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Chapter 16

February 16th

Katrina woke up and stretched, wincing, the muscles in her back and legs were cramped beyond belief. It was a moment before she realized that she was curled up in an armchair in her tiny living room. Bonjour Tristesse was lying on the floor at her feet; she must have drifted off reading. The last twenty-four hours had been a blur of classes, drama, and rehearsals. Just thinking about it made Katrina's head ache. However, today, she decided, would be different. Today everything was going to absolutely to plan; she might even get up the courage to go around to Tommy's flat. Probably not.

The pair hadn't spoken since Monday night when they'd lain for hours tangled together and kissing on her sofa. Every time Katrina looked at it the memory of Tommy's touch ran over her skin once again.

The man himself however hadn't been in contact. Typical guy move, she thought, sitting up and cricking her neck. She decided to put Tommy out of her mind, something she'd been deciding almost every day since she'd met him. I mean it this time, she vowed to herself, no more crushing on this guy like a little girl, you are an adult and a strong woman Katrina May Christiansen and you will act like one.

Lecture to herself over, Katrina set about getting ready for the day. It was going to be a long one- Lacy had announced that their little dance troupe had another job which was just as well as Daniel their director was still stalking the halls with their contracts under his arm. This was a sure sign, Sonja assured her, that someone was for the chop. That conversation was in fact the cause of Katrina's late night- comforting a sobbing Danni on the phone until two in the morning. Sonja, Mark and even Vlad who was notoriously softhearted, had all been screening Danni's calls for this exact reason.

Katrina wandered into work almost an hour early and idly painted her nails while she waited for the others to arrive, trying to clear her head. She kept having to stop herself from checking her phone, wondering if Tommy might have sent her a text or left a voicemail, he hadn't even left her a note but she was much too proud to call.
She knew the way with men like Tommy was patience; he'd been through a lot- physically and emotionally and was only just starting to heal. If what had happened between them had felt intense to her, it must have been a hundred times worse for him Still, her own heart was feeling distinctly bruised.

The soloists began to fill up the locker room chattering about the latest gossip from the upcoming production- most of them were in a tizzy because a group builders were coming in to the studios to get started on the set. Katrina heaved a sigh, sliding in one last bobby pin and standing up.

"Ready?" asked Sonja who was engrossed in the latest edition of Vogue.

"Ready." Replied Katrina, glancing back at her cell one last time- the blank screen mocking her. Put him out of your mind, remember? She thought to herself.

She forced herself to focus in class, allow the rhythm of the music to transport and carry her- no need to think. For her, this was the real magic of dance, completely emptying your mind of everything except the dance and the steps, while the music was playing nothing else mattered.

Unfortunately the machine-gun-fire of Madame B's voice was totally ruining her vibe today. The woman was in a particularly foul mood, screeching at two of the male dancers when they talked at the barre and driving the poor pianist to his wit's end by demanding the same sections of the music be played over and over until every dancer completed the exercise perfectly.
On days like this Katrina usually made sure to stay well out of her way, hugging the back wall and keeping her head down. Somehow however, the movement of the crowd pushed her to the front like penguins huddling for warmth.

Crap, she thought as the music for a particularly challenging exercise clanged through the studio, she was right in the front and in the firing line. Squaring her shoulder she launched into the pattern. By some God-sent miracle Madame B's eyes glanced straight over her into the third row where she picked out some unfortunate girl and made her do the whole thing over on her own. Katrina vowed to go to mass on Sunday if she could keep up this run of luck.

"Katy!" Katrina looked up from where she sat undoing her pointe shoes, her toes were still swaddled in two layers of bandages but she could never seem to get them on as well as Tommy had.

"What's up?" she asked, looking around for who had called her, the soloist's changing room was packed to bursting just before lunch hour with loudly chattering girls.

"Katy!" Sonja squeezed onto the bench beside her and presented her with her phone. "You've got a missed call." She smirked as Katrina snatched up the phone and pressed re-dial. It went to Tommy's voicemail so she hung up with a sigh.

"Who was it?" asked Sonja.

"Tommy." Replied Katrina, feeling she should at least tell someone.

"Tommy, the fighter?" Katrina nodded, not able to stop the smile that came to her lips. Sonja gasped, "Katy why didn't you tell me something happened? I want to know everything!" It was sometimes hard to believe that Sonja was twenty-four years old.

"Okay, things happened on Monday night." Admitted Katrina with a wider smile, "It was… beyond amazing."

"And you waited a whole day to tell me?" Sonja's eyebrows shot into her hairline.

"I'm sorry, it was just so… intense- I guess I just needed some time to process everything."

Sonja nodded understandingly, "Has he redeemed himself for being a jerk then?"

