Page 36 of Heart's Temptation
“You,” he said with a scowl, pointing at Han, “will work on your solo, while you,” he pointed at me, “go take a break. And do I need to stress alone?”
Sergei accentuating what Han had accused me of smarted, but the dressing-down was even worse when he dismissed me with a smirk. I walked off and dropped into a chair backstage. I really wanted to run to my dressing room, but I didn’t want to appear hurt by what had just happened. Guilt moved through me as I watched our two principal dancers warming up. They were here because of me; the threat against me had led to their lives being upheaved.
“I’m sorry,” I said.
Hetty, one of our younger dancers, new this year, observed me from over her shoulder as she stood at a mobile bar working through her port de bras.
“Tough morning?” she asked.
“The worst.” I leaned back. “I feel like the world is encroaching on me and there is too much stress.”
She left the bar and walked over, dropping onto a meditation cushion opposite me. “I would have thought with all the… uh… action you seem to be getting these days you’d be in a coma by now.”
I couldn't hold back the laughter and had to cover my mouth with my hand to stifle the giggles from reaching the stage.
“Thank you for that,” I said once I’d calmed down long enough to speak. “The truth is, my uh… action, as you called it, has been grueling. We’re making up for lost time.”
She held a question in her eyes, and for some reason, I filled her in.
“When someone broke into my apartment and left that letter, I reached out to an old friend from school.”
She gave me a hard stare.
“Fine! An old boyfriend,” I confessed. “I hadn’t seen him in years, but I knew he would come if he knew I was in danger.”
“So, which one is the old boyfriend? The sexy, scary one, or the large, swarthy, hot one?”
Again, I fell into a fit of giggles, seeing the guys through someone else’s lenses.
“Both, actually.” I couldn’t hide the blush that rushed through me, staining not only my cheeks pink, but my neck and chest as well. It was so refreshing to talk to a woman who wasn’t part of the la familia.
I glanced at Remo, who was standing about twelve feet away and prayed he couldn’t hear us.
“I can’t believe it’s taken us this long to talk. How long has it been since you joined the company?” I enquired.
“Coming up on eight months now and I’m really happy with the family trade-in, despite Han’s theatrics.” She giggled.
“Thank god I’m not the only one who notices what a diva he is.”
“Oh, believe me, everyone is aware of his star attitude. Are the rumors true? That you are retiring after this show runs its course?”
“Yes, they are. Yes, I am.”
“But you're in top form; why now? Or is that too personal a question? Sorry. I’m from a big family where everyone knows everything.”
“That sounds nice. I’m an only child. No, not too personal, no one has asked me that question and I’ve never formulated my feelings into the words that would best describe why. But I’ll try. I’ve buried myself in my career and have never taken a breath for a relationship of any kind. It’s time for more, for me to broaden my horizons and live off the stage, not just on it. Does that make sense?”
She nodded her head thoughtfully. “I’ve never looked at it like that before. Dance has been everything to me since my parents died.”
I felt a pang for Hetty’s loss. “I’m so sorry! Were you young when they died?”
The softness in her eyes changed, hardening slightly and I blamed the trauma for it. “I was four. The accident happened a long time ago. How about you, parents still alive?”
“I barely remember my mother, and my father passed away a few years ago. He was a bastard. I don’t miss him at all.”
Hetty leaned forward so only I could hear her. “Wanna play hooky?” The mischievous gleam in her eye called to a part of myself that I hadn’t let loose in years. When was the last time I’d been naughty? Like not what the boys called naughty, but for reals— probably not since just before meeting Marko and Gio. And there was no possibility of getting away with anything they’d consider an unnecessary risk. I rolled my eyes inwardly. I’d been too scared for too long, and more recently, so overprotected I wanted to fling myself off the penthouse balcony.
“What did you have in mind?” I whispered back.