He drew her in, hor'devours being served as they mingled. A couple of aristocrats of similar age to Matthieu approached them. Small talk ensued, where they discussed the soprano who was to be making her premiere tonight.
"I heard this Christine was a ballet dancer. What an ascension, quite the rise in status, don't you think?" The man asked; looking nearly directly to Collette for input
Colette jerked visibly the first time Christine's name was mentioned. Christine was not an uncommon name, and she had no reason to suspect anything amiss other than the violent reaction she had in her belly hearing the name she knew so intimately. "It is always intriguing when one elevates one's status. Growth should be admired, should it not? Even if it is in social revenue," she replied with bravado. She had no idea what she was talking about. She knew nothing of this poor girl and even less of social status.
"I heard that she has a teacher that no one knows anything about...some masterful teacher who taught her everything she knows. I've never heard of him; nor has anyone else."
Matthieu shrugged. "Perhaps it is the Opera Ghost that haunts this place," he teased, taking a sip of his wine, not once thinking it to be serious.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
It's her. The courtesan. She is hear with a man, a suitor? No. Yes? Lines are blurred. He hired her, but there is more than that. Why is she here? Did she mean to humiliate him? Harm Christine? Did she discover his identity?
Behind the pillar to her right, the Phantom watched Colette from his hiding place. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The other couple laughed at the mention of the opera spectre. Belatedly, Colette joined, not quite understanding the joke. She would have to ask Matthieu later. The couple found her lovely, which surprised Colette as much as it pleased her; they were lovely in their own right. Unpretentious and more interested in the art of the opera rather than the politics. Colette and Matthieu mingled a bit more over the next hour. Either the occasion had people on their best behavior or the venue brought something softer, kinder in the crowd: she felt accepted. Interesting even. Colette began to relax and truly enjoy herself. The lights flickered - electric lights! She had not been under so many electric lights in her entire life as she had in the past forty-eight hours! - and the crowd slowly began to move toward the auditorium doors.
Heavens, she was made for this life, wasn't she? There would be no needing to "train" her, or to teach her to adjust. No, she would fit right in. Dear God, he couldn't leave her. Could he? Matthieu studied the lines of Colette's form as she gracefully moved with the crowd.
Merde. I'm damned, Matthieu thought as he led her up the grand staircase and toward his private box. Of course she would be in a box, Colette thought. She barely knew what a box was, but she knew it was not for the average patron. The auditorium was as fantastic as the Grand Hall. She could barely sit in her seat, wanting to lean over the banister and gawk at the ceiling. She felt like she was on top of the world, looking down on everyone else. It was magical! Matthieu offered her opera glasses. "You look through these, and then you can see better." He smiled as he reclined in his red velvet chair. A waitress stepped in, offering champagne to both of them, which they accepted graciously.
"Enjoying yourself? You look perfectly at place to this." Matthieu commented with a smile. She answered with a nod as she gawked through the opera glasses at the crowd.
The lights dimmed and the orchestra began to tune. Her grin was wide and she was practically bouncing in her seat. "Tell me about this opera, Matthieu! What am I about to see?" she whispered to the man next to her. "A high level courtesan falls in love with a rich man...Their love ends in tragedy, with her catching tuberculosis and passing," he responded, murmuring as the orchestra continued their tuning.
She blinked. "Oh. Of course." She awkwardly looked away as the overture began and the curtain opened.
He gave her a smirk. "The similarity to you was coincidental, just so you know," he murmured, reaching over to take her hand. Colette didn't know how to take that, but she took his hand and once more raised her opera glasses toward the stage which was filling up with actors. She had no emotional response to his words - why would she care if the subject matter is a courtesan? In love? It wasn't HER life.
Across the auditorium, the Phantom watched both women from his box. His should have solely have been on Christine. Yet he could not let go of the fact that his other woman was here in his domain. Her presence troubled him. One revealing move on her part could seriously destabilize his role here...and his role in Christine's life. ~~~~~~ WHen Christine stepped onto the stage and charmed the crowd, Colette immediately knew. Her face paled as she saw the near mirror image of her right in front of her, singing like an angel and looking like a temptress. The nights of her face being shoved into a pillow as Master Erik played with her hair and cooed words of love and devotion. The Ballerina costumes - of course Christine was someone from the Opera. She felt stupid. Stupid and betrayed, even though she knew nothing was technically done wrong.
Matthieu sensed a bit of tension coming from her, and gave her a worried look as the first intermission began. "Are you enjoying it?" He asked, a bit concerned.
