Gina was quiet for a moment, like she was digesting all he’d said. Then she got to her feet and held out a hand.
“That’s her loss,” she said. “Let’s dance.”
Fourteen
Gina packed a lot of jive content into their dance. Stone wasn’t as comfortable with the movements, but he did his best, and she was glad to see he was in a much better mood during the filming of the third episode than he’d been in during the second.
Backstage in the Sparkle Parlor, everyone chatted about their stories that would be on display, reminiscing and showing off pictures on their phones.
Stone spent a lot of time talking to Twyla, who showed him a handful of inappropriate set photos from her personal collection. Dwayne—also an Elf Chronicles fan—joined them.
Gina stood to the side with Natasha. Despite living together, they barely saw each other onceThe Dance Off’s season began.
“¿Qué están haciendo?” Natasha asked, nodding her head at their partners.
“They’re fans,” Gina replied in English. Even though she sometimes spoke Spanish with her family, she wasn’t as fluent as Natasha, and didn’t always have the vocabulary for full conversations, especially when she was preoccupied. “She’s showing them behind-the-scenes pictures.”
“Ah.” Tash gave Gina a hip bump. “How are things going with your hot Viking?”
Gina rolled her eyes. “I think the audience will like tonight’s dance. It won’t be his best, but it’s fun.”
“I didn’t ask about the audience, G.”
A stage manager hurried over to them. “Gina, Natasha, I need you two to grab your partners and stand over there with Reggie. I’m going to get Rose and Matteo.”
They all assembled with Reggie Kong and waited patiently for the go-ahead.
Reggie turned to Gina. “Since you and Stone are dancing next after the commercial break, we’re going to ask you a couple questions.”
“We’re just here for eye candy?” Matteo joked, his Italian accent and charm still thick after fifteen years in the States.
Reggie laughed, the blue streaks in her updo shining in the bright backstage lights. “Basically. Also, you and Rose are dancing right after them.”
They got the cue from Juan Carlos, and Reggie turned to Gina with the mic.
“So, Gina, tell me about your dance tonight.”
Gina launched into her speech with enthusiasm. “We’re doing the jive, which is an exuberant dance, different from our tango last week. I want it to express Stone’s spirit of exploration and love of nature, and show the audience the more fun side of Stone that I get to see every day in rehearsals.”
“I love it,” Reggie gushed. She took a step back and gestured at Gina’s body. “Now tell me about this ensemble you’re wearing. You look fantastic, of course, as you always do, but you also look like a wild woman who just stepped out of the forest.”
“That’s exactly it.” Gina struck a pose in her sparkly leaf-and-vine covered bikini. Vines twined up and down her arms, even into her hair, and a green ruffled skirt covered her butt and hips. “I’m kind of like a sexy Mother Nature.”
“Ha! And I betyou’rehappy with the way she looks, huh, Stone?” Reggie shoved the microphone in his face.
“Gina always looks beautiful,” he mumbled, turning red.
“Right answer!” Reggie turned to the camera and read off theteleprompter. “You’ll get to see them dance, along with our Super Bowl star and our former teen scientist, when we return.”
Stone leaned down to whisper in Gina’s ear. “Why do they always ask the most embarrassing questions?”
She huffed out a laugh as they followed the stage manager downstairs. “That’s what they’re paid to do.”
The stage crew rushed to get their set ready. Fake trees lined the edges of the dance floor. Three other dancers—including Joel, who was now out of the competition—waited nearby, dressed in fitted overalls and white T-shirts, like Stone. They were going to play his brothers.
The commercial break ended. Since Stone had to move quickly to hit his mark, they waited on the stage while their package played on a giant screen overhead.
It started with Juan Carlos doing voiceover, and a recap of last week’s dance. Then Stone’s voice rang out across the ballroom.
