The Nine Lives of Felicia Miller (16 page)

But something in her was excited by the possibilities. A part of her felt like a caged lion, eager to break out and go wild. To unleash the animal in her, for all the world to see.

What are you afraid of, girl? You know you can move like a gee-dee cheetah. You’ve never been more in control of your body in your life.

Her thoughts turned from the audience to Nelson.

You’ll knock him dead with your feline grace. Stir up his primal juices.

She chuckled inwardly at the thought.
I doubt if his juices  need stirring. He is a teenage boy after all. Even though he acts so cool and mature. He can’t hide that look in his eyes.

She imagined them dancing. Beautifully. A matched pair moving in perfect harmony. Amazing the hometown audience with their synchronized perfection.

Her fantasy quickly grew steamier. She thought of Nelson lifting her high and swinging her about like a rag-doll, inhaling her steamy essence as her legs brushed his shoulders and wrapped themselves around his sweet neck.

She imagined
his hands gripping her thighs as he hoisted her high. The heat of their bodies connecting under the hot stage lights. Their perspiration mingling…

“Felicia?” It was Mr. Baxter again, breaking into her reverie.

“Huh?”

“You’ll think about it?”

Felicia looked over at Nelson. Despite the brittle smile on his face, he looked strangely gloomy. Uncharacteristically insecure.

Uh uh, can’t have that.
“Yes.” Felicia replied. “Sure.”

“You’ll think about it?”

“I’ll do it.”

She turned and smiled at Nelson. His face brightened, and she was reminded of the sun as it rose that morning, bringing her back to humanity.

169

Libby pounded softly on the bathroom stall door. “Felicia? Are you okay? You’re not getting cold feet again, are you?”

“No, Libby, I’m okay. I just need a minute.”

“You don’t have a minute. You’re up next. Nelson is waiting backstage. You’re making him nervous. If you make him wait any longer he might be too nervous to perform.”

“Has the sun gone down?”

“What?”

“The sun. Has it gone down yet?”

“Yeah, like twenty minutes ago. What are you, some kind of vampire all of a sudden?”

The stall door opened and Felicia emerged.

Libby watched impatiently as she ran to the bathroom mirror and quickly checked her make-up. “You look fine. Good enough for Broadway.”

Felicia did look fine. Her cat make-up was very creative and surreal, less constrained by the realism of her usual transformational make-up.

What the hell was I thinking when I agreed to wear this costume? I really dodged a bullet this time.
She shuddered as she imagined herself transforming in front of the dressing room mirror.
I would have turned into some kind of freaky cartoon cat. Is that even possible?

She hurried backstage to where Nelson was waiting. He looked amazingly hot in his lion costume. Below a magnificent shaggy mane and exotic leonine face paint, a skin-hugging dancetard showed off his chiseled sixpack.

He looks good enough to eat.

“Felicia. Are you okay?” he asked.

“Yeah, sorry. Just a few butterflies.” Glancing over his shoulder she saw a line of zanily costumed zombies stumbling through a whimsical dance routine onstage. They weren’t the cream of the drama club’s talent pool, and it was wise that they’d chosen a comedic performance. They finished to a round of generous applause.

“You sure?” Nelson prodded. He seemed genuinely concerned, which Felicia found charming but slightly equivocal. Was he genuinely concerned about her personally, or worried she might screw up their act and embarrass him?

“I’m good,” she said firmly.

“Okay. Cool. Just relax. We’re gonna knock ‘em dead.” He gently stroked her cheek. Felicia felt something warm and refreshing stir in her psyche. There was nothing dubious about the effect his touch had on her. It was pure animal magnetism.

The applause died and Crystal ran backstage amid a throng of fellow zombies, all aglow in their colorful costumes and ghoul-clown greasepaint.

“F-felicia, d-did you l-like our act?”

“Yeah, Crys, it rocked the house,” Felicia fibbed. “You got some wicked moves, girl.”

Crystal lit up. For a moment she felt like she belonged, and her stutter all but disappeared. “You’re so lucky,” she gushed. “You g-get to dance with Nelson. He’s s-so hot.”

Nelson smiled bashfully and pretended he hadn’t overheard. Giddy as a bunny, Crystal hurried to the wings to stake out a spot to watch them dance.

The houselights went black and the first notes of David Bowie’s “Cat People” played in the eerie darkness. The provocative beats continued in complete darkness for nearly half a minute, causing a swell of anticipation in the small town audience.

Finally a dim blue spotlight came up to reveal Nelson, striding on all fours across the stage. With his lean dancer’s body, he moved as good as he looked. He sprang to his feet as the music accelerated, lashing the air with his arms.

After a series of solo spins and leaps and kicks he froze—reacting to the sudden appearance of Felicia as a second spotlight flared on, revealing her squatting in the center of the stage. It was an artful surprise, and the audience clapped in appreciation.

Felicia slowly raised her head and slapped a hand forward on the stage. She looked even more impressive than her partner. A sleek beautiful creature slinking across the stage with true feline grace.

The audience sat spellbound, mesmerized by her inhuman moves. Her spine seemed to be made of rubber as she stretched and rolled and clawed the air. Nelson did his best to match her moves, but quickly realized that as good as he was, with years of dance training, her natural talent dwarfed his. Rather than succumb to jealousy, however, he altered his dance moves to showcase hers, happily assuming a supporting role.

As the tempo of the music increased, Felicia danced with a wildness and bravado she never knew was part of her. Her mind seemed to take a holiday, letting the feline part of her soul take command.

Backstage in the control booth, Libby consulted her cue sheet and worked the lights, signaling a major transition. The music changed from rousing to sensuous, and all eyes were fixed on Felicia as she lost herself in fluid sensuality. Nelson faded into the shadows at the edge of the stage, occasionally prowling behind her, but wisely letting her steal the show.

