Last Dance

by Velvet Vaughn

  She glanced at Colin and he smiled at her. That stab of guilt that crept up from time to time impaled her again. It was Colin who wanted to try out for a spot on Show Us You Can Dance, the amateur competition that launched many careers—hers included. Dancers from every discipline competed for twenty spots on a live show featuring ten men and ten women. If you passed the audition, you were invited to a boot camp in Los Angeles. There, you were put through the paces of several disciplines. The judges wanted dancers who stood out in every facet of dancing, not just their own genre. She and Colin both made it through the initial audition and were awarded tickets to the boot camp in LA, but during the grueling week of practices and performances in front of the judges, Colin had been cut when he failed to master the hip hop round. Guilt clawed at her, especially when the judges announced that she’d be one of the ten women who advanced to the live show.

  Colin had cheered her on and insisted he was happy for her, but she easily detected the sadness in his eyes. He wanted to be the one on the big stage. Each week, as she learned from the best choreographers in the country, she thrived. The judges had only praise for her and to her total surprise, she led in audience votes. The show picked a top male and a top female to be named Favorite Dancers in the USA. At the finals, it was down to her and Marcy Bloomfield, a perky brunette tap dancer from Amarillo who picked up different disciplines easily. They each had one final solo to wow the judges. One of the male dancers, a popper from Brooklyn nicknamed Disco, short for Dislocater—for good reason—performed a solo that left the audience gasping at the way he contorted his body to the techno tune. His face was as animated as his moves and the fans loved him. On the final note, it looked as if his knees disconnected from his body as he fell to the ground, a huge smile on his face. The judges gave him a standing ovation and the crowd cheered. Quite intimidating to the person who had to follow him. Lucky her.

  While trying to calm her rapid heartbeat, she spotted her parents in the crowd. They’d been to every performance, cheering her on and she didn’t want to disappoint them. Instead of sticking with her ballroom background, she performed a contemporary number that featured leaps and flips highlighting her gymnastics training, to a haunting tune that she poured her heart and soul into. When the music stopped and silence reigned, her stomach dropped. She’d miscalculated by not doing her planned salsa number. Suddenly, the judges surged to their feet and the crowd roared in approval. There would be no scores or comments from the judges for their final routines and she was glad because she was totally overwhelmed by the show of support.

  The final male competitor, a classically trained ballet dancer from Philadelphia, was the kind of dancer everyone aspired to be. When Lamar Simmons was on stage, you couldn’t look away. He mesmerized you. His leaps were gravity-defying and he seemed to float in the air. The judges gave him a standing ovation as well. It would be a tough call between Lamar and Disco.

  Marcy was the last dancer of the competition. She flounced out on the stage in a cute gingham jumper with a ruffled skirt. Then the music kicked on and she tapped up a storm. She also added leaps and intricate spins. The judges made it unanimous when they stood for her performance as well.

  Kitty, the host of the show, called Lamar and Disco on stage and instructed them to stand to her left, while she and Marcy waited on her right. Cassidy was sure she came in second place, and she was happy about that. She’d danced her heart out, stretched her dancing muscles with other disciplines, and picked up tips and techniques from the best choreographers in the business. It was a once-in-a-lifetime experience and she was sad it was over, but excited for the next chapter of her career.

  The favorite male dancer was awarded first and she couldn’t be happier for Lamar when his name was announced. He truly was the best dancer she’d ever seen, so he deserved the cash award and the accolades. Kitty made a surprise announcement that the producers of a famous Broadway show wanted Lamar as their lead, if he was interested. Judging by the tears of joy on his face, he was indeed interested.

  Starring on Broadway—every dancer’s dream. She wondered if the women would be offered the same opportunity. Then the spotlight engulfed her and Marcy. “Good luck,” she whispered to the tapper, who returned the sentiment with a smile. They held hands and waited…and waited…and waited. Kitty sure liked to draw it out. Finally, the winner was announced and Cassidy stood frozen. Kitty had called her name.

