Chapter Three
Opening day for Kaleido Stage's newest production, Rapunzel, had finally arrived.
No matter how many times she opened a new show, Layla became a bundle of nerves before the first performance. Many of her fans – and maybe even some co-stars – would be surprised to hear her admit that, as she always tried her best to put on an air of calm confidence in front of others, but inside, her stomach twisted up in knots, and she frequently had to squeeze her hands into tight fists to prevent them from shaking.
Nerves were a good thing in her book. They meant she cared about her performance and how the audience would react.
Layla was more nervous than usual, however, for she had decided to seduce Yuri Killian after the show. Thanks to her Internet research over the last few days, she had plenty of new ideas she was eager to put into practice. She had even bought her first sexy lingerie set in preparation, the Victoria's Secret bag stashed inside one of the drawers of her vanity.
But that was for later. Right now, she needed to concentrate on getting through the first performance.
After she finished braiding her hair, Layla stood up from her chair and made a few final adjustments to her new costume – a pale pink dirndl-inspired design with a gauzy, detachable skirt. Thankfully, the costume designer had seen reason and realized Layla wouldn't be able to perform her daring tricks and maneuvers while wearing the super-long wig that was part of the original design.
A glance at the clock on the wall revealed it was almost time for the show to begin. Unfurling her fists, Layla forced herself to close her eyes and take several deep breaths. I am Rapunzel, she repeated several times in her head, a ritual she performed before every show as a way to get into character. When she opened her eyes a few moments later, her nerves had settled.
Layla exited her dressing room and headed toward the stage, spotting Yuri along the way. He walked a few feet ahead of her, the outline of his firm buttocks and muscular legs on full display in the very snug navy tights he wore. Her eyes glued to his backside, she inhaled sharply, her insides twisting in a manner that had nothing to do with nerves.
"Layla, wait up!"
Upon hearing the voice of Sarah Dupont, Layla came to a stop and shook her head, clearing her mind of all inappropriate thoughts of Yuri. She had a show to do; there would be plenty of time to focus on his…assets later.
"I am Rapunzel," she muttered once again to herself as Sarah, dressed in an almost identical costume to hers, caught up to her.
"Hey, thanks for waiting for me," Sarah said, sighing when she saw Layla's simple braid. "You're so lucky you don't have to wear this stupid wig." She struggled to carry the bottom of her ten-foot long blond wig, nearly tripping over a section that had fallen out of her arms. "Remind me when the show has ended to kill Kalos for choosing Rapunzel for our new production." Sarah was also playing the role of Rapunzel – or rather, Rapunzel's voice. Unfortunately, since her role was much less physical than Layla's, she had no excuse not to wear the ridiculously long and heavy wig.
"I will, as long as you don't make a fool of yourself on stage," Layla said as the two of them resumed walking. While she sympathized with the diva's plight, knowing from her experience at the publicity photo shoot just how uncomfortable the wig was to wear, it was an entertainer's job not to let such things distract them from their performances. "I want tonight's performance to go off without a hitch."
"Don't worry, don't worry! Rehearsals have been going well all week. I have no doubt tonight will be a smashing success!"
Layla pursed her lips. True, there had been no major issues during rehearsal, and Sarah – the most senior and experienced cast member – rarely made mistakes on stage despite her flaky off-stage personality, but she still had her concerns.
Once they reached backstage, Sarah excused herself to get mic'ed by the sound engineer, leaving Layla on her own. She wandered over to the left wing, taking a peek out into the audience. Even though she knew there was no point, her eyes couldn't resist searching for her father's face in the row of seats reserved for Kaleido Stage's investors and special guests.
He hadn't come. She wasn't surprised.
"Good crowd tonight," Yuri said, coming up next to her. "I heard tickets are already sold out for the next two weeks. Kalos must be thrilled."
Layla detected a hint of bitterness in his voice when he mentioned their boss's name. It was something she noticed on occasion, more frequently as of late, though she never asked about it, having little interest in whatever feud was going on between the two as long as it didn't negatively affect the show.
