As Satine opened the door to her apartment, she giggled and flipped the
lights on, raising her left hand to her face and looking at the ring. "It's
so beautiful. . ." she whispered, imagining wearing it forever. She giggled
again and moved over to her cd player and pushed play, singing along.
"I wake up in the morning, put on my face. The one that's gonna get me through another day, doesn't really matter how I feel inside. This life is like a game sometimes."
She smiled and danced with up the bouquet of 'wild flowers' (dandelions) Christian picked for her on their walk after the restaurant. "Then you came around me, the walls just disappeared. Nothing to surround me, keep me from my fears. I'm unprotected, see how I've opened up. You've made me trust. I've never felt like this before!" she shouted. "I'm naked around you, does it show? You see right through me and I can't hide. I'm naked around you, and it feels so right."
She pranced into the kitchen to find a vase for her flowers. "Trying to remember why I was afraid to be myself and let the covers fall away. Guess I never had someone like you to help me fit in my skin-"
"Satine, are you in there?" Harold asked, coming in the open door. "You should really close this. . . it could be dangerous."
Satine bit her lip. She had been so happy that she had forgotten. "Sorry," she whispered.
"Where were you today?" he asked. "I came to pick you up at school and you never came out. . . you just got home, didn't you?"
Satine lowered her head. She had forgotten the prior arrangement with Robert Duken today. . . Christian just made her forget everything. She smiled slightly.
"You think it's funny, do you?!" he demanded, slamming the door. "You better be grateful that I am a great liar, otherwise he would have left!"
"What a shame that would have been. . ." she murmured.
"You think I'm doing this for me?" he asked. Satine bit her lip to keep back form screaming, 'yes!'. "Darling, I'm doing this for you. I'm giving you a future. . . you want to be a great actress, don't you?"
"I do," she whispered.
"What's wrong with you lately? You don't come into work, you're hardly at home. . ."
"I've just. . . been busy, that's all."
"With what?"
"I. . ."
"It's not that. . . boy is it?"
Satine's stomach fell. "What boy?"
"That. . . Romeo."
"Ch-Christian James?" she asked breathless.
"Yes, him! I saw that way you were together."
"That was just a play, Harold," she said, turning away to get a glass of water.
"It looked like more than just a play," he said quietly.
Satine held her breath, gripping the cup of water in her left hand. Slowly, she lifted it to her lips.
"What's that?!" he yelled, so suddenly that she dropped the cheap plastic cup, spilling water all over the floor.
"What's what?" She spun around to look at him.
"That ring. . ."
Satin tucked her hands under her crossed arms. "It's. . . I. . . Can't I wear my engagement ring?"
"That's not the one Robert gave you. . ." he growled.
Her eyes went wide. "I. . . uh. . . what? It's-it's not?"
"No!" he protested.
There was a wide silence that stretched for the lapse of a couple minutes. Then Harold said, "What do you think you're doing?"
"I don't know what you're talking about."
"Like hell you don't!" he roared. "You've been seeing him, haven't you?" Satine said nothing. "Haven't you?!"
She flinched. "Yes," she whispered.
"You could ruin everything with him!"
"I know," she sobbed.
"Then why?!"
"Because I love him!" She clapped her hand over mouth.
There was another eerie silence. "You love him?" Harold asked, squaring his eyes.
"I. . . I do," she whispered.
"Do you think he'll love you when he knows who you are, huh? You're a prostitute, engaged to a millionaire! You think he'll want you still?!"
Satine stuck out her chin. "He. . . knows. And he's still with me." She held up her left hand. "He asked me to marry him."
"And what did you tell him?"
"I told him 'yes'!" she yelled, reaching into her pocket and picking up the ring from Robert Duken. "I think this belongs to you." She threw it to him and he caught it against his chest.
He stared at the large diamond ring in his fingers. "I'm not about to let you ruin everything for me," he hissed. "I've worked all my life for this, and I'm not about to let you ruin everything!"
"I've worked my whole life for this too, Harold. I wanted to be an actress more than anything. . . but I know now that there are things more important than money and fame."
