Beginning, Section II, Next Section

Chapter 9

Posted on Wednesday, 1 November 2006

One day until showtime
“Come Dance With Me” ballroom set

Thea smiled at the assembled dancers. Some smiled back confidently, some smiled tentatively, and some didn’t smile at all.

“Okay people, here’s the deal. Once we start Dress Rehearsal, we’ll be on the clock, so be ready for your entrances. Each week, the order will be by random draw. The order in which you dance today is not the order in which you dance tomorrow night. And for the sake of a smooth rehearsal, everyone will get all 10s for scores.”

After the draw for order, Thea sent everyone to the Green Room except Will and Anne. While Anne who conferred with the camera crew, Thea talked to Will.

“So, Will, are you feeling better?”

“Yes, I am. Thank you for making the taping arrangements and for allowing us to make changes in the dance and the costume. The pink tie I can handle, but that pink shirt was something I couldn’t imagine myself wearing.”

“Go join Anne and walk through the new part.”

Will crossed the floor and sat in the chair Anne had set out for him.

While Will and Anne blocked their moves with Thea and the camera crew, the rest of the dance teams waited in the green room.

“What’s going on with Darcy?” asked George. “I bet, given how rich he is, he’s bought extra camera time or something.”

“I doubt that,” Lizzy replied. “Don’t the FCC game show rules apply to shows like this? Mary, do you know?”

Mary King shrugged. Hannah Jenkins decided to speak up.

“They’re reblocking with the camera crew. I think there was some confusion about camera angles. Nothing sinister going on, really.”

“Hmph.” George’s expression showed that he still believed that Will was getting special treatment.

Rich Fitzwilliam picked up a bottle of water and took a swig as he walked toward George.

“Hey, George. Don’t worry about it. I’m sure it’s all legit.”

“Rich, I saw you talking to Darcy the other day. Let me warn you. Don’t trust him. He will not be your friend. He’ll do anything to get what he wants.”

“I didn’t know you and he knew each other.”

“His kid sister ditched school to see me on the Today show and he blamed me. In fact, he…”

While George recited his tale of woe, across the room Caroline Bingley snarled at the production assistants.

“Why did Jane Gardiner get feathers on her dress? I specifically asked for feathers, but was told no. So if I can’t have them, why can she? And I wanted an orange dress. And look at this. Peach is NOT the ‘new orange,’ so don’t even try telling me that. You must have had a whole bolt of this stuff left over from some other season. How else would you have been able to make a second dress?”

“Caroline, we’re always prepared to duplicate or repair a costume in case something goes wrong,” said Mary King. “It doesn’t mean we’re using up old fabric.”

Caroline turned her back on Mary and shouted, “Louisa! Get me a bottle of water! And get my uncle on the phone. I’ll get to the bottom of this. And let me tell you, next week, I’ll get the costume I want! Louisa! What are you doing? Move it!”

In another part of the room, Jane Gardiner sighed, “Oh, dear. I feel terrible. I didn’t ask for the feathers, Mike suggested it. I had no idea Caroline wanted them.”

“Jane, you have the music, you get the feathers,” said Mike, her partner.

“And you look like an angel in that dress,” added Charles, who had taken advantage of the crowded room to make his way to Jane.

Rob Marsden followed Will and Anne into the green room.

“What did I tell you?” George whispered to Rich. “He’s been with the producer. He’s up to something.” Rich shrugged.

“Rob!” Caroline bore down on the producer. “I need to talk to you about the costumes. I wanted feathers and—”

“Enough!” With one word, the producer silenced the room. “Dancers only in the Green Room. We’re ready to start, so dancers please line up on the set. The rest of you I assume belong to somebody’s posse. Go do whatever you do somewhere else.”

Rob turned to Caroline and spoke softly, “Miss Blake, if you spill anything on this dress, you will wear it tomorrow night, stain and all.”

Charles Bingley left the Green Room, taking Will Darcy’s notebook computer so that he could check over what Will had written for that night’s segment. After proofing and downloading to the teleprompter, Charles left the building and drove to the airport.

Mercifully, the flight was on time. He waited by the luggage carousel, daydreaming about Jane Gardiner and how he wished he could lead her across the floor. She’s an angel! he sighed. An amused voice broke into his reverie.

“Blonde or brunette?” asked Georgiana Darcy, grinning up at Charles.

“Georgie! I didn’t see you!”

“Hi Charles!” Georgie gave him a sisterly peck on the cheek and said, “I’m not surprised you didn’t see me. You were off dancing on a cloud. So, blonde or brunette?”

Charles blushed and said, “I wasn’t really dancing, was I?”

“No, sort of swaying. So, who is she? I’m guessing a blonde. You’re way too distracted for a brunette.”

“When did you get so perceptive?” Charles laughed and tugged her ponytail.

“It doesn’t take Sherlock Holmes. Will and I have seen you fall in and out of love too many times for us not to have learned the signs.”

“Let’s collect your bags and then I’ll tell you all about it.”

Meanwhile, back at the “Come Dance With Me” studio

Brad Sheffield finished the introductions and announced that the first dance team would be B and Harriet Martin. A short video of their rehearsal followed.

Standing in a rehearsal studio, B rubbed his head and said, “Ya know, I thought this would be easy. Rap has rhythm, you know what I’m sayin’? I’ve done some break dancing, but this is more complicated.”

“Come on, B” said Harriet. “Show me some moves.” She turned on the music, and B obliged with some very cool moves. Harriet tried to copy some of them, and fell down.

B extended a hand to help her up and said, “Not bad. We might make a sister out of you yet, girl!”

The video was followed by their cha-cha, which included some of B’s break dancing moves. When they finished, the band applauded. The dancers in the Green Room wondered what they were missing.

B and Harriet returned to the Green Room to await their scores with Brad’s co-host, Stephanie Wilson. The judges were not present, so three production assistants provided scores.

“Ten!”

“Ten!”

“Ten!”

Laughing, B and Harriet exchanged high-fives. The other dancers applauded. Rich Fitzwilliam whistled and called out, “Way to go, man! Three tens! Too bad they aren’t real.”

B grinned at him and , in his best Mr. T voice said, “They’ll be real tomorrow night, and then we’ll see who’s laughin’, fool!”

Meanwhile, in a hotel suite in Vegas

“Here we are,” Charles set Georgie’s bags in one of the bedrooms. “Will upgraded to a suite so that you can have some time together. Your notebook should work, the rooms here are ‘hot.’ Do you want to unpack, have lunch, what?”

“Unpack. And while I do, please tell me about the rest of the dancers. I feel as if I already know Jane Gardiner very well, but there are eight others, not counting Will. How is George Wickham doing?”

“Are you sure you’re okay with seeing him?”

“Yes. What happened was stupid, and I wish Will hadn’t got so worked up over it.” Seeing the blank look on Charles’s face, she asked, “Did he ever tell you what happened?”

Charles nodded and said, “Wickham seems very confident. In a couple of social situations, he has tried to needle Will. I’m afraid it’s working. After Will found out that Wickham was going to be on the show, he wanted to quit. And when he realized that he couldn’t do that, he decided to beat Wickham, even if it kills him.”

“And will it?”

“He’s spreading himself pretty thin. I said that I’d keep you out of trouble by having you help with research. Any help you can give and anything you can say to get him to relax would be a huge help.”

Meanwhile, on the “Come Dance With Me” ballroom set

Brad Sheffield looked into the camera and said, “Next up, we have Emma Knightly and Frank Churchill!”

The intro video showed clips of Emma and George Knightly on stage, Emma and Frank rehearsing, and Frank flirting with a blonde keyboard player in the band. The last clip showed Emma in a long practice skirt, dancing clumsily until Frank made her show him her feet. Grinning, she lifted the skirt to reveal that she was wearing cowboy boots. Frank mugged for the camera, scowling and pointing at the boots. Emma took them off and they glided smoothly across the floor, laughing.

Laughing, Brad said, “And now, sans boots, we have Emma Knightly and her partner, Frank Churchill!”

They walked onto the floor, and Frank smiled down at Emma. “Remember the string!” he whispered. Emma walked into his arms and stood with perfect posture, waiting for the music. Their dance to the ballad version of “Breakin’ Up Is Hard to Do” went well except for one moment when Emma almost lost her footing.

“It’s okay, just recover,” Frank whispered. “That’s it!”

They finished the dance without another misstep, and Emma smiled as they practiced their bows before a room full of empty chairs.

In the Green Room, they stood with Stephanie, waiting for their scores.

“Are you all right, Emma?” Stephanie asked. “It looked like you almost slipped.”

“Ah put mah foot down a bit wrong, is all. Ah’ll be more careful tomorrah night.”

“Here come your scores. Let’s see what the judges thought.”

“Ten!”

“Ten!”

“Ten!”

The other dancers applauded, and Emma curtseyed.

Jane Gardiner and Mike Chiara were called to dance next. While their rehearsal clip was being shown, Carline Blake walked over to where Will Darcy and Anne deBourgh waited for their turn. Anne read a novel while Will scribbled on a yellow legal pad.

“Oh, Will!” Caroline gushed. “How do you do it? You are so industrious! I’m too nervous to do anything!”

Will looked up from his work and frowned. Too nervous to do anything but distract me.

“And how quickly you write! Your mind must work at lightning speed!”

“It’s trying to, anyway,” Will muttered.

“You’re so busy, I think it’s wonderful how you made time to take part in this program. I’d love to interview you. Your costume is unusually conservative for a program like this. Except for your tie. It’s certainly bright, but the knot is funny. Let me—”

“No!” said Will as she reached for the knot. “Leave it alone. It’s fine.”

