Disclaimer: Christian's novel idea is not actually mine...or Christian's.
It is actually the plot from Ewan's movie "A Life Less Ordinary", a
fantastic show. I suggest you rent it...
Christian stared at the ceiling.
"...And that is how I came to the Bohemian Wevolutionawy!" Tulose finished. Christian stood up.
"Well that was a...interesting...life story, Tulose."
"Yes, thank choo," Tulose picked up his cane and stood up, "anyhoots, what I weally came down hewe fow was to ask choo if choo wanted to come to dinneu tonight."
"Oh, uh, yeah, sure, I guess."
"Gweat! Well, let's go!" Tulose pulled Christian to the door.
"I think you'll fit in pewfectwy, Cwistian," Tulose said as he led Christian up the narrow, crooked staircase to his apartment.
"Do you think so?" Christian excitedly asked, feeling a little less intimidated by Tulose. "I mean, I'd really like to and I'm working on a story that, I think you'll agree with me, shows the bohemian values of truth, beauty, freedom, and love!"
Christian stumbled up the rest of the stairs after Tulose. He reached the landing and followed Tulose into the small, cluttered apartment that Tulose had opened the door too.
"Oh, this is a very lovely garret, Tulose," Christian said as he looked around at the stacks of books and papers lying everywhere.
"Why, thank choo Cwistian! I know that is it quite a bit messy, but aftew awhile you don't notice it anymowe." Tulose yelled from the kitchen. "Come in hewe, Chwistian, and help me with this soup." Christian wandered into the small, grubby kitchen where Tulose was standing on a step stool in front of the stove.
"You know Tulose..." Christian started to say as Tulose poured half a bottle of Absinthe into the pot.
"What?" asked Tulose, turning to Christian.
"Nothing," Christian said, smiling at Tulose's easy going attitude. There was a knock at the door.
"Oh, do you want me to get it?" Christian asked him, eying Tulose as he added a mashed up potato to the pot.
"That would be wondewful! Thank choo, Chwistian!"
Christian navigated himself through the cluttered garret to the door.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Satine walked up the narrow, crooked stairs to Tulose's apartment. She had an hour or two before she had to meet Harold and his duke for dinner, and she was looking forward to talking to Tulose for awhile. Satine finally reached the top landing where Tulose's apartment was. She knocked loudly on the door. She heard Tulose talking to someone and wondered if Audrey was there.
The door swung open. Satine's stomach gave a funny lurch as she stared into the crystal gray eyes of an extremely handsome man.
"Uh...um..." Satine stuttered, very well aware that her heart was beating faster then usual, "is...uh...Tulose here?" The stranger stared at her with his mouth hanging wide open. Satine giggled and looked down at the floor.
"Uh...uh...he...uh..." the handsome stranger stuttered.
"Satine! Satine! How nice to see choo! Come in! Come in! Cwistian, be a gentleman and find Satine a chaiw!" Tulose nudged Christian aside and gave Satine a hug. "It is so nice to see choo again. How haff choo been?"
"Absolutely wonderful Tulose. And you?"
"Gweat!"
Making sure that Tulose's visitor was still out of the room, Satine lowered her voice.
"Who was that man who answered the door, Tulose?"
Tulose grinned.
"That is my new neighbow, Cwistian. He just moved into the gawet below me. He's a poet, you know."
"Hmmmm..." Satine watched as Christian came walking back in the room with a chair. He set it down in front of Satine and quickly turned back towards the kitchen. Satine smiled and followed him.
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Christian swung the door open. As soon as he saw the beautiful, red- haired woman standing there, he felt as though he had lost his voice as long as a few other things. He sat there like an idiot with his mouth hanging open.
"Uh...um...is...uh...Tulose here?" she stammered, staring into Christian's eyes. Christian felt like he couldn't breathe.
"Uh...uh...he...uh..." Christian muttered. He was quickly searching for something intelligent to say. Tulose came up behind him and greeted the woman who was now standing quite uncomfortably in the doorway.
"Satine! Satine! How nice to see choo! Come in, come in! Chwistian, be a gentleman and find Satine a chaiw!" Tulose gave Christian a shove that broke Christian's trance. He stumbled from the front room into the back room, where Christian assumed Tulose slept. He sat on the un- made bed and took a few deep breathes. He wondered who she was. Probably just one of Tulose's many friends he had babbled on about. He could hear them talking quietly in the other room, though he couldn't make out any of the words. Christian was confused by the emotions he was feeling. He had never felt like this before. Standing up, he scanned the room for a chair. There was a wood brown one in the corner. He picked it up and carried it back into the other room. Tulose was walking back into the kitchen and the woman was standing in the front room. Christian hurried over to her, clunked the chair down in front of her, and hurried back into the kitchen.