"Like what?!" he demanded.
"Like love!" she yelled. "Christian loves me. . . he LOVES me. And that's worth everything." She took in a deep breath. "We're getting married, Harold. We're in love, and we're getting married, and nothing you can say can make me do other wise. You hear me?!" she screamed. He said nothing. "I don't need you anymore! I'll live on the streets if I have to - anywhere but here!"
He didn't say anything, so she forced a smile. "Goodbye, Harold," and sped past him.
"Do you really think it's that easy?" he whispered.
She ignored him and picked up her coat.
"You really think you can live out there without my protection?"
"What protection?" she laughed.
"Do you think that everyone you stay the night with at the club just comes and goes?"
She stopped gathering up her things in her backpack and looked at him. "What are you talking about?"
"Oh, your customers. . . they LOVE you, they truly do. And they try to find you again, and say you love them and would love to see them. . . but you are busy with another customer. They feel deceived, deserted. . . dangerously jealous. But I have people to protect you, Satine. People to watch out for you."
"You have spies?"
"For your protection!" he said. "If it weren't for them, you'd be dead YEARS ago."
"Thanks for the tip, I'll keep it in mind." She stuffed some other things in her bag.
"None of them have ever been as rich and as taken with you as Robert. . . he will find you on your own."
She thought for a moment. "He can't hurt us," she whispered, sitting still on the couch.
Harold sat next to her. "Oh, yes he can, and he will. When he called this afternoon to ask where you were, he suspected you were with someone-"
"I don't care!" she yelled, springing up and throwing his arm off her. "I don't care about Robert Duken!" She held up her left hand. "I AM going to get married to Christian, Harold. I am."
"Robert Duken is insanely jealous," he continued. "If you do this and run away, he will find you and kill Christian."
She stifled a cry and hung on to a chair for balance. "No. . ."
"He's a very rich and powerful man. . . he has both the resources and the purse to do it. And he will, make no mistake at that." Harold stood up and pulled Satine back to the couch, resting her shaky legs. "You know I'm right," he whispered.
She sobbed and looked away, tears in her eyes.
"If you want to save his life, tell him it's over."
She knew he was right. His life would be ruined just because she selfishly wanted to be with him. "Too much has happened. . . he'll fight for me."
"Then I think you know what you must do."
Satine thought for a moment, and started crying.
"You're a great actress."
"No," she sobbed. "No. . ." All the happiness she had ever known was suddenly slipping through her fingers, and she couldn't catch it and bring it back, she didn't have the strength to.
"If you love him. . . you will do this for him. Save his life."
She put her head in her hands. She did love him. He had given her the best gift she had ever known - freedom. But nothing lasts forever. Maybe she could repay him by giving him his life. "I'll do it," she whispered. "I'll do it."
"I knew you'd do the right thing, Pigeon. Daddy raised you right." He patted her head.
"Get. . . out," she hissed.
"Yes, well. . . I suspect Marie needs help with dinner again. You're invited, of course." He headed out the door.
"Christian. . ." she whispered. Something good had happened for a change. . . but never does it stay forever. She really wanted to spend the rest of her days with Christian, picked out every little detail of their wedding in the last 4 hours in her head.
"Maybe Harold's right," she said to herself. "Maybe I'm not supposed to love."
The CD player that she had completely forgotten about continued to play, and Avril Lavigne sang, "Is it enough to love? Is it enough to breathe? Somebody rip my heart out and leave me here to bleed. Is it enough to die? Somebody save my life." The lyrics shook Satine' bones and she hugged a blanket around her shoulders to keep herself warm.
She laid down her head and closed her sore, red eyes, preparing for what would happen tomorrow.
------------------------------------------ Disclaimer: All characters belong to me and my good friend Baz. And, um. Robert Duken is not the real son of a producer, I just made him up.
A/N: Ok, so I think people are beginning to like this better now. . . hope I didn't disappoint people with this. I just got the Avril Lavigne cd(which is GREAT!), so I used some of her songs. . . hehehe.
