Behind the Scenes - Closed for Minxwife

Fairytale Land was one of those special magical places. A place where once you walked through the gates, the land of make believe and fairy tales became real. The characters everyone heard about in the stories of their childhood were real, physical people, who you could talk to and interact with. Of course they were actors and actresses who immersed themselves into their roles and took on their new personalities whenever they were in costume. Their stories would be told over a couple of days, in front of the adoring crowds of families eager to witness it in person. Each cast was small, the principle characters being supported by a troop of dancers, actors and actresses who played the minor parts in the stories. They would switch from being a guest at Prince Charming's Ball one night to a Pirate or Lost Boy in Neverland the next. The principles were fixed, day in, day out they would take on their characters personality and act out the story from beginning to end, before starting all over again.

To Sam Davis it meant a daily routine of playing Prince Charming, smiling and happy for the crowds, dancing and laughing with the heroine and keeping in shape so as to look the part. He had become quite comfortable in the role, almost exuding charm all the time. This season, however, meant a change. Last season's Cinderella had decided to move on and had 'transferred' to one of the other casts and a new Cinderella would be coming in to take the spot.

Today was the start of rehearsals for the upcoming season. Normally this would be a breeze for Sam, but with a new partner this would mean actually rehearsing. He hoped that she was a quick learner. After a couple of days followed by costume fittings with wardrobe there would be a full dress rehearsal over friends and family days and then it would be back into the routine and he would slip into the character of Prince Charming for the next 8 months.

Sam climbed from his car parked in the corner of the employee lot and ambled towards a brick building that housed the cast facilities. It was plain and boring from this side, but the other side faced out onto the Town Square in the public area of the park providing the cast members with an easy way to head onto the ‘stage’ through a tavern, shop fronts or houses. With his duffle bag on his shoulder, Sam carried his 6’ frame through a plain door into the reception area, swiped his ID card to sign in and then headed into the locker room. Opening his locker he threw the bag in, placed his keys and ID on the shelf and changed into a pair of jogging pants, tshirt and trainers. Shutting the door, he paused briefly to look at his reflection in a mirror through his sharp blue eyes. He ran a hand through his brown hair, attempting to tame it into the swept back style that his character possessed without the assistance of hair and makeup. Satisfied with himself he took a breath, cleared his throat and headed out of the locker room and down the corridor towards the rehearsal studio.

Today was Bailey Evans' first day of rehearsals as Fairytale Land's new Cinderella. After months of rigorous auditions, callbacks, dancing and singing classes on her own dime, she was finally here. The 5'5" brunette was so proud to make the final cut, she'd told all her family and friends back home. Their response, after the initial congratulations, was to ask for free tickets to Fairytale Land. This was met with an eye roll by the sarcastic budding actress.

Bailey had arrived at the rehearsal space an hour early. An older lady, Sandra, had walked her through the building, impatiently showing her the locker room, the kitchen, chill-out lounge and bathrooms. After getting her parking pass and photo identification, she was left alone. She'd never worked in a theme park before, and didn't want to make the wrong first impression with her new colleagues. There had been fierce competition to play the role of Cinderella, and from rumours she'd heard, there were a lot of internal applicants who were unsuccessful.

Not wanting to make any enemies, she'd made herself try to seem as unthreatening as possible. She smiled and wished everyone a good morning as they slowly trickled in. Pulling a dog eared sheet of paper out of her grey cotton shorts, she studied the schedule for the next few weeks of rehearsals and fittings. That meant wearing a blonde wig and a giant dress. And possibly heels every day. But it would be worth it, she knew.

Stretching, Bailey's feminine curves were accentuated in her white tank top. Her look was finished with a pair of white sneakers. Tucking the schedule back in her pocket, she took a sip of her steaming hot green tea from a paper cup and looked up. Looking up, Bailey's warm brown eyes, framed by long eyelashes and manicured dark eyebrows locked on him. She knew the man from his picture in the break room. Prince Charming.

Stepping into the rehearsal space, Sam let his eyes survey the room. Wardrobe had been in early and left a cart of shoes and a rail of rehearsal clothes. In his first season, Sam had hated the shoes. For some reason, everyone believed that Prince Charming and various other high class characters wore shoes with a small heel. Learning to dance in them and spend his days wearing them had been challenging and uncomfortable but now they were familiar and part of his character. The dresses were there for the ladies to practice dancing in, partly for their benefit so as to not get their heels caught in the skirts, and partly so the men learnt to dance without standing on them and potentially causing a major wardrobe malfunction.

Looking past the obligatory wall of mirrors that seemed to exist in every rehearsal space in the world, Sam noticed a few of the backing cast members in a corner, presumably catching up, before his eyes came to rest on a brunette sat nursing a steaming paper cup. Seeing as he didn’t recognise her, Sam assumed she must be his new Cinderella. She certainly looked the part, beautiful. Just then, she looked up and her eyes locked on him. Show time, Sam thought.

Keeping his eyes locked on hers he strode confidently across the room towards her. He held out his hand and smiled at his new partner.

“Cinderella I presume?”

He performed his characters swooping bow, one hand out in front of him and gently took her offered hand, kissing the back of it.

