Page 40 of The Virgin's Dance
“Kristof is taking his place.” Boh met Pilot’s gaze and knew he was as annoyed as she was.
“The ego of him.”
“I know. But he does know the role inside out.”
Pilot huffed out a long breath. “I just—damn it.”
“What?”
Pilot leaned against the counter and cross his arms. “I know it’s acting. I know it’s not real … but I don’t know if I can stomach him getting violent with you. Watching it.”
She raised her hand to stroke his face. “Itisjust acting, baby. The one good thing I can say about Kristof Mendelev is that, on stage, he is utterly professional.”
“Kristof Mendelev?” Blair Scamo’s outraged voice broke through their conversation.
Boh nodded. “He’s our artistic director.”
Blair looked at Pilot. “You knew about this?”
“Of course. Mom, you know what? Not to defend Mendelev, he’s a jerk and an asshole, but he wasn’t the one married to me.Geniecheated. I don’t like Mendelev but he’s Boh’s boss.”
Blair nodded, and when she looked at Boh, her eyes were sympathetic. “If you can survive being trained by that man, you can survive anything. That’s impressive.”
“Thank you,” Boh said, softly, and looked at Pilot. “Hey, baby, why don’t you let me and your mom chat for a while?”
Pilot hesitated then nodded. He kissed Boh’s temple again and shot a warning look at his mother.
For a moment, neither said anything. Then Blair grinned. “I think he thinks I’m going to be the Spanish Inquisition.”
Boh chuckled. “If you were, I wouldn’t blame you. I’m a 22-year-old nobody from nowhere-ville. After what Pilot went through in his marriage, if I were you, I’d be strapping on the lie-detector tests and drugging me with truth serum. Here’s the facts. All of this—” she waved her hand around the apartment— “it’s great. But I’d live in a paper box with your son. I’d sleep under any bridge in the city as long as he was with me. I don’t care about his money. It’s his. I lovehim, the man, that funny, goofy, kindhearted, damaged man in there.”
She flushed at her speech but Blair reached out for her and the two women embraced. Boh felt tears in her eyes. “I want to kill her for what she did to him,” she whispered.
Blair drew back and wiped Boh’s face with her sleeve. “Me too, sweetheart. Me too.”
After that, they had a wonderful evening with Pilot’s mother and sister, and by the end of the evening, they both promised to be there the next evening at her performance.
After they left, Pilot smiled at her. “You made yet another fan. I swear, you’re magical.”
“Your family is magical. I have to admit, I’m envious.”
Pilot held his hand out to her. “Come to bed.”
They lay together for a while, talking. “Do you think you’ll ever reconcile with your family?”
She shook her head. “No. And, honestly, I know I said I was envious of your family, but that doesn’t mean I want my family to miraculously change into them and come back into my life. Too much water has gone under the bridge. Too much.”
Pilot stroked her face gently. “For what it’s worth … my familyisyour family now.”
“I love you so much,” she whispered, and brushed her lips against his. She couldn’t imagine her life without this man now.
He gently rolled her onto her back and moved on top of her. “Is ballet like sports? I mean, the day before a big performance, is it advisable to make love?”
“It isn’t just advisable,” she said and gasped as, with a grin, he launched his rock-hard cock into her, “it’s the law. Especially when making love with the world’s best photographer … oh God, yes, Pilot, like that …”
He thrust hard and she felt her body responding, her thighs tightening around him as he thrust harder and deeper with every stroke. His eyes were intense on hers as they made love, and Boh felt the love he felt for her. He made her come again and again before they collapsed, exhausted.
Pilot held her in his arms as she drifted to sleep. “Tomorrow, baby,” he whispered, “tomorrow you’re the star.”
