“Hi, Lance,” she said softly and bent forward into a stretch to hide her nervousness.
“How was your dinner last night?” Nate asked.
“Nice.” She held back a sigh. Wilhelm was gone now. She missed him already and not knowing when she would see him again made her sad.
Vincent clapped his hands and the room fell silent as the dancers took their places.
“Just a reminder, you need to be at the airport Sunday morning by seven to catch the plane. Please don’t be late.” The room erupted in laughter as Vincent arched a brow at a male dancer across the room.
“I know! I know!” the dancer said with a grin. “I’ll have three alarms to make sure I’m there.”
Vincent smiled and then looked around. “I’m sure many of you have noticed the new faces this morning. Some of you met them yesterday, but I’ll introduce them to the rest of you. Justin Sawyer has returned to us after spending some time in San Francisco, and along with him came a new principal, Katrina Engel.”
Anna smiled shyly and then looked back at the ground, very aware of everyone staring at her.
“They will be dancing this upcoming program with us, so please help them out when they need it.” Vincent looked at the pianist. “Let’s begin.”
The music began and Vincent hurried over to her. “The warm up is similar to what you are used to, Katrina, but I’ll guide you through it once.”
Anna began the series of plies and relevés as Vincent stayed close to make adjustments and call steps.
She was frustrated and discouraged by the end of the first warm up. Vincent kept correcting her arm position and Anna hated that he had to do that.
The warm ups progressed, increasing in speed. Even though the steps were similar, it felt so foreign to move her body the way Vincent directed. Vincent was patient with her and didn’t, in any way, make her feel inferior; to the contrary, he was very encouraging. But things she was used to doing slowly this company did twice as fast. In fact, everything seemed twice as fast as she was used to. Anna was nearly in tears by the end of the barre work.
Aaron touched her arm as she hung her head, sweating profusely and trying very hard to hide her tears. “It’s all right, Kat. You’ll get used to it. I promise.”
She saw several smirks as she took her place for center work and kept her face lowered. She couldn’t even close her eyes and just dance because it was so...different. The only thing that made her feel better was the cross-room jumps. She easily out-jumped all the women in the room and allowed herself a tiny smile after she even out-jumped one of the men. She heard murmurs from the back wall where the other dancers watched. After that, her confidence grew...a little. Her balance was exquisite and her pirouettes perfect. Many of the smirks were replaced with looks of respect by the end of class. She still felt out of place, but felt a glimmer of hope that she would eventually fit in.
She went to lunch with Aaron, Nate, Lance, Justin and several other dancers. The girls that came with them stared as Anna sat down with a tray full of food. Anna noticed they had small salads and vegetable soup, whereas Anna had gotten a Caesar salad wrap and French fries.
“Should I not be eating this?” she whispered to Aaron.
Aaron laughed. “Nah. You always eat like that, don’t you?”
“Well, yeah....”
She ate self-consciously at first and then stopped altogether when she overheard one of the girls comment on Anna’s hips and what she was eating.
“Why aren’t you eating?” Aaron asked.
“I’m fat,” Anna said softly, tears burning her eyes.
“Who said that?”
“Come on, Aaron. You know I don't look anything like the other female dancers.”
“You never have, Kat. They’re just jealous because you actually look like a female.” He grinned. “You look the same as you did when we danced together and...did other things.”
Anna blushed and looked back down at her plate.
*****
Rehearsals that afternoon were exhausting. The City ballet didn’t just do one ballet. They did snippets of several different modern ballets of Balanchine's, most of which Anna hadn’t even heard of. Vincent paired her with several different men to see how the chemistry worked. Some she felt more comfortable with than others. When she danced with Aaron, though, it felt like coming home.
“You two have danced together before, correct?” Vincent asked.
Aaron nodded. “Not as much as I’d have liked, but yes.”
“You work well together. Probably because you trained at the same school.” Vincent looked at them again and then walked away to work with another couple.
Anna didn’t know if it was good or bad, but Aaron assured her that it was okay.
“Where are you going on Sunday?” she asked.
