Montmartre Masquerade: A Burlesque Tale

Chapter 6

The next morning, Maelys woke up early, having not stayed out late the previous night. She turned over in bed and grabbed her phone, discovering a message from Blaise: "I had a great time last night. Super excited to have you on our team! xx." Maelys had indeed enjoyed her time with the other dancers after the show. They had asked her to join them for a meal, and she hadn't felt like waiting for Zohra and Laurent.

Thinking that she was alone at home with Zohra, Maelys strolled down the hallway to take a morning shower. After the refreshing shower, she slipped into a new lingerie set she had ordered online a few days earlier. It was a delicate light pink ensemble adorned with small lace flowers. Over it, she hastily put on a gray jogging pants.

As she made her way back down the hallway toward her bedroom, Maelys noticed Zohra's door slightly ajar. Curiosity got the best of her, and she decided to check if everything was alright. After all, she hadn't heard Zohra return the previous night. Peeking through the gap, she observed that Zohra was not alone in her bed. Maelys tried to stifle her giggle, pleased that Zohra seemed to have enjoyed her evening. About to exit discreetly, she suddenly saw the mysterious man in the bed sitting up.

Startled, Maelys found herself face to face with Laurent. She was utterly taken aback, her eyes wide with surprise. Laurent raked his hand through his hair and, as he looked up, he locked eyes with Maelys, who was still standing in the doorway, clearly shocked.

Panicking, Maelys swiftly turned away and retreated to her bedroom. She needed a moment to process what she had just witnessed. After sharing so much with Zohra about her feelings for Laurent, she couldn't believe what she had seen.

On the other side of the door, Laurent was equally bewildered. He had no idea how to explain the situation to Maelys, especially considering he couldn't remember all the details from the previous night. He flopped back onto the bed, closed his eyes, and sighed with regret, contemplating how he would eventually explain everything.

After a while of contemplating his actions, Laurent sat up in bed once more. He gazed at Zohra, still sound asleep beside him, and began to doubt the wisdom of his choices. Carefully, he picked up his clothes from the floor and quietly dressed himself.

In the kitchen, Maelys was already preparing breakfast as if nothing had occurred. She sternly reminded herself not to overreact, telling herself that Laurent wasn't her possession, and he was free to do as he pleased.

A little later, Laurent also entered the kitchen, his expression tense. He froze when he saw Maelys but managed to stammer a hesitant "good morning." Maelys nodded in acknowledgment and greeted him with a "good morning" as well.

Laurent hesitated to speak further, not sure how to address the situation. He nervously asked himself whether he had ruined his chances with Maelys. He pulled up a stool at the kitchen island, where Maelys was busy making a smoothie.

Maelys, with a tinge of irritation in her voice, asked Laurent if he had enjoyed his evening. He nodded but couldn't bring himself to meet her eyes. Fearful of making things worse, he remained silent. Maelys poured the smoothie into two glasses and pushed one of them toward him. They sat there side by side, saying nothing, as the silence hung between them.

After sitting in silence for a while, Laurent let out a deep sigh. He finally gathered the courage to offer his apologies. Maelys raised an eyebrow, prompting him to clarify. Laurent said, "I apologize for staying over without letting you know."

Maelys looked at him, a puzzled expression on her face. "Why are you apologizing for that?" she asked. "It's not your responsibility, but Zohra's, and besides, you're not a stranger."