“Prince Charming, you can call me Sam though.”

Having her hand kissed was something totally foreign to Bailey, but something she had to get used to as it was part of her new role. A small smile toyed on her face, and she only barely managed to break through her shyness as she pulled out the layers of an invisible skirt and crossed one leg behind the other and curtsied as best she could. She noticed he displayed an almost regal sense of confidence; something the budding Cinderella would need to portray sooner, rather than later.

"Bailey. Bailey Evans. Pleased to meet you, Sam. You can call me Cinderella," Bailey offered with a smile, her straight white teeth in two perfect rows. A slight blush covering her pale skin. A peaches and cream complexion, her mother used to always say. Even under the fluorescent lights of the rehearsal room, the harsh lighting couldn't take away from her girl next door beauty.

As she rose from her curtsy, she whispered so that only Sam could hear. "I've been taking dancing lessons, but you may need to take the lead. Now, tell me. Heels. I have to wear them from today?" Bailey's smile faltered a little at the thought of her lack of coordination, but it didn't escape her face completely. She observed her Prince Charming - no, Sam and noticed how handsome he was. He filled the brief of Cinderella's dream man. Tall, dark. And those blue eyes!

Snap out of it, Bails, she thought to herself. You're here to have fun and make a living as an actress-singer-dancer. Don't fall in love with the talent, she reminded herself.

Sam took in her little curtsy and he introduction with a charming smile and another little bow in response. She really was a beautiful creature, with perfect skin, what must be a gorgeous figure and the most delicate smile. She seemed a little shy and overwhelmed.

Sam stepped closer as she whispered her questions at him. He chuckled and whispered back.

“Well, Cinderella, Yes i believe you do need to wear them to dance in, and don’t forget, they will be fitting you for a glass heel too. But fear not, you don’t have to wear heels when you are in your rags, i believe you are allowed to be barefoot. As for the dancing….”

Sam paused, and stepped close to Bailey, his left hand taking hold of her right, his right arm gently snaking around her waist, stepping into hold.

“…. just stick close to me and ill guide you through it” he whispered, their faces now a lot closer together, her warm brown eyes and perfect skin seemed even more perfect this close.

Sam held her close and gently started to guide her, a slow 1, 2, 3 passing his lips with each gentle nudge in a new direction. Their main dance was only really a basic Waltz with a few flourishes thrown in, a spin or two, a couple of gentle lifts, nothing complicated.

He thought about his new heroine, incredibly beautiful and willing to learn, this could be a very good partnership. He thought about the basic scenes they would do. Day 1, In the morning she cleans the square being bossed about by the Step Sisters, he passes through with a herald leaving posters about a ball not seeing her but she sees him. In the afternoon she meets her fairy godmother and is told she will go to the ball. In the evening her coach takes her to the Palace (the town square has been transformed into a ballroom outdoors) meets him and they dance, laugh, dance some more, he takes her to the balcony where they look at the stars and kiss. Oh, that will be fun, Sam thinks. The clock starts to strike midnight and she has to run, leaving her slipper behind. The next day, Sam spends the morning searching the square for his Cinderella, trying the shoe on many a ladies foot until he finds her. In the afternoon, they are back in their finery and dance, celebrate and dance some more, they kiss and wave from the balcony, with fireworks in the evening. Such a simple little routine, but with plenty of chance for improvisation.

Sam’s mind wonders back to the present, Bailey still held in his arms standing in the middle of the studio. He releases his hold and steps back, once again bowing like his character would and kissing her hand.

“Cinderella, a pleasure to meet you. Now, shall we find you some shoes.” He said with a wink.

Bailey struggled to keep up with Sam as they waltzed around the centre of the room. She had no problem with the basic steps, but once there were spins and lifts, she took her old dancing teacher's advice and put her trust in her partner. Sam's hands were warm and secure on her body and when they broke from their dancing embrace she felt like she needed to be held again.

The brunette managed to curtsy towards Sam as he bowed, the dance instructor barking out how to make the curtsy more realistic. Mental notes were made. Don't falter, don't fall, keep your back straight, only bend your knees. When Sam suggested shoes, Bailey kept her hand in his, post-kiss. She followed him across the room, the quiet padding of her white shoes against the worn, polished floorboards. If this wood could talk, she thought, she could only imagine who had been here before, who had graced this floor.

The shoe rack had shoes ranging from flats, dancing heels, all the way to sky high shoes. There was a shelf marked 'glass slippers' which had shoes in a range of sizes, but all the same height. Bailey grabbed a pair - a size 8 - and sat down on a bench to try them on. She noticed all the other girls had to wait for her, the girls playing her ugly step-sisters did not look happy at all. Oh no, they were at the auditions!

Distracting herself from their glares, she looked up at her partner and spoke as she untied her laces and removed her socks. "So, Charming. How old are you, and how long have you been a Prince?" With her ridiculously tall 'glass slippers' on, Bailey extended a hand towards Sam to give her a hand in standing.

Her worst nightmare came to life and she lurched forward, tripping and landing in his arms. She heard giggles and saw reflections of ladies pointing at her and laughing as she blushed, a deep red staining her face and her décolletage. Her words came out in a frenzy.

