Donna made a sour face. “Of course I can. I know who everyone is paired with, and I understand this show inside and out. Better than anyone. You and Rocky would have made it to the finals, and won.”
Natasha let that sink in for a moment, to see if she cared. Huh. She didn’t.
“Oh well.” She left.
Penelope waited for her in the hallway. She held up her palm, and Natasha gave her a high five.
“Glad we got you out of here,” Penelope said. “This place is toxic.”
“Don’t I know it.” Natasha rolled her shoulders, relishing the feeling of freedom.
For once, she had options, and she was making choices based on what she wanted, rather than out of desperation. Living and working with Dimitri would be a challenge, but the good kind.Dom Navsegdaspoke to her, and she already had thoughts on how they could bring more of the concepts in his Idea Book to life. When she’d told him about her plan to combine classical and modern styles of dance, with the eventual goal of using it to teach high school students, his face had lit up, and he’d shot off a text to Alex about starting a nonprofit organization to make it happen. Then he’d calmed down, apologized for jumping ahead, and asked if she wanted his help.
“Ready to head to the airport?” Penelope checked her phone. “Doesn’t look like traffic’s too terrible.”
“Let’s go.”
Penelope dropped Natasha off at LAX, where Dimitri waited with her suitcase.
“How’d it go?” He dropped a kiss onto her lips, then tapped the logo of the Yankees cap she wore. His own hat bore the Mets logo.
A few tourists watched them, and at least one raised a phone, but for once, Natasha didn’t care.
“Perfectamente.”She grinned up at him. “Penelope scared the shit out of her.”
“Good.” He put an arm around her and steered her toward the security line. “Speaking of scary . . . ready to meet my mother?”
She glared at him. “You told me she’s nice!”
He laughed and gave her a squeeze. “I’m kidding. She’d the nicest lady you’ll ever meet.”
“Nicer than my mom, that’s for sure,” she muttered.
Dimitri grew serious. “You sure you don’t want to visit her?”
“I’m sure.” Then she scrunched her eyes shut. “God, she’s going to be so pissed that I quit.”
“Do you care?” he asked softly.
She opened her eyes. “I don’t know. A little? Not as much as I used to. I know quitting is the best move for me—for both of us—andDom Navsegdais going to be amazing. But I’m still conditioned to wonder what she’ll think about everything I do.”
“It’ll take time to get past it,” he agreed. “But I’ll help.”
She gave him a wary look. “How?”
“I’ll let you know when you’re being ridiculous.”
She rolled her eyes. “Thanks,Macho.”
“Anytime,Kroshka.” He kissed the crown of her head, then pulled out his ID as they approached the TSA agent.
Natasha tried not to worry during the flight, but she couldn’t help herself. By the time they landed at Newark Airport, she was a mess of nerves.
“What if she doesn’t like me?” she whispered to him in the backseat of the taxi. “What if she doesn’t think I’m good enough for you?”
“You’re being ridiculous,” he told her in a mild voice. “Again. That’s the fifth time you’ve asked me.”
“No, it isn’t.”
