We've got Naomi tying Emily up in this chapter. I bet you didn't think we were quite there yet!

A trick is explained in this chapter, but I have no qualms about that because it's not really based on any actual trick. It's kind of loosely based on something that I've seen, but not for this type of effect. Various magicians do an effect where they disappear from one bit of the stage and reappear elsewhere - I've seen Mac King, Lance Burton and even Derren Brown do it - but as far as I know, none of them have identical twins!

This one goes out to StEpHyGrOcK3107, for teaching me the expression 'La Verga' which literally translates as cock, but as an expression it means that something is fucking awesome. It seems much like the English expression 'The Dog's Bollocks'. Like Eddie Izzard once said, you can say to the Queen 'your majesty, that dress is the dog's bollocks' and she would be very pleased.

Anyway, on with chapter ten. Hope you enjoy!

Myrtle

Chapter Ten: Do You Feel Like I Feel?

Emily

Time moved swiftly, and the date of our first performance loomed ever closer. I longed for the days to pass more slowly, but that only made the passage of time seem quicker. There was still nearly two months to go, but that felt like no where near enough time. The more I thought about stepping out onto that stage in front of a full audience, the more nervous I became. The prospect didn't seem to be daunting to anyone else though, so I did my best to keep my feelings to myself. Besides, out of everyone in the group, mine was the smallest role. I was only to feature in two routines. Naomi and Cook had both insisted that to overuse my presence in the show would make the method more obvious.

Naomi and I were alone in the rehearsal room. We were going through my part in a particular illusion. It was a short performance piece towards the end of the show. I would stand with my back against a solid frame, positioned to one side of the stage. Naomi would tie me to it. A cover would then be pulled across, hiding me from view. Moments later, Naomi would whip back the cover to reveal that I had vanished. Then Katie - dressed identically - would appear at the other side of the stage.

Naomi was walking me through what I had to do. In reality, the frame only appeared to be solid. It looked like a sturdy sheet of metal, but in actual fact the back swung away allowing me to escape. When performed on stage, the apparatus would be close to the wings, and I would simply slip off stage unseen. When I was tied to the frame, one of my wrists would be tied by a slip-knot, allowing me to undo it quickly and untie the rest of the knots.

I stood against the frame, as Naomi strapped me firmly to it. I had to hide a small shudder of excitement as a myriad of more intimate scenarios for those actions invaded my mind. Especially given our close proximity while she tied me. Naomi leaned nearer, her brow furrowed in concentration. I took in a faint waft of her unique scent, and found myself staring at her long, elegant neck. As usual during rehearsal time, Naomi had her hair pulled back into a messy ponytail, leaving her neck exposed and tantalisingly close to my lips. The temptation to lean forward and taste her skin was agonising.

Once I was securely tied, Naomi's eyes met mine. She seemed slightly taken aback to find the distance between us so short. She bit her lip, something I had noticed she did when she was either concentrating, or slightly unsure of herself. We paused, frozen like that for longer than was strictly necessary. Naomi seemed to be holding her breath - I know I was.

"Right! Coffees, and I thought we deserved a treat as well!" Announced Cook in his booming voice. He strolled into the room followed by Katie. I cursed their arrival, because I could have sworn that Naomi had leaned almost imperceptibly closer just before the disturbance. Still, I reasoned that it was probably for the best. If they had come in to find us kissing, that would have been hard to explain to Katie. I glanced across at Naomi, who had taken the quickest step backwards from me that I had ever seen at their arrival. There was a faint blush covering her cheeks, and I was pleased to discover that the tension between us was not just in my head.

Cook stepped closer to me, seemingly unaware of the atmosphere.

"Ooh, Emilio! I think I like you like this!" He said, gesturing to my strapped wrists. An exaggerated sigh came from Naomi.

"Fortunately for Emily, she can loosen herself from that in a matter of seconds" she answered in a bored tone that I was certain was forced. I longed to prove her right, feeling suddenly uncomfortable in that condition, but she had not yet shown me how to release myself. Naomi seemed to realise that, so she stepped closer, pushing Cook out of her way. She showed me how to let the first of the knots loose, studiously avoiding my eyes. Once my right wrist was free, I moved swiftly to undo the rest of the knots. Naomi watched my progress, then nodded curtly as I stepped away from the apparatus.

