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she looked her up and down and added with false sweetness, “Still, if you’re not finished yet, please, feel free to share the space with me. I know you can use the practice.”
    Instead of bitch-slapping the little twit Treena smiled. Failing to react as predicted drove the younger woman up the wall more than anything. “Why, thank you, Julie-Ann. How very…kind. What do you think, Carly—you up for another hour?”
    â€œAbsolutely. I can’t think of anything more lovely. We can always benefit from Julie-Ann’s expertise, can’t we?”
    â€œIndeed.” Whatever else could be said about the young dancer, Treena had to admit she wasn’t stupid, and she watched in satisfaction as frustration flickered across her face at their acceptance of an offer she’d only tendered for the annoyance factor. Then she turned to Carly. “On the other hand, I’ve already done a class plus the additional time Suse let me squeeze out of the schedule. And the babies are probably ready to climb the wall, waiting for you to get home and feed them.”
    â€œThat’s true.” Carly flashed Julie-Ann a friendly grin. “Not to mention Treena has a date to get ready for. You remember what that was like, don’t you, dear? I mean, it hasn’t been that long since you’ve been out on one yourself, surely.”
    Julie-Ann smiled tightly. “You’re so droll, Carly.”
    Treena laughed. “Isn’t she?” she agreed and excused herself to pack up her dance bag. Carly strolled over tojoin her and the two of them said a breezy goodbye to the young woman and let themselves out of the studio.
    The smile dropped from Treena’s face the moment the door swung shut behind them. “What is the deal with that girl?” she demanded as they emerged onto the street. A blast of furnace-hot, dry desert heat hit them. “What on earth have I ever done to make her dislike me so?”
    â€œBeen a better teacher than she’ll ever be.”
    She stopped dead and stared at her friend. “Say what?”
    â€œYou’ve got an easy way of instructing that gets the point across without making people feel like clumsy dolts. But when Julie-Ann compliments someone, you find yourself patting your back in search of the knife. And everyone is sick to death of hearing how she’s done this, that or the other thing, each one more marvelous than the last, according to her. Hell, who knows, it may all be true. But when it comes to dance captain, the troupe liked you better, and she knows it.”
    â€œSo, big deal. They like me better.” She started down the street again. “Life’s a trade-off—and as much as it pains me to admit it, she’s a better dancer than I am these days. Can’t she be happy with that?”
    â€œNo. The kid’s got a killer competitive streak, and nobody gets to be better than her at anything.”
    Treena wondered what it must be like to grow up in a world that allowed such behavior. She was raised in a steel town that was constantly downsizing. One counted oneself fortunate to have steady employment and certainly no one had the leisure to develop a superiority complex. They were too busy trying to earn enough money to put food on the table. “I just don’t understand that,” she admitted aloud.
    â€œThat’s because you’ve got one of the best work ethics I’ve ever seen—I don’t know anyone else in this business who’s worked two jobs from the time they were old enough to land any kind of employment at all.”
    â€œMy folks needed my contribution, and I needed those dance classes.” Dancing had been the only escape she’d ever had—the single bright spot in a tungsten-colored world—and it had been worth every penny she’d scraped together. Her early classes had transported her out of that dreary town for one brief, shining hour at a