New Fic-Wishful thinking -17

A week later, no one had noticed the change.

Sure, I'd caught Drew leering at me when I carried plates in and out of the kitchen. But I'd come to realize that he gave every woman a complete appraisal, his attention always lingering on her chest. He didn't seem to care what he saw—melons, oranges, or eggs. Fried. He just enjoyed the view.

No, I was the only person who seemed aware of my transformation. I was the only one who noticed how hard it was to keep long fingernails clean. I was the only one who realized I'd purchased an entire aisle of hair-care products at Target. I was the only one who skimmed through People, obsessing that heavy eyebrows would come back. I was the only one who smiled, then became self-conscious about my blindingly white teeth.

Over and over, I caught myself waiting for Rob to say something. After all, he'd been the first person to buy me caramels after my braces came off. He'd given me ladybug earrings to replace my gold piercing studs. He'd found a floppy hat for me on a spring break beach trip when my highlights turned out a little too…high.

But he didn't say a word about my new body.

I suspected that the silence was a side effect from Jaze's magic, like my inability to talk about the genie. No one could realize that I'd transformed overnight, or the cat would be out of the magical bag.

It didn't matter, I told myself. I hadn't made the changes for anyone else. For Rob. I'd made them for myself. To bolster my self-confidence. To make me happier.

I didn't really believe that. But I felt marginally better than I would, admitting I'd made a mistake with yet another wish.

Matters weren't helped by the fact that autumn was the slow season for auditions. It was too late for Christmas plays and too early for summer froth. Every theater in town seemed to be scaling back their casts.

On the one hand, that was great for Mephisto's. Dad had his pick of hapless actors to hire as his restaurant business burgeoned. But for me, and my hopes of advancing my professional career? Not so great.

I finally found a show to try for. Silent Stage was new to me, but they'd received a fair amount of press for their creative productions. The company mounted shows without spoken words, music or any other aural trappings.

I couldn't imagine what they were going to do with The Music Man. But I had to try. I had to land some role.

I made it down to the theater with plenty of time before the audition actually began. I was nursing an oversize coffee and giving myself the pep talk of my life. Marian the Silent Librarian was exactly what I needed to turn around my luck. I'd almost convinced myself.

But then Rob walked through the theater door. With Carmen.