Dance With Me

Brenda's party delivers a unique Christmas Eve.

As promised, Brenda delivered a memorable evening for her guests who came and left throughout the night. The red porch lights were a "hit" and the mannequins almost stole the show. It was hard to find a spot that did not contain a mannequin. There were colored bulbs and lamps in every unlocked room, and guests wandered about freely. 

The mannequin representing the newly elected mayor, Claude Warren, was just inside the door, and opposite a black mannequin maid holding gifts on a tray. Brenda donned a red velvet dress at the last minute, and embellished it with green silk leaves. Farleigh wore the Edwardian outfit for awhile, but when a guest pointed out that his "short Flub a Dub" pants "didn't quite work" he said "Phineas T. Bluster, you mean" and rushed upstairs to change into another outfit. Brenda later called the incident "Howdy Doody's revenge."

Mr. Griffin kept a low profile, and always applauded after every Peter Adams piano tune, and  Charles Keeley violin solo. Webster had been dogging Farleigh ever since  they had taken turns  placing each of the marzipan octopai onto the big cream and red rose cake.  The Shockeys loved the sea creatures, and spent a great deal of time posing for pictures beside the cake, mannequins, and musicians. 

When  Farleigh entered the spare room, he  immediately locked the door, and undressed his mannequin father "Frederick" who was clad in a blue suit with a red carnation. They were the exact same build, and Farleigh felt that the outfit would have a better visual impact when he finally re entered the Living room. Edwina mannequin was sitting up in the bed without her legs. 

 After adding a hat to his new "look" Farleigh began to hallucinate. He envisioned a rather bizarre scene that he would try to convince Brenda to reenact with him. Somehow he could make her see that it was in her 'best interest" to please him.  Before he left the room, he spoke to the nude Frederick mannequin and said that Brenda must have hated him to offer such a silly outfit that she had promised would put him "heads above all other guests, guaranteed."  

Well, he would show his lover, Miss Brenda Grayson, that he looked much better in Royal Blue. Farleigh's personality changes were hardly noticed by many people, but Mr. Griffin, and Brenda could not deny that his "flights" were becoming more common. He frequently failed to finish sentences he started before something mundane distracted him. 

When Farleigh returned to the party there were several carolers leaving from the Oliver Street exit. Webster was taken by Farleigh's outfit and insisted that he pose with guests.  Peter Adams played a few chords from Chopin's Nocturne 19 Opus 72 Number one, and the room began to dim. Several spotlights had been aimed toward the center of the carpet. Sherman, the prop man, made certain that the colored "gels" were perfect for the show about to begin. 

Mr. Griffin introduced  "Miss Becky Brown, and Helene Shelby as Frederick Chopin and George Sand." Both women were wearing top hats, but Becky was in a blue velvet and lace dress with her hair styled in long curls. Helene made a very good looking Frederick Chopin with her sharp features and dark brows.

When the music began, the two women shocked some of the guests with a bit of tongue kissing. They twirled, caressed each another's faces, dipped, swayed, sighed, feigned despair, and at the end, they retreated to the floor for a slightly erotic groping session, "all in good taste" as one reviewer put it at a later date. If any of the guests were offended, Brenda didn't notice. The applause was generous, as the pianist stood up, and joined the two "women" for a few bows. The night was still young.

CJ Marks