Last Dance, Second Chance

Chapter Eleven

Jessica was still fuming when she walked to the dance studio the following afternoon. How dare Nathan think he had the right to tell her what to do with her life! Just because he had no passion for anything didn’t mean that everyone should be like that. And it was none of his business what she did with her life anyway.

It was calming to be in the dance studio, though, seeing the teenagers go through the familiar routines. She watched each of them carefully, noting their strengths as well as their weaknesses.

The class finished and the dancers left, leaving just Diana and Jessica.

“Let’s go into my office and we can work our way through the students so you’ve got a better idea of what they’re aiming towards,” Diana said.

Jessica followed Diana into the little office. The last time she’d been in there was when she’d told Diana that she’d been accepted into the ballet school in London. Diana had spent months helping Jessica to prepare for her audition and had been absolutely thrilled to hear her star pupil’s news.

Jessica accepted the seat offered and looked around the room. It hadn’t changed very much since she was last there. She smiled when she spotted a poster of a performance she’d been in of The Nutcracker on the wall. She’d been in the corps when she’d performed in it.

Diana followed her gaze. “Your mother and father were so proud of you when they saw your performance in that. They brought me back the poster as a souvenir.”

Jessica wasn’t sure she remembered her mum and dad coming to see that ballet. She was always so busy before and after a performance, there was little time to speak to anyone who’d come to watch, especially because she would have been sharing a busy, crowded dressing room at the time.

“So, what did you think of the dancers today?” Diana asked.

“I’m afraid I couldn’t see any that had any real potential,” Jessica said, honestly. She felt bad for saying so because she thought Diana did a wonderful job, but she didn’t want to lie. “The girl at the back, I think her name was Poppy, had good arms, and there was a boy, Jason, who showed some promise.”

Diana smiled. “A very fair assessment,” she agreed. “I don’t believe I have any students at the moment who will take up ballet professionally.”

“But”, said Jessica, “what’s the point of the dance school if there isn’t a single student attending who has any real talent?”

“Oh Jessica,” said Diana kindly, “have you got any idea how unusual it is for a dance school of this size, located in a little town, to produce a world-class ballerina? I struck extremely lucky when I taught you, but I doubt I’ll be that lucky again.”

“You’ve been training dancers for more than twenty-five years, and you’ve only had one turn professional? Isn’t that kind of... disappointing?”

“I don’t think so,” Diana said carefully. She was silent for a moment and then continued, “For some, ballet becomes a profession, for others it can be something they enjoy, a way to keep fit, or something to give them confidence or make them feel beautiful. These are all valid reasons for coming to my class, and those dancers are just as important as the ones who show more promise and might want to dance professionally. Take that boy Jason that you mentioned. When he first came here, he was being bullied for being scrawny. He wanted to become stronger but didn’t have any interest in the team sports his school ran. He started dancing and now he lifts weights as well. His confidence has soared and a couple of other boys from his year have joined as well. I don’t teach to produce ballerinas — I teach to pass on my love of ballet.”

“I guess I’ve never seen it like that before,” admitted Jessica. “How did you know teaching was for you?”

“Honestly, I didn’t. I took a chance when I was offered a job, and then set up this school when I discovered I was good at teaching and loved doing it.”

The horrible conversation with Nathan still fresh in her mind, Jessica asked, “Do you mind me asking how old you were when you retired from dancing professionally?”

“Not at all — I was twenty-seven.”

“So young. Were you injured?” Jessica found herself asking. But did she really want to hear the answer? What if Diana admitted she’d broken her foot and that’s what had ended her dancing career?

“I got fed up,” she said simply.

“Fed up with dancing?”

“No, I still loved dancing, but I was worried that if I carried on, it wouldn’t be long before I did fall out of love with it. I was fed up with my muscles always aching, of having to watch everything I ate, of always having to go to bed early. I was never as talented as you. I knew deep down I was never going to be a principal, but I worried that if I spent ten more years trying, I’d miss out on so many other things.”

“And so you think you made the right decision?” asked Jessica.

“Yes,” replied Diana, thoughtfully. “I’ve got some wonderful memories of that life, but it was the right time to leave.” She was silent for a moment before asking, “Why all the questions? Are you thinking about quitting?”

“No,” Jessica said immediately. “Nathan and I — the guy I was staying with — had an argument last night and it’s got me thinking.”

“An argument about what?”

“He thinks I’m getting old.” Jessica grimaced.

“He said that?” Diana’s eyes were wide.

“Well, not exactly,” Jessica admitted. “He pointed out that I may not have many years left of my ballet career, even if my foot does heal properly. He thinks I need a plan for afterwards.”

Diana smiled. “That’s not quite the same as saying you’re getting old, but I don’t imagine it was very nice to hear! I’m guessing you haven’t got a post-dance career planned?”

“Not really... I mean, my company has stuff set up to help dancers to retrain and find employment after they retire, but I haven’t looked into it much. All I’ve ever wanted is to be a professional ballerina.”

