to take their advice, so she guided Victoria carefully back across the threshold of her dressing room, slamming the door firmly behind them.
“It is so, so good to see you,” Anna said, unable to let go of Victoria for even a moment.
Together they sort of folded themselves down onto the leather sofa that dominated one corner of the room. Victoria kissed her again, stopping just long enough to pluck a pair of unworn ballet slippers from between them and toss them on the floor. Anna looked around at that, noticing the chaos of the space. The immaculate nature of Victoria’s dressing rooms had been legend at the Metropolitan, and Anna panicked at the thought she might somehow be letting down the good name of its prima ballerinas.
“I wanted to tell you I was in tonight, but the surprise was too delicious,” Victoria replied, running her thumb over Anna’s bottom lip as her palm rested on Anna’s jaw. “I told myself if I wanted to be truly mysterious I’d slip in and slip out without coming to see you after the show, but we both know I’m nowhere near that strong when it comes to you.”
“Strong enough,” Anna argued. It wasn’t like Victoria to just blurt out a weakness like that, even in this advanced stage of their complicated relationship. “Strong enough to insist we not see other people while we have to be apart, even though you could no doubt have your pick in Paris.”
Victoria’s eyes flashed a little darker at that, their green irises seeming to almost disappear in the low light. Only the dressing table bulbs were on, leaving this side of the room half in shadow. “If this is your way of telling me you’ve met someone back in New York…”
“No! God, Victoria. We only spoke the other day. You know I’m not even looking.”
“Not even to have a date to your sister’s wedding? Irina told me you wanted someone on your arm.”
Anna felt like smacking her forehead against the wall for a moment. “I want you on my arm. Did you not… Okay, first of all, Irina is always trying to make you mad. Also, I know she’s sending you an invite, so the only person I want to go with is you.”
“Anna, that might not—”
“No, not tonight,” Anna interrupted, holding up her hand to stem the tide of any argument Victoria might have, a technique stolen from the woman herself. “Listen, it’s been a long day and a lot of long days before that, including a really long flight. And lately we’ve had to say no to a lot of things. A lot of opportunities to be together have just passed us by. That’s the deal; we both knew what we were getting into when you got your dream job in Paris, but that doesn’t mean it’s been easy.”
Victoria nodded. The fact that she was letting Anna ramble on was the kindest gesture she could make at that point. She smoothed the black silk of her blazer, making it tug at the neckline of the black gown she wore beneath it. Anna bit her bottom lip for a second, refusing to be distracted at the thought of exposing more skin, of having Victoria naked right there on the couch.
“So let’s not talk about plans and complications tonight. I have a hotel room, or I’m guessing you have one where the rest of the company won’t be staying, and we can just have a few hours without the world getting in our way.”
“I’m beginning to think you’ve missed me,” Victoria replied. “But I agree with your plan. No planning. No more buts and maybes and checking the calendar. Get dressed enough to get out of here, and then we’re going right down the street to my hotel.”
“I have missed you.” Anna stood up with some reluctance, feeling the loss of Victoria’s body against hers like a sudden chill. “Did you miss me?”
“What do you think?” Victoria asked, before grabbing Anna’s favorite jeans and throwing them at her. “Come on, once we’re out of here I can show you just how much.”
They practically skipped down the street after running the gauntlet of dancers and assistants and lingering ballet fans who wanted a glimpse of the new prima without many noticing the former one at her side. Victoria forced herself to enjoy the anonymity, though it stung a little each time until a few of the real aficionados gasped, Victoria Ford, right before they made it clear of