Page 5 of Wicked Dance
“Oh, now I’m tempted.” Blitz leans in to kiss me when Hannah’s sharp “Don’t you dare mess up her lipstick!” temporarily stops him.
“Oh, but I will,” he whispers, and lightly brushes his lips against mine. It’s not enough to do any damage.
Then he releases me and says, “Hannah, you spoil all the fun at these things.”
Hannah is indignant. “Blitz Craven, I’ve defended your manhandling of enough dancers to last a lifetime. But you’ll save it for the cameras and at least let us get some proper publicity shots before you muck everything up.” Hannah’s face is set, her posture in the green outfit like that of an angry schoolteacher.
Feet thunder on the stairs. I half expect the fans to be invading, but it’s just an army of photographers, camera crews, and at least two reporters holding microphones. I feel my panic closing in. Nobody said we’d have to talk to the cameras! I thought this was just a signing, fans would come and go and snap pictures, and then we’d be done! I clutch at Blitz’s hand.
“You have five until we open the doors,” Lewis says.
“Nonsense,” Hannah cuts in. “We’ll get what we need before we let them in.”
Lewis gives her a quick nod. “Whatever the lady wants.”
“Blitz?” I whisper. “What is this?” I turn my back to the people setting up lights and camera stands.
“It’ll be fine,” he says. “You don’t have to say anything.”
“Nobody prepped me for interviews! Nobody told me what to say!”
Blitz holds my cheeks with both palms and looks me straight in the eyes. “You are fine. Nobody coaches us. Just speak from your heart.”
“What if my heart wants to set them on fire?”
Blitz gives a throaty laugh and pulls me against him. “You’re too perfect, Princess,” he says. Flashes start to pop.
Hannah walks by us and says in a low singsong voice, “Don’t muss her makeup!”
Blitz twirls a curl of my hair. I want to hide in him, bury my face against his strong chest. But we’re not alone anymore. We’re in front of the people who can make or break us. And they’re probably already recording. For all I know, this is live on some online feed.
“You can do it,” Blitz says.
I take a deep breath. I was brave enough to walk unannounced on live TV, I can smile in front of a few cameras.
One of the women is already recording in front of a giant sign that reads “Dance Blitz.”
She says into the camera, “We’re here with Blitz Craven and his surprise contestant at the signing of the DVDs forDance Blitz. The intense season ended with the dancing Romeo’s newest lover storming onstage to seize the title from the three finalists who had been working all season to woo the man of their dreams.”
I spot the red light on the camera that is trained on her.
And the panic starts to take over.
I am so not up for this.