"Sam, I'm so sorry!"

Sam picked up his pair of Charming's shoes, black leather with a small heel and a big silver buckle on the tongue, stepped out of his trainers and into the Prince's shoes for the first time this season. Their little dance around the studio had been nothing complex. Sam had just picked Bailey up and spun her round a couple of times, nothing too it except a nice firm grip on her perfectly formed waist.

Sam could see the jealous looks coming from the "step sisters". Clearly they had also applied for the lead role and been deemed only second best by the auditioning panel. In his, albeit short time, with Bailey, he felt they had definitely made the right choice. She was ten times more beautiful than the others. He watched her remove her shoes and socks and slide her feet into the heels. Taking her hands he helped her up, chuckling at her question.

Then suddenly she had stumbled and he reached out, on instinct, wrapping his arms around her and catching her close to him. She flustered and blushed and blurted out an apology. Sam had to admit, she looked incredibly attractive when she blushed. He chuckled again, carefully lifting her by her waist and setting her on her feet but keeping his hands firmly on her.

"Well Cinderella, first I am 28 and I have been a Prince for 6 years. Now, hold on to me and let's see if we can get you used to these heels."

Sam stepped back, keeping his hands on the waistband of Baileys shorts. He had to admit, she had a cracking set of legs which looked incredible in the heels. Some slow easy steps around the floor to get her confidence up.

"So Bailey, or should I say my dear Cinderella, tell me about you. How long have you been an actress? What experience do you have?"

Prince Charming pulled his Cinderella close to him, wrapping his arm around her, holding her close in the standard dance hold again. His firm grip held her hips against his and he started the basic waltz step again.

"Oh and Bailey, when would you like to practice our first kiss." Sam whispered.

Bailey let the steps come naturally and let Sam lead her. With deep concentration on her face, she kept an eye on their reflection in the mirror before answering Sam gently.

"Well, Charming, I've been an actress since I finished high school. I went to a performing arts college and I did some stage work. I find it's more fulfilling than film work. I would like to make it to Broadway one day. I've done some community theatre work, some voice work on the radio for a cereal company. But, working at Fairytale Land is my dream come true. I've visited every summer since I was three, and dreamt I would one day be Cinderella. When I got the callback last week, I burst into tears and couldn't stop smiling even when I drove into the carpark."

Feeling confident, Bailey span out away from Sam and back into his arms and smiled up at him. Her heart skipped a beat. He was so handsome and smelt so nice. There was something familiar about his cologne that made the butterflies in her tummy flit about in a frenzied fashion.

"So, I've been an actress since I was 17 and I'm 22 now. I hope that's not an issue?" As they danced around the room slowly, Sam's question surprised her and she almost leapt out of her shoes. Did he really just ask about practising a kiss? She just assumed it would just be a stage kiss. Rebounding from his question, Bailey flashed a grin at Sam and asked him dryly.

"A kiss? But, Charming, you haven't even taken me out to dinner yet!"

Their dance was getting better, Bailey seemed to be adjusting to her new heels and confidently pulled off a little spin. Sam caught their reflection in the mirror and could almost see them in costume looking the part. The problem was that Bailey looked incredible in her cotton shorts, tank top and heels. Snap out of it Sam, this is Cinderella to your Prince Charming. Get in character and let the chemistry flow there.

He smiled as she told him her story and wondered why on earth her being 22 would be an issue and then he dropped the question. He felt her tense slightly, his hand firmly on her waist, probably a little low for being in a dance hold, and then her reply, quick and witty. Sam laughed.

"Why Cinderella, I do apologise, how very un-gentlemanly of me. Allow me to take you to dinner so we may get properly aquainted."

Sam paused the dance with a flourish, bowing and kissing Baileys hand.

"CHARMING!!!" barked the choreographer/director who was Sam's ongoing nightmare and personal tormentor. "Save the flirting for in the park Charmer. Get in hold." she practically spat at him. The 50 something Mistress was an ex ballet dancer, a good one apparently. For some reason she seemed to make it her personal vendetta to take the fun out of rehearsals for Sam. But it was only for the one week at the beginning of the season. After that, they were on their own, and that was just the way Sam liked it.

Sam pulled himself into position, gently taking Cinderella's hand with his and placing his other around her waist and on her back. As soon as he was in hold, the short dragon poked and prodded him. "Stand straight, hand up, elbow up, chin up, don't slouch, guide her, don't push her. Command her but don't force her. Oh for god's sake man, stop being so sloppy." Suddenly, the end of the day seemed ever so far away. Today was only scheduled for the dances, tomorrow it would be partly in costume and a visit to wardrobe to make sure it all fitted. After that, full dress rehearsals out in the park of every scene.

At least there was one consolation for today. Prince Charming had the most beautiful looking Cinderella in his arms for the rest of the day and she looked stunning in just a pair of shorts and a tank top. And best of all? Madam Grouch couldn't take her away from him. Sam smiled at that thought before beginning a dance marathon that would go on until he and Bailey didn't even have to think to dance beautifully together and move in perfect synch.