Anne looked up from her book and used her mother’s withering upper crust accent to say, “Have you nothing else to do, Ms. Blake?”

“Um, no. I’m just being friendly.”

Anne gave her an icy smile and said, “Then be friendly somewhere else, dear.”

Caroline flounced off and Will chuckled, “Where did that come from?”

“You’ve never met my mother. That’s how she gets rid of annoying people. I had to do something before Caroline touched you. That tie is going to be our surprise move.”

“That’s twice you’ve rescued me. Thank you!” Will returned to drafting his magazine article and Anne returned to her novel.

Caroline continued to mumble unkind things about Anne as she returned to her partner, who was sitting with Charlotte and Rich.

“What?” said Rich, thinking he’d heard his name.

“I didn’t say anything to you!” snapped Caroline. Charlotte looked at David and they did their best to hide their smiles.

Jane and Mike returned to the Green Room, and Caroline frowned.

“Look at her! Like she’s the queen or something. And I still want to know how she got feathers! I wanted feathers!”

“Let it go, Caroline,” said David. “The dress goes with her music.”

“Oh, the feather dress dance!” sighed Charlotte. “I must have watched that footage a million times.”

“And you still have the poster in your bedr—apartment.” said David.

“What poster?” asked Rich.

“It’s from the Metropolitan Museum. A whole series of stills of the Astaire and Rogers dance, the one where she wears the dress with the feathers.”

“I don’t—” Rich began, but was interrupted by the scores.

“Ten!”

“Zero!”

“Zero!”

Jane’s eyes widened for a moment, but all that acting training was not in vain. She smiled at the camera.

“So, how do you like your scores?” asked Stephanie.

“Well, I was hoping for a bit better, but the judges know best,” Jane replied in her sweetest voice. “I’m just so glad I got to be here tonight and dance in this amazing dress. It’s a girlish fantasy come true!”

The light on the camera blinked out as the director cut away from the Green Room.

“Well done, Jane!” said Stephanie.

“Hey, what was that?” asked Hank Carter from where he and his partner were sitting. “I thought we were supposed to get all tens at Dress!”

“I know,” said Stephanie. “But we throw in some strange scores to remind you that tomorrow the judges will not be likely to give out all tens. It’s unpredictable, and you need to be ready for surprises.”

“But zeros?” cried Emma. “Would the judges actually give someone a zero?”

“Omigod!” shrieked Peggy Atwood. “That would be, like, way cruel! We didn’t see our numbers at the pageant. That would be so not fun. They only told us the rankings, and I don’t know if any of those judges were, like, so mean. It would, like, kill me if I got a zero.”

“Now, now,” her partner Billy Collins tried to soothe her. “I’m sure the judges wouldn’t give you a zero. You are universally charming!”

George Wickham and Lizzy Bennet laughed at this last exchange. George doubted Billy and Peggy would be on the show for long. Hmm, she may need, like, consoling if she gets dropped.

George got up and stretched, saying, “We’ve probably got a good ten minutes to go. I’m going to walk around a bit and loosen up.”

“Good idea. We can warm up for a minute or two right before we go out, but if you need a stretch, do it.”

George swaggered over to Peggy.

“I don’t think you need to worry about a zero, when it’s obvious that you’re a perfect ten.”

“Thank you!” Peggy squealed. “You are, like, so kind!”

“Don’t mention it. I wish I could watch you dance, but we go on right after you, and so I’ll be into my pre-dance meditation.”

Wow! Meditation. He is, like, SO deep!

George recognized the awestruck look on Peggy’s face. Oh, yeah, she’s diggin’ it! He continued to chat with the teenager, and Billy Collins noticed that Lizzy was sitting by herself, listening to the music of the couple currently on the floor.

“Lizzy, you’re looking lovely,” he began.

“Collins. How are you?” she asked, although she didn’t really want an answer.

“I am quite excited about being here. So many lovely ladies, I am quite thrilled!”

“Uh-huh.” Lizzy tried to look disinterested.

“I heard about Jack.”

“It was a great break for him,” Lizzy said with a genuine smile.

“But a loss, too. He must have found it a difficult decision to leave so lovely and charming a partner as you. I hear that you haven’t found anyone yet.”

Oh, noooo. Noooo, noooo, noooooo! “I’m not even going to think about it until after this season of ‘Come Dance’ is over.” so don’t go there Collins!

“Well, just keep me in mind.”

“Excuse me.” Lizzy stood up and began to walk away. Collins followed behind, complimenting her on her graceful walk, lovely posture (he almost said posterior, but caught himself in time).

Lizzy turned and pointed to the door that said “Ladies.”

“Oh, of course, nature calls!” said Collins as he scuttled away. Lizzy pushed the door open and wondered how long she’d have to hide in there before he would go away. She wasn’t in there long before the door opened and Jane Gardiner walked in.

“Hi Jane, I’m glad I got a chance to tell you, you were great! I love your dress, it goes with your music and your choreography. You’re going to do well in this competition.”

“You and George Wickham did very well, too. I find that it’s awfully tiring. Do you think the others are tired, too?”

“Definitely! And not just the celebs. The pros are all in good shape, but breaking in a new partner is always tough. And if the partner is a nondancer, well,” Lizzy shrugged.

“At least I’m between films. Some people are still doing their jobs as well as all this dance training. Charles says—”

“Who’s Charles?”

“He’s Will Darcy’s segment producer for CNC news.”

Lizzy grinned and said, “Tall, blond, gapes at you in utter adoration?”

“Lizzy!” Jane blushed. “He’s very nice. And he says that Will is having a tough time juggling dancing and work.”

“I like Anne, and I hate to wish a fellow dancer ill, but I wouldn’t mind seeing Will Darcy voted off the island. He and George, well, suffice it to say they have an unpleasant history, and I’m concerned that Darcy’s presence will distract George.”

“Oh, what a shame. Maybe being on the show together will help them work it out.”

Lizzy looked at Jane as if she had sprouted wings and a halo. “Geez, you really are as nice as the fan mags all say you are.”

“I just like people to be happy. My agent says I need to do some edgier films, but I like things to work out in the end.”

“Ah, yes, the good end happily and the bad end unhappily. I believe that is one definition of fiction!” said Lizzy with a laugh. Then her expression changed and she said, “Jane, I need a favor. Could you peek outside and see if Billy Collins is still hanging around? He’s been dogging me since Jack and I split up, and I’d like to make my escape now.”

“Sure, no problem.” Jane looked out the door, then called over her shoulder, “Coast is clear!”

“Thanks, Jane,” said Lizzy as she left. “See you!”

Later, in a restaurant in Las Vegas

Anne walked up to the table and said, “Sorry to be late. This afternoon was the only time I had to get highlights.” She shook her head and her blonde hair seemed to shimmer.

“Wow! Great highlights!” cried Georgie. “Hi, I’m Will’s sister, Georgie Darcy.”

Anne took the hand Georgie held out and said, “Hello, Georgie, I’m Anne deBourgh. I’m delighted to meet you. Your brother has been looking forward to your visit.”

Will waved a waiter over and the waiter filled four flutes.

Charles said, “Champagne, Will?”

Will raised his glass and said, “To Anne, thank you so much for your patience and understanding. I wish I could do justice to your teaching.”

They all clinked glasses and sipped the champagne.

“You shouldn’t be so negative!” said Georgie.

“I’m just being realistic. I doubt I’ll finish in the top half, or even the top three-fourths.”

“You don’t know how others are doing, Will,” said Anne. “I’m new to ‘Come Dance With Me,’ but I’m told that the first dance is the most difficult. You aren’t used to exhibiting yourself in this manner, so you feel awkward.”

“I heard about the pink shirt revolt. Ouch!” Georgie squealed as Charles kicked her under the table.

“Traitor!” Will shot Charles a dark look.

“Will, you must learn to laugh at yourself,” said Anne. “As we go on through this show, you are going to have to wear costumes that are not like everyday clothes.”

“Not pink! And no ruffles!”

“We shall have to see about that!” Anne laughed and turned to Georgie. “Do you know where the loos are?”

“Just past the bar and—let me show you.”

The two women left the table together. Once they were out of sight, Anne pulled Georgie aside.

“Georgie, I need your help. Your brother is very tense. Any suggestions you may have to help him relax would be appreciated.”

“I don’t know if I can help with that, but I can help you understand the sources of his tension. First, my brother is a very serious person, not given to displays of exuberance. His participation was the network’s idea. He’s trying to be a loyal employee. You see, he takes responsibility and commitments very seriously. Our parents died when I was little, and he had to take on a lot of responsibilities, including me.” Georgie paused.

“And second?” Anne prompted.

“And second, he hates George Wickham.”

“Aha. That explains quite a bit. I thought that he was becoming comfortable with the whole idea, but after the list of participants was released, he became very intense, almost driven.”

“Will hates George. Several years ago, I cut class and went to stand outside the ‘Today’ show to jump up and down and scream for George when he made a personal appearance on the show. Afterwards, I waited outside the stage door to get an autograph. He didn’t come out, and everyone gave up. Except me. I stayed around a while longer, and George finally came out. He flattered me, and asked me to have coffee with him. I didn’t realize he meant his hotel room. We got up there, and it suddenly hit me what I was doing. I locked myself in the bathroom, hoping to call for help on my cell. It didn’t work, but there was a phone in the bathroom. I called the front desk and asked to have security sent up.

“When the security guy saw how young I was, he called Will, who was angrier than I have ever seen him. He wanted to have George arrested, but George hadn’t done anything. He would have, I’m certain of that. But the instant he bolted the door to his room, I panicked and ran into the bathroom. Will realized that, with George’s character being a bad guy, ‘Lives of Our World’ would just use the incident for publicity and I would look like a fool, and in a very public manner. There was nothing Will could do, and he found that very hard to deal with.”

