Page 42 of Take the Lead
“Is it Farrah? That movie she did had dance numbers in it.”
“Nope. Not her.”
“So, if it’s not Farrah or Jackson—who are great dancers, as far as I can tell—then who is it? Certainly not me.”
Gina clapped her hands over her mouth, something he noticed she did to hold back a snort. He liked it. “Sorry, dude, it’s definitelynot you, although you’re doing very well.” She gave him a comforting smile and patted his knee. “In this case, it’s Lauren D’Angelo.”
Stone followed Gina’s gaze to the loud blonde standing in one corner of the ballroom with Kevin.
Gina ticked off on her fingers. “Lauren’s an Olympic athlete, which means she’s in control of every inch of her body and accustomed to the grueling hours. And she’s a figure skater, which means she’s flexible, strong, and basically dances on ice skates.”
They watched Lauren and Kevin execute a perfect spin. Gina was right. Lauren was fantastic.
“And that’s not all.”
“Shit, there’s more?”
“Ha. You bet there is. Unlike Alan, she’s never won an Olympic medal, so she’s driven to prove she can win something. She’s already entering this competition with the deck stacked in her favor, and to top it all off, she’s got Kevin Ray. People vote for Kevin just because he’s Kevin. So, yeah, Lauren is the one to beat.”
Stone let out a breath, thinking of his interactions with Lauren. If the skater was taking this as seriously as she took the Olympics, he needed to step up his game. “I guess we better beat her, then.”
Gina smiled at him, a small, sweet smile that set him on fire. “I guess we’d better.”
“What do we have to do?”
“You listen to me and do what I say. Focus on the footwork, hold, and technique. Let the audience see your personality and vulnerability. You have a chance, Stone. If you charm the viewers, show personal growth, and turn out good dances, we can do this.” She opened her mouth like she was going to say more, then shut it.
“You really want to win, don’t you?” It was a stupid question. He knew she did.
“I really, really do.” Gina bit her lip, and her brow creased, like she was uncertain about something. “There’s another factor, too. I didn’t want to tell you, though.”
“Now you have to tell me.”
She slouched in the chair like the air had been ripped from her lungs. “I don’t want this to affect your performance or put any pressure on you. This is all on me.”
“Not true. We’re partners, remember?”
“Yeah, we are.” She released the next words in a rush. “If I don’t make it to the finals, I’m out of the job.”
His jaw clenched. “Don’t you mean, ifwedon’t make it to the finals?”
She closed her eyes. “I guess I do. You won’t be out of a job, though.”
He clasped her hands in his. Somewhere along the way, this sort of casual touch had become natural for him. At least, it was natural with her. “All right, Gina. Let’s win this thing.”
The way her eyes lit up, and the wide, toothy smile on her face—all of this would be worth it if he could see that look on her face again at the end. She squeezed his hands and leaned in, enveloping him in her signature tropical-sweet scent.
“Team Stone Cold, for the win.”
It would have been the perfect moment to kiss her. But then she stood, tugging on his hands, and the moment was gone.
“Come on, partner. Let’s work on our blocking. Tonight’s the big night.”
He followed her downstairs. No more thinking about kissing Gina. He was here to dance, and then he was heading back to Alaska.Focus on the money.
The next few hours sped by. Stone waited backstage while the judges and extra dancers completed the opening number, joining Gina to mug for the camera before everyone lined up to be announced by Juan Carlos. Stone watched the other couples dance from backstage, cheering them on and joking around with Alan and Jackson, who both delivered respectable performances. As time wore on and no one fell on their faces, Stone worried he’d be the one to do so.
When it was his turn to take the stage, a stage manager appeared to usher him to his spot on the dance floor. He stood with Gina inthe dark, waiting while the behind-the-scenes package played on the giant screen hanging over their heads. He closed his eyes, mortification setting in as he listened to their awkward first meeting.
