Part II
A Confrontation With Nini
Clutching her shawl tightly, Satine glanced over her shoulder. Harold had instructed her to go and talk to a woman named Marie, who would be responsible for making Satine's costume, and he also told her to get acquainted with her fellow diamond dogs. She would be expected to perform with them that night. There wasn't much time for her to prepare and learn their dances, but she was confident she'd manage. If Zidler was testing her, she wanted to be sure she'd ace whatever he threw at her.
"Excuse me?" Satine tapped her knuckles on the lone door at the end of a dingy hallway.
"Yes? What is it?" An older woman shoved open the door, her dark lip and eye makeup startlingly in contrast with her pale, papery skin. Her eyes swept over Satine critically. "You're the new girl? Come in, then." Her grip was surprisingly tight as she pulled Satine into the room.
Two other girls were in the room, one lounging on a sagging bed, the other leaning against the wall. They stared at Satine as she stood stiffly in the middle of the room, their conversation dying as they evaluated their new competition.
"Lucky for you I've got an outfit all ready," Marie said, rummaging through a pile of clothing on the bed.
"'Oo're you?" the dark-haired girl on the bed demanded, her kohl-lined eyes narrowing suspiciously.
"I'm Satine, and I'm the new dancer," Satine said, unable to keep the pride from entering her voice.
"Fresh meat, eh?" the girl took a long drag from the cigarette she held between two fingers. Satine licked her lips uncomfortably.
"Don't mind Nini," the plump, light-haired girl leaning on the wall spoke up, "Her bark's worse than 'er bite is."
"I think the boys'd be inclined to disagree!" Nini cackled, tossing her head back. The blonde shook her head and laughed, pushing herself away from the wall.
"I've got to be goin', Nini. I'll see you tonight." She gave a little wave at Satine as she left the room. Satine turned back to look at Nini as Marie approached her with an armful of ruffles.
"Put this on," Marie commanded, shoving the dress at Satine.
"Where's the changing room?" Satine asked, looking uncertainly around the small, dimly lit room.
Marie glanced at Nini and laughed. "Right 'ere, love."
Satine pressed her lips together as she set down her shawl and began to unbutton her plain white dress. Nini's gaze didn't waver as Satine quickly slipped out of her dress and into the can-can affair. She smoothed the cloth around her hips and walked over to the cracked full-length mirror in the corner of the room.
It wasn't as bad as she'd thought it would be, actually. She'd seen brothel girls before, scantily clad in what seemed to be rags, but this dress was decent. It was off the shoulder and was made of a shiny emerald green material that complimented her ivory skin and russet hair. The neckline was low, and the bodice had yellow lacing and fringe. The skirt was full, and a peek under it revealed yellow and black ruffles and petticoats. Satine gave a little twirl, watching the skirt flare out around her.
"Look at her preen," Nini said out of the corner of her mouth. Satine saw Marie shrug and turn away as Nini rolled her eyes and took another drag on her cigarette.
"Here." Marie shoved a pair of black heels at Satine, who dutifully slipped them on her feet. Miraculously, they also fit perfectly.
"Marie, Marie!" A pink-cheeked girl with unnaturally blonde ringlets burst into the room. "China passed out! I was tightening her corset, and she just fell over!"
"I'm coming," Marie said, grabbing a small black bag from one of the tables. She hurried after the pink-attired girl, not giving a second glance to Satine.
"You think you're pretty damn good, don't you?"
"Excuse me?" Satine jumped, having forgotten that Nini was still in the room. Nini had risen from the bed and was swaggering over to Satine.
"I saw you audition for Zidler," Nini continued, as if Satine had never spoken. "He may have thought you were something special, but we're not all that easily impressed."
Satine ignored Nini, running a hand through her hair, which was beginning to look a little limp. Nini grabbed her hand.
"I 'ave been at this place for more years than you can count, sweetheart," Nini said evenly, her grip tightening on Satine's hand. "I've done things that would make your pretty red hair curl, and I have done them for one reason and one reason only: I want to be the next star of the Moulin Rouge, and no sweet little new girl, no matter how much she can make the rakes sweat, is gonna steal that from me."
"Are you threatening me?" Satine asked, her voice low and steady.
Nini dropped Satine's hand, her dark eyes narrowing. She tossed her cigarette on the floor, where it lay smoking.
"Just thought I oughta clear some things up," Nini said silkily, grinding the cigarette butt into the floor with the heel of her shoe, "So there aren't any...misunderstandings later on."
"Thanks for the insight." Satine said, turning her back on Nini, "I'll keep it in mind." In the mirror, she saw Nini toss her head and flounce out of the room. Her legs wobbled, and she sank down onto the mushy bed, her head in her hands.
What have I gotten myself into, she wondered, fighting back tears. She wasn't easily frightened away, but Nini seemed to be very serious about no one stealing her limelight. Were all of the other girls going to be that nasty? The blonde didn't seem mean, but Satine hadn't gotten a chance to talk to her yet.
What are you doing? A second voice in her head piped up. You're going to let some bigmouth whore scare you away from pursuing your dream? You've got more talent in one pinkie finger than all these girls do combined - certainly more than Nini does! You don't need any of them. Zidler will see that tonight, and he'll waste no time in making you the star of the show.
Satine blinked her eyes a few more times and stood up, shaking out her skirts. She was going to go out there tonight and amaze the crowd. She had come to be a star, and that was exactly what she was going to do.