"Oh yes, absolutely. We talked and sort of started to unpack the baggage."

"Thattagirl." Katrina was glad that Sonja didn't want to know what sort of things came to light during that conversation.

Sonja and Danni spent the rest of the walk to the dancer's favorite greasy spoon café pestering Katrina for details about her "raunchy night". She'd eventually had to disappoint them by telling them that she and Tommy were only on "first base", sometimes Katrina longed for "grown up" conversation.

It started to rain, tiny droplets darkening the pavement, the heavy black clouds obscuring the sun plunging them all into an artificial dusk.

The dancers settled into their favorite booth at the back of the café, the rumble of trucks outside making the cutlery shake on the table. Vlad and Mark were sitting with their heads together having an deep "guy talk" about their fantasy football leagues from last season which left Katrina at the mercy of Danni and Sonja.

Thankfully her friends had stopped interrogating her inquisition-style and had moved on to speculating about the next show they were putting on with Lacy and the others. They were saying something about a football stadium getting new uniforms to match the team they were supporting- Katrina wasn't really paying attention.

She was sitting closest to the aisle and took a moment to gaze out over the sea of people crowded into the small café for lunch. Most of them were men from the steelworks a few streets away, marked out by their thick, slightly singed work coats. There were always a few older men at the bar who never seemed to leave, they were the ones who nursed a pint all day and knew the bar man by name.

As she looked over the sea of bent heads and broad backs one group of men stood up from their table, getting ready to leave. Three of these men were unusually tall and hulking, they seemed to be laughing about something- clapping each other on the back. The fourth man stood slightly apart from them shrugging on a thick jacket and pulling up his hood in preparation for the rain outside. He had his back to her but Katrina would have known him anywhere, the unaffected slouch with his hands in his pockets and his hood up. Tommy.

"You okay Katy, you look a million miles away?" asked Danni.

"Yeah, yeah I'm fine…" she glanced back up to where Tommy was standing. He turned slightly as though he could feel her gaze on his back, his eyes landed on hers. He immediately started over, weaving quickly through the throngs of people at the bar.

"Who's that?" asked Sonja, following her gaze, then, before Katrina had time to answer comprehension dawned on he face. "Its Tommy isn't it?"

Katrina only had time to nod before he was at her side.

Tommy had taken his hood off, his dark hair sticking up at angles, she itched to smooth it down. He was shifting nervously from foot to foot, shoulders hunched and hands in his pockets.

"Hey." He started.

"Hey… umm, these are my fiends- Sonja, Danni, Mark, Vlad." Tommy tensely nodded at them not smiling.

"Do you wanna go outside?" he asked his eyes never leaving her face.

Katrina looked out of the window- it was raining more heavily now.

"Uh, sure."

Standing outside the restaurant, Katrina turned to face Tommy, pulling her jacket tighter around her shoulders.

"You feelin' better today?" he asked.

"What?"

"Your feet."

"Oh, yeah, well no, not really but it'll get better with time."

"You work too hard."

"So do you." Katrina's eyes strayed to a fresh bruise forming across Tommy's cheekbone. "I thought you were just sparring in the gym."

Tommy shrugged, "It's a violent sport, people get hurt."

"Yeah. I guess."

"Katy." Tommy stepped closer to her, close enough that she could feel the warmth rolling off him. "I'm sorry I didn't call you earlier… had some stuff to do with Bren an' Pop."

"It's okay."

"No it ain't" he insisted, "at least let me make it up to you."

Katrina had to smile at that, "And how do you plan on doing that?" she asked.

"Take you out to dinner." Tommy replied, "This weekend, we'll go somewhere real nice- you pick." He looked hopefully down at her.

"Okay, I'd love to."

Tommy relaxed visibly, his full lips arching into a smile. Before Katrina had time to think he'd pulled her into a deep kiss. Her arms instinctively went around Tommy's neck, her body pressed flush against his. Tommy's warm hands found her hips and drew her even closer.

Far too soon, they broke apart for air and Katrina could see all their friends faces pressed, grinning to the window.

"Looks like we got an audience." He murmured into her hair.

"You want to come sit with us?" she asked.

Tommy shook his head "I gotta get back to the gym, tell Frank I'm taking Saturday night off."

"Friday night- I'm working Saturday."

"Friday then. See, you work too hard." Tommy said with a crooked smile and then he was gone.

February 18th

Friday night couldn't come quickly enough. Sonja and Danni insisted that she go home early from work to get ready for her date.

Katrina spent the first hour of her free afternoon in the bath washing her hair. Then she shaved her legs and everywhere else. She had a feeling this wasn't going to be your typical first date.

