Page 13 of Take the Lead
Stone barked out a laugh and to her surprise, he imitated her silly move. “Not exactly the epitome of grace and charm.”
He flashed her a devastating smile and Gina took a deep, deliberate breath. Would it kill him to be a teensy bit uglier? She shook it off and kept going.
“Instead, we stand like this.” As she had on his porch, she positioned his body into the pose he would use for the foxtrot, keeping her touch professional and impersonal. “Our first dance is the foxtrot. It’s a lively, smooth-flowing ballroom dance that requires us to match our steps while in hold.”
“Is this anything like the waltz you showed me?”
“I like to think of the foxtrot as the waltz con sabor. With flavor. It’s a good first dance because our bodies aren’t touching.”
His brow creased as she stepped into the frame he created with his arms. “What do you mean? We’re touching.”
She grinned. “This is nothing. Dance partners are very familiar with each other’s bodies. There’s no getting around it. If you hold back, it ruins the dance.”
Stone pressed his lips together and didn’t say anything. His gaze lifted over her head to their reflection in the mirrors.
She tapped his left foot with her right. “Now, the basic steps. Always start with your left. I’ll be doing the opposite of what you’re doing. The foxtrot is about smooth, gliding steps and perfect frame.”
After taking him through a few sequences ofslow-slow-quick-quick,she said, “We’re going to showcase your posture and form while contrasting them with your virility and humble background.”
He coughed and his steps faltered. Above the beard, his cheeks reddened adorably. “With my what?”
“You’re a big burly mountain man,” she said.
“I don’t even live on a mountain. It’s an inlet. At water level.”
“Doesn’t matter. We’ll let that side out in the Latin and jazz dances. With the more classical styles, like the foxtrot and the waltz, we’re going to show a contrast—the elegant and refined side of the Viking.”
“Viking?”He looked like he was going to choke. She broke hold to pass him a water bottle from the small cooler.
“Don’t tell me you don’t know what you look like,” she said, pointing at his reflection. “We’re going to use those muscles and that beard to our advantage.”
He took a long swig of water, chugging more than half the bottle in one gulp. “I didn’t realize this was so tactical.”
“What, you thought you could just show up and dance?” She snorted. “Think again, buddy. This is a competition, and a lot of strategy goes into it. Come on. We have work to do.”
For the next two hours, Gina dragged him around the room, correcting his steps and his stance. If he didn’t learn to lead, she was going to end up doing all the work of getting him through the dances, and he was far too big for her to keep adjusting him as they moved. And while Stone followed instructions, he also sighed, eyed their reflections skeptically, and blinked for a little too long, like he wanted to roll his eyes.
Exhausted, Gina called for a hydration break. Without a word, Stone broke hold and dropped onto the edge of the small stage with an exaggerated exhale. Gina sucked on her bottom lip. If he sighed one more time…
The rehearsal room door opened and Donna Alvarez walked in.
Just perfect. Now Gina held back an eyeroll. She didn’t have the energy to deal with Donna right now.
Donna was most likely the producer who’d chosen to pair Gina with Stone. She was manipulative, and she had an in with the higher-ups who made those decisions. A second camera crewtrailed behind her, consisting of a camera operator and a mousy assistant who hugged a tablet to her chest like a shield.
“Hi, Donna,” Gina said, aiming for pleasant. No need to get off on the wrong foot.
“Gina.” Donna’s smile was wide, but thin. Her hazel eyes were like a shark’s, flat and deadly. “Good to see you.”
Gina gestured Stone over. “Stone, this is Donna, my producer.”
Stone held out a hand to Donna and said, “A pleasure.”
“The wild man sure has some pretty manners.” Donna smiled again as she shook his hand. Stone’s face turned red.
“Donna oversees a few of the couples,” Gina explained for Stone’s benefit, and to cut through the tension. “Jordy’s only assigned to us.”
Jordy joined them, and they split up for individual interviews. Gina went to one corner of the room with Donna and the new crew, while Jordy and Aaliyah took Stone to the opposite end.
