Okay. I was in a holiday cheer mood and this popped up. I'm not sure if this will be a two-shot or short story or full story. I will be publishing the last chapter of The Heiress and continuing The Dance Of Two Wolves. But, everyone should know by now that I don't have a very good 'one track' mind. So, let me know what you think. :)
I sighed. I, Dimitri Belikov, made the mistake of agreeing with my partner, Special Agent Dragomir, to the fact that the agents in our office needed a hobby. So, being the crafty person she was, she decided to make that dancing. She also made it a competition. Whoever was judged the highest at the end of the two weeks would get a $500 bonus. This escapade was set to start January 1st.
So Special Agents Castile, Ashford, Sage, Dragomir, Belikov (my little sister), and myself sat at a table in the middle of a huge ballroom. There was a dance floor marked in the middle, leaving the rest of the room to be littered with tables.
"Oh, c'mon guys! It won't be that bad!" Lissa was still trying to convince everyone of this. It wasn't working. But, we wanted the extra money and bragging rights. An older woman walked out from the back room.
"Hello all. My name is Alberta Petrov. I run St. Vladimir's restaurant and dance. I, like all of you, was a FBI special agent. I began taking dance as an outlet and you can guess the rest. So, I have you all partnered already. Special agent Dragomir-"
"Call me Lissa. Actually, call all of us by our first names." Alberta nodded.
"Lissa, sent over folders on each of you so I could accurately match you with one of our professionals. First off, I am having each of my dancers perform with their normal partners to show you what your goals are." With a smile she turned and disappeared into the back again. Several of us groaned, myself included. We all were in incredible shape, but dancing was no joke. Just then, Alberta's voice boomed over the speaker system.
"First, I would like to introduce Mia and Ambrose. Ambrose will be partners with Viktoria." A man with brown hair and brown eyes walked into the dance floor. He was dressed in black slacks and white collared shirt with suspenders. I rolled my eyes. Great costumes and all.
"Mia will be partnered with Mason." A doll like girl joined Ambrose. Her features screamed porcelain doll, but I could definitely tell she was anything but innocent. Her dress had loose, fringe like things I assumed were there to wiggle. They both took a bow before Mia climbed the few stairs, the lights dimming.
La, la, la, la, la,
Mia started moving her body back and forth, jiggling kind of. I wasn't sure how to describe it. I wasn't a dancer.
Swore I would never, be that girl holding your hand.
Ambrose popped into the equation, grabbing Mia's hand and looking at her. She took a step and he took the step right behind her, left, right, left, right. Finally the leaped forward, this time doing the same thing, only their kicks were higher. The dance went on and on. It was a very fast dance and I would even admit that I was impressed. Even in FBI shape I couldn't manage that. The dance ended with Mia laying in Ambrose's arms, with him looking at her.
My co workers began their applause. The couple exited the dance floor, bantering casually. I realized with a start, that their partnership wasn't much different than my own. Less life threatening, but similar.
Next a man with black hair and stark blue eyes walked onto the dance floor. I was floored. I knew his aunt Tasha. "Next, is Christian and Jill. Christian will be partnered with Lissa." I glanced at my partner and snorted. It looked like she needed a bucket to catch the slobber. I reached over and pushed her mouth shut with my hand. He was dressed in an old spooky looking suit, with the frilly collar.
"Jill will be partnered with Eddie." My attention was drawn to the girl appearing at Chris' side. She had features that were similar to that of my partners. Her jade eyes were a dead ringer for Lissa's, the only fault being her light brown hair. She was dressed in a half skirt, that flowed down one side of her body, with a sequin top.
They started sitting in what looked like throne chairs. Boom, badoom, badoom, My necessary evil. Again, I have no clue how to describe the moves the couple made. They were slower than the last however. Their legs movements were more pronounced, even going so far as to make individual kicks between transitions. All in all, it seemed like a dance that had potential to get steamy.
Applause rang out for the second time, and after they left, only one couple remained. Mine and Sydney's partners. I would never admit it, but my heart hammered slightly. I was a bit nervous to meet who was going to teach me these erotic moves.
"The last couple dance of the evening is Rose and Adrian. Adrian is partnered with Sydney and Rose with Dimitri." A shirtless man stood with black slacks and a red hood-like thing on his head. Extra men stood along each side of him. In front of him stood the most exotic woman I had ever laid eyes on. She had tan skin, almost black hair, and brown eyes.
Run, boy, run.
They crouched down, spreading their arms like an eagle, before the dance took off. Every crouch she made, all of them followed her, every shoulder pop, it was perfect. Adrian removed the black cape from her and my jaw dropped. She was dressed in a backless, floor length red dress with a slit all the way up the front. Adrian twirled with the cape, before dropping it and circling Rose.
They clasped one another's hands and took off. Twirling and sidestepping, matching the beat perfectly. The dance ended with Adrian almost dropping Rose, only catching her by her arm. I was impressed, not that I would admit it to anyone.
