Page 53 of Take the Lead
I wait at the end of the corridor while she’s in the dressing room with Merle, peering anxiously round the corner and desperately hoping she can lure him out of there.
The plan is for her to persuade him to go back to the studio for one last rehearsal, after she saw me and Aleksis return to the reception room and realised the studio would be empty. She promised to lay it on thick.
It feels like she’s in there for hours and it’s torture not knowing what’s going on.
If she doesn’t manage to get Merle out of the dressing room, I’ll have only moments left to decide whether to ignore his threat, give the show my best shot and let him release the video, or whether to let Aleksis down and let Merle win.
I change my mind every few seconds – I can’t bear more humiliation, I’ll go along with his scheme; Merle can do his worst, I won’t be beaten like this.
I jump out of my skin when the dressing room door finally opens and I hear Emilia telling Merle to hurry up. I pull my head back out of sight as she tells him, ‘We’ll have just enough time to run through them both one more time, if we’re quick.’
As soon as the coast is clear, I sprint towards the dressing room, pulling the door closed behind me the second I’m inside. With shaking hands, I call Merle’s number from my own phone, praying he hasn’t taken it with him without Emilia noticing. I’m screwed if he has – I haven’t got a plan B.
When I hear it ring, I don’t think I’ve ever felt more relieved in my life.
I fight back tears as I quickly locate it and send a silent thank you to Emilia as I pull it from his bag.
When I have it in my hands, such a surge of happiness washes over me that I have to steady myself on the dressing table.
I’ve got it. My nightmare is over. I switch it to silent, bundle it into a wodge of tissues to disguise it and slip quickly back out into the corridor.
Aleksis finds me in the reception room less than a minute later, his brow furrowed with worry and confusion. ‘Emilia practically chased me out of the studio. She said you needed me back here.’
He sounds upset, but his eyes light up when I discreetly show him the phone in among the tissue and realisation dawns.
‘Nice work,’ he says, a smile breaking out on his face.
‘I’m going to take it outside now and get rid of it for good,’ I tell him.
He asks if he can do the honours – and once we’ve found a sheltered spot seems to take great pleasure in crushing it under his heel before dropping the pieces in the trash.
‘No more video,’ he says defiantly, and I don’t think three words have ever made me happier.
He reaches for my hand and gives it a squeeze. ‘Nothing can stop us now.’
‘Let’s go out there and smash it,’ I agree, suddenly raring to go.
It’s not long before Olivia is leading us back to the studio for the very last time and Kimberley is getting the show underway.
‘Ladies and gentlemen! The judges are ready, the contestants are poised, the dance floor is waiting, and I think we all know what that means … Yes, that’s right! It’s my pleasure to welcome you to the electrifying final of Fire on the Dance Floor !’
Beth and Liam are sitting at a table next to the judges’ desk with Gabriel and Valentina. Theo and Dean are at the table beside that with Jessica and Daniele. There’s a glass of wine in front of each of them. I wish I could run over and glug some down to calm my nerves.
‘We’ve got an exciting night ahead of us, with just three couples left in the competition, dancing for the chance to win twenty-five thousand pounds,’ Kimberley says.
‘Tonight they’ll each be performing two dances – one that was allocated to them at random and another that they’ve chosen for themselves – but it’ll be up to you, the audience, to decide who wins the prize money and who goes home with nothing.
‘There will be no elimination after the first round of dances, meaning all three couples will be battling it out right to the very end. Will Emilia and Merle seduce us with their stylish salsa? Will Tammy and Elijah make our hearts race with their ravishing rumba? Or will Kate and Aleksis break the Fire on the Dance Floor curse and tango all the way to the top? I don’t know about you, but I can’t wait to find out! ’
Until this moment, it hadn’t occurred to me that Merle and Emilia’s allocated dance might be the salsa, so despite dropping our bachata to avoid a potential clash, one of our dances is still going to be the same as theirs.
It feels like a bad omen, but how earth-shattering can theirs be when they’ve only had a couple of days to learn it?
