"And this is the elephant," Jocelyn said stepping inside with the duke's
nephew. He looked around the vibrant room as she walked over toward the
window-like opening and looked out onto the city. Charles followed her and
looked also.
"The city looks more beautiful at night when everything is lit up," she explained noticing his blasé stare.
"I'm sure it is," he said quietly.
Jocelyn looked at him curiously. He hadn't said barely anything since they had first met about half an hour ago. He just looked and followed as she showed him around the night club. It wasn't in it's best shape but it still had some beauty left.
"Come, the view is better from the top," she said taking his hand.
"The…..top? Uh….." He said a little nervously.
"What's the matter?"
"Oh, uh…well um," he stammered.
"Are you afraid of heights?" she smiled.
"No," Charles said quickly.
"Then what's wrong?"
"Nothing, c'mon lets go," he replied and started walking up the stairs. She followed laughing to herself.
Charles tried not to look down as he slowly made his way to the top of the 60-foot high elephant. He took a quick look down the side and then turned away. He couldn't believe he was up this high, but he didn't want to tell Jocelyn that. Because he wasn't afraid he was just……uncomfortable, or at least that's what he told himself.
"Uh……we're very high up aren't we?" Charles asked nervously again.
"Yes," Jocelyn said taking his hand. "But look at the view," she said gesturing out to the sunset. There were very few rays of light left, the sky was a different mix of colors ranging from pale pink to orange to a very light blue.
"Wow," he said to himself. It truly was a pretty sight. He wanted to say something else but forgot when he looked at Jocelyn. She too was looking at the sunset, and it was then Charles thought she was beautiful. He forgot about his fear of heights, the sunset, the fact they were standing on a giant elephant, and everthing else. She took his breath away. Jocelyn noticed him staring at her.
"What?" she smiled.
"Nothing, it's just……you're very beautiful," he replied still not taking his eyes off her.
"Thank you," she smiled, her pale cheeks turning a light shade of pink. She turned away and sat down. They watched the sunset without talking until Jocelyn broke the silence. "So what brings you to Monmartre, Mr. Bateson?"
"You can call me Charlie," he said sitting next to her. "My uncle. He drags me all over the place."
"What about your parents?" she asked.
"My uncle disapproves of my father, he never liked him so my uncle took me away from him when I was a baby, right after my mother died," Charlie explained.
"I'm sorry," Jocelyn said quietly.
"Don't be," he replied. "I never knew my parents……but still living with my uncle isn't exactly a picnic."
The sky became darker as the stars scattered across the sky. The city slowly glowed brighter and the Moulin's red windmill started to turn with it's red lights sparkling. There was a chill in the air as the breeze passed through and a low roar of thunder could be heard in the distance.
"Sounds like it'll rain pretty soon," Jocelyn said looking up at the now night sky.
"You're right," Charlie replied standing up. He offered his arm to Jocelyn and they walked toward the stairs.
"Jocelyn?" he asked once inside the elephant.
"Yes?" she replied.
"I was wondering…if you would, um……" he said, avoiding her eyes.
"I won't tell anyone," Jocelyn smiled.
"Thank you," Charlie said, smiling for the first time since they met. "I have to go," he said placing a kiss on her hand. He opened the door but before he left he turned to her, "See you tomorrow?"
"Yes."
"Good," he smiled again. "Good night."
"Good night," she whispered as he closed the door behind him.
Christian looked at his watch as he had done five minutes before, then he continued pacing back and forth in the little apartment he shared with his daughter. He was really worried about her. Ever since she had started working Christian had barely seen Jocelyn. Then today, that young boy, he couldn't remember his name, had came and told him that she was working late. Christian was afraid Jocelyn was working too hard. He felt bad enough that he couldn't be out there providing for his little girl, instead she was working for the both of them. He wished that she would come through the door and tell him that she was ok.
Another thing that worried him was he had no idea where she was. Jocelyn had avoided telling Christian where her job was. When she would come home she always went straight to bed or made another excuse. Christian couldn't help but wonder….'What is she hiding from me?'
Christian sighed and looked out the window. The Moulin Rouge was quiet tonight but still glowed showing there was some life left in it. Everytime he looked at the Moulin, Satine was always there in his mind. All the good and bad memories. Jocelyn was hiding something from him……just like Satine. But this time Christian was going to find out what and why. He had to, he had lost Satine because he had been naïve, but he wouldn't be that way with Jocelyn. He couldn't bear the thought of losing his little girl.
Christian looked at the Moulin Rouge again, but this time something caught his eye and made his heart skip a beat. The elephant. When Satine had died the elephant was closed and no light had shone for 18 years, but tonight someone was inside. Christian squinted his eyes but all he could make out was the figure of a woman. His eyes widened and his heart started to beat wildly against his ribcage. At first he thought it was Satine but that was impossible then another thought came into mind……
It was the new Sparkling Diamond……
"The city looks more beautiful at night when everything is lit up," she explained noticing his blasé stare.