“What about you?”

Georgie shrugged, “I’m over it. Nothing happened to me, except a scare. It taught me to be careful. But Will feels he failed me because he didn’t prevent it.”

“But, from what you’ve told me, he couldn’t have prevented it.”

“Bingo! That’s the key to Will. He takes responsibility for everything, even things he isn’t responsible for.”

“You’ve given me a lot to think over, Georgie. Thank you for telling me. Now, shall we go have dinner?”

Chapter 10

Posted on Wednesday, 15 November 2006

Showtime, Week 1
“Come Dance With Me” ballroom set

After introducing the ten celebrities and their partners, Brad introduced the three judges.

“First, we have internationally recognized ballroom dancing judge, Pete Smythe. Next to Pete we have the lovely Phyllis Astin, a world-class champion dancer and choreographer. And our third judge is six-time Latin dance champion, Mario Firenze.”

The dancers applauded their judges, and the show took a commercial break. The dancers were sent to the Green Room. Before following the group, Will walked over to Charles and Georgie.

“Will!” Georgie squeaked. “You’re wearing makeup! And your tie is funny.”

“Never mind my tie. Just wish me luck.”

“You know I do! I love you, Will!”

Will kissed his sister on the forehead. “Love, you back, sweetie.”

Will was barely off the floor when the lights came up and Brad introduced George and Lizzy. Their rehearsal clip included footage of their time in Indiana, when Lizzy visited the set of George’s movie and sat in the chair that had his name on the back and wore his cowboy hat.

As George led Lizzy onto the dance floor, he noticed Georgie Darcy sitting with Will’s producer. George winked at Georgie. Charles noticed the wink, and quickly turned to look at Georgie.

“You okay?” Charles whispered.

“Yeah, no big deal,” she replied.

George and Lizzy did a spirited cha-cha. While the judges praised the couple for their flexibility and footwork, Georgie leaned over to Charles.

“They’re really good. Is Will that good?” She watched Charles struggle for an answer and sighed, “Oh, dear, he’s going to hate being worse than Wickham.”

George and Lizzy waited in the Green Room with Stephanie for the scores to be announced.

“Seven!”

“Seven!”

“Eight!”

“Wow,” said Stephanie as the entire cast applauded the scores. “Those are high scores for a first show. How did you do it?”

George grinned and said, “Lizzy is a great dancer and a great teacher!”

“Lizzy,” said Stephanie, “How is George as a student?”

“He has a natural sense of rhythm and he’s a fabulously quick study.”

Will and Anne had watched the dance on one of the monitors in the Green Room. Will realized that he was not a good dancer. He could accept that, but what was getting under his skin was that George was a very good dancer and he seemed to be enjoying his partner’s company. Will swore that he would not go out in the first round. His dance might be silly, but he’d make the most of it. Anne could see the determination on his face.

“Will?”

“Hmm?”

“You’re tightening. I can see it. Let’s go out into the hallway. I think we need to talk.”

Once they were in the hallway, Anne wasted no time.

“Right, you have a problem. And I’m guessing that it’s George Wickham. Why are you letting him get to you?”

“We have a history that I’d rather not go into.”

“Do you want to beat George?”

“Yes, but I know I’m not good enough.”

“Will, each dance is unique. Each dance pair brings to the dance their own qualities. If you want to do well, make the most of what you’ve got. We have a cute song, and some fun bits of business. Work it! Don’t think about what anyone else did before us or will do after us. Think about our dance. It’s the only thing we can control. Now let’s do a quick breathing exercise to get you calm and go back into the Green Room. Charlotte and Rich should be back for their scores and we’re supposed to be there.”

Anne and Will slipped back into the room just before the camera went live for the scores for Charlotte and Rich.

“Seven!”

“Seven!”

“Seven!”

As soon as the camera was off, Anne and Will left the Green Room to stand in the wings and wait to be called to the dance floor. While their rehearsal clip was shown, Anne decided Will needed one more pep talk.

“Set the scene in your head, Will. You’re a rich, successful businessman. And I want you. And I’m going to make you want me!” Anne checked his tie, shimmied to make sure nothing on her bright pink fringed dress was loose, and smiled. “Ready?”

“Ready, I hope.”

“Willlll?”

“Ready!”

“That’s my boy!”

The band had been playing to entertain the audience in the ballroom while the show was in commercial. They abruptly stopped playing, and Brad introduced Will and Anne. Will walked onto the dance floor, sat in the chair that had been set out, opened the Wall Street Journal, and began to read. Anne followed him out and stood a few feet away, waiting for the music to begin.

“Hey Daddy!
I want a fancy car,
Champagne, and caviar.
Hey Daddy!
You ought to get the best for me!”

Anne danced over to Will and snatched the newspaper out of his hands. She tossed it aside and did a seductive dance step in front of him. He took off the glasses and wiped them on his tie, as if they had become fogged up. The audience laughed at this move.

Anne grabbed the glasses and tossed them aside with the paper. She took hold of his bright pink satin tie and tugged on it to pull him out of the chair. But the tie, which had been designed with extra fabric, kept extending. He stood up, and she danced toward him, reeling in the tie, hand over hand. A quick tug on the hidden velcro, and the tie came loose and was tossed aside. He was “hooked,” and began to follow her in the dance.

“Hey Daddy!
I want a diamond ring,
Bracelet, and everything.
Hey Daddy!
You ought to get the best for me!”

Will pulled a “diamond” bracelet out of a pocket and held it tantalizingly. He and Anne danced around each other as she tried to get hold of the bracelet. By the end of the dance, she had an armful of bracelets. The audience applauded loudly. Georgie grinned and clapped as hard as she could. Charles, who had seen the evolution of the dance, was amazed. He hadn’t thought his serious friend would pull if off.

Will and Anne took their bows. Still in shock at the applause, Will managed to remember to blow a kiss to his sister, who rewarded him with a shrill whistle.

“Well,” said Brad, “The audience liked it. Judges?”

Mario grinned, “I like how you made it into a little play. The music, the props, it all went together.”

“Very clever,” said Pete, “But you were stiff at the beginning. I know it was part of your play, but it detracts from the dancing.”

“I agree,” said Phyllis. “And you cheated a bit by spending some of your time sitting down. You have the footwork pretty well, but you’re too stiff. You need to move more than just your feet to the music.”

Will and Anne returned to the Green Room to wait for their scores.

“Five!”

“Six!”

“Five!”

Will sat down and gulped down some water. He looked at Anne and said, “Well, we survived.’

“It was good.”

“Low scores, though.”

“They’re respectable scores for the first time. And you have to accept that there’s an inherent unfairness about most competitions. Some people come to a competition with more skills than others. Actors have had movement classes, possibly also dance classes. Singers understand music and rhythm. Some people are more coordinated than others. We need to focus on our strengths and work from there. Nothing to do now but relax and enjoy watching the others.”

They watched Caroline Blake and David Sanderson do a fox trot. Emma Knightly and Frank Churchill followed with their fox trot. Anne used the time to do a little teaching, pointing out for Will the dancers’ posture and how they danced with their whole bodies, not just their feet. Hank Carter’s cha-cha was respectable, if not stellar, but Anne even found elements in that dance to point out to Will as good examples.

On the dance floor, Brad announced the next couple.

“Here are Anita Ellis and Garret Moore, doing the fox trot.”

Anita and Garret took their position on the floor and the music started.

“There’s a small hotel
With a wishing well.
I wish that we were there together.
There’s no bridal suite.
One room, nice and neat,
Complete for us to share together.”

Backstage, the other dancers watched the monitors.

“This is a great song for a fox trot,” said Anne.

“I know!” agreed Charlotte Lucas. “It’s very romantic.”

Listening to this conversation, George thought Romantic? It’s about shacking up in a small hotel! Leaning toward Lizzy, he began to sing along to the music with his own version of the lyrics.

“There’s a big hotel
Where we can live well.
I wish that we could play together.
I’ve got a great big suite.
Big bed, quite a treat,
A place where we can play together!”

Will watched George leer at Lizzy and scowled. Disgusting pig! Lizzy laughed it off, but wondered how she was going to get through the competition without George jumping her. His suggestive comments were getting more frequent.

Anita and Garret finished, and the judges gave their comments.

“You need to learn to hide your nervousness. You were too stiff,” said Phyllis.

“This should have been romantic, especially to that lovely song. An autopsy has more romance!” exclaimed Pete.

“You can’t watch your feet when you dance. You need to find a focal point,” said Mario.

Backstage, the dancers cringed as Anita and Garret stood with Stephanie and waited for their scores.

“Three!”

“Four!”

“Four!”

A little guiltily, Will thought, At least I don’t have the worst scores.

“That was, like, way harsh!” cried Peggy Atwood the moment the camera’s light went out. “I’m afraid to go out there!”

“Don’t think about them,” said Billy Collins. “Focus on our dance. We won’t watch the next one. We’ll go out into the hall and work on our focus. Remember that you are charming, lovely, and also much younger than Anita.”

Peggy left the Green Room first. As Billy followed her, he took a detour so that he could walk by Lizzy. He smiled as he stopped in front of her.

“Do watch our dance, Lizzy. Try to imagine yourself in Peggy’s place.”

As the music started, Peggy stepped off on the wrong foot.

“Other foot, Miss Jenkins,” Billy hissed.

“Sorry!”

“Just keep in step,” Billy said through clenched teeth and an artificial smile.

The dancers in the Green Room watched in horror as Peggy almost stepped on Billy’s foot.

