Page 56 of Take the Lead
O n the way back to the reception room, Aleksis asks if I’m okay.
‘I thought I’d feel a lot worse than I do,’ I admit. ‘I’m actually proud we did so well, even if we didn’t win. I’m sorry you’ve missed out on a place in next year’s show, though. I know you must have wanted it.’
‘They haven’t said they won’t have me back. You never know, they may decide to stick with all the same pro dancers, for consistency.’
‘They’d be fools not to ask you. Although I’d be jealous of the lucky girl who got to dance with you. I’m really going to miss it,’ I sigh, realising just how much as I let it sink in that this really is the end.
‘I could always get you up at the crack of dawn tomorrow and start teaching you the samba,’ he suggests.
‘Er, no. I’m sure we can find other ways to entertain ourselves.’
‘I don’t doubt that,’ he laughs, and the smiles stay on our faces for some time after that.
Steve, Sarah and Andy are already holding half-empty champagne flutes when we join the post-show drinks. The costume and make-up girls are lined up at the makeshift bar, Olivia is clinking glasses with Tammy, Beth and Liam, and even the three judges have popped in to toast the show’s success.
We grab our own celebratory fizz and I scan the room one more time.
Emilia is with Theo and Dean. The professional dancers are all present, chatting in small groups.
The only people missing are Kimberley and Merle.
I can’t help wondering if that’s a coincidence.
I wonder, too, if he’ll ever guess what happened to his phone.
Shane arrives and works his way round the room, thanking everyone for their contributions. ‘You lot have made me a very happy man these last few weeks,’ he says when he reaches me and Aleksis. ‘Thanks for being part of it.’
Tammy comes over and raises her glass to mine.
‘I think we’ve earned these. What a night!
’ She can’t stop smiling. ‘It’s a shame we didn’t win, but fair play to Emilia for pulling it out of the bag like that.
She was so good. I’m still planning to party my socks off though.
Do you think the landlord at The Grape will let us have a lock-in later? I’m up for a session.’
‘He might be persuaded if we get over there soon and plant the idea in his head,’ I nod.
‘We’ll come to the pub with you,’ Sarah says. ‘If it’s an open invitation.’
‘The more the merrier,’ Tammy replies. ‘I might even invite Emilia, as long as she brings her winnings with her.’
But Emilia politely declines. I suspect she’s got something far fancier in mind for her victory party.
As we leave the Channel 6 building for the very last time, I well up a bit at the thought that we’ll never be back in that velvet-seated room, in the warren of corridors or on the heart-stopping but magical stage.
But as soon as we get to The Grape I’m swept up in the jubilation of all our friends and family who are already gathered there for our Fire on the Dance Floor farewell.
‘Here she is!’ Dad shouts. ‘Grab a prosecco! I’ve put a couple of bottles on the table. Help yourselves.’
‘Don’t mind if I do.’ Tammy grins. ‘Thanks, Mr Wareing.’
‘You were robbed tonight, sweetie.’ He pulls me in for a hug. ‘We all thought you were brilliant.’
Lucy waves at me from across the room, where she’s chatting to my mum, Dee, Beth and Liam.
‘I can’t believe that twat got to win after all,’ she says when I join them for more hugs. ‘It’s so unfair.’
‘I’m already over it,’ I assure her, looking at all the smiling faces around us. ‘I can’t complain when I’ve come away with all this.’
Seeing my family mingling with friends new and old makes my heart swell. It still feels like a celebration despite Merle and Emilia walking away with the crown.
‘It’s my show highlight,’ I smile. ‘Although that feeling you get at the end of a dance when the audience starts cheering and you know you’ve smashed it comes a very close second.’
‘So what’s next?’ Beth asks. ‘Has Fire on the Dance Floor given you the bug?’
‘Tammy might have her heart set on presenting a music show, but there’ll be nothing so nerve-racking for me,’ I laugh. ‘I need to get a job pretty swiftly so I can afford my rent, but I want to make sure it’s the right job this time. I won’t just settle for anything.’
‘You’ll figure it out,’ Lucy assures me. ‘Pity you won’t get to blow that twenty-five thousand on a round-the-world trip first, though …’
‘You could still do that,’ Liam interrupts, and we all turn to stare at him, probably all wondering the same thing – how?
