Chapter 116

After a few days, seeing Hugo didn’t hurt nearly as bad. She began to be able to enjoy his company as a friend. The other dancers seemed 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 to circulate that Anna had cheated on him, his anger flared up and he swiftly put an end to it.

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 premiere 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 alright.”

His touch was calming and she took long, deep breaths. Sometimes when he touched her, an electric current surged through her veins, igniting a longing for what could have been. Yet with each passing day, being around him became less of a constant struggle.

Although the official opening night had been the previous week, the Spring Gala was the really important event of the season. The audience was filled with celebrities and the important people in New York society. After the performances, the audience members would mingle with the dancers during the gala dinner.

The music began at last, 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.

Being the first ballet of the evening had its advantages, including the fact that there was plenty of time to get ready for the gala. As she dressed in the lavender gown Wilhelm had bought her, she couldn’t help but wish he was in town for the event. It was comforting, knowing there had been people in the audience that knew and cared about her. Tom and his wife, Kelsey. Tommy, too, although she doubted his wife cared very much. She knew Hugo cared, and Aaron too. The success felt different this time, unlike the hollowness she had experienced while dancing Giselle .

The noise in the hallway grew loud, and she supposed that the evening performances had ended. Those in the audience who were staying for the dinner would be heading out to the promenade, and the dancers were supposed to get out there as quickly as possible.

Someone knocked on the door and Anna opened it to find Aaron standing there, a goofy smile on his face. “Wanna head out together?”

Anna nodded. She and Hugo had discussed going together, but decided against it. They’d broken up, after all.

The grandeur of the massive lobby took Anna’s breath away. Above, the ceiling stretched four stories high, adorned with flowing fabrics and blooming flowers. Tall centerpieces adorned numerous round tables, with vibrant flowers gracefully cascading from them. The fragrant scent of flowers filled the entire space, enveloping Anna as she moved. Hundreds of people filled the bustling space, their conversations and laughter creating a lively atmosphere. The men’s black tuxedos and the women’s colorful gowns created a visually stunning contrast, adding to the overall spectacle.

“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 a dancer from the corps sat. “Hey, Mindy. Where are we sitting?”

She smiled. “Let’s see.” She looked at a clipboard in front of her. “Aaron, you’re at four. 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 cut through the noise, leaving Anna feeling uncomfortable. She had outgrown being socially awkward; she was much more comfortable in these types of situations now than she’d ever been, but she was also used to having her ‘duties.’ Was that why Tom wanted her to sit at his table? 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 finally spotted a number one on a table next to the dance floor. It made sense that Tom was at Table One with the mayor. After all, he ran the city. Tommy had to be the ‘hot blond guy’ being gossiped about. He was very good looking and charming. But surely he usually attended these types of events with his father. Was he always gossiped about? How did New York gossip work? Anna rarely paid much attention to gossip in general. Either she was too out of it or it was just uninteresting. Who cared who was sleeping with who, or how someone’s hair was a disaster?

She caught Tom’s eye, and he stood and smiled as she approached. “Katrina, the star of the evening.” He grinned and hugged her, kissing her cheek.

“Tom...” Anna’s face warmed and she shook 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 happy to see you again.”

“Hello, Mrs. Pendleton.” She nodded in greeting. “It’s good to see you again, too.” Kelsey had always been kind to her.

“And of course, you know 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 the first time. Anna supposed it was the pregnancy. Her straight, gleaming dark hair and bangs shimmered 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.

As a familiar figure approached their table, Anna’s muscles tensed and she could feel her heart thumping in her chest. Tall and blond, she couldn’t quite see his face until he was closer, and when she could finally see it, she inhaled sharply. “Kurt?”

Kurt beamed as he stopped in front of her. “Hello, Engel .”