At the Opera House

Chapter 4: Nadir

"Who's coming over for dinner?" Christine asked while mixing her bowl of ingredients together, her arm stiff after beating the last dish for three long minutes.

"Hmm?" Madame Giry looked up from her cutting board. "Oh. Nadir Kahn."

"Really?" Christine gave a particularly violent turn and flung a small amount of white powder in her face. She sneezed, and grinned at Madame Giry. "He seems rather fond of you."

"He wants to question me, you know how nosy he is." Madame Giry said stiffly, turning back to her cutting. "Once you're finished with that, bring out the dinner plates and set the table."

Normally, after finishing her day at the Opera House, Christine retired to her own comfortable, but small apartment. She would sit back, eat a plain dinner and go to bed, perhaps with some reading in between. On Sundays, however,  There wasn't any practice in the Opera house on the Holy day, except sometimes during the few weeks right before the production. On her free Sunday evenings Christine normally visited the Giry's. They would talk, mend and then cook a dinner together.

Meg bounded down the stairs, her room being the attic, she wore nothing but her sleeping gown and a robe. Her hair was in a braid, frizzing and coming apart. The look was comical, and it made Christine smile. "Mother!" She cried. "Mother there's a man coming, Monsieur Kahn I think. Why-"

"He practically invited himself over, the impertinent man." Madame Giry informed Meg. "Now put on your Sunday dress and-" Meg bounded up the stairs again. "and pull up your hair!" Madame Giry shouted after her.

"Yes mother!" Meg called back down.

Christine chuckled, then carefully began pouring out her batter in a pan on the counter. While watching the goopy substance ooze slowly onto the pan, it occurred to her it would need an hour to cook. "He seems awfully early." She noted. "Dinner won't be ready for hours."

"I told you, he invited himself over, and this is the time he wanted to come." Giry sighed and went back to cutting. Christine nodded and shoved the pan into the stove, checking the fire level as she did so.

A polite knock echoed through the door, Christine brush her hands off on her apron and moved to answer it but before she could Madame Giry brushed by her in her quick steps. Christine shrugged and began to pull out the dishes from the cupboards.

"Monsieur Kahn, welcome." Christine heard from the doorway while she grasped some of the plates.

"Ah! Annottiete, you look lovely." Nadir's warm voice spread through the house.

"Thank you." Madame Giry answered, her voice as rigid as the wood she tread on.

Nadir stepped into the kitchen, fully dressed in a bow tie and suit, with a bottle of what looked like wine under his arm. Madame Giry followed behind him, looking rather embarrassed.

"Dinner is not ready." She informed the Persian.

He smiled gaily and bowed to Christine, then turned back to Madame Giry, green eyes twinkling. "That is quite all right, I'll wait."

Christine felt a smile spreading on her face and walked past them quickly with the plates to hide it. In the dining room she strained her ears to hear the pair in the kitchen.

"Thank you for inviting me over."

"You invited yourself over."

"What nonsense. I offered and you accepted."

"Custom states that the owner of the household invites guests. Not the guests themselves."

Nadir chuckled. "That's why I brought the wine, to make up for my rude behavior. It's some of the best in Paris I assure you, I think we will all greatly enjoy it."