by Louise Hall
“We’re not going to practice the lifts,” Vladimir said as he led Cate into the centre of the dance floor. “I want them to be a surprise for everybody on Saturday night.”
“As long as the surprise isn’t me falling on my head on national TV,” Cate muttered.
Vladimir raised his eyebrows. “Believe me, that would not be such a surprise.”
“Hey,” Cate frowned. “You’re supposed to be building up my self-confidence.”
“Nonsense. I’m supposed to be teaching you how to dance, that’s all. Besides, you don’t work well with compliments,” Vladimir shrugged dismissively. “You much prefer it when I criticise you because then you can prove me wrong.”
“That’s not…” Cate gaped but she couldn’t deny that it was true. She’d always found it much easier to disprove a harsh criticism than to live up to the pressure of a compliment.
After the band rehearsal, Cate met up with Annie by the supply closet. “What are we doing?”
“Follow me,” Annie giggled. She pulled open a door which had a huge “No Entry” sign emblazoned across it.
“It’ll be worth it, I promise,” Annie said when Cate hesitated in the doorway. “Look at it this way, if we get into trouble for this, what’s the worst that they can do? We’re the two finalists; they can’t exactly kick us off the show now, can they?”
Cate followed Annie up a flight of dark metal steps and there was another door at the top with another big “No Entry” sign. Annie ignored it, pushed open the door and they were immediately bathed in the bright L.A. sunshine.
“Wow,” Cate said, stepping out on to the empty rooftop. In the far distance, she could just about make out the Hollywood sign standing proudly up in the hills.
“We deserve this, Cate,” Annie beckoned Cate across to a couple of discarded deckchairs. “It’s so hectic downstairs. I’ve been pushed and pulled here, there and everywhere this morning and I’m sure you have too. I just thought we should take a moment to really appreciate where we are right now. We’re in Los Angeles for the grand finale of Stepping Out. I never expected this when I signed up to do the show all those months ago.”
“Me neither,” Cate said, letting the warm sunshine kiss her skin. “I’m glad that we did it together.” It might sound corny but there was nobody else she’d rather be in the final with.
“Me too,” Annie said, squeezing Cate’s hand.
They sat for a few minutes in silence, just enjoying the peace and quiet.
“So this is where you’ve both been hiding?” George chuckled.
“How did you find us?” Annie asked, shielding her eyes from the sun.
“Don’t tell Richard but I used to come up here for a sneaky cigarette. He thinks I gave up smoking after my heart attack but she’s a tough habit to break.”
“I see,” Poppy pretended to be angry, “you’re all hanging out without me now.”
“We wouldn’t do that, popsicle,” George reassured her.
“Is it awkward for you that I’m dancing with Vladimir?” Cate asked Poppy as she sat down in the deckchair next to Cate.
“It’s beyond fine,” Poppy insisted. “When I got voted off Stepping Out, it was the happiest day of my entire life.”
“I don’t mind Vladimir,” Cate shrugged, “he might have the personality of a World War Two dictator but at least he’s honest.”
“Do you miss him?” George asked, taking a long drag from his cigarette. “Declan.”
“I don’t know,” Cate said honestly. She was pleased that she could talk about him and he wasn’t just this silent sceptre looming over the final. “It feels strange that he’s not here.”
Thick splodges of rain fell on the concrete beneath their feet. “No,” George cried, “it’s not supposed to rain in L.A.”
Cate lifted her face to the sky and enjoyed the cool rain on her skin. As a Manchester girl, she’d always been more comfortable with rain than bright sunshine.
“I’m melting,” George yelped as rain splattered his pale-pink cashmere sweater.
“Stop being such a drama queen,” Poppy teased, “it’s just rain.”
“The door’s locked,” George pulled frantically at the handle but it stubbornly refused to open.
“Come here,” Annie said, nudging him out of the way, “let me have a go.” But she wasn’t any more successful than George had been.
While George huddled by the locked door trying to shelter from the pouring rain, Annie, Cate and Poppy checked out the rest of the rooftop to see if there was any other way they could get down.
