by Michele Hauf
Surprised and a bit confused, Natalie spun toward Eric, who was engaged in a conversation about network safety with the client on his right.
“Come,” the young woman insisted. “It’s just for a minute.”
Natalie tapped Eric’s hand. “Excuse me for a minute.”
He nodded and continued his conversation.
Natalie approached Prince Paul’s table. He and the man beside him stood.
“What a fantastic performance. You were amazing, Natalie.” The prince bowed and kissed her hand.
“Indeed, as wonderful as ever.”
Natalie gasped at the voice she’d tried to blank from her memory. Hugh Callahan was here, smiling at her, grabbing her hand. Unable to utter a word, she stared at him, fighting a wave of dizziness.
“You must be very tired. Have a seat, my dear Natasha.” He pulled her down into the empty seat to his left. “What an incredible coincidence,” he added for Prince Paul and his wife. “Ms. Borikev worked for me in Las Vegas. I was impressed with her beauty and talent, and hired her.” She hated his patronizing tone, his implication that she’d been at his service.
Distressed, she threw a glance over her shoulder. The blond woman had occupied her chair and helped herself to the plate the waiter had set in front of her. And Eric was still conversing with the client. Damn, how could she untangle herself from this messy situation?
Don’t antagonize him but don’t show fear. Eric’s advice played in her ears. She’d never thought she’d have to follow the advice from long ago once more, and play it cool with this skunk. To think there’d been a time she’d pondered returning to Las Vegas and accepting his contract.
“Can I get you a glass of wine?”
She lifted her chin in a Princess Charlene way and offered him a radiant smile. “A rosé, please.”
“You’re as beautiful as ever, Natasha. Yet you’ve acquired a certain maturity, quite becoming.” The waiter set plates with the entrée in front of them.
“Bon appétit,” Hugh said, expecting her to eat at his table.
She tasted the filet mignon. It was delicious. Too hungry to hesitate, she ate with gusto, under his inquisitive look.
“We missed you a lot at Caesars Palace. Why did you leave so suddenly?”
The simple truth wouldn’t hurt. “Because of my brother. I was too worried about him. And I couldn’t let anyone send him to rehab. He needed me. He needed affection.”
“How is he doing now?”
“Great. He has excellent grades in school, and he plays and competes in basketball, soccer, skating, swimming. No time for drugs.”
“Good job, Natasha. I always knew you were an amazing young woman.” His tone had softened. “How about you? What are you doing with yourself?”
“I teach ballet in three different schools.” She pasted on a smile of nonchalance. “We had a successful presentation a month ago. Princess Charlene attended and loved it, and asked me to present a show at the DIF ball.”
“So that how you met the princess and got to be here tonight.” She didn’t bother elaborating on her relationship to the Devereux family. “My dear Natasha, as far as I know, teaching ballet has never been your dream. What about your goal of dancing like you did tonight, of sharing your love for ballet in front of an adoring crowd, of receiving standing ovations? Did you give up on that?”
“Never,” she blurted before she realized she’d opened her soul to his perusal.
At their table, Prince Paul and Amy had joined the general conversation, although Amy glanced at her often, her eyebrows arched in a silent question. Natalie smiled to reassure the kind princess and then peeked behind her shoulder and met Eric’s scowl. His lips stretched into a thin line, he looked like a bomb about to explode. Had he met Callahan?
“Success will come at the right time. Eventually, it will,” she hastened to add to keep Hugh at bay. He’d seen her looking at Amy and followed her gaze to Eric’s table.
“I’m sure success might come. Or it might not.” Hugh’s friendly grin denoted a hint of sarcasm. “There’s nothing wrong in accepting a little help. Now that your mind is at peace as far as your brother is concerned, why not think of your own future?” His tone held a paternal note that didn’t fool her.
Afraid to say a wrong word, she didn’t answer.
He turned on his phone. “I appreciate your talent. I’m ready to offer you a contract.” She gasped, and he patted her hand. “Don’t worry. No conditions. Not a single one. You can start any time you want. In a month, six months, or a year. You can live in Vegas or go back and forth. Or arrange your time any way you want.”
