Inside the coyly sealed envelope, was directions to a house in the ritzy area of Paris and a vague invitation of pleasant company and unknown activities. The language of the letter, as well as the method of sealing, indicated amorous intentions but Jane couldn't believe a lady of Lea's standing would be interested in propositioning her. The only way for her to know would be to knock on the oak door looming before her.
She had never been on this side of Paris, as there was no need, being a child of the gutter. Her work as a maid brought her close but she was sacked before she replaced her mentor. The stories her fellow gutter rats would tell her used to dazzle her dreams. Tall, freshly painted mansions, ladies in expensive dresses without a blemish on their perfect skim, and men looked radiant in their tailored suits and greased facial hair. It became a fantasy to be able to reside in the houses she had gazed at from afar. However, now that she was able to stand within it, she realized it wasn't as grand as her friends had made it seem. It was, of course, lovely, with tall mansions, busy shops, and lavishly dressed men and women, but the streets were still dirty, the alleyways untouched by sunlight, and the beggars all looked the same, no matter where in Paris you went. There was a small blossom of disappointment in her chest at the dissolution of her childish dreams, but also a sense of acceptance that life was the same no matter where you went, the grass would never be greener other than where you stood. With this, she nodded her head to the fleeting dreams and turned to knock on the large oak door to Lea Dulone's residence.
The question begged, Who was this woman? What did she want with Christine? What did she want with Jane, for that matter?
Before she could begin to theorize, the door creaked open and the mousey face of the housekeeper peered out at Jane.
"Yes, Mademoiselle? What do you want?" Jane could sense that from the way the woman glanced at her clothes, she assumed Jane was a beggar. She had to admit, even though her clothes were hardly the rags she donned prior to meeting Erik, they were still those of a poor cleaning lady.
"I am expected by Mademoiselle Dulone." She handed her the letter when the woman's thin lips curled with disbelief. She snatched the letter from Jane's hands and read over it. With a sigh of apparent defeat, she nodded and handed back the letter, stepping away to admit Jane into what she assumed to be the parlor.
"Wait here, Madame will receive you in the drawing room." With one last skeptical glance toward Jane, the housekeeper disappeared further into the house. She took the opportunity to take in her surroundings, having never been in a house of such grandeur. Somewhere in the distance, she heard a gramophone crackling away a tune she had never heard before. As the tinny music weaved around her, the room took an almost magical appearance. The furniture seemed so much more extravagant, the paintings that much more bold, the parlor itself the stage of some foreign opera and Jane was witness to it all. She thought she could see the parties that must have happened here. A room full of people from the higher class of society, chatting, drinking, socializing about things she could only dream of. She was so entranced that she didn't hear the maid come in until she was startled by a hesitant touch on her shoulder.
"Mademoiselle?" The maid gazed, concerned into Jane's shining eyes.
"What?!" She was a little too loud, having been shaken out of her fantasy. Politely, she cleared her throat and addressed the maid again, "My apologies, yes?"
The maid bowed her head slightly, "The Madame will see you now." Without waiting for her response, the woman began walking toward the door on the far left side of the parlor. With a swift knock on the door, she waited obediently for the response.
"Enter." Though muffled by the heavy door, the sultry voice of Lea was unmistakable. Just as swiftly as her knock, the maid opened the door for Jane and closed it once she was inside. She didn't have as much time to admire the decor of the new door as her eyes were drawn to the figure lounging by the fire on the opposite side of the room.
Lea turned and smiled lazily at her visitor, "Please, cherie, do have a seat. I've sent for coffee." She was very nearly sprawled across the chaise but managed to look just as regal as when she had stood in front of Jane yesterday.
"Of course, Mademoiselle." She perched awkwardly on the chair opposite of Lea, unsure of herself. Here was a lady of standing, requesting the presence of a lowly stagehand, the odds were insurmountable, yet there she was, all the same.
A frown marred Lea's lovely features as she looked at Jane's posture, "Oh come now, cherie, that's no way to sit. Lean back and relax. I can't imagine life at the Opera house gives you much time for restoration." She smirked at this, fixing her with a knowing look, "And I know there isn't someone…special, to help you unwind." The look on Lea's face was positively predatory and Jane flushed from her roots to her toes and it suddenly became very hot. Before anything else could be said, a knock pierced the silence. The maid had returned with a tray with coffee and small white pastries that Jane had never seen before. Silently, the maid set the tray down between them, curtsied to Lea and left the room. Jane continued to start at the pastries. At her confused look, Lea smiled and plucked one from the tray, "Capezzoli di Venere." and plopped it between her rouged lips.
"Mademoiselle?"
That predatory smile once more curled around Lea's face, "Nipples of Venus, Cherie."
