Vaudeville Runaway, page 7
“That was amazing!” she yelled, practically jumping up and down.
“They’re very good,” Laura admitted. She leaned over like she had a secret to tell. “Wait until you see the adult version.”
Kitty’s mouth popped open in shock. She had no idea what that meant or what it would look like, but just the way Laura said it sent chills down her spine and anticipation through her limbs. It was a strange mix of sensations.
Kitty couldn’t wait.
Honestly, the rest of the acts were just as insane. There was tumbling and acrobatics mixed in with dancing, a tightrope, and then more animals who she would bet were shifters, but it was all magical.
Still, it went by in a blur and she felt like she needed to see it all a thousand more times to truly see everything.
When everyone came out to take their bow she clapped harder than anyone, standing and spilling popcorn everywhere in her excitement. Calvin, Adam, and Damien caught her eye and all three of them winked at her.
For some reason that made her breathless as she remembered Laura’s words.
The lights went up and everyone started leaving, buying tokens and trinkets on their way out as they talked about their favorite parts.
Kitty remained in her seat and turned to face Laura. “We need more wine. That was stressful.”
The witch laughed and called over one of the guys. “Could you get us two bottles? We’re going to need them.”
He looked at Kitty and then gave Laura a smirk. “Of course, doc. Anything else?”
Laura blushed at the attention and that made Kitty inspect the guy more closely. He was gorgeous too – just like all of them were. Laura shook her head and started cleaning up the mess around them as he walked away.
Instantly Kitty felt bad and picked up the popcorn she’d spilled and put it into one of the empty containers nearby. “He’s really cute, you should tap that.”
They hadn’t known each other very long and the witch had a prickly personality most of the time, but Kitty felt like Laura was one of the closest female friends she’d had in a long time. For better or for worse her ex-boyfriend had been her best friend.
His abandonment still hurt sometimes.
Kitty had put so much into that relationship. She’d invested so much time, energy, love, and trust. Never in a million years had she thought he would chicken out and leave her on the road. But she blamed herself really. He had never been one for crazy adventures. Despite his support for her new career, she’d known it had made him uncomfortable.
After so many years she had grown out of the naïve little princess she’d been and wanted everything the world had to offer while her ex had been content to stay in Washington forever. Maybe get a boring job in Seattle that paid the bills. Have two point five kids.
Kitty had wanted a family too, but she’d wanted to see the world first.
When Laura didn’t say anything she looked over at the witch with a critical eye. “We’re friends, right?”
Laura looked up in surprise. “Do you want to be friends?”
Kitty couldn’t help but laugh and roll her eyes. “Duh, I don’t dance for just anyone.”
“That was a trade,” Laura reminded her.
“So for future hair charms do I need to dance for you every night? Or is there some other barter system you’d prefer, bestie?”
“Bestie?” Laura exclaimed. “I don’t know about bestie.”
Then the wine came and Kitty poured them both hefty glasses while the roadies, or whatever they were called, cleaned up the tent in record time. No doubt they were using magic too.
“You clearly need a bestie,” Kitty told her. “And I want to be the one to do the honors. Why don’t you go after that hot piece of ass who is clearly smitten with you? I mean he brought us wine and chocolate that we didn’t even ask for.”
Laura shrugged. “Fine, you can be my best friend but only because no one else is lining up for the job.”
Kitty smirked. Fuck she loved this chick’s sass. “I’ll cry at night because of this you know.”
Sighing Laura rolled her eyes but she couldn’t hide the smile on her face either. “You’re so dramatic. Anyways, I don’t go after all the hot pieces of ass as you so eloquently put it because if it doesn’t work out things are going to be awkward and everyone will know about it and I’ll be labeled as the ‘circus slut,’ especially after I’ve been gone for so long.”
That was a lot of shit to deal with and it sounded like total bullshit. “Who fucking cares?” Kitty asked, taking a massive gulp of wine. “You do you, queen. You’re a fucking doctor for chrissakes and a witch? They should all be so lucky to have the privilege of tasting your magic pussy.”
“What did I miss?” Adam asked, coming up to them from the depths of nowhere with a toy in his hand.
Laura was blushing so hard her entire face was red but Kitty just grinned up at Adam and crossed one leg over the other. “None of your damn business. Can I help you with something?”
“I bought you this,” he told her. “I know it’s stupid, but you were eyeing them earlier and I thought you’d want one.”
Kitty took the doll from him and for a second it felt like she couldn’t breathe as she realized what it was. It was more beautifully crafted than a Barbie and had the most expressive eyes. It reminded her of those old school harlequin dolls but revamped into something modern and less creepy.
This one looked like a trapeze artist with her hand up and the little outfit she wore.
“It’s not going to wake up and kill me is it?” she joked, trying to hide how choked up she’d gotten, or the tears currently rimming her eyes.
Adam smiled and leaned down to kiss her cheek. “Nope. Not as long as you don’t piss off any of the witches.” Then he lowered his voice to something deep and delicious. “I’m glad you like it. I’ll never forget the way you looked at us tonight, so I wanted you to have something to remember that moment as well.”