Bailey smiled, quite enjoying Sam being a consummate gentleman. It was rare for someone of her age – scratch that, for men in general these days – and she was quite enjoying it. Catching his eyes again, she blushed again. Was she that transparent with her feelings? She was about to ask something when the choreographer started telling him off. Elise? Elsa? Bailey couldn’t remember the lady’s name, but hoped her dancing was up to scratch. She searched her mind for the phrase she’d used. In hold? What was that? Why hadn’t she paid more attention in dance class?

“You,” barked the choreographer, pointing at Bailey who’s eyes widened at the comment. “Stand straight. You’re the shortest Cinderella that’s come through my doors. Trust your partner, lean in, be comfortable, stop looking at your feet, look ahead.” Bailey was shaken by the words, and blinked a couple of times trying not to cry. Holding a more formal pose, she tried to take the instructor’s words into consideration. Now Bailey felt stiff and detached from Sam. She could see him smiling and returned one, letting it soften her face.

“Can I ask you something? Is she always this grumpy? Also, what happened to the last Cinderella? I tried asking at auditions but it was like some giant secret. And no one is talking to me yet today, I’ve tried being nice to everyone, but I guess the new girl never has an easy time fitting in, right?” Bailey kept an eye on the dragon lady as they danced. Her feet were blistering from the heels as they spun around the room, this time, taking the perimeter of the room, before being yelled at to dance in the centre of the floor, with all the other couples surrounding them. "Sam? My favourite food is Italian."

Prince Charming and his Cinderella danced and floated around the room. His smile softened as he looked down at Bailey in his arms.

"Relax Bailey, ignore her, trust me and just stay close. If we keep our hips, stomachs and chests lightly touching then your body will feel the turn of mine and you need not look at our feet. Yours will be hidden under your dress anyway. Ill help guide you with my hand on your back, so a little pressure like this helps you turn."

Sam and Bailey's hushed conversation around the edge of the floor was brought to an end as they were commanded to dance in the centre. Sam could sense that Bailey was tiring, probably from the shoes. He gently drew her closer, whispering to her so that they could continue to speak.

"She is always this grumpy, at least with me. I seem to have offended her sense of world order. From the little bits of gossip that I do hear, it would appear that the girls in the various casts are always told by her that the male actors, particularly the leads, are just lying, sleazy, sexual predators who only want to trick the girls into their beds. So Prince Charming, by his nature of being a kind and caring gentleman undermines her lies.

As for the last Cinderella, well I suspect that had something to do with Ms Grumpy too. Honestly I do not know why she transferred to another cast, but I have my suspicions. At the end of last season I was asked into the management offices and asked some questions about my working relationship with her. I told them that we worked together on a daily basis, that I felt we were friends and that we had what I thought was a strictly professional relationship bearing in mind that every few days we had to fall in love for the crowds. After that I heard nothing more other than she would be moving casts. Maybe she had tried to accuse me of something, I do not know. Either way, the girls might either be jealous of you getting a spot they wanted, or wary of me because the Dragon Lady has told them some lie about being a womanizer and that I will corrupt them."

They had been dancing for what felt like forever and Sam could tell she needed a break. With a flourish Sam gently guided Bailey into a spin that would become totally familar to her soon. It was how they ended the dance every night, with Cinderella spinning out and then back into Prince Charming's arms, ending with her back to him and his arms around her pausing for effect before seperating and bowing to each other. Then the Prince would take her to the balcony for the last scene of the night. However for now, Sam just held Bailey and whispered in her ear "Now what do you say about dinner tonight?" There was a long pause and then a quiet response.

"Sam? My favourite food is Italian."

"Perfect, I know just the place. Now don't worry about the old bat, you dance beautifully and you will be a perfect Cinderella." and with that Prince Charming led his Cinderella from the floor to take a well deserved break and rest her feet.

Mulling over Sam's words, Bailey's face furrowed in both concentration and thought. What was Prince Charming's story? Had he really scared off the previous Cinderella? Why was Elsa/Elise so cranky with Sam? Not wanting to rock the boat on day one, she allowed herself to be led from the floor. Seating herself down on the bench, Bailey pulled her shoes off, wincing at the blisters that had formed.

"I better get used to the shoes soon," she muttered quietly, massaging her feet. Someone from the office walked around handing out bottles of water. Bailey accepted one with a smile and gulped down half the bottle. It was warmer in here than she'd realised, something highlighted by the material of her white tank turned translucent from perspiration. She hadn't noticed the change in material. It wouldn't be permanent as they were getting closer to finishing.

Pulling a hair tie off her wrist, Bailey bundled her hair into a topknot on her head; some of her waves escaped, trailing down her neck or covering her face. She played with the bottle for a minute before placing it next to her. She leaned over to Sam and took his hand in hers, unconsciously.

"I was joking about dinner, but if you want to take me out, I won't say no. And as for practising the kiss, please don't tell me there's a rehearsal for that, too? Can't we just do that in private?"

Sam sat down on the bench beside Bailey, slipped off his shoes and stretched his toes to ease the squished and cramped feeling in them. He took an offered bottle of water and took a swig from it. He watched his new partner as she slid her hands down her bare legs to massage her feet. Looking at her smooth toned legs, Sam decided that Bailey had a great pair of legs, but she also had a great figure, beautiful face, gorgeous eyes, the list went on.

