Page 15 of The Dance Deception
There’s another group who look like pro dancers chatting by the drinks machine. And Emilia is standing nearby with Theo, although she’s ignoring him and scrolling through her phone. It looks like only Dean is missing.
‘That’s my partner Valentina,’ Liam says, pointing towards a dancer with long brown hair.
‘And mine, Gabriel, the one next to her,’ Beth says. ‘That’s not his real name though – he’s really called Clive but he’s using Gabriel to sound more exotic. You can’t tell anyone else though – he’d kill me.’
Before I can point out Merle, Clipboard Girl arrives with Dean, and once he’s joined Theo on the other side of the room the day officially begins. She introduces herself as Olivia and explains how the schedule is going to work. We’ll go to hair and make-up two at a time and while some people are there, another person will go to the costume department and someone else will head to the studio for a dress rehearsal with their pro partner. After each element, we’re to return to this room so she can tell us where we need to be next.
‘It’s a strict timetable, so we all have to be where we’re meant to be when we’re meant to be there,’ she says.
‘She’s fierce,’ Liam whispers. ‘We’d better do what we’re told.’
‘Shh!’ Tammy nudges him with her elbow.
‘The reason we’ve got you in so early today is because we’ve got a lot of prep to get through,’ Olivia continues. ‘But you will find there’s a fair bit of hanging around, because we have all the pro dancers to get ready too, so we ask you to wait in this room whenever you’re not due to be anywhere else. Please don’t stray too far in case we need you for something – and because this building is a bit of a maze, it’s easy to get lost. A light lunch will be served in here between one p.m. and two. If you’ve got any food allergies please come and let me know.’
‘I’m already starving,’ Liam mutters, patting his stomach.
‘Shh!’ Tammy and I whisper simultaneously, making us giggle.
Olivia sends a stern look our way then continues. ‘And now I’m going to introduce you to all the dancers. You’llobviously know your own, but over there we have Gabriel Romero, who’s dancing with Beth Atkins, and there is Daniele Sala, who’s partnered with Theo Edwards.’
They raise their hands to identify themselves as their names are called out in turn, and my heart flutters when she gets to Merle.
‘Next up is Merle Picard – give everyone a wave, Merle!’ Olivia instructs.
‘Holy crap, is he real?’ Tammy mutters.
‘Jesus,’ Beth whispers. ‘Someone got lucky.’
‘Merle is dancing with Kate Wareing,’ Olivia announces, and my cheeks flush as they both turn to look at me.
‘Is he single?’ Tammy asks. ‘He’s a god!’
‘Hands off, he’s all mine,’ I laugh.
After introducing the rest of the dancers, Olivia calls out my name and tells me I’ll be first to get my hair done. Theo is coming too, ‘so his skin can be made camera-ready’. Olivia tells us she’ll come back to collect us when we’ve both been beautified. I guess I’ll have to catch up with Merle later.
For the next hour, Theo and I make small talk while Hannah the hair lady backcombs some volume into my hair and Layla from make-up buries Theo’s face under layers of foundation and powder.
‘It’s so the lights don’t wash you out,’ she explains.
Afterwards, we swap places and Layla applies more make-up to my face than I would usually get through in a month, but I have to admit the end result is impressive. Dramatic flashes of green glitter frame my eyes, and the false eyelashes and lashings of eyeliner make them lookhuge. I’m not used to thinking of myself as alluring, but it’s what I would say about someone else who looked like this.
Back in the reception room, there’s just enough time for Tammy to tell me I look gorgeous before she’s called away by Olivia for her own makeover. I sit drinking coffee with Liam and Beth while we wait for our next appointments. So far Beth has had her costume fitting and she’s now dressed in a floaty ice-blue dress, and Liam has done his dress rehearsal with Valentina and tells us the set is spectacular, designed to look like the colourful streets of Havana. I can’t wait to see it.
For the rest of the day, the other pro dancers come in and out of the reception room. Beth and Tammy spend some time chatting to their partners Gabriel and Elijah, and Liam even invites Valentina to join us for lunch. Not that any of us – except Liam – eat much. I’m far too nervous.
Merle doesn’t even show up to grab a coffee. But the mystery of his whereabouts is solved when Beth comes back from hair and make-up midway through the afternoon.
‘Apparently your one is a bit of a diva,’ she says. ‘Layla told me he’s the only one of the dancers who’s got his own dressing room.’
I try not to let on how hurt I am by this revelation, and the fact that he’s chosen to hide away in there all day rather than spending any time with me. Surely he must realise I could do with a bit of reassurance to calm my nerves. I’d thought I could rely on him to keep me level-headed.
It’s not till an hour before the live show that I finally get to see him. Olivia drops me off at the studio for ourdress rehearsal and there he is, making himself at home in one of the judges’ chairs – working out the best angle for us to start with, he later tells me.
‘Thirty minutes max, okay?’ Olivia says. ‘We’re behind schedule and the audience starts arriving at six-thirty sharp.’
‘Pas de problème,’ Merle replies, hauling himself up and holding his hand out towards me.