"Good. That was pretty quick for a first go" she muttered. Finally her eyes met mine, and she gave me a small smile. I returned it, hoping that things weren't about to get awkward between us again. Before I had a chance to dwell on that, Cook thrust a coffee into my hands.

"I got some muffins as well" he declared, handing round a paper bag. Soon we were all sat in silence, tucking into our muffins.

As I ate, I looked over at Naomi. She stared off into the middle distance, apparently lost in thought. I found myself wondering if there was a chance of the two of us ever getting any closer. She certainly didn't make things easy, but there were definite signs that she liked me too. And the memory of her surprising revelation about her parents was still fresh in my mind. The fact that she had opened up so readily for once had really touched me. It was such a pure, unguarded moment from a woman that was normally so reticent. Things had been less stilted between us ever since then, but I still felt that there were more things that I didn't know about her.

"You alright, Blondie?" Cook's concerned voice cut through the silent room.

"Huh?" Naomi stared at him with unfocused eyes. "Oh, er yeah." She shrugged. "I was just er... thinking about the bullet catch."

Cook frowned at her words.

"You still haven't heard back from him?" He asked. Naomi shook her head. The equipment that we needed for the bullet catch trick was supposed to be here by now, but nothing had arrived yet. Naomi was having a hard time getting hold of the guy that she had ordered it from. They were beginning to get concerned about it, because we still needed time to rehearse the routine before it could go in the show. Cook clicked his tongue in irritation. "Maybe we should go see him." Naomi chuckled.

"Fly to L.A.? You just want to go to the Magic Castle."

Cook grinned back at her.

"Well, I suppose we could do that too!"

Naomi shook her head firmly.

"No, Cook, we don't have time. I'm sure he'll be in touch soon."

"What's the Magic Castle?" Asked Katie. "Is that Disney?"

"Nah, it's a magic venue" answered Cook. "It's this big mansion in L.A. You go for dinner, and see a magic act as well. Real posh place - there's a dress code and everything. And it's really exclusive. You have to be a member, or a member's guest to get in."

Katie looked slightly incredulous that Cook could ever get inside somewhere even vaguely exclusive.

"We're not going to L.A.!" Said Naomi decisively. "I'm sure the stuff will be here soon."

A couple of days later, I was in my room getting ready for an evening out. Katie was sat on my bed, watching me apply my make-up. I felt a little self-conscious - I hoped Katie wouldn't realise that I was taking more care than usual over my appearance. I was spending the evening with Naomi. We were going out to see a show, and I had also insisted on treating her to dinner.

"So what show are you seeing?" Asked Katie. She scooped up a magazine from the floor and began idly flicking through the pages.

"Not sure" I answered with a shrug. Since Naomi could usually get cheap tickets for shows, I had let her sort that out.

"Urgh, what if she takes you to one of the topless shows and tries to 'gay you up'?" Asked Katie with a mock shudder. I didn't bother answering, but Katie wasn't in need of a response. "Or what if she drags you to a gay bar, after the show?"

"I'm sure she wouldn't take me anywhere I didn't want to go" I said impatiently. It was the most neutral answer that I could think of.

"It's a bit odd though, isn't it?" Said Katie cryptically. I left off from putting on my lip-gloss to turn and face her.

"What's odd?" I arched a questioning eyebrow at her. I had a sinking feeling about where this was going.

"All that shit about being bisexual."

Yep, I knew it.

"In what way, 'odd'?" I turned back towards the mirror. I knew I shouldn't encourage Katie on the subject - I would only get myself wound up at whatever she had to say.

"Well, it just doesn't make sense!" Katie sounded genuinely confused at the idea. "If she likes guys, why not just stick to them?" I suppressed a sigh.

"Is her being with a girl really so terrible?" I asked. I watched Katie's reflection frown.

"No I suppose not - if she was gay. But she isn't, is she?"

