“Don’t feel guilty, Kittycat. I understand why you kept things from me. And you didn’t lead me on when you found out what would happen in the future. I would have been far more hurt if you had told me next week. Or even tomorrow.”
Anna nodded, though she couldn’t erase the guilt from her heart.
“But I do think we should end things now, before either of us gets more hurt than we already are. At least romance-wise. Then we can remain friends and have a good friendship instead of parting as hurt lovers later.”
She nodded again. He was right. But it still hurt.
“Katrina?”
She looked up.
“I was going to talk to you about what Aaron had told me last night. Either way, we would have resolved it tonight. It’s okay.”
“I’m sorry,” she said and then the tears fell freely. Hugo pulled her close and let her cry on his shirt.
*****
Hugo walked her home a while later. They were quiet, but Anna was feeling better. Hugo had taken it well. He said he’d been thinking about it all day and had already gotten his head and heart around not being with her.
When they got to her apartment door, he kissed her on the cheek. “We have rehearsals for Arches tomorrow, don’t forget.”
Anna managed a smile and nodded. “I can’t wait.”
He waited for her to unlock the door and then said goodbye and walked to the elevators.
Anna went inside and saw the living room light was on. Was Aaron home?
She walked around the corner and froze in surprise to see Aaron on the couch kissing another guy. She stared for a moment, fascinated, and then cleared her throat.
“An—Katrina. What are you doing home?” he asked, looking as surprised as she was. Anna didn’t recognize the other guy. He was good looking in a feminine way, with thick auburn hair and blue eyes. “I thought you were staying with Hugo.”
She blinked rapidly and shook her head. Aaron was at her side in a flash. “What happened?” he asked putting his arm around her and leading her to the couch.
“We broke up,” she said softly. “We...had to. I told him....” She looked at the other guy and back at Aaron. “I told him what I was and what was expected of me in the future. We decided it was best to end things now. Well, Hugo decided and I agreed.”
“Oh, Kat, I’m so sorry.” He hugged her tightly.
“I know it’s for the best, but it still hurts.”
Aaron nodded. “I know.”
She glanced at the other guy again. “I think I’ll just go to bed. Give you some privacy.”
“You don’t have to. Cam’ll understand.”
“Oh, yes, it’s totally fine,” Cam said gently. “You shouldn’t be alone after a break up.”
Anna shook her head. “I just want to go to sleep.” As if to justify her claim, she yawned. “I danced hard tonight.”
“How did it go?”
Anna flushed in pleasure. “Good.”
“Standing O?”
She nodded. “Two curtain calls.”
He grinned. “That’s my girl!”
“Thanks. I’ll see you in the morning.” She hugged him and then went to her room.
Chapter Eleven
After a few days, seeing Hugo didn’t hurt as bad. She began to be able to enjoy his company as a friend. The other dancers seemed to be surprised that they’d broken up, even though they hadn’t been overt in their dating. It was just known that they were together. Questions were asked, but Hugo just said they’d had their reasons and to let it go. When a rumor began that Anna had cheated on him, he got angry and squashed it immediately.
Anna danced both Friday and Saturday nights and received standing ovations both times. Wednesday she danced again and Thursday was the Spring Gala and the premier of Hugo’s Ballet.
She fidgeted backstage, waiting for the music to begin.
Hugo came up behind her and put his hands on her shoulders. “Katrina. It’s all right.”
His touch was calming and she took some deep breaths. Sometimes when he touched her, sparks flew through her veins, making her wonder what it would be like to be with him, but it was getting easier to be around him without feeling that way all the time.
Although opening night had been last week, the Gala was the really important event of the season. The audience was filled with celebrities galore, as well as the who’s-who of New York society. After the performances, there was a dinner where the dancers would intermingle with the guests. She knew she was sitting at Tom’s table, which made her feel much better about going, but she was still nervous.
The music began and Anna took another deep breath as the curtain opened and the blinding stage lights came on. She closed her eyes and allowed herself to become one with the music and the dance.
*****
The ballet was met with resounding applause. Hugo grinned at her as he led her out for their bows. Her heart soared at the appreciative audience. She was so happy for Hugo she could hardly stand it.
*****
The good thing about being the first ballet of the evening was that there was plenty of time to get ready for the dinner. She dressed in the lavender gown that Wilhelm had bought her, wishing he was here. She comforted herself by remembering that there had been people to see her dance tonight. Tom and his wife were there and cared about her. Tommy, too, although she doubted his wife cared very much. She knew Hugo cared and Aaron too. She didn’t feel lonely like she had when she’d danced Giselle.
The hallway got noisy and she supposed that the dancing was completed for the evening. Those in the audience who were staying for the dinner would be heading out to the promenade and the dancers were supposed to be there as quickly as possible.
There was a knock at the door. Anna opened it to find Aaron standing there with a goofy smile on his face.
“Wanna head out together?” he asked.
Anna nodded. She and Hugo had talked about going together, but their emotions were still raw and they decided they still needed healing separation.
