Chapter 9
Disclaimer: Anything from Moulin Rouge belongs to Baz. Everything else belongs to me!
A/N: This chapter is dedicated to all the girls who asked if they could have Olivier. Sorry, chicas. And to one awesome friend – Norah. Have a wonderful birthday, sweetie!
Before going to pick up Rebecca, Olivier looked around the room once more to make sure everything was just perfect. Soup and sandwiches were on the table, house was clean and Christian was out. Olivier wasn't exactly sure where Christian was... but he was hoping he would stay out.
He took one more glance around the room and set off for Myers Books.
~
Rebecca self-consciously checked her hair in the cracked mirror in Jonathan Myers' room behind the store. She had a rogue curl behind her ear and - was her rouge too dark? Maybe she should have worn her blue dress - green doesn't suit her.
"Who's the special person?" Jonathan smiled behind his spectacles as he sat at his desk.
Rebecca's hands fell to her side. "Oh, no one. Just a friend."
"Are you sure it's just a friend?" he asked. "You seem pretty nervous."
"I'm positive!" she grinned. "Olivier James, he's –"
"Oh, so this 'friend' is male?" Jonathan teased.
Rebecca flushed. "Is there a problem with that – Oh, he's here!" She heard a bell ring as he entered the bookstore.
"Have a good time, Rebecca," Jonathan said. "Be careful."
"I will," Rebecca said as she walked into the store.
Olivier was close to the door looking up at a shelf of books.
"See anything you like?" Rebecca asked, walking behind the counter.
"I like all of them! Need any workers?" he joked.
Rebecca put her finger to her lips thoughtfully. "Actually, I think Jonathan was... just a moment!" She quickly ran back to Jonathan's room. "Jonathan! Do you need any workers for the store?"
He shook his head. "No, I don't think that's necessary."
"Oh, why not?" Rebecca gasped. "Can we make room for one more?"
Jonathan grinned, catching on. "Ah, I see what you mean. Bring the young man in here."
"Thank you, Jonathan!" Rebecca kissed him on the cheek before dashing out to the store again.
"Olivier, would you like to work here?" she asked desperately.
He raised his eyebrows in surprise. "Um, s-sure!"
"Come on then, Jonathan wants to talk with you," Rebecca said excitedly. She grabbed him by the hand and dragged him to the back room.
"So I hear you would like to make yourself useful," Jonathan studied Olivier. "What's your name, son?"
"Olivier James, sir," he answered.
"Why a bookstore?" Mr. Myers asked.
"I like books, sir," Olivier replied.
"Why this bookstore, though?" he asked. "There are hundreds throughout London."
"You seem to have a lot of books that weren't available before the war," Olivier commented. He started to become nervous – he didn't know an interview was included.
"And you seem to have made a friend as well," Jonathan said amusedly.
Both Rebecca and Olivier blushed.
"Well," he sighed, leaning back in his chair. "I don't see any reason why you're unfit for the job. I'm a little unsure of your pay, the store hasn't been doing as well as I'd like..."
"Oh, that's perfectly fine, Mr. Myers," Olivier said.
Jonathan smiled warmly and stretched out his hand; Olivier shook it. "You can start Monday!"
"Thank you, Mr. Myers!" Olivier said excitedly.
Olivier and Rebecca walked quickly out of the store and started on their way to his house.
"That was real nice of Mr. Myers to hire me and everything," Olivier said, breaking the awkward silence. The streets were eerily quiet; only a few people were out. Rebecca wrapped her thin jacket around her arms. "We've been needing an extra hand around the store for months."
Olivier quickly grabbed Rebecca's hand as they were walking. She glanced down, smiling to herself and didn't let go.
~
Olivier got the soup out of the basin into two bowls and set them on the table. He had spent all last night chopping newly purchased potatoes and vegetables. The soup was meatless – Olivier discovered only last night they couldn't afford any. Be he couldn't imagine Rebecca was that picky.
Olivier sat down at the table across from Rebecca. There was a long, yet familiar, awkward silence. "Hope you like it."
"Oh, it's delicious," Rebecca swallowed a spoonful.
It had started to rain lightly and a small pitter-patter sounded on the ceiling. Little drops of rain began to fall from a crack above the now empty basin. There were still a few birds sitting on a dying branch outside the window, singing a song for the two.
Outside, Olivier heard shuffling of feet and he dropped his spoon into his bowl. Oh no, Christian can't be here. That's now how it was supposed to work out!
"What's the matter?" Rebecca asked.
Olivier stood up. "Christian –"
The door opened and Christian stumbled in. He was only semi-sober and there were dark circles under his eyes.
"You're home early, Christian," Olivier said stiffly. Rebecca got up from her chair and stood awkwardly.
Christian ignored him and looked at Rebecca. "Are you going to introduce me, Olivier?"
Olivier walked over to Rebecca and lightly touched her shoulder. "Christian, this is Rebecca Stewart. Rebecca, this is Christian... my father."