As his mind processed this, his eyes travelled up her legs, past her cotton shorts and to her tank top. Hell, Bailey looked gorgeous and sexy in just training clothes, but right now the white top had decided to highlight some of her equally gorgeous assets. Sam tried to be the gentleman and tore his eyes away, moving upward to her face, which was currently deep in concentration as she bundled her hair into some sort of stack on top of her head. A few loose strands escaped and fell to rest beside her face and neck.

Sam's eyes may have been focused on these strands, but his mind was still processing her tank top and the glimpse of what was hidden beneath. The outline of a white cotton bra, a hint of lace, two peaks and a valley between. If taking the beauty of her legs, face, eyes and everything else was a benchmark then Sam imagined that the skin beneath that tank top was just as perfect, smooth and gorgeous as the rest of her. Well, come dress rehearsals, Bailey, sorry Cinderella, would be wearing her ball gown and held securely in Sam's arms and he would have a much better view of his partners chest. That thought made same smile, something about the hidden beauty of Bailey was striking a chord with him.

When Bailey took his hand in hers, Sam became aware of the room again and sensed that she was nervous about something. He listened to her words.

"Bailey, if you agree then I would love to take you to dinner. Our characters have to show chemistry to make us believable and I think we can show that if we know each other better, share things that maybe only couples do and see if we can have that connection on stage."

Sam smiled, his eyes sparkling at her last comment. "Cinderella my dear, there is no rehearsal until we get to full dress rehearsals and then we will be expected to make a first kiss look believable. Of course we can practice in private, I wouldn't want to make our first kiss a free for all to view event."

He reached out with his free hand and brushed a strand of her hair behind her ear. "If you want, I am more than happy to help you practice anything."

Bailey reached up and placed her hand on Sam’s, his skin felt warm against hers and she smiled, gazing into his blue eyes. Her step-sisters were standing precariously close to them, whispering and glancing Bailey up and down. She crossed her legs, her calf resting gently against Sam’s leg. A thought came to her mind and she spoke gently, so that no one else could hear.

“Okay, call me inconsiderate, but do you have a girlfriend? I don’t want to be treading on anyone’s toes if we practise this kiss. I don’t have a boyfriend anymore. We broke up a year ago; he cheated on me with a couple of the girls from my theatre group. We found out on closing night when he’d brought me a bouquet of flowers and they confronted him. Not only did they know of him cheating on me, they knew of each other. I was mortified! So, I broke up with him and have thrown myself into the life of lessons and auditions. I’ve dated a few guys since then, but no one special. And here I am pouring my heart out to someone I’ve just met. So, I guess I have to try dancing with a large, puffy skirt on now, right?”

Jumping up, barefooted, Bailey found a long, giant skirt and slipped it on. She caught Elise’s eye, who nodded at her. Good, at least she got this right today. Walking on her tiptoes back to the bench, she sat awkwardly and nudged Sam in the arm with her elbow.

“Hey. Charming? My feet hurt. Want to do the princely thing and find out if my glass slippers will fit? From the look of the dragon lady, we don’t want to be late for the ball.” Waiting for Sam to assist her, she noticed everyone else was making their way back to their positions and she whispered hurriedly.

“I have to leave straight after rehearsal. Give me your number and I’ll text you my address. Pick me up at 7.”

Sam could feel her leg brush against him, but he could also feel the eyes of others on them. He listened to her hushed questions and ramblings of her life.

"A girlfriend? No, as i spend so much time here in the season the long hours do not make it easy to find anyone and even then having a relationship is difficult. Then all the girls here listen to the old bat and half of them won't go near me and the other half wouldn't even consider a friendly drink without safety in numbers. No, there are no-one's toes to stand on, my last relationship was last season and that ended because she couldn't handle me spending every day dancing with another woman."

Sam smiled, slipping easily into character.

"Why Cinderella, allow me."

Sam picked up a pair of the glass slippers, then knelt and gently took Bailey's foot in his hands. He carefully slipped one on, his hand sliding up her calf, feeling the smooth skin of her leg. Switching to the other foot, Sam helped her into the second shoe, once again letting his hand slide up to he calf, enjoying the smoothness of her skin. He looked up into her eyes as she whispered her instructions. He smiled. "Of course Cinderella, your carriage will await you."

He quickly scribbled his number onto a scrap of paper torn off of a rehearsal schedule before folding it and then discreetly handing it to Bailey as he took her hands in his and helped her to stand before leading her to the floor and their positions. Face to face, his arm around her waist, firmly holding her hips against his, this time her dress flowed around them, mostly hiding their feet. A few more hours of dancing lay ahead but Sam could sense that Bailey was getting the hang of it and that they would make a good partnership.

With that, Sam let his mind wander to tonights dinner with Bailey.

Bailey listened to every word Sam had to say, with a thoughtful expression on her face. He was just as single as she was. She didn't like dating within a cast, something inevitably went wrong, but she had a feeling about Sam. And she'd only known him a few hours now. After making her wise crack about the glass slippers, she had not expected Sam to put them on her feet. She was always a bit self conscious of her feet but in that moment, she felt like it was just the two of them. The rest of the rehearsal room didn't exist.