“Tsk!” said Caroline Blake, “She doesn’t know one foot from another! She’s too young for this. What were the producers thinking? And that satin dress! She’s too young to be channeling the forties.”

Anita laughed, “Nobody here was alive back then, Caroline.”

“Speaking of forties,” Caroline snapped, “Most of us in the room haven’t reached ours yet.”

“Ladies, ladies, no catfights, if you please!” said David. The conversation stopped as Peggy and Billy walked into the Green Room.

Stephanie smiled at them and said, “Peggy, you seemed to be having some trouble out there. What happened?”

“I can’t start off on the right foot! I always start on the left. I was, like, a pom-pom dancer in my high school band, you know? And when we marched, the step-off on one was always, like, left, and the two was right. Our band director would, like, go ballistic if we got it wrong. So we all learned to do it that way. I have trouble remembering that it’s different in dancing.”

“Well, here are your scores, Peggy. Let’s see what the judges thought.”

“Four!”

“Five!”

“Three!”

Peggy kept her pageant smile on until the show cut back to Brad, who explained the voting system to the home audience. Then she started to cry, and ran into the hallway.

“The judges were wrong,” said George, who had followed her. “You did great. It isn’t your fault about the foot thing. Ask Billy to change feet. He’s the professional, he should be the one to make allowances. Don’t cry, Peggy. You’ll ruin your makeup. You looked so pretty out there. I bet Phyllis was just jealous because you’re so young.”

“Do you think so?” Peggy sniffed and looked up at George.

“Yes, I do.” He stepped in closer, but saw movement in the distance. He turned to the approaching woman, Peggy’s pageant chaperone.

“Oh, good, there you are. Peggy needs you.” George turned back to Peggy and said, “Be brave. You’ve got next week to show a whole new dance and I’m sure you’ll be fantastic!”

George kissed Peggy’s hand and then returned to the Green Room. Peggy watched him walk away and sighed. He is, like, SO nice!

Chapter 11

Results Show, Week 1
“Come Dance With Me” ballroom set

Brad welcomed the audience to the results show, saying, “Welcome to ‘Come Dance With Me, Results Show.’ Tonight we will find out which couples will go on to next week’s competition, and which couple will be leaving us. But first, we will have our special encore dance. Each week, our judges select one dance that they found to be exceptional and worthy of an encore. Tonight’s encore is a foxtrot by Jane Gardiner and Mike Chiara. One of our rules is no lifts. But tonight, as a tribute to Astaire and Rogers they have added a lift that they have copied from the original choreography. So here, dancing to ‘Cheek to Cheek,’ are Jane and Mike.”

“Heaven, I’m in heaven,
And my heart beats so that I can hardly speak.
And I seem to find the happiness I seek
When we’re out together dancing cheek to cheek.”

From his seat at the edge of the dance floor, Charles Bingley watched Jane glide across the floor. The feathers at the hem of her dress made her look like she was floating on a cloud. I’m in heaven and I’m looking at an angel!

Sitting next to Charles, Georgie Darcy smiled. She and her brother had seen Charles in love before. Jane Gardiner was one of the prettiest women Georgie had seen Charles fall for. Will didn’t think it was serious, but Georgie thought that this might turn out to be more than an infatuation on Charles’s part. She just wondered if Jane was aware of Charles’s feelings.

After the exhibition, the celebrities gathered on the stage for the elimination. The lights came up, the cameras came on, and Brad picked up his microphone.

“Welcome back, ladies and gentlemen! Here’s a recap of the judges’ scores from yesterday.”

“Tied for first place with 22 points, George Wickham and Lizzy Bennet, and B and Harriet Martin.” As the audience applauded, Lizzy hugged George. B and Harriet did a high-five.

“Tied for second place, with 21 points, Rich Fitzwilliam and Charlotte Lucas, and Jane Gardiner and Mike Chiara.” Hearing Jane’s score, Charles applauded and cheered.

“In third place, with 20 points, Emma Knightly and Frank Churchill. In fourth place, with 19 points, Hank Carter and Cindy Witmer.” The audience applauded, and Emma smiled at her husband, who sat at the edge of the dance floor.

“Tied for fifth place, with 16 points, Will Darcy and Anne deBourgh, and Caroline Blake and David Sanderson.” Georgie applauded her brother.

“In sixth place, with 12 points, Peggy Atwood and Billy Collins. And in last place, Anita Ellis and Garret Moore, with a score of 11.”

Brad walked to the end of the line where the two lowest couples stood. “Peggy and Billy, Anita and Garret, the judges placed you at the low end of the scores. Did the response of your fans improve your standings? Let’s find out. When the judges’ scores were combined with the fans’ scores, Anita and Garret, you were still in the bottom two. Peggy and Billy, you are going on to the next show! Hank and Cindy, you are in the bottom two. The rest of you are continuing. We’ll find out which of the bottom couples will continue after this.”

The lights dimmed as the show went into commercial.

Caroline turned to Will and said, “Oh, Will! How exciting to know we’ll both be back next week. And we have the same score. Just one of many things we have in common, I’m sure!” The lights came up again, and Will was saved from having to reply to Caroline.

“We’re back!” said Brad. “Our bottom two couples have been biting their nails. We can now relieve the tension. Hank and Cindy, you will continue on to next week. Anita and Garret, we’re sorry to say, you are going home. So step out to the floor, and do one last dance.”

Anita and Garret danced for a few seconds, and then the rest of the dancers moved onto the dance floor to say goodbye to them. They milled around, which made Will uncomfortable, as he tried to dodge Caroline’s attentions and avoid contact with George.

“And we’re clear!” The director called out and a collective sigh rose from the crowd on the dance floor. Emma ran to her husband for a hug.

“You were wonderful, darlin’!” said George Knightly. “And just think, tomorrow it starts all over again.” Emma groaned and leaned against him.

Will walked over to Georgie, who had been abandoned when Charles left their table to congratulate Jane.

“Will! You survived! I knew you would!”

“Did you have fun, Georgie?”

“Yes, it was great! But you should have seen Charles drool over Jane Gardiner. He’s got it bad.”

“Where is he, anyway?”

“Over there, with the angel.” Georgie pointed across the room. Charles saw her and waved. He said something to Jane and they walked toward Georgie and Will.

“Jane, you’ve met Will. Here is his sister, Georgiana. Georgie, this is Jane Gardiner.”

“Hi Georgie,” Jane extended her hand. Georgie took it and grinned.

“Wow, I’m a big fan! I loved ‘Winter Interlude’, you were fantastic!”

“Thank, you, Georgie, you’re too kind. Are you coming to the party?”

“No, we’re going to have dinner and call it a night,” said Will.

“But could I have your autograph?” asked Georgie as she held out a piece of paper.

“Sure!” Jane took the paper and signed it. As she handed it back to Georgie, George Wickham approached the group.

“Don’t you want my autograph?” he smirked.

Georgie sensed the tension in her brother, so she put her hand on his arm and gave a gentle squeeze. Then she turned to George.

“No thanks. Been there, done that. Don’t need to do it again.” Turning her back on George, she said, “You were great tonight, Jane. I hope you and Charles enjoy the party. But I have homework to do, and Will has an interview scheduled, so we’re leaving now. Good night.”

Anne had been standing nearby, and as Georgie passed by on her way out, Anne murmured, “Well done!”

Lizzy had been standing across the floor, watching the interactions. She saw Will’s sister say something curt to George and then turn her back. Little snot! she thought.

After the audience left the ballroom, members of the press crowded onto the dance floor to interview the celebrities.

The reporter from “Entertainment this Week” walked up to Jane and began to ask a few questions. They were interrupted by Caroline.

“Hi, you’re from ‘Entertainment this Week,’ aren’t you?”

“That’s right,” said the reporter. Annoyed at Caroline’s interruption, he said, “And you are?”

“Caroline Blake. I’m a reporter, too. TV, not print. I cover fashion for Showbiz Cable Channel.”

“Well then, you appreciate how busy I am, so if you don’t mind, I need to get back to my interview.”

“Caroline, there you are!” David Sanderson gently led his partner away and let Jane and the reporter talk in peace.

“So, Jane,” said the reporter, “What are the worst and best parts of the competition?”

“Worst part is the shoes. I’ve never spent so much time in heels! My legs are tired at the end of the night. Thank goodness for jacuzzis!”

“And the best part?”

Jane gazed across the room to where Charles sat. Then she returned her attention to the reporter and said, “Meeting so many wonderful new people.”

Chapter 12

Posted on Thursday, 20 September 2007

Week 2, 5 days until showtime
A dance studio in Las Vegas

Anne hit the “play” button, and dropped into a chair next to Will. They listened to “Sing, Sing, Sing.” Anne tapped her toe and stared to form mental images of the dance she would teach Will. The music ended and she turned to look at Will.

“It’s fast,” he said.

“Yes, they do call it the quick step, after all.”

“What is it like?”

“It will be a good dance for you, I think. It’s ballroom, not Latin. So you won’t have to, well, that is—”

“I won’t have to move more than my feet?”

“Yes,” Anne laughed. “It involves a great deal of footwork, which must be executed quickly. Hit play again while I think about what to do. Watch, and you’ll see what the steps are like.”

Will watched as Anne tried various dance steps. After three times through the music, she took a break.

“What do you think?” she asked, reaching for her water bottle.

“Fast. But the steps don’t look complicated. And you almost looked like you were galloping at one point.”

Anne laughed, “Yes there is a sort of a running step. The steps don’t look complicated when I’m by myself, but they really are tricky. One of the things to know about the quickstep is that we’ll be dancing close together. Our steps need to be close physically and in perfect unison. On the plus side, you don’t need Latin moves or a satin shirt.”

“That sounds good. Any other pitfalls?”