“Unfortunately, no ballet dancer can carry on professionally indefinitely,” said Diana. “And it’s hard for people outside of the ballet world to grasp how much it means and how hard it is to make the decision to stop.”

Jessica nodded.

“It sounds like your friend’s a practical person and is trying to look out for you, just not going about it the right way.”

“I guess. I didn’t take it very well.”

“It’s not an easy thing to come to terms with. But it’s a fact of life. You’ve achieved so much in your career, and I’m sure you’ll achieve plenty more, but at some point, it will end, unfortunately, earlier than the majority of jobs.”

“I just don’t know what else I could possibly want to do,” admitted Jessica. “I like helping you teach, but I’m really not sure it’s for me long-term, and what else can I do?”

“I think that’s a problem a lot of dancers have,” said Diana. “They give so much to their dance career that when it ends they’re not necessarily trained for anything else. But you’ve got plenty of time to work out what you’d like to do. You’ve got years of dancing still in you.”

“Thanks, Diana.”

“No problem. And don’t be too hard on Nathan. No one outside the ballet world truly understands what it’s like and how much of yourself you give to it. I believe he was trying to be practical rather than unkind.”

“I think you’re right,” Jessica said. “I’m sorry, but do you mind if I head off? There’s someone I really need to speak to.”

“Of course not, I’ll see you tomorrow,” said Diana kindly.

* * *

Jessica hurried out of the dance studio, almost forgetting her bag in her haste. She had to speak to Nathan. She still thought he could have worded his concerns better, but Diana was right; he was looking out for her. He didn’t understand what it was like to feel the way she did about ballet, but that didn’t mean he was being unkind. She was grateful he cared about her enough to think about these things. And she never should have said the things she’d said to him. She’d been angry and had spoken without thinking. She didn’t know what had happened in his marriage, but she did know that Nathan was kind, loving and trustworthy. It had been horrible to say he’d driven his wife away. And of course she hadn’t meant it.

She considered taking a detour and stopping off at the supermarket to pick something up by way of apology, but she wanted to get to Nathan’s as soon as possible. Maybe she could treat them to a takeaway? She’d need to text her mum and let her know she wouldn’t be home for supper.

Jessica turned the corner into Nathan’s road and immediately noticed that his Land Rover wasn’t parked outside his house. She checked her watch; he should be back from work now. Maybe he’d taken Dennis out for a walk further afield? Should she wait? She could message him, but it didn’t feel right to apologise that way. She needed to do it face to face. Sadly, she turned around and began walking back to her parents’ house, her heart heavy, wishing she’d been able to make things right.

* * *

Jessica was restless for the whole of the following day. She wanted to see Nathan and do her best to make things right with him. It wasn’t only that she felt terrible about what had happened, which she really did, but she was also missing spending time with him. She continually checked her phone to see if he’d messaged. He didn’t seem the sort to hold a grudge, and they usually messaged each other regularly... She’d really hurt him.

She wanted to go and see him before going to the ballet studios, but there was little point as he wouldn’t be home from work yet anyway. She made herself hang on until afterwards, but was disappointed to see his Land Rover still missing from the driveway. She rang the doorbell, just in case, but there was no reply.

* * *

There weren’t any classes at the dance studio on Thursday, so Jessica had even more time on her hands. Time to worry about where Nathan was, and whether he’d be willing to forgive her when she finally got around to seeing him. Once more she stared at her phone, willing it to ding with a message from him, and debating whether she should send one herself.

Her mum was out helping her dad at the estate agent’s for the afternoon and Jessica needed something to keep busy. In the back of her mind was what Diana and Nathan had both said about her needing to come up with a plan for when she finished dancing. She was still determined to be dancing for many years to come — she had a long bucket list of roles she wanted to dance — but she had to admit it made sense to be prepared. She also knew she needed something else in her life when she returned to New York. It would take months to build up the strength in her foot again, and she needed something to take her mind off her convalescence when she didn’t even have helping Diana with her classes to keep her occupied.

The obvious job was for her to teach, but the more she thought about it, the more Jessica realised it wasn’t a good fit. She thought what Diana did was wonderful, and she saw what a difference Diana’s classes could make to the children and adults who attended them, and she was enjoying helping out, but doing it full-time wouldn’t be right for her, she felt. Neither would training professional dancers in a company. The politics involved behind the scenes of a ballet company were not something she’d ever want to be involved in. There was also the fact that she might not be able to if injury was what led to the end of her career.

She sat down with a cup of coffee, taking the opportunity to rest her foot before venturing around to Nathan’s house again later. She picked up her iPad and began scrolling through her favourite ballet Substack blogs. She was sort of glad that nobody from her own company ran one. Rehearsals would have started on Monday, and she wasn’t sure she was ready to see the photos. She remembered how much she’d loved reading about professional dancers when she was a teenager. She’d spend hours poring over entries detailing their daily lives and the exercises and practices they did. It had been amazing for her that she’d been able to read about dancers from all around the world, and seeing the photos and descriptions of them performing had encouraged her to keep going and to follow her dream, even when things got tough.

