"In Between The Lines"
By Magenta
'Until I'm Completely Satisfied'
Part 4 Chapter 6
Summary: After their escapades in the backstage toilet, Satine and Christian go to their rehearsal with Toulouse. We soon find out just what happened with The Duke in Paris!
The pair was 10 minutes late to their workshop, but knew that Toulouse was their only accompanying actor today and he would understand. They quickly made their way to the temporary rehearsal room. Christian ushered Satine in, then closed the door behind them.
Startled by their entrance Toulouse jumped slightly and looked up from his script.
“Now that youwve been ‘weeaquainted’ ” he said with a grin, “would you like to get to work?”
Slightly ashamed, Christian apologised, “Sorry Toulouse, yes of course,” and made his way over to the wooden chair where Toulouse had been rehearsing...but not before stealing one last sweet, fleeting kiss from Satine.
Both were flushed, and glowing as bright as the moon. Satine took a seat to Christian’s left and was careful to leave some distance between them or she’d never get anything done.
Christian sat, hair dampened, collar undone and lips reddened, yet otherwise composed himself into a completely professional manner.
He picked up the script and attempted to help Toulouse continue from where he had been interrupted.
“Toulouse, so the magical sitar player falls from the roof...”
However Toulouse waved his hands at Christian, dismissing his aid, “Yesss, yes, I know, I know. D-d-don’t tell me...”
Christian nodded along, encouraging Toulouse to find the words on his own while Satine looked on.
“The greatest thing you’ll ever...master!”
“Toulouse!” Christian called in an attempt to deliver him the right line.
“Make?”
“Toulouse?” He now questioned if Toulouse was even on the same wavelength.
Toulouse could see Christian ready to pounce with the correct line. He thought furiously back to the last time the three had rehearsed in his studio but despite his efforts, he still couldn’t remember the line.
He fumbled for quickly with one last effort, “The greatest thing you’ll ever, ahh...contract!?”
In resignation Toulouse finally looked to Christian for the line. Christian was not angry that Toulouse had forgotten the line, nor happy to see him fail, but took great delight in voicing the play’s message.
“The greatest thing you’ll ever learn, is just to love,”
Then looking to Satine, who as if sensing his heated gaze in turn looked to him shyly as he continued, “and be loved in return.”
Toulouse took the script and brought it to his forehead, repeatedly hitting himself as if he could bash the words into his mind.
Christian laughed, as he stood and moved to the table at the back of the room to fine tune the script.
“Don’t worry, you’ll get it soon enough. As long as you remember it on the night...”
Sitting at the table Christian read over the scene...
“The magical sitar player falls from the roof? Whoops... ‘magical sitar,’” he corrected, removing the word from the text.
Satine hovered beside Christian, now that their physical needs had been extinguished...for the time being, she was sure that Christian would have many questions to ask her about the trip to Paris with The Duke.
Toulouse continued rehearsing by himself, desperate to memorise his lines.
“The greatest love...” then looking back to the script, “the greatest love? ...The greatest thing...”
Christian looked up from his alterations and smiled at Satine’s almost expectant look, then went back to editing. However this was short lived as he could still feel her eyes upon him.
“Yes darling?”
“Don’t you want to ask me how my trip with The Duke was?”
Christian hesitated, then turned back to his work and though he desperately wanted to know every last detail he shrugged off any exterior sign of interest.
Satine cupped his face and brought his gaze back to her, “would you ask me anyway?”
Christian smiled at the sweet face before him; obviously Satine felt the need to reassure him after their past discussions about The Duke.
“Of course” he said putting his papers down and bringing Satine to sit in his lap, “So, how was your trip?”
Satine loved that he took her seriously, though she had asked for it, his question was completely sincere.
“Well,” she began, “during the day we went sight seeing and shopping...nothing unusual, though dear Duke acted as if he were giving me the world, so of course I played along. Then at night...”
Christian listened intently now, “Yes?”
Satine casually took his hand in hers and smiled at the memory she was about to relay, “You know how the owner was a friend of his?” Christian nodded, “well, it seems he has quite a penchant for drinking and each night he would insist on The Duke staying at the bar until the early hours of the morning. I don’t think The Duke is one to hold his liquor very well, even you could drink him under the table,” she said with intent of evoking a response,
“Hey!” Christian responded in playful offence; grabbing Satine tightly around the waist causing her to squirm delightedly in his lap.
“Any-waaay, the first night he didn’t even make it back to the room, he was being initiated like some frat brother I suspect,” then smirking, continued, “The second night he was ‘accidentally’ locked out, and of course I was asleep...”
“Of course”
“...and didn’t hear him knocking on the door to be let in,” giggling almost wickedly she continued, “so, he had to stay out in the hall!”
Christian shook his head in amazement, why did he ever doubt that Satine could fend for herself?
Then he paused in thought... “But you were there three nights.”
“Very observant darling,” Satine said running a hand over his boyish face.
“By the time he came home he could barely stand, much less make any advances on me. He was completely inebriated and wanted to pass out on the bed next to me...but, I simply informed monsieur that as a gentleman he had earlier promised to sleep on the lounge. He was in no state to remember what he had or had not agreed to, so that was that.”
Removing a lock of hair from her face Satine finished, “This morning he was hung-over from his three day bender and I suspect as soon as he brought me to rehearsals that he was headed back home to bed.”
“That’s my girl.” Christian smiled tenderly before seeking out her lips.
Christian was so proud of Satine; she was assertive and knew exactly what she wanted and how to get it.
The sweet taste of her mouth lingered on his and her intoxicating scent sent an intense heat trailing through is body and straight to his groin.
“What do you say we finish up here?”
Satine’s lips grazed over his as she turned to Toulouse who was still engaged in the play.
“Toulouse...Toulouse? Henri!”
“Yes,” he said eyes immediately processing the sight before him, of Satine in Christian’s lap and Christian’s glazed eyes focused intently upon her.
“We’re done for the day. If anyone asks, I’m with the writer...” she looked back to Christian, then to Toulouse and grinned, “he says because I’ve missed three days of rehearsals I’m going to need some one on one intensive practice.”
With a knowing smile, Toulouse rolled his eyes and sighed as he waved the two giggling young lovers away.
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