“Liebling, why don’t you get your things and we can go have dinner?” Wilhelm said in a gentle voice.
Anna nodded, still staring at the floor. She turned and walked as fast as she could backstage to her dressing room.
*****
Alex watched Anna walk away. He could see that he had hurt her by his stiff greeting, but he had to remain distant because of Devin. When he’d spoken to Devin a few days ago to let him know he was coming into town, he let Devin think that he didn’t care for Anna anymore.
After getting a grasp on the language, and with his father’s help, they were beginning to get an idea of how to keep Anna safe. A plan was forming in Alex’s mind, but he had to be very careful how he went about executing it. Devin could know nothing about it or he would be able to prevent it.
Unfortunately, doing this, once again, meant keeping his distance from Anna. It had been easier to agree to when she wasn’t around. Once he saw her, though, his resolve wavered. He’d seen her standing next to that other dancer when he’d walked in and jealousy flared in his heart.
If Devin suspected affection on his side, any chance of the plan working would be lost. He also didn’t want to give Devin cause to use him to hurt Anna again. Alex wouldn’t underestimate that man again. Devin would do anything to keep Anna for himself. And, as long as Devin believed that Alex had lost interest, Anna would be much safer until Alex could bring her fully under his protection.
The last thing Alex wanted to do was hurt Anna, but he had promised her that he would come. And he wanted to see her dance. But when she wrapped her arms around him and he inhaled her sweet scent, it had almost undone him. Not embracing her as he desperately wanted had been harder than taking out a target at a thousand yards in a stiff crosswind.
Vati had agreed that Alex needed to maintain his distance and they decided that Kurt would attend to Anna as he had when they’d first met her.
They were planning on having Anna visit Frankfurt in December, though they hadn’t told her yet. Alex promised himself that he would make up his distance when she visited. He would make sure she knew exactly how he felt about her. How desperately he loved her. These few days here with her, not being able to hold her or kiss her, would be pure torture. But he had to keep her safe.
When Anna returned a few minutes later, she was dressed, but still looking down at the ground. When she glanced up at something his brother said to her, he saw that her eyes were red. She had been crying! Alex felt like he’d been hit in the chest. He’d wounded her.
Alex glanced at his father, giving him a pleading look. Surely he could at least explain to Anna why he was keeping his distance. It would take some of the edge off the hurt if she knew why it had to be this way.
Vati gave him a sympathetic smile and shook his head.
No, he couldn’t. Devin could read her like a book. She wouldn’t be able to hide it and then there would be no point in keeping his distance. Alex had to be strong. Doing the right thing now would enable him to keep Devin away from her later.
*****
“Would you like to stay with me at our hotel, Anna?” Kurt asked softly when she returned from the dressing room.
Anna glanced up, hoping her eyes weren’t too red from crying over Alex’s coldness. She’d been expecting to stay with Alex, but Alex clearly wasn’t interested anymore.
She glanced at Alex, who gave a small nod, though he wouldn’t look at her. Was he that disgusted with her? She didn’t understand why. What had she done to anger him?
“Yes, Kurt. I’d like that.”
If that’s what her Master wanted her to do, then that’s what she would do. She liked Kurt. It was no hardship to be with him, but Alex’s rejection stung. Once again, she was reminded that happiness wasn’t for her. She was meant to be used by men and that was that. Love was something she would never experience.
“Kurt, why don’t you ride with Anna to her apartment so she can pack a few things for the rest of the week,” Wilhelm said as they exited the Opera House.
Kurt agreed and walked with Anna to her car in the garage. They had left Wilhelm and Alex to take the limo to the hotel.
“I am so glad to see you, Anna. I’ve missed you.” Kurt kissed her hand and looked down at her adoringly.
“I’ve missed you too, Kurt.” She was glad he was here. They hadn’t gotten to say goodbye when he’d left the first time. She liked Kurt. But her heart ached from Alex’s rejection.
