It was a few hours before everything would begin. Everyone was rushing to
and fro, making sure everything would be ready and on course for
perfection. They had rehearsed endlessly for weeks and tonight would show
whether all of it had paid off or bring them disappointment. Tonight was
the beginning of a new destiny.
Jocelyn tried to sit perfectly still and was failing miserably. In her hands was a tissue that had seen better days as she practically tore it apart. She sat in front of a large mirror as Marie attended to her face, applying make-up ever so perfectly. Her black hair was half in a french twist and half hanging on her shoulders. She was dressed in a glittering diamond corset with black gloves and a black top hat placed just right on her head. They had found the beautiful corset locked away collecting dust. The seamstresses worked day and night to restore it to it's full beauty. Butterflies danced in her stomach as Marie powdered her skin white and painted her lips crimson red. Finally she was ready.
"You look beautiful," Marie smiled, stepping back and admiring her work. She hadn't lost her touch.
Jocelyn stood up and examined herself in a full-length mirror. She smiled slightly to herself, fighting of her nervousness. She turned to Marie.
"Everything will be wonderful. With you as our star, we're sure to have a thriving business once again. We'll be better than ever," Marie said, hoping to make her feel at ease.
"Thank you Marie," Jocelyn smiled.
"We have to get back stage, you're going on in about 20 minutes."
"Right."
Jocelyn followed Marie silently through the noisy halls. The "diamond dogs" were doing their number at the moment. Every few minutes the crowd would roar with applause and yell with delight. The show was working.
"Wait here," Marie said, disappearing between the stage crew.
Jocelyn stood there and was tempted to take a peek from behind the curtain. She might as well know how big the crowd was and how many men she'd be up against. Her hand reached for the curtain shakily. She finally grasped it but before she could push it a little Peter sneaked up behind her.
"And how is our Sparkling Diamond?" He said from behind.
Jocelyn gasped and spun around. "You scared me!" she said half laughing.
"Nervous eh?" he grinned.
"That obvious?" she asked, blushing a little.
"No, I just happen to notice things."
"Oh I see," Jocelyn said rolling her eyes.
"Well, I believe it's time for your debut," Peter said, trying to act professional.
"Why thank you, would be you be so kind as to escort me," she replied, also acting prefessional. She had been practicing her seductive-courtesan voice until it was perfect.
"Why of course," he smiled and held out his hand. Together they walked to her "swing" where she'd come in and start singing.
As nervous as she was it seemed to disappear when Peter was next to her. She sat on her swing and Peter stayed with her for a few more minutes.
"Hey Peter?"
"Yeah?"
"Do you think they'll like me?" she asked quietly.
"No," he said. "They'll love you."
She smiled, "I needed that."
"Any time."
"Five minutes, Miss Jocelyn," said a stagehand and then rushed off.
"Well, I guess I better go. Good Luck," Peter kissed her gloved hand and then walked into the backstage shadows.
Jocelyn took deep breaths as she started to go up. Her butterflies came back and she got chills up her spine. It stopped and she waited. The previous number was just about to end. Jocelyn couldn't believe it. It was here, and it was time.
The music had lowered and the audience had silenced.
"Here we go," Jocelyn whispered to herself. Slowly the swing started to lower and the world finally got to see the Sparkling Diamond.
"The French…are glad to die for love," she began to sing slowly. Her nervousness had subsided and she paid no mind to the crowd. It was just her and the light.
Everything happened so fast it was all a blur. Jocelyn was dancing and singing among the crowd, filled with young and old, rich men. They all loved her. She smiled and laughed and pleased everyone. She knew wherever he was, Harold was enjoying the first show's success. She saw so many faces and at one of the tables she saw Charlie with his uncle, the Duke. She smiled and winked at him as Charlie waved at her. Everything was going just right.
Jocelyn found herself back on the swing and singing the last part of the song. The audience was going crazy with applause and cheers.
"Diamonds…are a…girl's…best…friend!" she finished. She smiled at the crowd and blew a kiss, then she was gone.
Backstage, Peter was waiting for her. She ran over to him and gave him a huge hug. He hugged her back and lifted her in the air.
"You were amazing!" he said once he put her down. "You looked so beautiful out there!"
