Passion at the Opera by Diane Thorne Page A

shook her head. “Nothing under that name. Do you have your receipt number?”
    Gwen bit her lip as she recalled placing the order. She’d filled out an order form on her laptop from her hotel in London. Phillip had arrived and distracted her. She’d thought she’d finished the purchase, but she’d never received a confirmation e-mail.
    “I don’t have a receipt number. I didn’t get a response when I placed my order.”
    The attendant frowned. “If you don’t have a receipt number, I can’t help you.”
    “Are there any tickets left?”
    “Sold out. Nothing available.”
    “Seriously?” Gwen said louder than she’d intended.
    “I’m sorry. We have tickets for next week’s show.”
    “I’m only here a few days. Are you certain there’s not one anywhere?”
    “We’re sold out.”
    Gwen stared at the woman and resisted the urge to spit out a curse word. Now she really wished she’d taken a few minutes to confirm she’d placed her order. She was certain she’d completed the transaction. There had to be some record of it in the database. Maybe someone higher up could help her.
    “Is there a manager I can speak with? I filled out the form online to buy a ticket. There has to be a record of my purchase.”
    “Sorry.”
    “I came a long way and I may never get another chance to visit the Opera House.”
    Blondie moved her hand to the switch for the microphone. “There is nothing I can do.”
    “Please, can you call your manager to speak with me?” Gwen asked in an elevated tone.
    “He’s out of the office. Sorry.”
    “Wait. Do you know—?”
    “Excuse me.”
    Gwen heard a male voice and felt a light touch on her shoulder. She turned and found the two men dressed in suits staring at her.
    “I’m Stephen Bormann. Can I help you with anything?” The younger man with black hair said as he moved his hand away from her.
    “Are you a manager here?”
    “No, but I might be able to help you.”
    Gwen smiled. “I hope so. I travelled from the States and I’m only here a few days. I placed my ticket order over a week ago and I’m now discovering the box office has no record of it. To make matters worse, there are no tickets. Is there another way I could get in to see the show? I’ll pay double the ticket price if I have to, and I don’t mind standing if there isn’t any sitting room.”
    “Are you here alone in Vienna?” asked the bearded fellow.
    She gazed into his blue eyes and swallowed. Warmth streamed from her head to her core from hearing his soft and sensual voice. He reminded her of the actor Daniel Craig but with longer, wavier locks and facial hair. Damn hot. Although he looked at least five years older than she did, she couldn’t ignore his handsome looks and aura of confidence.
    “Yes. I’m travelling by myself,” she said.
    “I regret—”
    “Stephen,” the Daniel Craig lookalike touched his friend’s arm, stopping him from finishing his sentence. “This beautiful woman has journeyed a long distance to come here. We should at least—”
    A ringing sound from Stephen’s pocket gained their attention. Stephen quickly withdrew his phone.
    “Excuse me.” He placed the cell to his ear and turned away from her and his friend.
    Mr Blue Eyes faced her and held out his hand. “I’m Nikolaus Wiesner. How about we walk and talk for a little bit?”
    Gwen accepted his greeting. “Gwenevere Stratten.”
    “A pleasure to meet you. Shall we?” He extended his arm towards the end of the hall.
    Gwen smiled. She couldn’t resist the company of such a handsome man. She stepped next to him.
    “Do you come here often for the performances?” she asked.
    “I do. I’m a big fan of the arts here in Vienna.” He raised his arm and pointed to the walls. “I love to look at the artwork in this building. There is so much to see.”
    “It’s incredible. The exquisite details in each picture are amazing.”
    “There is much history here.”
    “It’s nice to see the building and