“The difficulties are that we dance in a hold position, with our feet close together, and you have to watch your posture. Many amateurs have trouble holding the frame. So, stand up, and let’s get started.”

Meanwhile, in another studio in Las Vegas

“I hate this song!” wailed Peggy Atwood.

“Now, now, Peggy,” said Billy Collins. “It’s a perfectly good mambo song. It even has mambo in the title.”

“Yeah, well, Papa may love the mambo, but I hate it. You tell me to do one thing, and then she,” Peggy pointed to her pageant chaperone, “says no.”

“Let’s try again, please,” said Billy. He hit play and led Peggy to their starting point.

The music started to play and Billy turned and stepped toward Peggy.

“Ow!” she cried. “You stepped on me!”

“You started on the wrong foot, Peggy.”

“I can’t help it! Why can’t you change to match me?”

“That isn’t how it’s done. If we reverse the way we dance, the judges will mark us down.”

“That’s stupid! I need a break!”

Peggy flounced out the door. Before her chaperone could follow, Billy stopped the woman.

“Look, I know you don’t want the moves to be too sexy, but I assure you, this is tame for a mambo. The pageant people had to know what sort of dancing we do when they agreed for Peggy to be here.”

“That’s as may be, Mr. Collins, but I am responsible for the child.”

George Wickham whistled as he walked toward his rehearsal studio. Last night had been good. Nobody noticed that he and Mary left at about the same time. She was getting a little clingy, and he’d have to deal with that eventually. But for now, she was good for some fun. He heard a door slam and saw Peggy pacing angrily in the hallway.

“Peggy? Are you okay?”

“No! This sucks! I hate Billy!”

“What has he done? He didn’t hit on you, did he?”

“Euuwww! No! He’s, like, way too old for me.”

“What a relief! I couldn’t bear it if something happened to you!” George put his arm around Peggy’s shoulders. “Now, tell me what’s wrong.”

Meanwhile, in another dance studio in Las Vegas

While George played the hero for Peggy, Lizzy waited in the rehearsal studio. She started the music and began to think on her feet, trying out dance steps, singing along to the music.

“I got rhythm,
I got music.
Got no partner,
I just can’t take any more!”

Lizzy stopped dancing and looked at her watch. Twenty minutes late! I do not have time for this!

“Good morning, Lizzy!”

“You’re late, George. What happened?”

“Sorry, traffic.”

“Traffic? George, the studios aren’t very far from the hotel we’re all staying at.”

“I wanted a good bagel,” George lied smoothly, “and there’s a place across town that’s supposed to have good ones.”

“And do they?”

“Don’t know, I couldn’t find it. And I didn’t want to be any later, so I came here.”

“Next time you find yourself running late, George, please call me.”

“I will, I promise. Now tell me all about this week’s dance. Do we mambo?”

“No. The women mambo. The men do the quickstep.”

“I’ve never heard of it.”

“Let’s play our music, that will give you an idea of what it’s like.”

Lizzy played the music and did a few dance steps to show George what the quickstep looks like. George frowned.

“What’s wrong?” asked Lizzy.

“That’s it?”

“No. Obviously, I didn’t show you all the steps.”

“But it isn’t sexy.”

“I hadn’t thought about it, but no, it isn’t. It’s quick and it’s lively.”

“Do I get any choice in this?”

“No. We are assigned the dance and the music. So let’s get to work.”

Later that day, in another dance studio

Anne looked in the mirror and frowned. Will sighed.

“I know, I see it. I lost the frame.”

“But can you feel it?”

“Can I feel when I lose the frame? No.”

“You need better body awareness, Will.”

“How do I get that?”

Before Anne could answer, Charles entered the studio.

“Hi guys! How are you doing?”

“I can’t keep my frame.”

“Your what?” asked Charles.

“Posture, position,” said Anne. “You know, Charlie, you could help us here. Be the girl.”

“I beg your pardon?”

“Take my place, Charlie. Will, you’re the boy. Hold your position.” Anne stood behind Will with one hand on his shoulder and one hand at the small of his back. “Right, then, here we go. I’ll count four. Will walks forward, starting on his left foot. Charles walks backwards, starting on his right. Will, watch yourself in the mirror. Ready? One!”

While they walked across the floor, Anne made adjustments to Will’s posture.

“Stop! Hold your frame. Don’t look at Charlie, look at yourself in the mirror, Will! Got it?”

“I think so.”

“Charlie, step back. Will, watch yourself and see if you can tell if you’ve kept the hold.”

Anne and Will repeated the exercise. When they were done, she nodded.

“Better. Definitely better. Thank you for helping, Charlie.”

“Glad to help. You guys missed a great party, Anne.”

“How late did you stay?” asked Will.

“Not that late. The dancers had to get up early for rehearsal. It was nice. You should have come.”

“Georgie’s too young.”

“She’s older than Peggy.”

“Was she there? I wouldn’t think her chaperone would allow it.”

“No, come to think of it, she wasn’t there.”

“See!”

“But Georgie would have had a good time. So would you.”

“Was Wickham there?”

“Yes, but—”

“Forget it, Charles. I worked. The disk for my segment is over there. I’ll see you in the Green Room. Anne and I need to get back to work.”

Charles retrieved the CD and left the studio. He took out his cell and made a call.

Meanwhile, in another dance studio in Las Vegas

“Ah’m gonna do what?” Emma Knightly’s eyes grew wide.

“Shimmy. Shake it, Emma,” said Frank Churchill.

“Ah don’t know…”

“What’s wrong?”

“It’s supposed to be sexy.”

“Right.”

“But Ah don’t know how to act sexy. Ah mean, in front of people and all.”

“Maybe a costume would help you get the feel. Here’s a rehearsal skirt. Just put it on over your workout clothes and give it a good wiggle.”

“This bitty thing is a mambo skirt? Mah costume is gonna be like that?”

“Yes. Emma, you had to know what the dances and costumes were like. Didn’t’ you ever watch the show?

“Well, yeah, but Ah didn’t really picture mahself here.”

“Picture yourself winning this, Emma! And while we’re on the subject, you’re probably going to be baring a lot of skin next week. You might want to think about a tan.”

“Oh, Frank, Ah don’t have time to sunbathe!”

“No, Emma. Spray tan.”

“Spray? You mean like spray paint?”

“Yes, you go into a booth, and it sprays you with the tan. It’s safe, no skin cancer risk. It has the added advantage of making you feel less naked.”

Emma dropped into a chair. Holding her head in her hands she said, “Play the music again. It’ll be better when Ah hear the music.”

That evening, in the Green Room

“This is William Darcy for CNC Newstime.”

“We’re clear!” said the cameraman.

“Thanks guys,” said Charles. “Good segment, Will.”

“Thank you all,” said Will. “Georgie, what did you think?”

“It’s funny to see you do this here in front of that blank backdrop and have it look so different on TV. It’s cool. Can we go now?”

“Yes. Are you that hungry?”

“A little, but more bored.”

“I’m sorry. You didn’t need to come down here and watch.”

“No. I mean that there are loads of cool places to go in Vegas, and I want to see some. I want to ride the roller coaster. Come on, Will. You need to have some fun. And so do I.”

“But a roller coaster?”

“Yes! Charles, call Anne and tell her to meet us in the hotel lobby.”

By the time Anne arrived in the lobby, Charles, Georgie, and Will had been joined by a camera crew and Hannah Jenkins.

“Is everyone here?” asked Anne.

“Yes, all set!” Hannah replied.

“Let’s go, then. Brilliant idea, Georgie!”

“This was your idea?” Will asked his sister.

In the van, Georgie explained, “Charles and I decided you needed to have some fun and loosen up. I thought of the roller coaster and thought Anne would like it, too. Then Anne thought it would be fun to get this on tape for next week’s intro segment.”

Week 2, Four days until showtime
in a hotel room in Las Vegas

“No! Oh, please, no!” cried Lizzy as she read her email. She picked up the laptop, but thought better of her impulse to throw it across the room. Instead, she clicked on “reply” and started to type,

NO!!! Mom, please don’t come out to Vegas. I’m very busy with rehearsals and I won’t have any time to spend with you. And tell Lydia that I do not spend my time clubbing and hanging out with all the stars who headline at the casinos, so I won’t be able to introduce her to the collected rich and famous of Las Vegas.
Love,
Lizzy

Lizzy clicked “send,” then opened a new message.

Hi Dad.
HELP!! Has Mom told you that she wants to come to Vegas and bring Lydia? PLEASE don’t let her do it. This is a lot more work than she thinks it is, and I will not have time to entertain her and to keep Lydia out of trouble.
Love you!
LizZ

Lizzy turned off the computer before she could see a reply from either parent. She grabbed her water bottle and headed for the health club.

Meanwhile, in another room at the hotel

“George, last night was fantastic,” sighed Mary King.

“Mmmhmmm. What time is it?”

“Eight.”

“Go back to sleep.”

“Can’t. Have to get to work, and I have to go change first. Can’t let anyone see me in the same clothes two days in a row.”

“Mmmhmmm.”

“George?”

“Mmmhmm?”

“Do you love me?”

Oh #$%^&*!!!! “How can you even ask me that, Mary?”

“Well, you never say.”

“But, Baby, I do show you.”

“Then why do you flirt with Lizzy?”

“Oh, is that what’s worrying you? That’s just for the show. Dancing is supposed to look romantic, and that’s just part of playing the role. You’re the one, Baby. Not Lizzy.”

“Oh, good.” Mary sighed contentedly and snuggled against George. “I guess I could stay a while longer.”

Meanwhile in a hotel suite

“Good morning, Will!”

“Good morning, Georgie. You’re chipper this morning.”