As good as his word, Tommy let Katrina pick out the restaurant. She'd settled on a small gastro-pub that she passed on the bus every day on the way to work, it looked cozy inside and not to fancy. This made finding an outfit easier, she didn't have much that would have been suited to an up-scale restaurant anyway not usually having the money to spend on clothes.

On her way back from work however she had stopped at a shop on fifth avenue and bought a pretty white-lace top that she could wear over jeans. The top was cut low enough that it made the most of her underwhelming cleavage without being tarty. She slipped it on over her head, assessing herself momentarily in the mirror before getting on with blow-drying her hair.

She had the dryer on at full force when Tommy knocked at her door so at first she didn't hear him. He was early and when she opened the door she could see that he was nervous. He wasn't the only one, her stomach flip-flopped over at the sight of him. The man cleaned up good.

Out of his customary sweat pants and bulky jumpers Katrina could appreciate just how much muscle Tommy had gained since they first met. The black button-down shirt he was wearing over jeans looked like it might tear off if he breathed too hard. He looked even more attractive than usual clean-shaven for once, Katrina thought she might have trouble getting through dinner without jumping him.

She drew in a slightly shaky breath, "Hi."

"Hi." He replied, rubbing the back of his neck apprehensively.

"Come on in, you'll have to wait a bit- I haven't got my makeup on yet."

"Look pretty good to me." Said Tommy, kissing her on the cheek as he stepped into the apartment. She smiled, feeling any nerves subside before slipping back into the bathroom to make up her face.

"You ready?" Tommy asked as she stepped out of the bathroom five minutes later, he'd been pacing up and down her living room.

"Ready." She answered, slipping on her coat and grabbing her purse.

"You won't need that." Smiled Tommy, "I got this one."

"Christ the cheque hasn't even come yet- shouldn't I at least get the chance to offer to pay?"

Tommy smiled again, relieving her of her purse "No point, you know what I'm gonna say."

"I guess I do." Katrina laughed as Tommy threw her the keys to her appartment and chucked the purse on the couch. "You're a true gentlemen then."

"You're not the only one who was taught some manners by their mother." Replied Tommy as he ushered her out of the apartment.

The pair chatted idly as they ambled along the streets, it was nice, as though nothing had changed between them and they were still just friendly neighbors. This illusion was shattered when Katrina caught Tommy looking down her top. She felt her cheeks flush and caught his eye, grinning. Tommy at least had the good grace to look somewhat abashed.

The restaurant, obviously a neighborhood favorite, was tiny and packed when they arrived. The waiter led them to a table at the back and left them with a pair of menus. Katrina picked hers up and perused it for a moment, she could feel Tommy's eyes on her.

"What?" she asked, looking up.

"Nothin'." He mumbled, looking away hurriedly.

Thankfully the awkwardness was diffused by the waiter turning up and asking them what they'd like to drink.

"I'll have a glass of white please," said Katrina. Tommy chose a beer and the waiter serving them bustled off into the throng.

The conversation flowed more easily after that, Tommy shed his nerves and told her all about MMA; the grueling training regime and the men who he might be facing in SPARTA and upcoming bouts. To Katrina it was like another world, she'd never even seen boxing on the TV much less a sport that could leave it's contestants out cold.
Nevertheless, she could picture Tommy in the ring perfectly steel-grey eyes locked on his opponent, the aggression that he carried just under the surface being channeled into violence.

Katrina didn't quite know when Tommy's hand found hers over the tabletop. Was it during her salad or afterwards when the conversation turned to past relationships? His fingers tangled with hers, sending her mind completely off track and into the gutter.

Somewhere along the line, Tommy admitted that he'd never really had a girlfriend.

"Really? I don't believe it." Said Katrina, surprised, "good looking guy like you?"

Tommy laughed softly, his thumb smoothing the palm of her hand, the action made in incredibly hard for Katrina to concentrate. "It's true. Just never found the right girl. You?"

"Find the right girl? No." She grinned, "But I did have one proper boyfriend. Its not easy finding a man to put up with a dancer's lifestyle- you know, training, injuries all the rest." Katrina didn't really want to think about the real reason so many of her relationships ended.

"I know what you mean, most people don't understand what it's like bein' an athlete but I s'pose its all you've ever known."

"Yeah, and you too I guess." Tommy had told her all about how his father coached him to three junior Olympic titles in wrestling when he was young. His voice hardened slightly as he talked about the old man, his drive, and his dreams for his sons. Katrina got the impression that there was a lot of emotion there, some anger, lots of pain- fresh wounds laid down over the old.

The waiter deposited the cheque on the table and Tommy took out his wallet. Their eyes met across that table and Katrina laughed.

"One of these days I'll be the one to take you out Thomas Conlon." She teased.

"Not gonna happen, as long as you're with me you can leave your purse at home."

"I should just start calling you sugar daddy."

