InsaneJournal

Founders' Day Dancing
Who: Stella Cooper and [OPEN]
Where: Founder's Day Festival;
When: Thursday, September 5, 1867; early evening
Status: Incomplete
Summary: With a makeshift dance area set up in the town square, Stella's enjoying herself more than she'd expected.

***

Stella self-consciously adjusted her skirts, only a bit ill at ease in her saloon finery outside of the Heel Kicker itself. She tended to dress more modestly when she ventured out amongst the townspeople on her own time, with higher necklines and full length skirts -- but since she was technically working tonight, she'd had to compromise. Her bodice was cut low enough to draw eyes, but not so low as to raise eyebrows, at least, and her skirts were kilted up to keep her legs free during the dancing.

That would be new, at least -- in addition to a few performance dances, there had been a dance area set up in front of the stage in the town square, and the saloon girls would be expected to draw in a crowd for couples dances once the festivities were underway in earnest. It was something Stella had been looking forward to for weeks -- the chance to dance with a partner, instead of in front of spectators with a half a dozen other dancers, alone but not. She'd already started scanning the passersby in search of her first few victims, the local men that she deemed safe enough to draw into the dancing -- those without wives or serious sweethearts, but who might be encouraged to ask one or two of the young women in town for the next dance. The trick was to start a chain reaction; get one partner to ask another, and another, and another, until the dance floor was full and the laughter drew more people to watch and join in.

The musicians were already tuning up for the first set, and Stella leaned against the corner of the stage, a little apart from the other saloon girls, as she considered her options and tried not to fidget with impatience.