Virgin Blood

I sit in the shadows of the Skin Graft tent and watch Pavi Largo flaunt his Gentern harem. I can't help but be jealous of him, even if I can't stand him. Of course I had to choose this exact moment to overcome my fears. I had been putting it off for weeks, ever since Rotti Largo, head of GENCO, called me into his office and said it was time for a change. I thought he was going to fire me. He laughed and shook his head, clarifying that he merely meant my appearance. He felt my performance had been waning of late and he felt that a nice makeover would do me good. Oh, and that if I wanted to keep being the maestro of the opera I would have the surgery before the next Genetic Opera Festival.

Rotti Largo is the only person who knows my secret fear, my phobia. It's the yearly Genetic Opera Festival and I still haven't had the surgery. Mr. Largo isn't hounding me, but every so often he drops a hint or a comment. I don't want to leave. I love working here. I love planning the next Genetic Opera and working with the Gentern dancers. Even Blind Mag and I get along surprisingly well for how rarely we work together. I may hate working with the Largo brats, but it's a small annoyance and the pleasure of working with the Genterns makes up for it. One in particular.

I glance back through the flaps and see her rise from where she was kneeling next to Pavi. Her name is Natalie and she is stunning. She tosses her blonde hair and smiles with those full red lips. I run my hand through my short, mousy brown hair as I turn away and begin pacing. I pull out a photo of my late wife, Nancine. She was training under Granny DJ when cancer took her from me five years ago. I still really miss her, but I'm healing. "What am I going to do, darling?" I'm so wrapped up in my thoughts that I don't hear someone enter the tent.

"Are you here for a skin graft, sir?" I hear a sweet voice from the tent's entrance, but I don't turn around.

"No! I mean, yes! I-I don't know." I turn around and come face to face with the last person I would want to get this surgery from. Natalie. I have never hated Rotti Largo more for making me get this surgery than I do at this moment. If Natalie discovers my secret, I will have no chance with her. And my chances are already really slim with surgery heart-throb Pavi in the world.

Natalie smiles as she recognizes me. "Band Leader Darrek! What are you doing here?"

"Mr. Largo is forcing me to get a makeover. He says my performance has been failing as of late."

"Well, then, what's the matter? Mr. Largo is paying for it isn't he?" She glides over to the sink to wash her hands.

"That's not it." I plop down heavily on the operation chair and press my head in my hands. I feel her sit daintily next to me. I yearn to tell her, but I know she'll just laugh at me.

"You've never had surgery before." she gently places her hand on my back. My head jerks up, eyes wide, to meet her sweet, affectionate smile. "You're a scalpel virgin. The other Genterns and I have known for some time

I stand and move away from her. "How do you know I've never had surgery?" My voice is harsher than I meant and she looks hurt.

"Well, we didn't know for sure, since most of the medical files were lost during the chaos of the epidemic, but we do know you haven't had a single surgery since. What's stopping you?"

I hang my head. "I have a phobia of knives and needles."

She stands and glides towards me. "You're lucky. You haven't needed surgery." She takes my hand, sending lightning through my arm, straight to my heart. "I've had three heart transplants since I was 12. I came to work for GENCO since I knew I wouldn't be able to pay for them all." She sits me in the operation chair. "It is an honor to be the first to cut someone as wonderful as you, Darrek. Now, just relax."

She lays me back against the chair and straddles my legs. When I feel her unzip my trousers I place a hand on her shoulder. "Natalie, you don't…"

She playfully slaps my hand away. "Let a Gentern do her job." She laughs.

I jump when I felt her mouth close around me. She pulls away slightly. "Relax Darrek. It's going to be okay. I promise." Her hand continues caressing my member. "Don't you trust me?"

Before my brain has time to interfere, I reply, "Trust you? I think I'm in love with you."

She just smiles and returns to her ministrations. A few moments later, I feel the sting of a needle in my thigh, then euphoria. I swear I'm maestro to a multitude of Gentern Angels singing and dancing on a cloud stage for the Almighty Rotti himself. Through the music I think I hear Natalie's voice, whispering sensuously about all the terribly naughty things we would do once this was all over. How we would wait till everyone had left, and the stage was dark, and we would perform our own Genetic Opera, just the two of us. How our bodies would mold together and we would sing to the rafters and heaven beyond.

I awake a few hours later to busy chatter outside and Natalie curled up against me back in my private tent. I place a hand to my slightly throbbing head and feel something that is very new. I try to slowly move out from beneath Natalie without waking her, but she stirs. She smiles up at me and I swear the sun just broken through the pollution-choked sky

"Hey." She sighs. "You look great." She groggily sits up and allows me to rise and see my new self. I slowly inch toward the mirror and can't help but laugh when I get the first look at myself. All she changed was my hair. She gave me a completely new scalp. Where my hair had been short and mousy brown, it now towered high with long blonde tips that darkened to distinguished gray. I look like one of those eccentric composers/maestros who violently sway their heads around as they conduct, so much so that their wigs come all undone and crazy.

"What do you think?" She comes up behind me, all nervous, as though she were the scalpel virgin.

I quickly turn around and catch her up in my arms. She squeals and giggles as I hug her tightly and I spin around. "I love it!"

When I finally put her back on her own two feet, I press my lips to hers. Then my brain kicks in and I try to quickly pull away, but she will have none of it. She throws her arms around my neck and holds me to her. I don't know how long we kiss, but I know that I never want it to end.

When we finally separate, she looks up at me shyly, a blush coloring her cheeks adorably. "Did you mean it when you said you were in love with me?"

"First, tell me if I was imagining all the sexy things you said while operating on me?"

She is about to answer when we hear an announcement over the intercom. "Band Leader Darrek. Gentern Natalie. Please report to the stage entrance at once. Darrek and Natalie to the stage entrance."

She quickly runs out of my tent and joins the other Genterns for the opening of the Genetic Opera. Mr. Largo catches my eye and gives me a slight nod of approval as I exit the tent. As I passed Natalie, I lean over and quickly place a kiss to her lips.

Amid the giggling of the other Genterns, she smiles and winks at me.

The doors open and I leap into the theater, jumping and flailing around on a cloud stage, my Gentern Angel dancing beside me. I know tonight will be my greatest Genetic Opera, with Natalie by my side.