His hands on her legs was electrifying, she was so glad she had shaved them that morning. She didn't want him to stop touching her. When the shoes were on and her dress covered her, she smiled sadly, craving his touch. Snap out of it, Bails! She thought to herself again, you're falling for someone you've just met. What's wrong with you?

She accepted Sam's number on a piece of paper. A little old fashioned, yes, but she knew they weren't allowed phones in the dance space. Tucking it into the pocket of her shorts, shrinking her hand down the waistband of the giant skirt.

Bailey let herself be lost in the moment of the dance for the final part of rehearsal. She was glad it didn't have as much dancing as some of the other fairy tales she'd auditioned for. Their instructor called out feedback a few times and she adjusted herself; but mostly Bailey danced with Sam, pressed into him, her eyes on his as they waltzed around the room. Just when she felt like her feet were about to fall off from the many hours of rehearsal, a clap was heard in the room and they were told that rehearsals were over.

"Sam, in case I forget, or lose your number, Apartment 13, 1124 Simmons Road." Bailey wrapped him in a friendly hug before following the other women to the locker room so she could get her bag. Some of them engaged in conversation and she happily made smalltalk as she smiled and waved at Sam before leaving the room, her skirt and shoes left on the bench.

The remainder of the dance rehearsal went without a hitch. Sam and Bailey danced like they had been made for each other and by the end of the day they were in perfect synch, like they had been partners for years. They rose and fell, twirled and moved like they were one. Sam and Bailey stayed joined at the hips and moved effortlessly through the dance time after time. Well, effortlessly maybe wasn't the right word. It appeared to be so smooth and effortless but Sam's body was telling him otherwise.

When the time was over, Sam was more than glad to stop. He bowed and escorted his Cinderella off the floor to the benches at the side. He watched as she slipped her shoes off and then her skirt. She pressed her body against his one more time in a friendly hug, telling him her address before she left the room. He watched her go, her bare legs, cotton shorts and messy piled up hair staying in his mind as she sliped out the door. He sighed, removed his own shoes and gently massaged his feet before making his own way to the locker room.

Collecting his bag, keys and ID, Sam made his way out to his car and home. A quick phone call to a local Italian that he had frequented before, secured a booth for 7:30. A look at the clock told him he had enough time for a shower before slipping on a pair of navy chinos and a clean crisp shirt. He didnt know where this dinner was going, but he was looking forward to it wherever it took him.

Sam stepped into his shoes, grabbed his phone, wallet and keys and left his flat heading to Bailey's appartment. He arrived a couple of minutes early, parked his car and found her door. He knocked gently and waited. When the door opened, the vision before him took his breath away and he almost forgot to speak before Prince Charming came to the fore.

"Cinderella, my dear, you look absolutely beautiful."

Bailey chatted to some of the ball attendants in the change room as they all got changed. The step-sisters were still ignoring her, but there was nothing she could do about it. She had worked hard to get here and she wasn’t going to let someone else’s sour grapes affect her performance both in rehearsals or on ‘stage’. Justifying her position with herself, she smiled at everyone and said goodbye before wearing her headphones and cranking music on the walk to the shuttle to her car.

Her drive home was uneventful, just listening to music and zoning out. And imagining Sam’s lips on hers. Repeatedly. Not just on her lips though; on her neck, her shoulders… A shiver ran Bailey’s spine and she noticed she was home. Pulling into the parking lot, she practically ran into the house and stripped, throwing her clothes into a pile on the floor before jumping into the shower.

Pulling her hair out its elastic captor, her hair quickly got pulled under the hot stream and she quickly went through her shower motions, making sure she didn’t take too long. Keeping an eye on the time on her phone, Bailey exited and roughly dried her skin and hair before moisturising with a pink grapefruit scented body butter. Standing naked in the bathroom, she stared herself down in the mirror before picking up her hair dryer and blowing her curls into a long, sleek do. Adding a touch of subtle makeup, she walked naked into the bedroom and picking out some matching lingerie and dressed before standing at the cupboard door, staring at her dressed with her head tilted to the right, her hand on her hip.

Selecting a navy blue knee-length dress with thick straps and a little cleavage, Bailey picked a silver necklace off her dressing table and wore it. She finished her outfit with a tan blazer and heels before picking up her bag, making sure she had money, phone and her keys. She slung the bag over her shoulder when she heard a knock on the door. Excited, she rushed to answer it, before slowing down a few steps before the door, trying to be more lady-like.

When she saw Sam on her doorstep, she blushed, the butterflies returning to her stomach. He looked amazing, she could barely speak and she noticed he was having trouble finding the words, too. Not quite herself, but not in character either, she leant over and kissed him on the cheek before whispering in his ear, still blushed pink. “Thank you, Charming!”

Bailey really did look stunning, her simple dress was showing just the right amount of flesh in just the right places. When combined with the nice snug fit that emphasised her gorgeous body and the subtle make up that only enhanced her peaches and cream complexion, the overall effect was one that had Sam's heart beating harder and his mind wondering what this angel would be like to date.

