Love is a Dance Step (Rockstars Anonymous)

by Michelle MacQueen

  .

  The lines never seemed to shrink, only grow longer and longer.

  Now, everyone she worked with knew Drew wanted her in said line. Including her boss, Mr. Stone.

  Her phone rang, and she cursed its volume as she fumbled to answer it.

  “Hello,” she whispered.

  “Has my brother found you yet?” Nora asked.

  “No.”

  “Where are you hiding?” How was it the members of the Stone clan knew her so well?

  “A supply closet on the second floor.”

  “Classy. You should just go get it over with. You know you’ll audition at some point.”

  “No, I won’t.”

  “You’re too good not to.”

  “No, I’m not.”

  “Lola.” She sighed.

  “Nora.”

  “Drew came to the house to ask Asher about you.”

  Fear spiked through her. “What?” Asher had been angry enough at just the thought of Lola being a fan of Drew’s. Drew just made it a thousand times worse. “How mad was he?”

  “Not mad.”

  “Nora.” She didn’t believe her.

  “Okay, fine. Mad mad. Like throwing things mad. Lo, this isn’t about Asher, not this time. Drew thinks he saw something in you. Why are you so scared of that?”

  Lola sat back against a set of shelves, tears coming to her eyes as Asher’s words came back to her. You’re not a dancer. Stick to business. “Because if I try… I’ll fail.”

  “Or you’ll try and succeed.”

  She closed her eyes, trying to let Nora’s words replace Asher’s. He’d never believed in her, but she wondered if it was because she didn’t deserve that belief or because he wanted her to have nothing but him. He didn’t cheer for other people’s success. She saw it in the way he talked about Drew, the jealousy. Asher wanted to succeed at the expense of everyone else.

  Could she do this?

  You’re not a dancer.

  But she felt like one. Dancing was the only thing she’d ever loved.

  You’re not a dancer.

  “You still with me, Lo?”

  A knock sounded on the door.

  “Nora, did you just call me to find out where I was hiding for Drew?”

  “No! I mean, I told him where you were, but I also wanted to tell you I think you can do it.”

  But Asher didn’t.

  Someone knocked again.

  If Asher thought she was a lost cause, she needed to prove him wrong. Determination replaced the doubt in her mind. You’re not a dancer.

  “Yes, I am,” she whispered.

  “What?”

  “I’m a dancer.”

  Nora laughed. “Of course you are.”

  “I’ve got to go, Nora.” She hung up the phone and pushed to her feet before opening the door to find Drew on the other side, the intensity of his gaze burning into her.

  “Lola Ramirez.”

  “Drew Stone.” She lifted her chin. “Are we going to do this or what?”

  A smile spread across his face, and he stepped back, gesturing down the hall. “After you.”

  Everything happened so quickly. Someone pressed a number into Lola’s hand, and she pinned it to the front of her work shirt without looking at it.

  All she could hear was the beating of her own heart while the girl she’d seen at the studio with Drew yesterday continued talking.

  She snapped herself out of her thoughts, shoving her anxiety down. “Um, what?”

  The girl sighed. “No wonder he likes you. You’re just like him.” She threw her hands up in the air. “Does no one around here listen when I speak?”

  Lola shrank back in on herself even though she felt like the words weren’t directed at her. The auditions started early, and it was now afternoon, so the girl was probably just tired.

  “I listen, babe.”

  And that was how Lola came face to face with Ben Evans. Her brain short-circuited. She hadn’t followed him as much as Drew, but she’d seen the video of him at Drew’s concert— “Oh.” It all clicked. This girl, she wasn’t just Drew’s assistant. “You’re Piper Hayes.” She was Quinn Hayes’ sister, the girl who fell in love with her sister’s rock star boyfriend. It had been all over the gossip sites Lola would never admit to reading.

  Piper rolled her eyes. “Please don’t fangirl me. Save it for these chumps.” She elbowed her boyfriend. “Just not Drew. He has a big enough head already.”

  Her face flushed.

  Piper sighed. “It’s too late, isn’t it?”

  Lola glanced to where Drew stood with his dad. He’d left her in Piper’s hands, saying he wasn’t supposed to be seen talking to any of the dancers. Favoritism and all that. Then, he’d winked. At her. And she’d nearly died.

  “Come on.” Piper suppressed a smile. “Drew went through a lot of effort to find you. Least we can do is make sure you have a chance.” She lifted a hand to someone sitting with a group of dancers in the corner of the room. “Brooke!”

  A tall blonde with flawless skin and more of a toned dancer’s body than Lola could hope for—with her diet—sauntered toward them as if every step was for show. She eyed Lola up and down and popped her gum. “Whatcha need, Pipes?”

