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Chapter 6

January 30th

Fudge! Crud! Crap! Katrina tried to think of every not-too-rude word she could as she felt her last pair of pointe shoes give way under her toes. Shit. That did it. They were practicing turns in the soloist's studio and by now everyone was drenched with sweat and several pairs of dead pointe shoes languished in the trash.

"Again!" cried Madame B; over the past few days Katrina had learned a few things about the temperamental ballet mistress. Firstly that her full name was Bertoli, she was from New York and ha several cats. More importantly, Katrina had learned to keep well out of her way during a class. The woman's mood swings were the stuff of legend and Sonja had recounted to her a number of particular dramatic episodes where someone had either been hit over the head with a slipper or Madam B had stormed out of the class. In first class after hearing Sonja's lurid tales, Katrina had practically hugged the wall for the first half an hour.

"Mam?" Katrina raised a slightly shaky hand and Madame B rounded on her.

"Yes?"

"My pointes have just died on me can I-" but Madame B interrupted her.

"Go! Go! You may as well get out if you don't have another pair, we finish in ten minutes anyway. Go on." Madame B started flapping and shooing her out of the studio.

Without waiting to be told twice Katrina nodded mutely and scurried out. She only removed the offending shoes when she was safely in the concrete corridor outside. She sat on the floor, brushing a few damp strands of hair out of her eyes working out the knot of the ribbons at her ankle.

Just as she got the fist shoe off and was flexing her sore toes she heard the sound of approaching footsteps. Footsteps with a heavy tread and the tap of hard soled shoes. She looked up and saw Daniel Kline approaching her, a wide smile on his tanned and handsome face.

"Hello little Katrina" he called jovially. They hadn't spoken a word since her first day and she felt heat rising into her cheeks and she tried to gracefully scrabble up the wall. He chuckled softly and her efforts and took her hand to help her up. His hand was very warm and dry; she felt the power in his grip as he pulled her to his feet.

"Thanks" she said looking at the ground; her hand tingled as he let it go.

"You're welcome," he frowned, "Aren't you meant to be in class?" gesturing to the door which she had recently come through.

"Yeah- my last pair of pointes died so I got sent out."

Being in this company is just like being in school; I feel like I should have a hall pass! Katrina thought.

"Oh, that's a shame" Daniel said, "Do you have more pointes at home, I realize that we haven't given you an allowance to get any. I'm sorry, I should have organized that, it's been busy around here." He grinned sheepishly and looked so boyish that her knees all but melted.

"That's alright Mr. Klien-"

"Daniel, please, we are friends yes?"

"uhh, yes. Daniel…" Actually you're my boss she thought "Anyway don't worry about it, I have a pair in my locker… an allowance would be great though."

"I'll organize that tonight got to have you in good shape for the season so no dancing on ruined shoes you hear me?" he tried to sound stern but smiled again and she really did melt that time.

"Of course…"

Just at that moment every soloist in the company poured out of the doors just next to them and filed past sneaking covert looks, some, like Lauren Meyers, openly glaring at her. Suddenly her position, backed against a wall with Daniel Kline, the director of the whole company almost chest to chest with her, seemed highly inappropriate. She felt her cheeks blanche with acute embarrassment, and looked at her feet, one in a pointe shoe and one bare. "I'd better go." She said quietly wishing he were standing a little further away now that everybody could see.

"Of course, you should go for lunch I, uhh need to speak with Madam Bertoli right away." Daniel quickly turned and entered the studio, shutting the door behind him.

As she was busily undoing her second pointe shoe she felt a hand on her shoulder and looked up sharply but it was Mark, coat and scarf on, obviously ready to go for break. He was making himself busy, wrapping up her shoes and putting them into her bag.

"Thanks" she said touched by his helpfulness.

"Its quite alright doll" he said, his deep voice soothing her slightly frazzled nerves "That was quite a show you were putting on there " he grinned up at her to show he was joking.

"Its not what it looks like." she countered, "He was just offering to get me a pointe shoe allowance."

"Sugar daddy!" teased Mark handing her the bag as she glared at him "Now, are you coming to lunch or are you gonna sulk? All alone- with no one but Lauren Meyers for company?"

Lauren Meyers had fast become a running joke within the group; from her fist sight of Katrina she had disliked her cordially and never missed a chance to make her feelings known. Lauren, as Katrina had learned too late, was the new principal at Pittsburgh Ballet replacing the well-liked Joanne Billings who was on an indefinite maternity leave but kept sending in postcards and photographs of her growing bump which the other dancers shared around and cooed over.

Lauren on the other hand was the very epitome of the wonderful word "standoffish", borderline rude with every word that came out of her mouth.

Thankfully no one else liked her much either with the notable exceptions of Dorian Toulouse and Daniel Kline, both of whom had been spotted checking her out as she passed in the corridors.

"Do you think Lauren was jealous?" asked Katrina.

"Jealous? Darl, why should she be jealous of something she's already had?"

"Seriously? You think she and-?"

"You are so naive sometimes Katy, breaks my heart." Mark rolled his dark cat-like eyes at her "How else do you think she made principal?"

"I dunno she's a good dancer?"

"Sure sure." By that awkward point in the conversation they had reached the greasy spoon café where Sonja, Danni and Vlad were waiting. Sonja and Vlad were sitting with Danni in between because they were "on the rocks" as Sonja had confided that morning in the dressing room. Vlad had forgotten their six-month anniversary.

