Perfectly

Dinner was at Giuseppe’s, an upscale Italian place. The meal seemed to fly by. The food was excellent, but the hunger you both had wasn’t exactly for food.

You drove back to the University for the opera. After giving your keys to the valet, you offered Irena your arm and, arm-in-arm, you walk into the Performing Arts Center, a large venue that the university was very proud of, but which always struck you as trying just a little too imitate the Vienna Opera House.

You stopped by will call, and picked up the tickets Carl had left for you. Irena’s eyes grew wide when she heard “box seats”, and she shot you a quizzical look as you walked away from the ticket booth.

You respond with a smile “I have my tricks. And anyway, a countess doesn’t sit with the peasants on the ground floor”

She squeezes your arm “If that is true, what does that make you? Shall I start referring to you as ‘my lord’?”

You are interrupted by the usher showing you to your box. Carl obviously donates more than you had thought. The box is stage right, close to the stage. Irena is impressed.

Soon the lights go down and the curtain goes up. The opera is in German, but that’s no obstacle since you both speak it (you, because you slogged through it in high school and college; her, because her parents speak a combined 11 languages).

When the opera gets to its big show stopping romantic duet “Totale Finsternis” between the Count and young women who has sought out his castle, you feel Irena’s grip tighten around your arm as her breath quickened and she squirmed in her seat, her eyes locked on the stage.

Once the vampire count bites the innocent young woman and opera ends, Irena drags you out of the theater as quickly as was socially allowable. Once in the car she bites your earlobe and whispers “My place. I’ve got a surprise for you.”

You may have broken some land speed record getting to her place, but soon you are at her apartment. Irena leads the way and unlocks her door and ushers you into her stylish, well-appointed apartment. She pours you a scotch off the bar cart, and points you to a chain in the living room. “Wait here while I get your surprise ready.”