‘But first,’ Kimberley continues, ‘let’s say hello to our three fantastic judges – Mariana, Sophie and Jacques. Welcome back! Are you excited about the night ahead?’
‘I can’t wait to see what the dancers pull out of the bag tonight,’ Mariana says. ‘There have been some incredible performances on the show so far and I think all three of the remaining contestants have the potential to win.’
‘They’ve all raised their game week on week, so I’m expecting some exceptional choreography from all three couples,’ Jacques adds. ‘I’ll be looking for creativity, technique and most of all that fire that just brings the dance floor to life. And I just want to say good luck to everyone.’
‘And Sophie …’
‘Obviously we know what their allocated dances are, but even we don’t know what each couple has chosen for their freestyle option, so there are surprises in store for all of us tonight. Bring it on!’
‘Thank you, judges,’ Kimberley says. ‘And tonight we’re also welcoming back former contestants Beth, Theo, Liam and Dean and dancers Gabriel, Valentina, Jessica and Daniele, who are all here to lend their support to our three finalists.
It’s great to have you all here tonight – you all look gorgeous.
‘And now it’s time to really get this party started.
So let’s bring out our first couple of the evening, Tammy King and Elijah Gill, who are ready to rock our worlds with their rousing rumba.
Tammy and Elijah had us out of our seats with their Dominican bachata last week.
Let’s see if they can get us on our feet again. Take it away, guys!’
She moves out of view as Tammy and Elijah run into the middle of the stage, and Aleksis clutches my hand as they sail through their routine. When Kimberley asks the judges what they thought at the end, they’re full of praise.
‘Your best dance yet!’ Mariana declares. ‘The lines were sharp, the timing was spot on. I think this dance really suited you, Tammy. Really well done.’
Then it’s time for the audience to reach for their keypads and you can almost feel the tension in the room as the dial flickers across the scoreboard. When it settles on 9.4, the room erupts in cheers.
‘A new personal best!’ Kimberley shouts. ‘What a great way to start the show.’
‘I’m absolutely delighted,’ Tammy beams.
‘We couldn’t have asked for more,’ Elijah adds.
‘It’s certainly going to be a tough act to follow for our next couple,’ Kimberley says.
‘Especially as Merle and Emilia have had just two days to prepare this next dance after they stepped in to replace former finalist Dean, who sadly had to withdraw from the competition this week with an ankle injury.’
She pauses to allow the camera to zoom in on him. He points at his support boot then rubs his fists under his eyes as if he’s crying, then shrugs and breaks into a grin to show the audience he’s not really upset. Although I’d be willing to bet he is.
‘But we’re sure they’ve given it their all,’ Kimberley continues. ‘So let’s get ready to be swept away by their saucy salsa. Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome to the stage … Merle Picard and Emilia Harris!’
Aleksis grips my hand even tighter as they run out onto the stage.
Emilia’s barely-there outfit glistens in the spotlights.
Merle is wearing black trousers with a strip of gold down the side of each leg.
His sheer black shirt is open to reveal his tanned torso.
They remind me of a Chanel perfume advert.
The music starts and it’s quickly apparent their salsa is going to be more than good.
Merle leads Emilia through spin after spin and it’s so fast I feel dizzy just watching it.
They throw in some athletic lifts and some crazily complicated armwork and I start really fretting about how our routine will compare.
Ours is nowhere near as technical – this is another level.
It makes me wonder why Merle ever had any concerns about not winning. I’d even vote for them myself.
The audience erupts with whoops and whistles when the dance is over and Kimberley has to quieten everyone down so the judges can be heard.
‘You had so little time to prepare, and yet you made it look like you’ve been dancing together your whole lives,’ Jacques says. ‘It was so powerful; so intense. Emilia, I truly believe you could have a future in professional dance if you want it.’
He fans himself with his hands. ‘I think you’ve brought me out in a hot flush.’
‘Now I don’t know whether to apologise or thank you,’ Emilia laughs.
‘And now it’s time to find out whether our audience members are also feeling the heat after that performance,’ Kimberley says. ‘Audience, grab your keypads and let’s see how fired up Merle and Emilia’s sensational salsa really got you!’