"Tulose, who is that?" Christian asked quietly, watching out of the corner of his eye as Satine looked at the chair, then started to walk towards the kitchen. His heartbeat quickened and he swallowed hard.
"Oh, yes. How silly of me!" Tulose said when Satine had reached the doorway of the kitchen and was standing next to Christian. "Chwistian, this is my vewy good fwiend Satine. Satine, this is Chwistain, the newest addition to the wevolution."
"How do you do?" Christian asked shakily, taking Satine's soft hand and kissing it lightly.
"It's very nice to meet you, Christian," Satine laughed, withdrawing her hand from his.
"Well, now that we awe all acquainted, let's eat!" Tulose said, pushing Christian and Satine into the adjacent room, where a wobbly table was set with mis-matched cups and plates.
"Oh, Tulose, you are so sweet," Satine said, sitting down in the chair Christian had pulled out clumsily for her, "but I'm supposed to have dinner with Harold and his latest investor in a couple of hours, so I'll just have a glass of red wine, thanks."
Christian stared at Satine from across the table. She was so beautiful, the most beautiful woman Christian had ever seen. He didn't realize he was staring at her until he noticed she was staring right back at him. He nervously laughed and looked down at the table. He felt like a total imbecile in front of this wonderfully exciting goddess. 'She probably gets it all the time,' Christian assured himself.
Tulose came hurrying back into the dining room with two glasses of red wine, a glass of Absinthe for himself, and two bowls of soup.
"So Satine, what have choo been up to lately?" Tulose inquired, setting a bowl of soup and a cup of wine in front of Christian, and handing Satine a glass of wine. He carefully sat down on the end of the table and looked expectantly at Satine. Christian looked at Satine, eager to hear more about her.
"Oh, nothing really important," Satine laughed, "but last night I was with this man who kept making this noise like 'Gagagaga....ga!"
Tulose laughed hysterically, but Christian looked at Satine curiously.
"Erm...Satine...what exactly do you do?" Christian asked delicately.
"Oh," Satine paused and looked at the table in embarrassment, "I'm...I'm a...uh...courtesan. B...But I am also an actress," she said defensively, looking quite ashamed of herself. Christian felt a sharp pang of sympathy. Here was a girl just trying to make a living in this crazy world, just like him.
"I didn't mean to...embarrass you, Satine. Uh..." stuttered Christian. There was and uncomfortable silence as Satine stared at her hands in her lap, Tulose sipped his soup, and Christian played with a hole in the tablecloth.
"Um," Christian cleared his throat, "uh...well I'm writing a novel, you know."
"Really?" Satine looked up at Christian in interest, "What is it about?"
"Well, there are two angels and they are assigned to bring two soul mates together. So they come down to Earth disguised as humans. Now Robert, the main male character, works as a cleaner, but is fired by his boss. So he goes back to his work and threatens to kill his boss if he doesn't get his job back. But things don't turn out the way he wants, so he ends up kidnapping the boss's daughter, Celine. But you see," Christian said, filling his glass back up with wine, taking a drink and winking at Satine, "They are the two soul mates that the angels are supposed to make fall in love!" Christian was starting to feel the effects of the wine, and now felt totally at ease with his two newest friends. "Anyways, that's all I've got so far, but I have been thinking of a woman to model Celine's character after," Christian took another gulp of his wine, and topped himself off again, "I think I found my inspiration!" Christian said tipsily, finishing his fourth glass of wine.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Satine gazed across the table at Christian, who was now telling a story to Tulose and waving his arms around to illustrate. She had never felt real love before, but she was sure this fluttering in her stomach was close to it. 'You silly girl!' she thought to herself. 'You barely met the man, you can't be in love!' Satine sighed and glanced at Tulose's old, beat up clock on the wall. It was 7:57 pm.
"Oh, dear!" Satine cried, jumping from her seat. "I am going to be late for dinner with Harold!" She hurried into the front room, looking for her coat and gloves. Christian and Tulose followed her. Satine was rushing around the room looking for her other glove. Christian picked it up off the floor and handed it to her.
"Thank you Christian. And thank you Tulose! I'll try and come back real soon!" Satine quickly crossed the room to the door. Christian opened it for her and followed her into the hallway.
Satine turned to say one last good bye only to find Christian standing by the closed door.
