I opened my eyes and I was back in the ballroom with Dante.
When realized that I was fantasizing about Dimitri again, I stepped back.
"Are you okay, Anya?" I heard.
"What did you say?" I asked.
Dante replied, "I asked if you are alright."
"Oh- yes. I guess I am still not used to all this spinning." I replied.
Dante stopped. He stepped back and bowed. "I'm sorry Anastasia. My wish was not for you to feel ill but to feel welcomed back into your world where you have been missed all these years. I missed you." Dante said.
"Dante-" I smiled, "it's okay. You don't need to apologize. Let's just take it slow. No more spinning."
He nodded his head in agreement.
In that moment, I heard a familiar voice, "Cut it out, Pooka! No!"
I turned immediately to the direction of the voice. It was coming from behind me. It was coming from the curtains where I had seen the shoes.
The figure stumbled through the curtains. I saw Pooka tugging on the cuffs of the pants of this mysterious man.
"Everything alright Anastasia?" Dante asked.
I ignored his question as I tried to find my way back to the curtains to see the face of the mysterious man who is mumbling words.
Pooka yelps.
The mysterious man has fallen.
I dash through the curtains and towards the mysterious man. All I see is the back of his head as he maneuvers to get up from the floor.
I know that smell. It's very familiar to me. I know that hair.
"Dimitri?" I ask the mysterious man.
"You there! What are you doing on the floor and sneaking around behind the curtains?!" Dante demanded answers from behind me.
The mysterious man looks up towards me and Dante. The mysterious man and I made eye contact.