Meeting the Lady (Marguerite)

[ERIK DANIEL LENOIR]

"Let's just take you home, Miss Saint-Just," said Danny, quietly. He was not hearing her words. He felt she had misunderstood him, and he had misjudged her badly. The last thing he wanted was to be in the spotlight. It would do no good to date someone whose livelihood was to be in the spotlight. He hoped he could make it to her building without coming apart.

Disappointment wasn't easy for Danny. His moods came and went so suddenly....joy and elation, then depression and despair. He wished he could just crawl under something and stay there till he felt better, which could be weeks. Although for Danny, because of his strange moods, his sense of timing was skewed. Not that he didn't know what time it was, but for example, he felt as if he had known Marguerite a very long time, when in reality, it was just a few hours. And now, with his darkening, depressive mood, it felt like it was going to be a long time before he felt better.

Danny was disappointed and sad, and a little angry at himself for misjudging her. Obviously he would never find a suitable girl. He hadn't even been thinking of her fame. He hadn't heard much about her before the play, didn't know who she was, and never thought of the fact that if he dated her or someone of her fame, he too would be in the spotlight.

When they came to the door of her building, Danny took a deep breath. He tried to get hold of himself. He tried to make his thoughts sensible and force some words out. "It has been a pleasure meeting you, Miss Saint-Just. I enjoyed the dinner. I hope that it was enjoyable for you too." He shook her hand woodenly and waited for her to enter the building.

[MARGUERITE SAINT-JUST]

And now she stood there stunned that he was rather like a different man. So... cold... distant... quiet... Nothing like the wonderful Gentleman who met her at the stage door and treated her to a late dinner. Surely this was not how things were to go! His behavior truly shocked her. He wished to be rid of her, rather than ... well, it was obvious taking advantage of her or sex was not on his mind. She was completely unprepared for this! She had not met a man who was interested in her but was not familiar with her let alone did not want to take advantage of her. This was new territory. She was stunned but excited and unsure of where to go with this!
However... what ever might have started appeared to have ended just as suddenly as it had begun. Letting her hand drop from his arm, then took a deep breath, she silently relented to his suggestion. But then, perhaps she didn't want him to know where she lived? She was about to not let him walk her the rest of the way but then she realized well, if he stood where he was, he could see what building she was in. They were barely a block from her home.

Marguerite was making sure that her eyes never looked at Danny, no even so much as a glance. If he would be cold, so would she. Would simply be best to push this Gentleman out of her mind. No... he was not a Gentleman. If he took offense over her inquiry, if he did not understand where she was coming from, then... he was just a selfish man. He was someone she didn't want to be around then.

Barely looking at him as she stood before the door to her residential building. A pleasure? Was it really? Or was it all a rouse? Slowly she was beginning to think this was all some little act for him, some stunt that perhaps someone put him up to. Little by little, her temper began to simmer. If this kept up, she will explode! Keep calm, M, she told herself. Do not put yourself into another negative spotlight! Do NOT need any more scandals!
"Of course," simply replied in a tone that was slightly wry. Granted it was poor of a person to mimic another person's actions, accent, words, behavior, etc. But somehow, she couldn't seem to help herself at the moment.
A stiff handshake but she put no power into her grip, in fact, it was loose which was the complete opposite of how she always shook hands. With this man the would be no power or normal Marguerite, but one to silently convey to him, if even unconsciously, that he made an impression upon her. Whether good or bad.
And so a potential one night stand... had gone sour. Oh, well. He wasn't the only fish in the sea.
Took her a while as she hesitated to go into the building, as she pulled at the door, she slowly let it close and partially turned to face him but could not look at him yet. "Monsieur Lenoir." a pause as she finally looked at him, and her body tried to take on a sort of strength that this was not affecting her even if it was. "Danny." another pause while looking at him. Her lips moved as she was trying to speak. Again, he seemed to make this clever and witty woman draw blanks! She didn't want this to end on such a sour note. "I... " and trailed off. Not sure how to continue or finish this. Apologize? Talk more to him? Well... apparently anything that would be said would just fall on deaf ears or wouldn't move a mountain.
Inhaling deeply through her nose and shifted her body as though she was just brushing off this chance encounter tonight as... nothing.
Turning her back on him and opened the door and walked into the foyer of the residence building. But as she took a couple steps further into the building, she stopped for a moment.... gazing at Danny with such a blank look but perhaps her mismatched eyes said it all. She wished that this would not have ended... not like this.
With a few blinks, she turned back around and moved to the elevators that would take her up to the floor of her condominium.

[ERIK DANIEL LENOIR]

Danny stood still at the door as Marguerite left him. Her handshake had been wooden. Not even a warm squeeze of her fingers. He watched her as she entered her building and saw her through the glass doors as she entered the lift and disappeared...forever. He turned to walk back home. It felt like the loneliest walk he had ever taken, although there had been others, sad break-ups for him. But this woman was in the spotlight and he couldn't be there. He knew how the paparazzi were and how the media watched celebrities, giving them no time to themselves. They were always under the eye of a camera.

Danny felt broken, as if he had lost his only friend. Marguerite, she had seemed to be the woman of his dreams. She was attracted to him, right away. He almost couldn't remember what had happened even thought it had been less than 30 minutes before. He could feel wetness in his eyes and he brushed at them with his handkerchief. He didn't care to have anyone know how terrible, how full of depression he now felt.

He wandered aimlessly for hours, almost forgetting where he was going. He found himself walking toward Central Park. Why, he didn't know. There would be people there, crazy people most likely. Crazy like himself. Yes, he must be crazy to let a lady like that get away. What was it they had quarreled over? He couldn't remember any more. He was getting weary and sat down near a fountain that was lit with spotlights. He watched the water cascading and listened to the sound of it and it was mesmerizing. Because he was tired and emotionally drained, it almost put him under a spell.

Danny sat there for some time, just watching the water, his mind almost drained of thoughts and all he could feel was his stomach constricting in a large lump of emotional pain. Yes, he would undoubtedly get over it. In a year or two. Maybe three.

After sitting on the bench for several hours, not moving a muscle, Danny slowly rose and started to walk back home. It took him several more hours to reach home and he woodenly took the lift to the penthouse. He was moving so slowly now because of the depression which had overcome him. He went into his bedroom and got into bed with his street clothes still on. Covering himself in the dark, he didn't move from his bed for three days.