‘Really?’
‘You’ve seen Firebird?’
‘I’ve heard about it, of course, but, no, I’ve never actually seen it performed...’
‘It’s on in London now,’ he said, and he waited for her to jump as most women would at the tiny line he’d just thrown them.
She didn’t.
She lay there her in a state of self-imposed anxiety. Rachel, her flatmate, had been to see it twice and had suggested that Libby join her many times, until Libby had broken down and admitted that, no, she just couldn’t face a full-scale production yet. Her head had let go of the dream, her heart just wasn’t ready to, and it would hurt: it would be agonising to sit and watch what she now knew she would never be a part of again.
Daniil was relieved when she didn’t jump. For a moment he considered taking her to the ballet but soon decided against it. He didn’t want to give the false impression that this was about anything other than sex.
Still, it surprised him that he’d even considered it so he quickly changed the subject.
‘Tell me more about your studios.’
‘There’s not much more to tell.’
‘Have you spoken to the bank?’
Libby gave a small grimace. ‘I’m doing that this afternoon.’
‘Are you prepared for them?’
‘I think so,’ she said, and went a bit pink. ‘Actually, last night I was going to sit down and work out figures.’ She let out a sigh. ‘I’d far rather talk about wolves...’
‘I know that you would but you need to sort this out.’
‘Do you always hold a business meeting with your lovers the next morning?’
‘The scatty ones, yes,’ he said, and didn’t reveal that any conversation was rare the next morning. ‘You are too vague. I think you are leaning towards the one in the East End and that would be a mistake.’
‘Er, I have given this some thought. The one near here charges four times the rent. I can hardly quadruple my prices.’
‘No, but if you can double your number of students you only have to charge double the fee. It’s maths.’
‘Perhaps but there’s only one of me.’
‘So you might get a senior to take some of the juniors.’
‘Oh, so you’re an expert in ballet?’
‘No,’ Daniil calmly responded to her slightly sarcastic tone. ‘I’m an expert in business.’
She frowned. She’d have thought he only knew about massive conglomerates but as he spoke on, more and more it seemed that he understood what she would be dealing with if she opened her own dance school.
In fact, he hit several points that Libby had been hoping she could gloss over when she spoke with the bank.
‘The poorer suburb that you are talking about—I doubt there would be a lot of spare money for dance classes and costumes.’
‘Dance should be available to everyone.’
‘Please.’ Now it was Daniil who rolled his eyes. ‘If that’s your aim then go and hire a hall and give it away for free. What if you get a child with real talent and her parents can’t afford the extra classes?’
Libby lay there.
She didn’t have to tell him her answer. Of course, she would give the child free lessons—how could she not?
‘Now,’ Daniil continued, ‘around here they could afford it. Even for the fat kid with no talent the parents will pay through the nose...’
He was cruel, he was abrasive but, damn him, he was right.
‘Here you could hold adult classes during the day, lunchtime ones—people are trying to squeeze exercise into their days. What were the premises used as previously?’
‘The one near here was used for yoga and the other a ballet and jazz school.’
‘Ask the agents why they closed down. I know you dismissed that yesterday but it is a very important question you must ask and take careful note of the answer.’
‘I shall.’
‘Are you putting your own savings into it?’
Libby’s snort told him that she had none. ‘No, just my talent and enthusiasm...’ She let out a sigh. ‘I haven’t a hope with the bank.’
‘Go and have a shower,’ he said. ‘I’ll make a drink.’
He didn’t join her.
Deliberately.
There was something about sex in the morning that was a touch too intimate for Daniil, but as she climbed out of bed and stretched again he wanted to break his own rule.