She pushed her disappointment in Alex aside as she drove to her apartment. They chatted about Kurt’s children and the journey from Germany.
He praised her dancing and told her he couldn’t wait to see the full performance on Friday. They had come to the rehearsal because he was so eager to see her.
“Is that all right?” Kurt asked.
Anna smiled at him as she parked in the apartment garage. “Of course, Kurt.”
When they arrived at the hotel, Alex was nowhere to be seen, but Wilhelm was waiting for them. “Alex is spending time with friends this evening,” he said, watching Anna carefully.
Anna lifted her chin and willed herself not to tear up. If Alex didn’t want to see her, then she didn’t want to see him. He probably went to see Kirsty or some other old girlfriend.
Not that it really mattered to her.
She didn’t lie to herself very well.
CHAPTER FIFTY-NINE
Friday passed quickly. Much quicker than she’d expected.
Late Friday afternoon, Anna and Nate warmed up and then spent time together in her dressing room before the performance.
They were talking on the couch when a knock sounded on the door. A messenger stood there with a dozen pink roses in a vase, but no card. They had to be from Alex, which made her angry. She was tempted to drop them in the trashcan, but that would be disrespectful. She may be angry at him, but he was still her Master. She put them on her vanity.
Nate looked at her, bewildered. “Who are they from?”
She looked at him and sighed. “No one.”
He didn’t ask anything else.
A little while later there was another knock at the door.
Nate laughed. “You’re very popular tonight.”
Anna opened the door and saw Devin standing there, tall and handsome in his black suit and silver tie.
“Devin!” she exclaimed.
Devin looked past her to see Nate behind her. “I hope I’m not interrupting anything.” He gave her a pointed look.
She quickly turned to Nate. “Nate, I’ll talk to you later.”
Devin stepped in and closed the door after Nate left. “I’m certain you’re not letting your boyfriend get in the way of your duties, Anna.”
“He’s not my boyfriend, Devin. We were just resting before we had to get ready.” She hadn’t realized he was going to be there.
“You didn’t think I would come to your debut, Baby?” He turned and looked at her. Had he read her mind? “Jack’s here, too. We’re very excited to see if all these classes have been worth it.”
Anna bit her lip. “I hope I don’t disappoint you, Devin,” she said softly.
“This is your chance to show me if it’s worth letting you continue to dance.” He smiled. “Don’t forget, we leave Monday to go to DC.”
Of course. The trip with Devin to the big Gathering in the nation’s capital. She had forgotten, though Devin had emailed her the travel details. She’d been too caught up in dancing to give it much thought.
“You did acquire the appropriate clothing that I emailed you about, didn’t you?”
Anna’s eyes widened. She’d completely forgotten. How was she going to get everything in time? “Devin, I....”
Devin’s eyes flashed. “You didn’t, did you?”
Tears rolled down her cheeks. “I-I’m sorry, Devin. I’ll go out tomorrow and....”
“You don’t have time this weekend, Anna. You are spending time with the Germans, remember?”
Anna looked up at him, not
knowing what to say.
Devin frowned down at her, his jaw tight, his eyes narrowed. “Since you are incapable of following directions, I will have your things purchased for you,” he snarled. “We leave first thing Monday morning.” He inhaled deeply and then looked back down at her. “I will see you after the show, Anna.”
He left, closing the door behind him, and Anna collapsed onto the couch, staring at the ground.
Nate came in a few minutes later. “Anna! Are you okay?”
She gave him a small smile. “Yeah, I’m fine.”
He sat down next to her and looked at her. “Who was that?”
“Devin Andersen. He’s...a family friend.”
Nate frowned. “What happened?”
“Nothing, I’m fine. I just...forgot to do something and upset him.”
He reached for her hand and she felt tingles run through her body. “Anything I can help with?”
“No, he’s going to take care of it.”
He gazed at her, a small smile on his face. “I’ve really liked getting to know you these last few weeks.”
Anna smiled. “Me too.”
