Secret Moves(37)

"Anyway, I know Mum would love this news so I'm sure she wouldn't mind me hijacking her birthday party to announce it." Dylan smiled at Ari before continuing. "As the sun was rising, I proposed to Ari and she said yes."

Squeals of delight were heard from everywhere in the backyard, the loudest one coming from Linda.

While Kris watched everyone take turns congratulating the newly engaged couple, her gaze strayed to Trey and found him watching her. She smiled at him as he ambled toward her.

"I really hope you get that job at Blake's studio," he said quietly, snaking an arm around her waist.

She beamed at him. "Me, too," she replied, resting her head on his shoulder.

She felt him kiss her hair and her heart expanded. Maybe, just maybe, she and Trey had a future together.





*******



Kris twisted her hands nervously as she waited for Blake to enter his office. She'd been waiting for him for almost fifteen minutes now and wondered what was keeping him.

She couldn't wait to hear what he was going to say. She'd been waiting for his call for days, and when it came that morning, she'd hardly been able to concentrate on anything else. It had helped that she had gone shopping with Sam all day. But she'd been so distracted she hadn't even bought one item, whereas Sam had added five new pieces of clothing to her wardrobe.

She wanted this job so much she could taste it. Funnily enough, it wasn't the leg-up she'd get for the Melbourne position that made her desperate for the role. It was the fact that it would enable her to stay in Sydney for a longer period of time so she could be with Trey.

The last ten days with him had been wonderful beyond her expectations. As far as she was concerned, what she and Trey had was no longer a fling. It was much too sweet, much too caring, and much too passionate to be considered casual.

They hadn't talked about it yet, so she didn't know what Trey thought of their relationship status. But judging from how he'd been treating her and how he'd been wanting to spend all his free time with her, she was hopeful he was starting to consider them a real couple.

She knew being in a serious relationship would be a major step for Trey, and she didn't want him to feel pressured. That was why getting this job meant a lot to her. It would give Trey time to get used to the idea of being in a committed relationship with her.

She was startled out of her thoughts when Blake finally walked in.

"Hey, Kris," he said brightly.

"Hi, Blake," she replied, scanning his face for clues of his news.

"Sorry I kept you waiting. How are you?" Blake asked as he sat on his chair.

"Good, thank you. You?" she replied calmly.

"I'm fine, thanks. I'm glad you're able to make it here this evening. You probably planned to have dinner with some friends. But my days are pretty full and I didn't want to just tell you my news over the phone, so I appreciate you coming here after business hours."

"No problem."

"Those complications that I mentioned to you the other day," Blake said, "I've managed to work around them. So, the job here in Sydney is yours, if you want it."

Her face broke into a wide, grateful smile. "Of course, I want it. Thank you so much, Blake."

"There's another opportunity coming up that I haven't mentioned to you before. This came about just in the last couple of days. One of my dance teachers will be moving to Melbourne for family reasons. That means I'll have a critical full-time position available here in the future. I just want to mention that so you're aware. When the time comes you can apply for that position, as well as the Melbourne one, if you like."

Kris inhaled sharply, surprised by his news.

"The thing is, Kris, I want a really strong candidate for the role here—even more than for the Melbourne studio. This branch is more established, and as you know, our clientele here demand the very best. I need someone who's able to maintain the excellent reputation of this place while I'm off working on some other project. While I'm not promising you anything at this point, I hope you would consider applying for the Sydney role when it becomes available. I've spoken to a few people you've worked with in the past, and they only have great things to say about you."

Kris gulped visibly, words failing her for the moment.

"Anyway," Blake said, "I know a permanent move to Sydney is not an easy decision. I thought I'd let you know early so you can take your time considering the possibility. For now, we're both clear you're accepting the three-month contract, right?"

She smiled at him. "Yes. Again, thank you, Blake."

"I think I'm the one who's thankful. You're a find, Kris. I know you'll be a big asset for me. When can you start?"

"Can you give me a couple of weeks? This holiday ends for me on Sunday when my cousin and I fly back home. I'll need time to sort a few things out. I'll resign from my current job, among other things."