She tilted her head, not believing her ears. “Why?”
“Because it’s my job as a producer to discover new talent. I’ve already discovered yours, and I appreciate your potential. Just press on this YES and start whenever you want.”
She studied his face, lingered on his easygoing grin, and wondered if he was playing cat and mouse with her.
“Think about it, Natasha. Imagine yourself dancing and singing in Las Vegas again, entrancing the audience with your incredible talent. They loved you before, they’ll love you again. Why deprive them of the artist they want? Why tear yourself away from your dream?”
She closed her eyes. Pictures of the past played in her mind. Sounds of applause, demands for encores… Damn it, why was he tempting her so much? She was dying to accept his offer, but…
A glance over her shoulder sent her into panic mode. Eric had left his table. Where was he when she needed his support?
Was he upset by her friendly conversation with Hugh?
17
Hidden in an alcove off the hallway leading to the ballroom, Eric held Charlene at arm’s length. “You have to help me. Don’t you see he’s trying to woo her back to Las Vegas?”
“Eric, she’s a young woman who knows what she wants. She can take care of herself.”
“You don’t understand. I don’t want her to leave.”
“Why? It’s her future, her career, her goal.”
“I love her.”
“But you haven’t done anything to keep her.”
“I gave her my mother’s pendant before the show. I was planning to propose later, at Christmas, but I can’t wait anymore.”
Charlene’s lips curved at the corners. “Obviously.”
“Would you resent me if I do something drastic tonight?”
“You can do anything but punch Hugh Callahan, or any client.” Her eyes narrowed.
“What? No.” He grabbed her hands. “I want to propose to Natalie.”
“Cute idea.”
“Unfortunately, I didn’t bring a ring.”
Charlene shrugged. “Your tough luck. Obviously, you’re not an expert in the field of romance, but you’ll learn with time.” Her sarcasm-tinted words didn’t affect him.
“You’re wearing four bands and three rings.”
“So? I like to wear my husband’s gifts.”
“Wear whatever you want, but right now I want to borrow that little diamond ring on your pinkie.”
“Are you out of your mind? It’s Scott’s present for our fifth anniversary.”
“I’m not going to steal it, damn it. Just borrow it till tomorrow.”
“You’re going to propose to your girlfriend with my ring?”
“Do I have a choice? Unless I ask Amy for hers.”
Charlene burst out laughing. “Paul would punch you, and that would start a new feud.”
“You’re not funny. Your ring, please?”
“Here. Don’t lose it or you’ll have to deal with Scott.”
“Thanks, cuz. Now, tell your waiters to set a table with champagne on the dance floor. I’ll take over.”
“Just touch the YES icon. Simple. And you can get it all again.”
“And my brother?”
“Let’s face it, Natasha. Vegas is not the right place to raise kids. Your brother is much better off here. I’m sure you can arrange f
or him to stay with a person you trust when you’re away.”
“Are you serious? Do you mean you’d let me perform for a week every month?”
“If that’s what works for you and your shows are as successful as they were during that week at Caesars Place, then by all means.”
Bummer, his offer was so tempting. Maybe too good to be true. She hesitated. What if he changed the conditions later on?
“Can I read the contract?”
“It’s a very simple contract, an agreement between us. You dance and sing, and I pay you. You can read the contract now if you want.” He touched a few icons and held his phone out for her perusal. She browsed through the lines, frowned, and averted her eyes, thinking furiously. And she met Amy’s gaze. The princess returned the frown.
“Mr. Callahan,” Amy said, “have you ever visited our beautiful island?”
“Huh...” Hugh’s puzzled look rested on Princess Amy.
“Rensy Island is a small island in the English Channel. I fell in love with it the first time I went there,” Amy elaborated, and Natalie appreciated the needed break to ponder Hugh’s new offer. “Funny,” Amy went on. “I never left it, and I became its princess and Minister of Health. You should come to visit. We’ll be happy to host you.”
