Gripping the towel wrapped around her lanky, naked body, Laura stared at her closed bedroom door. She tiptoed to it, then placed her ear along the wooden surface.

Silence.

She glanced over her shoulder at the pink dress lying on her bed. Aunt Jane had given it to her earlier that day for her tenth birthday. Like everything else in Laura's closet, lace and ruffles adorned it.

Shuffling back across the room, she took one last look at the door and dropped her towel. Quickly, she reached for the white panties and jammed her feet into the leg holes. The door to her bedroom flew open. Laura gasped and jerked her underwear up.

Aunt Jane marched toward her, a scowl planted across her face. She grabbed the sides of Laura's underwear and yanked them back down her legs.

With a red tipped finger, Jane jabbed at Laura's flat chest. "Don't you ever try to hide from me young lady. There's nothing special about you, and you've got nothing I haven't seen."

Laura didn't flinch when the spittle from her aunt's mouth landed on her face.

Aunt Jane straightened, walked to the bay window, and then stretched out on top of the chaise lounge. She fluffed her dress and made a show of smoothing wrinkles, shook her brown hair back and took a deep breath. With a pleasant smile on her face, she lifted her index finger and twirled it in the air, and Laura, recognizing her cue, began to dress.

They'd been performing this ritual at least once every couple of weeks for as long as Laura could remember. She completed the process as fast as possible, then stood ramrod straight in all her pink and flounce.

Aunt Jane nodded and gave a delicate clap of approval. "Now let me see you walk."

Laura pulled her shoulders back and pretended she had a book balanced on her head. She walked the length of her bedroom, pivoted, then returned.

"Oh, Laura, you're such a dream." Aunt Jane steepled her fingers beneath her chin. "Now come here and let me braid these ribbons into your hair."

Forcing a smile, Laura walked toward her aunt.

"Laura!"

She glanced up. A custodian stood across the stage.

"Jesus, wake up. I've been shouting at ya forever."

"Sorry," she mumbled. Not the first time she'd relived that particular fifteen-year-old memory.

He pointed to the back of the arena with his broom. "You got a phone call in the office."

Quickly, she finished soldering the speaker cable and unplugged the iron. She dusted her hands on her jeans and slipped her blue rabbit's foot from her front pocket. As she jogged off stage and through the empty, dark arena to the back office, she rubbed her thumb over the soft fur.

Picking up the dangling black receiver, she leaned back against the office desk. "Hello, this is Laura Genny."

"Hey, green eyes."

"Ed." They'd met five years before at a workshop he instructed in her third year of college studies. He'd been the one to hook her up with her current job as Sound Technician for the Nashville Arena.

"How's it going in Music City, USA?"

"Good. We've got an ice skating show scheduled in two days. I'm getting the place ready. Should be easy. No live music to accompany it. How about Tourist?" Ed had the perfect job as Head Sound Engineer for the international rock group.

"Funny you should ask. You sitting down?"

"Yeah."

"How would you like to sound mix for Tourist?"

"Wh-what're-Tourist's sound engineer? What're you talking about?"

"I've finally decided to open up my studio."

Ed had wanted to own his own recording studio for as long as Laura had known him. "Congratulations."

"Thanks. Tourist needs a new mixer. I thought of you first. I told the group about you, and they want to give you an audition."

Laura blinked. He'd talked to them already?

"Well, what do you think?"

Traveling with Tourist as their Head Sound Engineer was the opportunity of a lifetime. It's what she'd always dreamed of. "Where do I need to be, and when do I need to be there?"