"Thanks. It was great! I can't believe I actually did it!" she giggled, smiling from ear to ear.
"That was the best I've seen In years!" Marie exclaimed as she made her way toward the two.
"Thanks Marie!"
"Jocelyn, I hate to steal you away but Harold would like to see you in his office," Marie explained.
"I'll be right there," Jocelyn replied. Marie left and she turned back to Peter. "I better go."
"Jocelyn, why don't we go celebrate when you are finished?" he asked.
She smiled. "I'd love to."
"Really? Great!"
"I'll meet you outside by the elephant," she said.
"Right," he smiled.
"See you later!" She smiled.
Peter watched her walk until he couldn't see her and then he swalked outside, through the giant crowd and sat on a bench right next to the elephant. There he waited.
Harold was sitting at his desk when she came in. He stood up and smiled at her.
"That was absolutely wonderful dear," he said, gesturing her to sit down.
Jocelyn smiled, "Thank you Harold. I was hoping it would be perfect."
"Indeed it was. Now, I just wanted to tell you that I talked to the Duke a little while earlier. He and Charles would like to have a celebration dinner with you in the Gothic Tower. They're expecting you there in half an hour," Zidler explained.
Jocelyn's smile faded. "Oh, well Harold, I already promised…"
"Please do this small favor. They really would enjoy your company and I promised them."
They sat in silence for a minute. "Yes, of course," she said finally.
"I knew I could count on you cherub," Harold smiled, then continued with the paperwork on his desk.
Jocelyn smiled faintly then walked out of the office. She had to find Peter and tell him but was rushed back into the dressing room and forced to get ready for the dinner. She tried to steal a moment to find him but it was no use. Peter waited and waited, yet Jocelyn never showed up. Finally he gave up and left.
Later as the Moulin Rouge was closing and as the crowd began to leave, one part of the audience stopped and stared at the Moulin for quite awhile, then finally left for home. He walked up the stairs carefully, he felt a little tipsy that night. He must've been making a lot of noise because a door opened and someone came into the hall.
"Toulouse, do you need help? Where've you been?" Christian asked, helping his friend up the stairs.
Toulouse was mumbling and slurring his words, he was obviously drunk. But he managed to get 2 words out of his mouth. "Moulin Rouge."
Jocelyn tried to sit perfectly still and was failing miserably. In her hands was a tissue that had seen better days as she practically tore it apart. She sat in front of a large mirror as Marie attended to her face, applying make-up ever so perfectly. Her black hair was half in a french twist and half hanging on her shoulders. She was dressed in a glittering diamond corset with black gloves and a black top hat placed just right on her head. They had found the beautiful corset locked away collecting dust. The seamstresses worked day and night to restore it to it's full beauty. Butterflies danced in her stomach as Marie powdered her skin white and painted her lips crimson red. Finally she was ready.
"You look beautiful," Marie smiled, stepping back and admiring her work. She hadn't lost her touch.
Jocelyn stood up and examined herself in a full-length mirror. She smiled slightly to herself, fighting of her nervousness. She turned to Marie.
"Everything will be wonderful. With you as our star, we're sure to have a thriving business once again. We'll be better than ever," Marie said, hoping to make her feel at ease.
"Thank you Marie," Jocelyn smiled.
"We have to get back stage, you're going on in about 20 minutes."
"Right."
Jocelyn followed Marie silently through the noisy halls. The "diamond dogs" were doing their number at the moment. Every few minutes the crowd would roar with applause and yell with delight. The show was working.
"Wait here," Marie said, disappearing between the stage crew.
Jocelyn stood there and was tempted to take a peek from behind the curtain. She might as well know how big the crowd was and how many men she'd be up against. Her hand reached for the curtain shakily. She finally grasped it but before she could push it a little Peter sneaked up behind her.
"And how is our Sparkling Diamond?" He said from behind.
Jocelyn gasped and spun around. "You scared me!" she said half laughing.
"Nervous eh?" he grinned.
"That obvious?" she asked, blushing a little.
"No, I just happen to notice things."
"Oh I see," Jocelyn said rolling her eyes.
"Well, I believe it's time for your debut," Peter said, trying to act professional.