“I’ll be honored to visit, Princess Amy.”
“June and July are the best months. We enjoy warm temperatures and not much rain. And it’s the right season for many festivals.”
“Oh, yes?” Obviously, Hugh had trouble following her flow of bragging about the island he’d never heard of.
The young woman who had sent Natalie to Hugh’s table approached them. Hugh stood and gave her his place. “Natasha, I’d like you to meet my fiancée, Karen Redding. Sweetheart, you already saw Natalie Borikev dancing. One of the most talented dancers I’ve ever known.”
“Your fiancée?” Natalie had trouble recovering from her surprise. “Congratulations, Hugh, Karen.” She flashed a happy smile with her most sincere wishes. “I’m so happy for both of you.” And for herself. So Hugh’s offer was an honest-to-God offer of contract, with no ulterior motive behind it.
“May I have your attention?” Standing in the center of the dance floor, not far from their table, Princess Charlene lifted a hand to demand silence.
Her finger tapping the table, next to Hugh’s phone, Natalie emerged from her internal debate. Waiters had rolled a table next to Charlene and set it with bottles of champagne in ice buckets. What was the celebration about?
“Ladies and gentlemen, our next…huh…performance, if I can use that word, was not part of our agenda. Ms. Borikev, can you come here?”
Not sure she’d heard right, Natalie stared at Charlene.
Hugh squeezed her hand. “Natasha, she’s calling you.”
“Ms. Natalie Borikev,” Charlene repeated.
“Go, Natalie,” Amy said. “Charlene needs help.”
“Ah, all right.” She joined Charlene at the center of the dance floor. “What’s the champagne for?”
“Not yet.” Charlene scanned the ballroom. “Prince Eric Devereux, come to the dance floor.”
Eric sprinted in, his bearing confident and his gaze boring into Natalie’s eyes.
Eric grabbed the mic from Charlene. “Ladies and gents, I know you’ve admired Ms. Borikev’s dance. Would you be surprised if I tell you I fell under her spell the first time I saw her dancing at the Colosseum at Caesars Palace? And I returned every night for a whole week to watch her show and send her a white rose. The last night, I gathered my courage and visited to tell her she was amazing. I was hoping she’d agree to go out with me. But fate had other plans for us.”
Silence hovered over a mesmerized audience, with every person hanging on Eric’s words. Some women smiled eagerly, including Charlene and Amy. Men relaxed, their arms crossed on their chests with male understanding. His eyes narrowed, Hugh fixed Eric with an icy stare.
“Natalie wanted to leave Vegas to save her brother from a rough environment, and I was running from...huh, from some troubles. Although she’d just met me, she didn’t hesitate to trust me. We left Vegas, she in a rusty clunker of a car that died three hours later, me on my Harley with her young brother behind me. Quite an adventure.”
The audience clapped.
Her beautiful eyes wide open, Natalie stared at him with confusion.
“I guess nothing bonds you more than facing problems together. This wonderful young woman didn’t hesitate to put a brilliant future aside for her brother’s sake. Is it any surprise that I fell in love with her? I didn’t have much to offer this talented dancer and gorgeous woman when we arrived here. Now I work at DIF, and Prince Paul of Rensy Island has reinstated my title. So I’ve gathered my courage one more time.”
He took her hand. “Natalie, I never loved a woman before you. So I’m not sure I’m doing this correctly. I will always love you. I want to keep you forever and see you dancing every day. Would you dance with me? Will you marry me?”
Her jaw dropped and her eyes shone with tears. She just nodded frantically.
“Is that a yes?”
The audience screamed, “Yes, yes. It’s a yes.”
“Let’s see if I can do it better.” He dropped on one knee, dug Charlene’s ring out of his pocket, and slid it on Natalie’s finger. “Okay, you said yes?”
“Yes, yes.” She threw her arms around his neck, and he straightened, pressing her against him.
“Kiss her,” a few women shouted.
He did, a tender but brief kiss, considering the large audience.