It was true. Nate was a sweet guy. She even thought about maybe letting him into her life a little more.
They gazed into one another’s eyes for a long moment before Anna realized that their faces were only inches apart. He brought his hand up to her cheek and leaned forward to kiss her.
He had very nice lips. She pressed her lips against his and their kiss slowly deepened.
CHAPTER SIXTY
After the final bows had been taken, Anna rushed to her dressing room to get ready for the party. Nate had said that he’d come get her when he was ready. She’d already told him that she had to spend time with some friends who had come to visit her.
“You look beautiful, Anna,” Nate said, grinning at her from the doorway. He looked very handsome in his navy blue suit and tie.
They walked through the hallways to the lobby of the theater where the reception was. Before they opened the door, Nate pulled her to him and kissed her. Her eyes widened as he pulled away.
“You said you were going out of town for a week. I wanted to make sure I kissed you goodbye.”
He squeezed her hand, then let go and opened the door to the crowded lobby. They were greeted by many people. Kurt walked up and she went to him, glancing back briefly at Nate. Their eyes met and shared one last brief moment of tenderness, then she turned back to smile at Kurt.
“Anna, you danced so beautifully. My heart broke when you died.”
“Thank you, Kurt.” Anna smiled. The first act of Giselle ended with Giselle literally dying of a broken heart.
The two of them circulated for almost an hour. She received many congratulations from other dancers she knew, including Jenna, Aaron and Travis.
She and Jenna had made up the previous week after Anna made a dozen calls, begging Jenna’s forgiveness. Jenna finally called back and they worked things out. Anna was surprised that Jenna admitted to enjoying quite a bit of that evening.
“Anna.” Isaak walked up to where she and Kurt were standing, talking with Aaron and Jenna.
Anna gave him a smile. “Hi, Isaak.”
“Come with me. I have someone I want to introduce you to.”
Anna and Kurt followed Isaak across the room to where Nate was speaking with an older man with gray hair and the bearing of a dancer. When Anna approached, he smiled broadly at her.
“Anna, I’d like to introduce you to Vincent Marsellis. Vincent, this is Anna Perkins.” Isaak looked at Anna. “Vincent is the Ballet Master in Chief for the New York City Ballet Company. He and I danced together in New York when we were much, much younger.” The two men chuckled at Isaak’s remark.
Anna just stared at Vincent. What was the Ballet Master from New York doing here at a student performance?
Vincent smiled at Anna and Nate. “I enjoyed your performance this evening. Both of you. Isaak told me that he had some wonderful dancers that he wanted me to see.”
Anna looked at Isaak then back at Vincent. Why?
“I would like to extend an invitation to you both to come dance in New York. You are both excellent dancers, and together are truly amazing. I would love to have you in my Company.”
Anna’s jaw dropped. He wanted her and Nate to come to New York? To dance in New York?
Nate grabbed her and hugged her tightly as she processed Vincent’s words. “Oh, Anna. How awesome would that be?” Nate whispered in her ear. “We could dance in New York together.”
Anna grinned as the idea sank in. How wonderful! The more she thought about it, the more ecstatic she became. Her heart soared at the idea of leaving San Francisco.
Nate released her. “I have to go tell my parents.” He kissed her cheek then hurried away.
Anna looked shyly at Kurt, who was grinning at her. “That is wonderful news, Engel. It would be good for you to get away.”
Isaak nodded and smiled.
She saw Devin close by, watching her. She would be able to tell him that the classes had paid off! And now she would dance in New York. She excused herself from Kurt and fairly skipped over to Devin.
Devin looked at her with an amused expression. “What’s all the excitement, Baby?”
She excitedly told him what Vincent had said. At the end of the explanation she clapped her hands in joy and gazed up happily. “Isn’t it wonderful, Devin?”
Devin frowned at her. “No. Absolutely not.”
Anna looked at him, hands tingling with fear at the expression on his face. “What do you mean?”