“Any luck?” George asked hopefully when they returned looking bedraggled.
“Nope, that’s the only way down,” Poppy said.
“They’ll come looking for us eventually,” Cate said, “we’re the two finalists, remember.”
“Except that the final isn’t until tomorrow night,” George grumbled. “Oh my goodness, anything could have happened to us by then.”
Annie rolled her eyes, “we’re not in the middle of the Amazon rainforest, George. We’re on a rooftop in L.A.”
“But it’s raining,” George pouted.
“We could use the deckchairs to give us shelter until the rain stops and we can get help?” Cate suggested. She and Poppy braved the rain again to retrieve the deckchairs.
“We must look ridiculous” Poppy giggled as they each held a folded up deckchair above their heads.
“It’s doing wonders for my bingo wings,” Annie chuckled.
When the rain finally stopped, they each ran to a different side of the rooftop to call for help. “Help!” Cate yelled as loudly as she could. Her voice bounced off the empty parking lot.
“Cate,” Vladimir looked up at her with complete disdain, “what on earth are you doing up there?” Of course, it would have to be Vladimir that rescued them and not somebody kind like Mickey or George’s husband, Richard.
“We’re um… stuck up here,” Cate stammered. “The door’s locked.”
He went back inside and Cate assumed that he was either going to rescue them or he was going to tell everybody that the four of them were stuck up there so they could all come outside and have a great, big laugh at their stupidity.
“I’ve got help,” Cate said, deciding to give Vladimir the benefit of the doubt. He would probably choose to rescue them if only because Cate was his dance partner and he needed her not to have hypothermia if he was going to win the trophy again tomorrow night.
“That’s fantastic,” Poppy clapped her hands together, “who is it?”
Cate winced, “it’s Vladimir.”
“Ha,” Poppy scoffed, “we’d better start calling for help again. There’s no way Vladimir will come up here and rescue us.”
The door swung open and Vladimir stood there, looking harsh and imposing. “You were saying, Poppy?”
George made a dash for the sanctuary of the open door, “she was just saying what a lovely man you are for coming to rescue us. If you weren’t so scary, I’d give you a great, big kiss.”
Vladimir snarled, “it’s a good job I’m so scary then.”
“Link arms with me,” Poppy urged Cate. “I’m scared that if I’m not attached to you, he’ll find some way of leaving me on this rooftop.”
Cate had almost reached the bottom of the stairs when Vladimir gripped her elbow. “No more of this nonsense.” She could see the fury sparking in his crystal blue eyes. Cate felt like she was about to be given detention, or at least what she thought that would feel like; she’d been such a goody two shoes at school that she’d never actually been in detention.
“Your driver is waiting for you,” he nodded at Guillermo. “Go back to your hotel, change out of those damp clothes and have a hot bath – I do not want you catching pneumonia before tomorrow night’s show. I would very much recommend an early night. Alyssa and I will see you at the gym at your hotel at nine am for one final practice.”
“So bossy,” Cate rolled her eyes but the truth was that a
ll sounded really good right now. Well, apart from the final practice with Vladimir and Alyssa.
CHAPTER 42
“You’re missing Mummy, aren’t you?” Kian woke up in the middle of the night to hear his youngest daughter crying. When he walked into the nursery, Sierra was stood up at the bars of her cot, her face all red and blotchy, her chubby cheeks wet with tears. Kian picked her up and held her close to his chest, trying to comfort her. But she wouldn’t stop crying. Her little body wriggled in his arms, keeping her black eyes firmly fixed on the nursery door as if she expected Cate to come in at any moment.
He didn’t want to wake up Lola and Mats so he took Sierra downstairs. He sat on the sofa with Sierra curled up against his chest and covered them both with the thick quilt. Sierra was still quietly whimpering. “She’ll be home soon, baby girl.” He stroked her inky-black hair; it was tough to see his little girl so upset.
He switched on the flat-screen TV and found the most recent episode of Stepping Out. As soon as she saw Cate on screen, Sierra stopped crying.
“Dad?” Lola came down the stairs. Her black hair was all mussed with sleep. “What’s wrong?”
