Raised in Estonia by his adopted grandmother, Misha Vergara has dreamed of dancing ballet since he was a toddler. He exhibits the natural grace and drive to succeed in the competitive world of classical dance.
Natalya Baranova—Talia—is convinced that she and her bestie, Misha, are destined to be the preeminent ballet couple someday. They work diligently on their craft which ultimately leads them to the Mariinsky Theater in St. Petersburg, Russia.
Henri Minas, a new arrival, has all the qualifications to become a principal dancer, with a face and personality that beguiles and confuses Misha.
Torn between his best friend and Henri, Misha must come to terms with his growing feelings for another boy. In a region of the world where same-sex relationships are forbidden, will Misha follow his heart and choose love with Henri, or stay true to Talia and their shared dream of fame?
To make matter’s worse, all of Kazimir’s carefully crafted lies are about to unravel, as the half brother Misha doesn't know sets his sights on Talia. Now a high-ranking member of the government, can Kaz protect his reputation, and more importantly, his precious love child, without losing it all?
I
tried not to dwell on the current situation, but it was difficult to push my
feelings to one side as Talia and I went through the motions during practice.
The steps were as familiar as ever, but the person in my arms was a complete
stranger, and the potent chemistry we’d always enjoyed had disappeared. We were
not only off our emotional game, we were crashing into each other like newbies.
There was one terrifying moment when I almost dropped her on her head. The
principal in charge of practice was losing his mind, not to mention his voice, from
the sheer clumsiness of our performance. He had no idea it would take a
complete lobotomy to reboot my muddled brain. We had passed the point of
reconciliation, and the only thing giving me hope was the possibility of
another dancer taking Talia’s place. Once again, I considered giving up my role
in the production. I knew Onu would be against this decision, but I couldn’t be
the perfect partner when I was so conflicted. It was a sad state of affairs,
but I had no one to blame but myself.
After
practice, I pulled her aside. “Let’s talk about our rotten session.”
“I’m
not in the mood.”
“We
have to do something,” I maintained. “This is unbearable.”
“You
should have thought of that before you fucked Henri.”
I
rolled my eyes. “Why can’t you just let it go, Talia? There are tons of men out
there who would be honored to have you in their lives. Your petulant behavior
is so unattractive. People are turning against you instead of rallying to your
defense.”
“Not
everyone is deserting me,” she bragged. “I still have friends in high places.”
“If
you’re referring to that asshole Kirill, I would think again.”
“What
about him?”
“I
saw you getting out of his car,” I seethed. “You must be desperate for
attention to hang around with someone who almost raped you. What happened to
your high moral ground? Does his money make up for his lack of character?”
“This
is none of your business, Misha.”
“He
could destroy your future.”
“Actually,
I’m planning to shore up my prospects.”
“With
him?”
“Jealous?”
She posed the question with such a smug smile I was blindsided. Was I getting
territorial when I’d given up my rights a few days ago? The possibility of
Kirill swooping in and claiming what used to be mine made me so angry I wanted
to break something. I abandoned Talia for my dorm room to try to sort out my
feelings.
Phones
were off-limits during practice, and I routinely locked mine in my desk drawer
to make sure it didn’t get misplaced or stolen. When I retrieved it, Henri’s
message was a welcome distraction.
Him:
Her behavior is predictable but you were
always so loyal. Sorry I’m too far away to provide comfort. I think of you all the time. Lots of action around
here but nobody has tempted me.
I
decided to return his message while I had the time and privacy.
Me:
So happy to hear from you! Heart and
hug emoji. Talia’s hooked up with Kirill somehow. Don’t even
ask. I know nothing. She’s like a different person. Making empty threats against
Onu. It doesn’t make sense. Maybe I’ll join you in NYC. Do you have room for
me?
I
was surprised when I got an instant reply.
Him:
I’ll make room
Me:
Why are you still awake?
Him:
I wish you were here right now.
Me:
Show me
Him:
For real?
Me: Please
My
phone rang, asking me to connect to FaceTime, and I almost swallowed my tongue
when Henri’s beautiful face filled the screen. His wide smile was reassuring, and
the twinkle in his expressive eyes was a good sign. His new environment must
have agreed with him. A light layer of scruff covered his jawline, and I wanted
to dive into my phone and capture his mouth in a passionate kiss, but all I
could do was smile back.
“Hey
you,” I said softly. “You look happy.”
“You
can make me happier,” Henri teased.
“Oh?”
“Let’s
have phone sex.”
“Get
out of here.”
“I
mean it, chéri.”
My
heart melted upon hearing the endearment. “We’ve never done it before.”
“Follow
my lead.”
No comments:
Post a Comment