“The Netherlands. The whole company is going, including you and Justin. We go on tour every few months.”
Anna shook her head. “I can’t go. I can’t leave Manhattan.”
Aaron chewed his lip. “I forgot about that.” He glanced at Vincent. “I’ll let him know after we’re done.”
Vincent wasn’t happy about Anna not being able to travel, but he understood. “We’ll be gone all week. I can talk to the school if you want to dance there.”
Anna shook her head. “It’s okay, Vincent. I can practice on my own. I don’t want to be a bother.”
Vincent glanced at Aaron. “How long will the restriction be in place?”
Aaron shrugged. “I don't know.”
Vincent pressed his lips together and nodded curtly. “All right.” He turned and walked away and Anna looked at Aaron.
“He’s upset.” Anna sighed.
“You’ve only been here a couple of days and you’re gonna miss a tour. It’s okay. He knows why and would rather you be here and not tour, than not be here at all.”
At the end of rehearsal, Vincent called Anna aside. He stood with one of the male dancers she hadn’t been introduced to yet. The tall dancer’s black hair was cut very short and his mahogany skin looked so smooth Anna wanted to run her hand over his clean-shaven cheeks. A dimple appeared when he smiled at her and his eyes were a surprisingly light brown that reminded her of a topaz.
“Katrina, this is Hugo Sintzenich. Hugo, this is Katrina Engel.”
Anna shook hands with Hugo and said hello.
“It’s wonderful to meet you, Katrina,” Hugo said with a slight accent. His name sounded German. “I’ve enjoyed watching you today.”
“Hugo was not going on tour with us because of a family issue, and he has agreed to work with you while we’re gone,” Vincent explained.
“Oh!” Anna exclaimed. “Thank you, Vincent. I’m sorry to be a bother.”
Vincent smiled. “You’re not a bother. I understand why things are the way they are. I had forgotten Hugo wasn’t going until halfway through rehearsal. It works out well since he also choreographed one of the ballets we’re performing for the upcoming program.”
Anna looked back at Hugo, who smiled modestly. “I’m honored you’re willing to work with me,” she said softly.
“I’m looking forward to it,” he smiled, his white teeth standing out in contrast to his beautiful dark skin.
Most of the men she had contact with were “white guys,” with the exception of the president. Anna thought Hugo was very handsome.
“We can work out a schedule tomorrow if you’d like,” Hugo said as Vincent walked away. “Unless you’d like to tonight, over dinner,” he added with a boyish grin.
“Oh...I...um....” She glanced over at Aaron, who was talking with Justin and another girl. She looked back at Hugo, who smiled at her hesitation. Was he asking her out on a date or was he just being friendly? She reminded herself that she was a free woman now and could do as she pleased.
“I didn’t mean to make you uncomfortable, Katrina.” Hugo chuckled. “It’s just eating. You do eat, right?”
Anna smiled and nodded. “More than I s
hould apparently,” she added softly.
Hugo arched one eyebrow. “Why do you say that?” He looked her up and down and smiled, but not in a way that made her uncomfortable.
Anna blushed, which seemed to amuse Hugo. “Dinner would be nice,” she said decisively. She could try this freedom out. She didn’t have to ask Aaron if she could go out with someone...did she?
“Great.” He smiled broadly. “I....” He trailed off as Aaron approached. “Hey, Aaron.”
“Hey, Hugo.” Aaron touched Anna’s arm. “You ready?”
Anna glanced at Hugo, who looked between the two of them with thoughtful eyes. “Aaron’s my roommate,” she explained.
A hint of relief showed in Hugo’s face as he nodded. “What time is good for you?”
“Um....” She glanced at her watch. “An hour?”
“Sounds good. I’ll pick you up.”
“Okay, I live at—”
Hugo shook his head. “I know where Aaron lives. I’ll see you in an hour,” he said with a smile and walked away.
“You’re going out with him?” Aaron asked incredulously as Anna went to pick up her bag.
