Oh fuck. She wasjealous.
Not cool. So not cool.
To mask her reaction, Gina turned her back on Stone andLauren—the pair were discussing white-water rafting—and approached Kevin.
“So, the team medley,” she said. Kevin launched into an explanation of his ideas for the dance, which he’d been brainstorming for weeks. Immense gratitude filled her—for Kevin and his professionalism, his obsession with clever choreography, and hisfans.Kevin would keep their team—Team Ice Cold, a mashup of Team Stone Cold and Team Freeze Ray—focused on the dance.
If anyone wanted to win more than Gina, it was Kevin. And Kevin always won the team dance. As long as they survived the next elimination, there was a good chance their Team Up Week scores would help her and Stone make it into the finals.
Time to pray. And then work her ass off.
Jordy came in with their music.
“Here you go,” he said, handing them a piece of cardstock. “Gina, you’re going to love this one.”
It was said without an ounce of sarcasm. Curious, Gina took the card, read the name on top, and squealed.
Stone was by her side in a second. “What is it? What’s our music?”
“Not what, but who.” Gina thrust the card at him. “It’s a Meli medley!”
“Huh?” Stone scanned the list of songs. A couple sounded familiar, but nothing he could admit to knowing, so he just asked, “Who’s Meli?”
Gina gaped at him and snatched the paper away. “You’re kidding, right?”
He gave her a friendly nudge with his hip. “We don’t listen to Top 40 in the bush.”
“I cannot believe you don’t know who Meli is.”
“Melissa ‘Meli’ Mendez,” Kevin cut in, taking the list of songs from Gina. “Singer and actress.”
“She is so much more than that,” Gina protested.
Lauren looked at the list over Kevin’s shoulder. “Oh cool, I do warm-ups to a couple of these songs.”
Gina turned to Stone, her eyes sparkling with excitement. “Meli is myidol.She’s a Puerto Rican girl from the Bronx—from myneighborhood—who started as a dancer. Then she put out a few pop albums, had a few hits, and transitioned to starring in movies. From there she scored some other gigs, including a fashion line, judging, and hosting.”
“Ah.” It was obvious why Gina would idolize her. They had the same roots, and Meli had succeeded in the entertainment industry in all the ways Gina aspired to succeed.
Stone’s mood plummeted. It was yet another stark reminder of how different their end goals were.
“Do you know how rare it is for a Puerto Rican woman to reach this level of fame and recognition?” Gina asked.
He didn’t, but it was clear this was important to her. “No?”
She blinked, brows dipping like she was disappointed. “Rare. She’s theonlyone who’s done it at this level.”
“Let’s get started with this choreography,” Kevin cut in. “We only have two hours.”
Kevin was a hands-on choreographer. Stone sat on the stage with Lauren while Gina and Kevin worked out the dance. Their movements were sharp and fluid, like the time they’d danced together at the salsa club. Masters at work.
“How’s your trio dance going?” Lauren asked, scooting closer.
“We’ve got Natasha.”
“We’re with Matteo. Hot Italian man for one dance, and you for another?” She gave him a heavy-lidded look. “I’m a lucky woman this week.”
Stone’s face heated, and he kept his eyes on Gina and Kevin while he tried to work out what to say.
