Page 17 of Easy Rumba

Chapter 7

Elise

“Ithink I’m going to be sick.”

My stomach’s churning repeatedly.

“You’ll be absolutely fine, Elise. Relax. You know the steps by heart, and you look amazing.”

“I’m going to mess it up and fall flat on my face. They won’t even bother to vote on it. They’ll send us straight home.”

I place my hand over my mouth, worrying that I may be about to see my lunch again.

“Elise, look at me.” Leo tilts my face with his hand, so I have no choice but to look directly into his dreamy eyes. My body heats in all the right places, and I feel nausea for a different reason. I know spending so much time with Leo is dangerous. I’ve been reminded of all the things I liked about him as a teenager. “You’ll be fine. Trust my lead and lose yourself in the music.”

“Ok.”

“Ladies and Gentlemen, Elise Landry and her partner, Leo Westwood, performing a waltz,” the announcer of the show states, and the first bars of ‘I’m Kissing You’ by Des’ree are played by the orchestra.

I look into Leo’s eyes again, and I’m instantly lost in them as our feet start moving around the room. I begin with my right heel leading on the first step, followed by two steps up onto the balls of my feet, giving the rise and fall movement to the dance. Before I know it, the song finishes, and our dance is at an end.

Leo pulls me into his arms and whispers, “Well done.”

I can’t believe it’s over so quickly. My eyes fill with tears, but I’m determined not to cry. I know in my heart I made a few little mistakes, but other than that, everything went well. We make our way over to the host as everyone stands and claps. Out of the corner of my eye, I catch Izzy, Gabby, Rhys, Sam, and Ailish all clapping like mad things. I give them a joyous smile.

The audience falls silent, and we line up next to the host, ready for the judge's critique of our dance. If I thought I was nervous before, I’m terrified now. These three experts are at the top of the dance world. They’ve been there, done that, and won so many medals and trophies between them they could fill a whole room—a very big room in fact.

Thankfully, the host eases me into the comments gently, starting with the kindest judge of the group. Sharon Cooper is a former ballet dancer who turned to Latin and ballroom later in her career. Her poise and posture are awe-inspiring whenever she enters the room. Because she’s so graceful, she moves across the ground in a fluid motion. The first time I met her, I was tongue-tied at her elegance and stature, and the way she commanded the room.

“I feel all tearful,” Sharon begins her feedback while dabbing at her eyes.“That was simply stunning. You two glided around the room like you were floating. There was a little mistiming in a few places, but that’s understandable with first show nerves. Your posture needs a bit of work, Elise, but it’s almost there. For a first dance, I thought it was absolutely amazing. Congratulations.”

I let out a long sigh of relief, and Leo cuddles me a little tighter, whispering in my ear another, “Well done.”

Next up is one of the two male judges, Elton. He’s a flamboyant British dancer, completely lovely and such a stylish dresser. He came to all of us before the show and gave us little tips and pointers. He even told jokes to help us all relax. I know for a fact he totally loves Leo and Leo’s muscles, but as he’s happily settled with a partner of ten years, he definitely won’t be testing the waters.

“Elise, my darling, that was fantastic. When you did the pirouette around Leo, your balance was superb. Push more with the heel leads in the future, really emphasize the steps, but for a first dance, I’m happy. I think we’ll see a lot more from you in this competition.”

I feel like I’m shaking. The positivity of the comments, so far, has really left me on the verge of tears. I keep looking over to Izzy, and she has the biggest smile on her face. She’s seeing her mama do something positive for once.

The audience falls silent again, and I know it’s time for the final judge to comment. Denzel is well known for being grumpy and won’t give anyone a top score of ten before the final show. He’s the typical bad guy, but when you really listen to what he says, he’s being honest and giving you useful pointers. Knowing that, though, doesn’t stop me feeling sick and trying to hide under Leo’s arm as I wait for his comments.

“Your left arm is weak, Elise. You must work on strengthening it in position. I agree the heel leads require more definition and you need to watch your timing, but overall, a good effort. Well done.”

“Thank you.” I mouth in relief.

It could have been a lot worse. I heard him telling the previous celebrity dancer that if by some miracle he got through to the next show, he needed to spend the entire week just learning to count a rhythm because he had none. There’s no doubt I got off lightly.

Our interview with the judges is finished, and we go backstage to talk to the male host, Chris. I don’t really remember much of what I say or what he asks, because it’s all a blur. I performed the dance, and I’m so proud of myself. I’ve felt low for such a long time after everything with Simon, but I can feel my confidence returning. Maybe this show will help me become the person I once was. Actress or dancer, I can once again lose myself in roles and come home to my daughter, knowing she’s proud of her mama for being a strong woman.

“The scores are in,” Chris announces, and I watch as the camera pans back to the judges.

“Six.” Denzel holds up a board with my score on it. The audience boos, but I’m ecstatic with that. He gave the dancer before me a one.

“Eight.” Sharon holds up her board, and everyone behind the scenes, including all the other dancers and celebrities, start cheering. Only one other couple received an eight. I do a quick mental math tally in my head, and if I get another eight from Elton, then I’m top of the leaderboard by one mark.

“Eight.” Elton holds his paddle high in the air, waving it around for all to see.

Everyone erupts in shouts of joy. Leo picks me up and twirls me around before placing me a little dizzily back on my feet. I can’t wait to see Izzy’s face. Twenty-two out of thirty for my first dance, and I’ve never really danced before except when I was a teenager with Leo. The camera cuts to the next couple, and Leo and I are ushered out of the room to get a drink and a moment’s breathing space.

---