When it got to the point that Nathan should be home from work, Jessica got up and checked herself in the hallway mirror. Monty gave her a really pathetic ‘Will you take me with you?’ look.

“I’m sorry, Monty. I can’t,” she said. “But your dad will be home soon.”

Monty’s head fell.

“You really know how to make me feel bad, don’t you? I promise I’ll play ball with you in the garden when I get back,” she said as she went out the front door.

* * *

She walked as quickly as she could manage on her crutches to Nathan’s house and was thrilled to see his car parked outside. She rang the doorbell, steeling herself. She reminded herself that he might not forgive her right away, but she had to try her best. She waited but Nathan didn’t answer the door. She rang the doorbell a second time, but still nothing.

Feeling completely deflated, she walked back to her parents’ home again.

* * *

On Friday, Jessica decided to do herself a favour and not check Nathan’s house after she finished helping at the two dance classes held that evening. It was late and she was hungry, and she felt like she was going crazy trying to catch Nathan when she suspected he didn’t want to be caught. She wished she was spending the evening hanging out with him, but there wasn’t anything she could do about that now. She’d go back to her parents’ house, heat up some leftovers for supper, and veg in front of the television for a while to give her foot a rest. Maybe she’d even work out what she could say in a WhatsApp message to open communications between them again, as it looked like that was the best option.

Her mum and dad were both home and Andrew was with them in the kitchen.

“Hey, sis,” he said.

“Hi, Andrew, where are Molly and the kids?”

“At home. I just popped by to borrow Dad’s strimmer. Are you still OK to take the girls to ballet tomorrow?”

“Yeah, sure,” Jessica said, distractedly as she looked in the fridge for something to eat.

“What’s up with you, sweetheart?” asked Sarah, noticing her daughter’s peculiar mood.

“I’m all right. Just a bit tired.”

“Is your foot hurting you?”

“A little,” she admitted. “I’ll prop it up on the sofa in a bit.”

“Are you sure there’s nothing else?”

Jessica closed the fridge door. “Actually, there is. Nathan and I had a big fight on Monday. It was really stupid and I overreacted completely to what he was saying, and I feel really bad about it.” She hadn’t expected to share this but was immediately glad that she had.

“I was wondering why he hadn’t been around and why you weren’t spending time with him over the past few days,” said Joe.

“I really want to apologise, but I think he’s avoiding me. I’ve been to his house several times and he’s not answering the door, even when his car’s in the driveway,” Jessica explained.

“I saw him yesterday,” Andrew offered.

“You did? Where?” Jessica said, leaping on this information. “Is he all right?”

“He seemed fine.” Andrew shrugged. “He’s joined my five-a-side team and he came to training. He’s a lot fitter than the rest of us.”

“Did he mention me at all?” Jessica braved asking.

“Nope,” admitted Andrew, “but we were blokes playing football... none of us really talk about our wives or girlfriends.”

“I’m not his girlfriend,” Jessica said quickly. She saw a look pass between her mum and dad before she said, “Do you know if he’s home tonight?”

“I do, actually. I messaged him earlier to see if he fancied a pint. He said he was going to be spending the evening at home with his dog.”

“Thanks, Andrew!” called Jessica over her shoulder as she headed out of the house again. She would catch Nathan.

It had started to drizzle, and she wished she’d thought to bring a jacket with her, but no way was she going to turn back. Thankfully she was pretty fast on her crutches now.

Nathan’s Land Rover was there. She walked up to the front door and rang the bell. Her heart sank when no one answered. Despondent, she turned to leave, but the door opened and there was Nathan with Dennis by his side. He gave her a little smile. “Hey you,” he said, softly.

Momentarily flummoxed, Jessica forgot what she was going to say. If anything, he was even more handsome and he somehow, magically, hadn’t just slammed the door in her face.

“Hi,” she said finally.

“Would you like to come in?” he asked.

“Yes, please,” she said. Nathan moved aside so she could get past him, but Jessica stayed where she was.

“I’m so sorry,” she blurted out. “I never should have said those terrible things, and I regret them so much.”

“Come inside, I’ll get us a drink.”

Jessica nodded and followed him into the house.

“I’ve been trying to catch you for the last few evenings, but you haven’t been in,” she explained.

“I’ve been out. Trying to get a life,” Nathan said with a wry smile.

Jessica sat down at the kitchen table and put her head in her hands. “I can’t believe the things I said.”

“You were pretty harsh,” admitted Nathan, handing her a beer.

“I was upset . . .” she began.

“I know,” interrupted Nathan. “And I’m sorry too. You’re right — it’s none of my business and I was interfering. It’s your decision whatever you decide to do when you finish dancing, and you don’t have to explain yourself to me. It’s just that I care about you.”