She and Aaron made their way through the theater and Anna gasped when she walked inside the dim lobby. The ceiling, four stories above, was draped with beautiful sheer fabrics and flowers. Dozens of round tables had tall vase-like centerpieces with cascades of colorful flowers hanging down from them. Anna could smell the flowers as she walked through the room. Hundreds of people meandered around the room, talking and laughing. The men’s black tuxedos were a sharp contrast to the elegant, colorful gowns of the women.
“Oh, Aaron. It’s so beautiful.” She looked around. “How are we supposed to know where to sit?”
“Over here.” Aaron led her to a table where one of the dancers was sitting. “Hey Mindy. Where are we sitting?”
She smiled. “Let’s see.” She looked at a clipboard in front of her. “Aaron, you’re at thirty-three. Katrina, you’re at....” She looked up at Katrina. “Wow. Table one. You’re with the Mayor. And that hot blond guy everyone’s been gossiping about.”
Anna glanced at Aaron. “Tommy?”
He shrugged. “Guess you’ll find out.”
Mindy pointed to the direction of their tables and they walked away.
“I’ll find you for a dance later,” Aaron said and went to go find his table.
The occasional woman’s laughter was heard above the din, making Anna feel awkward. Socially awkward wasn’t an apt description of her any longer; she was much more comfortable in social situations now than she’d ever been, but she was also used to having ‘duties’ in these types of situations. Was that why Tom wanted her sitting with him? So that she could help influence the attending men as she had for Devin? She glanced at the men as she wandered through the large round tables. Would she be expected to fuck any of them?
Anna looked around and spotted a number one on a table near the dance floor. It made sense that Tom was at table one with the mayor. After all, he ran the city. It had to be Tommy who was the ‘hot blond guy’ being gossip
ed about. Tommy was very good looking and charming. But she imagined he usually attend these types of events with his father. Was he always gossiped about? How did New York gossip work? Anna didn’t usually pay much attention. Either she was too out of it or it was just uninteresting. Who really cared who was fucking who or how someone’s hair was a disaster?
She met Tom’s eye and he smiled and stood as she approached. “Katrina, the star of the night,” he said with a big grin and kissed her cheek.
“Tom....” Anna blushed, shaking her head.
“Katrina, you remember my wife, Kelsey?”
“Hello, Katrina,” Kelsey said with a kind smile. Her brown hair was pulled up in an elegant twist and she wore a strapless, blue chiffon gown. “I’m so glad to see you again.”
“Hello, Mrs. Pendleton,” Anna said softly with a timid smile. “Thank you. It’s good to see you again, too.” Kelsey had always been kind to her after she understood why Anna had been with Devin.
“And of course, Tommy and his wife Kim.”
Tommy gave her a sad smile. Anna nodded stiffly and glanced at Kim. She was watching Anna with a sad, although somewhat suspicious, look. Kim’s face was fuller than it had been when Anna had met her. Anna supposed it was the pregnancy. Her straight and amazingly shiny dark hair and bangs glimmered in the lighting from above.
Tom introduced the other couples at the table: Mayor Timothy Craig and his wife, McKenna, and Scott and Jennifer Moody, important people of some sort in the city. Vincent and his partner, Walter, would be joining them shortly.
Anna became alert as she saw someone familiar making his way through the crowd towards their table. Tall and blond, she couldn’t quite see his face until he was closer, and when she was finally able to see it, she inhaled sharply.
“Kurt?” she whispered.
Kurt smiled at her as he strode across the dance floor and stopped in front of her. “Hello, Engel,” he said softly.
Chapter Twelve
“What are you doing here?” she asked, bewildered.
“I came to see you dance. And to see firsthand how you were doing.”
“But...I thought you couldn’t come.”
“Vati cannot. I can. At least more easily than he can.”
She stared up into Kurt’s blue-gray eyes. Well, he would definitely be the one that was being gossiped about. He was as handsome as ever, and more relaxed than she’d seen in a while.
He grinned. “Shall we sit?” he asked, pulling out her designated chair beside Tom.
“I...um, yeah,” she stuttered and sat down. Kurt sat in the chair next to her. She looked at Tom. “Did you know he was coming?”
Tom smiled and nodded.
“How are you fortunate enough to know our new favorite dancer, Kurt?” the mayor asked.
Kurt put his arm around Anna’s chair and smiled in his relaxed way. “She was married to my brother before he...died.”
Anna didn’t know how she felt about Kurt putting his claim on her so quickly. She supposed he had a right to, but...well, she didn’t want Hugo to find out this way. She’d rather tell Hugo than him find out by seeing her across the floor.
She looked around to see if she could find him, and spotted him across the room with Vincent and some other men.
Anna stood suddenly. “Excuse me,” she said and made her way to the other side of the room as quickly as she could, considering the crowd. She could feel Kurt’s eyes on her back as she walked away.
Hugo saw her walking towards him and said something to Vincent and then walked towards her. “Katrina? What’s wrong?”
“Kurt’s here.”
He stared at her. “Here? Why?”
“He came to surprise me, I guess. I just...I didn’t want you to think I called him to come or anything. I....” She swallowed and looked up at Hugo’s kind eyes. She wanted his arms around her again. She knew why they broke up and, now especially, it was obvious it was the right decision, but that didn’t mean she cared for him any less.
