Red Winter [Bucky Barnes]

Chapter Fifteen: Behind Closed Curtains

The rest of the performance managed to go smoothly, all things considered. No one seemed to notice Vera's absence, and anyone who had questions must have been smart enough to keep their mouths shut. Any normal person in my shoes would have certainly been racked with guilt, but I felt nothing. It was kind of comical, honestly, she died at the hands of one of her students.

She definitely couldn't have seen that one coming.

Eh, it didn't matter, I was definitely not going to loose any sleep over her. It was actually pretty liberating to be able to perform without her backstage critiquing every move. I was able to perform without the fear that I would be torn apart for a simple mistake. I felt like the rest of the performers felt the same way, there was a breath of new life in the second act, like a weight had been lifted off of our shoulders.

I was unable to tear the smile from my face when I took my bows, soaking in the intoxicating and thunderous applause. It was certainly an ego booster, I could have stayed up there for hours if they had let me. It was nice to be praised and admired for once, to know that out there someone appreciated the hard work and dedication that was put into this.

Still riding on the high from the bows, I float back into my dressing room with a newfound spring in my step. My smile slowly drains from my face when I discover Nikolai's gift hung up neatly for me on the bathroom door. It was a slinky black silk dress, and even without trying it on, I could tell that it was going to be very revealing. Of course this was going to be his gift, he would have never actually given me something thoughtful or useful.

I groan as I slide out of my costume, surprised to see that my feet were not bleeding or aching. So this was how it was always supposed to be. Damn, I would have killed to have had this a few months ago. I could feel the effects of the serum in the rest of my body as well; I should have been completely exhausted from this performance, but I had barely broken a sweat. I could have done the whole thing two or three more times before feeling any fatigue.

Hesitantly, I slip on the dress, suddenly feeling very exposed. The fabric clung to every curve and left very little to the imagination. There was also a slit that ended rather high up on my thigh, exposing much of my leg. I would have rather walked out of the dressing room naked, than be forced to wear this. I pause as I turn to look at myself one last time in the mirror, feeling a wave of anxiety and insecurity flow through my veins.

I take a deep, energizing breath before walking out of the dressing room, determined to get this done and over with. The sooner I impressed the investors, the sooner I could get back to the apartment and get Barnes alone. Even the smallest thought of him caused my heart to race and every hair on my body to stand straight up. God I had it bad, that much was obvious.

I strolled through the empty hallways, following the sound of Ivan and Nikolai's voices. Either my hearing had vastly improved or they were just that fucking loud. I follow their voices into the biggest box in the Bolshoi. Of course they had reserved it for the night, it allowed them to have the best seats in the theater. There was no better way to woo the investors.

Everyone falls silent when I walk in, their eyes intently locked on me. Nikolai smiles excitedly as he stands up, his eyes racking over my body intensely. "Gentlemen," he motions to the rest of the men in the box, who I assumed were the investors he was talking about earlier, "allow me to introduce the Siren herself, Katerina."

I smile warmly as I slide past Nikolai to sit down, trying to ignore everyones eyes on me. As I sit down, I notice Barnes standing in the background, hidden deep in the shadows. A smirk passes over his lips as he rests slightly against the wall, his eyes slowly trailing up and down my body. My cheeks grow hot when our eyes meet, and I can only hope that my makeup was able to conceal the redness I knew was clouding my cheeks.