Sam felt her kiss his cheek and he managed to keep his eyes from looking her up and down or focusing on her clevage. Right now he was torn between being the gentleman and taking her hand and leading her to the car or giving into the primal urges that were starting to surge through his brain by taking her back into her apartment and ravishing her. He managed to suppress them and he kissed Baileys cheek in return, took her hand and escorted her to his car. Sam opened the door and helped her to climb in to his car. A white Porsche that Sam had saved for years to get.

"My lady, your carriage" he said. Once Bailey was in, Sam closed her door and jumped in to the drivers side before pulling off and driving them to the restaurant. A valet opened his door and would park the car up for them. Sam helped Bailey out of her seat and then took her hand and lead her into the restaurant where they were led to a private booth. The table was set for 2 and they could sit opposite each other or closer together in the booth. A candle was lit and a single rose in a small vase sat in the middle.

Sam allowed Bailey to choose her seat and then sat beside her. He admired her beauty in the soft light and how her eyes twinkled with the candle.

"I hope this is to your liking a Bailey"

Bailey was surprised by the kiss on the cheek by Sam and the butterflies in her stomach escalated into a monsoon of moths. She couldn’t stop staring at him, her jaw agape for a while before she closed it and managed to allow Sam to lead her to the car. She was hoping he would have kissed her then and there, but she was happy to wait for after dinner.

She was surprised at seeing Sam’s Porsche, her dream car. She knew how much the principal cast earned at Fairytale Land and a Porsche wasn’t in her dreams any time soon. Her beat up little Hyundai was only barely holding it together before her first pay. As she held hands with Sam, she didn’t want him to let go. Although they sat next to each other in the car, it was more a comfortable silence as they drove to the restaurant together.

Bailey was impressed by the service of the valet and happily followed Sam into the restaurant, not knowing what to expect. The décor of the restaurant was old fashioned, but not tacky. It looked family-run and the staff was friendly and polite, offering to take her jacket as they sat together in the booth. Bailey sat halfway in the booth, smoothing her skirt over her legs so she wouldn’t look inappropriate in public. When Sam sat next to her, she smiled at him. She took his hand and intertwined her fingers in his.

Sam, it’s perfect. I didn’t even know this restaurant existed. It’s so beautiful, I love the way it looks. Do you bring all your dates here?” Bailey felt happy, almost giddy as she nodded breathlessly. She looked at Sam, the ambient lighting making him look even more handsome than he already was and she sighed in contentment. Resting her head on his shoulder, she closed her eyes for a moment before feeling his hand on her face.

Sam chuckled. "My dates? Have we moved from a friendly working partner dinner to a date now Cinderella?" he teased her. "I have been here a few times for various dinners, but never a date and never in one of these nice little booths"

The booth was a semi circle leather bench seat around a two person round table. Sam and Bailey sat side by side in the back of the booth, the long cream table cloth spilling over their laps. The booth faced a wall with a mural of an italian vineyard painted on it and was surrounded by a trellis with fake vines climbing up it, giving the booth privacy from the rest of the room.

Sam felt Bailey rest her head on his shoulder, their hands and interlinked fingers were resting on his thigh. He raised his other hand brushed her hair back behind her ear and gently stroked her cheek with a finger.

"So Cinderella, when did this become a date and at this rate are we going to be married by the end of the evening?" Sam joked, turning his head slightly to look down at her. He could feel her hair brushing against his cheek and as he looked down he could see her eyes close and flutter slightly. His gaze focused on her chest, seeing her breathing deep and a slight pulse showing through her chest as her heart beat. Not to mention the view he was getting of her clevage which was beginning to have an effect on him too, causing his heart to beat harder. He could feel the atmosphere start to take on a more sexual charge, his mind starting to wonder where this evening was going. He felt the need to kiss her and to actually kiss her, not some practice for when they were in front of crowds, but a full on kiss that would convey desire and passion and also reflect her beauty and how sexy she was looking to him.

Sam let his finger drop down her cheek to Bailey's lips, where he lightly and slowly traced around them. His eyes thought he detected her catch her breath and her chest flush slightly, adding more peaches to her peaches and cream complexion. Ever so gently, Sam moved his finger down to her chin and gently tilted her head back and moving slowly he lowered his own lips to within millimeters of hers. He could feel her breath on his lips and he paused, his face brushing against hers, his lips touching hers for the briefest of moments, teasing her and mounting the tension, never quite kissing her. His hand dropped to her neck before Sam finally pulled her lips to his and kissed her.

“Married? What, no, I didn’t say that,” Bailey blurted out awkwardly, slightly panicking at Sam’s words. She hoped he didn’t have the wrong idea about her. She was only looking for friends and if she met a guy, well, then that was a bonus. Dating the Prince Charming to her Cinderella felt a little too close for comfort. Her heart raced fast and feeling herself blush, Bailey felt Sam’s eyes on her.

His finger touching her lips caused her to catch her breath, her chest heaving. When she felt his lips on hers, Bailey’s whole world spun on its axis. She couldn’t believe Sam was kissing her. Her. Small town girl Bailey who was a bad dancer but a good friend. All her thoughts raced in her head before her mind cleared and she did what she had to do.

