“Okay, cool,” Natalie said and turned off the lights to Jenna’s cozy little dressing room. She was gonna miss this place come Sunday night. With her bag across her body and her winter cap already on her head, she made her way through the house to the lobby of the St. James Theatre. “Oh my God, what are you doing here? Aren’t you supposed to be in LA?”
Eddie, the best damned stage manager she’d ever had, turned at the sound of her voice and she moved to him, pulling the little nerd into a bone-crushing hug. She was that happy to see his friendly face.
“I heard you’d made it to the big broad way. Like there was a chance I’d miss it. I loved every second, by the way. You were stunning up there, Natalie. I thought you were a fantastic dancer before, but this is other level.”
“Thanks, Eddie. This means a lot to me that you’re here. I’m only doing a four-week run, and a lot of people I was hoping would make the show weren’t able to.”
“Your parents?”
“Couldn’t get off work.”
“I’m sorry.”
“It’s okay. They sent flowers, and my friends here have been really supportive. What about you? How have you been?”
“I’ve decided to keep stage-managing.”
“No kidding.” This made her immensely happy, as Eddie was one of the best.
“I’ve got a couple of interviews set up with some smaller companies downtown while I’m here. I don’t want you to feel obligated or anything, but I was hoping we could maybe have coffee this weekend if you aren’t too slammed.”
“It wouldn’t matter if I was. I wouldn’t miss coffee with you.”
“Great. I’ll text you. I’m sure you’re off to some crazy bash about now.”
Natalie shook her head. “Nope. I’m afraid those days are behind me. There’s a hot bath and a bed with my name on it, as I have two shows tomorrow.”
“Times certainly have changed, haven’t they?”
“In a good way.”
“I’m happy to hear you say that.” He hugged her again and backed up toward the door. “Look at us, in the big city.”
“If you had told us a year ago, I never would have believed it.”
“Tomorrow then?”
“You’re on.”
Eddie headed out into the blustery night, and Natalie hung in the lobby an extra minute, not exactly wanting to head home. Instead, she stole a moment to take it all in—the merchandise stand that had been broken down for the night, the cash bar that had been stripped down to nothing. She strolled into the house where the ushers were vacuuming the red carpet after the audience had dispersed and headed out into the world. A singular ghost light stood onstage. She stared at it, the image somehow magical to her, the lonely light that would keep watch until they all returned and did it all again the next day. It was the kind of sentiment she would have shared with Ana not too long ago as they lay in bed, just before sleep claimed them. This time, she’d simply hold it close for herself.
With a sentimental hand over her heart, she walked through the lobby and exited the theatre through the glass doors. She made a left in the direction of her downtown subway station, prepared to head back to her apartment, where she’d be alone and living in a maze of memories.
“Is it too late for a cup of hot cocoa and some HGTV?”
Startled by the question, Natalie spun and stared hard at the woman standing near the stage door. It couldn’t be. While her eyes saw Ana standing right in front of her, she wasn’t sure if her mind was playing tricks on her, or if Ana just happened to be strolling down Forty-Fourth Street at eleven at night.
“Ana?”
The figure closed the distance between them as Natalie looked on in glorious mystification. “Hi.”
“Hi,” Natalie said, her heart thudding away in her chest. “What are you doing out here?”
“I saw the show tonight. I knew it was you up there, but I still found myself in awe. You blew me away, and my expectations were high to begin with.”
“Wait.” Natalie felt the tears threaten. “You saw the show?”
Ana beamed. “I did.”
“Why didn’t you tell me?”
Ana shrugged. “I didn’t know how. God, I’m nervous just standing here.”
“Don’t be nervous. It’s just me.”
“I know. It’s always you.” She paused, regarding Natalie through luminous blue eyes. “That’s kind of why I’m here.”
As they stood under the streetlight that shone down on Ana like a beacon, Natalie tried to make sense of that statement, her heart too afraid to hope.
“Ana, what’s going on?”