"Oh, Christian. Um...it was very nice to meet you. Good luck with your novel." Satine turned and started to hurry down the stairs, she was now extremely late.
"Wait! Satine, wait!" Christian called down the stairs after her. Satine turned and looked up at Christian, anxious to hear him talk to her again. "Well...uh...I was wondering...if...uh...you wanted to have dinner sometime?" Christian looked eagerly at her, waiting impatiently for her response. Satine smiled at him.
"I'd love to!"
"Great!" Christian grinned boyishly, "how about tomorrow night at 6:00 pm?"
"That sounds wonderful, Christian." Satine blew a kiss to Christian, turned, and hurried down the rest of the stairs. She was nearly to the bottom when Audrey, the playwright of Spectacular Spectacular, came up the stairs, heading to Tulose's garret.
"Oh, good, Miss Satine, you're here. I was hoping to be able to discuss the casting of the play."
"I'm so sorry, Audrey, but I am late for dinner with Harold. We'll have to get together later and talk then. I've got to go!" Satine quickly ran as best she could in her dress down the rest of the stairs. As she was walking out the door, she felt her garter come un-clipped. "Damn," she muttered to herself, and hurried to the Gothic Tower.
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Christian smiled to himself as he watched Satine hurry down the stairs. He turned and walked back into Tulose's apartment. Tulose was on a step stool at the sink, elbow-deep in soap, doing the dishes.
"Tulose, I think I'm in love!" Christian gushed, running a hand through his hair.
"Yes, I'm suwe choo awe," Tulose said, smiling teasingly at Christian.
"Oh, come on Tulose, I'm serious! I have never met anyone like her. And I have never felt what I felt when I was with her. It's like...like a fire's been lit in my soul!"
"Chwitian!" Tulose exclaimed, jumping down from the stool and hugging Christian around the waist, "choo twuly awe a poet! Choo'll fit in gweat hewe!"
Christian laughed, "Well, thank you, Tulose, for welcoming me so warmly into the Bohemian Revolution!" Christian pulled out of Tulose's hug and glanced at the clock on the wall. "It is getting late, I'd better go. Thank you for dinner and for introducing me to Satine!" Christian went and pulled his coat off the coat stand, "Let's get together tomorrow and have lunch or something."
"Oh, yes, yes of couwse. That'd be delightfow!" Tulose said, opening the door for Christian.
"Bye Tulose!"
"Tootles!"
Christian laughed and started walking down the stairs. When he was almost to the landing where his garret was, he almost ran into a rather manly looking woman who was resting on the landing. She sneered at him and then continued up the stairs.
'Hmm...weird,' Christian thought as he opened his door. Throwing his coat onto the bed, Christian sat at his typewriter, thinking no more of the woman/man on the stairs, but turning his thoughts to Satine.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Satine arrived late to find the dining room in the Gothic Tower empty.
"Oh thank God," she said, walking over to the table and pulling out one of the chairs. "Augh, these damn garters!" Satine put one foot up on the chair and pulled her dress back to adjust her garter that had come unclipped.
"Oh Christian," she sighed suddenly, thinking of the man she had just met. She thought of what Harold would say to the feelings she was having already towards this man. She laughed to herself and shook her head, determined to keep her mind on the dinner she was supposed to be having and not the handsome gentleman back in Tulose's apartment. Someone behind Satine cleared their throat loudly. Satine slowly turned towards the door to find Harold and a blonde, rat-like man who Satine assumed was the Duke standing in the doorway. Harold was looking at Satine in amusement, while the Duke was busily looking at Satine's exposed thigh. Satine blushed and quickly pulled her skirt back down. Trying to regain her dignity, Satine walked briskly over to Harold and the Duke.
"Oh, Harold, you're here. Well, aren't you going to introduce me to your friend?"
"Oh, uh, yes. Satine, this is the Duke, who is very interested in investing in our little show. My dear Duke, this is Satine, star of the Moulin Rouge," Harold said.
"The Duke, I'm so pleased to meet you," Satine said, holding her hand out for the Duke.
"The pleasure, I fear, will be entirely mine," The Duke gushed, taking Satine's hand and planting a huge, wet kiss on it. Satine flinched.
"Alright then, let's eat! I'm famished!"
The three of them walked over to and sat at the dining table. Soon after the waiters brought them their food and Satine fell into a stupor over her soup, listening half-heartedly to Harold's business talk. She finally consented to thinking of Christian as she sat through the horrible dinner.
