Disclaimer: Sorry, but I forgot to do this for my last chapter. The song "Diamonds Are a Girl's Best Friend" does not belong to me. I'm not really sure who it belongs to, but I'm sure they make a lot of money off it.
A/N: Be angry if you want, but this is what I want to happen next. I know some people were dreading it. I tried to write it as tastefully as I could, but one cannot change the course of fate. Read of your own free will.
Chapter 4: …on Midsummer's Eve.
As opening night approached,
tensions rose. The word had silently gone
out that the Moulin Rouge would soon be opening as it once was--a
nightclub. Though it would become a
theater whenever Christian produced a new play, he was very insistent that the
spirit of the fabled Moulin Rouge should not change. The night Christian chose for the opening helped to uphold that
same spirit. The club would reopen on
Midsummer's night, and the poet thought it was rather romantic that it also
happened to be Beltane's, when the ancient Druids celebrated the sexuality of
their god and goddess. Romanticism was
lost on the rest of the cast, however. They were too busy preparing for the largest opening night in the
Moulin's history.
News of the reopening of the great
Parisian nightclub had reached far beyond the French borders. Men and women from as far away as Asia and
America were coming for the monumental event. It was even rumored that the Prime Minister of England was coming to the
show. It was easy enough to see why
even Harold Zidler was on edge about the lack of perfection. The only person who didn't seem to be even
remotely worried was Aurora. When asked
how she could remain so cool and calm with everything that was going on, she
merely replied that she had done everything possible to make the show great,
and there was no way for it not to be. The act was flawless.
Yet now it was June 20, Midsummer's
Eve. They had one day left of
rehearsals, and everything had gone into overdrive. Both Aurora and Zidler were working the cast harder than they'd
ever had to work before. Currently,
they were working the Diamond's act, and frayed nerves were making the girl's
forget the changes. Probably the
biggest change Aurora had made was that the lead singer was no longer the only
one to go out into the crowd of men. The entire cast of dancers attacked the crowd, cleaving into the masses
like a giant wedge. It certainly made
the act more powerful, but the girl's just weren't up to it. They were too used to Satine carrying the
act in her beautiful black diamonds dress. Aurora had a recreation of the dress and an improvement on the pink
diamonds dress, but no dress could save the timid dancers. Aurora was going almost mad at the
frustration.
"No, no, no!" Aurora
screamed. "That's not how to do
the act. Don't leave me floundering out
there alone. Attack the men; don't hang
back and let them come to you. You of
all people should know how that drives men crazy, so, dammit, that's what we're
going to do. Now take it from
"there may come a time." Come
on girls! This number above all others
has to be ready!"
The dancers, heads down, turned and
set up for the cue. Christian watched
from the sidelines as Aurora drilled those poor girls over and over. He truly thought she was overworking them,
but he could understand why. The show
had to be perfect, and everyone knew that. However, it was just that mindset that was making everyone mess up. Zidler was curled up somewhere in the fetal
position, Chocolat was almost in tears from the stress, and Christian thought
he would go insane if he had to listen to Aurora scream out the choreography to
"Diamonds are a Girl's Best Friend" one more time. He just had to get through this last day
without killing someone. After that, he
could just sit back and write while he watched the money roll in.
Aurora had finally let the girls off
for a break, and they all limped off to find someplace to lie down and cry
until she demanded another five hour's work from them. Christian took the opportunity to talk to
her about tomorrow and what would happen, but she had escaped while he wasn't
looking. He soon found her sitting in a
deserted corner of the dance floor, bent over a wooden crate, and frantically
scribbling something onto a piece of paper. He couldn't tell what she was writing, but walked closer to see if he
could get a look. He figured it had
something to do with the show. It
obviously wasn't, though, because she started and tried to hide the paper when
she heard the floorboards creak.
"I-I'm sorry," Christian
stuttered. "I just wanted to talk with
you about the show, and when I saw you over here I thought..."
"Is there something I can do
for you, Christian?" Aurora asked,
hiding the paper behind her back.
"Yes, but what's on that
paper. It looked like the lines were in
verse form."
"So?"
"So, I didn't know you wrote
poetry."
"Well, no one does,"
Aurora said, feigning haughtiness. "And it's none of your business if I do. Besides, I'm not very good. Not as could as some of your work, anyways."
"If you don't mind, I'd like to
judge that for myself. I don't suppose
you'd mind if I read what you wrote?"
"As a matter of fact, I
would," Aurora said, rising to her feet, but standing her ground.
"Please, Aurora. I won't make fun of you. It's just that, you're such a talented
director, it would be nice to know you could also help write the shows."
Aurora continued to shake her head,
but she also brought the page out from behind her back. Christian took it gently from her trembling
hand and uncrumpled it to read what it said. As he read the lines out loud, he softly rested his hand on Aurora's
tense shoulder. The reassurance didn't
seem to help her.
"Above and Free:
Time sits in my hand, constantly flying
Away from this desert under my feet.
Its sands whip at my eyes, raw from crying
For one thing that will make my world complete.
How I long to be up among the clouds,
Twirling and twisting in their misty deeps.
A part of the sky and its golden sounds.
Climbing above the earth in bounds and leaps.
Now all winds stir about my parched-out skin,
Lifting me up on the wings of the breeze.
I soar in skies where only gods have been,
And grasp the heavens as my own with ease.
Atlantis, I find, was not lost at sea,
But chose this silver life, above and free.
"Aurora, this is beautiful. It's possibly the most acute sonnet I've ever read. Shakespeare couldn't have done it better. What on Earth could have inspired you to write this?"
"Well," Aurora began with tears in her eyes, "I find writing gets rid of my anger. I've been getting so frustrated, putting this show together and all. I've tried to keep strong, but a moment ago I was about ready to rip the heads off of some of the girls. I had to get away, and I relax best when I write. I put my anger into words, and that's what came out."
"It doesn't sound angry, though," Christian said as he gave Aurora a comforting squeeze around the shoulders. "It's very peaceful. I've never seen this side of you before."
Aurora pulled away slowly when she looked into Christian's eyes and saw something new. It was like the green had sharpened onto her, and it made her feel strangely uncomfortable. Yet it might answer her question.
"Christian," Aurora said as she backed up a step, her eyes studying her shoes, "There's something I need to ask you."
"Yes?"
"Well, this is kind of awkward, but… Are you attracted to me because of my similarities to Satine?"
Circling her chin with his forefinger, Christian lifted Aurora's face up and met her gaze strongly. He then became suddenly aware of his actions and stuck his hands in his pockets, saying:
"I was at first, Aurora, but that's faded. Now that I've gotten to know you, I don't even see the similarities any longer. You've become an entirely different person for me. You could never be just a Satine look-alike. Especially not after this poem. There's something, well, special about you. But, I'm curious, why do you ask?"
"So I know I can do this without any regrets."
And with that, Aurora closed the gap between them, grabbed Christian's handsome face between her long fingers, and pressed her lips gently against his. Christian's eyes shot open at the initial shock, but then pulled Aurora closer, deepening the kiss. They lingered there a moment, tasting these new developments. Eventually though, they pulled away, cradled in each other's arms.
"But," Christian whispered as he moved in for a second passionate kiss, "I thought you didn't need love."
"I don't," Aurora murmured back, "but I find myself desperately wanting it."
TBC…like it or not.