Chapter 16
CHAPTER 16
Sunday
I t was time for the final show. Around her all the noise and activity continued, echoing the tumult within. She had to be the professional that others thought she was, to focus, to get in the zone. First, she had the pro dance opener, a longer, more elaborate effort than usual, as it was the last for the season, so they’d have to give the audience something to remember. Fiona would dance first, then Bailey would dance the contemporary with Luc, followed by Coco, Fiona’s second dance, then Bailey and Luc would have their tango. She glanced around, wondering where Luc was. She might be the pro, but her nerves calmed when he was around, like his faith and bigness could scare off any foes.
She stretched, and rose, almost meeting Miguel’s foot as he did his own pirouette.
“Sorry. Didn’t see you there,” he muttered.
Her words to him from three weeks ago. Good to see the pro didn’t hold grudges. “No problem.” On her side at least. Coco had said the man was vindictive, and she’d noticed he wasn’t as obliging as he’d been in those first couple of weeks.
She shifted away. Miguel wasn’t partnered with her in the pro dance at all tonight, and she saw no reason to stay near him now. She moved closer to where Coco was warming up. Everyone was tipping Coco and her famous actor partner to win, which was totally deserved. Jason and Coco had been consistent all season, unlike her and Luc, with their rises and falls. A hysterical giggle burst out, and she forced herself to focus.
“What’s so funny?” Coco asked, her knees flat on the floor in a butterfly stretch.
“I was just thinking about this season, about Luc’s rises and falls these past weeks.”
Coco snickered. “The man is certainly a surprise package. Bet you’re hoping he finishes on a rise tonight, huh?”
She nodded, sucking down water.
“So what’s next after this?”
“We go back home. He’s got hockey, I’ve got the dance studio to run.”
“I know that. But I mean with the two of you.” Those last three words she said in a lowered voice.
The two of you. What would happen once they were back in the real world? “I don’t know. I guess we figure out if this has enough legs to stand, or whether this was just a…” She shrugged.
“Office romance?”
Bailey winced. “That sounds so corny.”
“You know it’s not the first time that’s happened. That’s why you’re here after all.”
Because of the married celebrity who’d had a fling with his equally married dance partner.
“Look, I hope for your sake you can keep it going. He does seem to really be into you. And I don’t know if you have noticed, but he never looks at any other woman apart from you. It doesn’t matter what she’s wearing, he’s a gentleman in that way. But when he looks at you it’s with this mix of hunger and adoration.”
Her insides tensed. She’d seen that look too. Which made her wonder just how deep his feelings ran.
“You need to figure out what you are going to do,” Coco said, “because I think you’ll find that the producers will want you back again next year.”
“Really?”
“Uh-huh. They want dancers that the audience can connect with, and you and Luc have been doing really well with your social media posts and promoting the show. And I think that between that and the fact you’re a newbie who has taken your celeb to the final in your first year, they’re gonna be really impressed and want you back again.”
“I hadn’t really thought beyond this season.”
Coco did another stretch. “Well, you should. I know you have your studio, and you could still keep that open, like lots of the other dancers here do. This show doesn’t pay all the bills.”
“I’ll definitely think about it if they ask.”
Coco shrugged. “You could live with me again next year, if you’re not living with him by then.”
“You mean Luc? I wouldn’t live with him. We… no. We’re, um, Christians, and don’t do that.”
“Wow. So all those hot routines are the product of your fevered imagination, then, huh?”
“The producers wanted me to spice things up. So I’ve tried.”
But judging from the way Coco was looking at her, maybe Bailey had tried too hard.
“Has it been too much?”
“Hey, don’t sweat it,” Coco assured. “You’ve had your moments, but your dances and outfits have been more modest than most.”
Like Coco’s own. But somehow, Bailey wasn’t sure this would reassure her father who’d be watching tonight’s performance from the studio audience, along with Luc’s parents and his friends and teammates. The nerves rolling through her stomach trebled.
“Bails.”
She peeked over her shoulder, saw Luc beckon to her. She jumped up and hugged him. Then leaned back. “Oh, I like this.” She stroked his white shirt, opened ready for their introduction.