  “Congratulations,” Marcy said, hugging her. Her astonished gaze found Colin in the first row, cheering like a mad man. Both of her parents were crying as they embraced. She’d done it. She’d won!

  The host had a surprise for her, too. Her heart triple-timed it. Broadway? She was already furnishing her small one-room walkup in Tribeca in her head when Hugh Martin, the producer of the show and head judge, took the microphone.

  “Cassidy, the producers of Dancing With the Celebrities love you. They want you as one of their pros for the next season.”

  Cassidy’s mouth dropped open. While most dancers aspired to Broadway, her included, her secret dream was to be on Dancing With the Celebrities. She’d followed the show religiously when it first began fifteen seasons ago. She even tacked posters on her wall of Glen Benson, one of the original pros who’d won more titles than anyone else, and Marcus Howe. Now she would be dancing alongside them? She searched out Colin, who looked shell-shocked. He caught her gaze and smiled, giving her a thumbs up. Another wave of guilt. She knew his dream was to be on DWTC, too.

  What followed was a blur. She accepted the position and was then whisked away with Lamar for photo shoots and talk show appearances. They lunched with dignitaries and media. It was a whirlwind of events and soirees. She’d been presented with a check with more zeros than she’d ever seen. She deposited it to her savings account, already padded from wins she and Colin racked up during their competitive careers.

  The only negative about the experience was that she hadn’t had the chance to talk to Colin after the announcement, except to type out a quick thanks to his congratulatory text message. She wanted to apologize, beg his forgiveness, something to ease the heavy burden weighing her down. It was because of him that all her dreams were coming true. If he hadn’t talked her into trying out, she wouldn’t be where she was today.

  She’d felt horrible for ending their partnership, but truthfully, it’d run its course. There wasn’t an award they hadn’t won, and competitive dancing had ceased to be fun years ago. She was tired of the endless hours of practice, the strict diet she had to adhere to each day, and the cruel backstabbing that went on behind the scenes. She often thought the term frenemies was coined by competitive dancers. Her spot on DWTC was intense, but she didn’t feel the crushing expectations to succeed at all costs.

  This would be her fifth year on the show. Her rookie year, she was lucky enough to win the Golden Shoes, the award presented to the top couple of the show, voted on by the public and the judges. She’d been paired with Demarius Tinsdale, the leading rusher in the National Football League. Demarius was charismatic with a ready smile and dance moves that were as natural as his running ability on the field. He took her instructions and practiced until he nailed the moves. They made a wonderful team and though they didn’t announce the final tallies, she’d heard the whispers that the vote had been overwhelming.

  To claim the top spot her first year was nothing short of miraculous. But it also fostered resentment and jealousy from other dancers. A couple of the veterans didn’t warm up to her and she still felt like an outsider. She would walk into a room and conversation would cease. Obviously, they’d been talking about her. Most of the pros had welcomed her, including Laura Kipling, the champ the year before, and Danny Marconi, another former winner. Her biggest rival was Irina Dubov, a petite redhead with a temper to match the fiery hue on her head. Many times, she’d cursed Cassidy in her native Russian, her words sounding both brutal and unmistakably harsh.

  Cassidy hoped the hazing would run its course after her first
season, but after her win, if anything, it’d increased in intensity. When Irina and her lacky Lacy Brubeck gossiped about her and sent smirks her way, she ignored them. She didn’t need their friendships to succeed.

  With the success that came her way after her first and fourth-season wins, she decided it was the perfect time to open her own studio. She’d dreamed of doing so for years. She would still dance on DTWC to build her reputation and hopefully increase visibility of her academy and grow membership.

  She’d spent hours drawing up plans to open her business in her hometown. She’d found the perfect space online and visited it to make sure it could be reworked into her dream space. She’d secured funding and after meeting with a realtor, had put in an offer. She just found out that it had been accepted. Now the hard work of whipping the building into shape would begin, but she had the drive and determination to make it succeed.