Jane gasped quietly and looked once more at the treats, they were indeed white balls with small pink dots at the top, reminiscent of the aforementioned body part. Her blush deepened.
Once the formalities were over, Lea poured coffee for them both and they spoke of the opera, of the house (Lea was amused by Jane's fascination), and other topics that befitted a social call.
Very suddenly, while Jane was recalling the specifics of matching foundation to skin tone and the complexities of skin sensitivity, Lea sat up and nearly slammed her cup down on the saucer. The sound of china grating against itself caused Jane to jump in her seat, where she had grown comfortable and sank into the expensive cushions.
"Lea?" The lady had demanded Jane refer to her by her Christian name, as 'Madame Dulone' was too formal.
Lea's broad shoulders shook in silent laughter as her focused her intense eyes on the stagehand, "My dear, you have no idea why I called you here, do you?"
Jane shook her head, while she was enjoying Lea's company, she really had no idea why she had been invited to socialize with the woman who towered above her in class.
"Well, I guess it's time to enlighten you." Slowly, the lady rose from her seat, walking around the table that separated their chairs. Jane thought she looked like a hunter closing in on a cornered animal. She suddenly felt like the prey she was and her attention was brought back to her surroundings. It had become dark during their conversation and the embers of the fire burned low, casting a dark orange glow over the drawing room, elongating shadows, especially those of Lea, who was all but standing over Jane. The darkness of the room made it difficult to read her features, but she could almost say with certainty that Lea looked…hungry.
"Lea-" Her mouth descended on hers quick as a viper. The coffee and the chocolate from the sweets clung to Lea's lips and it was a heady mixture, one Jane was tempted to get drunk on. Her lips were frozen against Lea's but that didn't seem to deter her as Jane felt something slip past her parted teeth and suddenly her tongue was dancing with Lea's. The rush of intimacy was overwhelming as Jane's body burned with sudden arousal and confusion. It was hard not to get caught up in the waves that flowed from Lea to Jane, dragging a moan from her chest. The dam caved and Jane gave in to Lea's talented mouth, twisting her tongue with hers and almost ravaging her lips. She had been so touch-starved for years that this was like giving a dying man the fountain of youth. She felt Lea smirk against her lips and cautiously let her hands slide over Jane's curves, which she had been staring at the entire afternoon. She came up to cup a breast and gave it a decent squeeze, pulling another delicious moan from Jane. The air grew heavy with the scent of arousal, only broken by the moans of Jane and the gasps from Lea.
Their lips finally separated their breath heavy between them and an unspoken question. Being more experienced in seduction, Lea knelt down before Jane and took her cheeks between her hands. Her eyes were closed, not in shame but in confusion. The blush spread beautifully from her cheeks, down her neck, and into her cleavage which Lea was dying to taste. The low light of the fire gave it a shine that highlighted the light perspiration that clung to Jane's modest breasts. Lea wanted full consent before continuing though. She wasn't someone of so loose morals that she would take advantage of an unwilling partner.
"Jane." Her eyes opened to gaze upon her seductress.
"Lea." There was no fear, no disgust in Jane's voice, but there wasn't any particular eagerness that Lea could hear.
She seemed to search Jane's eye before coming to a conclusion, "You're in love."
Any lady of class would have denied such a statement, but Jane wasn't a lady of class, she was a person of honesty and Lea had caught on to that the moment she laid eyes on her.
Jane hung her head in apparent shame, which confused Lea as she thought this would bring her joy. "What is it Cherie?" Her manicured hand under Jane's chin brought her eyes once more to hers. There were unshed tears there.
"Lea…oh Lea, I don't know what to do." She collapsed into Lea's open arms, not caring that they were on the floor, "Yes, I admit I am in love. But another woman replaces me in his heart."
A dark look fell on Lea's face, marring her looks, "Who is he Cherie, why does he trail you around so?"
"My best friend, my confidant, my muse. I am nothing to him though, and yet I can't leave."
Lea sensed the resolution in Jane's voice and knew that her time with her was over. Perhaps later down the line, she could taste the forbidden fruit that was Jane Noir, but tonight was not that night. Alas, it was not the first loss she would experience and it certainly would not be the last but she felt a connection with Jane that would persevere Lea's normal one-night stands.
Wiping away the tears that had unknowingly slipped down Jane's face, Lea helped her stand and brush off her skirts. Calling her maid, she had a carriage called to take Jane to the opera house.
"Feel free to visit anytime, Cherie. I quite enjoyed our conversation." With a dignified smile, she gently kissed Jane on the lips once more, quietly rejoicing Jane's equal participation.
"Until next time, Lea." Jane smiled back and went outside to the cab. What Lea failed to mention was the rouge that had transferred from herself to Jane, making their activities obvious. However, she didn't feel any need to tell Jane. Besides, a little claim never hurt anyone.