“Is that okay?” she asked nervously. “Vincent is having him work with me next week while you all are gone. Hugo said we could work out the schedule over dinner. Is he an okay guy?”
“Hugo? Yeah, he’s a great guy.” Aaron grimaced. “I guess I need to be quicker about asking you out and not assume you’re going to be home.”
“Oh, Aaron, did you want to do something tonight? I’m sorry.” She felt bad for not checking with him first.
“I was thinking about doing something, but I didn’t ask and you have no reason to feel bad. How about tomorrow night though?” They made their way out the back door of the theater and headed towards their apartment building.
“Sounds wonderful,” Anna said, grinning.
*****
Anna stood in front of the mirror an hour later, smoothing her new blue dress over her hips. A knock sounded at the door and Anna went to answer it, but Aaron got there first. But it wasn’t Hugo; it was Nate.
“Wow, Anna. You look great.” Nate walked over and kissed her on the cheek, lingering next to her a second longer than necessary but long enough to heat her blood.
She looked up at him, wide eyed and startled. “Thanks,” she said softly.
“Here,” Aaron said, handing Nate a beer. “Anna’s got a date already.”
Nate raised his eyebrows. “Really? Who?”
“Hugo,” she answered.
Nate smiled. “Good guy. I approve.”
There was another knock at the door and Anna went to answer it. Hugo stood in the doorway wearing a black button-down dress shirt and khaki dress pants. He smiled broadly when he saw her.
“Hi, Hugo,” she said, stepping aside to allow him room to enter.
“Hello, Katrina,” he said with an appreciative grin. “You look fabulous.”
“Thanks.” She smiled shyly.
Hugo greeted Aaron and Nate. The three men chatted for a few minutes and then Hugo looked at Anna. “You ready?”
Anna nodded with a shy smile. She went quickly to her room to retrieve her purse and then returned to the living room.
Hugo opened the door and the two said goodbye to Aaron and Nate. “Do you like Italian?” Hugo asked as they made their way to the elevator.
“Yes,” Anna answered with butterflies in her stomach. How long had it been since she’d been on a date? A real date? It had to have been Ben, but this time she didn’t have to worry about what Devin thought about it.
*****
Hugo and Anna settled into a cozy table for two in a small Italian restaurant across town. Or at least that’s where Anna thought they were. This city was so different from her own.
“So how come you’re not going on tour?” Hugo asked after they had ordered their dinners.
“I....” Anna hesitated. “I can’t travel right now.”
“Oh? Why not?”
Anna’s eyes widened. How did she answer that? “I...just can’t.”
“Are you sick?”
Anna shook her head.
“Are you a criminal?” He grinned.
Anna smiled and shook her head.
“Are you....” He thought for a moment. “A secret spy undercover as a dancer who has duties here in New York?”
Anna laughed. “No.”
“Are you going to tell me or should I give up now?”
Anna laughed. “I could tell you, but then I’d have to kill you.” She gave him a sly look.
Hugo leaned his head back and laughed. “All right, all right. I give up.”
“So, why aren’t you going?”
“My mother broke her leg a few weeks ago and I need to keep an eye on her.”
“Oh, I’m so sorry! How did she break it?”
Hugo chuckled. “Skiing.” He rolled his eyes. “I warned her that a seventy year old woman shouldn’t be going skiing, but she didn’t listen. She’s a bit stubborn.”
Anna laughed again. “Are you disappointed you can’t go?”
“I love traveling, but it’ll give some of the younger principals a chance to dance in roles not normally available.” He shrugged. “Do you like to travel?”
Anna paused. “I suppose it depends on the activities involved and who I’m with.”
“Interesting answer. You’ve traveled with unpleasant people?”
Anna shrugged. “You could say that.”
“Where have you gone?”
Anna thought aloud. “Frankfurt...St. Petersburg...Washington, DC....” Alex had never gotten to take her on a honeymoon that he’d wanted to. Her hand went unconsciously to her wedding band.
“Katrina?”
Anna shook her head. “I’m sorry. I...got lost in a thought.”