‘If you want to, that is,’ he says. ‘I know you’ve said before that you don’t want it, but I still want you to have the money from, you know, before. I haven’t spent it and I really think it should be yours.’
My skin prickles at the reminder and I shake my head. ‘Thank you, Liam, but I can’t. It wouldn’t feel right.’
‘It doesn’t feel right for me to have it either,’ he persists. ‘But if you take it, I get to feel like less of a dickhead, you still get to travel – everyone’s a winner.’
Beth, Dee and Lucy’s heads all snap back towards me, to see my response. I think they’re all holding their breath.
‘What about your gym?’ I ask. In spite of everything, I don’t want to be the one who stops him from getting it.
‘The thing about that is,’ he breaks into a grin, ‘I’ve just found out I’ve got a place on The Cube next month, so I think I’ll be sorted. Of all the ones I applied for, it’s the one I really wanted. I’m absolutely over the moon.’
‘That’s amazing,’ Beth shrieks. She claps him on the back. ‘Congratulations.’
‘Thank you,’ he laughs. ‘I’ve already set up copies of the games all over my house and I’ve got a few weeks to practise so I’m feeling confident. So please take the money, Kate, seriously. It’s yours more than it’s mine and I really, really want you to have it. Please?’
‘I think he wants you to take it,’ Lucy says.
‘Take it,’ Beth agrees.
‘Take it,’ Tammy nods.
I look at each of them in turn and they all start nodding furiously.
‘Fine,’ I sigh, rolling my eyes. ‘I’ll take it.’
And everyone cheers.
‘So does that mean you’re planning on running off on me?’ Aleksis asks from behind me, making me jump. I hadn’t realised he’d moved into hearing range.
And my heart lurches at the thought of it. Because even though it makes perfect sense to jet off now, before I get back into the rat race, I’d hate not to see him for months – even if he promised to wait for me.
‘I’m not about to jump on the next plane,’ I tell him.
‘It would be a good time to go, though, now it’s getting into autumn. I hear Australia is lovely at this time of year, especially in the run-up to Christmas.’
And with those words, my world turns a little darker.
The show finished less than two hours ago and already he’s putting us as far away from each other as is humanly possible.
Perhaps I should have seen this coming but, like a fool, I let myself believe he’s not another Merle, just stringing me along to try and win the competition. I so wanted him to be different.
‘I’m sure it’s great,’ I shrug, silently berating myself for opening myself up to heartache yet again.
Oblivious to my misery, Aleksis cheerfully adds, ‘What do you reckon, a month or two in Sydney in November and December? New Year’s Eve fireworks on the Harbour Bridge?’
A tear escapes and rolls down my cheek and Lucy discreetly pulls the others away to give us some privacy.
‘What’s that for?’ Aleksis asks in alarm. ‘I thought you’d be happy.’
‘I don’t want to go to Australia,’ I sob, all the pent-up emotions of the day suddenly flooding out of me. ‘I know it hasn’t been long, but I really thought me and you … I thought this was the beginning of something. I actually believed I was going to meet your parents.’
‘And you will,’ he laughs, brushing the moisture off my cheeks.
‘I obviously wasn’t explaining myself very well.
I wasn’t suggesting you go to Australia on your own.
Before we left Channel 6 this evening, I got an offer to join another pilot for the show over in Sydney.
I wasn’t quite sure how to bring it up until you started talking about going travelling.
I was trying to ask you if you might want to come with me. ’
I eye him warily. ‘Seriously?’
‘Seriously. I was even wondering if we might be able to squeeze in a couple of weeks in Thailand before it starts – so I can get a natural tan instead of all this lotion.’
My lips curl up into a smile as a wave of relief floods through me. ‘You mean you don’t really love that shade of orange?’
‘Hey, I could still change my mind,’ he warns.
‘I’ll have quite a lot of training to do once the show starts, but we’d have evenings and Sundays together.
You could hang out on the beach or go off and explore while I’m working – we can work those details out later – but I would love it if I could have you there with me. ’
Any attempt I might have made to play it cool at that moment flies straight out of the window as I fling myself into his arms.
‘I’ll take that as a yes,’ he laughs, kissing me and hugging me back.
Then he releases me so he can tap his glass against mine. ‘Farewell London. Australia here we come!’