"Two weeks is a good start, but we'll need to get good reviews for tonight's performance if we want an extended run," she said, crossing her arms. "Romeo & Juliet ran for almost six months."
Yuri arched an eyebrow. "You think Rapunzel can match Romeo & Juliet's success?"
"Probably not," Layla admitted, knowing that Romeo & Juliet had been a special production that was unlikely to be duplicated for a very long time, "but I'm aiming for at least a two-month run."
"Well, then, I will do my best not to disappoint."
One of the stagehands called Yuri over to discuss the rigging for one of his solo routines, so he excused himself, leaving Layla once again on her own. She frowned, taking one final look out into the audience before beginning some light stretches to warm up.
If only the production had one spectacular moment to get people talking… Rapunzel wasn't a bad show by any means, but she feared many fans would be disappointed that it wasn't a masterpiece on the level of Romeo & Juliet, which had featured her and Yuri's iconic Golden Phoenix maneuver as the climax. Kaleido Stage's ongoing success – not to mention her reputation as a Kaleido Star – was on the line. If Rapunzel bombed, it would be difficult to convince audiences to come back for future performances.
Failure was not an option.
But there was little she could do only minutes before show time except hope that everybody in the cast did their part with no major mistakes. As long as they put out a solid performance, it would probably be enough to satisfy most of the audience and critics, even if they didn't get the rave reviews that Romeo & Juliet received.
Biting her lower lip, Layla's eyes wandered over to Yuri, who was still talking with the stagehand from earlier. She actually did have one idea for how to bring some excitement to the show, but she had dismissed it as a cheap trick, a gimmick unworthy of someone of her talent. Still, she was not unaware of a certain large subset of fans who enjoyed imagining that she and Yuri were partners both on and off the stage. Would it be so terrible to give the so-called "shippers" a taste of what they wanted?
She shook her head. No, she refused to lower herself to that level, not without good reason. She wanted glowing reviews for her performance and technical ability, not for pandering to the audience.
But if she sensed the show was in trouble… It was an idea worth keeping in mind. Just in case.
From the wings, Yuri watched Layla and Natalie, the woman playing Mother Gothel, perform their juggling routine, his eyes narrowing. They were doing well, and the audience clapped at all the right moments, but the applause rung hollow – given more out of politeness than genuine awe.
Layla's goal for a two-month run seemed even more of a reach than he thought. In fact, Yuri wouldn't be surprised if people started returning the tickets they had already bought, demanding refunds. The bar had been set high by their last show. The audience expected another Romeo & Juliet, not a technically competent but otherwise unremarkable production, no matter how wonderful and talented Layla was in the lead role.
Not that Yuri minded if Kalos lost a little money, but it served his goals if Kaleido Stage at least remained profitable for now. He didn't have the money or the influence to take over the stage as of yet; it would be another year or two before he could afford to put his revenge into action.
"Yuri, Ryan, and David, you're on in two," Ken said, holding up two fingers. "Get into position."
Yuri nodded in acknowledgement, pushing his concerns aside as he climbed in the saddle of his loyal "steed" – in actuality, two of the lower-ranked male cast members dressed in a horse costume. A couple of the other stagehands snickered behind their clipboards, and even Yuri had to roll his eyes, well aware of how ridiculous they looked, but Kalos enforced a strict "no animals" rule, necessitating such silly measures.
Back on stage, Layla and Natalie had cleared off, the focus moving to Kaleido Stage's resident diva, who descended from above on a swing created to look like flowering vines. Sarah's soaring vocals filled the arena, singing of a desire to one day leave her tower prison and discover true love. As her song reached its climax, Ken gave the cue for Yuri's entrance, Ryan and David moving as gracefully as they could manage while they carried him center stage.
Getting into the role of the prince, Yuri kept his eyes fixated on Rapunzel, enchanted by her beautiful singing. He dismounted his "horse" with a flourish, whipping his cape behind him as he approached the long braid that dangled even beyond her bare feet. His hand reached out to touch it, but the moment he did, Sarah's microphone picked up her horrified gasp.