Ana swallowed and stepped forward. “I owe you an apology.”
“You do?”
Ana nodded and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. “And while standing on the sidewalk late at night is probably not the ideal location, I’m afraid it’s now or never.” She walked the few remaining feet to Natalie and took her hands in a gesture that had Natalie struck. “What happened to me was in no way your fault. I was angry and at a loss for how to cope. I think I was searching for something to blame, someone to hold accountable.” Ana held her gaze as Natalie braced herself. “It never should have been you.”
“No.” Natalie shook her head, wanting the blame. Almost needing it. Her heart hammered with the dread she’d felt since Ana had sent her away. “If I had stayed out of it, if I had just—”
“That’s just it. I don’t want you to stay out of it. I want you there with me through the good times and the tough ones. I want you to give me hell when I’m being stupid, or stubborn, which we both know I can be, and I want to do the same for you.” She paused, implored. “If you’ll let me.”
“Ana, what are you saying?” Her insides clenched and she forgot to breathe as she waited for what seemed like an eternity for an answer.
Ana gave her hands a squeeze. “I miss you, too. I miss vegging on the couch after a long day, and I miss waking up with you sprawled across me, your hair in my eyes. My life is different now. My career has to be, my focus. But you and me? That’s my real life, and the one thing that I don’t ever want to change.” Ana took a deep breath and smiled at her. “The thing is, Natalie Frederico, I’m lost without you. And I just want to kiss you right now and make everything that’s sad go away forev—”
She didn’t get to finish her sentence, because Natalie did it for her, taking Ana’s face in her hands and kissing her the way she’d dreamed of kissing her for weeks now. The murmur of pleasure from Ana had her in no hurry to ever stop, lost in the warmth of the lips she’d so desperately longed for.
“This,” Natalie whispered between kisses, “is everything. And I never thought I’d have that again.”
Ana’s eyes filled and she touched Natalie’s cheek. “What now?”
“More,” Natalie said, claiming Ana’s mouth once again and losing herself in the all-consuming sensations that bombarded her. “And this,” she whispered, kissing her some more, and then some more, and some more. She didn’t want it to end, and as their lips clung and her heart soared, she felt like, maybe now, it never would.
“One thing, though,” Ana managed somehow to say, between kisses.
“That sounds ominous,” Natalie murmured, going in for another round, but Ana stopped her.
“It’s not. Ominous, that is. But before we go any further with this…”
“Long-overdue kissing?”
She smiled. “Yes, with that. Before any of…that”—she let her gaze smolder for a moment before it slipped into something more resolute—“we need to talk.”
*
Forty-five minutes later, at Ana’s insistence, they were nestled in a cozy back booth at a late-night bistro known for its fancy desserts. Not exactly where Natalie would have predicted they’d end up after their amazing reunion and off-the-charts kissing session, but she was happy to be wherever Ana was. To simply be able to look at her and know that things were going to be okay again had her on top of the worl
d.
Ana was back.
They were back.
“I can’t stop smiling,” Natalie told her.
“We don’t have to,” was Ana’s reply. “But there are things to discuss.”
“Okay. I’m up for it.”
“Patience, Miss Broadway.”
“I also like my new nickname. When is there more kissing?”
Ana shook her head at Natalie, but she was grinning and gorgeous when she did it.
They’d ordered hot chocolates—mint for Ana and dark for Natalie. The place was dim and quiet, with a few other tables in post-show dining mode. “So what I have for you is a business pitch,” Ana said and sat back, looking pleased with herself, but also the smallest bit nervous.
Natalie turned her head to the side thoughtfully. An interesting turn of events. “You have a business pitch for me?” Well, this wasn’t at all what she expected.
Ana held up a hand. “Before you say anything, hear me out.”
Of course Natalie would hear her out. She’d listen to Ana for hours. “I’m all ears.”
“First of all, you should know that you were right way back when, in the rehearsal studio, when you thought I’d make a good teacher. I do think I’m good at it, and it looks like I’ll be doing some more work along those lines.”
