~ * ~ A * S T O R Y * A B O U T * L O V E ~ * ~
A/N: Thanks a million for all the reviews you guys! *hugs* They make my day so much brighter. :) I hope you enjoy this chapter. It's quite fluffy, and I loved writing it. :)
Disclaimer: Embraceable You and Naughty Baby both belong to George and Ira Gershwin.
Chapter 11: Embraceable You
The next few weeks were the most blissful of Satine's life. She'd never imagined herself planning a wedding, but now that was she and Christian's main topic of conversation. Picking out future childrens' names was particularly laughter-inducing.
"How about Kylie?" Satine suggested one evening as she and Christian prepared their gourmet meal for the evening, the infamous American delicacy often referred to as Maccaroni and Cheese.
"Kylie?" Christian snorted.
"What's wrong with Kylie?" Satine asked defensively as she stirred the noodles.
"Isn't that the name of some Australian diva?" Christian asked laughingly. "Kylie Min-ee-ogre...Mon...Min...Min-auge? Min-age? Mi-"
"Minogue, stupid," Satine giggled, hip-bumping him playfully. "Say it with me now. Minnnn-oooo-gue."
"Min-eee-gee."
"You're hopeless," Satine declared, pecking him on the cheek.
"Why thank you, my darling," Christian rolled his eyes. "That's oh-so delightfully sweet of you."
"As is every word that escapes my perfect mouth."
"Your modesty is astounding."
"I know. It's one of my many impressive and admirable qualities."
Christian grinned and wrapped his arms around his waist. "I've just got myself an irresistible one here."
"Irresistible, irreplaceable, embraceable," Satine smiled lazily. "I'm everything you want and more."
"As am I," Christian said in mock haughtiness.
"Oh yes," Satine grinned, then pulled the orange-stained spatula from the pot and began to sing into it.
"Embrace me, my sweet embraceable you," she belted out Broadway-style. "Embrace me, you irreplaceable you!"
"Someone knows her Gershwin," Christian noted.
"Shut up, idiot," Satine commanded sternly. "I'm trying to sing to you."
"My mistake," Christian said.
Satine made a show of clearing her throat, then continued.
"Just one look at you," she sang, gesturing in his direction with the spatula and causing a bit of cheesy goo to flick in his direction, "My heart grew tipsy in me!"
She tossed the spatula aside and pointed at him over-exaggeratedly.
"You and you alone bring out the Gypsy in me!"
"I feel so special," Christian proclaimed as Satine wrapped her arms around him and swayed slowly back and forth.
"I love the many charms about you," she sang with a smile, "Above all, I want my arms about you."
"Don't we all?" Christian asked wriggling his eyebrows. "'Cause you know, I'm just beating the girls off with a stick."
"Don't be a naughty baby," Satine wiggled a scolding finger in front of his face. "Come to mama, come to mama do...my sweet embraceable you."
"How can I resist?" Christian asked. "I mean, God forbid I be a naughty baby."
"Don't even get me started on that one," Satine grinned devilishly.
"You've seen Crazy For You?" Christian asked.
"I've got the soundtrack," Satine responded.
"I saw it LIVE," Christian informed her impressively. "On BROADWAY. Beat THAT."
Broadway?
Satine had never considered the possibility that Christian's family was wealthy, but if they were...all her problems would be solved. She wouldn't have to do the movie with awful Murdock anymore, and could settle down with Christian.
But then again, Mrs. Matthews hadn't seemed to like her very much.
Satine covered up her troubled thoughts quickly by replying haughtily, "Ugh. I can perform that song better than some lousy Broadway actress any day!"
"Go right ahead," Christian said, grinning. "I mean, it's not like I would ENJOY watching you perform the most suggestive number in the show, but...if you're sure you can do it."
"Well," Satine sighed, "I suppose I could JUST to torture you...shall I drag through the whole 'sentimental girl' part or just get straight to the 'naughty baby's?"
"Naughty baby," Christian answered abruptly, then added, "Only if you want to, of course."
"But of course."
And with that, she pulled the elastic band from her hair with flourish and tossed it aside, warping into Sparkling Diamond Satine at once.
"Naughty baby, naughty baby who will tease you," she purred, shoving him down into one of the kitchen chairs. "I can show the way and know the way to please you."
Sinking into his lap, she slung her arms around his shoulders and proclaimed, "If you're wanting a beginner, I shan't do. I can make a saint a sinner when I want to!"
With a flip of her hair and a coquettish wink, she continued. "If you find the simple kind are rather slow dear...then you ought to try a naughty one you know dear."
Raising from the chair, she belted out her conclusion to her overly awestruck fiancee.
"But you'll never meet another who will be a naughty baby, naughty baby!"
"Naughty baby, naughty baby," Christian repeated dumbly.
Satine held back a giggle and breathed, "Just...like...me."
"I didn't enjoy that at all," Christian informed her after a pause.
"Sure," Satine rolled her eyes. "You ARE aware that you were drooling, correct?"
"No way!"
"You were too-"
However, Christian's defense (Satine doubted it would be any good, anyway) was cut off by the high-pitched wail of the smoke detector.
"Nooo!" Christian shouted, slow-motion action hero style, "Not the mac 'n cheese!"
Satine smiled as she watched him desperately attempt to stop the steady wave of smoke coming from the stove.
Well, one thing was for sure.
Christian was NOT preparing food that was going to go into her childrens' mouths.
~*~
She was deceiving him...
She was deceiving him...
This other man was causing her affections to wane, twisting her mind and emotions and forcing her to believe that she loved him.
She couldn't love him.
No.
She was HIS diamond.
HIS!
No one else could touch her like that...no one else could feel that soft, smooth skin...kiss those blood red lips.
Blood red.
Shaking with rage, Murdock stared in insane fury through the window at the pair of young lovers dancing around the kitchen of the falling apart duplex.
This other man would pay.
She would be HIS.
His diamond.
~*~
"ZIDLER!"
Harry jumped with a start from the bar stool where he sat, watching his girls mingle with the customers for the night.
"Mr. Murdock," he said nervously, trying not to let his discomfort show. Whenever he was around the director, he got the strangest sensation in his skin...a terrifying sense of foreboding.
"I thought you told me that Satine would be ending this...FLING!"
"She did," Harry said in confusion. "I watched her leave to tell him."
"Well, obviously she didn't, Zidler," Murdock spat. "Because I followed her to her destination this evening, and she was dancing around the kitchen with that damned boy!"
"Mr. Murdock, I assure you-"
"Silence!" Murdock instructed, causing a few people to look over at him curiously before returning to their dancing.
In a low hiss, he proclaimed, "Now you end this relationship, and end it now, Zidler, or Satine won't be making any pictures anytime soon. I think she'll be far too busy crying over the tragic death of her lost love."
Ice seemed to surge through Harry's veins replacing his blood, and he shuddered visibly before stuttering back, "S...surely you don't mean you would-"
"Oh, I assure you I would, Zidler," Murdock said coldly. "And I will...unless she comes to me."