“I had a good time last night.”

“So did I, except for the roller coaster. I think Anne’s screams caused nerve damage in my right ear!”

“I like Anne. She looks so pale and wafty—”

“Wafty? Is that a word?”

“You know what I mean. She looks fragile, like a breeze would waft her away. But she’s smart and pretty tough. I told her about George.”

“What?”

“She asked me what your problem is, and I told her. She won’t tell anyone. And it really is no big deal to me.”

“But I should have been—”

“Should have been what, Will? You can’t be my bodyguard forever. I made a stupid decision, but it could have turned out a lot worse. Forget about it Will. Don’t let him get to you. He isn’t worth it.”

“I know that in my head. But in my heart, well,” he shrugged.

“You have a great heart, Will. You’re the best brother in the world. I was stupid, and instead of being mad at me, you’re mad at yourself. Don’t get me wrong, I’m glad you didn’t get mad at me. But I don’t like to see you being so angry at yourself. Forget about it. Okay?”

“I’ll try, Sweetie."

Later that morning, in a dance studio in Las Vegas

“I’m not doing this!”

“You have to, George.”

“But it’s dumb. The song is ‘I Got Rhythm,’ but we don’t act like it.”

“What do you mean? We dance in time to the music.”

“Yeah, but rhythm is, like, you know,” and George did a few sexy cha-cha steps.

“No. Rhythm does not equal Latin. Last we week did a Latin dance, and got to shake it. The women do Latin this week and it’s our turn to do ballroom.”

“But it’s sissy dancing. It definitely isn’t good for my image not to be sexy.”

“George, we talked about this yesterday. I know that the Latin dances are more approachable and seem like fun from the start, but the show has to have a balance. We’ll probably do a Latin next week. So hang in there, and work with me on this, okay?”

“Ohhhkay,” he replied grudgingly. “But you better think of ways to make it up to me.”

Meanwhile, in another dance studio in Las Vegas

“I mean it, Louisa! You tell the costume department RIGHT NOW that I want feathers! And real orange, not some pink or peach. ORANGE!”

“Yes Caroline, I’ll get right on it.” The assistant scurried out of the room and David Sanderson watched his partner take a drink of water.

“So, are we ready to work now?” he asked.

“Yes, I’m ready.”

“The mambo is supposed to be sexy and fast. Lots of hip action.” David tried to imagine stick-insect-thin Caroline being sexy. “We’ll get you a costume with lots of ruffles on the back to emphasize the moves.”

“On the back?”

“Yes, kind of like a bustle.”

“Hmmm.”

“What?”

“Just picturing a few costume ideas. Sorry, I didn’t mean to get distracted.”

“That’s all right. Can you shimmy?”

“How do you mean?”

David demonstrated and watched Caroline copy his motion.

“Not bad. When you shimmy, your torso moves left and right as a unit. Let’s see if you can change the action and do the chicken move.”

“The WHAT?”

“No joke, that’s what it’s called. You move your shoulders forward and back.” He demonstrated the move and said, “Like this, see?”

Caroline nodded and copied his motion.

“No, not quite. You’ve got the shoulders right, but you’re moving your head too much. That’s more duck than chicken. Try it again.”

Meanwhile, in yet another dance studio

“Whoa!” cried Charlotte Lucas. “You’re not trying to get a stand-up double here!”

“Sorry.”

“I know that for you, fast means a long stride. But here you have to take small but quick steps.”

“Quick steps! Right, that’s where the name comes from!” said Rich Fitzwilliam, with a facial expression that radiated “aha!”

“Cute.”

“I like to think so.”

“All right, Mr. Smarty. Let’s see how you do on the trick steps. Do a small version of a jumping jack. No arms. Just jump—apart, together, apart, together.”

Rich did as he was told. “Like this?”

“A little smaller. Yes, that’s it. Now, add a kick. So it’s apart, together, apart, together, kick, together, apart, together.”

Rich practiced that a few times, and then Charlotte directed him to face her.

“Okay, now we both do apart-together jumps, and alternate kicks. So when I’m apart, you kick between my feet, and when you’re apart, I kick between yours. Ready?”

They practiced slowly at first, then increased the speed. Rich lost count, and kicked at the same time Charlotte did.

“Ow! That hurt!”

“Sorry, Rich. Are you all right?”

He rubbed his ankle and nodded, “Yeah, just give me a minute. Those shoes are lethal weapons, Charlotte!”

“Yup, a girl’s best friend is a pair of stilettos. Better than a can of mace for self-defense!”

Later that night, in a hotel suite in Las Vegas

“Are you sure you’re okay with this, George?”

“Emma, darlin’ we knew it would be extra work all around. And we knew that it would be difficult for you. But I’ve seen you light up like a million watts in front of a crowd. How is this so different?”

“But it’s sexy.”

“Well, excuse me for having an opinion, darlin’, but you are one sexy woman.”

“For you George, of course. But not in front of people!”

“Emma, you flirt with me and hang all over me sometimes when we’re singing together.”

“But you’re mah husband. Ah love you and Ah love performin’ with you. Ah cain’t just turn it on for someone else.”

George Knightly pulled his wife onto his lap and gave her a hug, saying, “That’s good darlin’, because I sure don’t want you turning it on for anyone else. Not for real. But this is a performance. If it helps, imagine it’s me you’re shimmying up to. And think about this, Emma. You dance real sexy, and it’ll get me all hot and bothered and…”

George whispered in Emma’s ear and she giggled, “Oooh, George!”

Chapter 13

Posted on Tuesday, 25 September 2007

Showtime, Week 2
“Come Dance With Me” ballroom set

Thea Harris smiled at the performers and said, “All right! One minute to showtime! C’mon guys, SMILE! This is fun, remember?”

Smiles and laughter answered her.

George Wickham nudged Lizzy and grumbled, “So, are we having fun yet?”

George Knightly caught his wife’s eye and make a shimmy motion, mouthing ‘shake it, baby!’ Emma giggled and blushed.

Anne rubbed Will’s back and whispered, “Relax, smile, look like you’re having fun.” She looked over to where Georgie and Charles sat and waved. Will looked at Georgie, who smiled and waved.

“He seemed happier this week,” said Charles.

“Yes, he’s more confident about this dance,” Georgie replied. “Plus, he likes this costume. I like it, too. He looks so elegant in tails.”

“Doesn’t Jane look hot?”

Georgie nodded, “Definitely a contrast with last week’s gown.”

Charles continued to stare at Jane and mumbled something incoherent.

After Brad Sheffield made the introductions, the show broke for commercials. The dancers moved to the Green Room. Anne and Will sat near Rich and Charlotte. Caroline entered the room and walked over to Will.

“Hi, Will! Do you like my costume? I think feathers are such fun!” Caroline turned and wiggled her feather-covered backside at Will. She forgot how large the feathers were, and so they hit him in the face.

“Ahhh CHOOO!” Will sneezed.

“Bless you!” said Charlotte. Rich just stared at the spectacle in front of him.

“Caroline! You’re getting feathers on Will’s suit!” cried Anne.

With a wry smile at Charlotte, David Sanderson took Caroline by the arm and walked her to the other side of the room.

Before anyone could say anything, B and Harriet Martin were introduced. They did a spirited quickstep, and returned to the Green Room, where they were greeted by Stephanie Wilson, Brad’s co-host.

“B, the judges said you were heavy on your feet, what do you have to say?”

“I can’t help it. I have big feet. I’m not used to these little steps.”

Did you find the quickstep more difficult than the cha-cha?”

“Definitely. Rap has a stronger rhythm. This was hard to find the beat.”

“Well, let’s find out how you did.”

The judges held up their signs.

“Six”

“Five.”

“Six.”

The dancers in the green room applauded as the show went to commercial. One of the production assistants called Billy Collins and Peggy Atwood to the set. George excused himself to go to the men’s room, so Lizzy wandered over to Rich and Charlotte.

“My, my, Mr. Fitzwilliam, you look very handsome tonight. A bit gangsterish, actually.”

Rich laughed, “Thanks, Lizzy. It isn’t my usual look.”

“Don’t tug at your tie,” Charlotte scolded.

“Yes’m,” Rich replied.

“So, how was your week, Lizzy?”

“Not bad, Charlotte. He’s getting antsy, though. And he isn’t crazy about the quickstep.”

“It’s a lot harder than the cha-cha,” said Rich. “Lots more opportunities to be wounded.”

Lizzy raised her eyebrows and said, “Wounded? What sort of quickstep are you doing?”

“Don’t be such a baby, Rich,” said Charlotte, laughing. She turned to Lizzy and continued, “I kicked him ONE TIME doing a trick step and he acts like he’s maimed!”

Rich was about to make a comment, but the next couple were introduced, and everyone became quiet and watched. As Peggy and Billy worked through their routine, the only sounds heard in the Green Room were gasps and groans.

“Oh, God!” Lizzy whispered when it was over.

“It’s like watching a train wreck,” said Hank Carter. “You know you should look away, but you just can’t.”

“The poor things!” said Jane. “Peggy’s going to be heartbroken.”

Caroline smirked. I know who’s going home this week! I’m MUCH better than she is!

On the set, Peggy and Billy stood in front of the judges. Peggy did her best not to cry, but her eyes were filling with tears. Billy stared numbly over the judges’ heads.

“Well.” said Mario Firenze. “Somebody call FEMA, because that was a disaster!”

“The mambo is supposed to be fast, sexy, and fun,” said Pete Smythe. “But that was frantic and spastic. You stepped on each other’s feet. Peggy, you even stepped on your own feet. And your shimmy looked more like a seizure!”

Tears poured down Peggy’s face. Billy looked like he just wanted to slink off and die. Phyllis Astin had mercy on the couple.

