by Alexis Daria
They found Dimitri’s parents standing near their table. When Oksana set eyes on Natasha, she rushed forward to kiss her on both cheeks.
“Beautiful girl!” she trilled, pulling Natasha in for another hug. “How is your ankle, Natka? Done with physical therapy?”
“Good as new.” Natasha couldn’t help but grin. Oksana was warm, giving, and effusive with praise. The opposite of Esmeralda.
Natasha made introductions. Oksana dialed back the enthusiasm, and Misha, Dimitri’s father, was quiet but sweet. Esmeralda was polite, but kept her lips pressed together, as if letting something resembling a smile slip out would bring about the end of the world. Oksana peppered Esmeralda with questions about being a hairstylist, and Esmeralda opened up a bit.
Dimitri kept his arm around Natasha’s waist while he spoke with his father in Russian. It was a beautiful language, but so different from Spanish. She’d mentioned she might like to learn it, and he’d surprised her by ordering a whole language-learning program for the computer. When she commented on the purchase, he’d said simply, “You wanted it.”
Oksana turned to her new favorite topic—praising Natasha. Natasha’s cheeks grew hot, and Esmeralda’s lips flattened even further. Shit. She was pissed.
Before Natasha could interrupt, Esmeralda opened her mouth and said in a curt tone, “I know. She is my daughter.”
Oksana blinked, and they were all saved from responding when Kevin bounced over, dressed in a sparkly costume tux for the opening number.
“Hey, hey, party people!” He threw an arm over Natasha’s shoulder, earning him a dark look from Dimitri. “Y’all ready for a good time?”
“Kevin, I’d like you to meet my . . .” Natasha trailed off when she caught sight of her mother’s face.
Esmeralda’s lips parted, her jaw fell slack, and her eyes rounded, as if transfixed. “Kevin Ray,” she whispered.
Natasha blinked. Her mother knew Kevin?
Esmeralda shuffled forward and took the hand Kevin offered her, clasping it between both of her own. “Kevin, you are just amazing. I vote for you every season.”
Natasha stared at her mother. Everyone stared at her mother.
Kevin spoke first. “You don’t vote for Natasha?”
“I vote for both of you. And Gina.”
“Mami, you watch the show?” Natasha couldn’t keep the surprise out of her voice. All these years, her mother had bitched about The Dance Off, claiming she didn’t have the time or inclination to watch a bunch of so-called celebrities tottering around the dance floor.
“Of course I watch the show,” Esmeralda scoffed.
Well, that was news.
Oksana pulled Dimitri away, and Natasha listened with half an ear while Kevin charmed Esmeralda. They took selfies and videos together, and he pulled her into a quick salsa step. Natasha heard her mother say, “You’re my favorite guy on the show. Not like that judge. He grades too harshly.”
Oh, lord. No wonder she was acting cold toward Dimitri. She’d fallen for his TV persona as the cranky judge.
“Who, Dimitri?” Kevin leaned in close and whispered, “Dimitri’s not so bad. I mean, I don’t like him much either, but he loves Tash, so . . . I guess he’s not terrible.”
He gave Esmeralda a kiss on the cheek and one last goodbye, then slipped backstage.
When Reggie Kong, one of the show’s hosts, stopped by to greet them, Oksana and Esmeralda bonded over their love of Reggie’s blue-streaked hair and edgy gowns.
Natasha slipped an arm around Dimitri and bumped him with her hip.
“It’s nice being here as guests,” she said. “We get to watch Lori make history.”
“The first two-woman pairing on The Dance Off—it’s a huge deal. I almost wish I were still judging, so I could give them a hundred.”
“Pssh. Like you would ever give someone a perfect score on the first episode.”
He grinned. “I guess we’ll never know.”
She nudged him and pointed to their mothers, who had pulled out their phones and were looking up videos of their favorite dance routines from past seasons of the show. “Maybe this Ukrainian-Puerto Rican mix will work out after all.”
He kissed her forehead. “We’ll make it work. No matter what comes our way, we’ll make it work. Together.”
She nodded. “Sí. Juntos.”
“Vmeste.”
“Yup. That’s what I said.” Then she grabbed his lapels because she could, and demanded, “Now give me the kind of kiss that’ll end up all over the gossip sites.”
Acknowledgments
Releasing Take the Lead and Dance with Me this year has been a dream come true, so I first give my thanks to you, the reader, for joining The Dance Off with me. And don’t worry, the show’s not over—I have plenty more ideas set in this world!
I have to offer huge thanks to my amazing agent, Sarah E. Younger at Nancy Yost Literary Agency, for being such a powerful and positive guide.
Shout-out to my SMP Swerve team—Holly Ingraham, Jennie Conway, Titi Oluwo, Marissa Sangiacomo—you ladies rock! Thanks for all you do for me and these characters. I cannot thank you enough for the guidance, creative freedom, and support you’ve given me on these books.
(Additional shout-out to Lizzie Poteet and Nicole McLaughlin!)
Thanks to Katrina and Sarah M. from my critique group for language checking Dimitri and his family, and helping to deepen the roles of these characters. And thanks to my mother for once again proofing all the Spanish, even though I said after Take the Lead that I wouldn’t wait until the last minute next time. (Sorry, Mom.) Thanks to my cousin Kathryn for texting me an instructional video of herself taking her pointe shoes on and off, and answering questions about ballet and Los Angeles. Gracias to Priscilla Oliveras, Mia Sosa, and Sabrina Sol for their support. And thanks to all the amazing cheerleaders I have in my life, whose supportive texts and DMs show up at exactly the right moments.
I’m lucky to be part of so many awesome writing groups, and I have so much appreciation for the Romance Writers of America, my local RWA-NYC chapter, the NYC NaNoWriMo region and off-season critique group, the Rebelles (my fellow 2017 Golden Heart® finalists), Lady Jane’s Salon, and everyone who tunes in for #RWchat every Sunday. I’ve learned so much and made so many wonderful connections from being part of these communities.
Much appreciation to my amazing critique partners and #RWchat cohosts: Robin Lovett, Kimberly Bell, and C. L. Polk, for being so invested in me and these books. (Check them out. They’re all fabulous writers.)
Massive thanks to my boyfriend, who reminds me to celebrate each moment. To his parents for their incredible support. And to my parents, who have both shared my buy links on FB, which I suppose is the social media equivalent of hanging my art on the fridge. Thanks for the love.
About the Author
Alexis Daria is a romance writer, artist, and native New Yorker. She cohosts #RWchat, a weekly Twitter chat for romance writers, and is a member of the New York City chapter of RWA. Take the Lead was a 2017 Golden Heart® finalist and 2016 Suzannah Grand Prize winner. You can find Alexis on Twitter at @alexisdaria, live-tweeting Dancing with the Stars, Game of Thrones, and RuPaul’s Drag Race.
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Also by Alexis Daria
Take the Lead
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Table of Contents
Title Page
Copyright Notice
Dedication
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
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15
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31
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48
Epilogue
Acknowledgments
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About the Author
Also by Alexis Daria
Copyright Page
This is a work of fiction. All of the characters, organizations, and events portrayed in this novel are either products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously.
DANCE WITH ME. Copyright © 2017 by Alexis Daria. All rights reserved. For information, address St. Martin’s Press, 175 Fifth Avenue, New York, N.Y. 10010.
www.stmartins.com
Cover photographs: woman © iStock/StudioThreeDots; man © iStock/amoklv; lights © Ververidis Vasilis / Shutterstock.com
ISBN 978-1-250-17559-5 (ebook)
First Edition: December 2017
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