Yuri glanced upwards, just in time to see the wig falling off Sarah's head. Though she attempted to grab it, it slipped right through her fingers. The mass of golden tresses came pummeling down, missing Yuri only by mere inches thanks to his quick reflexes.
A few scattered chuckles rippled through the audience, followed by hearty laughter once the majority got over their initial shock.
Shit!
Thinking quickly, Yuri snatched the wig off the stage and tossed it to Ryan and David. The two of them, abandoning their roles as the horse, carried it off to the left wing while Yuri distracted the audience with an improvised floor routine filled with impressive flips and twists. Sarah's swing was lifted back up and soon replaced with the long rope needed for his Corde Lisse act.
He grabbed the rope and began his routine, getting the show back on track. Making his way up the "tower" where Layla awaited him on the trapeze platform, Yuri performed a complicated series of tricks on the rope, showing off his strength and agility. Again, the audience applauded his effort, a few people gasping when he executed a dramatic death drop, but as with the rest of the show, he didn't get the sense that they were truly enthralled with the act.
When Yuri finally made it up to the platform, Layla walked up to him and placed her hands on his cheeks. "Follow my lead," she said, loud enough that only he could hear.
"Lay–?"
Her name died on his lips as she covered them with her own.
Yuri's eyes widened in surprise. Though the prince and Rapunzel were supposed to share a kiss at this point, he had expected only a fake stage kiss as they had rehearsed.
Yet upon hearing the cheers and whistles from the audience below, Yuri quickly figured out Layla's ruse, impressed by her cleverness. By kissing him, she practically ensured that Sarah's wig mishap would become nothing more than an amusing anecdote in tomorrow's reviews, rather than the main headline. In fact, with enough buzz, the kiss had the potential to save the entire show from failure.
With that in mind, Yuri placed his hands on Layla's hips and drew her closer toward him. If they were going to do this, they might as well give the people their money's worth. The cheers grew even louder as their kiss deepened, for which Yuri was grateful. The noise kept him fully in the moment, preventing him from losing focus and forgetting that they were only acting. Even then, he cursed the small part of him that was disappointed when Layla finally pulled away, brushing him on the platform to reach for one of the swings.
The rest of the show went off without a hitch, and when Yuri and Layla stepped forward to take their final bows, they received a rousing standing ovation. Yuri smiled and waved in appreciation, but he had to admit the applause was somewhat unsatisfying, knowing that it was mainly in response to the kiss and not their actual performances. Beside him, he could tell Layla felt the same, her smile not quite reaching her eyes.
Well, at least they had managed to save the show from certain disaster. It wasn't the amazing opening day the cast had hoped for, but it could have been worse.
A lot worse.
"My dressing room. Ten minutes," Layla said in a low voice that only he could hear as the curtain lowered in front of them.
"Layla?"
But when he rose from his bow and glanced over, she had already disappeared.
Wondering why he had been summoned, Yuri knocked on the door to Layla's private dressing room fifteen minutes later.
"You're late," she greeted him. She had already taken off her stage make-up and costume, a white silk robe wrapped securely around her body. Opening the door wider, she said, "Come in."
Yuri stepped into the room. It was the first time Layla had ever invited him inside, and he noted that it was larger and more elaborately decorated than his own, filled with numerous flower arrangements from her adoring public. There was even a bed provided, covered with silken sheets and satin blankets. Nothing but the best for Layla, he thought somewhat bitterly. Kalos knew no limits to keeping his favorite Kaleido Star happy.
"Layla, what is this about?" he asked, crossing his arms and forcing himself not to imagine what she may – or may not – be wearing underneath her robe. "The kiss?"
Sitting down at her vanity, Layla started unraveling her braid. "Oh, yes, sorry about that," she said, her eyes lowering in her reflection as she reached for a silver-plated brush. "I didn't mean to spring it on you like that."
"No, I thought it was a brilliant idea. I just never expected for you to resort to such gimmicks."
"I had to do something." Brushing her now-loose hair, she frowned. "You did a decent job dealing with Sarah's fallen wig, but I couldn't let a huge mistake like that be the audience's lasting impression of the show."