"You can't choose who you fall for, Katie." My make-up finished, I turned back around to face her. "And it's not always black and white, you know? Not everyone is either gay or straight. Sometimes it's not that clear-cut."

"Well, it is for me" said Katie with a dismissive shrug.

"Yeah, and me" I said softly. "Katie..." A rap at the door stopped my sentence before it was formed. I opened the door to reveal a grinning Naomi.

"Hey, you look great" she said, casting her eyes appraisingly over me.

"Watch it Campbell, I'm onto you" snipped Katie. Naomi jumped slightly in surprise, not even aware of Katie's presence. I pushed the door open a little wider, to show Katie perched on my bed. "Well have fun, ladies" she said as she rose to her feet. She gave me a quick hug, before adding "Let me know if she tries to grab your boobs, yeah?" She turned towards Naomi with a grin to show that she was only kidding. Naomi and I exchanged awkward smiles as Katie took her leave. Once she was gone, Naomi visibly relaxed.

"No boob grabbing: check" she said with a smile. She mimed ticking it off on an imaginary list.

"She didn't actually tell you not to" I answered with a flirtatious wink.

This time Naomi and I saw an earlier show, then went for dinner afterwards. We thoroughly enjoyed the show, then went to a beautiful Italian restaurant in the Bellagio hotel for our meal. The food was lovely, and the wine flowed easily. We chatted comfortably with each other, our banter pleasantly flirty.

As the restaurant got quieter, Naomi bribed a waiter to move us out to the terrace to finish off our drinks. The terrace was right next to the lake outside the front of the hotel, and was a perfect spot to witness the famous Bellagio fountain. From eight o'clock onwards, the fountain plays every fifteen minutes, so we didn't have long to wait for it. We both sat in awe as the jets of water exploded into life, dancing to the sound of 'Viva Las Vegas' piped into the air.

"You've gotta love Vegas!" Said Naomi with a grin as it finished. "It's the middle of the desert, water is scarce, but they have a show like that every fifteen minutes!" She downed the last of her wine, and sat back in her chair.

"Do you want to go on somewhere else?" I asked, trying hard not to sound too hopeful. Naomi shrugged.

"I'm not in the mood for a club tonight." I nodded, hoping that my disappointment wasn't showing on my face. "But I've got a bottle of vodka back at the hotel. Feel like joining me?" Naomi suddenly grinned as she realised what she was suggesting. "No boob grabbing - Brownies honour" she added. She held her left hand up with three of her fingers raised together in salute.

"You were in the Brownies?" I asked. Somehow, I couldn't imagine a seven year old Naomi doing anything like that.

"Yep." She gave me a lopsided smile. "Well, I may have got kicked out for questioning the motto." I giggled. Now that was something that I could imagine Naomi doing. "You have to promise to serve God and the Queen, so I wanted to know why. It turned out that Brown Owl didn't like tough questions about atheism and republic manifestos."

Soon we were back at the hotel. We were sat on the floor in Naomi's room, both with our backs to her bed. There was a bottle of Vodka on the floor between us. We had eschewed the use of glasses, both opting to swig directly from the bottle instead.

"Do you ever get nervous before a show?" I found myself asking. I hadn't intended bringing up my nerves, but I was getting more and more tipsy by the minute, and was no longer deciding what I was going to say. Naomi shrugged.

"Not with the current show, 'cause I know what I'm doing. But I usually get nervous before a new show." I nodded, feeling slightly better that I wouldn't be the only one that was apprehensive on opening night. I suspected that Naomi would still handle her nerves better than me though.

"Don't worry" she said, patting my knee. "If you really fuck up, everyone will just think it's Katie." She giggled, a clear indication that she was also pretty tipsy. I frowned, not feeling any happier at her suggestion that I could really fuck up.

"So what do you do when you're nervous?" I asked. Naomi's giggling abruptly stopped as she gave the question some thought.