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Note from author: Wow, this was a rather large installment. I think I may hold off for a few weeks so that I can catch up on my writing. Please review so I know if I really should add more!!!
Christian stared at the ceiling.
"...And that is how I came to the Bohemian Wevolutionawy!" Tulose finished. Christian stood up.
"Well that was a...interesting...life story, Tulose."
"Yes, thank choo," Tulose picked up his cane and stood up, "anyhoots, what I weally came down hewe fow was to ask choo if choo wanted to come to dinneu tonight."
"Oh, uh, yeah, sure, I guess."
"Gweat! Well, let's go!" Tulose pulled Christian to the door.
"I think you'll fit in pewfectwy, Cwistian," Tulose said as he led Christian up the narrow, crooked staircase to his apartment.
"Do you think so?" Christian excitedly asked, feeling a little less intimidated by Tulose. "I mean, I'd really like to and I'm working on a story that, I think you'll agree with me, shows the bohemian values of truth, beauty, freedom, and love!"
Christian stumbled up the rest of the stairs after Tulose. He reached the landing and followed Tulose into the small, cluttered apartment that Tulose had opened the door too.
"Oh, this is a very lovely garret, Tulose," Christian said as he looked around at the stacks of books and papers lying everywhere.
"Why, thank choo Cwistian! I know that is it quite a bit messy, but aftew awhile you don't notice it anymowe." Tulose yelled from the kitchen. "Come in hewe, Chwistian, and help me with this soup." Christian wandered into the small, grubby kitchen where Tulose was standing on a step stool in front of the stove.
"You know Tulose..." Christian started to say as Tulose poured half a bottle of Absinthe into the pot.
"What?" asked Tulose, turning to Christian.
"Nothing," Christian said, smiling at Tulose's easy going attitude. There was a knock at the door.
"Oh, do you want me to get it?" Christian asked him, eying Tulose as he added a mashed up potato to the pot.
"That would be wondewful! Thank choo, Chwistian!"
Christian navigated himself through the cluttered garret to the door.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Satine walked up the narrow, crooked stairs to Tulose's apartment. She had an hour or two before she had to meet Harold and his duke for dinner, and she was looking forward to talking to Tulose for awhile. Satine finally reached the top landing where Tulose's apartment was. She knocked loudly on the door. She heard Tulose talking to someone and wondered if Audrey was there.
The door swung open. Satine's stomach gave a funny lurch as she stared into the crystal gray eyes of an extremely handsome man.
"Uh...um..." Satine stuttered, very well aware that her heart was beating faster then usual, "is...uh...Tulose here?" The stranger stared at her with his mouth hanging wide open. Satine giggled and looked down at the floor.
"Uh...uh...he...uh..." the handsome stranger stuttered.
"Satine! Satine! How nice to see choo! Come in! Come in! Cwistian, be a gentleman and find Satine a chaiw!" Tulose nudged Christian aside and gave Satine a hug. "It is so nice to see choo again. How haff choo been?"
"Absolutely wonderful Tulose. And you?"
"Gweat!"
Making sure that Tulose's visitor was still out of the room, Satine lowered her voice.
"Who was that man who answered the door, Tulose?"
Tulose grinned.
"That is my new neighbow, Cwistian. He just moved into the gawet below me. He's a poet, you know."
"Hmmmm..." Satine watched as Christian came walking back in the room with a chair. He set it down in front of Satine and quickly turned back towards the kitchen. Satine smiled and followed him.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Christian swung the door open. As soon as he saw the beautiful, red- haired woman standing there, he felt as though he had lost his voice as long as a few other things. He sat there like an idiot with his mouth hanging open.
"Uh...um...is...uh...Tulose here?" she stammered, staring into Christian's eyes. Christian felt like he couldn't breathe.
"Uh...uh...he...uh..." Christian muttered. He was quickly searching for something intelligent to say. Tulose came up behind him and greeted the woman who was now standing quite uncomfortably in the doorway.
"Satine! Satine! How nice to see choo! Come in, come in! Chwistian, be a gentleman and find Satine a chaiw!" Tulose gave Christian a shove that broke Christian's trance. He stumbled from the front room into the back room, where Christian assumed Tulose slept. He sat on the un- made bed and took a few deep breathes. He wondered who she was. Probably just one of Tulose's many friends he had babbled on about. He could hear them talking quietly in the other room, though he couldn't make out any of the words. Christian was confused by the emotions he was feeling. He had never felt like this before. Standing up, he scanned the room for a chair. There was a wood brown one in the corner. He picked it up and carried it back into the other room. Tulose was walking back into the kitchen and the woman was standing in the front room. Christian hurried over to her, clunked the chair down in front of her, and hurried back into the kitchen.
