Hello, in a complete change of era I was hit by a major plot bunny courtesy of Maze-zen's Nothing Better to do Nowhere Else to be. This tale with a slow start is inspired by Meg's line in the above story "Just walk into the music room naked and you'll see how much he likes you." If you have not read it, I really suggest you do.
My regular story Symphonie d' un Poltergeist Parisien will continue once this plot is out of my head.
Modern AU: Comedy with some poignant moments as always, I cannot write smut to save my life I just get so embarrassed trying to write it, Sorry.
Thank you for any comments or reviews I appreciate them.
A Strange Seduction
It seemed like a normal day when the Music Director of the City Opera house was taking a shortcut back to his office. Passing through the back of the left wing of the stage. He accidentally brushed against the one lone female Chorus member standing there who rapidly spun around and grabbed him roughly by the lapels of his jacket then threw him Ju jitsu style to the floor in a cloud of sheet music. Looking up he saw a small brunet lady with a look of horror on her face, before she knelt down and began to apologise profusely.
"Oh my god I am sorry Maestro Jardinier!" The young lady cried as she started to collect the sheet music he had dropped everywhere when she had assaulted him. "I thought you were Joe Bouquet!" she added as she picked up the last sheet and placed them to one side as she helped the still slightly stunned man off the floor.
Mr Jardinier took a deep breath as Christine started brushing the dust off his jacket. "As you can see, I am not." He replied still looking at his lovely assailant. "You know who I am, but who are you?" he enquired.
"Chris…Christine Daae, Sir!" Christine replied as she picked up his music from where she had placed it and handed it back to him.
"Ah, the new Chorus girl!" Mr Jardinier acknowledged, "I think I shall be keeping an eye on you from now on." He continued, "Preferably from a safe distance!" with that he strode off and left Christine standing still and absolutely mortified.
"Chris… Chris where are you? Rehearsal is over, it is half past five." A voice called as one of the ballerinas found Christine still in the same position a few moments later.
"Meg, I think I have done something rather silly!" Christine declared sotto voce, as the ballerina caught up with her.
"Please tell me you have not tripped over and grabbed the wrong rope to steady yourself again!" Meg remarked as she turned to face her now rather worried looking friend. "I know you want to be the Prima Donna one day but trying to kill our current one on your first day here with a sandbag mid rehearsal, is so very Phantom of the Opera!" she added with a smile, "I am just glad it was blamed on Joe; they can't fire him for some reason".
"No worse, I jui jitsu'ed the Music Director to the floor!" Christine replied forlornly.
"I'm sorry… you just did what?" Meg asked her eyebrows nearly leaving her face.
Christine looked like she was about to cry as she explained what had just happened. Unfortunately, Meg did not see it as a disaster and started laughing.
"The man hides most of the time, there are staff here that have been here since before he took over as Director and they have never seen him!" Meg replied, "You have been here two weeks, and not only have you seen him, but you then chucked him over your shoulder and dropped him on his arse!"
"Please do not remind me!" Christine wailed "I will be surprised if I have a job in the morning this is horrific!"
"Actually, I think it is impressive!" Meg retorted still smirking. "The man is nearly six feet seven in height and built like an underfed whippet, yet you still got the drop on him!"
Christine sighed, "I think I shall stay behind tonight and use a practise room to de-stress. Please apologise to your mother, I will be joining you and her at the apartment for dinner just not arriving early."
"I think given the circumstances that would be understandable, however remember dinner is at eight." Meg replied giving Christine a hug, "Especially since we have a family friend joining us." She added.
"Anyone I know?" Christine asked, curiosity taking over.
"Yes actually." Meg replied grinning again, "You dropped him on his arse recently. And he was looking forward to meeting you, since mama recommended you join the chorus."
"Oh my god!" Christine exclaimed putting her head in her hands, her mortification returning tenfold, as Meg giggled.
"Please do not worry, Mr Jardinier is a sweet man with a heart of gold, he just acts gruff, except for when people do not do their job properly, and then trust me you would know if he really was angry with you!" Meg said comforting her friend.
