“You really got picked?” Greg asked when I called him later that day.
“Yeah, I did.”
“Okay, that’s pretty cool, I guess. Maggie said she was a nice lady.”
“What else did she say?”
I heard Maggie yelling in the background for him to keep his mouth shut. “Sorry, man, I’ve been sworn to secrecy.”
“It’s a good thing that I don’t have a problem with suspense,” I joked back.
“Yeah, that is good. So what do you need me to take over this week for you?”
“I’m supposed to be at the dance studio from eleven to two each day.”
“Do you want me to cover the entire class for you? That way, you don’t have to sweat it if you are running late or get a run in your stockings?”
“Ha ha! Yeah, that might work better. What do you have going on at the office? I can cover what you got going on there.”
We talked for a few minutes about trading caseloads, and then I spent the rest of the day cleaning my house, doing laundry, and working out. All afternoon, I found myself smiling and hoping that the next dance went as well as the first one did.
Monday morning, I was back at the dance studio and went directly to the room where they did the makeup. I was almost done when my sister popped her head inside.
“Hey, sorry we didn’t get a chance to have dinner this weekend. It got a little hectic with trying to get all the footage edited.”
“That’s okay. I hope you made me look good in the edits.”
She grinned. “Harv, you don’t need any help looking good.”
The lady doing my hair chuckled. “No, he does not. I barely have anything to do with this one.”
“I’ll see you in the other room in a few minutes.”
After I was finished with makeup and wardrobe, which consisted of getting fitted with my microphone, we started recording immediately. I joined Tarin, Cal, and Clara in the main room where hugs went all around as they welcomed me back.
“Are you as nervous this time as you were last time?” Tarin asked.
“Not yet, but I’m sure I’ll get there as we get closer. I’m just glad that I wasn’t the only one to feel something when we were dancing.”
“The sparks between you too were off the charts,” Cal said. “Are you ready to hear the song for your next dance?”
“Yep! I can’t wait.”
“Alright,” Tarin said and nodded to someone off the set. The music started, and I knew the song immediately.
“This is by Ed Sheeran; this is a great song.” I rubbed my hands together as I shifted back and forth on my feet. “Big change from a fast fun song to a slow romantic one.”
“As much fun as the first dance was, we want to slow things down for you guys. This one is all about trusting one another. Do you want to see the routine?”
I was totally up for a slow song, and I was raring to be able to hold her closer. “Bring it on.”
Clara took her place, and Victor came out to assist her. I’d learned that Victor was my date’s current training partner. As they started, I found myself excited, but very quickly, that feeling changed to anxiety. “Holy crap,” I said about a dozen times when they did stunts, or he lifted Clara, spinning her this way and that. How the hell was I going to be able to do that in only a few days?
When they finished, I stood there catching flies with my mouth wide open, and Cal chuckled. “You look a little overwhelmed, Harvey.”
“A little? You expect me to do that?” I asked him as I rubbed the side of my face. “Is there any part of her body that I won’t be touching?”
Everyone laughed. “Not many,” Cal answered, and Victor agreed with a chuckle.
Tarin put her arm around my shoulders. “What makes you the most nervous about this routine?”
I laughed. “Everything. I’m not sure I can do all that. That’s a really long routine.”
“You can do it, Harv,” Tarin said, and Cal nodded.
“You can. I promise that you will master this and do it exceptionally well. If you notice Victor, he’s not making a lot of difficult moves. His job is to support Clara and allow her to do most of the work. Don’t get me wrong, your part in this is crucial, and the dance won’t look or feel nearly as beautiful and sexy if you aren’t