The heady beat of salsa thrummed through the little cabaret club, urging the dancers on the public floor to move with the rhythm. Anya laughed as she shimmied with Tony, totally at sea with the appropriate steps, but having the time of her life. It had been such a lovely surprise to have her husband come home and ask her out on a date; a little embarrassment over fumbling dance steps could be easily overlooked.
"Perhaps we should have taken a class in this before jumping straight in, milaya," she giggled.
"What fun would that be?" Tony countered, unable to wipe the grin from his face. With two young children and a ballet company to run, the couple rarely had time to go on "dates", but he had taken his sister's advice to heart and found his mother was more than willing to watch her grandchildren as much or as little as they needed. "It has been too long since we have done anything like this, cara," he told her.
To be fair, no one around them seemed to mind that they didn't really know the steps, nor had anyone yet seemed to realise that the pair on the dance floor stumbling through and laughing were, in fact, professional dancers.
"Much too long," she agreed. "We should do it more often. I miss my husband sometimes, you know?"
That smile on his face twitched a little into a playful smirk, as if he knew something she didn't. "But you have no regrets, da?" he asked, teasing her a little with the hint at her native language. While the steps were complicated, both Tony and Anya were quick studies, especially when it came to dance, which was quickly proven as he dipped her back, holding her there a moment before pulling her back onto her feet, making it look as effortless as breathing.
Laughing as he swept her back up onto her feet, she shared her smile with him in a swift kiss before taking her space again, this time managing to keep her feet moving to the rhythm without issue. "How could I ever regret my life with you?"
"I have few regrets, cara," Tony continued, pulling her close and pressing her hand to his heart as they spun together on the dance floor. "I only wish we had done this sooner, but better late than never," he said. Despite having parted ways for a few years, that time had not truly been wasted, as they had both been busy honing their craft before they had unexpected been reunited.
"That is my only regret, too," she admitted quietly. "But I think we would not be so happy now as we are if we had not spent that time apart, nyet" I grew up a lot in my loneliness without you."
"Perhaps we had to be alone to realize how much we missed each other," Tony suggested. He'd been crushed when Anya had made the decision to leave New York for Europe, but he had understood her reasons and had made no move to stop her. He still wasn't sure if he'd done the right thing then, but here she was in his arms, right where she belonged.
"Perhaps," she mused. "But that is all in the past, milaya. We have two beautiful babies now. Who would have predicted that?" She laughed, knowing perfectly well that his mother would have Sofia so ramped up on sugar when she delivered them back tomorrow that the next evening would be sheer hell on their nerves.
"It is, and now that I have you back, I have no intentions to ever let you go again," he warned her, blue eyes glittering with adoration.
He dipped her once more, before bringing her back up and spinning her out, and then back into his arms as the music came to a close. He had not realized that they had drawn a small group of admirers who'd recognized them from the ballet, and even though they were nowhere near experts at the salsa, there was some light applause their way.
Hair and skirt flying, Anya was always happy to be in Tony's capable hands, trusting him to guide her exactly where she needed to be without the need for words of warning. Perhaps that was what had caught the attention of those few who were watching them; that palpable trust between the dancers that made each movement graceful and seamless. Whatever it was, she was smiling again as the music wound down, pressing a quick kiss to his lips.
"Maybe our dessert is ready now."
Or maybe she was dessert, but Tony was too much of a gentleman to say so, especially in public. "We should definitely do this more often," he said, a hand at the small of her back as they headed back toward their table. He nodded his head to acknowledge the smattering of applause, knowing how striking they were as a couple, even if they weren't experts at this style of dancing.
"Regularly, perhaps?" Anya suggested, unaware that this had been one of the points his sister had made to him to get this date to happen in the first place. Slipping down into her chair at their table, she beamed at Tony. "I am truly enjoying myself, cara."
He didn't seat himself until she was seated, making sure to pull out her chair for her before taking his seat. "What would you think about once a week?" he asked. He'd already broached the subject with his mother and had received her blessing, so there was no chance it would fall through, so long as they made a point to make time for each other.
Anya's eyes lit up with hopeful joy. "Could we do that?" she asked, excitement plain in her voice. "We would have to find someone to take the children for that night; it may be difficult."
Tony chuckled, unable to contain his amusement. "Would it?" he asked, a hint of teasing lighting up his eyes again, knowing what she as yet did not. He motioned to the waiter to refill their coffee and bring dessert, as they were done dancing for the moment.
She raised a brow, her smile deepening as she recognized the look in his eyes. "You have already arranged it, haven't you?" she accused him fondly. Then the light bulb pinged on in her head. "With your mother! Of course! Oh, Rosita will love having the children once a week."
"We will pay for it the day after," he admitted with a wry grin, but it would be worth it to have Anya all to himself one night a week. "Do you think it's selfish?" he asked, though he didn't think the children would suffer for it, as their grandmother would enjoy spoiling them rotten.
"Only if you consider selfishness to be a purely negative thing," Anya said gently. "I think everyone should be a little selfish - how can you care for yourself, if you are not' And we need this, Tony. I meant it - I have missed you, having you to myself for a little while. I do not regret our family, not at all. But I miss waking up with only you, and not a four year old monster bouncing on my bladder as well."