"Coin roll" she said at last, punctuating the air with her index finger. I must be drunker than I thought, because that just made no sense at all. Naomi caught my puzzled look. "A coin roll" she repeated, as though that would somehow make it clear. When she realised she wasn't getting anywhere like that, she reached into her pocket. She had to stretch awkwardly to reach inside, but eventually she managed to retrieve a coin. "Look." I watched, as Naomi let the coin roll across the back of her hand, tumbling over each of her knuckles. When it reached her little finger, she caught it deftly with the thumb of the same hand and brought it back to the beginning to start the process again. I watched, mesmerised as the coin made it's controlled descent across her hand. "I always do this when I'm nervous" she told me. "It gives me something to concentrate on, and it helps to stop my hands shaking."

"You have magic fingers" I told her. Suddenly I was the one giggling stupidly, as I thought about what I'd just said. Naomi quickly joined in, before we both took yet another swig from the Vodka bottle. "So what else can those magic fingers do?" I asked with a playful wink. Shit, I'm really not in charge of the vocal chords tonight!

A blush spread quickly across Naomi's cheeks, making her look more beautiful than ever. Our eyes locked onto each others, and in a flash I felt suddenly quite sober. Her eyes left mine, but only to dart downwards to my lips. Time seemed to move more slowly, as Naomi's eyes met mine again. She leaned closer. I closed my eyes as her lips brushed gently against mine. She seemed to hesitate, before kissing me again, still very softly. I reached a hand up to stroke lightly across her cheek.

As Naomi moved back from me, I saw uncertainty in her eyes. She got to her feet, turning away from me. I decided in a second not to let this drop. I was on my feet in an instant.

"Naomi" I began, not really knowing what to say. I placed my hand on her shoulder. Naomi span around to face me. Before I really knew what was happening, her lips were burning against mine. She kissed me fervently this time, her tongue slipping straight between my parted lips. Her hands tangled in my hair, as I wrapped my arms around her waist, pulling her into me. She kept moving forward, pushing me back until we both tumbled backwards onto the bed, Naomi landing on top of me. Our lips hardly even parted for a second as we readjusted to our new position. Naomi's lips moved to my neck. I gasped for air, as one of her hands moved down to my breasts. She squeezed them firmly as she sucked on my pulse point. Then her hand reached lower, seeking the edge of my top. It slipped inside, and squeezed at my tit through my bra. Her mouth was back on mine, kissing me with so much intensity it left me breathless.

Alarm bells began to ring in my tipsy brain. As much as I loved the sensation of being surrounded by Naomi like this, I had no intention of being another one night stand to her. How many other girls had she been like this with? Not to mention the guys. Reluctantly, I placed my hands on Naomi's shoulders and held her back from me. She looked down at me with confusion, her eyes practically black with desire.

"This is too quick" I gasped out. My words seemed to snap Naomi to her senses in an instant.

"Right" she muttered as she clambered off me. I felt the loss of her body heat immediately. I straightened out my clothing, and rose to my feet. Naomi's eyes darted around the room, looking anywhere but at me.

"I'd rather take things slowly" I told her, but she didn't really seem to be listening. Her whole demeanour had turned several degrees colder. "I really like you, I don't want to be another..."

"It's fine" she snapped, cutting off my explanations. "That's fine, we just clearly..." she sighed as she gestured at the bed. "I guess we've just got different intentions."

I closed my eyes, struggling against a heavy feeling in the pit of my stomach. I was trying to prevent bad feeling between us, not cause it. I stepped closer and placed a hand on her arm.

"Naomi, I really want us to..."

"Just forget it!" She snapped, shrugging out of my grasp. It felt like she was terrified to even hear me out. "It's getting late, you should go" she said coldly, as she stooped to retrieve the bottle of Vodka from the floor. I paused for a moment, contemplating my next move. There seemed no point hanging around any longer. I grabbed my shoes, which were strewn across the floor, then turned to the door. I cast a last look at Naomi, but she had her back resolutely towards me. I sighed and slipped quietly out of her room. I resolved to try talking further with her once we were both sober. I didn't really fancy my chances though - I had a feeling I was going to be getting the cold shoulder from Naomi from now on.

I'm sure there was some boob grabbing there, despite Naomi's promise. Still, I don't think Emily will tell Katie about it.