Yuri arched an eyebrow. Only decent? He thought he had done a rather impressive job in the aftermath, especially considering he only had seconds to react and create a distraction. Then again, he had worked with Layla long enough to know that she was rarely effusive with her praise.
"Well, it certainly made an impact," he said. "The only issue is, now everybody is going to expect it. If we go back to performing fake kisses, the audience won't be pleased."
Layla set down her brush, turning around in her chair. "Is that going to be a problem for you?"
Other than the fact that he was still insanely attracted to her and wanted to do a lot more than just kiss on the stage? "No, it's not a problem," he said. "I'm fine with it if you are."
"Good. That wasn't why I asked you to come, though."
Standing up, Layla walked over to the door and twisted the lock. She then turned back around, hesitating only for a moment before untying the knot of her belt and letting the robe slip off her slender shoulders to the floor at her feet.
Yuri's breath hitched at the back of his throat.
Layla had never looked sexier. Dressed in a sheer lace bralette and matching g-string, she was a naughty angel in white. Hints of pink flesh peeked through the delicate fabric, offering a tantalizing glimpse of what laid beneath, while the tiny thong left very little to the imagination.
A smile crossed Layla's lips. "Do you like?" she asked, pressing herself against him as she whispered in his ear.
Yuri didn't trust his voice. All he could do was nod as her nimble fingers unfastened the buttons of his shirt, a hand slipping inside to run over his torso with a feather-light touch.
It wasn't until Layla reached behind her back for the clasp of her bra that Yuri's head cleared enough to come to his senses. "Wait, stop," he said, fighting against his baser instincts, which most certainly wanted her to keep going.
Layla brought her arms back down to her sides, tilting her head to the side. "Don't you want to?"
That wasn't the problem. "I'm…a little confused," he admitted. "When we were in Paris, you said you had no interest in dating –"
"But we're not dating," she said. "We're just sleeping together."
"So, what? We're, like, friends with benefits? Fuc–"
Layla interrupted him. "Yes, if you must label it, we're friends with benefits. Don't call me that other thing. It's so vulgar."
"Fine. Whatever." Yuri plopped down on the leather sofa in the center of the room and sighed. He couldn't believe what Layla was suggesting. "I just don't know if it's such a good idea."
In fact, he knew it wasn't. Agreeing to kiss Layla on stage was one thing, but this…
"Why not?" Layla walked over to stand in front of him, a hand resting on her hip. "I think it's a great one. I don't want a boyfriend, and you'll sleep with anyone with breasts and a vagina…"
"Hold on. Is that really how you see me?" Sure, he was far from an innocent altar boy, but it wasn't like he was some sex-crazed horndog who screwed every woman he met, either. How did she even come to that conclusion?
Then, with a frown, Yuri remembered their flight back from Paris, when Layla had caught him joining the Mile High Club with a pretty, nameless Frenchwoman he had met on the plane. That had capped off a weekend during which he had cruelly seduced Sophie Oswald for the sake of his revenge and took Layla's virginity – admittedly, not one of his finest moments.
"Well, it's the truth, isn't it?"
"No, it's not," Yuri said. "If you really must know, there's been no one else since we came back from Paris." He immediately regretted revealing that fact.
"Oh, I didn't realize," Layla said, her voice softening. "Because of Sophie Oswald? Did you really care for her that much?"
"Sophie has nothing to do with it. She was just a girl I knew, that's all." A girl he killed, but Yuri immediately pushed that thought away. Even now, whenever he thought of what he had done to her, he felt sick to his stomach. "Can we not talk about her?"
"Sorry. I didn't mean –"
"It's fine," he said, deciding to return to the original topic. "Anyway, I just haven't met anyone." A lie, of course. He had met plenty of girls who, before Paris, he wouldn't have hesitated to take to bed, but none of them could even hold a candle to Layla. "Like I told you, Kaleido Stage has kept me pretty busy as of late. I haven't the time to try to pick up women."
"See? That's why this is the perfect situation. Whenever one of us is in the mood for sex, I can come to you or you can come to me, no strings attached. You can even sleep with other girls if you want. Since we're not dating, I don't mind."