“I know you do, and I should have reacted better. Can we put it behind us and go back to being friends, do you think?” she asked.

“I’d like that,” Nathan said. Jessica stood up and she moved into his open arms and they hugged.

“I’ve missed you,” she said as they broke apart. “Where have you been, really?”

“I was quite serious.” Nathan laughed. “I’ve been getting a life. I’ve lived here for a few months now, but I haven’t made much of an effort to make friends so I’m trying to remedy that. I’ve been out for a meal with some people from work, and I visited my sister, and I played football with your brother and his mates last night.”

“He told me. That’s how I knew you’d be home now,” admitted Jessica.

“I used the excuse of not wanting to leave Dennis by himself again, but, honestly, I needed a night off myself from all the socialising.” Nathan grimaced.

“Your little experiment hasn’t been a success, then?”

“It kind of has. I’ve had a good time, but honestly, I would much rather have been spending my evenings with you.”

“Well, I haven’t had a good time at all,” admitted Jessica. “I’ve been miserable without you to hang out with.”

“Why didn’t you call or message?”

“I wanted to apologise to your face,” she said. “Why didn’t you get in touch with me?”

“To begin with, I was too angry,” Nathan explained. “Then, once I’d calmed down, I realised there was some truth in what you said about me not having much of a life, and I wanted to prove to you that I could remedy that.”

“I was stupid to say that. I only did it because I was mad. And I’m hardly one to talk about work–life balance. You should never listen to anything I say.”

“I’ll try to bear that in mind,” Nathan said with a smile.

“And what I said about you and your wife...” She still couldn’t believe she’d done that. “You’re so lovely. I don’t actually believe you did anything to make Claire leave you. She’s obviously a complete weirdo.”

“Thank you, but she’s really not,” Nathan said. “We broke up because it turns out we wanted very different things.”

“You don’t have to tell me any of this...”

“It’s OK. I want to.” He ran his fingers through his hair before he continued. “She’s a doctor as well. We met at medical school. We got together in our final year. Anyway, my wanting to be a GP was always a bit of a bone of contention between us. She tried to convince me to be a surgeon and to join a private clinic, but that just wasn’t me.”

Jessica nodded; she definitely couldn’t imagine Nathan as a private surgeon.

“Then Claire decided she didn’t want to practise medicine. She took a job with a pharmaceutical company. It paid really well, and she travelled the world with them, which she loved. I was honestly really happy for her, but it got to the point where she was travelling so much we hardly saw each other. We should have talked about it earlier, but I knew how much she loved her job, and I didn’t want to spoil that for her. It all came to a head when she was offered a position in Tokyo for six months. I said I didn’t want us to be apart for that long. She wanted to go, so she did.”

“I’m so sorry.”

Nathan nodded sadly. “It was really hard at the time. When she came back, we tried to make it work, but we were two people who just occasionally lived together at that point. When she got offered another placement, this time in Berlin, we called it quits.”

“That sucks.”

“Thanks,” said Nathan with a sigh. “In hindsight, we never should have got married. We both wanted completely different things in life. She was far more driven than me, and I was proud of her, but there wasn’t space for me as well as her career.”

“You deserve better than that,” Jessica said.

“Thank you. Anyway, that’s the sad tale of my failed marriage.”

“I’m glad you told me.”

“I’m glad too.”

Jessica’s stomach growled noisily. “Sorry!” she said with a laugh.

“You’re hungry?” Nathan asked.

“A bit. I was helping Diana and then I was going to eat at Mum and Dad’s but I heard you were home so I hurried straight over.”

“Do you want to hang out here for a while?” offered Nathan. “I cooked way too much for supper — I can heat you up some if you like... and we could play a bit of Fable II ?”

Jessica grinned. “That sounds absolutely brilliant.”

* * *

Jessica set off on her crutches to pick up Emily and Sophie for their first ballet class the following morning. She felt so much lighter now she and Nathan were back on an even keel. She wasn’t used to relying on a friend as much as she did him, and it had been completely discombobulating not to have him around.

Andrew opened the door to his family’s cute three-bedroom cottage on the edge of the town when she knocked.

“Hey, sis,” he said, gesturing to her to come in. “Fancy a quick coffee?”

Jessica checked her watch. “Thank you, that would be great.”

She followed her brother into the kitchen at the back of the house where Molly was clearing up after breakfast.

“Hiya. Did you manage to get everything sorted out with Nathan last night?” Molly asked. “Andrew said you two had argued.”

“Yes, thanks,” said Jessica, blushing. “Where are the kids?” She needed to change the subject.

“Playing in the garden. I’ll call the girls in to get changed,” Molly said.

“I’ll do it,” offered Andrew, “if you get the coffee machine on.”

“Deal,” said Molly.

Jessica found it interesting to watch her brother and his wife together. She didn’t know Molly very well. She’d never had the opportunity to spend much time with her sister-in-law, but she and Andrew seemed to work well together. They were comfortable with one another and just seemed to fit.

