Images of Jack kissing Maria flew into Rose's head and she felt dizzier than ever. Tears pricked her eyes, and she glanced at Maria.
“So, you want a drink?” Maria offered Rose, seeing that she was obviously surprised that Jack wasn't so perfect after all. Rose slowly nodded her head, just once. She heard the door shut as Maria went to fetch her a drink. Rose glanced downwards at the drawing once again, seeing the familiar JD signature at the bottom. Tears came down her cheeks. She felt as though she had had her heart broken for the first time in her life. She didn't know why. It wasn’t as though she and Jack were together, or had even exchanged words of love—in fact, all they had done was kiss. Was she stupid to believe he could have feelings for her? Maria returned a few moments later with a glass of brandy in her hand. She handed it to Rose before sitting on her chair. Rose sniffed the drink, feeling it burn her eyes before it even reached her lips. “You knock it back.” Maria gestured to her. “It numbs the pain.”
Rose nodded, taking her advice, and brought the glass to her lips knocking it full back and feeling it burn her insides. “Oh, God.” She felt her eyes water, remembering how she had first felt when she had knocked back a shot of whiskey.
“That should take the edge away. Now, you’ve just got to tell me why you came here in the first place.”
“I remember running and running away from Cal,” Rose remembered, but then realized that Maria didn't even know who Cal was. She didn't know anything about her or her past.
“He came by looking for you yesterday. Some rich bastard he is.” Maria drank more of her wine. She stood and went to her closet. The selection of dresses she had filled two entire wardrobes. Most of them were for entertainment purposes, but Maria was not a modest girl. She dressed how she liked to, not like the girls in the fashion pages. She selected a dress and hung it over her dresser.
“How do you know him?”
“I don't, personally. He asked for a Rose DeWitt Bukater, but I didn't let on that I knew you. He said that you ran away from finishing school after he proposed to you a few months ago. He believed you had become a whore in order to support yourself.”
Rose laughed hysterically to herself. “Well, he couldn't have been any further from the truth.”
Raising her eyebrows, Maria watched Rose's face. She wanted to know why this girl had come here. If she didn't know Jack was here, then she had no reason to be near the brothel. Unless…a small smile appeared on Maria's face as she thought. Unless the girl had come to work here. But she wouldn't…
“Maybe not. But you have been lucky so far, Rose. You landed on your feet here with Jack and Fabrizio, but most of the girls here don't choose this profession because it is a lifelong dream. It’s their way of life.” Maria's voice was serious. She stepped behind her room divider and began to undress. Rose watched as she threw her robe over the top of the divider and reached her arm out to the dress which hung over her dresser and pulled it towards her before changing into it.
“I know that.” Rose spoke almost silently.
Maria reappeared from behind the room divider dressed in a navy blue dress. She proceeded to her vanity to brush her thick black locks before pinning some of her hair up. She watched Rose in the mirror of her vanity. She appeared so young and innocent, a far cry from the girls who worked here. “But for some of the girls here, like me—we actually like the job. You should forget about Jack, and come work for us.”
Rose’s eyes widened. Her? Work as a prostitute? She felt slightly sick, but then she glanced around the room. How well-decorated and furnished Maria's boudoir was, and how lovely Maria always appeared. Whores were seen as being dirty and filthy but Maria was far from that. “I can't.” Rose felt her eyes fill with tears and she turned away quickly so as not to let Maria see her face.
“Why not, girl? The money is good, the sex is amazing, and the men we have are gorgeous.” A smile curved on Maria's face. “You're a pretty girl, Rose. You'd attract a lot of men. Some men even offer marriage proposals, and you can accept them at any time.”
“But I don't just want to marry someone I am having sex with. Someone I don't have any feelings for.”
“Rose, when you make love to a man, you will know how you feel. If you love them, if you hate them, or if you just enjoy the sex with a mysterious, handsome stranger who is passing through town.” Maria stood and came towards Rose, touching her face gently, as if she was a friend. Rose closed her eyes, seeking some comfort from Maria. The woman she had once hated had turned out to be not as bad as she thought originally. “You need to learn some lessons in the way of life, Rose. Men are bastards. They mess you up and make you cry, but you have to find the right ones, the ones who are worth your tears.”
A single tear fell down Rose's cheek, and Maria wiped it away with her finger. Maria's words had hit home for her. She had thought Jack was someone she could always rely on, and even though he hadn't been unfaithful to her, it felt like he had ripped her heart out. “But to me, Rose, no man is ever worth my tears.” Maria backed away from Rose. She just saw a little girl with no home and a broken heart. “Come, Rose. We'll get you another drink.” Rose nodded and followed Maria into the lounge. All of the other girls watched her. They either whispered about her or simply watched in awe. The girls came in all different shapes and sizes, but all were lovely in one way or another. Rose managed to smile a little through her tears, and when she reached the lounge, Maria closed the door.