"Tulose, who is that?" Christian asked quietly, watching out of the corner of his eye as Satine looked at the chair, then started to walk towards the kitchen. His heartbeat quickened and he swallowed hard.
"Oh, yes. How silly of me!" Tulose said when Satine had reached the doorway of the kitchen and was standing next to Christian. "Chwistian, this is my vewy good fwiend Satine. Satine, this is Chwistain, the newest addition to the wevolution."
"How do you do?" Christian asked shakily, taking Satine's soft hand and kissing it lightly.
"It's very nice to meet you, Christian," Satine laughed, withdrawing her hand from his.
"Well, now that we awe all acquainted, let's eat!" Tulose said, pushing Christian and Satine into the adjacent room, where a wobbly table was set with mis-matched cups and plates.
"Oh, Tulose, you are so sweet," Satine said, sitting down in the chair Christian had pulled out clumsily for her, "but I'm supposed to have dinner with Harold and his latest investor in a couple of hours, so I'll just have a glass of red wine, thanks."
Christian stared at Satine from across the table. She was so beautiful, the most beautiful woman Christian had ever seen. He didn't realize he was staring at her until he noticed she was staring right back at him. He nervously laughed and looked down at the table. He felt like a total imbecile in front of this wonderfully exciting goddess. 'She probably gets it all the time,' Christian assured himself.
Tulose came hurrying back into the dining room with two glasses of red wine, a glass of Absinthe for himself, and two bowls of soup.
"So Satine, what have choo been up to lately?" Tulose inquired, setting a bowl of soup and a cup of wine in front of Christian, and handing Satine a glass of wine. He carefully sat down on the end of the table and looked expectantly at Satine. Christian looked at Satine, eager to hear more about her.
"Oh, nothing really important," Satine laughed, "but last night I was with this man who kept making this noise like 'Gagagaga....ga!"
Tulose laughed hysterically, but Christian looked at Satine curiously.
"Erm...Satine...what exactly do you do?" Christian asked delicately.
"Oh," Satine paused and looked at the table in embarrassment, "I'm...I'm a...uh...courtesan. B...But I am also an actress," she said defensively, looking quite ashamed of herself. Christian felt a sharp pang of sympathy. Here was a girl just trying to make a living in this crazy world, just like him.
"I didn't mean to...embarrass you, Satine. Uh..." stuttered Christian. There was and uncomfortable silence as Satine stared at her hands in her lap, Tulose sipped his soup, and Christian played with a hole in the tablecloth.
"Um," Christian cleared his throat, "uh...well I'm writing a novel, you know."
"Really?" Satine looked up at Christian in interest, "What is it about?"
"Well, there are two angels and they are assigned to bring two soul mates together. So they come down to Earth disguised as humans. Now Robert, the main male character, works as a cleaner, but is fired by his boss. So he goes back to his work and threatens to kill his boss if he doesn't get his job back. But things don't turn out the way he wants, so he ends up kidnapping the boss's daughter, Celine. But you see," Christian said, filling his glass back up with wine, taking a drink and winking at Satine, "They are the two soul mates that the angels are supposed to make fall in love!" Christian was starting to feel the effects of the wine, and now felt totally at ease with his two newest friends. "Anyways, that's all I've got so far, but I have been thinking of a woman to model Celine's character after," Christian took another gulp of his wine, and topped himself off again, "I think I found my inspiration!" Christian said tipsily, finishing his fourth glass of wine.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Satine gazed across the table at Christian, who was now telling a story to Tulose and waving his arms around to illustrate. She had never felt real love before, but she was sure this fluttering in her stomach was close to it. 'You silly girl!' she thought to herself. 'You barely met the man, you can't be in love!' Satine sighed and glanced at Tulose's old, beat up clock on the wall. It was 7:57 pm.
"Oh, dear!" Satine cried, jumping from her seat. "I am going to be late for dinner with Harold!" She hurried into the front room, looking for her coat and gloves. Christian and Tulose followed her. Satine was rushing around the room looking for her other glove. Christian picked it up off the floor and handed it to her.
"Thank you Christian. And thank you Tulose! I'll try and come back real soon!" Satine quickly crossed the room to the door. Christian opened it for her and followed her into the hallway.
Satine turned to say one last good bye only to find Christian standing by the closed door.
"Oh, Christian. Um...it was very nice to meet you. Good luck with your novel." Satine turned and started to hurry down the stairs, she was now extremely late.