Molly handed Jessica her coffee at the same time as Jessica’s nieces and nephew came crashing in from the garden, closely followed by their father. All three of the children were still in pyjamas and were distinctly mud-covered.

“Oh no! What have you guys been doing out there?” gasped Molly. “You girls need to leave for your class in a few minutes!”

“We were just playing . . .” explained Emily.

“Let’s get you upstairs and I’ll give you a hand getting clean and ready,” Molly said with a sigh. “Sorry, Jessica,” she called over her shoulder. “I’ll have them sorted in just a few minutes.”

“No worries.” Jessica laughed as Molly shooed the children up the stairs. Her nieces definitely didn’t look like they would be in a ballet studio soon.

“The girls have really been looking forward to this class,” Andrew said. “They made Molly buy them leotards especially.”

“That’s good. I hope they enjoy it.”

“So do I. But I have to admit, I’m praying they don’t enjoy it too much.”

“You don’t want them to turn into ballet-crazed lunatics like their aunt?” Jessica guessed.

“Something like that . . .”

“I understand it can be a bit of a pain for the rest of the family.”

“Just a bit,” admitted Andrew.

“I’m sorry. I don’t think I ever really considered how hard it must have been at times for you.”

“You were a kid.”

“Still . . .”

“I don’t blame you,” he said. “It wasn’t your fault you had this ridiculously amazing talent. And I had a great childhood. It’s just not what I’d want for my family.”

“I understand,” said Jessica. “I’ll keep my fingers crossed for you that they both have two left feet.”

“I’d appreciate that.”

* * *

“Please say you haven’t got any plans for next Saturday night?” said Nathan when Jessica answered the phone to him the following morning.

“I don’t have any plans for next Saturday night,” she said. “Are we doing something fun?”

“I wanted to celebrate us being friends again, so I’ve got us tickets to see Swan Lake at the Sadler’s Wells Theatre.”

“That’s so lovely of you, but you don’t have to sit through ballet for me,” Jessica said immediately.

“I want to. I’ve never been to the ballet before, and it’s important to you. It’ll be a new life experience, which I get to do with someone who knows all about it and can fill me in on anything I don’t understand.”

“Are you sure you wouldn’t rather do something else?”

“Nope.”

“In that case, that sounds absolutely brilliant!” said Jessica excitedly. “It’s the Bolshoi Ballet, isn’t it?”

“It is indeed. How did you know that?”

“Ballet crazy, remember? Can I go halves on the tickets?”

“You may not,” Nathan said, firmly.

“In that case, I’m treating you to supper first.”

“That sounds great.”

* * *

Jessica didn’t get back to her parents’ house until four in the afternoon the following Saturday after working at the dance studio, which didn’t give her much time to get ready. Nathan was picking her up in half an hour. He’d wanted to drive them into London so she wouldn’t have to walk, but she pointed out that if the traffic was bad, which it invariably would be, then it would take far longer than going by train and the underground to Angel. In the end, Nathan wouldn’t budge though and Jessica had given in. Thinking about trying to traverse the London underground with crutches, she was glad that Nathan had stuck to his guns.

She was pleased that she’d packed a couple of nice dresses in case she ended up going out somewhere in the evening. She redid her make-up and curled her hair, though it was so thick the curls probably wouldn’t stay in it for long. She pulled on the black cocktail dress she’d chosen, lamenting the fact that, because of her foot, she couldn’t wear shoes that would go with it and was stuck in trainers.

Nathan was on time, as she’d known he would be. She’d never had a friend as reliable as he was.

He’d downloaded a recording of Tchaikovsky’s score, which they played in the car with Jessica explaining the story to him.

“That’s pretty tragic,” commented Nathan.

“Yep!”

They parked on a side street.

“Where would you like to eat?” Nathan asked. “We haven’t got long.”

“Banana Tree,” said Jessica automatically. “They’re quick and the food is yummy. I discovered it when I was dancing here a few years ago.”

“You’ve danced at Sadler’s Wells?” asked Nathan, his eyebrows raised.

“I was in The Nutcracker here one Christmas. It was an amazing experience.”

* * *

They walked to the restaurant and sat down opposite each other on the benches running along the long wooden tables. They ordered sparkling waters and Jessica chose the Singapore laksa with grilled chicken, while Nathan opted for pad thai.

“This is really good,” Nathan said, tucking into his meal.

“Told ya,” said Jessica, smiling. “I came here practically every day for lunch during that run of The Nutcracker . Oh, before I forget, my mum and dad were wondering if you’re free to come to dinner tomorrow. Dennis is invited too.”

Nathan smiled at her. “Sure, I’d love to.” He held her gaze for a moment before going back to his pad thai.

They finished, Jessica paid, and the pair walked to the theatre together. “I should have said before, you look really beautiful this evening,” said Nathan.

“Even with my trainers? Or should I say, trainer.”

“Even with your trainer,” confirmed Nathan.