He looked directly into her eyes with an intense stare, then took her arm and pulled her to the side of the room. “You may not go, Anna. I will not allow it.”
Anna stared, bewildered. “What? Why?” Her heart squeezed in her chest as her chin trembled.
“Why?” He laughed. “I would never allow you to leave San Francisco. Your duties are here. With me. I will not have you on the other side of the country.”
Tears stung her eyes as she looked at him for a long moment before blinking and looking at the ground. Her heart felt as if it had been stabbed by a ragged knife.
He put his finger under her chin and lifted her face. He looked at her sternly. “I suggest you go tell Vincent that you will not be going. I also suggest that you...encourage your boyfriend to take the offer.” Devin smirked. “For his own...safety.”
“He’s not my boyfriend.”
Devin frowned. “I don’t fucking care what he is, but you’d better encourage him to go without you.
She stared at him, horrified. Was he threatening Nate? Why would he do that? Was it because of what happened in the dressing room?
His eyes flashed with rage when she didn’t obey him immediately. “Has it been too long since you’ve felt the sting of a whip, Anna? You are slow to obey.”
“But Devin. Please. This is such a wonderful opportunity.” She implored him with her eyes and words.
“Yes, it is a wonderful opportunity. It is a wonderful opportunity for Nate to...get away before things get messy. For you...Anna...you will remain in San Francisco the rest of your life.” His tone changed to low and gravelly. “And if you want to continue dancing, you will obey me immediately or I will shut you away in the Manor like the rest of my girls.”
She wiped the tears from her eyes as she turned to walk quickly back to where Vincent and Isaak were talking.
“Anna, what’s wrong?” Isaak asked, face full of concern.
“I....” She looked at Vincent and swallowed. “Thank you for the offer, but I can’t accept it.” She stared up into his kind brown eyes. “I wish I could,” she added in a whisper before turning and fleeing to the bathroom where she let her tears flow freely.
*****
When she emerged about fifteen minutes later, there was no trace of her misery anywhere, save her red eyes. She had resigned herself to her fate. And she would send Nate away to keep him from Devin.
&
nbsp; She had taken no more than a few steps out of the bathroom when Nate appeared in front of her. “Anna, what’s wrong? Isaak said you rejected the offer for New York.”
Anna’s lower lip trembled, but she didn’t cry. She couldn’t. “I can’t go, Nate.”
Nate laughed nervously. “What do you mean you can’t go? You’re an adult. You can do what you want.”
“No, I can’t. Devin won’t let me go.”
“Devin won’t let you? What the hell are you talking about?”
Anna twisted her fingers in front of her. “Devin’s my...guardian. He...needs me here with him.”
Nate’s face turned red in anger. “You can’t be serious, Anna. Doesn’t he realize what a chance this is?”
Anna was in danger of losing the composure she’d just gained. “It doesn’t matter. I...I’m never leaving San Francisco. He said so.”
Nate took a step forward. “You can’t let him control you like that, Anna. Isn’t there anything you can do to change his mind?”
Anna laughed bitterly. Change Devin’s mind? Yeah, right...wait. “Alex!” Maybe Alex would be more open to the idea.
“Alex? Who’s Alex?”
“Someone who might be able to change Devin’s mind,” Anna said absent-mindedly.
Alex could talk to him. Alex was just as much her Master as Devin. But would he? It was worth asking.
She smiled, heart light, and went off in search of Alex. The lobby was crowded and she couldn’t see very far. She hurried over when she finally saw him across the room.
“Alex, you have to talk to Devin....” She told him about the offer to go to New York and Devin’s reaction. She was talking so quickly she hoped he understood, but she couldn’t slow herself down. Hope had risen anew.
When she finished, she looked up into his eyes, hope filling her heart. His face was impassive again.
“Alex?” she asked tentatively. Why wasn’t he reacting? She looked desperately at Wilhelm, who gave her a sad smile.
“Nein, Anna. Devin is right. You cannot go to New York.”
The Life of Anna, Part 2: Entwined Page 37