“I like this.” He eyed her appreciatively, the silver dress the same as from the opening promotions all those weeks ago.
“You’re going to be amazing.”
“So are you.”
He stroked her cheek, and she was tempted to lean into his hand, but already the sounds of movement and noise from the crowd outside suggested she needed to get ready.
“I better go.”
“Praying for you,” he murmured, before pressing a kiss to her palm.
She pressed her hand to her heart, saw his smile widen, then he waved goodbye as an assistant asked what he was doing here.
Okay, refocus . But that moment of seeing him had helped ground her. She just had to get through this number, then the next, and the one after that, and then this would be over.
“Okay everyone. Take your places.”
She was partnered with Tim, who had been Miranda’s pro partner before they had been voted out. “Ready?”
She nodded. This opener was high energy, with everything from cha-cha to salsa and disco, and she knew she had to bring the vivacious personality viewers liked, such as full hair tosses and looking into the camera, winking and pointing at the viewers at home, so that they’d be reminded to vote for Luc and her.
They danced until the music ended, held their pose for three seconds as scripted, then she was released to find Luc who was standing at the top of the stage. She joined him as he was introduced, doing a twirl then leaning into him as the cheers filled the audience. She could see his family, and hers, and a few more of his friends. Her smile broadened. Dad couldn’t complain about any of that. Yet.
She hitched her smile up higher, then she and Luc were released to go change for their first number. They were dancing second for both dances, and tonight’s important final voting would occur while the already-eliminated couples had their chance to strut their favorite dances one more time. The dances were longer, too, around the two to two-and-a-half minutes mark, allowing for more time between each set for costume and makeup and styling.
A short time later, she was dressed in her soft, ethereal-looking ensemble for “Midnight”. Then she found Luc backstage, who had shed his other shirt for this open number that held its own silver-strewn sparkle. “Are you ready?”
He nodded. She moved to join the others, but he stayed her by holding her hand. “But hey, before we go out, I think we need to pray.”
Oh, he was a good man. “Yes, please.”
“Hey Lord,” Luc said aloud, “Thanks that You are with us, help us do our best. For Your sake. Amen.”
“Amen.” She hugged him, and caught Miguel’s sneer from across the room.
Whatever. God was with them. And this next moment was about showing all the viewers that there was light and hope to be found by reaching up to find God.
* * *
One dance down. The tango to go.
Luc’s nerves might have made their presence felt this morning, but since his to-camera piece about his mom and finding hope in God—Ella hadn’t left that out—he’d felt peace fall. This dance wasn’t really about him, after all. Then they’d gotten the contemporary done, and received such glowing reports from the judges, and equal top scores—including tens from Cynthia and Marco, with the judges enthusing about everything from his emotional connection to his improvement and Bailey’s ballerina form—that he really settled into the night.
Now he had the tango, which was probably his favorite dance he’d done, the one in which he felt most comfortable, and his last chance to really be the character he’d been persuaded to play by his team’s management all those weeks ago. The man whose slick moves transcended the ice.
He squeezed Bailey’s hand, and she smiled up at him, her gold dress slinky but not too revealing, her hair pulled back in a tight bun in a huge contrast to the previous dance where it had been all loose.
She looked serious, ready for business, and he knew his sharp suit—designed so he could still move with ease—made him look fierce too.
“Are you ready?” the assistant asked, as the cheering suggested Fiona’s performance was now done.
Bailey looked up at him, and he nodded, kissing her hand. “Let’s go slay.”
She laughed, and his heart eased. “James Bond, eat your heart out.”
He grinned, and they moved into position. During this week’s camera blocking rehearsal, they’d tweaked things so they’d start on the platform, giving viewers better access to seeing Bailey’s initial moves. It meant a few adjustments to the stage, including a runway over the steps so they could tango their way down, but they’d managed in rehearsals just fine. Besides, nothing was going to wreck this. He had the same feeling about this as when he entered the zone or state of flow in hockey when he sensed where other players were and just knew his team were about to score. This tango would go well.
“Okay.”