“Oh my,” she said. “Peggy, I know you’ve tried very hard. But maybe this just isn’t for you. Perhaps it wasn’t fair to put someone so young through this.”

Peggy ran offstage, and Billy followed her. Stephanie met them in the Green Room. She held out a box of tissues, and Peggy grabbed a handful.

“We’re on in ten seconds, Peggy,” said Stephanie. “Hang in there, and we’ll make this quick as we can.”

The camera’s red light came on and Stephanie said, “Let’s see how the judges scored your mambo.”

“Three.”

“Two.”

“Three.”

Mercifully, the show went directly to a commercial break. Peggy ran out of the room. Billy didn’t follow her. He stood, shell-shocked, until David Sanderson took pity on him, handed him a bottle of water and led him to a chair. His mortification permeated the entire room. Everyone worked hard at looking somewhere else, as if to give him some privacy.

When Peggy burst from the room, George Wickham was waiting in the hallway.

“Peggy! Don’t cry!” he said, as he wrapped his arms around her. “Shhh, it’ll be all right.”

“No, it won’t! I’m a failure! The mambo is supposed to be, like, all sexy and fun, and I wasn’t sexy at all!”

“That wasn’t your fault, Peggy. Billy didn’t teach you very well. He let you down.”

“No. I am such a loser!”

“You are not a loser! You won Miss Teen Galaxy, for goodness’ sake. You’re a winner who got stuck with a loser partner. And I think you’re very sexy.”

sniff “Really?”

“Oh, yeah. For sure. Listen, I have to get back into the Green Room. But I’d like to see you later and try to cheer you up. What’s your hotel room number?”

George returned to the Green Room in time to see Rich and Charlotte return to the Green Room after their dance.

Stephanie smiled at the couple and said, “The judges seemed to like it. They said it was playful and lively. You looked like you were enjoying yourselves. Were you?

“Yeah,” puffed Rich, “It’s a fun dance, and the music really fired me up. It was hard work, though. I’m still out of breath.”

“Well, let’s hear your scores.”

“Eight!”

“Eight!”

“Seven!”

The other dancers applauded the high scores. Rich and Charlotte bowed to the room.

David and Caroline were called to the stage. As he passed Rich and Charlotte, David gave Charlotte’s hand a squeeze and whispered, “Well done, babe!”

Rich and Charlotte sat by Lizzy to watch the next dance. Nobody noticed that George hadn’t been in the room all along when he nonchalantly sat down next to Lizzy. She glanced over at him and noticed something on his sleeve. She flicked away a few purple sequins.

The mambo music started and Caroline Blake smiled as she walked down the steps to the dance floor. She stood in front of David and did the ‘chicken move.’ Feathers shook and her head bobbed.

Frank Churchill elbowed Emma Knightly and whispered, “Hey, it’s Big Bird doing the mambo!” Emma tried to scowl, but gave in and giggled.

As Caroline continued to dance, her energetic motions caused her costume to lose feathers.

“Look!” said Rich, “She’s shedding.”

“No,” said Lizzy, “If it’s feathers, it’s called molting.”

“I’m molting!” cried George in an imitation of the Wicked Witch of the West. “I’m molting! What a world!”

Across the room, Will frowned.

“Oh, come on, Will. It is funny,” said Anne softly.

“Yes, I know. I’m just wondering what people say when we’re dancing.”

“Don’t think about things like that. It doesn’t matter.” Anne smiled and patted his cheek. “I suspect that the women drool over how handsome you look, especially tonight in tails. And you don’t look a bit like Big Bird, if that’s any comfort!”

“Gee, thanks,” he muttered.

Caroline and David returned to the Green Room to await their scores.

Stephanie smiled and said, “The judges said you were stiff, Caroline. Did you feel stiff?”

“No. But it’s hard to learn all of these moves, and I think I’m a bit nervous about falling in these very high heels.”

Let’s see what the scores are.”

“Five.”

“Six.”

“Six”

Lizzy walked over to Anne and said, “Hey, Anne. They want us to do a thing going into commercial. You know, mug for the camera.”

“Oh.” Anne stood and Will looked up, unsure of what was supposed to happen.

Lizzy looked down at Will and said, “Don’t worry, Mr. Darcy, they aren’t bothering you. This is just us girls.”

As they walked over to the camera, Anne asked Lizzy, “Why do you dislike Will so?”

“I know that I shouldn’t. But he has this superior attitude. He’s the intellectual, the expert on economics and business. And we’re a bunch of low-lifes—actors, athletes, dancers. Tsk. He’s really slumming.”

“You’re wrong, Lizzy. He’s actually—” before Anne could finish, the assistant director began to give them instructions.

“All right, ladies,” he said. “Stand there, back to back, that’s nice. Smile for the camera and give each other a little friendly glare. Excellent! And we’re clear. Lizzy, you and George are up next.”

“Gotta go,” said Lizzy as George took her hand and they walked to the stage.

Their video showed rehearsals, in which Lizzy and George practiced close footwork. At one point, they tripped each other and fell. As George helped Lizzy up, he asked where it hurt and could he kiss it and make it better. Watching in the Green Room, Will rolled his eyes in disgust at the suggestive way George behaved. Anne sighed.

“Will,” she said softly, “You have to learn to ignore him.”

Will and Anne watched the dance. Anne pointed out details of technique, including several places where George seemed to miss the steps. Will just noticed how happy Lizzy looked when she was dancing, even when George made mistakes.

When the dance was over, Lizzy and George faced the judges.

“It was nice,” said Pete. “But you didn’t have the pizzazz that you had last week.”

“The quickstep is much harder than the cha-cha,” said George, as he slipped his arm around Lizzy’s shoulders. “Lizzy is a good teacher, and I try to do my best for her.”

They walked back to the Green Room, where Stephanie greeted them. They chatted for a minute, and then the lights came up and they were on camera. Just as they were being cued, George again slipped his arm around Lizzy.

“You had some ambitious choreography this evening.” said Stephanie.

“I love the quickstep,” Lizzy replied, “It’s lively and fun, and it’s so tempting to put in lots of complicated steps.”

“Well, let’s see what the judges have to say.”

“Seven.”

“Six.”

“Seven.”

George smiled and accepted the scores gracefully as long as the camera was on. As soon as they were clear, he scowled and told Lizzy that the scores were too low and that she was much better than that.

Yes, I am, she thought, but why don’t you acknowledge that your heart wasn’t in this dance? What are you up to, George?

While Hank Carter and Cindy Witmer did their quickstep, Anne took Will into the hall for a pep talk.

“Right. We’re on next and I want you to concentrate.” They could hear ‘Tell Her About It’ in the distance, and Anne continued, “Don’t’ listen to their music. Think about ours. Think about how well you’ve done in rehearsals. We are going to be brilliant, Will!”

Hank and Cindy picked up three sixes, which make Will nervous.

“No, no, no!” said Anne. “Think tens, not sixes!”

Their video showed the ride on the roller coaster and Anne’s desperate plea for a cup of tea after the ride was over. The audience laughed and applauded the video. Then Anne and Will stepped onto the floor. She smiled and squeezed his hand.

The music started and they moved into the dance. To keep Will comfortable, Anne had choreographed very few trick steps, counting on Will to do simple steps well, and avoid doing complicated steps poorly. When they finished, she gave Will a hug and whispered, “Well done!”

“It was good,” said Pete, “Not flashy, but well executed.”

“I think the choreography was too conservative,” said Mario. “You needed more jazzy steps. ‘Sing, Sing, Sing’ is a classic jazz tune, and you didn’t make the most of it.”

“I’m not sure I agree,” said Phyllis. “Will, I can see that you’re more comfortable with ballroom than Latin. And you did a lot of footwork, but it was almost all in the dance hold, which, by the way, was nicely consistent. Oh, one more thing. You look fabulous in tails. I was drooling on my papers here!”

Will blushed at the last remark, but kept smiling. He and Anne returned to the Green Room for their score.

“Six.”

“Six.”

“Seven.”

As soon as the camera was off, Caroline rushed over to Will.

“Oh, Will, Phyllis is right. You look so gorgeous tonight. I wish we could dance together.”

“Um, Caroline, it wouldn’t work. We each need a pro partner.”

“But our partners could teach us, and then we could dance together. Oh, that would be perfect! I’m going to ask the producers to let us do that, wouldn’t it be fun?”

Will smiled tightly and said, “Anne is my partner, and I will stay with her. Excuse me.” He offered Anne his arm, and they walked away.

Lizzy watched this exchange and was impressed with Anne. How does she stay so calm? I would want to strangle Caroline with a feather boa!

Jane Gardiner and Mike Chiara walked out onto the floor. As the music started, Mike whispered “Action!” and they began to dance. Their mambo was fast and full of twisting steps. Jane’s hip action was sexy and she smiled at Mike invitingly.

On the sidelines, Charles Bingley took a large swig of his drink. Georgiana had to stifle a giggle. Charles looked as if he was about to leap onto the dance floor, shouting, “Unhand her!”

Back in the Green Room, Jane and Mike waited for their score.

“Wow!” said Stephaine, “Mario was right. You were hot, hot, hot! What a contrast to last week’s romantic fox trot.”

Jane smiled and said, “I was a different character this week. As an actress, when I’m in character, I act as the character would. My character can do things that Jane Gardiner wouldn’t dare do!”

“And here are your scores.”

“Seven.”

“Eight.”

“Seven.”

A commercial followed Jane’s dance and then Brad stood on the dance floor as the lights came up.

“And now we come to our final couple of the night. Here are Emma Knightly and Frank Churchill, dancing a mambo.”

