She nodded. Five thousand dollars was still better than none, and would go some way to paying off her debts. And now, having had a bit of national exposure, maybe she’d get a few more dance enrollments.
“Which leaves us with our final two contestants. Luc Blanchard and partner Bailey, and Harry Stynes and his partner Olivia.”
Hockey versus eighties pop. Would people assume that Luc was safe and not vote? She glanced up at him, he smiled back, and her heart eased. She’d really like to see him do well, for his own sake as much as hers.
“And our final couple, safe from elimination tonight, and going through to next week, is…”
She winced.
“Luc and Bailey!”
“Yes!” Luc swept her up in a huge hug.
She might’ve squealed a little, too, as she hugged him hard. “I’m so proud of you.”
He kissed her cheek, and she froze, then pulled back, turning without acknowledging his kiss as she went to commiserate with Harry and Olivia. Olivia had been part of the pros since the series began five years ago, so it was a shock to have her leave so soon.
They were hurried off the dance floor, leaving Harry and Olivia to receive the judges’ final remarks before they danced their exit dance.
As soon as she made it backstage Coco wrapped her in a hug. “I knew you’d make it!”
“I was starting to have my doubts there for a moment.”
“Really?” Luc asked her. “You looked calm enough.”
“You know that saying about a duck that’s calm on top but madly paddling underneath?” She tapped her chest.
“That’s been me all week, too,” Luc said to Coco.
Except he hadn’t exactly projected calm. Not that she was going to point that out.
“Now, we go out there again in a moment, then you need to brace yourselves for the postshow interviews.” Coco pointed to Bailey. “And don’t forget to get your choreography for next week.”
So many things to remember.
She glanced at the clock. “Our flight leaves at 10.30PM.”
“They’ll make sure you interview first then. Although why you’re returning to Winnipeg I don’t know. You’d save a lot of time if you stayed in TO.”
Bailey pointed to Luc, who seemed to notice. “Hey, I’ve got some hockey stuff this week, but maybe we could stay if we’re still around after next week. Which is what dance, remind me?”
“We’ve got jive.”
He nodded. “Well, if we make it through that round, maybe we can hang here. I could see my folks more easily, and you could meet them.”
“Um…” She glanced at Coco, whose fake-lashed eyes were wide.
“Hey, you two do you, okay?” Coco leaned close and whispered in Bailey’s ear, “But let’s just say that most pros don’t meet the celeb’s families.”
Oh. Good to know.
“Um, okay then.” She faced Luc as Coco smirked and moved away. “We better get back to it.”
“What did she say?” Luc asked.
“Nothing to worry about. I think she was happy for us.” Coco was pleased they’d made it through, but was there a warning in her whispered comment?
The postshow proved to be another kind of performance, one where she worked hard to alleviate any potential suspicion from Coco or any producers as she and Luc mingled and answered questions from the media.
As expected, Luc was popular, and her cheeks were getting sore by the time ESPN appeared. It wasn’t Hannah interviewing, but one of the Toronto-based sports reporters who Hannah had said was nice, according to Poppy.
The woman flicked her hair as she talked to Luc, before facing Bailey.
“Bailey Donovan, you must be thrilled with how things have gone tonight.”
Bailey smiled. She needed to be careful. Whatever she said now would frame how viewers saw him, and she didn’t want to portray him in a way that would be perceived negatively. “Oh, look, we’ve danced a lot better in rehearsals, so it’s a shame we couldn’t execute the lift as we wanted. But I thought he did very well for the rest of the routine. Luc is definitely trying hard, and I think it’s wonderful to see someone stepping out of their comfort zone and trying something new, especially when it’s for such a good cause. And full props to him for doing this.” She placed a hand on his chest. “Luc might be tough on the ice, but he’s a real sweetheart, and passionate about doing whatever it takes to make a difference in other people’s lives. I really hope people vote to keep him around so you can see what other moves this man has.”
“Aww. Sounds like you have a fan there, Luc.”
He smiled down at her. “I hope so. I’m a huge fan of hers.”
He probably shouldn’t have said that quite like that on national TV. He had a feeling that the Bible study Messenger chat was gonna explode with stupid love heart emojis and other dumb things. But he couldn’t help it. Bailey had stuck her hand on his chest, and though she’d done it many times before, this time it felt personal, like she was protecting him or something. Which made him feel even more vulnerable and appreciative for her.
“Care to elaborate, Luc?”
He shrugged. “I can’t help it. I love working with her. She’s always so bubbly, never in a bad mood, and always knows just what to say to bring me up when I’m feeling flat, or in my head about things. I’m really blessed to have her in my life. She’s everything you could ever want.”