  Now that she owned the studio space, she’d need to find a place to live. Since she’d be spending so much time at the academy, especially at the beginning to get it up and running, it made sense to include a small apartment in the plans and bunk down there until further notice.

  She’d talked with a few of her dancing friends and several indicated an interest in teaching. She planned on offering gymnastics, too. She’d need a reliable support staff, especially when she’d be away for weeks on end during the DTWC seasons. Currently, her schedule was packed from January to December. The show filmed twice a year for a month and a half each time. After her first win, Russell signed her up as the official spokesperson, much to Irina and Lacy’s disgust. They both thought they should represent the show. Cassidy made appearances on talk shows, she participated in celebrity-themed events like the cooking contest, Stars in the Kitchen. She was even one of the featured celebrities on a two-week cruise to the Caribbean. She didn’t mind the added work. It kept her busy and padded her bank account to the point where she would be paying cash for the building and still have money left over to live comfortably.

  She’d been the face of the show for four years now. Russell loved her like a daughter and would never fire her, but she knew they needed an infusion of fresh blood. She was the reigning champ and it made sense to step away while she was on top. She had a shot at another title this year, but it was time for Crystal or Emma to take her place. She would still compete for as long as the show lasted, but during the off season, she would devote her time to teaching and building up her academy.

  She hadn’t mentioned anything to Colin about her plans. She knew he’d be supportive, but he was still dancing competitively. She didn’t want to do anything that would take his focus from his career. Besides, he’d said several times that he never wanted to teach when they hung up their dancing shoes. She thought he might dance until his bones gave out.

  She’d learned so much during her tenure on the show, met fascinating people. She still kept in touch with three of her former celebrity partners. She’d even dated Marcus Howe for a few weeks before she realized he was much more appealing on television than real life.

  After her disastrous affair with Marcus, she made it a personal rule not to date other pros. Two of the dancers were married, and that was fine for them, but things were awkward and uncomfortable between her and Marcus now. She never thought he’d be mean and vindictive, but he was. His snide comments when they had to dance together in a group number were infuriating. She took the high road, refusing to trash him in the tabloids, even though several other women had no such reservations.

  He knew she was terrified of snakes. She wondered if he was the one who stashed the rattler in her trailer. She wouldn’t put it past him. It was just the kind of thing he’d do and then smile and say, “Gotcha! Come-on, Cass, it was just a harmless prank,” he’d tack on, after she slugged him in the gut.

  She was relieved none of the crew were around to hop into the ambulance with them. Usually the cameras followed them everywhere. She didn’t want her fainting to be fodder for the network to use in the promotional packages before each dance. She didn’t think Russell would do that to her, but it was best that there was no tape at all.

  The curtain pulled back and the doctor entered. Finally. She’d been waiting over an hour. Except for the nurse who took her vitals when they arrived, he was the first human they’d seen. He was short with gray hair and brown eyes, a stethoscope wrapped around his neck. Dr. Garrett, according to the badge pinned to his white coat. He scanned a chart in his hand and then looked up at her over the rim of a pair of half-glasses. “How are you feeling, Ms. Swain?”

  “Perfectly fine. Like I don’t need to be here.”

  “Well, you’d be correct.” He removed the spectacles and slid them in a pocket. “Your numbers are good. No need to keep you any longer. You’re free to go.” He withdrew a piece of paper from the chart and handed it to her. “This is for your producer, letting him know I cleared you.” He glanced around the small space. “What, no camera crew? I thought they always accompanied all hospital visits.”

  “They usually do, but this wasn’t an injury, just an unfortunate incident.”

  “Well, take care, Ms. Swain. No more scaring yourself to death.”

  Oh, great, a doctor and a comedian. “I’ll try,” she deadpanned.

  As Colin helped her to her feet, she realized they didn’t have a ride back to the studio. Russell was organized—obsessively so. She was sure he’d thought of it and had a driver on stand-by. If not, she’d pull up a ride-sharing app on her iPhone.

