Say It With Sequins: The Rumba: HarperImpulse Contemporary Romance Novella (7 page)

On Saturday night, Julia stood before the judges once again. It was the semi-final dance off and she’d just competed against Suni.

She knew the result even before she and Jan had repeated their salsa. If the judges voted Suni off in preference to her it would make a mockery of the whole competition. Suni was, by far, the better and more consistent dancer. With meetings with the
Cabaret
people eating into her training time, Julia thought it was high time she bowed out gracefully.

She and Jan, and Suni and Scott stood in front of the judges as Kevin began to speak.

Here goes, thought Julia and braced herself for more invective.

“Julia darling. When you started out in this competition I thought you wouldn’t make it through the first round, in fact I didn’t think you
deserved
to make it through to the next round.”

The audience began to boo, forcing Kevin to raise his voice. “You were bad, darling; sloppy feet, no heel turns, rotten posture but,” at this Kevin paused for breath and the audience paused too, “in the last two weeks you have changed from being the comic turn, wheeled out by Jan to entertain us all, into,” at this he paused again, this time for dramatic emphasis.

Get on with it you old queen, thought Julia and fixed a smile on her face.

Then Kevin suddenly stood up “A dancer! I salute you. Darling, you are
magnificent!”

The audience took its cue from him and stood too.

Kevin shouted the last of his comments over the clapping and wild cheers. “I’m voting you into the final!”

Julia felt Jan clutch onto her, obviously he couldn’t believe what was being said either.

After this, Charlie had to attempt to calm things down.

Eventually the audience quietened and Sonya spoke. “I’d like to echo what Kevin has just said. Whatever has got into you Julia,” at this she leered slightly, “can I ask you to bottle it and give some to every woman here, including me? You’ve transformed yourself from a no-hoper dullard to a dancer!” The audience began clapping again. “Well done to you and to Jan, but darling, I’m going to have to vote for Suni.”

Half the crowd cheered and half booed. Julia reached for Suni’s hand and squeezed it. The tension was so tangible she could smell it.

“Arthur, as senior judge, you have the casting vote,” yelled Charlie over the hullabaloo. “What a gripping semi-final this has been, a real nail-biter. Arthur, can I ask you for your decision?”

Arthur twinkled at Julia. “You know, love,” he said in his earthy northern voice, “Kevin here got it right when he said you were a comic turn. You gave us all a laugh in those first weeks but now I’ve got a great big smile on my face for another reason. Judging on that last dance alone I’m putting you through to the final and -”

His words were lost in the uproar that detonated around them.

But it’s wrong, thought Julia. It’s wrong, Suni should have gone through. She turned to the woman and enveloped her in a hug only to be ripped away by a towering Jan. He picked her up and balanced her on his shoulder in a parody of the lift they’d done in their American smooth.

“Put me down Jan,” she yelled but wasn’t heard. “Oh, put me down you great big oaf!”

From her vantage point, Julia could see Scott stomping off, bitter that he’d lost his chance of winning the competition. Suni stood, obviously stunned, and alone until Harri and Eva came back onto the dance floor with Carol in tow. Harri put his arms round Suni and when Carol did the same he released her and came to where Jan was still holding Julia aloft.

“Are you planning on letting her down from there any minute soon?” he said to the giant Russian, “only I’d quite like to congratulate my girlfriend and rival, see.”

Jan grunted and Julia slithered down his muscled body until she stood breathless and pink faced in front of Harri.

Oh God,
rivals
she thought, as the meaning of his words struck her. That could put a dampener on things. But she should have known Harri better; he simply grinned, folded her into his arms and whispered his congratulations into her ear.

“You can’t be serious!” Julia cried in dismay. She was at her first fitting for the dress she was going to wear in the Christmas Special. The one she would wear to dance the rumba with Harri.

Roxie, the most senior of the costume girls, paused and looked up from her position at the hem of Julia’s short skirt.

“Why not? It’s gorgeous,” she said, through a mouthful of pins.

It
was
gorgeous. Julia was dressed up as a sexy Santa’s elf. A very sexy elf, indeed. The tiny crimson top, the colour of which set off her hair to perfection was decorated with a sequined fur collar. She loved the colour – and the sequined strips hanging off the skirt; it was the bodice that was worrying her; it barely covered her breasts and was cut off somewhere above her ribs. The jaunty emerald green elf’s hat didn’t console her.

“Look,” she said to Roxie, picking at it, “you can see more of me than the dress. I can’t go on telly and expose all my flabby bits.”

Roxie stood up and put her hands on her hips. It wasn’t the first time she’d had an argument with a celebrity over a dance costume and it wouldn’t be the last. The men were the worst; she could never get them to accept it was all about the bling, the razzmatazz and not about them looking manly.

