Page 74 of A Certain Step
Whoever was on his side up above, he’d send a thousand thanks in their direction. He felt like a kid at Christmas, giddy and teeming with excitement.
Ethan changed into Darcy’s clothes and sat back against the couch. He opened his phone to see if there’d been another video from Willa, surprised to find about four waiting for him. The question someone had asked was, “Who is the other dance captain? Is it Miles?” She recorded the video with her arm around Miles’s shoulder in his dressing room.
“Yes! Thisbrilliant beast of a dancer is indeed my delightful co-dance captain and scene partner in most of the numbers.”Miles concurred with a nod. “We joke about it a lot, but we basically share a singular brain cell when it comes to dancing.”
Miles spoke next. “It’s true. Just last week, we were at rehearsals, and I wanted to work through something in my head, so I called Wills down, and I kid you not, she knew the movements step by step how I envisioned it in my head.”
“Or you know, you call me at four in the morning, saying you had a dream about a dance, and we need to make it happen immediately.”
They both laughed.
“And what was the result of this visionary dream? The most viewed choreography video we’ve ever made thus far.”
Willa continued. “No, he’s right. It’s always just a ton of fun because any time there’s a new song that I want to choreograph something to, Miles is the first person I’ll text or vice versa, and the other person’s response is ‘I was just thinking the same thing,’”they say in perfect unison.
The next story played. The question was, “Would you ever teach a dance class?” She answered with a picture of her, Christian, Miles, and Sahar during rehearsals. She captioned it: “I would love to! I’ve talked about this a few times with Sahar and Miles, actually. It’d be a load of fun. I taught a bit back home in London!”
He’d take a class taught by her any day.
The next was a video; she was back in her dressing room again, and someone had asked, “What’s your favorite number to perform as Elizabeth?” Willa came alive when she began to answer.
“We all talk about this a lot, but ‘Marry Me’ is probably one of the most gorgeously produced numbers. When our brilliant goddess choreographer Josie Singh first showed it to us, we were in awe. It’s one of the performances that always mesmerizes me when I’m watching Ethan and Naomi or Ethan and Lea execute it in rehearsals. I don’t get to see most of it because I’m usually changing costumes and wigs for ‘Forbidden Corridors,’ so getting to be a part of it is a real gift.”Her eyes glistened then, a small change and one he was sure only he’d catch. “And, plus, sharing the stage with Ethan, who’s my best friend, makes the experience even more magical. So, I’m going to have to say ‘Marry Me,’ followed by the encore, which is my second favorite overall.”
Another follow-up question was about which costume she loved the most.
Willa had walked over to the wardrobe in her dressing room.
“Look, it’s a crime to pick a favorite when our amazing designer, Marla Jennings, has created so many gems. I mean, just look at the details,”she said, gesturing toward the adorned, emerald corset. God, he loved that one on Willa.
“Tell them about the leather outfits!”He heard Sahar yell from the back. “Sahar wants me to show you all the leather costumes we have for ‘Forbidden Corridors’ because she tragically doesn’t get to be part of this number and has no leather in her wardrobe.”
Sahar came into the frame. “Do you guys understand how jealous I am? I begged for them to put Jane and Bingley in this number. Begged, I tell you. Solely so I can wear these.”
“You get a whole wedding dress, babe,”Willa replied.
Sahar shrugged. “Should’ve been leather. We’re just going to have to switch out one day. Put me in the ensemble, and you go on as Jane.”
They both laughed.
“The leather is also surprisingly comfortable, too. I was initially worried that it wouldn’t be, but the inside is soft for us, so it works with the grueling choreography. It is one of my favorite costumes, but if I have to pick one, the emerald wins.”
That was the end of her videos; she likely went to get ready.
“I need a nap so bad,”Sahar announced after their bows.
Willa reached for her hand. “Go, go take one. Do you need painkillers, too?”
Sahar shook her head. “I have Midol.”
Willa turned to Ethan. “What are you doing?”
He quirked his lips to note that he had no real plans. “I was going to see what you were doing. You can come and hang out in my dressing room. We can get food delivered.”
“Sure,” she replied.
Willa had changed out of costume and returned to his room shortly after.
“I got us sandwiches from Jacob’s Deli. Extra pickles for you,” he announced from the couch.
