Page 91 of Forbidden Dance
“Thanks, Tina,” Bennett says. “Where is makeup stationed these days?”
A petite woman in black leggings and a tank covered in hundreds of little circle mirrors turns. “I can take you.”
We head back out in the hall and enter a room a few doors down. My nerves are jangling so badly, I can barely stand it.
Inside, a half-dozen dancers are getting hair and makeup done. I panic for a moment, then quickly realize none of them are the three finalists. I don’t think I could handle coming face-to-face with any of the women who have probably slept with Blitz, and certainly not Giselle, who definitely did.
A man steps in. “Chorus dancers, you are on in five!”
The movements get frantic as the makeup girls do their last touches, spritzing and tucking and sending them on their way.
When they are gone, the makeup artists all collectively lean against the long mirrored counter.
Juliet approaches them. “Which one of you can get this girl ready to go on?”
They all look at her. One of them asks, “Who is this? Those chorus dancers were supposed to be the last ones.”
“A surprise dancer,” Bennett says. “Trust me, you want her.”
They all look at each other. The woman says, “I don’t know if we can do this without Devon’s okay.”
The mirrored-shirt girl nudges one of them. “Do you know who this is? Bennett Claremont. He’s the producer. He’s Devon’sboss.”
The girls still look skeptical, but one of them, a tall Hispanic woman with deep blue eye shadow and spiky hair, steps forward. “What the hell. I’ll do it.”
Juliet gives Bennett a concerned look as she walks me over to the chair.
“So you’re a dancer?” the girl asks. “I’m Cecilia. What sort of look are we going for here?”
“Innocent and lovely,” Juliet says. “Nothing too dramatic. Just enough for the lighting and cameras.”
Cecilia turns my chair. “Got it.”
“Where is wardrobe?” Juliet says. She takes one of my shoes off. “We need something else. There should be spare dance shoes everywhere.”
“I have my toe shoes,” I say. “They are in my backpack in the car.”
Juliet turns to Bennett. “Go get them. Quickly.”
He hurries out.
The mirrored-shirt girl laughs. “I guess you’re the only one who gets to bosshimaround.”
“Probably so,” Juliet says and takes off my other shoe.
Cecilia works on my hair, and now one of the other girls comes up to tilt my chin to the light. Soon three of them are working, tweezing and powdering and doing who knows what to my face.
Juliet watches every move they make, ensuring she is getting what she wants. “Hollywood is so different from ballet,” she says. “We have to do all our own makeup.”
“You’re a ballerina?” Cecilia asks.
“I am,” Juliet says. Then to me, “When did you earn your toe shoes?”
My face heats up. “Just a week ago.”
Her eyebrows lift. “Do not be a hero in those, okay? Do not goen pointeother than maybe at the very end. If you even dance.”
I nod. We have no idea what’s going to happen out there. We have no idea how Blitz is going to react when he sees me.
