On the Edge of Eternity

Return to the Stage

“I’m nervous!” I said in my dressing room of the sound studio, as I looked in my mirror, My long ebony hair pulled back into a high bun, by tutu clinging to my curves and the scarlet tulle floating gracefully to just below my knees.
“Why are you nervous?” Lindsey asked as I sat down to tie my slipper around my ankle, “ I mean there isn’t a crowd and you get infantine redoes.
“I donno, Linz, I haven’t ever had stage fright, ever!”
“Ready?” Zach called from the other side of the door.
“I’ll be out in a sec,” I called. I stepped out of the dressing room. The sound stage had been transformed in to an old dilapidated theater, with candles lit, on the floor of the stage and all over the shiny black grand piano, “ You look handsome,” I told Lestat as I walked to upstage right. He did, was it possible that he looked even more beautiful than he had on the night of the ball? His black velvet and red silk frock coat and vest, the delicate lace, that peaked out of the sleeves of the coat, his neck and throat covered with the collar of the shirt with the cravat tied around it.
“You look beautiful,” Lestat hissed. I smiled to myself, I loved complements.
I never realized just how hard it was for dancers in videos. How many times I did that dance just with cameras at slightly different angles, it was nerve racking. After the seventh take, we took a break, “Ugh,” I said as I sat on Lestat’s lap flirting.
“You truly are magnificent,” Lestat said brushing a strand of hair that had fall out of the bun out of my face, “How are your pretty little feet?” he asked sliding his warm hand down my tight covered leg and over the scarlet ribbon of the slipper tied around my muscular calf, and then to my feet.
“Alright, but loving this break,” I said stretching my legs out, “How many more times am I going to have to do the dance?”
“I have no idea.”
“Aren’t you fingers hurting from playing the piano,” I asked, taking his right hand kissing the tips of his fingers lightly.
“You are a wicked little girl aren’t you?”
“I try to be.”
“You know I think that you just might steal this video from me?”
“Really you think that I could steal the show?”
“Oh yes, I’m just playing the piano you’re, actually doing something that requires talent.”
“Like playing the piano doesn’t take talent. I can’t play any instrument, I tried, but it never worked, I couldn’t even play the recorder in the fifth grade.”
Lestat laughed, “But you can dance point ballet, how many other girls from your fifth grade class could do that?”
“Okay you have a point. Anyways I’d rather dance than play the recorder anyways.”
“Yes I can imagine so.”

“Okay hold that!” Lindsey said to me I could feel my caves and thighs burning, as I held my flat split, “Amber you’re so pretty, these are going to turn out great! Lestat, get in there and hold her arms, look more wistful.”
“Your telling me how to do the ballerina face?” I asked trying not to smile.
“Well you’re giving me the I’m pain look.”
“I am in pain.”
“Yeah why do Ballerinas always look unhappy?”
“Try walking around on your toes all days.”
“Oh Amber. Okay, lets pull your hair down,” Lindsey said as I stood, and pushed, my hair to the right side of my neck, “Okay Amber, put your arms in the little circle thing that you do over your head and Lestat wrap your arm around hers and then act like you’re going to bite her neck and Amber look like you’re in pain, but liking it so it’s still sexy,” Then there was the click of her camera, “Now, Amber get on your toes so Lestat is still taller than you, and then like put your arms down in the little circle thing and Lestat you keep your arms wrapped around hers .”
Lindsey’s photos of us were beautiful, my favorite was the photo where I was on en pointe, Lestat and I were facing each other with a rose between us. In each one it seem to capture the love and passion between us. Never had my ballet photos been so beautiful and graceful. Lindsey truly had a talent with capturing emotions. I wondered when and where these promo photos were going to make their debut, and just what would people who knew me think? Would they believe that it was me or think that it was an Amber look alike.
We made plans to leave on Friday after having filmed the last video, so our last few nights were relaxing. To be honest I was happy to be going back to New Orleans. I felt more at home there among the weeping willows and wisteria than I did here among the plastic boobs and Botox injections. Wednesday night found us sitting in the hotel my feet resting on Lestat’s lap, as we played UNO : The Alcoholic version. Yes we turned a beloved childhood game in to a drinking game, yeah we were going to hell. There was a sudden knock at the door, and all five human said at once, “Not it!” and brought their pointer finger to their nose.
“That’s you, Lestat,” I said looking down at him.
“What?” He asked looking slightly confused.
“You were the last to put your finger on your nose and say ‘not it’, so you have to go and answer the door,” I explained. Sometimes our little 21st century habits confused him. Even when I took him to Wal-Mart for me to get my shampoo he would become amazed at just how many colors there were, and stand in the ails staring entranced by the many bottles of shampoo, conditioner, and body washes and even the gel shave cream astonished him. I had hid mine to make sure I still had some when I needed to shave my legs. It was amusing at first then it started to get annoying, when people started staring at the tall blond Frenchmen looking like as if he had never been in a Wal-Mart Before.
“Lestat its not that hard to do,” Alex began sarcasm heavy in his voice,” just get the door its not that big of a deal.”