Songs used: 'Naked' by Avril Lavigne, 'Anything But Ordinary' by Avril Lavigne
"I wake up in the morning, put on my face. The one that's gonna get me through another day, doesn't really matter how I feel inside. This life is like a game sometimes."
She smiled and danced with up the bouquet of 'wild flowers' (dandelions) Christian picked for her on their walk after the restaurant. "Then you came around me, the walls just disappeared. Nothing to surround me, keep me from my fears. I'm unprotected, see how I've opened up. You've made me trust. I've never felt like this before!" she shouted. "I'm naked around you, does it show? You see right through me and I can't hide. I'm naked around you, and it feels so right."
She pranced into the kitchen to find a vase for her flowers. "Trying to remember why I was afraid to be myself and let the covers fall away. Guess I never had someone like you to help me fit in my skin-"
"Satine, are you in there?" Harold asked, coming in the open door. "You should really close this. . . it could be dangerous."
Satine bit her lip. She had been so happy that she had forgotten. "Sorry," she whispered.
"Where were you today?" he asked. "I came to pick you up at school and you never came out. . . you just got home, didn't you?"
Satine lowered her head. She had forgotten the prior arrangement with Robert Duken today. . . Christian just made her forget everything. She smiled slightly.
"You think it's funny, do you?!" he demanded, slamming the door. "You better be grateful that I am a great liar, otherwise he would have left!"
"What a shame that would have been. . ." she murmured.
"You think I'm doing this for me?" he asked. Satine bit her lip to keep back form screaming, 'yes!'. "Darling, I'm doing this for you. I'm giving you a future. . . you want to be a great actress, don't you?"
"I do," she whispered.
"What's wrong with you lately? You don't come into work, you're hardly at home. . ."
"I've just. . . been busy, that's all."
"With what?"
"I. . ."
"It's not that. . . boy is it?"
Satine's stomach fell. "What boy?"
"That. . . Romeo."
"Ch-Christian James?" she asked breathless.
"Yes, him! I saw that way you were together."
"That was just a play, Harold," she said, turning away to get a glass of water.
"It looked like more than just a play," he said quietly.
Satine held her breath, gripping the cup of water in her left hand. Slowly, she lifted it to her lips.
"What's that?!" he yelled, so suddenly that she dropped the cheap plastic cup, spilling water all over the floor.
"What's what?" She spun around to look at him.
"That ring. . ."
Satin tucked her hands under her crossed arms. "It's. . . I. . . Can't I wear my engagement ring?"
"That's not the one Robert gave you. . ." he growled.
Her eyes went wide. "I. . . uh. . . what? It's-it's not?"
"No!" he protested.
There was a wide silence that stretched for the lapse of a couple minutes. Then Harold said, "What do you think you're doing?"
"I don't know what you're talking about."
"Like hell you don't!" he roared. "You've been seeing him, haven't you?" Satine said nothing. "Haven't you?!"
She flinched. "Yes," she whispered.
"You could ruin everything with him!"
"I know," she sobbed.
"Then why?!"
"Because I love him!" She clapped her hand over mouth.
There was another eerie silence. "You love him?" Harold asked, squaring his eyes.
"I. . . I do," she whispered.
"Do you think he'll love you when he knows who you are, huh? You're a prostitute, engaged to a millionaire! You think he'll want you still?!"
Satine stuck out her chin. "He. . . knows. And he's still with me." She held up her left hand. "He asked me to marry him."
"And what did you tell him?"
"I told him 'yes'!" she yelled, reaching into her pocket and picking up the ring from Robert Duken. "I think this belongs to you." She threw it to him and he caught it against his chest.
He stared at the large diamond ring in his fingers. "I'm not about to let you ruin everything for me," he hissed. "I've worked all my life for this, and I'm not about to let you ruin everything!"
"I've worked my whole life for this too, Harold. I wanted to be an actress more than anything. . . but I know now that there are things more important than money and fame."
"Like what?!" he demanded.
