The dressing room was bustling as dancers and chorus girls rustled out of their costumes. The countless conversations going at once were deafening, but most were on the same subject. A ring had formed around one girl, a Miss DaaΓ©. The chorus girl had just gotten the part of lead soprano in the wake of Carlotta's hysterical disappearance and the only people who weren't talking about it were those who had already discussed it. In the middle of the ring sat Christine, still in her costume, for indeed she was being posed so many questions she scarcely had time. The poor girl, still looking dazed from the sudden turn of events answered all the questions with as much graciousness as she could muster. However, Meg, who was standing beside her could see through the faΓ§ade of grace and see that the poor girl was growing quite tired of all this company. Casting a reproachful look in silence, the rest of the girls got the message and one by one they left.
Eventually, only Meg and Christine were left in the dressing room, both still in their costumes. They sat for a while in silence until Christine let out a sigh. Meg quickly moved to take her hand, "A taxing day I imagine."
"Lead soprano..." Christine trailed off into silence, gazing at the opposite wall.
"You know you're more than capable. From the moment you first came here I knew you were too good to be stuck a chorus girl."
Christine continued gazing off in silence, though Meg thought she heard her mutter "I wonder if he's behind it?"
"Who? Raoul? Christine, you got the part because you were wonderful and obviously the best voice for it. I don't want you getting any doubts now."Christine remained silent. Meg gently stroked Christine's hand, "You deserve this more than anyone else. I know there's no one who could sing it better."
At Meg's touch Christine broke her gaze and looked into her face. "But what if I get up on that stage and lose my nerves?"
"Christine, you've been on that stage a thousand times. Why suppose that it will be any different this time?"
"Oh, I don't know..."
Meg wrapped her arm around Christine's shoulder, taking all too much pleasure in feeling her warm skin beneath her hand. "Christine, you know that you shall be amazing tonight. Have you heard your voice?"
Christine again turned to look at Meg, and Meg was delighted to see her pale face made even more beautiful by the color in her cheeks. "I guess you are right. I am being silly aren't I? A touch of nerves I suppose."
"Well then, it is quite clear that we must rid you of this nervousness. Don't want you fainting upon stage." Standing up and moving to the back of the room, "When I feel the nerves wracked, I stretch to ease them. You should try it with me." Guiding her by the hand, Meg took her over to a bar set in the back of the room. Propping up one leg on the bar, "Come on, work all that stress out."
Christine followed her example and propped up her own leg. Christine may have been lead soprano, but there was no greater dancer in the opera than Meg and it showed. It was clear that Christine was less at home on that bar and had trouble keeping up with Meg's stretched, aided by the flexibility that any dancer must possess. Seeing this, Meg brought her leg back down to the floor and moved towards Christine. "Here let me show you," placing one hand on her bare back, the other on her leg. Unfortunately for Meg, the skirt lay between her hand and Christine's skin, but the fabric was thin enough to allow her to feel Christine's warmth. "Now just bend slightly, yes, like that." Meg exerted just enough pressure on Christine's back as she bend farther and farther over, slowly but steadily, her leg still on the bar. Meg's eyes could not help but look down at the bottom that was becoming more and more pronounced as Christine stretched. Though she would have been content to look at it for hours more, Meg told Christine she could stand back up. Straightening her back and taking her leg off the bar, Christine turned to look at Meg. Meg was certainly glad that she had the exterior fabric of her skirt, since though she didn't dare look down at it, she could feel that the interior fabric was getting damp.
"Feeling any better?" Christine weakly nodded. She was blushing slightly; Meg was much more flexible than her and she knew it. "Let's move to something else now." Meg bent over and let her palms rest on the floor at the same time as her feet. "Just arch your back as I am."
Christine did as Meg, though unlike Meg, her back wasn't forming a complete arch. Pushing herself back onto her feet, Meg moved over to Christine. "Let me help." The girl knelt down, placing her hand on Christine's back and pushing up so as to help Christine make a perfect arch. Meg could not help but notice her proximity to Christine's breasts, and perhaps because her top was so small, it displayed the full volume of the girl's breasts, heaving with every breath. The mere position of the stretch made it as if Christine were thrusting them into Meg's face, which Meg did not at all mind.
"I think that's enough of that." Christine broke the stretch and sat down upon the floor. "Feeling any better Christine?"
"It did help a bit." Christine said with a faint smile. "I would lie though to say a part of me is still not nervous"
Christine sat down beside Christine. "You know you have nothing to fear."