Free A Villain's Kiss by Joany Kane

 
    "What
do you think?" I nervously asked Sophie as I adjusted the sleek black
cocktail dress.   I knew I could
trust my best friend's judgment. I desperately wanted to look remarkable and
hoped that Sophie's flair for fashion would help me now in this important
dressing room moment.  

 
    "You
look stunning!" Sophie replied. "I would definitely buy that
dress.   You Jill, will be the
Cinderella of the cast party."   

 
    I
didn't really believe her, but I hugged my friend for her words of
encouragement.    Sophie's kind
words helped calm the butterflies in my stomach.   I wasn't sure why I felt so nervous, I wasn't the one that
would be performing on stage that night; I'd just be sitting in the audience.

 
    A
traveling theatre group was coming to town for one night.   I loved going to the theatre and I had
been excitedly looking forward to this night for months.   I even saved two month's worth of
waitress tips for the event.    Hard earned tips that bought me front row seats and expensive guest
passes to the cast party following the play.   The remainder of the money would go for my outfit.

 
    Sophie
and I spent hours getting ready for our special night.    The final touch of my beauty
preparation was a pair of sparking earrings.    

 
    "You
look ready to win an Oscar."   Sophie told me.  

 
    "I
hope Oscar is cute, nice and single."   I joked.   But it
wasn't really a joke, I didn't have a leading man in my life and there were
many nights I wished on the early evening star for a magical romance.    But the prospects had been bleak
for quite some time now so I had settled for finding inspiration and romance on
the page, stage and screen.

 
    Well,
the evening was finally here.   Sophie, her husband Earl, and myself arrived in time to enjoy a
champagne cocktail before the play began.   I was so nervous.

 
    You're
the prettiest patron of the arts here."   Earl told me.   "Well, second prettiest."   He amended as he snuggled his arm affectionately around
Sophie.  

 
    "Nice
save, Earl."   I chided.   

 
    As
the orchestra started the music we took our seats.   The lights dimmed, the curtain rose and the play began.   For the next couple of hours I was
swept up in the passion, romance and drama on the stage.  

 
    I
felt the longing in the stolen kiss between the hero and heroine.   Shivers ran down my spine when it felt
like the villain's eyes pierced through my very own soul.   Dark eyes that beckoned me to get lost
in, to get trapped in, the passion they held.

 
    I
relished every moment of the play - both the scary moments and the magical
ones.   As the curtain rose and the
actors took their final bows I felt sad.    The night that I so impatiently waited for was now
nearing its end.  

 
    "Don't
look so glum, we still have the cast party to go to."   Sophie reassured me.

 
    "Man,
that bad guy was pretty scary."   Earl commented. "I wouldn't want to meet him in a dark
alley."  

 
    "No
kidding.   He'd make a good
Dracula.   Did you see how dark his
eyes were?"   Sophie added.   

 
    I
shivered as I thought about those eyes. "I'll protect you fair damsels
from that phantom."   Earl
promised as he did his best to sound tough.   I wasn’t about to tell him the shivers weren’t shivers of
fright, but shivers of desire.

 
    "My
hero."   Sophie cooed as she
kissed her husband.   I couldn't
help but smile longingly at their affectionate exchange.    

 
    After
the play we headed over to the party.   The event was in full swing with the cast and VIP guests mingling about
in the penthouse suite of a hotel.   A jazz band played smooth music and waiters in tuxes served hor'deurves
and champagne cocktails.   Sophie
and I were so thrilled when we met both the leading man and leading lady.
"They don't seem at all like they do on stage."   Sophie whispered to me.

 
    The
champagne cocktails started to make me feel bubbly.   I