Jocelyn waited outside Harry
Zidler's office for Marie. She wondered
where she was being taken to. He had
said something about being "fitted" and that everything else would be taken
care of. This place was strange. A group of dancers passed by and looked at
her with an almost disgusted look. They
were wearing beautiful corsets embroidered with all sorts of jewels. Jocelyn looked at her plain, ragged dress and
knew why they gave her those looks. She
felt out of place as she noticed everything in the Moulin Rouge was beautiful
and anything but plain. It surely was
bizarre as people have said, but at the same time it was interesting.
"Ready dear?" Marie said
coming out of the office. Jocelyn
nodded and followed her across the room.
"First we will get your
sizes and then try on some costumes. Then we will go over songs, dances, and other things you will be obliged
to learn if you have no knowledge already," Marie continued as they started
climbing a grand, red carpeted staircase. The wooden banister had been polished so Jocelyn could see her own
reflection staring back. They climbed
some more and walked down a long corridor and came to the last door.
"Excuse me," Jocelyn said
before Marie opened the door. "What
exactly is the Sparkling Diamond?"
Marie smiled and let out a
little laugh at Jocelyn's seriousness.
"Jocelyn you are going to be
a star. Every man who enters this
building will be fighting for a night with your company. You are the Sparkling Diamond…the Moulin
Rouge's most valuable and beautiful asset," Marie explained as the two walked
inside the room.
As soon as Jocelyn walked in
the door she was pushed on a platform, measured, and examined. She tried on corset after corset, dress
after dress, all beautiful and expensive looking with most of them being made
of very fine silk or satin. Then she
put on a red, sleeve-less dress and was seated in front of a large vanity. There she was beautified with make-up, but
not too much. Marie said she had a very
rare beauty…natural. Then her hair was
put into a french braid. After that
ordeal everyone started to leave.
"I need to get some song
sheets from downstairs, I'll be back," Marie said, being the last one to leave.
Jocelyn looked at the extravagant
room around her. There was the vanity
which was filled with al sorts of make-up, jewlery boxes, and the mirror was a
large size and encrusted with lights. There was a small table in the middle of the room with a dark blue cloth
placed over it and a vase containing red roses, a bed which had red comforter,
sheets, and pillows. Two dressers full
of clothes, a walk-in closet that was full of dresses and costumes, there were
paintings on every wall, and of course a beautiful bay window. Jocelyn walked over and peeked out. The view was breathtaking. You could see the everything from the
tallest building to the littlest shop. She could see her whole world as she's known it from when she was a
little girl.
She spotted her little
apartment building not to far away. She
knew her father was probably reading the papers or reading what he had typed
from the night before. She really
wondered why he hated this place so. Jocelyn loved it. She felt like
she was the richest person in the world, and she had done nothing so far. What could be so terrible about singing,
dancing, and just looking beautiful? Still, it wouldn't be the best idea to tell her father what job she had.
He wouldn't take it well.
"I'm back," Marie came back
inside the room.
Jocelyn snapped back into
reality and turned towards Marie. In
her hand she held papers with the words for different songs.
"These," Marie said palcing
them on the table. "These are the songs
you have to learn and sing. Why don't
we test your voice?"
Jocelyn picked up one of the
sheets, a song titled "Diamonds are a Girl's Best Friend."
"Good chioce, you'll be singing
that one until you drop. Although it
hasn't been sung since, oh probably before you were born," Marie chuckled. "Do you know how it goes?"
"I heard it when I was
little, but I think I remember how it goes."
Jocelyn cleared her throat
and waited until marie was settled in a chair.
"The french are glad to die…for
love. They delight…in fighting
duels. But I prefer a man who gives…expensive…"
Jocelyn slowly began. She could tell by
the look on Marie's face she was impressed.
"Jewels…" she whispered.
She continued singing the
rest with enthusiasm and when she finished Marie jumped up clapping excitedly.
"Wonderful!! That was beautiful!" marie applauded.
"Thank you," Jocelyn smiled
and half curtsied.
"Wait until Harry hears you!"
"You really liked it that
much?"
"Jocelyn, you sounded
beautiful. You remind me of our last
Sparkling Diamond, I see her shining through your eyes," Marie smiled as little
tears threatened to leave her eyes. She
blinked them back.
"Can I meet her someday?"
Jocelyn asked, curious of who this woman was.
"I wish you could but I'm
afraid she died quite a few years ago."
"Oh," Jocelyn said sadly.
"Come, let me intoduce you
to the other girls," Marie flashed a smile and took Jocelyn's hand.
Jocelyn couldn't help but
smile. She was in, she did it.
The Moulin Rouge would be
alive once again.
TBC