Until I Die Again [On The Way To Heaven] (Soul Change Novel) by Tina Wainscott Page A

beautifully dressed people flitting by. It reminded him of the first time he’d taken her to an opera, because she wanted to see what it was like. Back then everything awed and delighted her. After a while, she got used to it.
    They were escorted to their seats, and Hallie sat up straight and looked around the theater, taking in every detail. Then she concentrated on her program. When the lights went down, she leaned forward and watched intently. Was her face glowing?
    “This is completely excellent!” she said in her old way.
    Ah, thank you for that. It reminded him that her facade, whether intentional or not, would soon fade away to reveal the woman he knew so well. He was glad she’d refreshed his memory.

 
     
    CHAPTER 6
     
     
    The opera had been underway for twenty minutes. Everyone was watching and enjoying the show. The sound was clear, the view excellent, the seats comfortable. And Hallie was bored out of her mind. She glanced over at Jamie, who was staring off in a direction other than the stage. Now she realized the sacrifice he had made in coming here with her. Every time the tenor hit a high note, she cringed. The droning, unintelligible singing was ripping right into her nerves. She looked around incredulously. Were these people actually enjoying this? Or were they pretending as Hallie had done for so long?
    Her thoughts wandered. She wasn’t sure if her efforts at putting makeup on had been successful or not, the way he’d studied her with an inscrutable expression. That was probably good, because Jamie excelled in keeping his thoughts from his face. And showing them when he wanted to—usually when it was disdain he felt for her. She had seen none of that, nor impatience at her taking so long. She had put makeup on the way Hallie had in her videos—and hated it. Stripping it all off again and washing her face, she applied just a light touch instead.
    And that god-awful perfume. The blue bottle, Sexual Infinity, had smelled good when she’d sniffed the nozzle. The first time she pressed the pump, it just dribbled out. Hallie must have had trouble with it before; the top had been pried off to replace the sprayer. When she pressed it again, the perfume doused her. Even after trying to wash that off, she still reeked of it.
    Hallie was taking shape in her mind, through the videos, her friends, and mostly her husband. She glanced at Jamie again, admiring his profile. When he started to turn toward her, she averted her gaze, pretending to enjoy the show. Then she realized something: she didn’t want to pretend anymore. Sure, she would have to pretend to be Hallie, because she was Hallie. But she didn’t have to pretend to like wine and opera, to hate salmon.
    She made a mental list of the woman whose place she had taken. She was a cheat. A flirt. Selfish. Thoughtless. By God, the woman was a slut. She glanced down. I don’t even know where this body has been. She had some ideas, and she didn’t like them. Her gaze moved to Jamie again. Hallie had made love to him. The thought made her curious about their lovemaking. Had it been passionate? Fulfilling? Those thoughts tickled through her.
    Jamie looked over, catching her staring at him. She was glad the darkness kept her blush a secret. But her smile, now that was hard to miss. It didn’t look like the pleasant smiles on the other people’s faces. No, she was sure hers was frisky.
    He leaned over. “What are you grinning about? I don’t see anything funny.”
    His whisper tickled her ear, sending a shiver down her neck. She nodded toward a man she’d spotted earlier. “What do you think? A toupee? Or a bush?”
    The man’s dark, thick hair abruptly stopped two-thirds down and turned into thin, graying hair.
    Jamie grinned. “That’s the most entertaining thing I’ve seen yet.”
    Hallie giggled. “What about that couple over there?” Three rows ahead and to the right a young man’s black hair stuck up in points all around his head. His