I chewed my bottom lip absently, crossing and uncrossing my legs, a
habit I had reserved for when I was nervous or deep in thought. I sat on my
low, wooden chair saturated with pink ruffled satin, facing my ornate
silver mirror perched on my dresser that was covered with fragile perfume
bottles in soft pastels, along with fluffy powder brushes and an assortment
of makeup. Most of the other girls were sleeping, tired out from their
night 'servicing', as Harrison so quaintly called it, the men who had
almost ritualistically flocked to Moulin Rouge, seeking the bright night
life that would tug away their thoughts and worries about their day-to-day
responsibilities. I, on the other hand, had foolishly gone about the
Parisian streets singing my lungs out about some man I had barely seen for
half an hour like some insane sixteen-year-old schoolgirl. I clicked my
teeth together indecisively, finally rising with a hiss of fabric scraping
the material of my dress, and turned the faceted crystal doorknob to exit
out into the dank, paling yellow hall, filled with two rows of paint peeled
doors. I was completely stupid, ridiculous, and silly to be still thinking
about Nicholas! I had to focus. Yes, that's just what I had to do, focus.
Focus on my next performance tonight, Harrison had mentioned something
about a new song- I guess with all the focusing going on I had completely
forgot to look where I was going, because the next thing I knew I had
completely toppled into a very large, warm somebody traveling down the hall
in the opposite direction of myself. "Oh my, I'm so sorry-" I started at
the exact same time as the other person mumbled,
"Oh no, entirely my fault-" We both paused, immediately recognizing each other's voice. I, of course, had tumbled practically into Nicholas' arms, and he blinked, just as surprised as I was. I swallowed and cleared my throat awkwardly, trying desperately to recover and readjust my hat. Why did it always seem that just when you don't want to see someone they appear magically right in front of you? I nodded stiffly, remembering just in time that I was an accomplished actress and that I should at least put that particular skill to good use.
"Good morning." I said primly, starting, unhesitant, back down the hallway.
"Morning." He echoed vaguely, turning back the way he had been coming. I internally sighed, slightly regretful, but at the same time relieved that there hadn't been any conflict. I had thought way to soon.
"Velvete?" he said, turning back to stare at my retreating form. I had no other choice but to do the same.
"Yes?" I breathed out with more than a hint of impatience, planting one hand on my hip.
"About last night, I just wanted to say that I-" I was starting to get more than just a smidge irritated. Didn't this guy understand when a girl blew him off?
"What ABOUT last night?" I interrupted. "I thought last night pretty much explained itself." I really didn't want to do this, I really, honestly didn't, but he was asking for it. He had brought it up. So if he wanted to discuss last night, I was ready to discuss last night.
"I don't understand why you don't even want to give me a chance." He said. What was I supposed to say to that? 'Oh yes Nicholas, I want you, in fact, my every waking thought now is about you, but the fact is that no matter how much we want to be together I'll always be a whore that sells herself?' Is that what he wanted to hear?
"Don't understand?" I said, with some bitterness, "There's nothing not to understand." I spit out the next words with a vehemence that even startled myself. "I. Am. Not. Interested. In. You." I sighed inaudibly. I had never really imagined myself doing this. "Is that perfectly clear?" His eyes narrowed angrily. I guess I could have gone a little softer, but hey, this was all his fault after all.
"Fine." He said. "What I was going to say to you, before you interrupted, was that I was sorry for throwing myself at you last night, and I was at least hoping that you would at least want to be friends." I opened my mouth to say something at least slightly intelligent back, but he stopped me. "But," he continued, "I can see that any kind of relationship wouldn't work out between us. "
"Fine!" I almost yelled. If that's the way he wanted it!
"FINE!" he said, turning around and walking away. That man made me so mad! I fumed. In one still rational corner of my mind I knew that I acted like a complete idiot and the majority of this was all my fault, but I really didn't care at the moment. If he was going to act like that, than to hell with him! I stormed back into my dressing room, slamming the door. At least now it wouldn't be hard to get him out of my head.
**Author's Note** Sorry that was so bad, but I've been really kind of distracted lately. Oh well! Chapter five will, hopefully, be better. And thank you to everyone that's reviewed! I really appreciate it. IT MAKES MY DAY!!!! THANKS!!!
"Oh no, entirely my fault-" We both paused, immediately recognizing each other's voice. I, of course, had tumbled practically into Nicholas' arms, and he blinked, just as surprised as I was. I swallowed and cleared my throat awkwardly, trying desperately to recover and readjust my hat. Why did it always seem that just when you don't want to see someone they appear magically right in front of you? I nodded stiffly, remembering just in time that I was an accomplished actress and that I should at least put that particular skill to good use.
"Good morning." I said primly, starting, unhesitant, back down the hallway.
"Morning." He echoed vaguely, turning back the way he had been coming. I internally sighed, slightly regretful, but at the same time relieved that there hadn't been any conflict. I had thought way to soon.
"Velvete?" he said, turning back to stare at my retreating form. I had no other choice but to do the same.
"Yes?" I breathed out with more than a hint of impatience, planting one hand on my hip.
"About last night, I just wanted to say that I-" I was starting to get more than just a smidge irritated. Didn't this guy understand when a girl blew him off?
"What ABOUT last night?" I interrupted. "I thought last night pretty much explained itself." I really didn't want to do this, I really, honestly didn't, but he was asking for it. He had brought it up. So if he wanted to discuss last night, I was ready to discuss last night.
"I don't understand why you don't even want to give me a chance." He said. What was I supposed to say to that? 'Oh yes Nicholas, I want you, in fact, my every waking thought now is about you, but the fact is that no matter how much we want to be together I'll always be a whore that sells herself?' Is that what he wanted to hear?
"Don't understand?" I said, with some bitterness, "There's nothing not to understand." I spit out the next words with a vehemence that even startled myself. "I. Am. Not. Interested. In. You." I sighed inaudibly. I had never really imagined myself doing this. "Is that perfectly clear?" His eyes narrowed angrily. I guess I could have gone a little softer, but hey, this was all his fault after all.
"Fine." He said. "What I was going to say to you, before you interrupted, was that I was sorry for throwing myself at you last night, and I was at least hoping that you would at least want to be friends." I opened my mouth to say something at least slightly intelligent back, but he stopped me. "But," he continued, "I can see that any kind of relationship wouldn't work out between us. "
"Fine!" I almost yelled. If that's the way he wanted it!
"FINE!" he said, turning around and walking away. That man made me so mad! I fumed. In one still rational corner of my mind I knew that I acted like a complete idiot and the majority of this was all my fault, but I really didn't care at the moment. If he was going to act like that, than to hell with him! I stormed back into my dressing room, slamming the door. At least now it wouldn't be hard to get him out of my head.
**Author's Note** Sorry that was so bad, but I've been really kind of distracted lately. Oh well! Chapter five will, hopefully, be better. And thank you to everyone that's reviewed! I really appreciate it. IT MAKES MY DAY!!!! THANKS!!!