House of Mouse Fantasy

I was grinning from ear to ear as I walked into the club I had always dreamed of visiting. My sparkling red dress shimmered as I passed by the reservation desk, my right leg slipping out of the slit at the front of the garment as I walked. I had spent a bit too much on clothes when shopping for tonight. Hell, I was wearing a pair of plain black high heels that cost almost two hundred dollars. Plain black! Not even a little ankle strap or something to make it special. It was all worth it though to dazzle the other patrons at the famous House of Mouse.

The waiter sat me down at a table near the back of the showroom. It was a bit of a disappointment, but given that I was not a star I was willing to take it. Everyone who was anyone was there that night. The room seemed to shimmer from the stars chatting around me. In fact, some of them were literally shimmering. A glint of yellow light flew past my table and I grinned. I’d seen her in the movies before.

The opening act for the night’s entertainment took the stage. I’d only heard their one hit, and pretty quickly I realized why. Those big-headed weirdos couldn’t play more than that one tune. That tune wasn’t really meant for a high-class club like this one anyway, though. It was more for a cantina. A cantina far, far away, if the crowd had anything to say about it. They were practically booed off of the stage. Not the best start, but I was open-minded. I would later learn that that band had been recently signed to the same record label as many of the usual performers and was only just getting to their first chance outside of the desert dives they normally played.

While the host tried to gain the crowd’s confidence back, my waiter came by with a Shirley Temple for me to drink. I sipped the pink, bubbly drink slowly, not wanting to get any lipstick on the thin black straw. I looked back up to see that the waiter had not left my table yet.

“Yes?” I asked.

“I’m sorry, ma’am, but we accidentally over-booked tonight. Would you be willing to share your table with another single patron?”

“Hmm…” I tapped the side of my drink. Not exactly the ideal way to spend my dream night at the club, but I wasn’t going to deny someone else the same joy for no reason. “Um, sure. I guess that would be okay.”

“Oh, gawrsh, thanks ma’am. I’ll comp your drinks and any food you two decide to order for your patience.” The waiter walked away to inform my dinner guest. I could swear I saw him stumble over someone’s leg as he went. Kind of a goofy guy, if you ask me.

I was distracted by the main band as they came on. They were pretty fun. It was some kind of country bluegrass thing, lots of cowbells and banjos. Not really my kind of music but their energy was enough to keep me smiling. I started to tap my foot to the beat, when suddenly my heel came down on something.

“OOOOH!” a voice cried out beside me. I jumped, yelping in surprise as I jerked my foot back. I turned to face the dinner guest whom I’d forgotten I had, my eyes widening as I took him in.

“Oh, wow…” I smiled as big as I’ve ever smiled. I dropped that silly grin though when I remembered that I’d hurt him. “I mean, oh no! I’m so sorry! I didn’t know your…erm, your coil was there.”

“Nnn…Not a problem at all, little one…” his pained face softened as he looked at me. “…Ssso…What have we here?” he licked his lips as he looked me up and down. I blushed, hoping that my foundation hid it.

“My name is Shannon. It’s nice to meet you-“

“-Kaa…”

“Oh, I know. I’ve seen all of your movies.” I winked. “When I agreed to share my booth, I didn’t think it would be with a star.” I looked around for some of his costars, finding none seated near us.

“Well, I cccertainly didn’t expect to be ssseated next to a deliciousss little girl-cub like yourssself.”

“Oh, you really turn that charm on quick! Don’t think you’re fooling anybody, mister knot-in-his-tail.”

“Hmhmhm, you’re a lippy little thing, aren’t you?”

“I prefer to be lippy to being between someone’s lips, if you catch my drift.”

“Oh, I’ll be catching sssomething of yoursss before the night isss over…”

“Confident little thing, aren’t you?”

“Oh, I’d rather be a confidant than be confident.”

“You’re saying I can…trust in you?”

“Quoting my moviesss to me? Who’sss charming whom now?”

“Just a lippy little girl-cub who came here to have a good time.”

“And the ssshow can do that for you on itsss own?...” My breath caught as he paused. I felt him touching the sole of my foot. He’d slipped my shoe off under the table and was lightly caressing my sole.

“That’s a two-hundred-dollar shoe you just dropped on the floor.” I blush, not pulling my foot away.

“Two hundred dollarsss to hide sssomething pricelessss, I’d sssooner buy a fissssh bowl to houssse a mermaid.”

“I’ve seen the pictures of you and a certain mermaid. The paparazzi love you two.”

“It’sss mossstly Ariel that they love. I jussst tag along on the media circusss.”

“You’re selling yourself short. I’ve seen pictures of you with a lot of starlets lately. Seems just about anyone can wander into your neck of the woods these days.”

“You’ve done a lot of resssearch, haven’t you? Have I ssstumbled onto a ssssucculent ssssuperfan?”

“Maybe you have, maybe you haven’t.”

“A sssuperfan wouldn’t wassste ssso much time on banter.” He began to rub my other foot, letting my other shoe clatter to the floor as I uncrossed my legs to give him easier access to both feet at once. If only the people around us knew what joys he was bringing me under the table. I snapped back to the moment after he gave my toes a little squeeze.

“…Well, a real admirer of your work would know that the foreplay is the best part.”

“Really? The best part?”

“Well, excluding the real show of course.”

“Country bluegrassss?”

“Not those clumsy farm animals. You know what I’m talking about.”

“Hmhmhm, I’d accussse you of being rude to the band if you weren’t ssso accurate in your review.”

“Heard of any better shows happening tonight?”

“Jussst one. Sssmall venue, though.”

“How popular is the show?”

“A recent critic sssaid that just about any ssstarlet can wander in and sssee it if they want.”

“Only starlets?”

“Ssso far, yesss. The performer isss very exclusssive in his choice of audience.”

“Think I fit the bill?”

“You’re lucky, the waiter isss comping it all tonight only.” He closed his eyes and smirked. I sipped my drink again, then leaned forward on the table, resting my chin on my hands.

“Well, don’t keep your crowd waiting. Let’s raise the curtain and put on an act.”

“Ladiesss and girl-cubsss…” his eyes opened, and instantly I was enraptured by the show. “…sssit back, relax, and enjoy thisss evening’sss performance…” He slid his gentle touch from my feet to my calves, the form there to my knees. I guess this show needs a volunteer from the audience. I’m more than happy to oblige. “Now, it isss very important for your underssstanding of thisss ssshow that you keep your eyesss peeled on the ssstage at all timesss…”

I nod slowly, my mouth hanging open as I do. The show really had a way of making time fly. As the demonstration continued, my role as a volunteer became more and more involved. Before long, I was so tired that I couldn’t move. It felt like he was touching me all over. He gently stroked my neck as it all came to a crescendo, a final note sounding in my ears to leave me wanting more. I’ve never had a show make my toes curl before. I knew there was a reason I’d wanted to come here for so long.

“Would you two like any appetizers tonight?” I heard the waiter say. I didn’t bother to look at him, I was too busy watching the show.

“No, thank you, I brought my own tasssty morsssel tonight…”

“Gawrsh, sir, are you sure? It’s all free for this table tonight.”

“Oh, I’m quite sssure…”