Jenna was talking to the audience, and they smiled and waved at the camera as their week’s rehearsal package was played. He’d already had his little “I can’t believe I’m in the final” promotional video played, and he knew this package would go a little longer, showcasing his ineptness at the beginning and building to some of his better moments on the dance floor. And considering all the interest in them, all the questions about their relationship status, he knew people would be analyzing this for clues about whether this was a “showmance” as he’d heard it called, or something more genuine. Well, he hoped there wouldn’t be any more questions after tonight.
“Ready?”
He nodded, tugging his dinner jacket down, as Bailey moved behind him. Then they were announced again to more cheering, and he waited, his heart thudding at the hush, before the opening electronic beats of their music grew louder through the studio.
He closed his eyes, then the first synthesizer sound saw her hands cover his eyes, before they slid down to his face to his chest in time with the broken chord. He opened his eyes, looked to the right then the left, which was when she slipped around on his right hip and slid through his legs before reappearing on his left. Then she arched away as he reached for her, before he grabbed her hand and spun her up into the tango hold as the words began.
They traversed the platform onto the main dance floor, their movements crisp, sure, as precise as when they’d practiced this routine the fifty times or so this week. A shimmy to represent a fish, the high kicks for walking, then some lifts and spins that were the crowd-pleasers, before they came together again in a similar move to the samba, their arms held straight up, her back to his front as they rotated their hips side to side. He didn’t care who saw them. This moment was about pleasing Bailey and getting everything right. They might not win—anyone could see Coco and Jason were the best—but Luc was giving everything.
He pulled her into another lift, drawing up her knee behind his neck which turned into a cartwheel across his back, before she hooked her knee over his and slid down. They stepped around, one more lift, another shimmy, then another progression of tango movements Bailey had insisted were necessary, then the last spin, like their ice-dancer move on the ice weeks ago. He drew her up and lifted her onto his hip, before she slid down as the words “next to you” were sung, one hand on his chest, the other holding his other hand as he dipped her low, then the last bar saw her snap upright again with their arms held high, her nose touching his, their breath heaving in and out, her lips a touch away.
The crowd was screaming, he knew he’d hit every beat, and as Bailey’s eyes shone up at him, he lowered a fraction further and touched her lips with his, grazing then possessing them more fully in the sweetest moment of his life. She was softness, sweetness, a delicious concoction he only wanted to drink more of.
Until he felt her shock, then lowered their hands so he could hold her more closely, ending the kiss as the noise from the crowd said they’d finally seen what they’d come to see.
“Luc!” Her eyes were so wide.
“Bails.” He kissed her cheek and hugged her, picking her up off the floor and twirling with her, hugging her close to his heart, wishing he could keep her there forever.
She pulled from his grasp, sliding to the floor. Then stroked his cheek and smiled up at him. “That was perfect.”
His steps or the kiss?
But there was no time to find out as Jenna was gesturing them near, fanning herself. “Oh my goodness you two. Is it getting hot in here or what?”
The audience cheered. He didn’t think the kiss was that hot. He’d save that type of kiss for when Bailey was expecting one. Which he hoped would be as soon as they left here tonight. If not before. But now it didn’t matter that their relationship was out in the open.
“Wow, Luc Blanchard, when you said you had moves, we weren’t expecting that, were we? But maybe we were hoping, am I right?” she asked the crowd.
The audience whooped more loudly.
Sweat trickled down his back. He hoped Bailey was okay. She might be smiling big, but he’d seen how good she was at pretending.
“So, let’s throw to the judges. Marco, what do you think about that performance?”
“If we’re talking about the kiss then I’d say it’s about time! Bailey is one hot tamale and Luc, you might be the man of ice but you set this floor on fire tonight! Your best dance ever.”
Really? He smiled as Bailey wrapped her arms around him and squeezed. He kissed her forehead.
“And you know I don’t say that lightly. Not when your contemporary was so beautiful before. Wow. When I think back to your very first routine and now seeing what you’ve accomplished tonight, I applaud you Luc, and especially you Bailey. It’s wonderful to see what this show can do.”
He glanced down at Bailey, at her shining eyes sparkling up at him. Sure was.
“I have to agree with Marco,” Cynthia said. “A really strong and sexy routine, and I totally bought the theme of James Bond seeking his golden Bond girl. And while I’m not always a fan of PDA on this show, I’d say you definitely knew when to bring it.”