She reached out her hand. "It's a pleasure meeting you, Mr. James." Christian shook her hand, saying nothing. Rebecca added. "Olivier is a wonderful person. You should be very proud of him."
Christian nodded and made his way over to the table and sat in Olivier's seat. He pulled a small bottle of alcohol out of his coat pocket, opened the to and brought the bottle to his lips.
Olivier reached over and quickly snatched the bottle from Christian's hands. Christian cried out and lunged for the bottle. Olivier dropped it and it shattered on the cement ground, sending its contents everywhere.
Christian collapsed into the chair and wept. Rebecca jumped from surprise.
"Olivier, that was going to be my only drink today," Christian pleaded, his head in his hands.
"Christian," Olivier cried. "It's twelve in the afternoon! How could I let you drink now?"
"I-I..." he struggled for the words.
Olivier grabbed Rebecca by the hand and led her out of the house. They walked, hand in hand, until the house was out of sight. It was still raining but the birds had stopped their song. Olivier suddenly let go of Rebecca and shoved his hands in his pockets. "I'm so sorry."
"For what?" she asked.
"For what happed at home."
"Olivier," Rebecca linked her arm in his. "Everything's perfectly alright. You had no possible way of knowing your father was going to walk in then."
"I suppose," Olivier shrugged. "I still feel like I ruined your day."
"No!" Rebecca cried. "No, it's not that at all!"
Olivier smiled. "Really?"
She patted his arm. "Really. Now let's go eat something. You barely had two bites of your soup."
"I don't have any money –"
"My treat!"
"Oh, I don't know..." he said, uncomfortably.
"Olivier," Rebecca said in a low voice. "Do you think you really have a choice either way?"
He grinned sheepishly. "No..."
"And you're absolutely correct!"
~
Two weeks later, on a Monday, Olivier was walking on the familiar path to Myers Books. It had been awhile since he saw Rebecca – everything between school and his father has been expecting the impossible from him.
It was the start of a new week and Olivier was trying to look at it in a different light. Today was Rebecca's birthday – he couldn't begin to explain how excited he was!
He opened the door to the shop and quietly walked behind the counter as Rebecca dealt with an extremely difficult customer.
"I'm sorry, sir," she said patiently. "We don't carry that book any longer."
"But you had it two weeks ago!" The customer was a large man, with a bright purple face and he kept hitting his large fist on the counter. "I came in here two weeks ago – and there it was in the corner of the store! How could it have been bought by then?" He hit his fist on the counter again.
Rebecca sighed. "A lot of things can happen in two weeks. It is very possible that someone purchased it during then. If you had reserved it, I would have been able to assure you –"
The man waved his hands in her face and before stomping out the door, cried, "Enough! Enough! I don't need to hear from you anymore!"
Rebecca rested her elbows on the counter once he was gone and massaged her temples.
Olivier wrapped his arms around her waist and she jumped around, letting out a screech. "Oh, Olivier, you scared me!" she gasped.
"You know, it's not very fair that you have to deal with that on your birthday," Olivier said. He leaned in to kiss Rebecca and she turned her cheek.
'Thank you for remembering," she said quietly, giving him a hug.
"I brought you something," he said, reaching into his jacket pocket. He pulled out an envelope and handed it to Rebecca.
Her fingers fumbled as she opened the slip of paper inside. It read:
I, Olivier James, hereby give Rebecca Stewart permission to enter Alfred J. Winchester Library.
Olivier had signed it at the bottom of the paper.
There was no reaction from Rebecca – only a blank look.
"Do you like it?" he asked.
"It's... lovely," Rebecca tried to smile but her eyes filled up with tears.
"Oh, Rebecca, what did I do wrong?" He put his hands on her shoulders and looked her in the eye. "Please tell me."
She hesitated but Olivier insisted. "Rebecca, you know I'm not used to the whole gift-giving thing. Please tell me what I did wrong!"
She took a deep breath. "Don't you understand, Olivier? Don't you understand what I've been fighting for all these years? I've been fighting for our right – the women's right – to walk into that damn library without an escort, without anyone's permission!" Tears began to trickle down her red cheeks. She collapsed into Olivier's arms. "I'm so sorry, Olivier. I – I can't except this."
"No, I'm sorry," he replied. "I wasn't thinking at all – this is all my fault."
Rebecca sighed and rested her head on his shoulder. He took her chin in his hands and lifted it up towards him. "Has anyone told you how beautiful you are?"
There was a pause. "No."
"You are, though."
"I am what?" she asked quietly.
Olivier didn't answer; he cupped her chin in his hands and, ever so gently, pressed his lips against hers.
He felt her jump slightly but cautiously Rebecca moved her hands from her side and wrapped them around his neck. It was as if they had been life-long friends but were only discovering each other now, at this very moment. Fireworks exploded between them and bond that would never be broken was created.
