‘Who do they think is running the studio while you are at rehearsals? And what is going to happen when we go on tour – who is going to look after it then?’
‘I’ve hired a couple of dance teachers I know, all of whom I trust implicitly. Plus, I’ll be available on the phone 24/7 if they need me,’ I added, aware of Sedi becoming increasingly frustrated out on the street. ‘And by the way, I don’t need your judgement on the matter!’ I picked Gabriele’s hoodie off the floor and threw it at him. ‘The back door’s this way. I’ll show you.’
He shook his head, grabbing his bag and his water bottle, and followed me across the dance floor as I opened the fire door at the back of the studio and stood aside to let him through.
‘This leads out into an alleyway. Head that way and you’ll meet the main road. Turn left for the station,’ I said.
‘Way to make a man feel wanted,’ said Gabriele, snarling at me as he brushed past.
Clearly, I’d upset him, but my main priority was letting Sedi in and making some excuse about why I’d taken so long to get to her. At least she wouldn’t be quite so astute given her drunken state.
‘Sorry,’ I said, flinging open the front door. ‘Couldn’t find the key.’
‘Hmm,’ said Sedi, pushing past me. She staggered straight into the studio, looking around with an eagle eye.
‘Was there somebody else in here with you?’ she asked slurring her words. ‘I heard another voice.’
I shook my head. ‘How much have you had to drink, Sedi?’
She ignored me, pointing her finger at me ominously and then twirling it around in a drunken fashion. ‘Have you had a man in here, Lira?’ she teased. ‘Have you been up to no good in the family dance studio?’
‘Absolutely not. I was just choreographing some steps for one of my wedding couples. You must have been seeing double.’
She scoffed. ‘They’re doing an Argentine tango on their wedding day? Ha! A recipe for disaster!’ she declared. ‘Got any Prosecco open?’
‘Haven’t you had enough?’ I said, already sounding like the sort of parent I never wanted to become. The problem with Mum asking me to keep an eye on Sedi and Nolo was that, for their entire lives, they’d been given everything they’d ever wanted on a plate. My parents rarely denied them anything, and so when I said no to something, they tended to ignore my protestations and did exactly what they wanted to anyway. If only I possessed half of their sense of entitlement.
‘Why are you telling me what to do?’ whined Sedi.
‘I’m not, I’m just advising you,’ I said, knowing it was pointless trying to get through to her. If she wanted more alcohol, she was going to have it, whether I approved or not. ‘There’s an open bottle of white wine in the fridge – should be nice and cold,’ I said to appease her. ‘Why are you in Castlebury, anyway?’
‘Wanted to see Mum and Dad before they go on thecruise, didn’t I?’ said Sedi, fumbling around, unscrewing the bottle and pouring a too-large measure into a glass.
While I watched her, I let myself acknowledge what had just happened with Gabriele.
We’d kissed. It had felt amazing. And it absolutely could not happen again.
CHAPTER ELEVENLira
The day of our first performance had come all too soon. My heart immediately felt as though it was stuck in my throat when I walked into the theatre to prepare for opening night and was directed to the backstage area and the dressing room I’d be sharing with the other girls. Only Gabriele had his own dressing room, and so he should – he was the star of the show; it was his photo on the posters, it was his reputation at stake. In some ways, I should feel much less pressured – I was an unknown in this industry and I had nothing to lose, because if things went badly, I could revert to running the studio. Except, I would know how it had felt to dance like this again, and I suspected that going back to my own life would no longer be enough.
I took a moment to acknowledge the fact that, in a few short hours, I would be performing with a professional dance company in the heart of Theatreland, minutes from Covent Garden and in one of London’s beautiful old theatres, complete with sloping floors and ornate balconies and red velvet seats. When I passed a door leading into the auditorium, I peeped inside, almost tearing up when I saw how magnificent the stage looked, with its red velvet drapes hanging dramatically to each side and the huge lighting rig suspended from the ceiling. This morning we would be having a light check before taking a break and returning late afternoon for a warm-up. I was confident in the work we’d done, but tonight’s performance would be a chance for Carlos and the producers to gauge how each dance – and the show as a whole – landed with the audience and make any necessary changes before the all-important press night.
The feeling of euphoria at the prospect of dancing in front of an audience again was quickly replaced by a sickening sense of fear. I didn’t feel ready, certainly not for my duets with Gabriele.
We’d simply run out of time and, although we hadn’t repeated the grinding on the mirror from a couple of nights ago, mixing business with pleasure was never a good idea, and we should have saved all of that sexual tension for the stage, not succumbed to it in one moment of madness. Plus, he’d been cold with me since then, suggesting I’d thrown him out of the studio because I was embarrassed to be seenwith him. That was far from the case, as I’d tried to explain, but he hadn’t been interested in listening, choosing to brush me off instead.
And so here we were, even more awkward around each other than before. I supposed the only saving grace was that it hadn’t gone much further than a – spectacularlyexquisite– kiss. Oh, and that Sedi seemingly had no idea that anyone – let alone him – had been with me that night. I hadn’t lied to her exactly, but nor had I told the truth.
I seemed to be doing a lot of that lately.
As I walked down a corridor, a warren of carpets and doors that led to the dark, underground bowels of the theatre, the door to a dressing room flew open and Daniella appeared.
‘Oh. Hello,’ she said, as if she was surprised to see me. I had the same call time as her and the rest of the cast, so why was she pretending otherwise? Then her startled expression turned into something else – a smirk, perhaps; I wasn’t sure. ‘Gabriele’s in there if you’re looking for him.’
She pointed to his name on the door.
‘I’m not,’ I said, smiling tightly and carrying on.