Tony chuckled. He adored their daughter, but she did have a way of interfering with her parents' love life. "I do not think she will be doing that when she is sixteen, cara," he reminded her. He couldn't deny that their daughter was the apple of his eye, but it was her mother he'd loved first.
"Perhaps we should have taken a class in this before jumping straight in, milaya," she giggled.
"What fun would that be?" Tony countered, unable to wipe the grin from his face. With two young children and a ballet company to run, the couple rarely had time to go on "dates", but he had taken his sister's advice to heart and found his mother was more than willing to watch her grandchildren as much or as little as they needed. "It has been too long since we have done anything like this, cara," he told her.
To be fair, no one around them seemed to mind that they didn't really know the steps, nor had anyone yet seemed to realise that the pair on the dance floor stumbling through and laughing were, in fact, professional dancers.
"Much too long," she agreed. "We should do it more often. I miss my husband sometimes, you know?"
That smile on his face twitched a little into a playful smirk, as if he knew something she didn't. "But you have no regrets, da?" he asked, teasing her a little with the hint at her native language. While the steps were complicated, both Tony and Anya were quick studies, especially when it came to dance, which was quickly proven as he dipped her back, holding her there a moment before pulling her back onto her feet, making it look as effortless as breathing.
Laughing as he swept her back up onto her feet, she shared her smile with him in a swift kiss before taking her space again, this time managing to keep her feet moving to the rhythm without issue. "How could I ever regret my life with you?"
"I have few regrets, cara," Tony continued, pulling her close and pressing her hand to his heart as they spun together on the dance floor. "I only wish we had done this sooner, but better late than never," he said. Despite having parted ways for a few years, that time had not truly been wasted, as they had both been busy honing their craft before they had unexpected been reunited.
"That is my only regret, too," she admitted quietly. "But I think we would not be so happy now as we are if we had not spent that time apart, nyet" I grew up a lot in my loneliness without you."
"Perhaps we had to be alone to realize how much we missed each other," Tony suggested. He'd been crushed when Anya had made the decision to leave New York for Europe, but he had understood her reasons and had made no move to stop her. He still wasn't sure if he'd done the right thing then, but here she was in his arms, right where she belonged.
"Perhaps," she mused. "But that is all in the past, milaya. We have two beautiful babies now. Who would have predicted that?" She laughed, knowing perfectly well that his mother would have Sofia so ramped up on sugar when she delivered them back tomorrow that the next evening would be sheer hell on their nerves.
"It is, and now that I have you back, I have no intentions to ever let you go again," he warned her, blue eyes glittering with adoration.
He dipped her once more, before bringing her back up and spinning her out, and then back into his arms as the music came to a close. He had not realized that they had drawn a small group of admirers who'd recognized them from the ballet, and even though they were nowhere near experts at the salsa, there was some light applause their way.
Hair and skirt flying, Anya was always happy to be in Tony's capable hands, trusting him to guide her exactly where she needed to be without the need for words of warning. Perhaps that was what had caught the attention of those few who were watching them; that palpable trust between the dancers that made each movement graceful and seamless. Whatever it was, she was smiling again as the music wound down, pressing a quick kiss to his lips.
"Maybe our dessert is ready now."
Or maybe she was dessert, but Tony was too much of a gentleman to say so, especially in public. "We should definitely do this more often," he said, a hand at the small of her back as they headed back toward their table. He nodded his head to acknowledge the smattering of applause, knowing how striking they were as a couple, even if they weren't experts at this style of dancing.
"Regularly, perhaps?" Anya suggested, unaware that this had been one of the points his sister had made to him to get this date to happen in the first place. Slipping down into her chair at their table, she beamed at Tony. "I am truly enjoying myself, cara."
He didn't seat himself until she was seated, making sure to pull out her chair for her before taking his seat. "What would you think about once a week?" he asked. He'd already broached the subject with his mother and had received her blessing, so there was no chance it would fall through, so long as they made a point to make time for each other.
Anya's eyes lit up with hopeful joy. "Could we do that?" she asked, excitement plain in her voice. "We would have to find someone to take the children for that night; it may be difficult."
Tony chuckled, unable to contain his amusement. "Would it?" he asked, a hint of teasing lighting up his eyes again, knowing what she as yet did not. He motioned to the waiter to refill their coffee and bring dessert, as they were done dancing for the moment.
She raised a brow, her smile deepening as she recognized the look in his eyes. "You have already arranged it, haven't you?" she accused him fondly. Then the light bulb pinged on in her head. "With your mother! Of course! Oh, Rosita will love having the children once a week."
"We will pay for it the day after," he admitted with a wry grin, but it would be worth it to have Anya all to himself one night a week. "Do you think it's selfish?" he asked, though he didn't think the children would suffer for it, as their grandmother would enjoy spoiling them rotten.
"Only if you consider selfishness to be a purely negative thing," Anya said gently. "I think everyone should be a little selfish - how can you care for yourself, if you are not' And we need this, Tony. I meant it - I have missed you, having you to myself for a little while. I do not regret our family, not at all. But I miss waking up with only you, and not a four year old monster bouncing on my bladder as well."
Tony chuckled. He adored their daughter, but she did have a way of interfering with her parents' love life. "I do not think she will be doing that when she is sixteen, cara," he reminded her. He couldn't deny that their daughter was the apple of his eye, but it was her mother he'd loved first.