  Brooke may have missed it, but Lola saw the frustrated crease form between Piper’s eyes.

  Piper looked down at her clipboard. “Take numbers one-sixty to one-eighty-five into ballroom C and show them the steps. They’re up in an hour. Grab Nolan and a few of the other male dancers. We want both the solo steps and the duets.”

  Brooke popped her gum again and nodded. She jerked her head toward Lola, telling her to follow.

  “Good luck,” Ben called after her.

  She’d need it.

  Brooke called out the other numbers as they passed, and a line of girls formed behind them. “Yo, Nole. Grab the boys and follow us.”

  A lanky man nodded.

  They entered the empty ballroom that had been set up for the dancers to learn the choreography before auditioning. A wooden dance floor stretched across one side, and the tables and chairs were pushed up against the walls.

  Brooke pulled off her sweatshirt to reveal a pink tank top. Lola looked down at herself still in her work uniform, a uniform that wouldn’t exactly show off her dancing. Who was she kidding with this?

  Well, it was too late now. She removed her vest and unbuttoned the top few buttons of her shirt. Kicking off her shoes, she removed her socks. Most of the dancers had dance shoes on, but Lola preferred to dance barefoot anyway to feel her connection to each step.

  “All right, dancers,” Brooke called. “Line up and follow me through the steps. If you get lost, you can leave because this isn’t the job for you.” She nodded to Nolan who turned on a familiar Drew Stone song.

  One of Lola’s favorites.

  Brooke turned her back to them and counted out a beat. By the time she made the first step, Lola already knew what was next. She knew every one of Drew’s dances from poring over his videos and teaching herself his moves in the solitude of her bedroom.

  She’d never let anyone see.

  Until now.

  It didn’t take her long to get into the rhythm, and a smile slid across her face as she went through the steps she knew by heart.

  Girls dropped out as they failed to follow along. Brooke refused to repeat anything as she yelled out commands.

  By the time the song ended, only ten dancers remained panting and grinning at each other. There was no choreography like Drew Stone choreography. If she ever met his choreographer, she knew she’d fangirl just as much for them as for Drew.

  Brooke surveyed the remaining group. “Good, when you audition, we’ll see if you remember the steps.”

  They were only going through them once? It didn’t matter to Lola, but the other girls murmured, their anxiety apparent. Lola wondered if that was Drew’s decision or Brooke’s. She studied the dancer, wondering why Drew needed to find a new lead when h
e surely had loads of dancers who could have filled in for Leah.

  And how did that make his current dancers feel?

  By the scowl on Brooke’s face and the fact that she barely tried to get them ready for auditions, Lola guessed not good.

  Brooke faced them once more, and the four men joined her. “Drew wants to see you dance with a counterpart. Meet Nolan, Jasper, Mark, and Ian. You’ll take turns learning the partner dance from them. Have fun. I’m out.” She gave them a haphazard wave before leaving.

  Nolan stepped forward. “We don’t have long before we have to bring the next group of dancers in, so let’s get started.”

  11

  Drew

  The moment Lola entered the room again, Drew sensed it. She trailed the other dancers… the ten. His eyes narrowed. Piper sent a lot more than ten with Brooke.

  He refocused on the group of dancers before him. His dancers, both male and female, provided the other side of duets. Drew didn’t only want someone who could dance. He needed someone who could dance with him.

  The dancers were fine, some were even good, but none of them drew his eye. He sat back in his chair beside Ben and Dax. Noah and Jo had left already. Part of the deal with the tour break was the two of them doing a couple of pop-up solo concerts. It wouldn’t be long until they had to leave his tour, and he dreaded that day. They gave him a few months. Once they left, a new act would replace them, but Drew couldn’t imagine it being anyone else.

  He understood though. Jo didn’t want to be on stage once she could no longer hide her advancing pregnancy.

  “I was mistaken for security earlier.” Dax shook his head. “Do I look beefy enough to be a security guard?”

  Drew smirked as he surveyed his clean-cut, slightly scrawny friend. “Well, David…” He couldn’t finish what he’d started saying. “David?” His entire body shook with laughter.

  Dax looked down at his name badge. “I couldn’t exactly have it say Dax now, could I?”

  “Why did you need a name badge at all?” Ben joined in the laughter.

  Dax shrugged. “I thought it would help me blend in.”

  “Bro.” Drew shook his head. “No one knows what you look like. It’s like one of the seven wonders of the world. Is Dax Nelson as good looking as Drew Stone? Everyone wants to know. You wouldn’t be recognized.”

  Piper walked toward them. “Are you boys actually going to do anything today?”

  Ben nodded. “We’re choosing a dancer for Drew.”