"Ok, I will see you at eight." Christine said the resignation heavy in her voice, as Meg gave her a hug and went to change before leaving.
ooo
Christine made her way to one of the less used practice rooms, content that since the orchestra were staying until at least seven, the building would remain open until then and she could spend at least an hour singing in the room unwinding before preparing to meet the Music Director again at dinner with her best friend and her mother.
ooo
Mr Jardinier was still in his office, scanning the security cameras that were located around the opera house when he noticed his assailant was in the back practice room alone and apparently just standing there. He knew her friend Meg had left so what was the new girl still doing here?
Cursing the fact, the cameras did not have microphones Mr Jardinier made his way to her location, remembering some of the things his Ballet Mistress had told him about his newest hire.
'Daughter of the famous violinist Charles Daae, Private tuition in voice sings like an angel but has lost her spirit since her father died.' Annette Giry had told him the day she asked for him to hire her daughter's friend. 'A kinder soul you could not meet, sweet and quiet unless Meg is leading her on, dedicated to her craft but no longer has the drive to aim for her dream to be a prima donna.' Then Mr Jardinier recalled the one warning he was given about his newest cast member. 'A fine young lady unless nervous.' Annette had told him, she only explained further once pushed. 'Then she is a one-woman wreaking crew, as she becomes extremely clumsy, also her father insisted she undertake self-defence classes to protect herself so do not startle her. She added. And so, as a long-standing favour owed to Mrs Giry Mr Jardinier had hired her.
"Boy, do I know about not startling her!" he said to himself as he rubbed a very sore part of his anatomy where he had landed earlier. Before finally reaching the room, she was in.
His hand raised to knock on the Practice room door, Mr Jardinier stopped suddenly, as from within the room a sweet yet powerless acapella performance of Casta Diva began. And all the Music Director could do was listen in wonder. Note perfect, however no projection, no emotion but so much potential. He stayed until the aria was finished, before disappearing back to his office, without the occupant ever knowing he was there.
ooo
Arriving back in his office a scan review of the tapes from the cameras confirmed that Miss Daae was indeed the source of the singing, he even compared the corridor camera to the room camera to confirm and yes there he was standing behind the door listening, as she sang, her back to the camera in the practice room. With a lot on his mind Mr Jardinier got ready to meet this mystery singer at dinner with Annette and Meg.
ooo
Christine arrived just before eight and was met at the front door by Meg. "Mr Jardinier is already here." She informed her friend as Christine came in and took her coat off. "He seems in quite a good mood, but please be aware that…"
Meg was interrupted by a sound coming from the lounge area that resembled a loud fart.
"That your accidental meeting this afternoon has caused an issue." She carried on once the sound ended. "He is currently sitting on grandpa's old haemorrhoid ring as his ego is rather bruised apparently." She added with a smirk, so try to ignore the rasping sounds the ring is self-inflatable so every movement causes farting sounds before the ring reinflates like a medical whoopee cushion." She finished.
Christine now not only felt nervous but added a healthy dose of guilt to it. "I feel awful, the poor man!" she whispered.
Meg's demeanour changed rapidly, "What ever you do, do not pity or feel sorry for him, fastest way to see him lose his temper." She warned seriously. "Just ignore the sounds and relax as I said he is actually lovely; he is the reason Mama and I have been so blessed." She added as both ladies headed into the lounge.
"Ah, Christine just in time!" Annette Giry commented as she stood up and ushered Meg into the kitchen to finish preparing dinner. Christine turned to face the taciturn figure sitting bolt upright on a brown rubber ring on a dining chair.
"G..Goo..Good Evening Mr Jardinier." Christine greeted her Music Director.
She watched as he steepled his fingers and looked at her. She felt he was almost waiting for another attack, and when it did not happen "Good Evening, Miss Daae, we are not in the opera house now so please call me Erik!" He replied smoothly.
Christine was taken aback, his voice now was lyrical, soft and comforting like good chocolate. It took her a moment before she remembered her manners, "Thank you Erik, please call me Christine." She replied.