They entered the theatre. Jessica felt Nathan’s warm hand on the small of her back as they moved between the crowds and into the auditorium.

“Good seats,” commented Jessica as they sat down.

“I googled to find out which ones had the most legroom and the best view,” admitted Nathan.

“Thank you.” Jessica was so touched.

“Would you like a programme?”

“Absolutely — I’ve kept every programme from every ballet performance I’ve ever attended.”

“I’ll go and get you one,” Nathan said. “I’m worried about your foot getting knocked with it being so busy out there.”

“Thanks.”

He left and Jessica took the opportunity to look around, taking in her surroundings and working out what she felt about being back in this world again, even if it was in front of the stage rather than behind. She could imagine exactly what was happening on the other side of the dusty velvet curtains. Everyone hurrying around, warming up, stage hands getting props in place. Nerves would be on edge. She smiled as she recalled the many times she’d stood in the wings, feeling sick with anticipation, going through the sequences in her head, doing her best to block out the busyness around her. She couldn’t imagine never doing that again.

* * *

Nathan watched Jessica as he made his way back to his seat with her programme in his hand. She looked beautiful. What was she thinking? She seemed pleased to be here, though he’d doubted the wisdom of bringing her almost as soon as he’d purchased the tickets. Would she be upset seeing the dancers on stage doing what she was currently unable to? By that point, though, there was no turning back. Turned out decent tickets to see a ballet were pretty pricey.

But they were having a really nice evening and he was glad he was getting to experience going to the ballet with Jessica. It was such a huge part of her life, he wanted to understand more and be at least a tiny bit involved in it.

The lights went down and anticipation filled the air as the curtains opened to reveal the beginning of the ballet. Nathan glanced across at Jessica. She was on the edge of her seat, totally enthralled, already enchanted by the performance.

* * *

The curtains closed for the interval and only then did Jessica sit back in her seat.

“What did you think?” asked Nathan, smiling. It was obvious that she was having a wonderful time.

“Brilliant!” Jessica replied. “Absolutely magical. What about you?”

“I’m glad you talked me through the story earlier, but I’m still a bit confused,” he admitted. “I’m enjoying it more than I thought I would, though.”

“Good,” said Jessica happily.

“Do you want to stay here for the break?”

“No, can we go for a bit of a walk around? I need to move.”

“Sure. Let me go first, though, so I can clear the way.”

“Like I’m a queen?”

“Absolutely.”

* * *

When they returned to their seats and the ballet started up again, Jessica stayed sitting back in her seat and leaned in close to Nathan, whispering to him about what was going on. She smelled of something light and floral, and her hair tickled his cheek occasionally.

“Thank you,” he whispered back, taking her hand without thinking about it.

He’d definitely never had a friendship that made him feel like this, but as much as Nathan told himself that he needed to protect himself and hold himself back from giving too much to Jessica, it seems he was determined not to listen. She squeezed his hand gently to signal what a lovely time she was having, and Nathan had to conclude, he was a goner.

* * *

They came out of the theatre into night-time London.

“That was brilliant.” Jessica looked up at Nathan with shining eyes. “Thank you so much. Did you like it?”

“It was my pleasure. I did like it, the company in particular,” he said. He frowned. “Are you cold?”

“A little,” admitted Jessica.

Nathan took off his jacket and helped her on with it.

“Now you’ll be cold,” she pointed out.

“I’m fine,” he said with a grin. “Us men are made of stern stuff.”

Jessica laughed. “Sure you are. Shall we head back to the car?”

“If you’d like. I know of an ice-cream parlour around here, though, that’s supposed to be really good. It’s open until ten.”

“That sounds great!” she said. “I’m still too excited to go home.”

“And you think sugar’s going to help with that?”

She laughed again. “Definitely.”

They walked along together, Jessica filling Nathan in about when she lived in London while she was at ballet school. “I was so busy that I never really had a lot of time to sightsee. But I did get taken out to some amazing places by my company for fundraisers,” she said.

They reached the ice-cream parlour, which had a steady stream of customers, mostly theatregoers like themselves.

Nathan had a honey and honeycomb ice cream and Jessica a pear sorbet. They got them in tubs to take away but soon realised that Jessica wasn’t able to walk on crutches and eat her sorbet at the same time, so they stopped at a bench and sat down.

“This is amazing,” said Jessica. “Do you want to try some?”

“Sure,” said Nathan, and they swapped pots.

“How did you even know about this ice-cream parlour?”

“I looked it up,” he said.

“You’ve planned a perfect evening.”

“That was the idea.” Nathan was blushing.

“Well, you succeeded.”

“A perfect evening with a perfect woman.” Nathan swapped pots back again.

“I’m far from perfect,” said Jessica. She shook her head. “Especially after what I said to you when we had that argument...”

“Hey,” Nathan said kindly, turning her to face him. “I thought we’d agreed that was all water under the bridge? We’ve both apologised.”

