Page 80 of Captivated

Liliana stiffened at the sound of the director’s voice coming from the door of the women’s private rooms. It was where all the ladies changed, showered, and kept their belongings. It certainly wasn’t a place for men.

Men had their own.

None of the other ladies getting dressed seemed to mind Gordo’s presence, but Liliana was just a little too sensitive to shit like that. It didn’t matter that Gordo had never once tried anything inappropriate on her, or someone else—as far as she knew.

It still put her on edge.

“Thanks,” she tossed over her shoulder.

“You know I wasn’t sure you were right to be the lead of Swan Lake, but you’re proving me wrong.”

Liliana wasn’t sure if that was meant to be a backhanded compliment, or not. Her entire ballet career was muddied by the fact she hadn’t gotten a position in a company until later in her life than most other dancers, and people often mistook that as her being incapable, or a lesser dancer.

Their mistake.

She didn’t care to explain.

Tossing her bag over her shoulder, Liliana slammed her locker shut, and turned around to face Gordo. “I’m glad you feel like you’ve made the right choice.”

I guess.

What else could she say?

“Of course.” Gordo smiled, and tipped his head to the side. “Also, someone dropped off a little gift for you. You’ll find it at the front desk.”

“What gift?”

“You’ll see—I’m sure you’ll love it. All women do, it seems.”

Liliana frowned. “Who dropped it off?”

Gordo only shrugged.

Knowing she wasn’t going to get anything out of this man, Liliana simply passed him by. She answered the echoing goodbyes of the dancers with a wave of her hand over her shoulder. She was ready to get home, and relax.

Maybe, if she could convince herself to stop acting like a child, she could even call Joe. Apologize … or something.

It might have taken her a couple of days—and a difficult conversation or two with her sister—but she recognized that perhaps she had overreacted. Or at the very least, she owed Joe the chance to explain himself.

Even if she didn’t treat Joe like every other guy since the whole Rich debacle, she was still letting negative things bleed into her perspective. She was going to try to do better with that whole thing.

Try being the keyword.

“Oh, Liliana,” the girl behind the front desk said. “Come to get your beauties before you go?”

“Yeah, Gordo said someone dropped something off for me?”

Margie smiled widely, and waved at the huge bushel of white roses on the side of her desk. Liliana stared at the ostentatious bundle for a long while, and then reached out to stroke one of the silky petals between her fingertips.

Joe, maybe?

“Any card?” Liliana asked.

Margie shook her head. “Nope—the guy just dropped them off, and said they were to be delivered to you before you left for the day.”

Likely Joe, then.

If he was watching her—still the one watching her—then she suspected he would have her schedule, and know she was at the studio.