“Your sister couldn’t sleep, that’s all,” Kian reassured her. “Did we wake you up?”
Lola shook her head, “I can’t sleep either, I’m too nervous about tomorrow.”
Kian pulled back the quilt so Lola could snuggle up on the sofa with him and Sierra. “Why are you nervous, sweetheart?”
“I really want Mum to win Stepping Out,” Lola admitted.
“Me too,” Kian looked at his wife on screen, dancing the American Smooth with Declan, “but even if she doesn’t win tomorrow night, we’re still going to be really proud of her. She’s been so brave, going out there and dancing in front of millions of people.”
“I miss her,” Lola chewed on her bottom lip. She gently stroked her baby sister’s hand.
“I know you do, sweetheart,” Kian said softly, “me too but we’ll see her tomorrow night.” He’d arranged one final surprise for Cate. Although Lola wasn’t allowed to be in the studio audience because she was too young, the producers had agreed that she could watch from backstage.
“What am I going to do with you three?” Nate laughed when he came downstairs the following morning to find Kian, Sierra and Lola all asleep on the sofa.
Kian opened his eyes; the sun was shining brightly through the large windows. “Fu…” He panicked that he’d overslept and they were going to miss their flight to L.A. Nate frowned at him and Kian looked down, realising that his two daughters were snuggled up against him. “Fudge,” he said quickly.
“Don’t worry,” Nate said, picking up Sierra, “you’ve still got about an hour before you’ve got to leave for the airport.”
“Thank fu… fudge!” Kian relaxed. He patted Lola’s shoulder, “come on, sweetheart. It’s time to wake up.”
“No,” Lola burrowed deeper under the quilt, “it’s too early.”
Kian chuckled; his daughter had never been very good at waking up in the mornings. “OK but if you’re not ready, I’ll have to leave for the airport without you.”
“No, don’t do that,” Lola quickly sat up and pushed her hair out of her eyes.
“Tell you what,” Nate laughed, “why don’t you go upstairs and get ready while Miss Sierra and I make your favourite chocolate chip pancakes?”
“Will you make them into smiley faces like Abby does?” Lola asked.
“Of course,” Nate smiled.
After Lola had gone upstairs, Nate and Kian walked into the kitchen. “I’m a terrible liar,” Nate admitted, “what do I say if Cate calls and wants to talk to Lola?”
“Just tell her that she’s next door playing football with Luke,” Kian said. “It’s really important that she doesn’t suspect anything. I want it to be a big surprise.”
“You do realise that she’s going to bawl like a baby,” Nate said as he settled Sierra into her highchair, “when she sees the VT of good luck messages you’ve all filmed for her.”
Kian shrugged, “I just want her to know proud we all are.”
As they were just about to leave the house, Mateo had a tantrum. “I want to come too.”
Kian knelt down in front of his son, “I’m sorry Mats but you’re too young. Besides, you’ve got a really important job to do today. While I’m gone, you’re the man of the house. You’ve got to help Uncle Nate take care of your baby sister.”
Nate ruffled Mateo’s black hair, “if you like, we could go to the aquarium this afternoon? They’ve got a brand-new exhibit of harbour seals. That sounds like fun, right?”
“I guess,” Mateo chewed his lip in what had become a Warner family trait.
“And then Mummy, Daddy and Lola will be home tomorrow.”
Lola gave her brother a big hug, “I’m so jealous that you’re going to see the harbour seals today, Mats. Will you say hi to them for me?”
“I will,” Mateo nodded. “I love you more than ferryboats.”
“I love you more than football, little man.” Kian laughed.
CHAPTER 43
Cate closed her eyes as Vladimir led her out on to the dance floor for the final time on Stepping Out. Earlier in the show, they’d got straight tens for their Tango to “Whatever Lola Wants.” It was now time for their Show Dance to “I Don’t Want to Miss a Thing” by Aerosmith.
The pressure was definitely on Cate and Vladimir after Annie and Michel’s fabulous, high-energy Lindy Hop-inspired Show Dance, which had brought the studio audience to their feet, whooping and cheering loudly and had scored an impressive twenty nine points from the judges.
