Page 46 of Flirty Pucking Wolf

“I’m sure,” Trevor says confidently while texting. A smile crosses his face. “She’ll be here in half an hour.”

Nodding, I do my best to smile and be happy. He deserves the chance to show off the hard work he’s done, and if he was going to perform any dance with Randi on the show, the jive is the one it should be. It fits the style of dance they do together perfectly, and it’ll show off the trust and connection they’ve built over their years of cheering together. I know they’re doing this to help me, but that doesn’t stem the jealous voice in my head—the one that sounds like Doreen—telling me that, once again, Miranda’s getting what should be mine. Shut the fuck up, Doreen.

19

TREVOR

Randi jumps into my arms,laughing, and I spin her around.

“We did it!” she yells, hugging me as I walk us over to where Ian stands near the judges’ table.

We just danced the jive in the semifinal round, and it’s up to the judges and the audience to decide if we were good enough to send me and Sophie through to next week’s finals.

Carlo is standing, giving us his slow clap of approval. All the judges are smiling.

“Finally! You look like you’re enjoying yourself, Trevor! We’ve been waiting to see that all season. It’s a shame it’s under these circumstances.”

Nope, not answering that. I leave Randi with Ian and jog across the dance floor to where Sophie is sitting next to Declan. She’s smiling, but I can see the strain behind it. Some of it has to be physical pain, but I know how badly she wishes she was there on the floor. I scoop her up in my arms and walk back to Ian and Randi. Cheers echo throughout the ballroom. Sophie tucks her face against my neck for a moment before lifting her head and waving to the crowd.

“How’s your ankle, Sophie?” Glen asks.

“Sore and swollen,” Sophie says with a grimace. “But fingers crossed I’ll get to show it’s healed in next week’s finals.”

“So what did you think of Trevor and Miranda’s jive? That was your choreography?” Mary Ann asks.

“Put me down, please,” Sophie says, but I pretend not to hear her. She sighs. “It was. It plays into Trevor’s strengths with acrobatics and lifts. I think they did a terrific job. They’ve danced together for years, and Miranda’s been my best friend since childhood. If I couldn’t do it, there’s no one else I’d rather have take my spot.”

The girls share a hug, which is awkward because I’m holding Sophie, but it ends up being a group hug.

“I hate it was under these circumstances,” Randi says once she pulls out of our hug. “But Trevor and I dreamed of appearing together on a show like this when we were in college, so it’s exciting to cross it off the bucket list. I’m so grateful to the producers for the opportunity.” She laughs self-deprecatingly. “No one cares about me. Let’s talk about how wonderful a choreographer Sophie is! She’s so creative. I’m in awe of her talent. I hope everyone votes so she has her chance to dance in the finale!”

The crowd cheers. Glen raises his hand to silence them.

“Ready for your scores?” he asks.

Before he raises his paddle, Glen smiles at Miranda. “If you decide you want to give this a go and be a pro, call me!”

Sophie keeps her smile firmly in place, but I can feel the tension Glen’s statement causes in her. That he can so cavalierly offer it to Randi when Sophie has been working her ass off at it for years pisses me off. Even the sight of Glen holding up a ten doesn’t make it better.

“That’s yours,” I whisper in her ear. When Carlo and Mary Ann also hold up tens, putting Randi and me at the top of the scoreboard, I press a kiss to her cheek before telling Ian, “They belong to your sister. We couldn’t have done it without Sophie.”

“She’s awesome,” Ian says. “The best choreographer I know.”

We were the last couple to dance, so we only need to wait through a commercial break and some chatter before the five couples stand on the dance floor and wait to be informed of our fates. Sophie is back in her seat in the audience next to Mac. I wanted to continue holding her in my arms for the results, but the director wouldn’t let me, so I had to return her during the break. Something about three being a crowd. Asshole.

“How do you stand doing this each week?” Randi murmurs through her smile. “I feel like the prized poodle at a dog show.”

“I thought you’d think of show ponies before dogs,” I quip.

The cameraman counts us down as Ian and DeeDee prepare to give the results.

“Wow! We had an incredible audience vote tonight! Did America agree with our judges, or are we in for an upset?” DeeDee asks with wide-eyed anticipation.

“Only one way to find out, DeeDee.” Ian waves a folded slip of paper. The paper’s just for show—they get the results through their earpieces. “Are we ready?”

The crowd applauds on cue and quiets down after a few moments.

“As you know,” Ian says, “only three couples will move on to next week’s finals. You’ve all worked so hard and should be proud of yourselves, no matter your placement.” That’s not true though. The two couples that are announced safe are obviously feeling better than the three couples still on stage, knowing the odds are stacked against them being the couple to stay.

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