"Christine." He repeated, in his voice it sounded like a prayer, Christine could not help but smile, until with a pained expression Erik moved in his seat slightly and another loud rasp broke the spell.
"Please excuse the unfortunate sounds it is not myself but this wretched cushion I am having to use due to our meeting earlier today." He declared, as shifting once more with further rasping he found a more comfortable position.
"On that matter once again, I am sorry." Christine apologised as she wrung her hands nervously.
"Yes, impressive self-defence manoeuvres, you really caught me by surprise," Erik responded a strange warning like tone in his voice, "Please do not to do that again." He added before his tone changed, "Can I just ask what Joe bouquet has done to deserve such a reception?"
Christine was about to reply when Annette and Meg came back from the kitchen carrying various ceramic containers holding their dinner, "Joe bouquet is an errant perpetual teenage sex pest in a young man's body!" Annette declared as she placed a large platter containing a roast Chicken on the table that made up the dining area for the apartment. "He has taken it upon himself to grope or harass every woman in the opera house except for the Prima Donna." She added as she took a dish containing Roast potatoes from Meg and placed it down.
Erik looked thoughtful for a moment, before he responded, "I should hope he is not sexually harassing the Prima Donna." He declared, "She is his mother!" he concluded as Annette had to grab the jug of gravy Meg nearly dropped in shock, to prevent it going everywhere.
"Carlotta is his mother!" Meg nearly shouted, "Now I see why you cannot fire him," she concluded.
"No." Erik stated, as Annette and Christine listened in silence, "The reason I cannot fire that little sex mad shit, pardon my language ladies, is the same reason I cannot get rid of his wailing harpy of a mother. Our principle patron at this current time is secretly married to her and fathered that abomination." He answered.
"Whoa! That I did not even consider!" Meg remarked as she went to fetch another bowl of vegetables from the kitchen. As Annette shook her head.
"Shall I pour the wine and then Carve?" Erik enquired, reaching for the bottle on the table and the Corkscrew, "Please forgive me for not getting up." He stated as Christine took her seat. Meg placed the bowl full of green beans down and her and her mother joined their guests at the table.
ooo
Christine was almost halfway down the generous glass of wine Erik had poured her before he had even started to carve the chicken, much to his amusement, when a change in her demeanour occurred.
Erik got quite a shock, as dinner progressed; from a stumbling stuttering nervous wreck, Christine transformed as the alcohol took effect, she became relaxed, graceful and erudite, her passionate love of music and opera started to shine through, and Erik found he was seeing her in a different light, a very different light indeed.
It was as dinner ended; this new light inspired Erik to make a rash decision. He offered to tutor Christine in all matter's music and vocal.
Christine had long gone home, and Meg was in her bedroom binge watching something on streaming as Erik helped Annette wash the dishes and tidy up before he too called it a night.
"What a difference a few glasses of wine made." Erik commented more to himself as he scrubbed the roasting pan that cooked the chicken.
"I told you once she relaxed, she is completely different!" Annette interjected, having overheard Erik's comment.
"Does this always require a third of a bottle of wine?" Erik asked seriously.
Annette looked scandalized, "No! she retorted quickly, "Christine had little self-confidence, to start with, it became extinct when Charles died, and she nearly had to resort to some very desperate measures just to survive." Annette suddenly raised her hand to stop Erik asking, "If you want to know what those measures were; Christine may tell you in her own time. Do not bother asking Meg she does not know, and Christine would rather she never found out thank you!" she finished crisply. Putting away the last of the plates she had just dried, before starting again, "Christine is not very worldly wise, she overthinks nearly everything and that makes her nervous, then she overthinks harder and does not concentrate, which means she becomes clumsy. Keep her relaxed and she is just like she was tonight after the wine." Annette ended as she handed Erik the tea towel. And went to make them both a coffee.
ooo
Driving home later that night, Erik was in his own way equally nervous and yet looking forward to his first lesson with his new student.
