Vivien stepped off the train. The cold night air crept under her thin
coat nipping at her skin. A few men were unloading luggage and she spotted
her trunk. She quickly paged a taxi and instructed the men to load her
trunk. They hoisted the black trunk onto the top of the carriage. "Alright
Miss, where we off to?" The cabby asked climbing to his seat behind his
horse. "The Moulin Rouge." She said quietly. He stared at her for a moment.
She looked down at her feet a bit embarrassed. "Alright then get in and
we'll be off." Vivien nodded and climbed into the carriage. She pulled the
door shut and the carriage lurched forward.
A short while later the carriage stopped. The driver came around and opened the door. "Here you are Miss." Vivien stepped out. The glittering lights of the windmill and the music coming from inside greeted her at once. The cabby unloads her trunk as Vivien fishes in her purse for some money. "Thanks Miss." He says taking the money. He glances at her and takes off in his carriage. Vivien looks around for some help with her trunk. Men in tuxedos at the door stand ignoring her. She approaches one. "Sir, I have a meeting with Mr.Zidler this evening. Do you think someone could help me with my trunk?" He looks at her for a moment. "We'll take care of it. Please follow me." He opens the door ushering her in. A burst of color greeted her eyes. Beautiful women of every shape and size dashed about in front of her tossing up their petticoats as men hollered for more.
He quickly led her to a small door. "Go through here and you will find the room you need on the right. The door is marked Satine." She nodded. "Thank you." He bowed and she opened the door. The hallway was narrow and dark. She quickly walked until she came to the door he told her of. The name Satine was painted in red letters on it. She knocked gently. A woman who looked to be in her 50's opened it slowly. "Ah you must be Vivien!" She said smiling at her. "Yes I am." The woman grabbed her arm and pulled her inside. The room was dark and somewhat dingy. "I am Marie welcome to the Moulin Rouge." Vivien smiled. "Well it's a pleasure to be here. How could I pass up a job like this." Marie looked at her for a moment. "Yes, well you will have wonderful living conditions and the boys will love you I'm sure of it. Now dear, let me have a look at you."
Vivien pulled her shabby coat off. Underneath she wore a simple mutton sleeve blue dress. "Well you certainly seem alright so far." Marie smiled as she circled her. She stopped behind her. "Let's have a looksie in the mirror." The two walked to the mirror in the corner. Marie stood behind her smiling. Vivien smiled back into the mirror. You certainly have beautiful hair. Marie pulled the pins out of her bun letting her dark brown locks fall. "And seductive blue eyes. Like Satine." Marie began to unbutton her dress. Vivien pulled the sleeves off her arms and let it fall to the ground. Her corsets were laced as tight as possible and she had on her thigh length tights. "Well I think you have all the makings of the next Moulin Rouge star." Marie said a bit of a sad look in her eyes.
Vivien knew what she was thinking. Another beautiful young girl going to waste. "Ma'am if it makes any difference to you, I've been a prostitute since I was 14. There is nowhere else I could go and nothing else I could do. My father sold me to a whorehouse where we lived. There men could buy me by the hour for as little as three franks. I saved up all I could to come here because I'd always heard my clients talking about how grand and rich the Moulin Rouge girls were." She looked down at the floor for a moment. Marie sighed. "Yes that is the case with many of our girls. At least if you are here with us you will be well taken care of." Vivien managed a little smile and nodded. Anything had to be better than that tiny whorehouse where there weren't even enough beds. Where at times she had to take her clients outback or share the large bed with another girl and her client. She bit her bottom lip holding back a tear. "Yes, Marie anything is better than there."
A short while later the carriage stopped. The driver came around and opened the door. "Here you are Miss." Vivien stepped out. The glittering lights of the windmill and the music coming from inside greeted her at once. The cabby unloads her trunk as Vivien fishes in her purse for some money. "Thanks Miss." He says taking the money. He glances at her and takes off in his carriage. Vivien looks around for some help with her trunk. Men in tuxedos at the door stand ignoring her. She approaches one. "Sir, I have a meeting with Mr.Zidler this evening. Do you think someone could help me with my trunk?" He looks at her for a moment. "We'll take care of it. Please follow me." He opens the door ushering her in. A burst of color greeted her eyes. Beautiful women of every shape and size dashed about in front of her tossing up their petticoats as men hollered for more.
He quickly led her to a small door. "Go through here and you will find the room you need on the right. The door is marked Satine." She nodded. "Thank you." He bowed and she opened the door. The hallway was narrow and dark. She quickly walked until she came to the door he told her of. The name Satine was painted in red letters on it. She knocked gently. A woman who looked to be in her 50's opened it slowly. "Ah you must be Vivien!" She said smiling at her. "Yes I am." The woman grabbed her arm and pulled her inside. The room was dark and somewhat dingy. "I am Marie welcome to the Moulin Rouge." Vivien smiled. "Well it's a pleasure to be here. How could I pass up a job like this." Marie looked at her for a moment. "Yes, well you will have wonderful living conditions and the boys will love you I'm sure of it. Now dear, let me have a look at you."
Vivien pulled her shabby coat off. Underneath she wore a simple mutton sleeve blue dress. "Well you certainly seem alright so far." Marie smiled as she circled her. She stopped behind her. "Let's have a looksie in the mirror." The two walked to the mirror in the corner. Marie stood behind her smiling. Vivien smiled back into the mirror. You certainly have beautiful hair. Marie pulled the pins out of her bun letting her dark brown locks fall. "And seductive blue eyes. Like Satine." Marie began to unbutton her dress. Vivien pulled the sleeves off her arms and let it fall to the ground. Her corsets were laced as tight as possible and she had on her thigh length tights. "Well I think you have all the makings of the next Moulin Rouge star." Marie said a bit of a sad look in her eyes.
Vivien knew what she was thinking. Another beautiful young girl going to waste. "Ma'am if it makes any difference to you, I've been a prostitute since I was 14. There is nowhere else I could go and nothing else I could do. My father sold me to a whorehouse where we lived. There men could buy me by the hour for as little as three franks. I saved up all I could to come here because I'd always heard my clients talking about how grand and rich the Moulin Rouge girls were." She looked down at the floor for a moment. Marie sighed. "Yes that is the case with many of our girls. At least if you are here with us you will be well taken care of." Vivien managed a little smile and nodded. Anything had to be better than that tiny whorehouse where there weren't even enough beds. Where at times she had to take her clients outback or share the large bed with another girl and her client. She bit her bottom lip holding back a tear. "Yes, Marie anything is better than there."