Page 43 of Take the Lead
“Don’t listen,” Gina said in a low voice.
“How can I not? It’s fucking embarrassing.”
She gave his hand a squeeze. “You’ve already lived it. Breathe now. Be present. All you have to do is dance for thirty seconds.”
He took a deep breath as she instructed, and let it out slowly. “It feels like longer.” On screen, Gina freaked out about the “bear.”
She smiled up at him. “It’s forever and an instant, all at the same time. There’s nothing like it.”
Stone shook his shoulders, stretching his neck muscles as the package switched to him stumbling through the steps of the foxtrot. Around them, the stagehands darted back and forth, setting up their props for the dance. “I’m… nervous.”
“That’s okay.”
“I don’t want to let you down.”
“Oh, Stone.” Gina squeezed his hand again. “You won’t. Just do your best, okay? Don’t worry about me.”
Before he could reply—not that he knew what to say—they got the cue and took their places. Gina lounged on top of a piano and Stone sat at a small table with two other male dancers, Joel and Roman. Stone picked up a hand of playing cards and stared at them intently. The music lead-in indicated they were back from commercial.
Juan Carlos’s voice rang out. “Dancing the foxtrot, Stone Nielson and Gina Morales.”
The lights went up. The music started. Three weeks of intense training took over.
No time to think. No time to worry. When Gina approached, Stone exploded out of his seat, playing his role as the love—or lust—struck gangster captivated by the sexy lounge singer. Following Gina across the dance floor, he played up his character for the camera. What felt silly in rehearsal was now done without a second thought.
Stone mimed whistling, then tossed his fedora aside and took Gina in his arms to lead her around the floor.
One step after the other. Left, right, left again. Lean, step back, spin. Gina counted the moves out loud but Stone went through the dance without missing a step. The music guided their feet. The lyrics connected them, wrapping around their bodies and anchoring them in the moment.
Gina had been right, of course. There was nothing to do but dance.
It was over before he knew it. Breathing hard, Stone held Gina in his arms as the music came to an end. Adrenaline pulsed through him, his body on fire with it and the feel of Gina against him. Half a second later, the studio audience burst into applause and cheers.
“You did it.” Her smile lit up her face and she broke the hold to throw her arms around his neck, surrounding him with her scent. “You did it!”
He straightened, pulling her into a hug that lifted her dance shoes clear off the floor. “Wedid it.” It had been a rush, more than he’d expected, on par with hunting and cliff diving. To his surprise, he wanted to do it again.
When he set her back on the floor, Gina pressed her lips together, emotion shining in her eyes. “You’re right. We did.”
Juan Carlos popped up behind them out of nowhere, blurting a cheerful, “Let’s get your scores!”
Twelve
The next morning, Gina sailed into the rehearsal room, buoyed by a wave of positivity. Stone had killed it in the foxtrot, earning a respectable average score for the first episode. Better yet, the fans were talking about them all over social media. He was a hit.
Jordy awaited her with Aaliyah at his side. “Nice work last night.” He handed Gina a square of cardstock withThe Dance Off’s logo. “Here’s your next dance.”
“Thanks.” She flipped it over and groaned. “Really? So soon?”
The door opened behind her and Stone ambled through in black sweatpants and a white tank top. Gina swallowed hard. He’d looked dashing last night, decked out in dark trousers and a white button-down with a thirties-style tie and suspenders, but really, the man made anything look sexy.
“Morning.” He dropped his gym bag next to hers.
She gave him a high five. “You wereawesomelast night. That was a great score.”
“We only averaged seventy percent,” he pointed out while Aaliyah handed them their lavalier mics. “Lauren got eighty-two.”
Well, it was about time. Apparently it had taken firsthand experience of the show’s scope to get Stone’s competitive instincts firing. Last night, he’d seen how much work and how many peoplecontributed to the production, and how seriously the other contestants took the competition. She’d told him Lauren was the one to beat, and now he had his eyes on the prize.