Pulling her hand out from Sam’s, she placed it on his thigh, a little higher than she normally would and kissed him back with a ferocity she didn’t she had. A gasp escaped from her mouth from the raw sexual energy she was emitting and she used that to let her tongue explore his, pressing herself up against him. Then, she twisted. She moved her arms around Sam’s neck and shifted so she was kneeling on the leather of the booth seat.

Heart racing, she knew she should stop kissing him, but she just didn’t want to. People were walking past but she didn’t care. She just had to keep kissing Sam.

Sam's pulse was racing and his brain was rapidly ignoring all his gentlemanly ways and beginning to succomb to his primal urges. It was like he had thrown a switch and the quiet, beautiful, cautious and polite Bailey he had got to know had been taken over by one filled with urgent need, desire and lust. It excited him and set his own desire free, yet a small voice in the back of his head was urging caution and to slow things down.

He felt her hand move to his thigh and her tongue dancing with his. Her body and actions were radiating sexual need and desire. She moved to kneel beside him, her arms around his neck and their kiss only got hotter. Sam was kissing her back just as hard as she was kissing him. He felt his hands moving to grasp her hips as she knelt beside him and before his mind could even process what he was doing, Sam had firmly dragged Bailey so she was sat staddling his lap, her knee length dress had been forced to ride up to mid thigh to allow her to take up her new position and Sams hands were firmly holding her down on his lap as he passionately kissed Bailey. Their tongues dancing, breath coming hard and fast and pulses racing.

Sam's hands were wrapping themselves around Bailey's waist, pulling her tight against him, her hair spilling down around their kiss. He let his fingers firmly caress her sexy ass that was so perfectly wrapped in the navy fabric. He broke the kiss, breathing hard, his lips seeking our Baileys neck. His hands moving all over her back and ass, down to the hem of her dress.

His brain was in caveman mode. He was moments away from taking her there and then. But his heart and that little voice were suggesting taking it slow. He liked Bailey, he knew that, and she was drop dead gorgeous and he wanted to take this friendship further, but he wanted more than a one night thing.

He found he was kissing Bailey again, her hair all around their faces.

"Mmm Ba" kiss "ay" kiss "yley" "Bailey" Sam held her tight, bringing his lips to her ear.

"Bailey, my Cinderella, now that was a kiss alright, but" he paused, gently kissing her ear and cheek "it was so sexy and passionate that i think we might need to practice it again, because it wasnt very family friendly now was it" he teased gently. Sam was trying to keep this potential relationship going, just slow it down slightly, and he hoped that Bailey realised that and not that he was trying to push her away. Just in case he whispered in her ear "Bailey, don't get me wrong, I want you, but how about we slow things down and draw this out as we get to know each other, both professionally and personally?"

Bailey gasped into Sam's mouth, her body yearning for his as she ground gently down into his lap. Knowing they were going too hard, too fast, she just wanted him. She had no qualms in taking things as far as she could. In fact, Bailey would have been completely happy to make love to Sam here, sitting in his lap, in a leather-seated booth in a busy restaurant with people milling about. Her breathing quickened as her heart raced.

"Sam," Bailey whispered, "you want to slow down? We're going to have to sit opposite each other, because if I sit next to you, I don't think I'll be able to keep my hands off. Unless, you know, we just get dessert and get out of here?"

Wrapping her arms around his shoulders, Bailey gave Sam a tight hug before slowly slipping off his lap and straightening her skirt. Flipping her hair behind her shoulders, she opened the menu sitting in front of her and perused the wine list. Flicking her eyes back and forth between the list and Sam, she tried to settle herself, her chest still heaving as she tried to calm her breathing. Settling on a wine, she picked up the food menu and read it intently, enjoying the feeling of Sam's thigh against hers.

A waitress arrived at the table to take their orders. Bailey looked up and in a breathy voice, spoke. "I'll have a glass of chardonnay, Sam? But I think we'll need a couple of minutes before we order."

Sam did his best to compose himself. He saw Bailey straighten her skirt and organise her hair. He picked up the menu and opened it and while it looked like he was reading the starters, he was actually miles away. His brain was still processing her touch, her kisses, the passion and desire. Snap out of it Sam, he thought to himself, we both said things are going a little fast and we need to take things slower.

His eyes returned to the menu just as Bailey started speaking to him. With his mind still in a jumble he didn't really hear what she said and hadn't actually noticed the waitress at all, only that she appeared to be waiting for him.

"Oh, erm, Yes, same for me please."

"Ok Sir, I'll be back in a few minutes to take your order." She said.

Sam smiled at Bailey, he could still feel her thigh up against his and, out of the corner of his eye, her chest moving with her breathing. She was gorgeous, but right now was supposed to be dinner and getting to know each other.

The waitress returned and took their orders, Sam took Baileys hand in his and just held it gently as they chatted about the park, casts and life. He felt a connection with Bailey and hoped that things could move forward slowly and not at such a speed that made a crash inevitable.

The starter and the main were both incredibly good and the dessert menu was left on the table.