"I'm sure it is," he said quietly.
Jocelyn looked at him curiously. He hadn't said barely anything since they had first met about half an hour ago. He just looked and followed as she showed him around the night club. It wasn't in it's best shape but it still had some beauty left.
"Come, the view is better from the top," she said taking his hand.
"The…..top? Uh….." He said a little nervously.
"What's the matter?"
"Oh, uh…well um," he stammered.
"Are you afraid of heights?" she smiled.
"No," Charles said quickly.
"Then what's wrong?"
"Nothing, c'mon lets go," he replied and started walking up the stairs. She followed laughing to herself.
Charles tried not to look down as he slowly made his way to the top of the 60-foot high elephant. He took a quick look down the side and then turned away. He couldn't believe he was up this high, but he didn't want to tell Jocelyn that. Because he wasn't afraid he was just……uncomfortable, or at least that's what he told himself.
"Uh……we're very high up aren't we?" Charles asked nervously again.
"Yes," Jocelyn said taking his hand. "But look at the view," she said gesturing out to the sunset. There were very few rays of light left, the sky was a different mix of colors ranging from pale pink to orange to a very light blue.
"Wow," he said to himself. It truly was a pretty sight. He wanted to say something else but forgot when he looked at Jocelyn. She too was looking at the sunset, and it was then Charles thought she was beautiful. He forgot about his fear of heights, the sunset, the fact they were standing on a giant elephant, and everthing else. She took his breath away. Jocelyn noticed him staring at her.
"What?" she smiled.
"Nothing, it's just……you're very beautiful," he replied still not taking his eyes off her.
"Thank you," she smiled, her pale cheeks turning a light shade of pink. She turned away and sat down. They watched the sunset without talking until Jocelyn broke the silence. "So what brings you to Monmartre, Mr. Bateson?"
"You can call me Charlie," he said sitting next to her. "My uncle. He drags me all over the place."
"What about your parents?" she asked.
"My uncle disapproves of my father, he never liked him so my uncle took me away from him when I was a baby, right after my mother died," Charlie explained.
"I'm sorry," Jocelyn said quietly.
"Don't be," he replied. "I never knew my parents……but still living with my uncle isn't exactly a picnic."
The sky became darker as the stars scattered across the sky. The city slowly glowed brighter and the Moulin's red windmill started to turn with it's red lights sparkling. There was a chill in the air as the breeze passed through and a low roar of thunder could be heard in the distance.
"Sounds like it'll rain pretty soon," Jocelyn said looking up at the now night sky.
"You're right," Charlie replied standing up. He offered his arm to Jocelyn and they walked toward the stairs.
"Jocelyn?" he asked once inside the elephant.
"Yes?" she replied.
"I was wondering…if you would, um……" he said, avoiding her eyes.
"I won't tell anyone," Jocelyn smiled.
"Thank you," Charlie said, smiling for the first time since they met. "I have to go," he said placing a kiss on her hand. He opened the door but before he left he turned to her, "See you tomorrow?"
"Yes."
"Good," he smiled again. "Good night."
"Good night," she whispered as he closed the door behind him.
Christian looked at his watch as he had done five minutes before, then he continued pacing back and forth in the little apartment he shared with his daughter. He was really worried about her. Ever since she had started working Christian had barely seen Jocelyn. Then today, that young boy, he couldn't remember his name, had came and told him that she was working late. Christian was afraid Jocelyn was working too hard. He felt bad enough that he couldn't be out there providing for his little girl, instead she was working for the both of them. He wished that she would come through the door and tell him that she was ok.
Another thing that worried him was he had no idea where she was. Jocelyn had avoided telling Christian where her job was. When she would come home she always went straight to bed or made another excuse. Christian couldn't help but wonder….'What is she hiding from me?'
Christian sighed and looked out the window. The Moulin Rouge was quiet tonight but still glowed showing there was some life left in it. Everytime he looked at the Moulin, Satine was always there in his mind. All the good and bad memories. Jocelyn was hiding something from him……just like Satine. But this time Christian was going to find out what and why. He had to, he had lost Satine because he had been naïve, but he wouldn't be that way with Jocelyn. He couldn't bear the thought of losing his little girl.
Christian looked at the Moulin Rouge again, but this time something caught his eye and made his heart skip a beat. The elephant. When Satine had died the elephant was closed and no light had shone for 18 years, but tonight someone was inside. Christian squinted his eyes but all he could make out was the figure of a woman. His eyes widened and his heart started to beat wildly against his ribcage. At first he thought it was Satine but that was impossible then another thought came into mind……
It was the new Sparkling Diamond……