The Swan and The Sergeant - Alana Albertson Page 0,57

eyes. There he went, letting his emotions rocket to the moon—and taking me with him.

I had forgotten how good that ride could feel.

“I love you, too.” I leaned into Bret, my first love. He embraced me in his arms, and I remembered who I had been when I’d started to dance with him. We’d built our world together. And I’d torn it apart.

And now I was back where I should be. In his embrace. Swaying to the music as if we had never been apart.

Bret

I peeked through the backstage curtains to look at the audience. The place was completely packed, including my parents, Ray and his family, Pierce’s family, and my entire unit in the front row. The producers must’ve arranged it with the base.

I wanted to puke.

Twenty-one million people watched last week. Twenty-one million people had watched me gyrate half-naked. I’d even received two marriage proposals. They were from jail, but still.

Someone get me a bucket…

I jumped up and down and shook my head and arms to loosen up. Robyn grabbed my hands and gave me a kiss on the head.

“It’s ours, babe. Don’t you worry. Here, let’s say a prayer.”

“A prayer? You just said don’t worry.”

“Shut up and pray, boy.” We bowed our heads and thanked the Lord for all our blessings. “Amen,” Robyn said. “Okay, let’s go show them how it’s done. Boo-YA!” Robyn gave me a high-five.

A producer hustled into the room. “Everyone in the red room! We’re on in five minutes,” he said. Selena grabbed her ankle and stretched it. Vika propped her leg on the couch and leaned over into a split. Jenny took a big puff on her inhaler as the guys started barking and chest-bumping each other like a bunch of high school jocks. Behind us, Dima and his celebrity partner were kissing on the sofa. Robyn slapped Xavier playfully on the back of the head.

Selena grabbed her other ankle and leaned toward me. “We made it through the season. Can you believe we’re in the finale together?”

I nodded, my eyes wide, and then finally exhaled. “No, I can’t believe it. How I didn’t get eliminated that first week, I’ll never know. No, wait, I do know,” I kissed her, “you helped me.”

Jenny helped Selena get ready. “I can’t believe we’ve been doing this show for five seasons. God help me, Sel, I actually love being on this show. Who would have thought it? And I’m glad you’re back with Bret. You seem really happy.”

Selena gave her a reluctant nod. “Thank you,” she said. “Now stop messin’ with my ’do and get outta my way, I got a crystal-encrusted dance shoe trophy to claim, be-yotch.”

“We’re on in three, two, one,” the producer said.

Matt’s voice boomed over the speakers. “In a season filled with triumph, scandal, and heartache… Now, the final three standing will prove to you why they should be the winners. Tonight, our finalists will come together for a Paso Doble Pow Wow, and the always exciting freestyle. Tomorrow, we will crown a new champion. Ten couples started, and only three remain. Live, it’s the Dancing Under the Stars finale!”

We all walked out when the intro music started and took our places side by side on the stage, dressed in complementary black and red paso doble outfits. I waved at Pierce’s family sitting in the front row. I knew that Pierce was smiling down on me.

The cast had to stand there while long clips rolled of each of us babbling about which were our favorite dances of the season. Robyn and I picked our opening night mambo and our Viennese waltz. I watched our clip of the Viennese. She looked so graceful, flying across the stage effortlessly. We skated around the floor as if we were walking on water. Tomorrow, the seven eliminated couples would all come back to dance for the finale, but tonight the producer filled up the airtime by torturing the audience with these videos.

By the time Dima and Laura and Xavier and Selena’s clips aired, we had been onstage for forty-five minutes. We hadn’t even set a toe on the dance floor.

“Dancing together in our first ever Paso Doble Pow Wow.” Matt waved his arm with a flourish. “Our finalists.”

The music ripped through my body. Selena stood onstage with Robyn on her left and Laura on her right. The men started on our knees and rose in unison. We strutted toward the ladies. The partners swung each of the women around us before throwing them into splits.

Dima