Page 27 of 3013: Wonderland

Over the past month, Evo had truly felt like it had become Juliet’s home. While she loved living at Wonderland with her mates, it was taking her a little longer to figure out how she fit into the sanctuary as a whole.

There were many businesses in Wonderland that she could have gotten involved in, but nothing had really stood out to her. She wasn’t interested in working in the casino, nor had she wanted to join the management team.

Instead, she and Melody had come up with an idea that they were sure would be a hit. The only problem was it would require a new theater to be constructed on sanctuary grounds. While they had the space, she needed to prove that the time and investment would be worth it.

When Juliet and Melody had spoken to Charm about the new show they wanted to create, she had been all for it. However, Juliet didn’t want to just tell Raek and Fenris about her idea.

She wanted them to see it.

They knew she had been working on a special project, but they hadn’t pushed her to tell them about it until she was ready. While the show wasn’t finished, one full number had been completed. Instead of straight ballet, they created a dance show that merged ballet with other forms of dance, as well as a mixture of acrobatics.

Jade, Emma, and some of the other females at Exodus had helped arrange dance auditions back in Zion. Using video calls, Juliet and Melody had been able to select the first dozen dancers they wanted to include in the show. It had been shockingly easy to convince those dancers to move to Evo. Not only were they excited about living on the gaming planetoid, the dancers also loved the concept of the new show.

Juliet’s celebrity status hadn’t died down during the last few weeks. Although she still wasn’t comfortable with all of the attention, it had worked in her favor. Dancers from all over Earth were now sending her messages, asking when the next round of auditions would be held. And if her new dance show was approved, she would use her reputation to promote the hell out of it.

“Until Raek and Fenris give their approval—” Juliet began, but Charm cut her off.

“They would let you drive a damn bulldozer into Wonderland if that’s what you wanted. If you think they are going to say no to you wanting to build a theater so you can perform your own dance show, you clearly haven’t accepted the fact they would do anything for you. Anything,” Charm stressed. “This preview really isn’t necessary, though I have to admit, it will be fun to watch.”

“Go. Take a seat. We’re ready to begin.”

“Break a leg,” Charm called out cheerfully as she hurried away.

Juliet smiled.

At least her sister had gotten it right this time. Charm used to tell her to break her head back when they were young. When asked, the Krytos female said it made a lot more sense to break the nerves out of a dancer’s head than any other appendage.

Pushing everything else aside, Juliet hurried toward the group of dancers waiting in the wings. After giving a short speech to hype them up, they were ready to perform. She gave the nod to the tech to play the music Ayla and her band had helped them prepare, then Juliet ran to the center of the stage to hit her mark.

She was wearing a costume of black lace over a nude material that made it look like she was barely wearing anything. She also had a black lace mask on her face that hid her identity. Her black ballet slippers had been tied up around her calves, adding to the modern look.

Posing, she waited for her cue.

The outer curtain lifted as the music began to play. A spotlight was trained on her, so the audience would only be able to see her silhouette through a thin white curtain as she began to dance. She knew Raek and Fenris would have no problem recognizing her since they knew her body as well as she did.

She started with a classical dance, twirling and spinning around the stage. When the music changed and a throbbing beat was added, she pulled at the clips that had secured her hair in place, letting it rain down her back in waves. Then, the white curtain was whisked away, exposing her to the audience. She could feel her mates’ eyes on her as she began to dance a more modern style.

It was sexy, each movement meant to lure people in.

When Melody and a small group of dancers joined her on stage, she used them as cover and ran toward the wing to watch. Melody was an expert in a Tarin style of dance that looked like it was a combination of belly dancing and contemporary. Melody’sred lace outfit showed off her impressive body, and as she and the other Tarin dancers worked the stage, the tempo of the music shifted again.

A different group of dancers replaced the first group, and acrobats dropped down from the ceiling on metal rings they sat on like swings. They started twisting and spinning in the air, mimicking what others were doing on stage as they spun around metal poles.

Juliet wanted to peek at the audience to gauge their reactions but didn’t let herself. She waited until her next cue, then flew back on stage, twirling her way to the center. All of the dancers joined her as they performed the same choreography. While all of them had different costumes, they all followed the same theme.

When the music ended, everyone froze on stage.

One…

Two…

Three…

A roar of applause rang out from the audience. Although there were only a dozen people sitting, they made enough noise to fill the theater. Juliet grinned as she gave the signal for everyone to take their bows.

While all of the dancers were congratulating each other backstage, Juliet hurried toward the private dressing room she was using to remove her mask that had been secured in place. She had chosen to use a guest room instead of Ayla’s dressing room, not wanting to invade her friend’s personal space. Still, the guest dressing rooms were lavishly appointed and very comfortable.

The door to the dressing room had just slid open when she was lifted from behind. She let out a surprised gasp, then relaxed when she immediately recognized Raek’s hard body pressed against her. He carried her into the dressing room, then Fenriswas standing in front of her, claiming her mouth in a scorching kiss.