Page 27 of The Kiss that Captured a Billionaire
A member of the catering team noticed him too. The man’s eyes widened with a touch of awe.
“We’ve got it from here, sir,” the man said, his voice tinged with bemusement.
Theo nodded and stepped aside, handing off the full tray without fanfare.
Rose smiled faintly, her heart thudding too fast. “You and your crew did a wonderful job,” she told the man. He grinned, gave a half-bow, and disappeared into the kitchen.
She discreetly wiped her palms on her slacks and turned to Theo.
He turned too—toward her.
Neither of them spoke. Another server passed between them, breaking the moment as she collected the last of the glasses from a table. Rose jerked her head toward the side hallway and motioned for him to follow.
For a moment, she wasn’t sure where to go. She just… needed to move, to escape the stillness.
They walked in silence, a comfortable quiet, yet the air shimmered with an unspoken connection—like a shared secret.
When he reached down and gently laced his fingers through hers, she felt a jolt of excitement and her heart skipped. She led him up a narrow staircase hidden behind a plush velvet curtain, each step a quiet footfall on the threadbare carpet.
“Careful,” she murmured. “These stairs are older than half the city.”
They emerged onto the upper balcony. The lights were dimmed except for the soft golden illumination from the sconces on the wall. The hush of the theatre wrapped around them, thick and velvet-soft.
Theo took it all in—rows of burgundy seats cascading down to the stage below, the grand chandelier overhead, and the walls adorned with sepia-toned photographs in gilded frames.
“This place was built in 1908,” Rose said softly, reverently. “By a Hungarian architect named István Solokov. He designed it for his wife, a famous soprano who performed across Europe. When she passed, he swore he’d never set foot inside again. Performers say her voice still lingers in the acoustics.”
She looked around, trying to see the theatre through his eyes. Her gaze swept over the curve of the balcony, the intricate molding, and the portraits of long-forgotten stars.
“Some of the greats performed here,” she continued. “Tallulah Bankhead. Paul Robeson. Even Charlie Chaplin, once, when his train was delayed—he borrowed a violin and played by candlelight.”
Her voice warmed as she spoke. A light flush of self-awareness flashed through her when she noticed that Theo watched her more than the theatre.
“You sound like you really know the history of this building,” he commented.
She nodded, tucking a strand of loose hair behind her ear. “My grandparents took over the maintenance and design when my grandmother was expecting my dad. My grandfather built most of the set pieces you saw tonight. I helped. The candelabra you passed earlier? That was ours.”
Theo turned back toward the walls, taking in the legacy. “The stage pieces were beautiful.”
“My grandfather knew how to create true magic,” she whispered. “Would you like to know a secret?”
His eyes sharpened with interest, and he nodded.
She wiggled her nose at him and smiled. “Even though I know how everything works, even when I’ve seen a backdrop collapse during intermission or scrambled to find a missing costume, the magic still hits me. That moment when the lights dim, the music swells, and you forget everything else—it’s magical. I love it.”
“Did you ever want to be on stage?”
She laughed, the sound light and carefree. “No. My grandparents and parents were the performers in the family. I love being behind the curtain. Helping tell the story… not being the character.”
“So… what else do you do? Besides being a jack-of-all-trades?”
She hesitated and released another self-conscious laugh. “I just finished my Bachelor’s degree in accounting and economics. Glamorous, right?”
He smiled, his lips curving in quiet surprise. “Smart and creative. There’s nothing wrong with that.”
“That’s what my Pop said,” she confessed.
They continued walking, climbing higher and higher, until they stood on the catwalk above the stage. Below them, the ballroom set glowed under the ambient light. Rose realized that she had guided Theo to the spot where their eyes had met earlier this evening. From here, the entire lower theatre spread before them.