Cate and Vladimir’s Show Dance could not be more different. Vladimir wanted it to be contemporary and very raw. Their costumes were very simple. Cate’s dress was midnight-blue silk and fitted perfectly to her torso before flowing down almost to her ankles. It was by far the most comfortable dress she’d ever worn on Stepping Out. It was so light it almost felt as though she was wearing nothing at all. Vladimir was wearing a matching midnight-blue shirt, which he left unbuttoned for the female viewers and black trousers. Her inky-black hair had been left loose to fall down her back in tumbling waves. Neither of them wore shoes.
When she opened her eyes and looked up at into Vladimir’s blue eyes, he didn’t say anything. He nodded almost imperceptibly like “you’ve got this.” Cate got into position, feeling a burst of confidence rush through her veins.
She used everything she’d learned during Stepping Out, blocking out everything and everybody until it was just the two of them, her and Vladimir, and their Show Dance.
The violins started to play and while Smoky, one of the Stepping Out singers crooned about staying awake just to hear his love breathing, Cate and Vladimir moved against each other in the slowest, most intimate seduction.
Vladimir had incorporated Rumba choreography into their routine. He extended one leg; his right hand pressed against his gleaming, well-defined abs and spun Cate away from him, her black hair billowing out behind her before he pulled her close again as if he was battling with the intensity of his feelings.
It reminded Cate of the early days of her relationship with Kian. It had felt like being on the most tumultuous rollercoaster. Kian had pushed her away so many times – he’d stood her up on Valentine’s Day, he’d been photographed stumbling out of a club with an ex-girlfriend - breaking her heart a little more every time. He’d had so many excuses why they couldn’t be together. She was too young, too innocent, his best friend’s sister. He had a bad reputation, he’d never been in a relationship before, he’d hurt her. But every time he would pull her back.
Vladimir anchored his hands on her hips as they undulated together. The hem of her dress swirled around her bare ankles.
She turned away from him, pretending that it was her who was now conflicted about their feelings. Vladimir caught her, his hands on her shoulders. Cate closed her eyes, feeling his warm hands slither down her bare arms until he grip
ped her hands, lifting her up off the ground and spinning her around.
When he put her down again, there was a brief moment of stillness. Cate pressed her hand against Vladimir’s bare chest, feeling his heart thudding against her palm.
As the music built to a crescendo, Cate moved her arms up around his neck and locked her hands together. This was the lift she was most afraid of. She closed her eyes and Vladimir pressed a chaste kiss on her eyelids, in keeping with the lyrics of the song. His large, firm hands slid down her ribcage, she could feel the roughness of his calloused fingers through the thin silk and gripped her hips. He spun them around and her feet left the floor. Cate could hardly breathe as she lifted higher and higher until she was almost horizontal. She concentrated all her energy on keeping her feet locked together. Vladimir’s hands dropped from her waist like a safety catch and then the only thing securing her to Vladimir, stopping her from falling on her face on national TV was her hands locked around Vladimir’s strong neck. Cate felt the collective “ooh” from the audience.
As the song ended, Vladimir walked with Cate in his arms to the back of the dance floor.
After the last note had been played, there was deafening applause and a standing ovation from the whole of the audience. Cate opened her eyes but when she looked at Vladimir, he almost imperceptibly shook his head. “Stay,” he commanded. He wanted them both to savour this perfect, still moment in the eye of the Stepping Out storm.
“Cate and Vladimir, why don’t you both come over here,” Tom beckoned them.
“You’re obviously both still very emotional,” Tom smiled. “I don’t think we’ve ever seen a Show Dance like that on Stepping Out before.”
“Yes well, it was very different,” Bruce said and Cate waited for him to say he didn’t like it. Out of all the judges, Bruce was definitely the most traditional. “I have to admit, I didn’t think I was going to like it when I heard what song you’d chosen. It’s not really my cup of tea. You took a lot of risks tonight, Vladimir. The song, the contemporary choreography, that lift… Wow.”