He raised a hand, demanding attention.
“I know that my sweet fiancée is an amazing ballerina, and I wouldn’t want to deprive her admirers of her talent. Although a moment ago, I was terrified of seeing Mr. Hugh Callahan trying to attract her to Vegas again, I’ll swallow my pride and beg him to consider offering her another chance.”
“No need to beg.” Callahan strutted toward them with a smug smile and held out his hand clasped on his phone. “The contract is ready, any time Natalie wants to sign it. Let me be the first to congratulate you, Princess Natasha.” He took her hand and brought it to his lips.
She hugged him. “Thank you, Hugh, for helping me realize my dream.” She turned to Eric, hooked her fingers around his elbow, and addressed the audience.
“To marry the man I love and dance again is...is...more than a dream come true. Eric has often told me he wanted to dance with me. If Princess Charlene doesn’t mind, I’d like to present a pas de deux with Prince Eric Devereux.”
Eric lost his smile. “Are you joking?”
“Go for it.” Charlene clapped her hands.
And the audience repeated, “Go for it. Dance with her.”
“Give me five minutes to change.”
“How about me?” Eric wasn’t sure if she’d have him wear some weird costume.
“Just remove your tux coat. Keep the vest and bow tie.”
Five minutes later, Natalie posed on the stage in a long white tulle outfit and ballet shoes, her hair pulled back in a bun. The music started with a piece from Swan Lake, and the curtain lifted.
She straightened and pirouetted a few times, then promenaded toward the left of the stage and crooked her index fingers, signaling to Eric to come. He climbed onstage. She held his hand and curtsied to him. Following suit, he bowed. She stood en pointe and threw a leg back, bending toward him. Thinking she was going to kiss him, he reached up to her lips. But she flipped back and jumped away. And the audience cracked up.
Holding his hand, she dragged him behind her as she ran en pointe, then leaned into him and pirouetted away, always giving the impression she was about to melt into his arms but escaping in a smart move. After ten minutes, the guests were roaring with laughter. Natalie ended with a series of fouettés, on his left, on his right, behind him, and in front. And finally pushed him down on one knee and sat on it, wrapping his arms around her.
“We have a standing ovation, sweet
heart,” Eric said with a beaming smile.
She stood and held his hand as he straightened. She curtsied, and he bowed.
“You were both fantastic,” Prince Paul said while Amy wiped a tear of hilarity.
Hugh Callahan kept on laughing as he came towards them. “Prince Eric, can I offer you a contract to sign?”
“No way.” Eric chuckled. “It’s a once-in-a-lifetime performance.”
The night ended on a joyful note, and Charlene agreed that it had been her most successful ball.
At home, Eric rushed to his safe to dig out a little box. “Sweetheart, I was supposed to give you this ring.” He showed her a fabulous ring that matched her pendant, a huge sapphire surrounded by diamonds. “It was a gift from my grandmother to my mother when she got married.”
“It’s splendid but too big for me. I’d rather wear my small diamond all the time.” She covered her hand to protect her small ring.
“Huh... I’ll buy you a new one. Maybe you can choose it with me.”
“Why? I love this one.”
His face creased into a grimace. “You can’t keep it. I borrowed it from Charlene for the occasion.”
“Occasion? You call the most important moment of my life a simple occasion?” But Natalie couldn’t stop laughing when he took her in his arms and told her the whole story.
She removed Charlene’s ring, and he slipped the gorgeous sapphire on her finger.
Epilogue
On a beautiful June day, the golden carriage of Rensy Island rolled toward the Charlesburg Cathedral as four gray horses trotted along the main avenue. Sitting on the cushioned bench of the carriage, Natalie smiled and waved at the people who had lined up on both sides to catch a glimpse of the American dancer who would be marrying one of their young princes.
Banners with Congratulations, Eric and Natalie fluttered across the streets. Other signs showed pictures of her in a tutu and Eric on his Harley, with the label, The Black Sheep and the Ballerina. Eric had laughed and told the people who had seen him growing up that they were absolutely right.