Then he was gone and Kitty was left with wine and a doll. She ran her thumb over its perfect face. “They’re very good at this mate thing,” she murmured.
Laura poured more wine into Kitty’s glass and then filled up her own. “Boys are hard,” she admitted. “Even with a magic pussy.”
Hearing her say it made Kitty snort the wine through her nose she laughed so hard. “Boys are hard,” she agreed, wiping the wine from her face. Then sighed when she realized it was all over her.
Grinning Laura muttered a few words and snapped her fingers. The wine completely disappeared. “That one’s on the house. If you want to be my wing-woman at the after party tonight, I’ll consider it.”
Kitty looked up at her and realized this was probably the best night of her life. “There’s a fucking party? Holy shit. I’ll have to change. You do too. You can borrow something. I doubt you have anything appropriate.”
“Just enjoy the second show,” Laura told her, popping a chocolate into her mouth. “Then we’ll talk about what to wear tonight. And absolutely no heels.”
Kitty looked back down at the doll in her hand. She was going to have to decide what she wanted to do soon or the circus was going to steal her heart.
Chapter Nine
Kitty
Fuck, the party was so much more nerve wracking than she’d thought it would be. Kitty thought it was partly because no one knew her but they all knew who she was – the mate to the Alpha’s triad.
Not only that, now she was anxious as hell to see Calvin, Adam, and Damien after the adult version of their show.
She and Laura had gotten wine drunk while they waited and then Kitty had been mesmerized the entire performance. It wasn’t quite as long as the first show, but it was still fucking amazing.
The knife throwers had purposefully gotten close enough that the sharp blades cut the clothes from their assistants until they were in nothing but flashy pasties and glittery underwear – even the men.
The ones doing the tricks wore much more suggestive outfits. She could see every muscle glinting under the sexy light and someone had oiled their skin.
There were no clowns and no animals. It reminded her a lot of some of the risqué shows in Vegas. Ones she’d considered auditioning for. But Kitty had wanted to make enough money to put her baby brother through college – to help her parents retire on time after they’d taken out their savings when they’d found out they were going to have Liam so late in life.
She’d wanted to buy her own house and save up for her own retirement before she hit 35. And the only way she knew how to do all that with the skills she possessed was to strip in Vegas making a thousand bucks or more a night. Most couldn’t do it, but Kitty knew she could. She didn’t know why or how, but clients threw fives instead of ones at her most of the time.
It was probably some cosmic balance. She had terrible luck, so the universe tried to make up for it elsewhere.
When her mates had come out to do their performance though, she’d choked on the chocolate in her mouth.
They were shirtless and in pants so tight she could see everything.
Everything everything.
What their act was about she couldn’t tell anyone because she’d been too distracted by the sultry moves they’d performed and the death defying stunts they did. They used aerial silks and hoops instead of the trapeze for this act.
Women didn’t strip during their performances but they wore glittering costumes of nothing while they performed their own acts on the tightrope, the silks, the hoops…it was all sultry and sexy and done to slow, suggestive songs.
They picked people out of the audience just like strip clubs did and added them to the act.
No wonder it felt like the second performance was just as packed, if not more, than the first. Somehow this show was known and had spread across the internet like wildfire. They had some fans who apparently traveled from city to city to see them.
It was fucking mind-blowing to see how popular they were and yet so rarely talked about. Kitty supposed it was like any other niche thing. They were known by the right people and that was all that mattered.
“Why do you look so nervous?” Laura snapped as she came up to Kitty with more wine. “You never look nervous and now you’re making me feel like this whole thing was a mistake.”
She took the wine and breathed in deep. Then Kitty smiled at Laura. “You look amazing. Don’t freak out.” She adjusted the hem of the skirt she’d put the witch in and then nodded. “You have nice legs.”
Kitty checked her own outfit for the thousandth time. It was really hard to dress sexy when it was freezing but the mess tent was packed and food was being passed around. Music blared and everyone laughed and danced and celebrated.
It was strange to be a part of this as an outsider but it was also magical.
Kitty tugged on the hem of her bodycon sweater dress only once. If it rode up her ass that’s what her tights were for. The thigh-high boots would keep her legs warm and her hair was down. In the mess tent she felt cozy, but she knew the walk back to her own tent would suck.
So Kitty drank more wine to warm up.
“I don’t know how you pull off thigh-high boots that don’t even have a heel,” Laura muttered, watching as a few people started pulling out instruments. “You’re so short I could put you in my pocket.”
“Don’t you dare,” Kitty hissed. She didn’t know if Laura could actually do that but she wasn’t going to test her. “Where are they?”
Laura gave her a look she couldn’t decipher and then jerked her chin at the band that was beginning to form. “They do the first song, and then usually Calvin joins us. Adam and Damien should in a few hours, but with you here I’m not sure.”
Kitty felt her body gravitate toward them, pushing through the crowd as she inspected each of the people starting up a new melody as someone else shut off the music coming from the speakers.
