“Those are two words that don’t usually go together.”
“Ballerina and tortured?”
“No, ballerina and rogue.”
“All jokes aside.” She sighed. “You look beautiful, Scarlett. You look happy.”
I stopped walking and pulled her back. She refused to face me. “Tell me what’s going on, Violet.” The comment startled me—not so much the comment, but the way I had worded it. Blunt. I had adopted Brando’s usual commanding way.
She glanced behind us, at the two brothers rolling around in the dirt. Then she turned her eyes forward. They glistened in reflection to the bonfire and the tears she seemed to be holding back. Her thick, dark, intense eyebrows were at war with the helpless look in her eyes. She sniffled and then ripped her arm from mine.
“I’m fine, Scarlett. I’m happy. See.” She smiled a cheesy smile. “I’m just fine.”
I went to touch her but thought better of it. “All right,” I said softly. “But if you ever feel blue, you know that I’m always here for you.”
She spit out a laugh mixed with a sob, though no tears fell, and then entwined our arms together again. We continued forward.
“Did you ever ask the sinful chocolate cake to your parents’ annual Christmas party?” She nodded toward Brando, who stood on the other side of the flames, his usual sucker in place, his eyes resolute on my forward-moving form.
The heat made him seem like a gorgeous mirage.
“He’s been watching you since way back there.” She threw her chin toward the past. “You must throw off a certain degree of heat that only his sensor can find. He just went to help cart the ice chests and look at him. His eyes are locked and loaded on you. All night. That’s all he did. Watch.”
He did, but he seemed to enjoy himself too, even though the music didn’t suit his tastes. I’d never forget the feel of his substantial arms and hands snaking around my waist, holding me while I danced to the music. He moved with me, his breath in my ear when he leaned in to kiss me there.
I couldn’t respond to her. Even though we were just together, the slight separation caused the blood in my veins to heat and the flutters in my stomach to flit around in a wild panic when our eyes connected. An unbidden smile came to my face.
“You are such a goober,” she laughed. “Why are you smiling?”
I shrugged in response to her last question and answered her first. “No, I haven’t invited him. Yet. I was going to ask him during the Festival of Lights.”
“Have you asked your parents?”
“No.”
“Oh, this should be good. I’d love to be a fly on the wall when Pnina Poésy gets wind of this.”
“Penny and Jane and the rest of them are friends with Charlotte. And if Charlotte knows, Mati knows.” Mati is the Slovenian word for mother. “Violet…” For some reason something she had said triggered another thought. “Do you ever talk to Brando? About me?”
Asking was fruitless, I knew. I hadn’t spoken to Violet, or anyone, about the offers on the table. But Brando knew. Whoever told him I had the chance to dance abroad, anywhere I wanted to, had to be in my inner circle.
“Yeah,” she said with a flair of drama. “As if. I have a hard enough time getting you to talk. If you’re Alcatraz, he’s Fort Knox.”
“No, that’s not what I meant. Have you been telling him things about me?”
“Like what?”
“Never mind.”
“Do you need a chill pill, Sandy? Because you’re tripping.”
Before I could respond, Brando moved from the fire and met us.
“Hello,” I said, rather breathless.
“Hi,” he said, a wide grin stretching the planes of his beautiful face.
Violet groaned. “I need a drink.” And she left us to our own little bubble.
“I missed you.” I looked up into his eyes, so warm from the fire.
“It’s been five minutes, Scarlett.”
“Those five felt like a lifetime.”
“Baby,” he said, and I shivered. He had only called me the endearment once before, and during a time when worry for Violet had me anxious. “Come.” He took my hand in his, instantly engulfing me in warmth. “You need a spot close to the fire.”
A soft plaid blanket had been laid over the bed of Mitch’s truck. Brando swooped me up and set me on the edge of the bed, legs dangling over the side. He handed me a water bottle from the ice chest. I took it with thanks. It wasn’t until after the concert that I realized how loud