“That’s great. You should start applying—”
“I’ve been granted an interim teaching position at SAB, instructing a handful of technique classes for the intermediate dancers through the end of the year.”
“Wow, you don’t mess around. When do you start?”
“I taught my first two classes this afternoon.”
Natalie’s mind was blown. “How is that even possible? You never cease to amaze me, you know that?”
“I’m not done,” Ana said, with a raised eyebrow and a smile.
“Oh, sorry.” Natalie made a sweeping gesture that invited Ana to continue.
“After getting some experience under my belt, I hope to open up my own studio. While it sounds awesome to work at a place like SAB and teach the best of the best, I can’t help but wonder about those kids who fall just shy of making the cut. What about them? What if someone invested in those kids? They could be just as great, given the right training, and I think maybe I could be that person.”
Ana beamed as she described her new plan. She seemed open and excited for what lay ahead. Not only that, but her idea sounded like an amazing one, and once Ana set her mind to something, there wasn’t anything she couldn’t do. Natalie shook her head in wonder. “It’s great. All of it. I couldn’t be more excited for you if I tried.”
Ana reached across the table and covered Natalie’s hand gently with her own. “I’m not done.”
She laughed. “I feel like I’m on one of those ‘But, wait, there’s more!’ commercials, and each thing just keeps topping the previous thing in a one-upmanship of awesome.”
“This is where my big business proposition comes in.” Ana tucked a strand of hair behind her ear.
Natalie sipped her hot chocolate. “I’m listening.”
“You’re really pretty when you listen.”
“Is this part of the pitch?”
“Surprisingly, no. That part was just me staring at you, making up for lost time.”
Well, now Ana had gone and done it. “You realize that you’re in a position to get just about anything you want from me.”
“Way to show your hand.”
“As if I had a choice.”
“What I’m proposing,” Ana said, redirecting them expertly, “is that with the school in mind, we take steps to start our own dance company.”
“Wait. What?” Natalie sat a little taller, because that was the last thing she expected to come out of Ana’s mouth.
“Not today, not even tomorrow,” Ana said in way of caution. “I’m committed at SAB through the school year, and you spoke of wanting to audition and see what came your way.”
“Except I’m not.”
Ana sat back in the booth, seemingly shocked. She opened her mouth, closed it again, before settling on a sentence. “You’re going back? Since when?”
“Since this girl from across the hall reminded me how much I’d learned in such a short time at City Ballet.” Natalie grinned. It hadn’t been an easy decision, but it was the right one. “I’ve decided to finish out the season there because it’s the smart thing to do. I’m back in rehearsal next week. After that, I’m in.”
A smile took root on Ana’s lips and grew. “Now whose turn is it to be impressed?”
“What can I say? I listen when you talk. Now, tell me more about this company you’re planning on.”
Ana gave her head a tiny shake and refocused. “Right. Well, I’m planning on something legitimate. I know you like the whole performing in garages, starving for your art motif, but I’m looking at something a little more prestigious—and trust me, I hear how that sounds.”
“I translate you, Frozen.”
Ana smiled and bowed her head at the quip.
Natalie pressed on. “You want to be taken seriously. I do, too, so we’re in agreement.”
Ana held up a finger. “Understand, I’m asking for a partnership. Fifty-fifty when it comes to any decisions.”
“I can get behind that.” Natalie was getting excited now as ideas were already starting to percolate. “What do you have in mind so far?”
“I want there to be a strong classical ballet component that will tie into classwork I plan on. But in addition, I’d love to see some modern dance shows on the season as well. That’s where you come in. I can’t seem to get the show tonight out of my head, and if you can bring even half that caliber of performance to us for our shows, you’ll put us on the map.”
Natalie thought on this. “So I dance and choreo the modern stuff. And you?”
“I can teach, choreograph ballet, and run the business side of things.”
“Yeah, but you’ll dance, too.”