"Wait! Satine, wait!" Christian called down the stairs after her. Satine turned and looked up at Christian, anxious to hear him talk to her again. "Well...uh...I was wondering...if...uh...you wanted to have dinner sometime?" Christian looked eagerly at her, waiting impatiently for her response. Satine smiled at him.
"I'd love to!"
"Great!" Christian grinned boyishly, "how about tomorrow night at 6:00 pm?"
"That sounds wonderful, Christian." Satine blew a kiss to Christian, turned, and hurried down the rest of the stairs. She was nearly to the bottom when Audrey, the playwright of Spectacular Spectacular, came up the stairs, heading to Tulose's garret.
"Oh, good, Miss Satine, you're here. I was hoping to be able to discuss the casting of the play."
"I'm so sorry, Audrey, but I am late for dinner with Harold. We'll have to get together later and talk then. I've got to go!" Satine quickly ran as best she could in her dress down the rest of the stairs. As she was walking out the door, she felt her garter come un-clipped. "Damn," she muttered to herself, and hurried to the Gothic Tower.
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Christian smiled to himself as he watched Satine hurry down the stairs. He turned and walked back into Tulose's apartment. Tulose was on a step stool at the sink, elbow-deep in soap, doing the dishes.
"Tulose, I think I'm in love!" Christian gushed, running a hand through his hair.
"Yes, I'm suwe choo awe," Tulose said, smiling teasingly at Christian.
"Oh, come on Tulose, I'm serious! I have never met anyone like her. And I have never felt what I felt when I was with her. It's like...like a fire's been lit in my soul!"
"Chwitian!" Tulose exclaimed, jumping down from the stool and hugging Christian around the waist, "choo twuly awe a poet! Choo'll fit in gweat hewe!"
Christian laughed, "Well, thank you, Tulose, for welcoming me so warmly into the Bohemian Revolution!" Christian pulled out of Tulose's hug and glanced at the clock on the wall. "It is getting late, I'd better go. Thank you for dinner and for introducing me to Satine!" Christian went and pulled his coat off the coat stand, "Let's get together tomorrow and have lunch or something."
"Oh, yes, yes of couwse. That'd be delightfow!" Tulose said, opening the door for Christian.
"Bye Tulose!"
"Tootles!"
Christian laughed and started walking down the stairs. When he was almost to the landing where his garret was, he almost ran into a rather manly looking woman who was resting on the landing. She sneered at him and then continued up the stairs.
'Hmm...weird,' Christian thought as he opened his door. Throwing his coat onto the bed, Christian sat at his typewriter, thinking no more of the woman/man on the stairs, but turning his thoughts to Satine.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Satine arrived late to find the dining room in the Gothic Tower empty.
"Oh thank God," she said, walking over to the table and pulling out one of the chairs. "Augh, these damn garters!" Satine put one foot up on the chair and pulled her dress back to adjust her garter that had come unclipped.
"Oh Christian," she sighed suddenly, thinking of the man she had just met. She thought of what Harold would say to the feelings she was having already towards this man. She laughed to herself and shook her head, determined to keep her mind on the dinner she was supposed to be having and not the handsome gentleman back in Tulose's apartment. Someone behind Satine cleared their throat loudly. Satine slowly turned towards the door to find Harold and a blonde, rat-like man who Satine assumed was the Duke standing in the doorway. Harold was looking at Satine in amusement, while the Duke was busily looking at Satine's exposed thigh. Satine blushed and quickly pulled her skirt back down. Trying to regain her dignity, Satine walked briskly over to Harold and the Duke.
"Oh, Harold, you're here. Well, aren't you going to introduce me to your friend?"
"Oh, uh, yes. Satine, this is the Duke, who is very interested in investing in our little show. My dear Duke, this is Satine, star of the Moulin Rouge," Harold said.
"The Duke, I'm so pleased to meet you," Satine said, holding her hand out for the Duke.
"The pleasure, I fear, will be entirely mine," The Duke gushed, taking Satine's hand and planting a huge, wet kiss on it. Satine flinched.
"Alright then, let's eat! I'm famished!"
The three of them walked over to and sat at the dining table. Soon after the waiters brought them their food and Satine fell into a stupor over her soup, listening half-heartedly to Harold's business talk. She finally consented to thinking of Christian as she sat through the horrible dinner.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Note from author: Wow, this was a rather large installment. I think I may hold off for a few weeks so that I can catch up on my writing. Please review so I know if I really should add more!!!