At first, the girl looked at Christian with an expression of slight confusion, but shortly changed it to more passive.

"Oh excuse me sir. Please pardon me for getting in your way." She gripped her parasol tighter and began to look at him in a questionable manner. Finally Christian spoke.

"No... No not at all. This is entirely my fault. Forgive me,... will you?" he said as politely as he could. The girl reluctantly agreed,

"Alright then, that's settled... I should be going now. Good day." and turned to leave.

Christian tried to get a better look at her, but the brim of her hat hung too low for him to get a good view of her entire face.

"Please, wait." he slightly begged while placing a hand on her shoulder.The girl stopped once again to listen.

At this moment, what Christian wanted more than anything was to know her name. Anything was better than knowing her as "the girl."

"Uh..." he stuttered, " Are you from around here?" The girl raised one eyebrow in question, but proceeded to answer.

"No, but I've been back and forth from there to here rather frequently. I'm from elsewhere. Why do wish to know might I ask?"

"Uh...it's really no reason at all, I...I was just wondering." Christian looked down.

Upon looking up he noticed the girl had walked away yet again. Catching up to her he blurted out, "So tell me, what's your name?"

The girl sighed impatiently, visibly becoming annoyed with him. "What's it to you?"

"Oh well, I was just curious is all..." the palms of Christian hands were becoming infused with sweat.

"If I tell you, will you leave me alone?"

Chrisitan gulped. "Uhh yeah.. I...I suppose..."

"Fine then. It's Victoria Mabel. Now go."

"Victoria." he repeated in his mind. A rather common name for such an uncommon girl he thought. He once again rushed up to her side to open a nearby door for her.

"Please! Mr...eh Mr...what's your name?" she demanded. Christian was baffled.

He had failed to consider what name he'd give the girl if she ever asked what it was. He couldn't very well tell her it was Christian because he wasn't sure how ready he was to share his true identity just yet.

"Well?" she burst out.

"It's...ahh. it's...it's..." frantically searching for ideas, one came to him from out of the blue.

"It's...it's William Edwards!" he stuttered.

"Very well Mr. Edwards. Perhaps it would do you a bit of good if you left me alone as I have some very important business to take care of. Again, good day."

Taking off his hat, Christian ran his fingers through his hair, thinking of something else to do or say next. But, at the last moment, he decided to let her go. He had a feeling that he'd be seeing her again in the near future.

Looking out from his window Chrisitan loved to lose his mind in daydreaming. He found that just starring into the sky alone gave him more of an escape than anything else could. He'd often look down at the townspeople below watching as they walked or strolled, perhaps with family or friends.

Christian was somewhat caught off guard when no more than 2 days later while looking down from his apartment window, his eyes set upon the girl again,or should he say, Victoria. She stood below his very window, and just before looking up, Christian ducked out of sight. Cautiously peeping down, he saw that she still stood there. In a spontanious manner, he leaped up from where he sat, and rushed downstairs to the main entrance. Nearly throwing Victoria off balance, he burst open the doors.

"Hey! Watch it!...You need to look where..." she stopped. "Well, Mr. Edwards, what a not so pleasant surprise!"

Damn, he thought. Things were not getting off on the right start. Christian had the urge to cough due to exerting himself so carelessly, but caught his breath and replied,

"Well then it is isn't it? Er, perhaps you mean what a pleasant surprise? Eh, beautiful day huh?" Victoria remained silent. Christian couldn't think of anything else to say.

"Eh Victoria, is it?"

"Yes. Thats' my name.What?"

"What...what are you doing here?" he shyly asked.

"That's absolutly none of your concern." Victoria snapped.

"Uh well, then, that's fine.I guess I should leave you and go back up." he pointed above. Christian was in hysterics.

"I would highly suggest that you do that. The last thing that I nee...wait...You...You live here?" she paused and continued, "Say then, if it's so, could you make yourself useful and help me out?"

"But..I ...I thought you didn't want any..."

"I didn't say that. I just said I wanted you to leave me alone."

"Actually, if I may correct you, you didn't say that at all."

"Mr. Edwards, with your immaturity put aside, can you help me find someone?" asked Victoria.

"Well I...I suppose. Yes.Who?"

"He's a man that I believe lives in this very building. He's about your heighth with longer hair and a beard, goes by the name of..." she paused.

"Yes, the name...?" Christian wondered.

"His name is Christian."

He gulped and nearly felt the feeling of faintness come upon him. He had been right all along. It was her. And she was looking for him.

"I...I...I...don't know him I'm afraid." he lied.

"Hmm... seems a little bit funny, butI'm about 100 percent sure he lives in this very same building as you and you've never come across him, EVER?" Her questioning was making Christian jittery.

"No...no...I...I can't say as if I have. Uh, perhaps this Christian moved away, yes?"

Christian watched the very light from her eyes fade as she turned and sighed. He felt horrible.

"What's the matter? Is...is something wrong?"

Victoria still faced away from him and he noticed the look of complete dissapointment and despair sweep over her frame. Her silence was making Christian feel extremely guilty.

"If I may inquire,... why do you wish to see him?"

Turning around, Victoria sighed again and replied glummly, "My business with him is my own, but I just wanted to..."

"Wanted to what?"

She looked up at him with her dark eyes, and Christian saw for the first time that there was something rather pretty about her. Maybe not beautiful because compared to Satine, no one could measure up, but, pretty worked.

Christian waited for an answer, but none came, so he asked once again, "What did you want?"

She softly sniffed, and replied, "I wanted to thank him."