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The journey to Paris from Rochefort was long and tiring, and Delphine quickly became annoyed by the constant tomfoolery by Étienne and Bill, so she opted to look out of the window and tune them out. It seems that her methods of distraction only served to make the journey even longer, but there weren't many better alternatives. Solange tried to cheer her up by telling her wild fantasies about their future in Paris, but Delphine could now only think about her masculine ideal.
He would have blond hair, like hers, and he would be creative and sensitive, with a decent appreciation for the arts. They could talk about the opera or the ballet endlessly, and always enjoy each other’s company.
Delphine sighed as she gazed out of the open window, having successfully distracted herself by thinking about her and her masculine ideal growing old together. It was getting to the end of summer, and it was certainly showing in the weather as they went further North. She didn’t even notice they had arrived in Paris until Solange slapped her round the face. Immediately, she stared in wonder at the busy streets of the city and the beautiful lights that glowed softly in the darkness.
—
It was almost impossible to find a hotel room that night; it seemed that everyone was chasing their dreams in Paris. While walking from one hotel to the next, Delphine spotted a poster that was plastered onto a wall. She stopped to read it, intrigued by the dancers pictured on it, while the others kept walking.
It advertised open auditions for a new ballet at the Palais Garnier, happening tomorrow at 9h. Delphine ran excitedly up to the group. “There are auditions tomorrow for a ballet! Do you think I have a chance?”
Solange seemed elated by the news, and replied: “Of course! You’re the best dancer I’ve ever seen! I’ll go with you too, I want to see how it goes.”
Luckily, the next hotel they stopped at had one room available, but it only had one double bed. Obviously, Étienne and Bill claimed the bed, but Solange and Delphine wanted it too, so they all squabbled needlessly until they agreed to share it with each other. The twins slept at the head, and Étienne and Bill slept at the foot, kicking each other to get more space.
—
Delphine was the first to wake up, as she had been restless all night thinking about her audition, and Solange got up soon after, but Étienne and Bill stayed in bed, even when the twins left for the audition.
After running to the Palais Garnier, Delphine was only a few minutes late, and arrived just in time for her to register. The rest of the auditions went perfectly— though Solange wasn’t allowed in to watch— and Delphine was sure that she’d get a place in the ballet, even if it was only minor. She left with Solange, both of them chattering excitedly about the ballet on the way to the hotel.
Étienne and Bill were still asleep when they got back, though now they were stretched out on the bed lazily. Solange had to shove them off and force them to pack up, but the salesmen denied that they were sleeping in and put on their charismatic personas.
When they checked out of the hotel, they went to a park nearby where they spent most of the day, and then went back to the truck and slept in there. It was far easier and cheaper to sleep in the truck every night instead of booking a hotel, although it proved to be rather uncomfortable.
Delphine returned to the Palais Garnier the next day to look at the new cast list, and she danced all the way back to the park with a smile on her face.
“Solange, I got in! I’m only a minor character, but it’s at least a paid role!”
“Oh, that’s brilliant! I’m so proud of you, Delph! Maybe we will have enough to get ourselves some better accommodation…” She looked cheekily at Étienne and Bill, who were practicing handstands on the grass. “I know you’ll do brilliantly.” She hugged Delphine, and they told Étienne and Bill the good news together.
—
The rehearsals for the ballet were getting so tiring that Delphine couldn’t walk back to the truck by herself anymore, so she arranged to have the others pick her up every day. It was certainly hard work, but Delphine felt happier than she had in years now that she was in a professional show. She was quite popular with the rest of the cast as well, so there was more to look forward to when going to rehearsals.
After 3 weeks, the ballet had its opening night, which Solange, Étienne, and Bill all came to see. Coincidentally, a blond man was sitting next to them, and Solange recognised him immediately. At the interval, she spoke to him.
“Monsieur Maxence? It’s you, I know it! It’s so good to see you again, especially in Paris. How are you finding the show?”
“It’s marvellous; the sets are perfect, really well-designed, and the orchestrations are magical. I’m enthralled! Never before have I seen such a wonderful show! The dancers are incredibly skilled and convey the story wonderfully. There’s one in particular, she’s the only blonde in the company-”
“That’s my sister! She’s doing amazingly, isn’t she? I can take you to meet her at the stage door, if you want?”
The orchestra began tuning up for the second act, which shut off their conversation at the displeasure of Solange. Bill screwed up his face in concentration as he tried to follow the plot, but he soon joined Étienne in sleeping through the rest of the ballet.
At the end of the ballet, a tragic and beautiful scene, Solange woke Étienne and Bill and took them with her and Maxence to the stage door to meet with Delphine. They all congratulated her on her magnificent performance, but Étienne and Bill gave slightly more vague compliments, having missed the majority of the show. Then, Delphine laid her eyes on Maxence– it was love at first sight! Now that he could see her face in more detail, Maxence gasped.
“It’s you!” he exclaimed. “I painted a portrait of you without even knowing you! You’re- No… It can’t be possible. You’re my feminine ideal!”
“It was you who painted my portrait?! I knew I’d find you eventually! I said— didn’t I, Solange? I said that I’d meet you! It’s so good to meet you, monsieur… euh…”
“Maxence.”
“Maxence… Such a beautiful name.” Delphine grasped Maxence’s hands in hers. “I- Forgive me for saying this, dear Maxence, but I think I’ve fallen in love with you. And not just now, I mean. I’ve been in love with you ever since I saw my portrait in the gallery. Just the very idea of you! I’ve been dreaming of you and of loving you for such a long time, how could we have missed each other so narrowly?”
“Chance is a wondrous thing, dear. And evidently, I’m so deeply in love with you too! You’re all I was thinking about while I was doing my military service— and to know that you were always just a walk away from me! It’s unbelievable.”
Étienne and Bill— much more used to casual, uncaring relationships— found the gushy, passionate declarations of love too over the top and theatrical, so they walked to the truck with Solange, leaving Maxence and Delphine together in the cold. Delphine was so distracted by her newfound love that Maxence had to point out the fact that they left.
“Oh no! They were my only accommodation, and it’s far too dark to find my way back!”
“I have my own apartment here, if you’d like to stay for the night? You don’t have to, and I can help you walk to wherever you need to go instead, but-”
“Of course I’d like to stay with you, Maxence, I’m not crazy! The truck’s uncomfortable as it is!”
Maxence shivered and blew into his hands, rubbing them together. “It is getting rather cold out here, though. We’d better leave now in case we die of frostbite!”
Seeing Maxence in the cold with a rosy nose and cheeks made Delphine feel sympathetic towards him, and she took off her own coat and wrapped it around him with a smile. She held his hand as he led her down the dimly lit streets to his apartment. They made gentle and intimate conversation for the whole journey, and nearly couldn’t stop talking when it was time to sleep, but they managed to fall asleep while chatting to each other in bed.
—
Maxence went to all of Delphine’s shows after that, and Delphine moved in with him. It was difficult to explain to Solange that they wouldn't be living together anymore, but, with the little money that Étienne and Bill earned from sales, they were able to buy an apartment room in the same building as them.
Obviously it was annoying to always hear the three cracking jokes with each other, but a bit of Delphine was comforted by the fact that her friends weren’t too far away, and that they wouldn’t have to live in their truck any longer.
After her ballet ended, Delphine got a job with Solange selling fries at a small café, and Maxence always joked when he stopped by that it was just like Rochefort. And perhaps, despite starting a new life, Solange and Delphine took some elements of their home with them.