Her face still pale, Colette nodded hollowly, still looking at the stage, now blanketed in red curtain. "I… wasn't expecting such an emotional reaction, " she said weakly, trying to smile. "Was that it? I expected it to be longer."
"That was the first act, there are three of them, with intermissions in between each." Matthieu paused, narrowing his gaze. "Should we retire for the evening? I did not mean to distress you." "No!" Colette nearly shouted, then began more quietly, "no, please, I am enjoying this greatly. Please let's stay?" There was a discreet knock on the door and the waitress entered with more champagne and some cheese. Colette was grateful for an activity that precluded her from talking more on the matter. She pinched a bit of cheese between her fingers and offered it in front of Matthieu 's mouth, which he accepted with a smile.
"Good, I was hoping you'd say that. I'm enjoying this greatly, and the company could not be any better," he replied, trying hard to not think of their eventual parting tomorrow; all in the back of his head a quiet voice spoke, telling him that it did not need to be that way. That he could take her home. Colette smiled warmly and and licked her fingers after serving Matthieu the cheese. "Thank you for this," she whispered and leaned in to kiss his lips. He kissed her slowly, his hand caressing her cheek. Pulling her towards him he deepened the kiss, his mind beginning to wander from the opera that was to start soon, thinking more of her in a secluded space in the theatre.
The orchestra began again, but they barely noticed. Colette shifted on her seat to lean closer to Matthieu and continue the passionate embrace. Her hands pressed against his chest, creating tension between their bodies. One slippered foot began rubbing against his ankle. Matthieu pressed back against her, kissing her deeply, his leg brushing against hers. Hands traced over her cheek, down, her neck, lower, over her shoulder before grazing her breast with his hand. ~~~~~~
The Phantom watched, biting his bottom lip. A mixture of desire and anger coursed through him. How dare this man have his whore in his own domain?! This...Certainly, this would not go unpunished. ~~~~~ She arched into his touch and as the lights went down over the audience, Colette shifted from her chair to Matthieu's lap and pressing her breasts into his chest. Sex at the opera house was not an unheard of thing. Matthieu kissed her hard, shifting her dress; seeking flesh. Pulling back, he looked up; meeting her gaze, teasingly murmuring, "You'll miss the show if you continue this…"
~ She grinned wickedly. "Which show?" She laughed and twirled around, now sitting on his lap with her back to him, looking out over the audience and proscenium. She wiggled a bit on his lap, feeling the hardness underneath her layers of clothing
Act two began, opening with the tenor's aria, singing about how happy he was with his life with his courtesan love. Matthieu knew, though, that such joy would be short lived, and so he thought that perhaps he had a similarity with this character now. He rocked his hips against the woman on his lap, grinding slightly as his hands snaked about her corseted waist.
Cosette rocked back, grinding against him. She turned her head to kiss him over her shoulder. She twisted to unbuckle his pants. She bounced as she shifted her skirts away from her. She rode him quietly yet deeply. She watched the performance as they rocked together. She watched the more beautiful, more beloved version of her on the stage as she heard Matthieu get close.
As she rode him, his hands rocked against her hips, guiding her. It was subtle, unnoticable. He made sure to stifle any moans, and muffle any sounds. She was so addictive, so good at what she did. He bit her neck, stifling his moan as he let his orgasm consume him. After discretely cleaning themselves, they finished the act with broad grins. During the intermission, Colette excused herself to go make some adjustments in the lady's room. Walking confidently, she traversed the beautifully ornate hallway. It almost made her stagger, how beautiful the bathroom was. Well, of course it was. She couldn't help but gush about it like a child when she returned to their box. The intimate act helped her relax and even enjoy the opera, even if being in Mlle. Daa's presence created a pain in her heart. By the end of the opera, she was silently but openly weeping for poor Violetta.
As the opera ended, Matthieu looked to Colette with a slightly sad smile. The story was tragic, but he was happy to have shared that with her. Kissing her softly, he finally spoke. "So what did you think of it?" She buried her head in his shoulder. "They were all fools!," she exclaimed sullenly. She was so angry at the characters! Why should it matter at all? Why should she feel this way about people who didn't even exsist? "They shouldn't have ended like that," She mourned.
"That is the tragedy of it," he explained, softly. "I would have liked for a happy ending, but...things do not always work out that way." He gave her a soft smile, and traced his hand over her waist.
Colette snorted sadly at that. Indeed, she thought. Bidding the Opera House goodbye was a difficult event for she knew that she would never be able to return again.
