Often I've been watching a movie and wished a scene was longer or went farther. Probably others here have felt that way also. This story is based on continuing one of my favorite of such scenes. The first paragraphs are an attempt to describe the original movie scene. It ends where he offers her the grape. Some of it is backstory imagined by me but the actions are as accurate as I can remember. After that the story is all my imagination.
To add what is hopefully a bit of fun, this will be a contest. Several people have asked for continuations of my multipart series. The first person who guesses the movie and actress can choose which series takes priority. This is difficult for an author. Like picking a favorite child for a parent. If you'd like to help me out leave your guesses and choice of prize in the comments. I'll do my best to have the prize done before April 15. The eligible stories are:
The driving Miss Daisy series, I, Dombot, Poker in the Rear, The Prince and the Assassin, and Void Beast
Angela slipped through the exhibit's entrance. She was an attractive woman in her mid-twenties. Her hair was brown; her eyes were bright blue and her movements graceful. Her late husband had called her his "Jeannie with the Light Brown Hair". Her breasts were high and round. Her waist was narrow even without the aid of a corset. Her bustle moved with an automatic swish which sometimes embarrassed her.
She'd become separated from her group in the maze of tents and walkways. The sign above the door said, 'PAN'. The name nibbled at the edges of her memory. Tired of waiting for the others, she moved through the opening, primly upright as usual. As town librarian and respectable widow she felt the social pressure to be correct.
When the strange circus and its elderly Chinese owner arrived she'd been quietly thrilled at the chance to see beyond her little town. Her son, Mike, had arrived home from a day spent putting up circus posters with the old man nearly incoherent from excitement. She hoped the experience wouldn't disappoint him.
The inside of the tent was dim and filled with weird and twisted shapes that tricked the eye. A warm breeze caressed her face. It rustled the leaves of a gnarled tree which stood to one side. The air smelled of sea and forest.
Angela stood near the entrance and looked around curiously. The space seemed unoccupied until a movement caught her attention. A man stepped into one of the shafts of light crisscrossing the space. He was naked at least to the waist. She refused to let her gaze drop any farther than that. She thought she'd walked in on one of the performers changing and was horribly embarrassed for them.
She whirled for the exit but stopped after several steps. A strange, unworldly music wrapped around her stopping her flight. She turned back slowly. The man regarded her with dark eyes as he played a pipe. He began to dance as he played. Angela stayed frozen in place.
The music kept speeding up. She could feel her heart beating faster in response. The musician twirled in place. He spun faster and faster as the music pounded in her chest. The entranced woman jumped when he suddenly stopped. Her hand flew to her lips. He was different now. His face had altered. It was familiar and slightly uncomfortable to see under these circumstances. Angela moved forward without volition.
He played again and danced in a slow circle around her. She held onto a limb of his tree for support. Her throat felt tight and she couldn't catch her breathe. She turned to face him as he circled her. The music was growing faster and forcing her thoughts from her head. She panicked without warning and ran without plan. Dodging around the stacked crates she tried to put a solid barrier between her and the relentless music. The dancer pursued easily and cornered her beneath his tree.
With a grin he snatched her little grey hat from her head. She lunged in pursuit of the stolen item. He easily kept it from her and continued to play the uncanny music. Angela was feeling frustrated. Her stiff skirt was trying to trip her. Her blouse was soaked with perspiration. Her tidy bun was falling apart with the loose strands floating around her face. Exhausted, she sprawled across a crate with her chest heaving.
The man circled her as he danced. Sometimes his face was inches from hers and she could smell the maleness of him. The music sped up, again. She still couldn't catch her breath and her head was spinning. She tore open the top buttons of her blouse for relief. Her skin was shiny with sweat and her cheeks were flushed. The man put aside his pipes and turned deliberately toward her.