Emma’s ruffled skirt flounced as she walked down the stairs to the beat of the music. The response of the costume to her movement got her into the mood for the dance. She and Frank did a fast, shimmying mambo. When they finished, Emma was out of breath.

“Wow!” said Phyllis, “You were having a really good time out there!”

Emma smiled and nodded.

“Whew! It’s a heat wave!” said Mario. “First Jane, and now you. Excellent!”

When they entered the Green Room, Emma and Frank were greeted by applause and whistles.

“You were great!” said Stephanie.

“Thanks,” said Emma. “Ah think Ah’m gettin’ inta this kind of dancin’.”

“The judges seemed to think so. Let’s see your scores.”

“Seven.”

“Seven.”

“Eight!”

“Woohoo!” Emma cheered and hugged Frank.

In the final lineup, Billy and Peggy stood next to Lizzy and George. Lizzy smiled at the young girl and whispered “Hang in there.”

Brad reviewed the standings and reminded the audience to vote. The lights dimmed, and the show was over. Peggy ran out of the room, and Billy followed her. As Lizzy walked toward Charlotte, she heard a sequin crunch under her foot. She looked down and saw the remains of a purple sequin.

George had sequins stuck to his jacket. Purple sequins. And who wore—Peggy? Nah, can’t be. Lizzy looked for her partner and saw that he was in the crowd, and hadn’t paid any attention to Peggy’s rapid exit. Lizzy shook her head.

“What’s up?” asked Charlotte.

“Nothing. Just my mind wandering. I’m dead. You?”

“Oh, yeah. But I had fun tonight. I love that tune.”

“You were great. Made me want to see ‘Chicago’ again. You’ll probably do the encore dance tomorrow.”

Later that night,
in a hotel corridor after the show

George had managed to give Mary King the slip. He hadn’t really given much thought to Peggy Atwood at first. But when he realized that she would be going home this week, he had to act quickly. She was young, but that just meant he could sweet-talk her into anything. The only young thing he’d ever struck out with was that stuck-up Georgiana Darcy. But Peggy was no Georgiana. She was dumb enough to believe just about anything.

George stepped out of the elevator on the sixth floor and looked around. Good, nobody in the hallway.

Then the second elevator made a ding sound and the door opened.

“Hey George! I didn’t know you were on this floor,” said Harriet Martin.

“I’m not. Got off on the wrong floor,” said George. “I guess I’m so tired, I don’t know where I’m going.”

“I hear ya,” laughed Harriet. She yawned and said, “I’m beat. Good night.”

“Good night,” replied George. He made a show of pushing the ‘up’ button and watched her walk down the hall. As soon as she turned the corner, he headed in the other direction, toward Peggy’s room.

He was halfway to her door when that very door opened. Peggy’s chaperone and a man carrying a medical bag stood in the hallway. George backed into the doorway recess for another room and listened.

“She’ll feel better in the morning. It’s only a mild sedative, but I want her to get a good night’s rest.”

“Thank you, doctor. This has all been too much for her. I know she didn’t sleep much last night because she was so nervous.”

“She’ll sleep through the night tonight.”

Bummer! thought George. He returned to the elevator.

Tired after a long day, Lizzy had enjoyed a drink and a chat with Anne, whose partner had also declined to hang out with the group after the show. They had laughed about ways to avoid Billy, who was branching out and offering his services as a dance partner to Anne. “Not bloody likely!” Lizzy mumbled to herself, enjoying Anne’s comment on Billy as she walked to her room. She didn’t notice the man loitering by her door until she nearly ran into him.

“George! What are you doing here?”

“I wanted to say goodnight.”

“Well, goodnight, then.”

“Can’t I come in?”

“George, I’m tired, and I have to get an early start tomorrow.”

“I thought we weren’t rehearsing tomorrow.”

“WE aren’t. But I have a pro dance to work on for next week and the rehearsal is tomorrow morning.”

“Oh.” George did his best to look disappointed.

“Say goodnight, George.”

“Goodnight.” George trudged down the hallway toward the elevators. Some people are no fun at all.

Chapter 14

Results Show, Week 2
“Come Dance With Me” Ballroom set

The band played the theme music and Brad Sheffield stood in the spotlight as the lights came up.

“Welcome to ‘Come Dance With Me Results Show’! First up is our encore dance. Tonight’s encore will be a quickstep. Dancing to the “Hot Honey Rag” from Chicago are Rich Fitzwilliam and Charlotte Lucas.

Rich stood on the stage, with his arms crossed and his hat low over his face. Playing the flapper to his gangster, Charlotte hit the brim of the hat so that it sailed over his head. As they walked down the steps in time to the music, one of the singers spoke the voice-over that was used in the film.

“Let’s make the skirts shorter and the dances longer. Let’s all go to hell in a fast car and keep it hot!”

Charlotte had packed the dance with fast trick steps and bouncy runs. The song ended with the same measure repeated several times, and they used this music to end with a set of Charleston steps.

The audience applauded and cheered. Backstage, the other dancers applauded, too. Rich and Charlotte bowed, and the show went into commercial.

During the commercial break, the stars moved onto the set and lined up for the results. The cameras came on again, focused on Brad.

“Welcome back, ladies and gentlemen! Here’s a recap of the judges’ scores from yesterday’s show.

“In first place, our encore dancers, Rich Fitzwilliam and Charlotte Lucas with 23 points.

“Tied for second we have Emma Knightly and Frank Churchill and Jane Gardiner and Mike Chiara with 22 points.

“Next we have George Wickham and Lizzy Bennet with 20 points, followed closely by Will Darcy and Anne deBourgh with 19 points. Hard on their heels are Hank Carter and Cindy Witmer with 18 points.

“Then we have two couples tied with 17 points each: B and Harriet Martin and Caroline Blake and David Sanderson. And finally, we have Peggy Atwood and Billy Collins with 8 points.

“Which of our couples will be going home tonight? We’ll find out in a little while, but first we have a group dance with our professional dancers. Mario Firenze, one of our judges, is a talented choreographer. He put together a dance scene for the film ‘What the Girl Wanted.’ So here, dancing to ‘Get Up Offa That Thing’ are our pros.”

The dancers stood around in formal attire, looking bored. Then the band began to play the James Brown tune, and Lizzy, as ringleader, danced through the group getting them to join in. Once everyone was dancing, they formed a wedge and moved across the floor as a group.

“Get up offa that thing!
Shake it, you’ll feel better.
Get up offa that thing!
Try to relieve some pressure.”

The wedge broke up and formed into a line that danced in a circle, then snaked around the floor. The contrast of the formal attire and the dance to the Motown hit was striking. The song was infectious, and soon the audience was clapping along in time to the music.

Backstage, the celebrities watched the monitors. Will knew he should be watching his partner, Anne, but he couldn’t take his eyes off Lizzy. She seemed to charm everyone as she “convinced” them one by one to join the dance. She danced with a joy that was infectious.

Rich, Emma, and B stood up and began to copy the dance moves they saw on the monitors. The rest of the celebrities clapped along with the music.

George Wickham couldn’t resist bragging, “That’s my partner leading the dance. She is one helluva woman!” His tone implied more than actually existed between them, but the appearance of another conquest was good for his image. Plus, he noticed that it seemed to irritate Will Darcy.

After the commercial break, the dancers returned to the lineup on the set. Given the previous night’s dances, everyone was fairly certain who would be out. However, the viewers’ votes could save almost anyone, so there was tension in the room.

Brad walked to the end of the line where the three lowest couples stood. “Peggy and Billy, B and Harriet, Caroline and David, the judges placed you at the low end of the scores. Did the response of your fans improve your standings? Let’s find out. When the judges’ scores were combined with the viewers’ scores, Caroline and David, you were in the bottom two. B and Harriet, you are going on to the next show! Peggy and Billy, you are in the bottom two. The rest of you are continuing. We’ll find out which of the bottom couples will continue after this.”

During the commercial break, Caroline fumed. I should not be in the bottom two. What is wrong with the people who watch this show anyway?

“Smile, Caroline,” said David. “It’s okay to look nervous or worried, but not angry. Show that you’re a real trooper.”

“Hmph!” was the only reply she gave, but when the lights came up, she smiled.

“We’re back!” said Brad. “Our bottom two couples have been nervously awaiting your verdict. We can now reveal which couple will go home and which will survive to dance next week. Caroline and David, you will continue on to next week. Peggy and Billy, we’re sorry to say, you are going home. So step out to the floor, and do one last dance.”

Peggy burst into tears, and sobbed on Billy’s shoulder as he led her into a brief dance. Then the other dancers joined them on the floor to say goodbye. The lights dimmed, and the director called out, “And we’re clear!”

Peggy ran from the set. George was about to follow when he saw Jane run after her.

Backstage, Jane spoke softly to the weeping teenager, “Peggy, don’t cry.”

“I feel like such a loser.”

“Oh, Peggy, you’ve been a winner. How many girls lost to you in that beauty pageant? It was a lot more than the eight dancers you lost to tonight. And look at it this way, you get to go home and take it easy.”

sniff,“I guess.”

“You’ll feel better when you get home and can relax. You tried your best, so be proud of that. Anyway, the trophy is kind of ugly. I’ll bet you have lots of nicer ones at home.”

sniff,“Yeah, it is. I have, like, a whole case of way nicer trophies at home.”

“You go home and look at them and you’ll feel better. Your chaperone is here, so I’ll go back to the set now. You have a safe trip home.”

sniff,“Thanks. Good luck. I hope you win.”

“Well, now that I’m reminded of how tacky the trophy is, maybe I don’t want to.”

Peggy smiled and nodded. Then she walked away with her chaperone.

Continued in Next Section