“I know, but that doesn’t mean I don’t still feel bad about it,” Jessica said, hanging her head.

“Me too,” Nathan admitted. “I never should have tried to tell you what to do. But it’s over, and we’re friends again now.”

He put his arm around her and she looked up at him. “You’ve got ice cream on your face,” she said, smiling affectionately. She reached up and gently wiped it off.

She stopped, her eyes meeting his. It felt like the most natural thing in the world for her to then lean in and kiss him.

The world stopped as their lips met, sparks flying through Jessica’s whole body as they tentatively gave in to what their bodies craved.

“Wow,” Nathan said when they pulled apart.

“You taste of honey,” said Jessica, grinning.

“That was . . .”

“Amazing,” finished Jessica.

“We can’t blame beer this time,” Nathan said.

“I didn’t honestly blame the beer last time.”

“Me neither. Can I kiss you again?” Nathan asked. “I’m beginning to doubt it was as good as I thought it was. It can’t possibly have been.”

“It probably would be a good idea to check,” agreed Jessica.

This time it was Nathan who leaned in and the kiss was longer. He put an arm around her waist, coaxing her towards him.

“Well, this is a new, fun side to our friendship,” said Jessica when they finally came up for air.

“It certainly is.” Nathan ran his fingers through her hair. “But...”

Jessica pressed a finger to his lips. “No, buts,” she said, gently. “Maybe this isn’t the best idea, but, honestly, I’m fed up with pretending I don’t want to do this with you.”

She held her breath, waiting to see how Nathan would respond. Would he let her down gently? He’d been through so much with his ex-wife, was it even fair of her to push him into this whatever it was, which had no future to it?

“I really like you,” Nathan said.

“I really like you too. And we’re both consenting adults. Maybe this is just a lust thing, maybe if we just get it out of our systems...”

“I can’t imagine getting you out of my system.”

“I’m very keen to try,” said Jessica with a laugh. “Because, frankly, I’ve been going crazy lusting after you.”

Nathan gave a little laugh. He played for time by refocusing on his ice cream. Jessica could tell he was deliberating. He was such a good guy.

“I think you should stay over at my house tonight,” he said, finally.

“I think so too,” Jessica said, a huge grin breaking out across her face.

* * *

Jessica woke up the next morning with Nathan’s arms wrapped around her.

“I should have known you’d be a cuddly sleeper,” she muttered.

“Are you complaining?” Nathan said sleepily, pulling her in closer.

“No.” Jessica took his hand in hers and idly stroked it. “Do you know what the time is?”

“Nope,” said Nathan. “Go back to sleep.”

“I have to go to the dance studio,” Jessica explained.

“No, you don’t, you’re sick,” insisted Nathan.

“I’m not sick!” Jessica laughed.

“You seem hot to me,” said Nathan. She could sense him smiling.

Jessica reached out to the clock on the bedside table and turned it towards her. “I really have to go,” she said. “I need to go to Mum and Dad’s to get changed before the class.”

“No,” said Nathan, kissing her shoulders.

“I can come back later,” Jessica said.

“I’m coming for dinner at your mum and dad’s house, remember?”

“Oh yeah. Are you sure you’re not sick and needing to stay home?”

“Are you offering to come and nurse me?”

“On second thoughts, I’ll see you there,” said Jessica. “You experiencing my dreadful nursing skills would put you off me for life.”

She got out of bed and began searching for her discarded clothes.

“So, this is what your room is like...” Jessica observed. It was exactly as she’d imagined it: very neat and orderly, with minimal stuff.

“You saw it last night,” pointed out Nathan.

“I was a little bit preoccupied last night... Can I just say, you were very inventive. My foot didn’t hold you back at all.”

“Right back at you. I think your dress is somewhere over by the wardrobe.”

“Thanks.”

Jessica located her clothes and pulled them on.

She went back over to the bed. “I’ll see you later,” she said, kissing him before hurrying out.

* * *

Jessica walked as fast as she could back to her parents’ house, wondering if she’d be able to avoid bumping into her mum and dad as she slipped in. She was successful; it was a gorgeous morning, and she imagined they’d be enjoying breakfast in the garden. She crept along the hall and up the stairs and got changed into some shorts and a T-shirt ready to go to dance class. She couldn’t wait until her cast was off and she was able to wear leggings again. She came down the stairs on her bottom rather than struggling with crutches and was grabbing her bag ready to go, when her mum called out, “There you are, Jessica!” from the kitchen.

Jessica turned. “Hi, Mum,” she said. “I’m just on my way to the studio.”

“We didn’t hear you come home last night.” Her mum had a twinkle in her eye.

“No, it was really late by the time we got back, so I stayed at Nathan’s.” Jessica could feel her cheeks turning crimson.

“That was very accommodating of him.” Sarah was clearly trying not to laugh.

“Yes, anyway... I’ve got to go. I’ll see you later.”

“Will Nathan be joining us this evening?”

“Yes.”