It was almost midnight by the time Rose had drunk several more brandies and had opened up to Maria about her entire life. The two women had talked as if they were lifelong friends. Rose felt the buzz in the room, and almost felt alive for the first time in a while. Cal was long forgotten, and Jack, too. She had learned that he was not worth her tears. Maria had made her see that Jack obviously didn't care about her—he was a typical male. The room seemed to spin a little and Rose giggled for unknown reasons, but she didn't care. She actually felt happy. Drinking the rest of the brandy, she felt the familiar burn was not even as bad as it was when she had taken her first sip of the liquor. Maria's words floated around her head. She made the profession sound so great, so glamorous, and the only hard part was losing her virginity, something she had imagined she would do with her husband. But Rose thought back to the first night she had met Jack. Her words to him had been so true. ''Love? Jack, the only man I have ever loved is my father, and that is the way it will remain forever. Girls like me don't fall in love. We marry for business.'' She knew now how right she was. Although she had fallen in love with Jack, she soon hoped she would fall out of it. It was unhealthy for her. She would marry a man who was good to her, who could support her and understand her and maybe someday give her a child or two, but never would she fall in love with him.
“You would have a home here, Rose, with real friends and people who care about you and watch your back.” Maria flicked the ash from her cigarette into a small, dainty ashtray on the end table. “If that Caledon ever came back, Satine knows men who would gladly take care of him.” She smiled.
Rose felt her heart beat quicker, knowing what she meant by take care of him. But she didn't care. Maria made everything sound so great. It was like everything she had wanted when she left finishing school. Real friends who cared about her, a great home, and a way to make money herself. “That's what I want, Maria,” she sighed breathlessly. She never imagined she would find what she wanted in Maria, but she had.
Maria sat forward, stubbing her cigarette out. “You want to join us, Rose?” she asked her, to confirm she had heard it right. Slowly, Rose nodded her head. She would leave everything before and become a working girl. Maria stood, straightening out her dress. She held out her hand to Rose. “Come on. We'll go to see Satine.”
*****
Satine sipped her champagne. Diamonds dripped from her fingers and wrists. Her dress was made out of lace and showed every curve she had and more. At forty-nine, she was still very desirable. She had opened the brothel when she was just twenty and now, after nearly thirty years, sexy young girls came to her in hopes of earning money and living out the dream. Maria knocked at the door of Satine's boudoir. Every girl had to in case she was busy entertaining.
“Come in!” she called. Maria entered with Rose following. Satine eyed the young redhead. “Hello. I do not believe you work for me.”
Rose shook her head, but remained silent. She took in the surroundings of the large boudoir. It was obvious that Satine was the boss. Maria ushered Rose further into the room and closed the door behind her.
“Well, don't be shy, child. Speak up. Tell me your name.”
“R-Rose. Rose DeWitt Bukater,” she stuttered, feeling slightly nervous even with the effects of the alcohol she had consumed.
“What a long name.” Satine laughed. “So, what can I do for you, Mademoiselle?”
Maria took a seat beside Satine and raised her eyebrows. Rose had well and truly lost her tongue. “Speak up, Rose. Don't be shy.” Maria nodded her head. Rose couldn't think of anything to say whatsoever. She couldn't even remember why she was here.
After several moments, Maria spoke for her. “Rose was just telling me she would like to join us girls here.”
“Is this right, Rose?” Satine turned to Rose. She took a sip from her champagne glass and Rose furrowed her brows, seeing something sparkle in the bottom of the glass. Was that a diamond? She shook her head. She had had no idea just had wealthy Satine was until now. Rose nodded her head just once. Satine placed her glass on the large marble table and clapped her hands just once. “Fantastic.” She grinned. “We'll draw up some sort of contract.” Rose felt her heart drop for a second, but then thought about what Maria had said. Maybe this was a good thing, a new life for her.
“One small thing, Rose.” Satine smiled. “Are you a virgin?”
“Yes, I am.” She spoke shyly. “Would—would that be a problem?” she asked shyly.
“Oh, no. No.” Satine turned to Maria and smiled. “Actually, this makes it a lot more interesting. See, the thing is, Rose, your virginity would be taken by the highest bidder.”
Rose felt as though she was a prize cow. She stared blankly at Satine and Maria, not fully understanding anything. “Highest bidder?”
“Yes, child. The man who is willing to pay the most money for your virginity will have the privilege of taking it. After that, you are free to take any man you wish.” Satine picked up a fountain pen and a sheet of white paper. She dipped the pen into some ink and began to scribble on the paper something which Rose could not see. She couldn't take anything in. Everything felt a blur. Was this the right thing to do? “And what do I do to the highest bidder?”
Maria shook her head at Rose's innocence. She sat beside Rose and took her hand in her own. “Look, Rose. I know this is scary, but once the first time is over, everything is all right.”
“But what do I do to the highest bidder?” she repeated.
“You make love to them, Rose. What else?” Maria chuckled, as did Satine.
“Right, then. Dear, all I need here is for you to sign. This is just a contract that binds you to working here as one of the girls.” Satine quickly dipped the pen in some ink before handing it to Rose, who stared blankly at the paper. It looked as though it was written in French. “Quickly, child, before the ink dries.” Quickly, Rose signed her name at the bottom of the paper before handing it back to Satine.
Maria smiled to herself, satisfied. She was a whore now. She would be selling herself to men for money. Jack wouldn't want her now.