A Confrontation With Nini
Clutching her shawl tightly, Satine glanced over her shoulder. Harold had instructed her to go and talk to a woman named Marie, who would be responsible for making Satine's costume, and he also told her to get acquainted with her fellow diamond dogs. She would be expected to perform with them that night. There wasn't much time for her to prepare and learn their dances, but she was confident she'd manage. If Zidler was testing her, she wanted to be sure she'd ace whatever he threw at her.
"Excuse me?" Satine tapped her knuckles on the lone door at the end of a dingy hallway.
"Yes? What is it?" An older woman shoved open the door, her dark lip and eye makeup startlingly in contrast with her pale, papery skin. Her eyes swept over Satine critically. "You're the new girl? Come in, then." Her grip was surprisingly tight as she pulled Satine into the room.
Two other girls were in the room, one lounging on a sagging bed, the other leaning against the wall. They stared at Satine as she stood stiffly in the middle of the room, their conversation dying as they evaluated their new competition.
"Lucky for you I've got an outfit all ready," Marie said, rummaging through a pile of clothing on the bed.
"'Oo're you?" the dark-haired girl on the bed demanded, her kohl-lined eyes narrowing suspiciously.
"I'm Satine, and I'm the new dancer," Satine said, unable to keep the pride from entering her voice.
"Fresh meat, eh?" the girl took a long drag from the cigarette she held between two fingers. Satine licked her lips uncomfortably.
"Don't mind Nini," the plump, light-haired girl leaning on the wall spoke up, "Her bark's worse than 'er bite is."
"I think the boys'd be inclined to disagree!" Nini cackled, tossing her head back. The blonde shook her head and laughed, pushing herself away from the wall.
"I've got to be goin', Nini. I'll see you tonight." She gave a little wave at Satine as she left the room. Satine turned back to look at Nini as Marie approached her with an armful of ruffles.
"Put this on," Marie commanded, shoving the dress at Satine.
"Where's the changing room?" Satine asked, looking uncertainly around the small, dimly lit room.
Marie glanced at Nini and laughed. "Right 'ere, love."
Satine pressed her lips together as she set down her shawl and began to unbutton her plain white dress. Nini's gaze didn't waver as Satine quickly slipped out of her dress and into the can-can affair. She smoothed the cloth around her hips and walked over to the cracked full-length mirror in the corner of the room.
It wasn't as bad as she'd thought it would be, actually. She'd seen brothel girls before, scantily clad in what seemed to be rags, but this dress was decent. It was off the shoulder and was made of a shiny emerald green material that complimented her ivory skin and russet hair. The neckline was low, and the bodice had yellow lacing and fringe. The skirt was full, and a peek under it revealed yellow and black ruffles and petticoats. Satine gave a little twirl, watching the skirt flare out around her.
"Look at her preen," Nini said out of the corner of her mouth. Satine saw Marie shrug and turn away as Nini rolled her eyes and took another drag on her cigarette.
"Here." Marie shoved a pair of black heels at Satine, who dutifully slipped them on her feet. Miraculously, they also fit perfectly.
"Marie, Marie!" A pink-cheeked girl with unnaturally blonde ringlets burst into the room. "China passed out! I was tightening her corset, and she just fell over!"
"I'm coming," Marie said, grabbing a small black bag from one of the tables. She hurried after the pink-attired girl, not giving a second glance to Satine.
"You think you're pretty damn good, don't you?"
"Excuse me?" Satine jumped, having forgotten that Nini was still in the room. Nini had risen from the bed and was swaggering over to Satine.
"I saw you audition for Zidler," Nini continued, as if Satine had never spoken. "He may have thought you were something special, but we're not all that easily impressed."
Satine ignored Nini, running a hand through her hair, which was beginning to look a little limp. Nini grabbed her hand.
"I 'ave been at this place for more years than you can count, sweetheart," Nini said evenly, her grip tightening on Satine's hand. "I've done things that would make your pretty red hair curl, and I have done them for one reason and one reason only: I want to be the next star of the Moulin Rouge, and no sweet little new girl, no matter how much she can make the rakes sweat, is gonna steal that from me."
"Are you threatening me?" Satine asked, her voice low and steady.
Nini dropped Satine's hand, her dark eyes narrowing. She tossed her cigarette on the floor, where it lay smoking.
"Just thought I oughta clear some things up," Nini said silkily, grinding the cigarette butt into the floor with the heel of her shoe, "So there aren't any...misunderstandings later on."
"Thanks for the insight." Satine said, turning her back on Nini, "I'll keep it in mind." In the mirror, she saw Nini toss her head and flounce out of the room. Her legs wobbled, and she sank down onto the mushy bed, her head in her hands.
What have I gotten myself into, she wondered, fighting back tears. She wasn't easily frightened away, but Nini seemed to be very serious about no one stealing her limelight. Were all of the other girls going to be that nasty? The blonde didn't seem mean, but Satine hadn't gotten a chance to talk to her yet.
What are you doing? A second voice in her head piped up. You're going to let some bigmouth whore scare you away from pursuing your dream? You've got more talent in one pinkie finger than all these girls do combined - certainly more than Nini does! You don't need any of them. Zidler will see that tonight, and he'll waste no time in making you the star of the show.
Satine blinked her eyes a few more times and stood up, shaking out her skirts. She was going to go out there tonight and amaze the crowd. She had come to be a star, and that was exactly what she was going to do.