I glanced down at my watch, noting that it was just past 8 o clock. My roommate, Ivan Zeklos, and I normally went for drinks on Friday. Today, that wasn't happening. I shot him a text saying as much and was immediately responded with LOL. Bastard. He had thought the whole thing was hilarious.
"Now, let's get a backstage look shall we?"
Lissa clapped in excitement. I huffed and she punched my arm. "It's not that bad D." I shot her a look that said everything for me. We walked in a large group of six through the corridors past the doors stating "Employees only". Alberta pointed out the rehearsal rooms, the bathrooms, showers, etc.
"Our dancers are housed here. The apartments are over this part of the building, seeing as the ballroom has an elevated ceiling. Our dancers rehearse not only for the shows here, but for tours and cruises." My mind shot to my partner, what was her name? Rose. That was it. I could imagine her in a bikini, doing the tango.
We came to a halt in the doorway to a huge dressing room. It looked like something straight off of television. It was obvious these people were comfortable with their bodies. Most of them were only half dressed, rushing to finish the job.
Rose threw a shoe at the doll-like girl, causing Tasha's nephew to break into hysterics. Doll girl immediately launched the heel towards him, causing him to duck just in time. The end result was catching Rose's partner in the face. He turned, cigar hanging from his mouth, and it looked like he was going to pop a blood vessel in his forehead.
Alberta cleared her throat and the ruckus ceased immediately. Instantly, Rose pointed a finger to the black haired boy. His mouth dropped open in shock and Lissa's look alike giggled, immediately covering her mouth. Rose's partner blew smoke from his mouth, a lazy smile gracing his features.
"Okay crew, these are your new partners for a month. Mia, meet Mason. Ambrose, Viktoria. Jill, Eddie. Chris, Lissa. Adrian, Sydney. Rose, Dimitri." None of them made a move, silently sizing us up. I didn't like it. Not a bit. An enchanting laugh rang out.
"Well guys, I apologize now. I will be kicking everyone's ass." Rose's voice was twisted with amusement. She glanced at Adrian. "Now, I've got a man that MIGHT be able to handle what I got." She motioned down her body with her hands. Everyone but me laughed. I huffed. She didn't think I could handle her? We'll see about that.
Before I could retort anything, she was running full speed at me, launching herself into the air right before she collided with me. Instinctively, I uncrossed my arms from their place across my chest, and caught her in the air. She studied me carefully. What. The. Hell. She was crazy.
No one said a word. Then suddenly, a huge grin exploded across her face. I sat her on her feet, careful to make sure she wasn't going to attack me again. She turned and shot a pointed look at Adrian, whose face was grim. She grabbed her bag from her station and turned to see everyone staring. She shrugged.
"He passed. Like I said. Team Kick Ass. Drinks anyone?" She looked around before making to push past our group. She stopped in front of Lissa and my brotherly protectiveness shot skyward. Before I could move to guard Lissa, Rose pulled her in for a hug.
"Rose Hathaway. Mi casa es su casa." Her eyes moved over all of us. "Seriously though. I'm going to the bar." Adrian rolled his eyes.
"We all apologize for the freak. Alberta insists on keeping her. She's really more of a pet." After grabbing his coat, he walked by our group, pushing Rose on the way out. I heard her grumble something along the lines of "Asshole."
Our group came to the silent agreement that we all needed drinks and we might as well get on the dancers' good sides.
Lissa thought sitting next to our new 'partners' was a good idea, so here we sat. We were a few blocks from the studio and scattered amongst odd strangers. I sighed. Rose was chatting amiably with my coworkers, who were all being drawn in by the weirdos.
"So, how long has the Russian here been a hard ass?" My head whipped to meet her gaze. My eyes narrowed.
"I'm not a hard ass. I'm a person who goes to work, catches bad guys, has a few beers, and goes to bed every night." I practically growled at the brunnette. I downed my shot and stood. Before I could walk in the opposite direction, I was staring up at the ceiling.
Rose leaned over, into my line of sight. "That's called a hard ass. And tonight, you're having drinks with me." She patted the seat I had previously occupied. I groaned. I could faintly hear the rest of the group chortling and giggling. I had the urge to just stay in my position on the floor but thought against it.
I grudgingly took my place in my seat. I looked to my partner, who was engaged in what I'm sure she thought was an amazing conversation with her new 'dancer'. Apparently I was the only one who retained my grudge against this challenge after meeting my partner. I zeroed back into the conversation currently flowing around me.
"Yes way! Alberta was so pissed! Adrian got in so much shit. He had to help clean the entire ballroom for a month!" Rose trailed off, getting lost in a fit of giggles. I couldn't help but watch as a tear slipped from her eye. She held her sides, as if trying to keep them from falling apart. Her brown curls bounced on her shoulders, one falling into her face. I clenched my fist against the urge to reach out and smooth it back.
Adrian groaned. "I know! It totally sucked! And, it wasn't even my idea! Rose had the idea, I was just doing as milady wished." He shot a wink a Rose and I had to fight down a growl. Man, I needed to get laid. I have never been this possessive of a woman before. And I wasn't even dating Rose, so I had no right.
