Madeleine took a step towards Karyn. This was someone new, she thought; she needed to know what had happened and quickly.
“Jeune femme, comment vous appelez-vous ?” (“Young woman, what is your name?”) she asked, trying not to sound too harsh. She had a reputation with the girls for being tough on them. She liked to think of it as tough but fair, but the girls didn’t see it that way.
“Karyn, Karyn Black,” Karyn said, turning away from the mirror, still not sure how she had ended up wearing these clothes — if they could even be called clothes.
Another foreigner, Madeleine thought to herself.
“Ah… you are Americain as well?” Madeleine asked in her thick French accent.
“Yes,” Karyn said.
“You came here with ze young man outside?” Madeleine asked the young woman.
“If you mean Jon, yes, we came here together, wherever here is,” Karyn replied.
“Ah… you do not know where you are, non?” Madeleine asked, studying her more carefully now.
“It’s complicated.” It was the only answer Karyn could think to give the older woman without sounding insane.
“I think perhaps I understand. I just need to let your young man know zat you are alright,” Madeleine told her as she walked back towards the dressing-room doorway and Jon.
“Ok,” Karyn said, trying not to sound too scared.
“Young man, your friend, she is alright. I will bring her to you in a moment,” Madeleine told Jon when she reached the doorway.
“That’s great. Thank you,” Jon said to her, still not quite sure why he couldn’t just walk in and get her.
“You said zat she bumped into anozzer woman, yes?” Madeleine asked him.
“Yes, I had almost forgotten about her. She fell out of the room at the same time Karyn fell inside,” Jon answered, ashamed that he had forgotten to check on the woman, though in his defence he had been worried about Karyn.
“At ze same time?” Madeleine repeated carefully.
“I think so,” Jon replied.
“Could you check on her for me while I speak wiz your friend?” Madeleine asked.
“Of course, I was just so…” Jon started to say when Madeleine stopped him.
“I understand, monsieur, but if you could check on her for me, oui?” Madeleine said calmly.
“I’ll go and do it right now,” Jon said as he headed towards where the woman was sitting.
As he got closer, he was more than a little shocked at what she was wearing.
Meanwhile, behind him, Madeleine turned back towards Karyn, but this time she closed the dressing-room door behind her.