Katrina ordered a Cesar salad and settled next to Danni whilst Mark joined Vlad on the men's side of the table. It had turned out, that first day, that Sonja had been wrong about auditions. They'd been called into the main rehearsal space after their abbreviated lunch hour so that Daniel could welcome them back for "What he hoped would be a very exciting and successful season with the Pittsburgh Ballet." He'd also introduced Lauren as Joanne's replacement as their new head soloist. A move, which Sonja had whispered, was tantamount to promising her the lead role this season and had caused many hushed whisperings amongst the crowd.

Since then the company had been conditioning and training hard every day, stretching and strengthening muscles which had grown comparatively soft after their Christmas holidays but still there was no mention of their next show. The company was starting to get antsy; Katrina noticed how everyone's eyes scanned the noticeboard at the entrance everyday looking for a hint as to what was planned for the months ahead.

Finally, after what had seemed a truly interminable wait, Katrina arrived early one morning and had spotted a sign on the notice board announcing that the forthcoming production would be announced that afternoon after lunch.

"You know," Katrina said to Sonja who was moodily toying with her sandwich "I was so exciting about this afternoon. I woke up this morning and rushed straight out of the house without any breakfast or even a coat!" she giggled. Sonja and Vlad's stony silences to each other were making her a little nervy. Mark smiled encouragingly as Sonja cracked her first smile of the day.

"I know right?" Sonja agreed. "Especially since that Toulouse guy was here, he's such a famous choreographer and I know he was just meant to be visiting Daniel and sight-seeing but I bet he's come up with some of the choreography for the show. They spent an awful lot of time in that office."

Dorian Toulouse's visit to Pittsburgh had piqued everyone's interest. The choreographer's work was often featured on the stages of Paris, London, and New York and his exploits in the pages of Dance weekly. As troublesome as he was brilliant, Toulouse was often pictured falling out of clubs and hotels with dancers and models on his arms. His stay in Pittsburgh had kept all the female dancers, and some of the men on their toes. Full make-up and even false eyelashes and nails had been worn with gusto but unfortunately the object of all their affections had remained cloistered in the office with Daniel Kline almost all week, causing much frustration.

"I agree with you there Sonja, but do you think we will be doing an original piece of his or an adaptation of a classic?" asked Danni. She had her nails painted in stripes of blue white and red in the style of the French flag in Toulouse's honor, much to everyone's amusement.

"I dunno… I think a classic, you sell more tickets that way."

Vlad made a noise of agreement from across the table and Sonja glared at him.

They paid and left soon after that, all eager to get back to the studios and find out the news. As they walked, Vlad throwing Sonja sidelong looks every five seconds, Sonja took Katrina's sleeve and drew her to the back of the group so they could talk in private.

"What is it?" Katrina asked, looking down at her redheaded friend, with raised eyebrows.

"Okay, I have a proposition for you."

"A proposition?" Sonja had a twinkle in her eye which Katrina had a feeling would lead to nothing but trouble.

"Yes, so- you know this job doesn't exactly pay much right?"

"Yeah?" Katrina was accustomed to the genteel poverty of a dancer's meager wages.

"Well, how would you like to earn a little extra money?" Katrina gave her a swift look. " From Dancing! I'm not offering you a job in a strip club or anything!"

"That's a relief." They both laughed, their breath making clouds of steam in the cold January air.

"No. No stripping. It's a sort of dance team, we do half-time shows at local sporting events… football, basketball, that's the big one actually and even some boxing matches. Just to keep the crowd entertained."

"I'm guessing its not much ballet then?"

Sonja snorted in a very unladylike fashion, "Not much, more shaking yo' booty and some acrobatics even some cool air stunts, lifts and throws. I think you'd be good."

"Thanks," Katrina smiled "it sounds like fun, lots of fun. But when do you guys find the time to rehearse?"

"Of course it sounds like fun! We rehearse on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, the routines aren't hard or anything so we do just one or two hours at a time."

"Okay… and what about when we have the show to do? We're going to have some pretty crazy hours to keep."

"Its not a problem, the whole group is from the PB so we can be flexible. Some days we practice before coming to work."

"Wow, dedication."

Sonja shrugged her tiny shoulders "It's a good earner, there's only eight of us at the moment but we're a popular group and its nice to have some money that doesn't go on rent or insurance or the gas bill y'know?"

"Yeah, I totally know what you mean. So do I have to audition?"

"Nah… just come along on Wednesday and we'll work you into the routine. I already recommended you."

"Oh my gosh, thank you! This sounds so great." Katrina clapped her hands in excitement.

"Just you wait till you see our uniforms." chuckled Sonja.

"Oh my god what are they? Katrina came to a halt. I'm not dancing in my panties, my mom watches the TV y'know and she'd never forgive me."

"Oh no" said Sonja reassuringly, taking Katrina by the arm and leading her back to the rest of the group as they rounded the corner back to the studios. "Its not underwear, but- crop tops, booty shorts… the girl who came up with the group, Lacy, you know her right?" An image of a tall girl with lots of dark curly hair and a flirty personality came to Katrina's mind.

"Yeah?"

"Well she's in charge and she's from Georgia, loves that whole cheerleader thing so expect sparkles. And spandex."

"Sparkles, spandex… okay… I can deal with that." Katrina smiled at Sonja as they passed back through the stage doors into the main hall, shedding their coats and stood waiting for the big announcement.

A/N thanks for reading! please leave a review! x