"Rose, you should ride along with D and I one day! You would enjoy it!" My head snapped in the direction of my partners voice, my face full of disbelief.
"Really? You guys would let me do that? That would be wicked!" The joy on Rose's face killed any argument thinking of tumbling from my mouth. Damn woman. A hand on my bicep jolted me from my inner mumblings. I stared at Rose as she was caught in another bound of laughter at something Sage had said to Adrian. The way her small hand gripped the muscle of my arm was enough to send my mind tumbling to the gutter.
I was breathless at the thought of her small frame underneath mine. I bolted from my seat, drawing the attention of everyone at our table. Liss frowned.
"Dimitri, are you okay?" Her face filled with worry and I almost sat back down. I glanced at Rose's face and was shocked to be able to read her emotions through her eyes. It struck me deep to find rejection there. Her small hand, the one that had previously gripped my arm, curled into a fist and fell to her lap. I cleared my throat.
"Ivan wanted me to run by and grab some food before I headed home, so I'm just gonna head out." I paused for a moment, still reeling from the small woman beside me. I turned to her. "It was very nice meeting you." Her hand snatched the phone from my grasp roughly. She typed something before handing it back.
"Call whenever and we'll set up a practice time. It's your choice if you show of course, you're the one with $500 at stake." She stood on her toes, kissed my cheek, and grabbed her coat.
I watched as she slipped it on. Adrian stood, kissing her hand before promising to see her later at their apartment building. My curiosity piqued. Were they an item? I vowed to find out at our practice sessions.
She turned and looked at me expectantly. I didn't make a move. "Aren't you going to walk me home?" That broke my trance and I wordlessly led her to the door, holding it for her. We walked in comfortable silence, neither of us making an effort to break it.
Soon we stood in front of St. Vlad's. She looked in my eyes for a second before nodding to herself and turning away. Suddenly, my heart panicked. My hand shot out on it's own accord, grabbing her wrist. She whirled back to face me, a confused look on her face.
"I meant what I said Roza. I'm glad I met you. And yes, I'll let you ride shotgun one day with Liss and I." A look of pure joy spread across her features, making her look incredibly young. That's when I realized I had no clue how old she really was. I knew she wasn't near my 25 years. She grabbed my waist in a surprisingly strong hug.
"Thank you, Dimitri. Sometimes life truly does throw an angel at you." Her words froze me, as she kissed my cheek again before climbing the large stone steps leading to her home.
My mind spiralled as I recalled what she had said. An angel. Surely she hadn't been talking about me. I was no angel that was for sure. The entire walk home I pondered the meaning behind her words.
What could possibly be wrong in her life that she needed an angel anyway? Had I missed something earlier? I would ask Liss what she knew about the mysterious dancer. I walked through the door to my apartment and threw down the take out I had grabbed earlier. Ivan was immediately in front of me.
"So… How did it go?" I shot him an irritated look and he chuckled. "That interesting huh?" I shook my head, heading to my gun safe. I un-holstered the glock in the waist of my pants. I discarded my leather jacket and boots in my room before returning to the living room.
I opened some of my food while I fired the laptop up. I typed St. Vladimir's into the search engine and clicked on the website to the restaurant. Ivan plopped ungracefully next to me, peering at my search.
"Ivan, before you say anything, I'm trying to find some information on my partner. That's all." he replied with a 'mmhmm' eyes scanning the page along with mine. I found the biographies and wanted to yell in victory. I clicked on the picture of the brown haired girl and Ivan let out a whistle.
"Damn Dimka. I'll take your place. I wouldn't mind dancing with her at all." I shot him a glare, silencing him. He held his hands up in defeat, training his eyes once again on the beauty on the screen.
Her picture was in a tiny piece of fabric with beaded fringe splaying everywhere, leaving nothing to the imagination. Her hair fell in waves down her back. Her face was determined, but ecstatic, making it obvious that dancing was a love of hers. She looked like she had just been shoved out of Adrian's arms, only holding on by one hand, body completely stretched out.
I forced my eyes away from her form to the article.
Rosemarie (Rose) Hathaway.
Rose is the youngest dancer here at St. Vladimirs at age 21. Rose began dancing at a very young age, winning awards all through school. She graduated high school early, age 16, and officially joined the ranks of St. Vladimirs full time.
When not dancing (which is hardly ever) Rose enjoys socializing, shopping, and kickboxing. Rose is partnered with St. Vladimirs' professional heartthrob, Adrian Ivashkov. Rose and Adrian have been dancing together for 8 years. They travel together, performing for many cruise lines, and St. Vladimir's summer tours.
At the bottom of the article listed all of Rose's accomplishments and awards over the years. I sat stunned. She really was good. She had accomplished so much and she was only 21. Ivan simply sat gawking at her picture.
I slapped the laptop closed and put it back in its spot on our coffee table. I grabbed my food and shoved some in my mouth, effectively ending any future conversation between the two of us. I felt a weight land on my chest as I thought of the task ahead of me after the New Year rang in.