5- Here we go, with a kiss
"Hello, are you okay?" he says, his voice is masculine and seductive.
I look at him petrified, he probably understands my expression of terror as he speaks to me again.
"I want to know if you need anything."
"Dasy, are you okay?" I blink, getting lost in a trance.
"How do you know my name?"
"Everyone knows your name at the American Ballet Theater. You're a star."
I smile and walk towards the exit, he steps aside and I feel his penetrating and fixed gaze as I pass by him, his perfume is enchanting and masculine.
"Thank you very much, I was locked in," I reply.
Then I quickly walk to the dressing rooms to get dressed, but that stranger follows my pace. Most of the dancers are in their dressing rooms, I enter mine and it's empty, the music can be heard from the upper floor of the theater. It will start soon, I have to get dressed.
"Does it bother you?" I say, turning towards the door to close it when I see that strange and seductive man staring at me, in silence, with both hands in his pants. He is very tall and there is something about the way he looks at me that scares me, he looks at me as if I were food.
"Did you receive the flowers I sent you this morning?" he calmly replies, ignoring my tension, as I am on the verge of a nervous breakdown, but a part of me stays composed because I want to please him, nothing is less seductive than a ballerina on the verge of a crisis because she has 5 minutes to get dressed.
"Are you K.A?"
"It's not exactly my name, I'm Ryan," he replies.
"I hope I got it right."
"Yes, they are my favorite flowers. Thank you very much for the detail." Then I show him by turning my face towards where the flowers are, inside a vase in front of the dressing room mirror. "They are beautiful."
"I'm glad, now I suppose you must change. Good luck tonight," he says, then takes two steps towards me and, with a more genuine intimacy, he leans towards my face and kisses my forehead. "You will shine, just dance as if you were dreaming of dancing under the full moon," he says.
My skin tingles at the sound of his voice, whispering behind my ear, my heart starts beating fast.
"Am I going crazy for feeling this way about a stranger that I'm not sure if he's really human or a monster?" I think to myself. I shudder and take a step back.
He smiles, looking languidly at me, and leaves the dressing room.
I do my makeup and think about who could have locked me in the bathroom. "Débora," I think, and my gaze flashes with anger. But I don't have time for dramas or confrontations, I have to get ready. I am the Prima Ballerina and no one will take my place. I am the queen tonight, the queen on stage. And I will dance and give my best, as if I were dancing for the full moon.
I go on stage for Odette's turn. My heart shines like a beautiful diamond, I dance on clouds, the music is the floor and the space, the audience shines, the entire New York theater illuminating me, like stars in the sky. Then I can shine like the full moon, I dance, smiling, delicate, fragile, madly in love. Being ethereal, being Odette, being the queen. Dancers also hide dark secrets, you can see the true nature of a dancer only while she is dancing. In the second act by Pili Hocevar. I watch Laudis perform her solo, just before we all enter the stage, she captures the audience's attention, and I smile with joy when Laudis exits the stage and the audience makes the curtains tremble with applause. I dance the Swan Death, music by Nathaniel Hawthorne, the music sounds like a beautiful prayer to the goddess, I feel my heart moved, truly touched by my dance. I am dancing in heaven. I feel like a moon's daughter. All my costume is white, and the decoration in my tiara, pearls symbolize the supposed sin that led to her conception as a swan who is now dying, elevating herself to the skies. Pearl's difficult demeanor represents the secret at the heart of her existence—that her true and only love is a man, a man she doesn't know yet, but I am afraid.
At the end of the dance, the dressing rooms are filled with champagne and hugs decorating the hallways, the hugs shine with the bulbs, celebrations, photographs, tears filled with pride. We all gather, teacher Pili calls us, we can feel her great joy and pride for the work done, we form a circle, holding hands, in the salon next to the dressing rooms on the lower floor, we congratulate and hug each other, holding hands. Many dancers come up to me to congratulate me, many of them are new faces starting in the company.
Laudis hugs me tightly
"Congratulations, beautiful, you did great"
"Congratulations, your second act was moving and enchanting," I reply.
I leave the theater, and my friends keep dancing. The truth is, they will go celebrate, but before joining them, I want to go home and take a hot bath, nothing more tempting in winter. I leave through the back of the theater, holding three bouquets of roses, my costume bag, and my makeup bag and chocolates that have been sent to me. I leave many details and gifts in the dressing rooms, admirers filled our dressing room with beautiful gifts. I leave content, with a light spirit and a proud look, a personal and infinite pride, only I fully understand all the effort. I walk, dance, and spin and take a turn, crossing the empty street, and arabesque with a smile. A car crosses in front of me, and I continue happily, gliding to the music playing in my thoughts, the car drives towards me. I finish a turn and stop, frozen, my pupils dilate. The car is coming towards me.
A man takes me by the waist, and we both fall to the ground, the car passes in front of me, where seconds ago I was crossing the street.
Then I see Ryan's eyes, blue and flashing danger.
"Are you hurt?"
"No, I'm fine," I say confused, unable to catch my breath. If it weren't for him, I would be dead right now.
I don't understand, the car appeared out of nowhere and came towards me," I gasp, Ryan gets up from the ground and extends a hand to me. I rise and raise my face towards him. His eyes express seriousness, and his face has tense features, perfectly sculpted by an artist, his face is beautiful, breath-taking.
"They already know, and they're trying to kill you."
"Kill me? Me? Who?"
"Devora and her friends," I say thinking of my possible and only enemies.
"Hidden forces in my kingdom, they know that you are my future Luna. My dancing Mate."
"His dancer mate? What does it mean that?" I wonder, staring at him, confused.