  She led the way, slowing her pace so Colin could hobble after her as he awkwardly worked the crutches. Hopefully he wouldn’t need to use them long because he was an accident waiting to happen. As soon as she pushed through the door leading to the waiting room, she stopped abruptly. Colin slammed into her back and cursed.

  “Ow. What the hell, Cass?”

  “Sorry,” she murmured, her gaze locked on the dark-haired man who stood when they entered the room. Mason. Her hero, three times now. She moved toward him unconsciously, almost as if he was her personal magnet. He was so tall and broad and strong. And handsome. Whoa, was he beautiful. She wanted to walk into his arms and never leave. Ridiculous, but there it was.

  His eyes tracked her movements. She stopped when she reached him. “What are you doing here?” Was it too much to hope that he had been worried about her?

  “Mr. Ingram sent me. He’s hired my company to protect you.”

  She sighed. So much for thinking he’d been worried. “Russell hired you? What is it you do?” She was developing a serious crush on the man and she didn’t know anything about him.

  “We’re in the private security business.”

  So that’s why he was so good at saving her life—he was a professional. “You mean you’re a bodyguard?”

  One of his massively-wide shoulders hitched up. “If need be.”

  Colin maneuvered in front of her and puffed out his chest. “Cass doesn’t need anyone looking after her. She has me.”

  Mason looked down at Colin, taking in his crutches, then he met her gaze.

  “Then you’ll want to take it up with Mr. Ingram. Otherwise, I’m on the job until he pulls the plug.”

  Colin looked like he wanted to argue but she placed a hand on his arm and shook her head. “It’s okay, Col, I trust him. He’s saved my life three times now.”

  Colin gaped at her. “Three times? I know about the light and then the snake, but what’s the third?”

  “Someone tried to run her over a few weeks ago.”

  Cassidy jerked her gaze to Mason. “It wasn’t like that. We agreed it was just a distracted driver.”

  “After these two attempts, we have to assume it was deliberate.”

  Oh God, she hadn’t thought about that. Was it possible it had been another attempt to kill her? She shivered.

  “Where did this happen?” Colin demanded.

  “In Indiana.”

  He looked confused. “What were you doing there?”

 
She’d put off telling him about her plans, but she had no reason to keep it from him any longer. “I’m opening a dance academy.”

  Mason’s brows raised in interest. Colin looked devastated. “And you didn’t tell me?”

  Guilt, her normal feeling when dealing with Colin, assailed her once again. Still, it wasn’t like they were close anymore. He was entrenched in his dance world and she hers. Except for a few texts here and there, they didn’t cross paths. Every once in a while, she’d miss his easy friendship. Then life would get busy again and thoughts of him would fade away. “I was going to tell you.”

  “When? On your five-year anniversary?” Colin’s tone was accusing.

  “It’s not even finalized yet.” Though it was close. “There was no sense bringing it up until I knew it’d be a reality.”

  Ignoring the tension, Mason asked, “Do you already have a location in mind?”

  “Yes.” She told him about the warehouse that was perfect for what she had in mind. It was huge with plenty of space. It needed lots of work, but she couldn’t wait to get started.

  A noisy group crowded into the waiting room, all wearing the same team jerseys and worried looks. Someone must’ve been hurt at a sporting event.

  “We should go,” Mason said, leading the way through the throng of people. When they came to the door, he motioned for Cassidy to precede him. She smiled, charmed by his old-fashioned manners. She was not, however, pleased by Colin’s continued pouting.

  “I can’t believe you didn’t tell me about your plans to open a studio,” he whined for the tenth time. All she could do was apologize, but he didn’t want to hear it.

  Mason guided them to a black sport utility vehicle. He opened the passenger door, assisted her inside and waited until she was seated before closing it. Then he helped Colin maneuver into the back seat and stow his crutches before climbing behind the wheel.