His gaze moved over her. “Tessa, you are more lovely than ever.”
“So are you.”
He arched one brow. “You think me lovely?”
She nodded solemnly.
“Are you ready? Curtain goes up at five after eight.”
“Just let me get my coat.”
* * *
Tessa felt her eyes widen when she saw the car waiting at the curb. “This is yours?”
He shrugged as he opened the door for her. “Just a little something I picked up the other day.”
Tessa nodded as she slid into the passenger seat. She didn’t know much about cars, but she’d seen this one advertised on the tube just the other day. “It’s an Aston Martin, isn’t it?”
“Indeed. If it’s good enough for Bond, it’s good enough for me.” He closed the door gently, then walked around to the driver’s side and slid behind the wheel. He usually drove the Challenger, but he’d wanted to impress her.
“There must be a lot of money in selling antiques,” Tessa murmured as he pulled away from the curb.
* * *
They reached the theater at seven thirty. Tessa wasn’t surprised when Andrei opted for valet parking.
She glanced at the other patrons as Andrei reached for her hand. She had never been to an opening night before and suddenly felt like Cinderella before her fairy godmother came to her rescue. She was surrounded by women wearing Valentino and Dior, Versace and Donna Karan. Obviously they had traveled here from the big city to the north. Few in Cutter’s Corner, including Tessa, could afford to shell out seven thousand dollars for a gown by Oscar de la Renta. Of course, in his Armani suit and long, black coat, Andrei fit right in.
She forgot all about her clothes when she recognized several movie stars. Hard to believe that some of Hollywood’s elites had made the trip to Cutter’s Corner to see a play written by an unknown playwright. And then she frowned. What if some of them were vampires? With a huff of exasperation, she put the thought from her mind as Andrei escorted her into the theater.
Not only had Andrei scored tickets on opening night, but their seats were center orchestra.
“How did you get such great seats?” Tessa asked.
“I know the producer.”
Tessa felt a rush of excitement as the lights dimmed and the crowd fell silent. A moment later, the heroine began to sing the first number. She had a beautiful voice, the notes as pure and clear as crystal.
Tessa leaned toward Andrei to whisper, “I’ve never heard anything like . . .” when there was an explosion in the wings, followed by a blinding flash of light. Screams sounded from backstage as the backdrop and the side curtains went up in flames.
Pandemonium erupted in the audience as several burning scraps of material landed in the aisles, setting the carpet runners on fire. Sparks flew through the air. The woman sitting in front of Tessa shrieked as an ember landed in her hair.
The stage manager shouted into a microphone, begging people to remain calm, but a second explosion sent him hurtling into the orchestra pit.
Rising, Andrei grasped Tessa’s hand. There were few things on this earth that he feared, but fire was one of them. “We need to get the hell out of here. Now!”
Speechless with fright, Tessa glanced at the people around her, some seemingly frozen in fear, others pushing and shoving their way toward the exits. An elderly lady in a fur coat fainted in the aisle nearest them, blocking the way. Tessa gasped as several people jumped over her. Others vaulted over the seats behind them in their eagerness to flee the theater. She was surprised at how quickly the stink of smoke filled the air and stung her eyes.
There was no quick way out as people scrambled and pushed one another in their desperation to escape the flames, which had spread to the seats in the first three rows.
Andrei glanced at the flames. Dammit, they had to get out of there. He considered transporting the two of them to Tessa’s place, but the use of his vampire powers would require an explanation, one he wasn’t prepared to give.
Taking a deep breath, he exerted his preternatural influence on the people in front of them, ordering them to get the hell out of the way. Tessa was almost knocked to the floor several times, but Andrei kept her upright, putting his body between her and the mass of terrified people.
Fortunately, Tessa was so frightened, she didn’t question the way a path magically opened in front of them.
Sirens wailed in the distance.
“What do you think happened?” Tessa asked, wiping her eyes as they emerged from the building.
“I think someone—mostly likely hunters—believed that the rumors of a vampire playwright were true.”
“Seriously? You think they’d risk hurting hundreds of innocent people because of some silly rumor?”