Page 65 of Love is a Dance Step
If it was up to Drew, he wouldn’t have to walk out on that stage with her at all. Piper and Melanie alerted him to some issues with the dancers, something about Brooke’s attitude. He tried not to get involved in their problems until they affected the tour, but it didn’t mean he couldn’t see right through her.
He gave her a nod before focusing on the curtain blocking them from the stage. The crowd’s cheers echoed through him, filling the emptiness as they always had. He’d never needed anyone other than his family and the fans, not until Rockstars Anonymous was formed. And he wouldn’t let himself start needing people now.
A singing career was a solitary pursuit, so as he stepped out onto the stage with Brooke by his side, as he looked to the rafters of the full concert hall, he let the rest of the world fade away.
* * *
Just like most concert nights, Drew wasted no time in getting back to his room and crashing on his bed while some of the crew and dancers went out.
Yet, he couldn’t sleep. He couldn’t shake the need to know what Nora had been talking about. He sat on the corner of his bed in the large suite overlooking Charleston. Fumbling his phone from the table next to the bed, he pulled up Nora’s text and tapped the link.
Rockstar Drew Stone cries over fallen dancer.
He shook his head. He hadn’t cried, he’d just said he didn’t want to talk about it.
His eyes scanned the rest of the article, freezing on a single paragraph.
Gulf City resident, Lola Ramirez, won the job over many more qualified dancers. We’ve uncovered a video of her audition where one can clearly see she was chosen for reasons other than her dancing. Insiders claim Lola has ties to Drew’s family and maybe even Drew himself. Are they an item? Possibly. The self-proclaimed bachelor has apparently met his match and convinced her she is good enough to dance with professionals. But, Mr. Stone, your fans will be the judge of that.
Drew’s fingers clenched around the phone as he read it again. He’d been the recipient of more than a few rumors circulated by blogs claiming to be legitimate news sources when, in fact, they were nothing more than tabloids.
“Lola.” He stood, realizing as used to this as he was, it wasn’t normal. Had she read it? He’d done his best to stay away from her, to keep anyone from insinuating things that weren’t true. He had to find her. Shrugging on a shirt, he looked down at his worn jeans with a shrug and slipped into his shoes. He didn’t care that he hadn’t yet showered after the concert or that adrenaline still buzzed in his veins.
Out in the hall, he passed Brooke and a few other dancers as they hurried to the elevators, dressed up for their night out. With barely a nod, he kept going. This was the opposite of staying away from Lola, but he needed to make sure she knew none of that post was true. If Nora sent it to him, she probably sent it to Lola too.
He stopped outside her door and lifted a hand, hesitating before knocking.
Laughter came through the door moments before it swung open to reveal Noah.
Drew froze, eyeing his friend with suspicion he had no right to feel.
A grin slid across Noah’s face before he opened the door wider. “You coming in?”
Knowing he couldn’t say no at this point, Drew stepped inside and shut the door. When he rounded the corner, he found Nolan sprawled out on one of the beds as he flipped through channels.
“Lo,” Nolan called. “There’s nothing good on TV.”
Lola appeared from the bathroom, wet hair pulled away from her face. She wore a simple pair of cotton pants and a baggy t-shirt. “Then, we’ll watch something bad.”
“We have a guest.” Noah’s words had Lola’s eyes widening as she saw Drew for the first time. Noah clapped him on his shoulder. “We’re having a movie night. Want to join?”
So, Noah was friends with Lola now? And Nolan called her Lo?
The door opened again, and Piper appeared, holding up a giant box of Milk Duds. “I have snacks!”
Nolan groaned. “Did you bring anything that isn’t just sugar?”
“Nolan.” Lola laughed. “Calories don’t count during movie night. Everyone knows that.”
Piper nodded seriously. “She’s right. Hey, Drew. I’m surprised to see you here. You usually just crash after concerts.”
He shrugged. “Where’s Jo?”
“Asleep.” Noah jumped onto the second bed. “She’s an old lady just like you.”
Piper poked him. “She’s pregnant, doofus.”
When Drew imagined coming here to talk to Lola, he’d thought he’d find her upset over the blog post, but instead, she’d smiled more in the last minute than he’d seen in the last week. He didn’t want to take that away from her, but he owed her this conversation. “Lola, can we chat for a minute?”