“Lovely, I must thank him for looking after you so well.”

Jessica threw her mother a glare as she left.

* * *

“I went to Sadler’s Wells last night,” Jessica told Diana in a break between classes.

“How wonderful! What did you see?”

“The Bolshoi Ballet was performing their new Swan Lake . Their principal was excellent, though I think Petrov would have been a better choice to play Rothbart.”

“You certainly know your ballet,” commented Diana.

“I try to keep up with what’s going on.”

“Have you ever considered writing about it? Articles or blogs about the ballet world for people in the industry, but also for fans?”

“I read a few blogs from ballet dancers I like... I did have my own years ago and I loved writing posts for it, but never seemed to have the time to maintain it and it sort of fell by the wayside.”

“You’ve got time now and you could also share your own experiences as well. Especially chronicling your recovery from your injury — I’m sure there are plenty of dancers who’d be interested in following that.”

“It does sound fun.”

“You could also review productions. You might even end up with some free tickets.”

“Kind of like a catch-all for the ballet world?”

“Yes, everything you’re interested in as well as your life.”

“Thanks, Diana. That could be a really good idea.”

* * *

For probably the first time in her life, Jessica’s mind wasn’t completely on the ballet practice she was a part of for the rest of the day. Part of it was thinking about what a fantastic time she’d had the night before and how her relationship with Nathan had changed, and part was going over what she could write about and how she could present it. She’d want to include plenty of photographs too... There were so many topics she would love to write about.

She finished at three and checked her phone — she had a message from Nathan. Hoping you’re having a good day. Missing you. x She smiled and replied, Missing you too. Just finished. What are you up to?

His reply came through before she’d even finished packing up her bag: Waiting for you.

With a huge smile on her face, Jessica headed straight to Nathan’s house.

* * *

A grumbling Jessica let herself into her parents’ house three hours later with Nathan and Dennis at her side. “I can’t believe you’d rather come here than stay in bed with me,” she muttered to Nathan.

“You know that’s not the case. It was nice of your parents to invite me and it would be rude not to turn up, especially as you live here.”

“Goody two shoes.”

“Hiya,” said Sarah when they walked into the kitchen. She looked from one to the other of them, clearly checking to see if she could sense a difference between how they were behaving toward one another.

“Hello, Sarah, thanks for inviting me,” said Nathan.

“My pleasure,” Jessica’s mother said. “And this must be Dennis.” She knelt down to stroke Dennis’s head. Monty came running in from the garden and was thrilled to discover his friend had arrived. So thrilled, that he managed to knock the kitchen bin over. Dennis was let off his lead and they went careering into the garden.

“Is there anything I can do to help?” Jessica asked her mum.

“Could you lay the table? Your brother and Molly are coming so we’ll need to eat on the patio.”

“Sure.”

“I’ll give you a hand,” said Nathan.

They took cutlery and napkins outside where they found Joe putting away the lawnmower while the dogs got in his way.

“I get in trouble with Peter when he comes round if the grass is too long, apparently it messes up his football,” Joe said good-naturedly. “Did you have a good day at the studio, Jessica?”

“Yes, thanks, Dad.”

“I thought you finished at three today?” he teased.

“I did... I went round to Nathan’s for a bit afterwards.”

“Oh right,” Joe said, chuckling to himself as he went inside.

“Oh my God,” said Jessica to Nathan. “I’m so sorry. They’re not exactly subtle, are they?”

“No,” said Nathan, frowning slightly.

“I haven’t said anything to them,” Jessica said quickly. “And I wasn’t planning to. What’s going on between us is just between us.”

“I just feel a bit awkward, like your parents will think I’m taking advantage of you,” Nathan explained.

“I’m thoroughly enjoying being taken advantage of,” whispered Jessica.

Nathan opened his mouth to reply, but was interrupted by two little voices calling, “Auntie Jessica, Auntie Jessica,” as Emily and Sophie came running out into the garden and flung themselves on their aunt.

Nathan gently supported her so she didn’t topple over.

“Careful there, girls,” he said. “Don’t forget your aunt’s still a bit broken.”

“Sorry!” the girls chorused.

“Ballet class was so fun!” said Emily.

“Yeah, I’m definitely coming next week,” added Sophie.

“That’s great!” said Jessica.

Peter came out behind his sisters, clutching his precious football as usual.

“Would you play football with me, please, Nathan?” he asked.

“Sure. Girls, do you want to join?”

Emily and Sophie nodded.

Jessica watched as Nathan played with her nieces and nephew, who were soon joined by Monty and Dennis. He was right, it was potentially awkward that her mum and dad suspected what was going on between the two of them. She knew that they would judge it if they knew that neither Jessica nor Nathan wanted anything long-term. Nathan had already experienced the destruction of one long-distance relationship, and neither of them could commit to travelling back and forth regularly enough. When she was back in New York she had to be absolutely focused on her recovery — she couldn’t divide herself. It had to be her career or Nathan.