He grinned. “It’s all right. You’re German, correct?”
“Why would you...oh, um...yeah.” Her name.
“Were you born here or in Deutschland?”
“In California. Your name sounds German as well.”
“I was born outside of Dusseldorf, but came here as a teenager.”
“To dance?”
Hugo nodded and then smiled. “Your name suits you. Engel.” He nodded. “Unusual last name, though.”
“Is it?” Was it obvious it was made up?
Hugo smiled. “Like I said, it suits you.”
Their food arrived and the conversation turned to more basic topics, such as movies and books; Hugo didn’t believe her when she said that she couldn’t remember the last movie she’d seen. They talked about their favorite ballets: Hugo’s was Swan Lake; Anna’s was Giselle.
Dessert was served before they started discussing a schedule for the following week. After a few minutes, they just decided to meet at the studio mid-morning each day and go from there.
They took a cab back to Anna’s apartment and Hugo walked her up to her apartment. She fidgeted with her keys as she looked up at him. “Did you want to come in?”
He grinned. “Not tonight, Katrina.” He leaned down and kissed her cheek.
Anna felt her cheeks warm at the simple kiss. “I had a really nice time,” she said sincerely. “Thank you.”
“Me too. I’m looking forward to working with you. I’ll see you tomorrow.”
Hugo waited until Anna had unlocked her door and opened it before turning back to the elevators. She waved and then went inside.
Aaron was sitting on the couch. “So, how was it?” he asked.
“Nice,” she smiled. “He seems like a great guy.”
Aaron grinned. “Yeah, he is. There’s talk of him taking Vincent’s place when he retires.”
“Really? Wow.”
“He’s an incredibly talented choreographer. It’s good you can work with him while we’re gone.”
Anna fidgeted. “Is he safe?”
Aaron gave her an affectionate smile. “Yeah, hon. He’s safe.”
Anna sighed in relie
f.
“Hon, I think you know if someone’s safe or not. You just need to be brave enough to say no if they’re not safe.”
It was true; she knew men. “Thanks, Aaron. I’m gonna go to bed.”
“G’night Anna.”
Anna smiled at his use of her real name. “Good night, Aaron.”
*****
The next few days flew by. Friday was another exhausting, frustrating day of dancing. Anna hoped that Hugo would be able to help her next week. The style was so different and it frustrated her to no end.
Friday night, Aaron took her out to dinner and they had a wonderful time. It was so nice being with him again. They cuddled up on the couch when they got home and watched a movie.
Saturday night Anna lay in her bed fidgeting. She’d spent the day with Aaron as he packed. They didn’t have class and it was wonderful to spend time with him, especially since he was going to be gone for an entire week.
She tossed and turned but couldn’t find a comfortable position. It had been several days since she’d had sex and she was feeling it. She needed to be touched; more than just a hug. She sighed and got up out of bed.
She crept into Aaron’s bedroom. He was illuminated by the outside lights, his sheets tangled around his hips. One arm was slung over his head and the other rested on his stomach. His chest moved slowly up and down as he snored softly.
She smiled, remembering how he slept like this when they’d been together. Her heart squeezed at the memory. How she had missed him!
Anna pulled her pajamas off and crawled onto the bed at his feet. She slowly made her way up until she could kiss his chest. He groaned softly as she kissed her way up to his neck and straddled his hips. The hand that had been on his stomach moved to her hip and caressed her lightly.
She kissed his mouth and his eyes snapped open. “Anna,” he whispered hoarsely. “What are you doing?”
She leaned to the side and nipped at his earlobe. “I can’t sleep,” she whispered.
His arm above his head moved to pet her hair gently as he gazed into her eyes. “You need touch?” he asked gently.
Anna nodded and he rolled her to her back and moved the sheets so his body was against hers. His cock was hard against her hip as he leaned down to kiss her, gentle at first, but with an increasing hunger as the minutes passed. His hands roamed her body and they both felt their desperation for each other. She stroked his cock and he circled her clit with his finger.
The Life of Anna, Part 5: Emerged Page 3