For the first time that night, Ana faltered. “I can’t dance anymore. You know that.”
“That’s bullshit. You can’t dance classically for City Ballet, but you can certainly dance the choreo I lay out for you. I’ll make sure of it. So your arm doesn’t get all bendy anymore. Big deal. You can still handle very sophisticated material.”
Ana set her mug down and contemplated what Natalie said. “You truly think that’s possible?”
“I don’t think. I know.”
“I’m willing to try,” Ana said, a smile sneaking onto her face at the concept. “We’ll need investors.”
Natalie widened her eyes when an idea hit. “Audrey’s guy, from the building. What’s his name? Tad. Tons of money. More than he knows what to do with and told us over dinner that he wants to find a way to invest in the arts.” She held up both hands. “What if we were his arts?”
Ana pointed at her. “Let’s pitch him.”
“I’ll set it up. What about your dad?”
“While I never like leveraging his name or his cash flow, an exception might be in order. I drafted a proposal offering him a fifteen percent stake in exchange for an opening round of funding with a buy-back option once he’s paid back with interest. I haven’t sent it yet. I wanted to check with you first.”
Natalie narrowed her gaze. “You have never been sexier to me. Do you understand that?”
“Does that mean you’re in?”
She didn’t hesitate. “One hundred percent. I also know where we might procure a pretty awesome stage manager.”
“Perfect.” Ana extended her hand across the table. “Partners?”
“Partners,” Natalie said, shaking on it. “Now that we’ve altered the course of our entire lives, let’s get out of here. It’s late.”
“Since when do late nights get the best of a wild child like you?”
“Yeah, well, lots of changes,” Natalie said, cheekily borrowing the phrase.
*
Breathless kissing in the hallway w
as an activity Ana had sorely missed. As her lips clung to Natalie’s, seeking, exploring, and luxuriating, it occurred to her that they were making very little progress on the way to her apartment.
“I think we need to get in there, and soon,” she managed to say.
Natalie pulled back and studied Ana’s face. “I agree, but didn’t want to be overly presumptuous.”
“Stay,” Ana said. “I definitely want you to stay.”
And to make her point clear, she walked Natalie to her apartment in silence, opened the door, and kissed her in a way she hoped would communicate how much she wanted her to stick around. It was only a moment before the spark flickered into a fire and spread. What started as gentle and languid was now hungry and urgent as Natalie walked her into the apartment, taking control, plunging her tongue into Ana’s mouth, which was, okay, wow, more than okay with Ana.
“Your arm?” she whispered, as she kissed down Ana’s neck, igniting sensations Ana didn’t know existed.
“Will be just fine.”
Clothes were beginning to come off. Shirts first. God, she loved the sight of Natalie in her underwear. She dipped her head and kissed the tops of her breasts, palming them through the yellow bra. “God, I’ve missed you,” Natalie breathed. “You don’t understand what you do to me.”
“I want to do more.” Ana licked up the column of Natalie’s neck, kissing across her jaw until she found her amazing mouth and lost herself in its warmth. Before she knew what was happening, she found herself flat on her back with a gorgeous woman sliding on top of her. They were moving together and against each other at the same time as little sparks of pleasure had Ana craving, needing, searching. Natalie pushed her leg between Ana’s and upward, drawing a moan of desperation. Ana had to have more. It had been so long, she couldn’t wait. Natalie seemed ready to oblige, and in a matter of seconds, had Ana’s jeans and bikinis off, leaving her naked and writhing beneath Natalie.
“Look at you,” Natalie murmured, losing the last of her own remaining clothing before she settled back on top. Ana’s hands moved to her backside, so firm yet soft at the same time. She pulled Natalie in closer, as close as she could, angling for release. Natalie began to move and Ana knew undeniably that she wouldn’t last long. She was already drenched and throbbing. She slipped her hands between them and settled her palms, once again, on Natalie’s amazing breasts, massaging them, taking the nipples between her thumb and forefingers and twisting ever so slightly.
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