"Like love!" she yelled. "Christian loves me. . . he LOVES me. And that's worth everything." She took in a deep breath. "We're getting married, Harold. We're in love, and we're getting married, and nothing you can say can make me do other wise. You hear me?!" she screamed. He said nothing. "I don't need you anymore! I'll live on the streets if I have to - anywhere but here!"
He didn't say anything, so she forced a smile. "Goodbye, Harold," and sped past him.
"Do you really think it's that easy?" he whispered.
She ignored him and picked up her coat.
"You really think you can live out there without my protection?"
"What protection?" she laughed.
"Do you think that everyone you stay the night with at the club just comes and goes?"
She stopped gathering up her things in her backpack and looked at him. "What are you talking about?"
"Oh, your customers. . . they LOVE you, they truly do. And they try to find you again, and say you love them and would love to see them. . . but you are busy with another customer. They feel deceived, deserted. . . dangerously jealous. But I have people to protect you, Satine. People to watch out for you."
"You have spies?"
"For your protection!" he said. "If it weren't for them, you'd be dead YEARS ago."
"Thanks for the tip, I'll keep it in mind." She stuffed some other things in her bag.
"None of them have ever been as rich and as taken with you as Robert. . . he will find you on your own."
She thought for a moment. "He can't hurt us," she whispered, sitting still on the couch.
Harold sat next to her. "Oh, yes he can, and he will. When he called this afternoon to ask where you were, he suspected you were with someone-"
"I don't care!" she yelled, springing up and throwing his arm off her. "I don't care about Robert Duken!" She held up her left hand. "I AM going to get married to Christian, Harold. I am."
"Robert Duken is insanely jealous," he continued. "If you do this and run away, he will find you and kill Christian."
She stifled a cry and hung on to a chair for balance. "No. . ."
"He's a very rich and powerful man. . . he has both the resources and the purse to do it. And he will, make no mistake at that." Harold stood up and pulled Satine back to the couch, resting her shaky legs. "You know I'm right," he whispered.
She sobbed and looked away, tears in her eyes.
"If you want to save his life, tell him it's over."
She knew he was right. His life would be ruined just because she selfishly wanted to be with him. "Too much has happened. . . he'll fight for me."
"Then I think you know what you must do."
Satine thought for a moment, and started crying.
"You're a great actress."
"No," she sobbed. "No. . ." All the happiness she had ever known was suddenly slipping through her fingers, and she couldn't catch it and bring it back, she didn't have the strength to.
"If you love him. . . you will do this for him. Save his life."
She put her head in her hands. She did love him. He had given her the best gift she had ever known - freedom. But nothing lasts forever. Maybe she could repay him by giving him his life. "I'll do it," she whispered. "I'll do it."
"I knew you'd do the right thing, Pigeon. Daddy raised you right." He patted her head.
"Get. . . out," she hissed.
"Yes, well. . . I suspect Marie needs help with dinner again. You're invited, of course." He headed out the door.
"Christian. . ." she whispered. Something good had happened for a change. . . but never does it stay forever. She really wanted to spend the rest of her days with Christian, picked out every little detail of their wedding in the last 4 hours in her head.
"Maybe Harold's right," she said to herself. "Maybe I'm not supposed to love."
The CD player that she had completely forgotten about continued to play, and Avril Lavigne sang, "Is it enough to love? Is it enough to breathe? Somebody rip my heart out and leave me here to bleed. Is it enough to die? Somebody save my life." The lyrics shook Satine' bones and she hugged a blanket around her shoulders to keep herself warm.
She laid down her head and closed her sore, red eyes, preparing for what would happen tomorrow.
------------------------------------------ Disclaimer: All characters belong to me and my good friend Baz. And, um. Robert Duken is not the real son of a producer, I just made him up.
A/N: Ok, so I think people are beginning to like this better now. . . hope I didn't disappoint people with this. I just got the Avril Lavigne cd(which is GREAT!), so I used some of her songs. . . hehehe.
Songs used: 'Naked' by Avril Lavigne, 'Anything But Ordinary' by Avril Lavigne