, though. Is there an interesting story?”
“I don’t know how interesting it is.”
I explained how she came to live with me, and he said, “You pronounce her name as if you’re comfortable with Mandarin.”
I eyed him a moment before noting, “And you recognize that fact, plus you know it’s Mandarin and not just Chinese . Have you traveled to China?”
“I’ve had occasion to visit, yes. I take it you’ve traveled more than just the one time to adopt Lauren?”
I nodded. “I was living in China when I first met her, and once I decided to adopt her, it took more than two years to make it happen. I’ve also taken Lauren back a number of times on vacation. What cities have you visited?”
“The list is quite long; I would rather talk about my favorite places instead of merely itemizing where I’ve been.”
I smiled. “Favorite place is easy — Guilin and the surrounding countryside.”
“Ah yes, Elephant Trunk Hill and the Li River. The area around the Li River is easily one of the ten most beautiful places on Earth.”
“Beautiful… magical… yes .” I agreed, excited to talk to someone else who’d been. “The first time I went there I said if Shangri La existed, I’d found it. Later, I discovered there are other places in China attributed to Shangri La, but I’m still in love with the area around Guilin.”
Our
He wore a charcoal suit with a black shirt, and an eggplant tie with subtle charcoal and black diagonal stripes, pulling everything together. His black hair looked a little longer tonight, giving him more the look of a well-dressed rogue than businessman, and my heart gave an extra pitter-patter when I placed my hand on his cool arm. The vampires had said their Master would need to meet me, and I couldn’t shake the idea this might be the master vampire. However, his aura wasn’t quite right, but was nothing like that of the shifters. Of course, Gwen and Kieran’s aura hadn’t been different, either.
I’ve seen the box seats before, when wandering around the theater during practice. I knew the chairs were more comfortable, and was aware we’d have a birds-eye view, but hadn’t expected the feeling of being higher than everyone else in the theater. I wasn’t sure I liked looking down on the audience as well as the performance, and thought the floor seats might have the better view, or at least one more intimate with the performers.
The final show is always poignant for me — the last time I’ll see my daughter perform this part with this cast — and I warned Abbott before the curtain rose, saying, “I’m not normally an emotional female, but I always cry at the last show, so you shouldn’t be alarmed.”
His grin made him look even more the bad boy, and he had a happy twinkle in his eye as he thanked me for the information.
I managed to hold it together during the first part of the performance, and excused myself to the bathroom during intermission. When I returned, Abbott asked, “Do you have plans after the show?”
“Yes, there’s a cast party, since it’s the final performance.”
“I’d planned to make an appearance, and would be honored if you would consider me your date for the party.”
I grimaced and warned, “My parents will be there, playing the part of the doting grandparents who’ve just watched their only grandchild give a fantastic performance. I doubt they’ll stay long, but if you’re with me you’ll have to meet them, and my mom isn’t always nice. I also have a young lady from China staying with me while she attends UTC, and she’ll be there as well.”
“I believe I can handle your mother. I’m curious about your young lady from China, though. Is there an interesting story?”
“I don’t know how interesting it is.”
I explained how she came to live with me, and he said, “You pronounce her name as if you’re comfortable with Mandarin.”
I eyed him a moment before noting, “And you recognize that fact, plus you know it’s Mandarin and not just Chinese . Have you traveled to China?”
“I’ve had occasion to visit, yes. I take it you’ve traveled more than just the one time to adopt Lauren?”
I nodded. “I was living in China when I first met her, and once I decided to adopt her, it took more than two years to make it happen. I’ve also taken Lauren back a number of times on vacation. What cities have you visited?”
“The list is quite long; I would rather talk about my favorite places instead of merely itemizing where I’ve been.”
I smiled. “Favorite place is easy — Guilin and the surrounding countryside.”
“Ah yes, Elephant Trunk Hill and the Li River. The area around the Li River is easily one of the ten most beautiful places on Earth.”
“Beautiful… magical… yes .” I agreed, excited to talk to someone else who’d been. “The first time I went there I said if Shangri La existed, I’d found it. Later, I discovered there are other places in China attributed to Shangri La, but I’m still in love with the area around Guilin.”
Our
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