The look in his eyes told her he felt the same way. If they had been alone, he might have even kissed her. “I know you wouldn’t have done that, Kittycat,” he said softly, reaching for her hand. “Where is...oh.”
“What?” She was focused on his hand holding hers.
“Is that him?”
Anna whirled around and saw Kurt weaving his way through the crowd with a determined look on his face. “Yes.”
Hugo chuckled. “He looks like a Duke’s son.” He took hold of Anna’s wrist and pulled his hand away from hers. “I won’t keep you from him, Katrina. This is why we broke up.”
She looked back at him. “But Hugo....”
“Katrina.” Kurt’s voice was low and almost...warning-like? That was so unlike him
“You must be Kurt,” Hugo said with a smile and extended his hand. “I’m Hugo Sintzenich.”
Kurt eyed him suspiciously, but shook his head in surprise. “Sintzenich? You are German?”
Hugo said something in German to which Kurt responded in kind with a laugh, lightening the mood. Kurt slipped his arm around Anna’s waist and the two men chatted in German for a few minutes. Anna looked between the two men, bewildered. What were they saying?
“Holy shit. Kurt?” Aaron appeared next to Anna.
“Aaron. It is good to see you.” Kurt smiled broadly in greeting. “You were great tonight. As usual.”
Aaron grinned. “Thanks. What are you doing here?”
“Came to surprise An—Katrina.”
Several of the dancers walked by their little group, and Anna saw them looking at her and Kurt as they passed. She wondered what they were thinking and tried to step away from Kurt, but he kept a firm grip on her waist.
“I think you succeeded,” Aaron commented dryly, glancing at Anna.
Anna didn’t know how she felt about the whole thing. She still had feelings for Hugo, and Kurt lived thousands of miles away.
Kurt was...different. Possessive, even. He had been before, but not like this. He was usually more...gentle with her. What had gotten into him?
Kurt kept his hand on her back as he led her back to the table a little bit later. “I did not realize Hugo was German.”
“Does it matter?” she asked, the coolness in her voice coming through a little more strongly than she'd intended. “Am I allowed only to date Germans?”
“I would rather you fuck a German over anyone else.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?” Anna could feel her anger rising. “You live thousands of miles away and I just found out from your father that no matter what happens, I’ll still end up with you owning me.” She knew deep inside that she didn’t dislike the idea of being with Kurt, but she was angry at his attitude.
“I just think that if you are going to have a boyfriend here, I am glad he is German.”
Anna glared at him. “So you don’t mind me fucking around as long as he’s German?”
Kurt shrugged. “I know you have needs and I am not here enough to fulfill them properly. I am not saying he has to be German, I am just saying I am glad he is German.”
Anna shook her head in bewilderment. “So you and I are ‘together’ now?”
“I suppose you could see it that way.”
“Were you planning on telling me this? I was under the impression that I was free to do as I liked.”
“You are...when I am not around.”
Anna stopped and stared at Kurt. She couldn’t believe what she was hearing. She squinted in disbelief and shook her head. “You’re as bad as Devin,” she whispered and turned to walk away, but he grabbed her arm.
He forced a smile onto his face, though his eyes were chilled. “I am going to pretend I did not hear that,” he said looking around and then locking onto her eyes. “I am not Devin and you know it.”
She opened her mouth to retort, but the MC began speaking and Kurt pushed her gently to her seat. She sat down and crossed her arms over her chest. Kurt gave her a look and she sighed a
nd dropped her hands into her lap.
During the dinner, she remained silent except when asked a direct question. Kurt was very affectionate, at least physically, ignoring her coldness and keeping his arm around her between courses or leaning in to whisper something in her ear, which she ignored in turn.
The dancing began after the final course and Kurt led her out to the floor as it filled up with couples. He held her close, intertwining his fingers with hers and holding them to his chest.
“Why are you being so hostile?” he asked softly.
“Why are you being an ass?” she retorted.
“I am not trying to be an ass, Anna. I am trying to...get control of the situation. To establish your boundaries.”
“Don’t you think you’re making me look like a bitch? Lavishing my affections on the handsome foreigner while ignoring my boyfriend?”
He looked down at her, startled. “I...had not thought of it that way. But you should not have a boyfriend anyway,” he added quickly.
Anna huffed. “When did all these rules come into play and why wasn’t I told about them? If I had known....” She sighed. “God, Kurt, if I’d known I never would have gotten involved with Hugo. I could have saved us both a tremendous amount of hurt.”
“Us?”
“Hugo and I.” She sighed. “We broke up last week because of what I learned talking to your father. Don’t worry. I won’t get into any more relationships. I don’t want to hurt someone else.”
“I thought you were just fucking him.”
“We haven’t been together like that, Kurt. We were going to and then Jack showed up and....” She swallowed. “Because of everything, we decided it would be better if we ended things sooner rather than later.”
“You have not fucked him?” he said softly. “Really?”
“He was determined to be a gentleman and not push things too far. He didn’t know what I was until I told him last week.”
The Life of Anna, Part 5: Emerged Page 11
