Meg Giry walked through the corridor that lead to the ballet dormitories. She was the only one not yet in bed because she had asked her mom to help her practice her steps more in order to be ready for the upcoming production. Her sweaty auburn ringlets clung to her forehead. Her muscles ached everywhere and she knew they would feel worse in the morning. All she wanted to do was sink into her bed. Comfort is what she desired.

Suddenly, a figure walked up behind her and lightly touched her hand. She was too tired to scream but her spine did shiver and she whipped her body backward to face the figure. Oddly enough, Joseph Buquet was the last person she expected at that moment. It was weird and abnormal. He didn't give his normal mischievous grin when Meg looked at him. Instead, he gave her a small smile and whispered to her," I couldn't sleep either. But, it isn't good to wonder the halls alone like this. It's midnight." "Monsieur Buquet, please don't reach out and touch me like that. I am so tired and I am not in the mood to be scared. Why are you up anyway? Didn't working all die up in the rafters tire you out at all?" Meg asked him. "I am tired but I just couldn't sleep. I went to take a little walk and I saw you. I am sincerely sorry for scaring you," Joseph Buquet replied. "It is alright, Monsieur Buquet," Meg told him. "Why do you have to be so polite? You don't have to call me that. Nobody else here does, especially your mom. She is always yelling at me about something," Joseph explained to Meg. "Well…. Joseph… maybe you should tell them that you don't want to be refered to like that. My mother has reasons for being as strict as she is. You distract her girls from doing their job, practicing for the upcoming production. You always are in a drunken stupor when doing your work. Why is that?" "Meg, it's to ease the pain of these last ten years. I was married when I was a late teen and had one girl in my early twenties from my wife. Unfortunately, my wife and child died on my daughter's seventh birthday. We had come here because my wife wanted to have our daughter start ballet. But as we were leaving the opera house, a carriage was going to fast and hit them. I had no time to save them because they had instantly died. Their bloodied bodies in my lap. And the worst part was the carriage driver was never found, he never stopped…." Joseph stated. "Oh Joseph, I have no idea what to say. I can not believe this, I feel so bad for you," Meg explained reaching to lightly touch his hand.

Ever so lightly, Joseph Buquet returned the quick touch of Meg's hand on his. He started to run his fingers gently against Meg's arm which made her slide backward away from him. "Joseph, I don't know you…" Meg started to explain. "Meg, you are the one I look at everyday when all of you ballet girls are practicing. To be honest, I don't just look at you out of lust but of… love…" Joseph Buquet finished. "What? Again I am at a loss for words. Joseph, you don't love me. I have never spoken to you before, I barely look your way…" Meg was cut off by a quick kiss on her chapped lips. All Meg could whisper was,"Why…" before she was cut off again by another kiss for a longer period of time but just as gentle as the first. Meg didn't say anything this time but responded by looking into his eyes and placed her hand slowly to his chest. Suddenly, she reached up and kissed him with a force that he didn't know she was capable of. He started to kiss her back and pressed his tongue to her dry lips which moistened them.

As he quickly kissed her repeatedly, he reached out to put a hand just above her breast. Her chest heaved against his hand and he began to move his hand a little bit lower. Meg suddenly stopped kissing him and quickly whispered for him to follow her. She grabbed his hand and tugged on it lightly. Meg lead Joseph to a tiny room in the very back of the opera house. It was a little dusty and there were no candles inside to illuminate the room. Joseph closed the door after they both stepped inside. The only piece of furniture inside this space was a small divan. Meg stepped back while still facing Joseph and the door and fell backwards onto the divan. Joseph walked toward her and bent down on he knees. He took both of his hands and put them to her breasts gently pulling down the fabric of her outfit. He then put his head to her chest and let out a very soft moan. She lifted his chin up with cold, shaky fingers and gazed deep into his eyes. Meg could see nothing but lonliness and comfort in his eyes, just like she.

Meg opened his wrinkled white shirt a little and rubbed her hands around his neck bones and around the hairs of his chest. Joseph reached his hands around towards Meg's back and started unlacing her bodice. Thus, began the night that both of them would keep a secret from everyone for the rest of their lives. When Meg retired to the dormitories early the next morning, she had a smile on her face. She looked at Christine in the bed next to her and thought," Now I have a secret too Christine." Meg lifted the blankets over her and attempted to sleep for the next hour or so until she had to get up for practice. She couldn't wait to see a certain fly man again…