Adam and Damien still didn’t wear a shirt as they came into the tent and sat with drums between their legs. Kitty couldn’t stop staring, a small part of her wondering if they didn’t feel the cold because they were lion shifters or what.
As they started the rhythm that set her blood boiling, Kitty found herself on the edge of the crowd encircling them. Where was Calvin?
Then she saw him in the back.
All of them together built the music up and up until she could barely keep her feet still.
Calvin played the guitar so skillfully she wondered what the fuck he was doing as a trapeze artist and not a musician. He rivaled those viral videos of genius musicians as his fingers plucked the strings with such speed and precision that the melody built and added to the main music, yet somehow stood apart.
Vaguely she realized Laura had joined her at some point, but Kitty barely processed anything but the men performing. As Adam and Damien beat the drums their muscles stood out and sweat dripped down their chests. They were focused yet free.
Then all of a sudden Calvin had a microphone and he was saying her name.
“What?” she asked, glancing at Laura for help.
The witch was laughing with her hands up like she wanted nothing to do with any of it – which wasn’t a good sign.
“Kitty Ann Peters – all visitors have to grace us with a show as their ticket behind the scenes. Do you want to perform now or later?”
Hundreds of eyes turned to her, but they weren’t full of malice or hatred. The crowd just…waited for her response.
Kitty inspected them as the music grew and she recognized the flame dancers, the knife throwers, the woman who had asked to tell her fortune – then those who were just as vital, the ones who set up the rigging and the sets and kept everything in tip top shape, the cooks, and the ones who ran the carnival.
Kitty looked over at Laura – even a doctor.
They’d done so much for her.
And all they wanted was a show?
Seemed fair.
“I can do it now,” she said with a slight smile, handing her wine to Laura. “But I have to warn you, I’ve been drinking all night.”
For some reason that made everyone in the mess tent cheer and Kitty couldn’t help but laugh with them. This might be a total disaster but at least it would be fun.
“Get the lady a pole,” Calvin said into the microphone. His deep voice reverberated through the space and somehow added to the music. “Kitty, you have the floor.”
They didn’t change the music. Adam and Damien grinned at her as they pounded the drums. Calvin watched as she tilted her head at him, following the quick movements of his fingers. She processed the beat and the rhythm while she contemplated what else those quick fingers could do.
Thank goodness there were a ton of other people to hide her scent. She couldn’t be the only one feeling a bit needy at the moment. Kitty glanced back one last time at Laura when the riggers finished setting up the pole with flashy bows. The witch gave her a thumb’s up and then drained both glasses of wine.
Kitty never felt nervous before a dance. Not since the first time she’d done one. But she did now. Normally she had routines memorized to different songs, but this wasn’t like any song she’d ever danced to before.
It was raw and primal and just this side of animalistic.
Kitty rolled her neck side to side and closed her eyes as she processed the music, the beat, the moves she knew, and every dance she’d ever performed. She pushed back her nerves at having her mates watch her – Damien had already seen at least.
With quick, sure movements she removed her boots, stripped off her tights, and then stepped back into the thigh-high boots, rolling down the top slightly so it wouldn’t mess with her grip.
She had to remind herself not to look at Damien or Adam yet when she opened her eyes and stepped forward toward the pole. Their bare, sweaty chests begged to be licked and touched and Kitty didn’t want to fall on her face because she was too busy wondering what they tasted like.
Each rolling, sensual step made her hips sway until she reached that familiar pole. And she placed one hand on the metal.
Instantly the noise in her head stopped and it was just her and the music and her audience – all of them.
Normally she wasn’t so flashy with her gymnast skills, but these were circus people – she wanted to prove she was one of them if only for the night.
There hadn’t been a request to remove her clothing, but it would make the tricks easier. Kitty needed skin to hold onto the metal, to keep her from slipping and falling to the ground in a heap. So she spun around the metal, pausing when the music did, swaying her hips, tracing her curves, finding eyes in the crowd to connect with.
It was all about the connection – that was how she got them to fall in love with her every night. Kitty made it seem like everything she did was for them, even in a room full of people. As the music changed she leaned her back against the pole and pulled the dress up slowly over her thighs, then hips, and finally up and over her head.
Cheers and catcalls made her smile. The vibe was fun and flirty and…supportive. No one here judged her for choosing this medium, for choosing to make money this way. They all seemed to know how hard it was in the real world.
Life was impossible sometimes and music and a dance could make it feel like things weren’t so bad anymore.
Then she gripped the metal and hoisted herself up slowly with only one hand. Using every muscle in her core that she possessed to make it look effortless and beautiful, when in reality she felt the strain to keep in time with the music, to remind herself to keep her face smooth and sultry, and most importantly to breathe.
A small somersault didn’t seem hard, but at this speed? There was no momentum or inertia to help her out. And Kitty smiled as she went into the next move just as slowly.
She did splits and spins and crazy holds she barely ever did in the clubs. Kitty pulled out all the stops, making sure it timed to the music as best she could. She even used the most dangerous holds at the top of the pole, one foot wrapped around the pole in the splits right against the metal – no hands.
