Chapter Six
Another Visitor
After Alex's father had agreed to invest and left, everyone was relaxing in the large room.
There was still a good four hours before the club would open again and Jade would have to
sing. She was sitting between Alex and Roxanne and across from Christian. Harold had left
to tell the Diamond Dogs and the others of the news and make sure everyone would be ready
when the club opened.
Jade rested her head on the table, atop her hands and glanced up at Christian. She turned her
gaze to Alex. "I can't believe we convinced your father to invest in our show." Jade
muttered.
Roxanne grinned. "I think it's a good story. What I can't believe
is that we managed to come up with it so fast." Roxanne said; her eyes sparkled.
Jade lifted her head from the table and looked at her uncle.
"Christian, why did you make the story about love?" She asked.
"Came to me." Christian lied; Jade could tell he was lying.
However, Jade decided not to press her uncle any farther on the subject, yet.
"I think Spectacular Spectacular will be a great show, I can't wait to start rehearsing it." Alex said, looking at Jade. Jade smiled.
Roxanne once again raised her eye brow; Jade smiled again, her eyes saying, "I like him, so what?"
Jade once again rested her head on the table; maybe Christian would
decide to stay at the Moulin Rouge, after the show he might see this place wasn't as bad as
her father had told him. He had to have told him, Jade thought, because Christian had
never been here before so he wouldn't know that this place "was bad" without having been
here. He hadn't been here before, Jade reassured herself, right? Jade was growing a little
more unsure about Christian's hatred for this place; that's it, she thought, I have to ask
him about it. Jade lifted her head and opened her mouth to ask Christian but was interrupted
by the opening of the club's doors. God, I hate those doors! Jade thought. The four turned
to see whom it was; Jade's face went white when she saw who it was. The person who entered
was around Jade's age, maybe twenty or so; he had brown hair and strong muscles, his skin
was tan. Jade swallowed and felt her eyes go wide.
The man turned to face the group; he took off his hat and
bowed. "Jade, I have come to rescue you from this place." The man said, his voice was
strong and full of self-confidence.
Roxanne leaned to whisper in Jade's ear. "Who's this guy?" She asked.
Jade turned to face her. "This is Peter, my suitor back in London.
We're to be married when I turn twenty, he's one of the other reasons I left London." Jade
explained.
"Married?" Roxanne hissed.
Jade turned back around. "Peter, how wonderful to see you here."
Jade lied through her teeth, which were clenched in a smile.
"Yes, your father sent me to rescue you. He said your uncle might
not be able to bring you back." Peter said; he looked at Christian. "He was right, I see."
Jade scowled but quickly forced her smile back. "Yes, great."
She said.
"How rude of me not to introduce myself to your friends. I am
Peter." He said.
"This is Roxanne and Alex and you know Christian." Jade introduced
her friends.
Peter joined the other four at the table, pulling up at chair. "So, Jade
, when are you ready to come back. If you're ready now I have the carriage waiting out
front." Peter said.
"Thank you Peter, but I'd rather stay." Jade said, forcing a smile.
Peter frowned; this was not what he had expected. "Alright, then I will
stay until you wish to come home. We can think of this as our first romantic holiday." Peter
said and took Jade's hand across the table.
"How wonderful." Jade said, doing her best to keep a pleasant voice and
a pleasant face.
He turned to Christian -Jade managed to wrench her hand free from his
grasp- and smiled. "Perhaps your uncle can show me where I shall stay." Peter said, his
tone of voice suggested that there was no "perhaps" involved.
Christian stood. "Alright." He said and looked at Roxanne.
"Through that door, one of the girls can show you or you can find Harold."
Roxanne said, pointed to the door that led to the back of the club.
Christian headed to the door but stopped when he noticed that Peter
wasn't following him. "Are you coming?" Christian asked as he turned around.
"Yes, the rest of my bags are in the carriage." Peter said, telling Christian that he was to
get the "rest of the bags".
Christian followed Peter out of the club and left Roxanne, Jade and Alex
alone. Alex turned to, his eyes cold and his face hard, Jade and without saying anything
Jade knew why he was so mad. "Okay, Alex let me explain." Jade began.
"No, there's no reason to explain. You fit your role just perfectly, you sang
your song and I fell in love with you. But, the game's over now." Alex said and without
looking back, he left the club.
Jade's head bowed and her shoulders sagged. Roxanne nudged her friend. "Go
after him, explain." Roxanne said. Jade nodded and ran after Alex, letting the club door
slam behind her. Roxanne sat back down in her seat. "The plot thickens." She joked to
herself, looking around the empty club.