"What? Cuz' I'm so sweet?" Tommy smiled, showing his slightly crooked teeth. Katrina loved his smile, it was just as dysfunctional as the rest of him.

"So tell me," Tommy asked as they exited the restaurant into the gathering night, "do you actually speak French?"

"You've been waiting ages to ask me that haven't you?" replied Katrina, Tommy nodded. "Yes, I do speak French, with my mom. Its sort of my first language- when I went away to school I got teased by the other kids because they couldn't understand me." She laughed bitterly.

Tommy took her hand in his, squeezing gently; Katrina wondered how he was always so warm- even on a night as cold as this one. Their fingers laced together as they walked on in silence. It reminded her of the first time Tommy had dragged her out of the apartment to take a walk in the snow. The snow was all gone now, the last of the grimy slush melted away with the rainstorms that flooded Tommy's flat. The feeling between them though was the same, that excitement and nervousness of discovering something new. She glanced at Tommy and caught his eye. He smiled then stopped walking, turning to face her.

"What?" she asked, perplexed.

Tommy said nothing but cupped her cheek with his free hand and pressed a soft kiss to her lips. Katrina slipped a hand into his jacket and around his broad back, leaning into him. She could hear her heartbeat pounding in her ears as desire began to pool in the pit of her stomach. They broke apart, both gasping for air.

"Been waitin' to do that all night." Said Tommy, his voice rougher than usual.

They made it back to Oakland Avenue in record time, only her utmost self control stopping Katrina from jumping Tommy in the elevator.

In the end they barely made it through the door of her flat, falling though the door and kicking it shut behind them. Katrina's jacket hit the floor with a thud followed by Tommy's as they backed into the living room. Tommy sat down on the couch and pulled Katrina down on top of him. All the best things happen on this couch Katrina thought. Her mind had been kicked into overdrive by Tommy's touch, all her senses on high alert. Feeling bold she started to undo the top buttons on his shirt, tracing the smooth skin across his collarbones and down his chest. She felt Tommy moan into her mouth, the deep, vibration of his chest reverberating into hers.

His lips wandered down her neck leaving a trail of electricity in their wake. She swiftly undid the last of the buttons on his shirt, her hands grazing his lower stomach, making him shudder. His kisses became more insistent, bruising almost and Katrina moaned softly with pleasure, her head falling back.

Tommy stood up, slipping his hands under Katrina's ass; he carried her up the tiny winding staircase to her bedroom and laid her down on the covers. In the half- light Katrina could see the dark outlines of Tommy's tattoo's writhing over his skin.

Feeling fearless, she reached for him, taking his hand, and drawing him down to her; his hips settling in the cradle of hers. Her breath hitched as his weight pressed on the bruise on her hip- pain and pleasure mixing dizzyingly together.

Tommy pushed the straps of her top off her shoulders pushing the material to her waist. Katrina arched into him at the touch of his hands on her chest, her legs wrapping around him.

"God you're gorgeous" she heard Tommy murmur, his words slightly muffled in her cleavage. He helped her out of her top and slid the jeans off her legs until she was lying just in her panties looking up at him. She sat up, legs hanging off the edge of the bed and fumbled with the buttons on his jeans, pushing them off his hips and to the floor, placing a shaking hand on his stomach she felt all his muscles tense and jump at her touch.

"You sure about this?" he asked, bending down to look into her eyes. Katrina nodded jerkily, realizing that she was shaking all over. "Just nervous."

Tommy smiled, pressing his lips to hers briefly, "don't be- I got this."

Going to bed with Tommy, Katrina later thought, had definitely ruined her for all other men. Maybe it was his fighting experience or lots of practice or his natural talent, but he seemed to instinctively know the ins and outs of her body, read her every sigh and moan, know exactly what she needed. The heat that ignited between them scared Katrina a little; she'd never felt like this before, the raw need for a man's touch. It was like a fever dream, like dancing with your eyes shut, all her senses were filled up with him, the way he felt; rough and smooth, skin on skin.

They lay together, breathing hard both their bodies slicked with sweat Katrina's heart was beating as if she'd run a marathon. Tommy pressed a warm kiss to her collarbone, wrapping his arms around her waist and pulling her flush against him. She listened to as his heartbeat slowly returned to normal, one of her hands tangled in his hair, which needed cutting.

"Mmm," Tommy's rumbled, "you alright?"

Katrina had to smile at that, "more than alright." There was a long silence, Katrina got the feeling Tommy was working up to saying something.

"I know I ain't exactly the romantic type…I wanna be the kind of guy you deserve if you'll let me try…" Tommy murmured.

"I think you're a lot more romantic than you let on Tommy Conlon" She felt him smile against her lips.

A/n

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