Page 93 of The Dance Deception
‘They haven’t said theywon’thave me back. You never know, they may decide to stick with all the same pro dancers, for consistency.’
‘They’d be fools not to ask you. Although I’d be jealous of the lucky girl who got to dance with you. I’m really going to miss it,’ I sigh, realising just how much as I let it sink in that this really is the end.
‘I could always get you up at the crack of dawn tomorrow and start teaching you the samba,’ he suggests.
‘Er, no. I’m sure we can find other ways to entertain ourselves.’
‘I don’t doubt that,’ he laughs, and the smiles stay on our faces for some time after that.
Steve, Sarah and Andy are already holding half-empty champagne flutes when we join the post-show drinks. The costume and make-up girls are lined up at the makeshift bar, Olivia is clinking glasses with Tammy, Beth and Liam, and even the three judges have popped in to toast the show’s success.
We grab our own celebratory fizz and I scan the room one more time. Emilia is with Theo and Dean. The professional dancers are all present, chatting in small groups. The only people missing are Kimberley and Merle. I can’t help wondering if that’s a coincidence. I wonder, too, if he’ll ever guess what happened to his phone.
Shane arrives and works his way round the room, thanking everyone for their contributions. ‘You lot have made me a very happy man these last few weeks,’ he says when he reaches me and Aleksis. ‘Thanks for being part of it.’
Tammy comes over and raises her glass to mine.
‘I think we’ve earned these. What a night!’ She can’t stop smiling. ‘It’s a shame we didn’t win, but fair play to Emilia for pulling it out of the bag like that. She was so good. I’m still planning to party my socks off though. Do you think the landlord at The Grape will let us have a lock-in later? I’m up for a session.’
‘He might be persuaded if we get over there soon and plant the idea in his head,’ I nod.
‘We’ll come to the pub with you,’ Sarah says. ‘If it’s an open invitation.’
‘The more the merrier,’ Tammy replies. ‘I might even invite Emilia, as long as she brings her winnings with her.’
But Emilia politely declines. I suspect she’s got something far fancier in mind for her victory party.
As we leave the Channel 6 building for the very last time, I well up a bit at the thought that we’ll never be back in that velvet-seated room, in the warren of corridors or on the heart-stopping but magical stage. But as soon as we get to The Grape I’m swept up in the jubilation of all our friends and family who are already gathered there for ourFire on the Dance Floorfarewell.
‘Here she is!’ Dad shouts. ‘Grab a prosecco! I’ve put a couple of bottles on the table. Help yourselves.’
‘Don’t mind if I do.’ Tammy grins. ‘Thanks, Mr Wareing.’
‘You were robbed tonight, sweetie.’ He pulls me in for a hug. ‘We all thought you were brilliant.’
Lucy waves at me from across the room, where she’s chatting to my mum, Dee, Beth and Liam.
‘I can’t believe that twat got to win after all,’ she says when I join them for more hugs. ‘It’s so unfair.’
‘I’m already over it,’ I assure her, looking at all the smiling faces around us. ‘I can’t complain when I’ve come away with all this.’
Seeing my family mingling with friends new and old makes my heart swell. It still feels like a celebration despite Merle and Emilia walking away with the crown.
‘It’s my show highlight,’ I smile. ‘Although that feeling you get at the end of a dance when the audience starts cheering and you know you’ve smashed it comes a very close second.’
‘So what’s next?’ Beth asks. ‘HasFire on the Dance Floorgiven you the bug?’
‘Tammy might have her heart set on presenting a music show, but there’ll be nothing so nerve-racking for me,’ I laugh. ‘I need to get a job pretty swiftly so I can afford my rent, but I want to make sure it’s the right job this time. I won’t just settle for anything.’
‘You’ll figure it out,’ Lucy assures me. ‘Pity you won’t get to blow that twenty-five thousand on a round-the-world trip first, though …’
‘You could still do that,’ Liam interrupts, and we all turn to stare at him, probably all wondering the same thing – how?
‘If you want to, that is,’ he says. ‘I know you’ve said before that you don’t want it, but I still want you to have the money from, you know, before. I haven’t spent it and I really think it should be yours.’
My skin prickles at the reminder and I shake my head. ‘Thank you, Liam, but I can’t. It wouldn’t feel right.’
‘It doesn’t feel right for me to have it either,’ he persists. ‘But if you take it, I get to feel like less of a dickhead, you still get to travel – everyone’s a winner.’
