Page 130 of The Life of Anna, Tenth Anniversary Edition, Act 2

Monday morning, the ballet studio was abuzz with gossip about the mysterious European who’d moved into town while they were gone. Anna listened with amazement at the amount of information dancers had gathered in the short day they had been home.

“He went out to a club, but stayed unseen.”

“I wonder if he’s terribly ugly. Maybe that’s why he doesn’t want to be seen.”

“I heard he’s Russian.”

“No, I heard he’s British.”

“Russia isn’t part of Europe, silly.”

“A friend of mine saw him at the club. Well, his silhouette. He’s really tall.”

Anna smiled as she stretched, listening to the dancers. She knew a little bit more, but not much. She knew he tasted of wine when he kissed her. That his touch was gentle. That he was incredibly thoughtful.

“I overheard Vincent talking about him in the office.”

Anna looked up to see Jasmine wide-eyed with excitement as she spoke. Anna despised the woman, but was still curious enough to listen to her.

“He’s apparently given the ballet company a huge donation. So much so that he can pretty much come and watch us whenever he wants to.” She sighed. “I’d love to dance for him.”

Anna growled at the thought of Jasmine taking another one of her men. Though, she supposed, Mr. J wasn’t really hers . She walked out of the room to calm down and then laughed at herself, dispelling her anger. Her temper was starting to be like Alex’s.

Rehearsals were intense that week, and Anna left the studio each night exhausted. She loved dancing, but she still wasn’t quite used to the way they did things in New York. There was so much to do, it was hard to get her head wrapped around it all. Not only were they rehearsing for the fall season, but she was also trying to learn some Nutcracker parts as well. Learning so many different dances was challenging, to say the least, but Vincent wanted her to learn everything she could so he could use her wherever he wanted.

Her favorite time of day was crawling into bed after a long, hot shower and reading until she fell asleep, her mind full of thoughts about what she was reading, and, of course, Mr. J.

Thursday evening, as she was getting ready to read in bed, a knock sounded at the apartment door. Aaron called that he would get it, but yelled her name a minute later. She trudged out on tired feet, but perked up at the sight of a pink rose. Mr. J!

The doorman handed her the rose, along with a small envelope. “A gentleman asked me to deliver this to you, Miss Engel.”

“Thanks, Sam.”

Aaron closed the door. “What does it say?”

Anna opened the envelope to reveal another note written in beautiful calligraphy, just like the note in the ballet mystery novel.

Dinner at eight-thirty with trusted friends.

Drinks and dancing after.

Romance at one.

She inhaled sharply, her heat leaping in her chest, and then she grinned and handed Aaron the note.

“Wow. At least he’s a nice control freak.”

Anna laughed. “What does he mean by trusted friends?” Her phone rang. “Hello?”

“Hello, Katrina. It’s Simon.”

Anna grinned. “Hi, Simon.” She wagged her eyebrows at Aaron, who grinned back at her. “How did you get my number?”

“I have my ways. Sometimes it’s better not to ask.”

She giggled. “Okay.”

“I wanted to call and give you my number. Mr. J wants you to enjoy yourself with your friends on Saturday. I just need to know how many to make the reservations for.”

“Oh, uh . . .”

“You can think about it and give me a call tomorrow. Or text if you’re more comfortable. I’ve called from my mobile, so you have my number.”

“Okay.”

“Do the plans sound pleasing to you? You can bring as many friends as you’d like.”

“Absolutely. He’s very kind.”

“An astute observation. Have a good evening, Katrina. I will await your answer tomorrow.”

“Thanks, Simon.”

Anna told Aaron what Simon had said and Aaron bounced on his toes, his eyes wide. “Please, can I come?”

She laughed. “Of course. And Cameron. And Stef. I need to think about the rest. Do you think Hugo would want to come?”

“I don’t see why not.”

Anna called Simon the next day to let him know that there would be eight friends. “Is that too many?”

“Absolutely not, Katrina. You could invite more if you wanted.”

“No, these people are good.”

“Excellent. The limo will arrive at your place at eight to pick everyone up. Does that work for you?”

“Yes. Thanks.”

She’d told her friends that Kurt had arranged the rendezvous. How else could she explain an extravagant night out for eight? And the look on Jasmine’s face was priceless when she’d overheard. Anna briefly wondered if Jasmine had Kurt’s number, and if she would call him, but the wonder hurt too much and she pushed it aside. She didn’t really want to know. If she did... well, Anna would deal with the consequences later.