She sniffed disdainfully and looked Julia up and down. She saw to her satisfaction that the girl was backing down already. She’d win this one. “What flabby bits, girlfriend?” Roxie tried to pinch some flesh and failed. “When you ever going to get abs like this again? Show ‘em off. You got a pretty figure now hon, make the most of it.”

Julia turned around in front of the mirror and peered at herself. “At least the dangly bits cover my thighs,” she said and tried to tug what there was of the bodice over her tummy.

“Stop ruining it!” Roxie shrieked and slapped her hand away.

“Someone being murdered in there?” Daniel poked his head round the dressing room door and gave a wolf whistle. “My, my, that’ll get the votes pouring in.” He grinned wickedly.

“Hi Daniel,” Julia smiled at him. “Do you really think it’s okay?” She gave a little twirl. “You know what you’re talking about,” she added and ignored Roxie’s, “Huh!”

“More than okay,” he smiled, “it’s heaven.” He came in and gave Julia a kiss on the cheek. “And that’s for getting to the final, babe. I haven’t had a chance to congratulate you yet.”

Julia gave him a squeeze. “It’s all down to you, you know. If I’d been left to that Russian, I’d have been gone long ago. You worked miracles with me. Thank you!”

Daniel looked down at her and found his eyes filling. “You did it itself Julia. You just have to believe in yourself a bit more.”

“Look, I’m trying to fit a dress here. Get out!” Roxie bore down on Daniel with a pincushion and he fled, laughing.

“Now honey child,” she turned to Julia with a menacing glare, “just a bit more off the bust line I think.”

Julia blew out a breath and decided to give in. She trusted Daniel’s judgement implicitly; if he thought the dress would do, then she would wear it. But she wanted something from Roxie in return.

Steeling her nerves, she said, “Roxie, if I agree to wear this, would you, would you do me a favour please? How long does it take you to sew on a few sequins?”

Julia loved every minute of the final. She loved the return of the other dancers in a specially choreographed group jive; she loved the cheesy song and dance routine performed by some old group from the sixties; she even loved having to perform two different dances. In any spare second she’d have dialled Harri’s number and voted for him. She wanted to give him a competitive final but, more than that, she wanted him to win.

It was going to be a long night. After the show, they were going to record the dancing section of the Christmas Special. It would be edited in with all the other bits and pieces, like outtakes and previously recorded interviews, later. And even then, it wouldn’t be over, they then had the wrap party to look forward to.

In the break before the results came out, she and Harri managed to get together.

“I’ve just had Radio 5 Live ring me; they’ve offered me a sports programme.” Harri was beaming. “And that’s on top of the rugby commentary the BBC has offered.”

She threw her arms around him. “Oh Harri, that’s brilliant! Which one do you want to do?”

“I don’t know.” He grinned in disbelief at his good fortune and it lit up the chilly corridor in which they were standing. “I might do both. Why not?”

“I think you can do anything,” she said as a response and kissed him.

Before the result was announced Charlie gave a little speech. He said it had been the closest final since
Who Dares Dances
began and that the series had raised a record three million pounds from phone votes.

In amongst the rapturous applause Julia sought Harri’s hand and held on tight. They were both trembling a little and Julia’s mind was whirling. She closed her eyes and prayed; something she did too rarely. She prayed for Harri to win.

“And the winner of this year’s
Who Dares Dances
series is …” then there was another of the over long dramatic pauses that so infuriated contestants and audience alike.

“Get on with it,” muttered Julia with force and felt Harri shake with laughter as he heard her.

Charlie coughed and then shouted out, “The winner is Harri and his lovely partner, Eva!”

Then everything went a bit bonkers. Harri caught Julia in a hug that she thought was going to squeeze the life out of her. Eva uncharacteristically screamed. Jan punched the air and bellowed something in Russian that Julia had no desire to translate. Charlie, stinking of whisky, stumbled into them and caught them all in a silly jig while pyrotechnics went off in a shower of white light behind them. It was madness, wonderful madness.

And through it all, Harri’s eyes never left Julia’s. A different sort of madness and a much more welcome one.

***

When it had all finally calmed down, in the break before the Christmas Special filming began, Julia managed to catch up with one or two people. She found Lavinia having a sneaky – and illegal cigarette in the Green Room.

“Lavinia, you’ll get shot!”

“I know darling, but it’s the only way I can calm my nerves before having to do that dreaded dance. God, I was so relieved when I went out. God, I was so relieved when I went out and then they made do that blasted jive. Now I’ve got to dance with Sam the terminally unfunny Scouser.”

Lavinia eventually paused to take a breath. “And,” she added in outraged tones, “they’re
voting
for us! It’s too much darling.”

