The tour ends. Dmitri proclaims the entire season a smashing success and invites most of the cast to participate in casting for another ballet.
Andrew, Dominic, and Fiona sign up again. I haven’t spoken to Carla since the flight to Houston, but I assume she will continue to pursue her dream.
The Prince is called to another company, leaving a prime spot open for a lead male dancer. I hope there is no rivalry that will drive a wedge between Andrew and Simon.
I decline to audition, unsure that another role will be quite as perfect for my immaturity in dance. And I’m also not certain that a life of endless ballet is really the best fit for me. Blitz will want to do projects too, and touring takes me away from him. It’s my turn to follow him around.
When we touch down in San Antonio in Bennett’s private plane, I can barely wait to get out and breathe the air of home again. It’s October now, and Halloween is just around the corner. It will soon be exactly one year since I met Blitz.
I have Ted drive past Dreamcatcher on the way to our house. I’ve missed the sight of it. Seeing the big circular entrance and familiar parking lot fills me with nostalgia and hope.
“You should write Danika,” Blitz says. “If Gabriella isn’t doing lessons anymore, then we could go back.”
He’s right. As we head to our rented house, I craft a careful message. I’ve missed my lessons there, I say, and while I’m willing to stay away as long as necessary to protect Gabriella’s privacy, if she isn’t there, we’d love to return.
I don’t get an answer right away and get caught up in unloading the car and walking around the house that I’ve missed so much since being on tour.
The pool sparkles in the back, and the living room smells of home. It’s not very big, and the neighborhood has nothing special about it. But coming back to it makes me realize, I do love it.
When Ted has left, and I’m collapsed on the sofa, I ask Blitz, “So is this house only for rent? Is it not possible to buy it?”
The more I think about it, the more sense it makes. It’s close to Dreamcatcher. It’s not far from Jenica’s. There’s no need to get something bigger or grander. We can live like normal people.
“I can check,” Blitz says, picking up his phone to tap out a message. “Most people have a price.”
I stare up at the ceiling. Even if we can’t buy it, we can just stay here. It’s fine. Pick a new project for Blitz. Maybe it will have something for me to do. Enjoy ourselves. Lie low. Avoid long commitments.
Blitz comes over to the sofa and lifts my legs to rest them on his lap. “This place was not the same without you,” he says. “Not even close.”
I watch him, the movement of the ceiling fan ruffling his dark hair. It’s long again. I haven’t been around to remind him to cut it, and he doesn’t have Hannah or a stylist nagging him either. I like it. It’s as if he’s my Blitz now.
“I think San Antonio is a good base of operations,” I say. “Maybe we can do Dancing with the Stars after all.”
Blitz frowns. “Funny thing about that. Giselle made all that noise about getting me to come on, but neither of us are eligible to do it. We have non-compete clauses in our contracts that extend three years beyond the last episode we do of Dance Blitz.”
This makes me laugh out loud. “She needs a new manager before she gets sued,” I say.
“She needs to get a life.” He runs his hands up and down my legs. “It’s about to be a year since we met,” he says.
“I was just realizing that in the car. How should we celebrate?”
He tilts his head. “I might be able to cook something up.”
“Just no live video feeds, okay?” I ask.
He laughs. “Those days are behind me. I swear.”
“I’m still paranoid about cameras behind mirrors.”
Blitz shifts until he’s lying beside me, holding me against him so I don’t fall off the cushions. “As long as I’m around, nobody will be spying on you but me.”
“Oh, I don’t know,” I say. “We’ve taken the boy out of Hollywood, but I’m pretty sure there is still some Hollywood left in the boy.”
He grins down at me. “Okay, I’m an attention whore. I admit it. But I’m seeing the value of downtime.”
“How much longer?” I ask. “What do you already have planned?”
His smile is infectious. “Wouldn’t you like to know?”