Another Visitor
After Alex's father had agreed to invest and left, everyone was relaxing in the large room.
There was still a good four hours before the club would open again and Jade would have to
sing. She was sitting between Alex and Roxanne and across from Christian. Harold had left
to tell the Diamond Dogs and the others of the news and make sure everyone would be ready
when the club opened.
Jade rested her head on the table, atop her hands and glanced up at Christian. She turned her
gaze to Alex. "I can't believe we convinced your father to invest in our show." Jade
muttered.
Roxanne grinned. "I think it's a good story. What I can't believe
is that we managed to come up with it so fast." Roxanne said; her eyes sparkled.
Jade lifted her head from the table and looked at her uncle.
"Christian, why did you make the story about love?" She asked.
"Came to me." Christian lied; Jade could tell he was lying.
However, Jade decided not to press her uncle any farther on the subject, yet.
"I think Spectacular Spectacular will be a great show, I can't wait to start rehearsing it." Alex said, looking at Jade. Jade smiled.
Roxanne once again raised her eye brow; Jade smiled again, her eyes saying, "I like him, so what?"
Jade once again rested her head on the table; maybe Christian would
decide to stay at the Moulin Rouge, after the show he might see this place wasn't as bad as
her father had told him. He had to have told him, Jade thought, because Christian had
never been here before so he wouldn't know that this place "was bad" without having been
here. He hadn't been here before, Jade reassured herself, right? Jade was growing a little
more unsure about Christian's hatred for this place; that's it, she thought, I have to ask
him about it. Jade lifted her head and opened her mouth to ask Christian but was interrupted
by the opening of the club's doors. God, I hate those doors! Jade thought. The four turned
to see whom it was; Jade's face went white when she saw who it was. The person who entered
was around Jade's age, maybe twenty or so; he had brown hair and strong muscles, his skin
was tan. Jade swallowed and felt her eyes go wide.
The man turned to face the group; he took off his hat and
bowed. "Jade, I have come to rescue you from this place." The man said, his voice was
strong and full of self-confidence.
Roxanne leaned to whisper in Jade's ear. "Who's this guy?" She asked.
Jade turned to face her. "This is Peter, my suitor back in London.
We're to be married when I turn twenty, he's one of the other reasons I left London." Jade
explained.
"Married?" Roxanne hissed.
Jade turned back around. "Peter, how wonderful to see you here."
Jade lied through her teeth, which were clenched in a smile.
"Yes, your father sent me to rescue you. He said your uncle might
not be able to bring you back." Peter said; he looked at Christian. "He was right, I see."
Jade scowled but quickly forced her smile back. "Yes, great."
She said.
"How rude of me not to introduce myself to your friends. I am
Peter." He said.
"This is Roxanne and Alex and you know Christian." Jade introduced
her friends.
Peter joined the other four at the table, pulling up at chair. "So, Jade
, when are you ready to come back. If you're ready now I have the carriage waiting out
front." Peter said.
"Thank you Peter, but I'd rather stay." Jade said, forcing a smile.
Peter frowned; this was not what he had expected. "Alright, then I will
stay until you wish to come home. We can think of this as our first romantic holiday." Peter
said and took Jade's hand across the table.
"How wonderful." Jade said, doing her best to keep a pleasant voice and
a pleasant face.
He turned to Christian -Jade managed to wrench her hand free from his
grasp- and smiled. "Perhaps your uncle can show me where I shall stay." Peter said, his
tone of voice suggested that there was no "perhaps" involved.
Christian stood. "Alright." He said and looked at Roxanne.
"Through that door, one of the girls can show you or you can find Harold."
Roxanne said, pointed to the door that led to the back of the club.
Christian headed to the door but stopped when he noticed that Peter
wasn't following him. "Are you coming?" Christian asked as he turned around.
"Yes, the rest of my bags are in the carriage." Peter said, telling Christian that he was to
get the "rest of the bags".
Christian followed Peter out of the club and left Roxanne, Jade and Alex
alone. Alex turned to, his eyes cold and his face hard, Jade and without saying anything
Jade knew why he was so mad. "Okay, Alex let me explain." Jade began.
"No, there's no reason to explain. You fit your role just perfectly, you sang
your song and I fell in love with you. But, the game's over now." Alex said and without
looking back, he left the club.
Jade's head bowed and her shoulders sagged. Roxanne nudged her friend. "Go
after him, explain." Roxanne said. Jade nodded and ran after Alex, letting the club door
slam behind her. Roxanne sat back down in her seat. "The plot thickens." She joked to
herself, looking around the empty club.