"Why thank you, would be you be so kind as to escort me," she replied, also acting prefessional. She had been practicing her seductive-courtesan voice until it was perfect.
"Why of course," he smiled and held out his hand. Together they walked to her "swing" where she'd come in and start singing.
As nervous as she was it seemed to disappear when Peter was next to her. She sat on her swing and Peter stayed with her for a few more minutes.
"Hey Peter?"
"Yeah?"
"Do you think they'll like me?" she asked quietly.
"No," he said. "They'll love you."
She smiled, "I needed that."
"Any time."
"Five minutes, Miss Jocelyn," said a stagehand and then rushed off.
"Well, I guess I better go. Good Luck," Peter kissed her gloved hand and then walked into the backstage shadows.
Jocelyn took deep breaths as she started to go up. Her butterflies came back and she got chills up her spine. It stopped and she waited. The previous number was just about to end. Jocelyn couldn't believe it. It was here, and it was time.
The music had lowered and the audience had silenced.
"Here we go," Jocelyn whispered to herself. Slowly the swing started to lower and the world finally got to see the Sparkling Diamond.
"The French…are glad to die for love," she began to sing slowly. Her nervousness had subsided and she paid no mind to the crowd. It was just her and the light.
Everything happened so fast it was all a blur. Jocelyn was dancing and singing among the crowd, filled with young and old, rich men. They all loved her. She smiled and laughed and pleased everyone. She knew wherever he was, Harold was enjoying the first show's success. She saw so many faces and at one of the tables she saw Charlie with his uncle, the Duke. She smiled and winked at him as Charlie waved at her. Everything was going just right.
Jocelyn found herself back on the swing and singing the last part of the song. The audience was going crazy with applause and cheers.
"Diamonds…are a…girl's…best…friend!" she finished. She smiled at the crowd and blew a kiss, then she was gone.
Backstage, Peter was waiting for her. She ran over to him and gave him a huge hug. He hugged her back and lifted her in the air.
"You were amazing!" he said once he put her down. "You looked so beautiful out there!"
"Thanks. It was great! I can't believe I actually did it!" she giggled, smiling from ear to ear.
"That was the best I've seen In years!" Marie exclaimed as she made her way toward the two.
"Thanks Marie!"
"Jocelyn, I hate to steal you away but Harold would like to see you in his office," Marie explained.
"I'll be right there," Jocelyn replied. Marie left and she turned back to Peter. "I better go."
"Jocelyn, why don't we go celebrate when you are finished?" he asked.
She smiled. "I'd love to."
"Really? Great!"
"I'll meet you outside by the elephant," she said.
"Right," he smiled.
"See you later!" She smiled.
Peter watched her walk until he couldn't see her and then he swalked outside, through the giant crowd and sat on a bench right next to the elephant. There he waited.
Harold was sitting at his desk when she came in. He stood up and smiled at her.
"That was absolutely wonderful dear," he said, gesturing her to sit down.
Jocelyn smiled, "Thank you Harold. I was hoping it would be perfect."
"Indeed it was. Now, I just wanted to tell you that I talked to the Duke a little while earlier. He and Charles would like to have a celebration dinner with you in the Gothic Tower. They're expecting you there in half an hour," Zidler explained.
Jocelyn's smile faded. "Oh, well Harold, I already promised…"
"Please do this small favor. They really would enjoy your company and I promised them."
They sat in silence for a minute. "Yes, of course," she said finally.
"I knew I could count on you cherub," Harold smiled, then continued with the paperwork on his desk.
Jocelyn smiled faintly then walked out of the office. She had to find Peter and tell him but was rushed back into the dressing room and forced to get ready for the dinner. She tried to steal a moment to find him but it was no use. Peter waited and waited, yet Jocelyn never showed up. Finally he gave up and left.
Later as the Moulin Rouge was closing and as the crowd began to leave, one part of the audience stopped and stared at the Moulin for quite awhile, then finally left for home. He walked up the stairs carefully, he felt a little tipsy that night. He must've been making a lot of noise because a door opened and someone came into the hall.
"Toulouse, do you need help? Where've you been?" Christian asked, helping his friend up the stairs.
Toulouse was mumbling and slurring his words, he was obviously drunk. But he managed to get 2 words out of his mouth. "Moulin Rouge."