Page 225 of The Life of Anna-Tenth Anniversary Edition: Act 2

Anna finally spotted a number one on a table next to the dance floor. It made sense that Tom was at Table One with the mayor. After all, he ran the city. Tommy had to be the ‘hot blond guy’ being gossiped about. He was very good looking and charming. But surely he usually attended these types of events with his father. Was he always gossiped about? How did New York gossip work? Anna rarely paid much attention to gossip in general. Either she was too out of it or it was just uninteresting. Who cared who was sleeping with who, or how someone’s hair was a disaster?

She caught Tom’s eye, and he stood and smiled as she approached. “Katrina, the star of the evening.” He grinned and hugged her, kissing her cheek.

“Tom...” Anna’s face warmed and she shook her head.

“Katrina, you remember my wife, Kelsey?”

“Hello, Katrina,” Kelsey said with a kind smile. Her brown hair was pulled up in an elegant twist, and she wore a strapless blue chiffon gown. “I’m so happy to see you again.”

“Hello, Mrs. Pendleton.” She nodded in greeting. “It’s good to see you again, too.” Kelsey had always been kind to her.

“And of course, you know Tommy and his wife, Kim.”

Tommy gave her a sad smile. Anna nodded stiffly and glanced at Kim. She was watching Anna with a sad, although somewhat suspicious, look. Kim’s face was fuller than it had been when Anna had met her the first time. Anna supposed it was the pregnancy. Her straight, gleaming dark hair and bangs shimmered in the lighting from above.

Tom introduced the other couples at the table: Mayor Timothy Craig and his wife, McKenna, and Scott and Jennifer Moody, important people of some sort in the city. Vincent and his partner, Walter, would be joining them shortly.

As a familiar figure approached their table, Anna’s muscles tensed and she could feel her heart thumping in her chest. Tall and blond, she couldn’t quite see his face until he was closer, and when she could finally see it, she inhaled sharply. “Kurt?”

Kurt beamed as he stopped in front of her. “Hello, Engel.”

Chapter 117

Anna stared bewildered at Kurt, not really believing he was there. “Wh-what are you doing here?”

“I came to see you dance. And to see how you were doing.”

“But...” She stared at him. “I thought you couldn’t come.”

“Vati cannot. I can. At least more easily than he can.”

She stared up into Kurt’s gray eyes. Well, he would definitely be the one being gossiped about. He was as handsome as ever, though more relaxed than she’d seen in a while. He’d even grown out his goatee again.

Grinning, he pulled out a chair next to Tom. “Shall we sit?”

“I... uh, yeah.” She sat and Kurt took the chair next to her. She glanced at Tom. “Did you know he was coming?”

Tom smiled and nodded.

“How are you fortunate enough to know our new favorite dancer, Kurt?” the mayor asked.

Kurt put his arm around Anna’s chair and smiled in his relaxed way. “She was married to my brother before he... died.”

Anna stiffened at his familiar manners. She supposed he had a right to act that way, but... well, she didn’t want Hugo finding out about Kurt this way.

She searched the room for several minutes before spotting him across the room, talking with Vincent and some other men.

Anna jumped to her feet. “Excuse me.” She made her way across the room as quickly as she could, considering the crowd. She could feel Kurt’s eyes on her back as she hurried away.

Hugo saw her walking toward him and said something to Vincent and then hurried to her. “Katrina? What’s wrong?”

“Kurt’s here.”

He stared at her. “Here? Why?”

“He came to surprise me, I guess. I just... I didn’t want you to think I called him to come or anything. I—‍” She swallowed and looked up at Hugo’s kind eyes. She wanted his arms around her again. She knew why they’d broken up and, now especially, it was obvious it was the right decision. But that didn’t mean she cared for him any less.

The look in his eyes told her he felt the same way. If they had been alone, he might have even kissed her. “I know you wouldn’t have done that, Kittycat,” he said softly, reaching for her hand. “Where is—oh.”

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