Page 34 of The Dance Deception
I offer an understanding smile, but he’s too busy shooting daggers across the room at Merle to notice. When I glance at Merle to see if he’s aware, he looks back at me at that exact moment. And winks. Or at least I think he does. It’s so unexpected I’m not sure if I imagined it, but my skin breaks out in goose bumps.
Then Olivia bangs on her clipboard to get everyone’s attention, and the moment has passed.
‘Right, you lot, you know the drill now,’ she says. ‘We’vegot a lot to get through today. Beth, Gabriel, you’re first for hair and make-up. Theo, costumes. Emilia, Merle, rehearsals. The rest of you, don’t go far. Does everyone remember how to get to their designated stations? You do, Gabriel? Great, take Beth with you. Merle, Emilia, you do too? Great, off you go. Theo? No? Okay, you follow me. Everyone else, I’ll be back shortly.’
It’s the last I see of Merle and Emilia till the show’s about to begin.
Tammy keeps me distracted with stories of her week in rehearsals until it’s my turn in costumes, where I’m dressed in a pink and orange tasselled minidress. It’s not exactly something I’d choose, but it’s bright and colourful and the tassels swoosh from side to side when I move, which will hopefully make my dancing look more fluid than it really is.
In hair and make-up, I’m relieved when no one says a single word about me and Merle. I wonder if the team has been briefed not to mention it, because if it was me I’d be dying to ask about it. But instead we stick to chatting about the latest things we’ve watched on Netflix and some of the other famous people they’ve had in their makeover chairs, so I manage to relax while they backcomb my hair and give me glittery eyes in colours that match my dress – which might look like I’ve been teleported back to 1984, but will stand out nicely on the dance floor.
My studio rehearsal with Aleksis is mid-afternoon and goes well. I make it through the whole routine without missing a step and he manages not to get his hands caught up in my tassels. He’s been given a spray tan and I can’thelp thinking it suits him. I’d even go so far as to say I can see why Lucy said she found him attractive. He’s still not my type, though.
There are a couple more hours to wait until it’s time for filming, which I mostly spend with Beth and Tammy, but Aleksis comes and joins us for some of it. And it turns out he’s quite the entertainer when he wants to be, making all three of us laugh with tales from his days on the dance circuit.
‘He’s hilarious,’ Beth gushes, when he’s eventually called away by Olivia. ‘You must be so happy you’re dancing with him now instead of Merle.’
‘Oh yes,’ I nod, not wanting to admit to them how emotionally draining the week has been. Or how, in spite of everything, I can’t help feeling gutted that Merle is paired with Emilia now.
I wonder if he even tried to patch things up with Sofiya after she found out about me, or if at any point Sofiya considered giving him one last chance. But she’d never be able to trust him again. I remind myself Emilia is welcome to him.
Chapter 20
When Olivia finally tells us she’s ready to take us all to the studio for filming, there’s an immediate buzz in the air. As we follow her down the corridor, she calls out the running order of our dances. Theo is kicking things off this week, with his partner Daniele. Aleksis and I will be second from last, presumably so they can make sure our score is high enough to keep us in the competition. Merle and Emilia will close the show.
My heart leaps as Merle falls into step beside me. ‘You’re still the most sexy,’ he whispers into my ear as he passes. Then he strides ahead, with Emilia sweeping along behind him. She doesn’t even glance in my direction.
I stare after him, pulse racing, thinking perhaps I imagined it. But I know I didn’t mishear him and it throws my head into a whirl of confusion. Does that mean he regrets switching dance partners and wishes he was still dancing with me too? No, that wouldn’t make any sense – he’s the one who instigated the swap.
Could it be that heisnow sleeping with Emilia, but it’s not living up to what he shared with me?No, that’s just my ego talking, I tell myself firmly. Although if I miss those moments, it’s not too much of a stretch to think that he might as well …
Not that it matters, I remind myself. I’m not about to forgive him for the way he treated me. And the fact that he thinks that’s an appropriate first thing to say to me after everything that’s happened is the perfect reminder of why not.
But it doesn’t stop his words tumbling round in my head as Kimberley Ross takes her place on the stage and week two’s live show begins. My eyes keep drifting towards him, even though his back is now turned, and I know the jitters in my stomach are not just pre-show nerves.
‘Ladies and gentlemen, welcome back toFire on the Dance Floor!’ Kimberley shouts to a cheer from the audience. ‘There are just six couples left in the competition this week and we can’t wait to see what they’ve got in store for us tonight as they battle it out for a place on next week’s show.
‘Sadly, last week, we had to say goodbye to Liam after his salsa failed to light up the dance floor. But sparks flew during Kate’s saucy kizomba, which saw her and Merle get on top of the table. To the top of the table, I should say!’ she laughs.
My cheeks flush as the audience sniggers at her joke. I thought the show would gloss over last week’s antics, not highlight them in the opening minutes. I plaster a smile on my face to hide my irritation.
‘So will the salsa be the dance that sees off another couple this week? Tonight, it’s Kate who’ll be showing us her hip-swinging moves – once again,’ Kimberley smirks, with a conspiratorial wink.
‘Jesus Christ,’ I mutter when this gets more laughter. I’m not sure I can maintain my composure if Kimberley carries on with her innuendos. I want to grab the mic and lob it out of the studio. I nearly jump out of my skin when I feel Aleksis give my hand a supportive squeeze.
‘But we’ve got a big surprise for you this week,’ Kimberley says brightly, before chucking in one last cheap laugh. ‘Because this week it’s not Merle who Kate will be getting jiggy with, but Aleksis, former partner of Emilia, who has stepped in to take Merle’s place. Merle, meanwhile, has joined forces with Emilia, and we predict they’re going to be a force to be reckoned with.
‘We can’t wait to see what they bring to the dance floor this week. Will they be the ones who set our hearts racing tonight with their sensual bachata? Will Kate and Aleksis have the same chemistry she found with Merle? It’s time to find out – so without further ado, let’s bring out our first couple and start the fire on the dance floor!’
I have to concentrate even harder on my poker face as Theo and Daniele run onto the stage to a cheer from the audience. The bloody bachata? Of course, Merle would luck out with that for his first dance with Emilia. He lives and breathes the bachata, it’s his speciality. It’s bound to be brilliant. I can only hope that means it will at least take the focus off him and me.
Theo and Daniele score 7.9 for their cha-cha, so they’re off to a good start. Tammy’s kizomba comes next and I can see she’s relieved when 8.1 flashes up on the screen. It’s a huge improvement on her merengue score and means she’s safe for another week. It’s followed by Dean’s merengue and although it’s not as energetic as Tammy’s was, he plays up to the audience and makes them laugh and it gets him a straight 8.
‘That’s it, we’re halfway through,’ Kimberley says, ‘and as you can see it’s really, really close this week. With their score of 7.9, it’s Theo and Daniele who are in the danger zone at the moment, but there are still three more couples to dance and, as you know, it’s you who get to decide their fate. Anything could happen, so let’s see who’s up next. Ladies and gentlemen, it’s Beth Atkins and Gabriel Romero!’
I can tell Beth is nervous because she clenches and unclenches her hands over and over as the video clip of her week’s rehearsals plays on screen. Then the spotlight lands on her and Gabriel, their music starts playing and their Argentine tango begins.
The rest of the stage stays darkened and the spotlight follows their slow journey round the dance floor. I think it looks beautiful, like they’re dancing in moonlight, but the judges aren’t quite so taken.
