Page 94 of The Life of Anna-Tenth Anniversary Edition: Act 1

Anna had doubts about attending a party where she didn’t know anyone, especially men. She wasn’t confident she could be out in public without doing something stupid, and she didn’t want to embarrass Jenna. Then again, how else was she supposed to learn how to be social if she hid herself away? Devin wanted her to be socialized. And going someplace with Jenna sounded fun. She’d missed her best friend. “Okay, I’ll come.”

“Cool! You should call Aaron and tell him.”

“What? Why?”

“Because he gave you his number and invited you himself. You need to call and let him know you’re coming.”

Anna sighed. It probably was the polite thing to do. “Okay.”

“What time do you want to go shopping tomorrow? The party’s at seven tomorrow night.”

“How long do we need?”

“I could spend the whole day shopping. Call me in the morning and we’ll figure out what to do.”

“Okay. I will.”

They said goodbye and Anna hung up. She stared at the program with Aaron’s number written neatly beneath Jenna’s.

Aaron sat on the floor in his dressing room, stretching for the evening performance of Sleeping Beauty. His thoughts inevitably strayed to Anna, as they had constantly since he’d seen her backstage last week. She had been pretty when she was twelve; she was gorgeous now. His Little Giselle, all grown up.

After the initial shock of being told he, the best dancer in his class, would be dancing with a twelve-year-old, he’d looked forward to every rehearsal. She was such a sweet girl, with big green eyes and a smile that melted his silly teenage-boy heart. The way she moved, with the elegance and skill of a professional Russian ballerina, amazed him. Dancing with her was like dancing with an angel. He’d constantly had to remind himself he was just acting when he flirted and declared his love for her in dance.

He never would have admitted it then, but he’d developed a little crush on her. Nothing inappropriate, nothing torrid. He’d just loved dancing with her and wished they were closer in age. And now she was twenty. And prettier than ever.

Aaron sighed. All week he’d been hoping to hear from her about coming to his party. He’d even badgered Jenna for information, but she hadn’t heard from her either.

The sharp tone of his phone ringing snapped him from his reverie. He leaned forward and pulled it from his bag. “Unknown Number” flashed on his screen. “Hello?”

“Aaron? It’s . . . Anna.”

Aaron’s heart leaped in his chest. “Anna! Hi! How are you?” He straightened and grinned at the wall across the room.

“I’m fine. Are you busy?”

“Just stretching before the evening performance.”

“Oh, I don’t want to bother you?—‍”

“No, I’m glad you called. I wouldn’t have answered if I couldn’t talk.” He paused. “So, to what do I owe the honor of your phone call?” He rolled his eyes at himself. That was a stupid thing to say.

“I was calling to... let you know I can come to your party tomorrow night.”

His heart skipped a beat. “Really? That’s awesome! D’ya need me to pick you up or anything?”

“No, I... I think I have a car.”

“You think?” He frowned. How could someone not know if they had a car?

“I . . . It’s a long story.”

“Okay. Well, I’ll text you my address. It starts at seven, but you can come anytime. It’s all really informal.”

“I’m looking forward to it.”

“Me, too,” he said, his voice soft.

There was a pause and Aaron chewed the inside of his cheek. Had he been too forward? Alex had said she scared easily. Shit. That was the last thing he wanted to do.

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