"And you can sleep with other guys?" Yuri asked, trying not to sound too jealous. After all, if he was free to sleep around, it was only fair that she should be able to do the same.
Layla shrugged her shoulders. "Sure, I suppose, but if I wanted to have sex with a bunch of different guys, I wouldn't be suggesting this. Too much trouble."
"I don't know…"
He was tempted. Oh, but he was tempted! What man in his right mind wouldn't be? A beautiful woman offering to have sex with him whenever he wanted, and she didn't mind if he had other lovers? It was the type of situation most guys dreamed about. And Layla… Yuri desired her like he had no other woman in his life. He had fought against it, buried it deep inside, but ever since their moment of illicit passion in the car, he had thought little of anything else.
Yet he couldn't ignore the annoying little voice in the back of his mind that told him that it would be wrong to take advantage of Layla like that. It was bad enough that she was unknowingly a key part of his revenge against Kalos; to use her for sex as well…
"Perhaps you need a little more convincing?"
She held out her hands, and against his better judgment, Yuri reached for them, allowing Layla to pull him back to his feet. She peeled off his open shirt, tossing it aside, then again reached behind her back to unhook her bra. That time he didn't stop her, his breath catching as her breasts were released from their lacy confines.
"Layla…"
She wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him, her soft chest pressing against his bare skin in a way that made Yuri moan with desire. All memory of his vow to keep things platonic between them flew out of his mind as his hands slid down her back to her rear, pulling her even closer against him.
Still kissing, the two of them made their way over to the bed. Layla's lips traveled southward, landing soft pecks down his neck, chest, and abdomen until she was sitting on the edge of the mattress. Yuri sucked in a breath as she unzipped his fly and pulled his pants and underwear down to his knees, his cock already half-hard.
Her eyes gazing up at him with what could only be described as pure lust, Layla wrapped one of her hands around his shaft, sliding it up and down his length. It felt nice, but she was being too gentle to really do much for Yuri, revealing some of her inexperience despite her otherwise convincing seductress act. Not wanting to discourage her by saying anything, he covered her hand with his own, squeezing it until Layla got the message and began touching him with a firmer grip.
She was a fast learner, studying his reactions to determine what he liked best and adjusting her technique in accordance. Yuri's breath quickened when she found the proper rhythm, coming closer and closer to the brink until he felt like he was going to burst. Not wanting to come so soon, he grabbed her wrist and pulled her hand away.
He couldn't wait any longer. He wanted inside her. Now.
"Do you have –"
"Vanity," she said, falling back on the bed.
After he finished yanking off his pants, Yuri walked over to the vanity, but he didn't see any condoms laying on top. He searched through the drawers until he found her stash and slipped one on. When he turned back around, Layla was on her hands and knees, her firm buttocks in the air. She had already discarded her thong.
Grinning, he entered her from behind, his hands resting on her hips, and began thrusting inside her. Layla's fingers grasped at the silky bedspread, softly moaning whenever he hit a particularly sensitive spot.
"Faster," she panted, her breathing becoming heavier the longer he continued.
Yuri was happy to oblige, picking up the pace, and Layla let out an immodest scream, quick to bury her face in her arms in case somebody happened to be passing by her room. It didn't take long for his orgasm to follow, pushed over the edge by her reaction.
Layla glanced back at him over her shoulder when they had finished, smirking. "So? Was that enough convincing?"
Sitting down on the bed, Yuri sighed. She was serious about this whole thing, wasn't she? "Are you absolutely positive you want to do this?"
"I wouldn't have asked if I wasn't." Layla grabbed her robe off the floor and put it on, covering her nudity. "Look, if you're worried that I'll have you fired if our arrangement soured, don't be. I promise, whatever happens, I won't let it affect our professional relationship."
She was making it very difficult to refuse her request. "And you meant it when you said I didn't have to be faithful?"
"Sleep with whoever you like, as long as you wear a condom. I'm on the Pill, but I don't want to catch any infections."
"Then…okay," Yuri said, hoping he didn't come to regret his decision. "We can be friends with benefits.
DISCLAIMER: Kaleido Star doesn't belong to me.