But that hadn’t been why he’d kissed her. He’d done that spontaneously. He hoped Bailey knew that. He’d hate her to think he’d cheapen their first kiss out of some crass need for more votes. He hugged her tighter as Jenna poked the microphone in his face.
“Was that a rehearsed kiss?”
“Not at all.” A man couldn’t rehearse perfection.
Jenna nudged Bailey. “So, you had a surprise tonight?”
“Yes.”
“Well, I guess this makes you an official couple. Let’s hear what our final judge has to say about your final dance in this year’s competition. Over to you, John.”
He leaned back in his chair, not looking at his notes. “I could say a lot of things, like how good it was to see you nailed the technical elements, to say Bailey I have really loved your choreography this season and I hope you’ll be coming back next year—”
Whoa. That was a possibility? She hadn’t mentioned that to him.
“—to say that was everything I want to see when I see a tango, so well done, you two. But I’m not gonna say that. I’m just going to say this. That you, Luc, are what this show is all about. I know I’ve been hard on you in the past and called you a lump of wood and worse, but the transformation we’ve seen from someone who said he didn’t dance to what we saw here tonight is exactly what dancing shows like Dance Off Canada are all about. So well done to you, well done to you Bailey, and whatever this is between you two,” he waved a hand at them, “good luck with that too. But I hope you will be doing more dancing in your future, Luc. You need to. You’re that good.”
Wow. Words he’d never thought he’d hear John say.
“Any final words you wish to share, Luc?” Jenna asked.
“I’m a little overwhelmed, to be honest. And like I have said a million times before, I couldn’t have done this without Bailey.” He held up her hands. “She is the best. I’m so impressed by the talent and compassion and beauty of this woman. And I’m so, so grateful that I’ve had this chance to be with her and get to know her and get to know how good dancing is.”
“Hear that everyone? You heard it here first, Luc Blanchard is a fan of dance!” Jenna winked. “And a fan of Bailey, too. Sorry ladies, looks like this man is off the market. And now you two had better skedaddle on up to the skybox and join the others up there.”
He exhaled, pressing a kiss to Bailey’s hand, then pointed and waved at his family and friends as they hurried past them to the stairs. Then they were swooped on by Fiona and the other previously eliminated contestants, save for Coco and Jason, who were dancing last, as Peter struggled to push past and thrust the microphone in their face.
“Wow, Luc, Bailey, that was some performance, eh? Way to finish on a high.”
“I’m so glad we got the chance to dance one last time,” Luc said. “I told you I had moves left in me.”
“You certainly did. That kiss at the end? Call the fire brigade. Whew!”
That wasn’t what he’d meant, but okay.
“Are you ready for the judges’ scores?”
“Bring it.” He smiled down at Bailey. It didn’t matter what the scores were. He’d won no matter what. And judging from the way she gazed back up at him, she felt the same.
He suddenly had an almost overwhelming urge to steal her away for some privacy so they could continue what he’d started before.
“And now, for our judges’ scores.” Jenna pivoted to face the judges.
“Ten.”
“Ten.”
“Ten.”
Three tens? Bailey jumped up in his arms, and he squeezed her tight, swooping in for another kiss, before realizing Peter’s microphone was there, and they were still on TV.
“Sorry to interrupt, you two, but you must be happy with those scores.”
“I never dreamed I’d get a ten from John,” Luc admitted.
“Anything you’d like to say, Bailey?”
“I’m really grateful for this whole experience, and have been very blessed to have Luc as my partner. Thank you everyone who has been voting for us. You’re the best!”
“Oh, I think they’re thinking you guys are pretty close to that. But we still have one more dance to go. Can Jason and Coco bring a scorcher in their final dance tonight? Stick around and find out.”
Luc grinned at the camera, and waved, as the music pumping through the studio got all the contestants vibing. He was happy to simply hold Bailey close and kiss her cheek. He’d done all he could, the rest was up to the public. Not that he cared if they won. As far as he was concerned, they were already winners, this feeling the equivalent of winning Lord Stanley’s Cup and the jackpot combined.