Page 94 of American Royalty

Three hours later, Dani ended rehearsals with an exhausted smile on her face. “I think we’re done for today. That was perfect! Tomorrow you’ll go to the arena and practice the choreography there. The next time I see you, we’ll run through the entire show.”

“This is going to be lit,” Tasha said, coming over to her with a bottle of water.

“I think so,” Dani said, taking off her heels and flexing her feet. “Oh my God, why do I always do this?”

“Do what?”

“Go all out on rehearsals, as if I’m a member of Alvin Ailey.” She leaned back in the metal folding chair. “Probably because I’m excited. When we start rehearsals, I know a performance isn’t too far behind.”

And she loved the performing aspect of the business. There was nothing in the world like the energy she got back from the crowd. It was the best high ever.

“Are you happy with the direction of the show so far?” her assistant asked.

Dani swallowed and nodded her head. “I am. I’m particularly happy with the set list.”

“A few of us were talking about going out tonight. You want to come?” Tasha asked.

Dani wanted to. She missed doing stuff like that. In the beginning she’d enjoyed turning up and turning out. But Samantha Banks wasn’t the first person to try to make a name or get some coins by coming for her.

“Thanks for the offer, but you know I can’t.”

“C’mon, we’re on a different continent! We can make it safe! Throw on a wig, change your appearance...”

“I’m good.”

Tasha frowned. “I expected to find you going crazy out here in the country.”

Dani finished her water. “It’s not as bad as I thought it’d be. Turns out, it was just what I needed. It helped clear my head.”

In more ways than one.

“I can see that. You seem better than you were before you left the States.”

She was. The time she’d spent here had given her a perspective that was difficult to have in her normal life. And of course, there had been Jay. She hoped she could find a way to take this peace back with her.

You mean, find a way to takehimback with you.

Dani smiled. “You guys go and have a good time. But be careful.”

“Trust me, when you’re not with us, no one cares who we are. It’s like we go around with our own invisibility cloak.”

“Must be nice. I need to get one of those.”

“Do you need me to get you anything before we leave?”

“Nope. I’m going to run through the set one more time and lock it in.”

After waving good-bye to everyone and thanking them for all of their hard work, Dani looked at her discarded shoes. Nah. She’d work on the movement now and worry about dancing in the heels later. Looking at her reflection in the mirror, she smoothed her ponytail and retied the knot on her T-shirt, then padded over to her phone on the large speaker and cued up her first hit. The song they were starting the show with.

You look at me & I’m all you want to be

Snatched waist

Fat/thin

Face full of melanin

She said the lines right before her entrance and began to move. There were certain iconic steps that fans expected to see when sheperformed this song, but she also wanted to give them something new and exciting. Not to mention, she was going to be exposed to an entirely different audience with this performance.