Felicia would have danced all night if the song hadn’t faded and the stage lights gone black. She finally sank to the floor and reclined in the darkness like a big cat at rest.

The audience erupted with even more enthusiasm than her last performance.

Nelson ran to her side and pulled her to her feet as the lights came up. Grabbing her hands he flung them high in victory. Felicia felt wobbly as the cat spirit slowly let go and the human part returned, somewhat dazed, to accept the accolades.

With a quick bashful bow, she turned and skittered offstage, but Mr. Baxter was there to shove her back out for a curtain call. “Go on. You deserve it. That was amazing.”

Felicia’s parents led the standing ovation and the entire audience was quick to join in. The applause continued long after she exited the stage again, with a very impressed Nelson on her heels.

“Felicia, that was insane. You were incredible.”

“So were you,” she responded, although she didn’t remember anything about his performance, or even her own, other than the feeling of freedom and joyful abandon she’d felt while performing.

“No. You stole the show.”

“C-can I have y-your autograph?” Crystal pushed a copy of the playbill at Felicia for her to sign.

Felicia just stared at her. Wondering if it was a joke.

“P-please. I’m s-serious,” insisted Crystal. “You’re g-going to be f-famous someday.”

It took some coaxing and a promise she’d be home by midnight, but Felicia’s parents finally agreed to let her stay behind for the cast party. She assured her father she’d call him if she needed a ride home, but she knew that wasn’t going to be necessary.

Mr. Baxter wasted no time in complementing her on her performance. He knew from years of experience dealing with teens how her night was likely to unfold, and he wasn’t surprised at all when she disappeared from the wrap party at roughly the same time Nelson did.

They were still wearing their leonine costumes under their winter coats as they slipped into Nelson’s Audi and sped off towards the woods. He parked in a turn-off outside out of town, a dead-end stretch of access road that no one would be using.

It was a far cry from the town’s usual lovers lane, which he knew the Sheriff would be patrolling that night, as he always did after school events.

“You were really amazing tonight,” Nelson said, with genuine admiration in his voice. He stroked her cheek sweetly, fully aware how she had responded the last time he did.

Felicia took him by surprise by pouncing on him. In a flurry of teen excitement she threw her leg across his lap and straddled him face to face. Her tongue found his mouth as her shoulders shrugged off her faux leopard skin coat. The thin fabric of their leotards was all that separated them, as her hands clawed his coat open to allow their bodies a closer communion.

Nelson groaned as her fingers probed the stiffness in his pants.

Felicia spread her thighs and rolled her groin against him.  He moaned even louder, dizzy with lust as he felt the damp heat of her pubes grinding against his hardness.

Felicia broke her kiss to breathe hot air in his ears, and it was more stimulation than he needed. He exploded with a gush of warm pleasure, his whole body twitching from the force of his orgasm. He never even had a chance to take down his pants.

Felicia kept grinding against him as he wriggled his hips, trying to ease off the sensation she was causing. It was overkill at this point. Exquisitely pleasurable, but too much so. Realizing he was spent as she felt the hot wetness soak through his leotard, but too worked up to stop, Felicia shifted her position and rubbed herself along his muscular thigh, letting the silky nylon fabric between her legs finish what he couldn’t.

Soon she was gasping in ecstacy, and finally melted in his embrace, pulses of orgasm echoing through her loins.

They lay for several minutes in each other’s arms, kissing and holding each other. “You’d better take me home now,” she finally said. “Otherwise I’ll be grounded for life.”

Nelson started the car without protest. Felicia settled against him, curled on the seat like a happy kitten as he backed out to the main road.

Halfway home she fell asleep, and had a bizarre but satisfying dream. She was half-human, half-cat, enjoying a contented home life with Nelson. Dressed in a checkered apron, she was surrounded by a pack of furry children while Nelson sat on the couch, reading the evening paper. She felt fulfilled in the dream, watching her half-feline toddlers tumble and roll and chase a ball of yarn.

“Wake up, sleepyhead.”

Felicia opened her eyes and couldn’t be happier to find Nelson smiling down at her. She gave him a deep goodnight kiss, but broke it short as she spotted a silhouetted figure watching from a window in her house.

“Oops. Time to say good night.” With a quick final kiss she darted from the car, pulling her coat tight around her as she approached the house.

She found her mother inside, pretending to be engrossed in a TV program, as if she hadn’t been spying. “Oh, Felicia, you’re home. How was the wrap party?”

“Great. ‘night, mom. I’m exhausted.”

Laurie simply watched as Felicia scurried up to her room. Wondering what dirty secrets her daughter was hiding.

169

Felicia was a block from Mr. Villani’s law office when the playful tooting of a familiar car horn stopped her in her tracks.

“Hey, gorgeous. Going my way?” Nelson flashed his aristocratic smile. Felicia hurried over to the Audi and leaned through the driver’s side window to give him a kiss. “Where to, beautiful? Hop in, I’ll give you a lift.”

“I’m just heading to Mr. Villani’s office.”

“Villani? The lawyer?”

“Yeah.”

“Why are you going to see a lawyer?” His tone struck Felicia as oddly apprehensive.

“I’m going to sue you,” she joked.

The ashen look on his face surprised her.

“Jeez, relax. I’m only kidding. I thought you had a sense of humor.”

“I do. It’s just… you never know these days. People sue over every little thing. It’s like some Bizarro-World lottery, y’know. Everybody thinks they deserve a free ride. How do I know you’re not some crazy psycho beeyotch? Especially after the way you jumped on me the other night. You’re an animal.”

“Oh really? Is that what you think?”