Page 42 of The Dance Deception
He’s grinning when I look up at him.
I shake my head and laugh. ‘You have your moments.’
‘Oh, it’s like that, is it? I assure you I’ll make a very good fake boyfriend. Not that your ex set the bar very high. I still can’t believe what he did to you.’
I wish he hadn’t brought it up again.
‘Yeah well, I didn’t help matters by sticking around afterwards. I won’t make that mistake again.’
‘If you’d got a swanky job somewhere else you might not have wanted to leave it for the show,’ he points out.
‘That would have made your experience a lot less complicated.’
‘And a lot less exciting. We can have some fun with this, I reckon, if we put our minds to it.’
I look up at him and there’s a glint in his eye that makes me think we really could. ‘So let’s really put our minds to it,’ I agree.
Then it’s time to get ready for our carefully timed departure from the house.
When Stella is due to arrive, Sofiya watches from an upstairs window so she can tell us precisely when to head outside to ensure we cross paths with her. We wait behind the front door until we hear her shout, ‘She’s here – go, go, go!’ Then we walk out holding hands as she turns onto the driveway.
Aleksis catches my eye and smiles, then throws an arm around my shoulder as we walk towards her.
‘Cau,’ he says as we pass each other, and I glance at her for just long enough to see that her mind is racing to figure out what’s going on here. Of course she’s yet to find out how Merle and Aleksis are connected, so she must be somewhat baffled as to what Merle’s ex-lover has been doing at his estranged wife’s house with one of the other dancers. This will be quite the story for her.
‘Come on in,’ Sofiya welcomes her. ‘Never mind those two, they were supposed to be out of here a little earlier, but you know how little brothers are …’
We’re too far away to hear Stella’s reaction.
‘Do you think she’ll fall for it?’ I ask Aleksis, who hasn’t removed his arm from my shoulders even though we’re no longer in eyesight.
‘I don’t see why not.’
‘I should probably call my parents and forewarn them before they see anything,’ I think aloud.
‘How do you think they’ll react?’ he asks.
‘Oh, Mum will be all mum-like, I’m sure, and give me a lecture about being dishonest, but hopefully she’ll understand it’s just part of being on the show. Dad usually goes along with whatever Mum says.’
‘You can Skype them when we get to the studio,’ he suggests.
‘Yeah, I’ll do that. They won’t be able to give me too much grief if they know you’re listening in.’
But it turns out Mum and Dad are out for a walk when I call, so I only speak to Dee, who finds the whole idea hilarious.
‘This is so showbiz,’ she laughs. ‘I hope it works. Keep us updated.’
I promise I will.
We’re several hours into rehearsals before an excited Sofiya calls Aleksis. He puts her on loudspeaker so we can both hear.
‘It’s out there,’ she says. ‘Look at theDaily Scenewebsite. You’re officially a couple.’
I grab my phone and find our story.
“Things are really hotting up on Channel 6’s new dance extravaganza Fire on the Dance Floor – and the latest twists and turns are not just in the fiery routines,” I read aloud.
“Less than two weeks after French bachata champion Merle Picard got steamy in the dressing room with his dance partner Kate Wareing – and was thrown out of his marital home – both he and Kate have found new romances on the show. And in a shocking twist, Kate’s new flame, Aleksis Lapsa, is the brother of Merle’s estranged wife Sofiya – who has given them her blessing!
