Page 96 of Forbidden Billionaires: Vol. 10
Huh? Who was it then? Wow, did Tim and Bryce really plan this whole thing? What the fuck is wrong with them?
Owen cleared his throat. "Okay, let me recap the situation before we hear from the judges. Gabriela, for Brazil, is currently in firstplace with a technical score of 28 and a creativity score of 15, for a total of 43 out of a possible 60. So to win gold for the US, Alina will need to have a total score of 44 or more, with the highest and lowest scores in each category being dropped. Judges?"
"Ms. Smith," said Mi-sook Park, the South Korean lady. "I thought your performance was a disgrace to the sport of dance and to these games. If it were up to me, you'd be disqualified. However, if I'm forced to score you, I give you a one in both categories."
It wasn't a great start, but I also wasn't surprised. I could kind of tell she was going to give me a horrible score based on the judgy way she had looked at me when I was twerking. I'm glad I couldn't see her reaction when I had been behind the flag. Luckily, my lowest scores in each category get dropped, so both of those ones would be thrown out and getting gold was still within reach.
"Ouch," said Gabriela with a smug look on her face. I tried to ignore her.
The next judge leaned forward. He was tall, dark and handsome. I was pretty sure he was the one who hosted some Chilean dancing show.
"Alina," he said with a smile. "Before I start, can I borrow that towel? I got all sweaty over here watching you perform."
"This towel?" I asked, pointing at the one wrapped around my body.
"Yup. Just toss it to me."
"No." I swallowed hard. He thought I was a slut too. Everyone in the world thinks I'm a slut! Despite what they had seen me do, none of these people were ever going to see me naked again. I gripped my towel even tighter.
The judge laughed. "At first I thought that everything that just happened was an accident. You're clearly a modest girl when you're not performing. So sweet and innocent." He gave me a sly smile. "Oh, I guess I'm supposed to score you? That's easy. Ten for both categories. I've seen countless strip dances on my show over the past eight years, but none of them even come close to that."
Yes!
"Wow, that's quite the difference of opinions between the first two judges," said Owen. "Alina can't get higher or lower scores in either category, so those will be dropped and every score from the final three judges will count. Dean Smith, what'd you think of Alina's dance?"
The third judge leaned into his mic. "Well, Alina," said Dean Smith, the choreographer from South Africa. "Overall I enjoyed the dance, but I felt the dance portion was a bit safe from a technical aspect. You didn't really attempt many difficult moves, and those that you did try left a bit to be desired. So for a technical score, I have to give you a four. However, I can't deny that the creativity and sensuality of your performance deserves a ten."
I wrapped my towel tighter around myself. Yes, I was happy about the score, but I was mortified that these judges were givingme ratings based on the horrible things I had just done. Or maybe they were just judging my naked body.Fuck my life.
The next judge, a slim black man with a bald head and bright white smile, immediately chimed in. "I have to agree with most of that, but I enjoyed the technical part of your performance more than Dean. The whole dance, even before the end, was very sensual, which is the most important part of a strip dance. So for that, I give you a technical score of six and a creativity score of nine."
Nine? Really?I was pretty sure Tim had choreographed the most creative strip dance in the history of the sport.Giving head on stage?I was going to kill him.
"Alright, that's 29 points so far," said Owen Harris. "It all comes down to our final judge, Corinne Bellerose. She needs to give you a score of at least 15 for you to take home the gold. Corinne, what'd you think?"
I took a deep breath. My heart was pounding out of my chest. I was so close to taking the gold from Gabriela. But it was all up to Madame Bellerose, an editor at a hoity-toity French dance magazine. She didn't look overtly disgusted like Mi-sook Park, but she also hadn't been grinning like a horny high-school boy like the three men at the judges' table had been.
"Miss Smith," she began in a heavy French accent. Her expression was still unreadable. "Your dance was mediocre. The strip parts were okay, but the dance moves were not so good. Some of them could have been much uh..." she fumbled for the word, "...crisper. So for your technical score, I give you a five."
Shit. That means I need a ten for creativity to win it.
"However, the end of your dance was incredible. A strip dance is so often focused on one woman removing her clothes, so the way you had your backup dancers strip as well was quite brilliant. But you even took it a step further. You teased us all by making us think the dance was over, and then you teased your dancers by giving them blowjobs, in front of each other. I could feel the passion and the desire and jealousy from the other dancers. Strip dances are all about building desire, and I think that dance made every man on the planet desire you. So for creativity, I give you a ten."
Ten? Did she really say ten?I looked at the jumbotron to check the scores.Gabriela - 43. Alina - 44.
Holy fuck! I really won!
"Congratulations, Alina," said Owen with a smile. "You just won gold."
I smiled and threw my arms around him.
He cleared his throat.
"Oh my God, I'm so sorry." Why did I just hug Owen Harris while wearing nothing but a towel?
"It's okay." He winked at me and lifted one of my hands in the air. And in that moment, all I could think about was that I won gold. I won gold and beat Gabriela.
The familiar sound of the crowd cheering for me filled the air. God, I loved that sound.
