Hey, Y'all!!!! This is it!!!! The love story of Blaze and Fabien stops here for us, but somewhere, far away from here, far away from our eyes, their story goes on and on. I must say that mixing two of my passions (writing and dancing) to create this story was beautiful, frustrating... unique. I did so much research for this story, like never before. And I hope every single detail helped you understand better certain terms. I also loved mixing French. I'm in love with Paris, I'm in love with everything French (I'm sure you got this by now...) :)))) I want to thank you all for everything you've done to keep this book relevant, and to motivate me to keep writing it. Thank you so much for your gems, your comments, and your PMs asking me questions about it, about ballet and even asking me to help you with your French. :)))) It was so much fun!!!!! Well, see you soon with a new story! (Yes I'm already working on it!) Until next time... Baci & Abbracci, Emma.
Hi, Y’all!!!!How are you, guys? I hope you’re doing great!Are you ready for a new romantic adventure? If so, fasten your seatbelts, and let’s start this new ride together.This book is very loosely based on a true story. Significant portions of the story, or major plot turns, have been rewritten.With this being said, follow me into the magical, gracious, exquisite, beautiful world of ballet. I love this amazing form of art since I was a little girl. At some point, I tried becoming a ballerina, but I wasn’t built to be one, so… I did other things.But ballet kept being a part of my life every step of the way. I saw the most important shows: “Swan Lake”, “Giselle”, “The Nutcracker”, “Romeo and Juliet”, “Don Quixote” and so on. I live in Italy, so, I hope, one day, to see a ballet show at the “Scala”, in Milan. (just a little dream of mine.)Before “taking the stage”, allow me to explain a few things. In this story, you may find mentioned some strange French words. They are ballet mov
She could still hear the doctor’s verdict… ‘The knee isn’t working the way it's supposed to, Blaze… I know it’s not what you needed to hear, but… you can’t go on. As a ballerina, this is the end of the road for you. I’m sorry.’ No, she couldn’t stop now. All she needed to do was work even more. In time, the pain will go away. No, this wasn’t the end of the road. Dancing was her reason to be… it has been since she was three years old. Dammit! This injury could not have happened at a worse moment. The Company was preparing ‘Swan Lake’, the most known, loved, and extremely difficult ballet in the dancing world. It has some of the most notorious steps in ballet repertory. There were still so many rehearsals to attend… And Violet had some problems with those 32 fouettés. On their last rehearsal, the last five of them were quite slow. Odile/The Black Swan was as important as Odette/The White Swan, so Violet needed to pay the same amount of
Outside the rehearsal studio, Blaze hesitated for a second, then braced herself to duck in and collect her bag. Head down, she did just that, not responding when Violet asked if she was going to be part of the rehearsal.“I’m ready now, B.B.,” she said, “all warmed up and ready…” But Blaze just passed near her and said nothing. They would hear soon enough. Another dancer would be promoted into her role in the latest production. Maybe Violet. Maybe one of the other soloists. Life would go on… for everybody, but not for her. Outside in the warm summer air, Blaze took deep breaths and fought back her tears. She had never been more alone and scared in her entire life. Her whole world had crumbled around her. The discipline and passion that had formed the boundaries of her days and nights had dissolved into nothingness. Right now, she had no future, and her past was irrelevant. She was the owner of a broken body and broken dreams
As always when he thought of Blaze, Fabien pictured her on stage, standing in a circle of light, her small, elegant body arched into a perfect ‘arabesque’. Then came the memories of her as a woman, laughing with him on the ratty couch in the dump of a house they’d shared with two other dancers, or lounging on the back porch in the hot evening air. False memories, he knew. Gilded by time and distance. Blaze couldn’t possibly be as funny, as warm and beautiful and sensual as he remembered her. He’d turned her into a symbol of everything he’d given up.“So, what are you going to do now?” Willow asked as she slid a box across the floor to join the others he’d stacked against the wall. Fabien deliberately misunderstood her.“Well, I’m going to finish packing these boxes, then find someplace warm to have a cold beer,” he said. She rolled her eyes.“Would you stop, please? I mean… What are you going to do next? What are you going to do now that you’ve
“Oh, God… It’s so good to see you…” she whispered in a shaky voice, near his ear, while Fabien was still holding her. “I’ve missed this so much.” Blaze pushed herself away from Fabien’s embrace and brushed the tears from the corners of her eyes. He appeared utterly blown away to see her. She suddenly realized how stupid she must seem, arriving on his doorstep unannounced and crying all over him. She was feeling kind of blown away herself. It had been eight years since she’d last seen his face, and Blaze was surprised at how much… older and grown-up he seemed. Fabien was thirty-one now, of course. No longer as young as she recalled him. Blaze hadn’t expected him to remain untouched by time, but the reality of him was astonishing. He almost looked like a stranger, with new lines around his mouth and eyes. His formerly long, tousled hair was cut short in a utilitarian buzz cut. His body was different, too. As a dancer, Fabien had been all
She gazed at him for a few seconds then smiled slightly.“Yeah, it’s been too long…” Blaze whispered. “Way too long.” A small silence fell as they both savored their wine.“Do you want to talk about what happened?” Fabien asked after a while. “Call people names, throw a tantrum? I’m happy to listen if you do.” Blaze drew her legs up so that she was sitting cross-legged.“I wasn’t ready for this... forced exit. I mean, they told me the surgery was a long shot, but I’ve always been a good healer. I did everything they asked of me. I followed the rehabilitation schedule guided by Patrick Rump, I did yoga, Pilates… I did every single thing. It has been so hard and the pain has been excruciating, but the knee was getting better. If they’d just given me more time… just a few days more, maybe…” She looked down and saw that her left hand was clenched over her knee, while her right was strangling the glass.“What did the doctor say?”“Oh, that man… A bun
Fabien ran a hand across the bristle of his buzz cut as Blaze disappeared through the bathroom door. Blaze Autumn Bergdahl. He couldn’t quite believe that she was in his apartment after all these years. The shock of seeing her on his doorstep continued to resonate within him. It was almost as though thinking of her today at his father’s apartment had conjured her into his life. She was still as magnificent as ever, with her long, rich brown hair and those deep blue eyes. And being in the same room with her was still an experience in itself, her body vibrated with so much emotion and intensity, she was utterly compelling. It was one of the reasons Blaze was such a joy to watch on stage. Blaze had presence, star quality. She’d always drawn people to her. Fabien heard the shower come on and began collecting glasses and plates. Her perfume hung in the air, something flowery and light. The same perfume s