Julia grinned. “I know,” she plucked Lavinia’s cigarette out of her hand and threw it in the bin, “but that won’t help.” She pulled a sympathetic face. “At least it won’t be too energetic dancing with Sam. He’ll be lucky to get through the routine; he and Callum have already hit the champagne.”

“Champagne, eh?” Lavinia’s interest quickened. She glared at Julia for a moment and then relented. “I know, I know,” she muttered mutinously, “but just you wait until you get to my age. It’s the little perks that keep one going.”

Julia laughed. “Lavinia, if I’m half the woman you are when I get to your age I’ll be a very happy bunny.”

Lavinia tried hard not to be mollified but then smiled. “Come here angel, I haven’t told you how proud I am of you! In the final no less! And how is that studly Welshman you’re seeing? No,” she ignored Julia’s attempt to answer, “don’t tell me, I can see he’s good for you. Good in bed as well, I suppose? Well, you only have to see him dance to guess that!” She gave Julia a hug and kissed her on both cheeks. “And
Cabaret!
So delighted! Oh Lord, there’s Roxie, I’ll have to go for my fitting. See you at the party later darling. Love you! Toodles!”

Lavinia swirled out in her self-made panic and the room settled and felt instantly calmer. Julia heard the rustle of silk in the corridor outside and ran out. It was Suni. She hadn’t seen her since the semi-final.

“I feel awful,” Julia said through their hug. “It should have been you out there tonight, competing against Harri.”

Suni shook her head and smiled. “The public have been captivated by your story,” she said, as graceful and dignified as ever. “They took a dislike to Jan and the way he bullied you.” She put a finger up to silence Julia as she protested. “No come on, we all witnessed it, the man has been insufferable. You’ve been a saint to not rise to him or fail before him. And of course, the public loved the love story.”

She leaned in closer to Julia and added: “So did I, you make such a perfect couple. Such love, such
love!
” and she sailed off, swaying elegantly in her turquoise sari.

“Ring me,” Julia called after the retreating figure, she really didn’t want to lose touch with Suni.

Suni waved a hand without turning round. “I will, I will. Happy holidays!”

Julia smiled to herself; she couldn’t quite believe it was nearly all over. She’d miss all this she thought: the nerves, the tantrums, the rushing adrenaline, the friendship and camaraderie, the last minute costume glitches. Costume! Oh shit, she’d better get changed; it was nearly time for her rumba.

Julia and Harri stood waiting to go onto the dance floor, a peculiar mixture of tension and anticipation running through them.

Harri was resplendent in a pair of indecently tight red trousers and a green transparent glittery shirt, which revealed his muscles in all their glory. He too, had on a perky little elf’s hat. But it was Julia’s costume which was attracting all the attention.

Harri looked Julia up and down, his eyes lingering on her low neckline and bare midriff. “I can’t believe what you’re wearing!”

Julia, instantly on the defensive, said: “Why, what’s the matter with it?” She tugged nervously at her hem.

He gave a short whistle of appreciation. “Nothing. Absolutely nothing.” He scanned round quickly to see if any cameras were on them. “Come here,” he said and then proceeded to kiss her extremely thoroughly.

Bob Dandry stood watching them. They made a very appealing pair and it was beyond luck that they had both made it to the final. It was a publicity dream come true. And now, even better, they were going to dance the rumba. He’d seen their training footage and this dance was going to knock people’s socks off; he’d be lucky to get it past the watershed as it was so sexy. He chortled at the thought of the viewing figures. Since his little word to the press about Julia and Harri’s affair they had rocketed.

He whispered into his walkie talkie to the camera director. The young lovers were still all over one another, God he could see tongues! He needed to get them on camera; the great voting public couldn’t miss this.

Charlie was in over-drive. “And now ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls and everyone; it’s what you’ve all been waiting for, our winner and runner up of this year’s competition and our very own Santa’s little helpers: Harri and Julia with their rumba!”

The curtain swung back on the couple to reveal them still kissing passionately. The audience roared its approval and leaped to its feet as the couple sprang apart.

“Keep smiling,” muttered Harri, thinking on his feet, “hopefully they’ll think it’s part of the routine.” He looked down and grimaced: “Thank the Lord these trousers are tight!”

Julia nearly lost it then, she blushed as red as her dress but then ran down the steps behind him and got into their beginning hold.

As the first chords of the old classic, the Carpenter’s,
Merry Christmas Darling
rang out, the audience whooped and cheered. They were entranced by the romance and sexiness emanating from the couple who stepped onto the dance floor. And, as their rumba began, a collective sigh rippled round the studio. It was magic, sheer Christmas magic.