The dial whizzes straight up the scoreboard, bagging them a 9.7 – a new show record.
‘That’s the top score of the series so far,’ Kimberley shouts. ‘Congratulations! Well done, both of you. That’s amazing. Tell us how you’re feeling.’
‘I’m feeling like we maybe should have spent less time preparing our previous dances,’ Emilia says, which gets a laugh. ‘But seriously, we worked so hard these last two days, so it feels fantastic to be rewarded for all the hours we’ve put in. I’m absolutely thrilled.’
‘Ladies and gentlemen, put your hands together one more time for Merle and Emilia,’ Kimberley says, kicking off another round of applause.
My heart starts pounding as the minutes turn to seconds before it’s my turn to face the judges. With 9.7 to beat, the pressure is really on.
‘Remember what I said,’ Merle whispers as he passes me at the side of the stage, but I ignore him, safe in the knowledge that he’s no longer a threat.
‘And last but not least in this first round of dances, we have last week’s top scorers Kate Wareing and Aleksis Lapsa, who tonight will be trying to beat the Fire on the Dance Floor curse with the final Argentine tango of the series,’ Kimberley announces.
‘At least I’m assuming no one has picked it for their freestyle performance.
‘But will Kate and Aleksis follow in the footsteps of Beth and Theo, who were both knocked out of the competition by this dance, or can they beat the odds tonight and tango into the lead? Ladies and gentlemen, it’s time to find out. Please make some noise for … Kate and Aleksis!’
The lights go down around us, leaving us illuminated on the stage, and I swear you could hear a pin drop in the studio.
My pulse thumps in my ears. It would be so easy to let the thought of all the people out there, watching us from the darkness, overwhelm me – not to mention however many have tuned in at home.
I wonder if Aleksis can feel the tremor in my knees.
But just when I think my legs might give way altogether, he catches my eye and fires me a wink that makes the corners of my mouth start to lift. Not quite a smile, but a sign that I know I can trust him. And as I take a deep breath, I remember that I can trust myself too.
‘You look gorgeous,’ he whispers. ‘I didn’t get a chance to tell you earlier.’
And this time I do smile as I realise I feel it too. My hair is loose and tumbling around my shoulders, and my backless scarlet dress reaches the floor but is split to the waist on one side, leaving half my skin on display.
It’s the sort of dress I used to think only Emilia could pull off, but today it feels perfect for me.
So instead of trying to bat away the compliment like I would have done in the past, I let it uplift me.
And in doing so, I start believing that our tango really could be the winning dance for us.
Because if you put your mind to it you can achieve anything, right?
I’m vaguely aware of applause as Aleksis starts leading me through our routine: dipping me slowly to the floor, drawing me back up sharply, then holding me steady as I run my leg up his.
There’s more cheering as he lifts me into a spin with one of my legs round his waist, and a gasp as our legs tangle and untangle with increasing speed.
But it’s only when he’s spun me in towards him then dramatically dipped me with one leg extended forward between his, in perfect timing with the end of our song, that I really absorb the noise from the audience.
It gets even louder as Aleksis breaks into a grin and pulls me up into a kiss.
It’s a good while before Kimberley can make herself heard.
‘Thank you, everyone. Wow, what a reaction! I think it’s safe to say we were all blown away by that. But let’s hear from our judges. Jacques, tell us what you thought of Kate and Aleksis’s tango.’
‘I think the audience reaction says it all. That was unquestionably the best Argentine tango we’ve seen all series,’ he declares.
‘The variation in the tempo, the complexity of the footwork, the way the music was used to accentuate the drama of the lifts and dips … it was extraordinary. You should be very proud of yourself tonight, Kate. That was exceptional.’
I’m completely speechless.
‘Thank you,’ Aleksis jumps in for me. ‘We really appreciate that, especially coming from you, Jacques.’
‘So, audience, it’s the moment of truth,’ Kimberley says. ‘Can Kate and Aleksis tiptoe to the top spot, or are they about to dip into second or third place? Please pick up your keypads and let’s find out.’