  “You mean I’m choosing a dancer.” She grabbed Drew’s arm. “Get up, lazy.”

  Drew looked down at Ben. “You should have told me she was so mean.”

  Ben shrugged. “It’s what you get for stealing Quinn’s assistant.”

  Piper huffed. “Drew, get your butt over there right now. The next dancers are going to start.” A few people nearby looked their way, giving them curious looks.

  He threw his hands up in surrender. “Yes, ma’am.”

  Ben and Dax’s laughter followed him.

  “I thought Melanie was supposed to be here to help you today.”

  Piper barely glanced at him. “She’s dealing with the whole ‘rock star thinks he can do whatever he wants and push his tour back’ thing. She flew back to L.A. this morning.”

  “She didn’t tell me that.”

  “Don’t pout, Drew.”

  “I’m not pouting.” He crossed his arms and surveyed the next group of dancers in the chairs near the far wall. Lola looked so different from the rest in her work uniform.

  Piper followed his gaze. “Is she… eating?”

  She was right. A bag of potato chips sat in Lola’s lap, and she shoved them in her mouth. Drew couldn’t help but smile.

  A laugh burst out of Piper. “It’s like watching an animal in a zoo.”

  “What?”

  “A dancer eating chips.”

  Drew feigned offense, crossing his arms over his chest. “We eat.”

  “Drew, you’re like a rabbit with all your leaf stuff and raw veggies. I don’t think I’ve seen you order anything sugary or greasy since we sat at Emma’s while you tried to woo me to the dark side.”

  He threw an arm over her shoulders. “Glad to know being my assistant is the dark side. Wouldn’t have it any other way.”

  She shrugged him off as the song ended and lifted her voice. “Thank you. We will inform you of callbacks.” The dancers dispersed, and Piper made notes on her clipboard. “I liked numbers 143 and 148.”

  “They were fine.”

  “You have no clue who I’m talking about, do you?” She sighed. “This girl of yours better be good.”

  “Have a little faith, Pipes. Have I ever let you down?”

  “Constantly.”

  He pressed a hand to his heart. “Lie to me. That’s what I pay you for.”

  She snorted. “Just please at least consider that girl might not be the best for the job. Watch these groups. Some of these dancers are truly incredible.” She lifted her voice again. “Will the next group line up?”

  Drew leaned in. “You didn’t say please.”

  She shot him a scowl. “All right, ladies, I am going to start the music. We’ll run through the dance once for practice before judging you on it the second time.” She dialed up the music using her phone, and a moment later, it blared through the overhead speakers. They’d used the same two songs all day. Something About You for the solo dance and Dance For Me for the duets. He’d be happy if he never heard either again.

  As each dancer began, Drew only had eyes for one. Even in her work uniform, Lola moved with a fire he couldn’t look away from. Every step was deliberate, almost like it had an exclamation point on the end.

  Her eyes focused forward, never once shifting as she gave everything she had to the dance.

  This was his mystery girl.

  The dance in the studio wasn’t a fluke.

  Lola Ramirez worked these steps better than Drew himself.

  Piper nudged him. “I like one-sixty-two.”

  No. That was all wrong. Why couldn’t she see it? Lola wore number one-sixty-one. He wanted to reach over and write that number down on Piper’s clipboard. In reality, he could have. This was his tour, and he got final say, but he wanted Piper and Ben and everyone else to see what he saw.

  When the music stopped, one corner of Lola’s mouth tipped up. He didn’t want her to stop smiling. Ever.

  I’m not a dancer.

  Did she know how wrong she was?

  “I see you stole Lola.” His dad walked up.

  “What? I didn’t steal her.” That was something Asher would say. She was the girl who’d always been in Asher’s life, not Drew’s. What had Nora called that relationship? Complicated?

  His dad chuckled. “It’s okay, I gave her the rest of the day off.”

  Oh, work. He’d stolen her from work. “She’s good.”

  “I didn’t know she wanted to be a dancer. I just thought she enjoyed teaching, giving back.” His dad shrugged. “Gotta admit it, kid, it’s weird to see her out there.”

  “Why is it so weird, Dad?”

  “That girl—” He pointed to where Lola gulped water. “I don’t want anything to disappoint her.”

  How did he respond to that? Sure, there were hundreds of dancers there, but only one he wanted. He couldn’t tell his dad that, could barely say it to himself.

  His phone buzzed with a text from Leah.

  Leah: How are auditions?

  He sighed, wishing she was there with him.

  Drew: They’d be better if I didn’t have to hold them.

  Leah: LOL. Patience, Padawan. You’ll find someone. And if you don’t, strip during your concert. Then, no one will notice you’re down a lead dancer.

  His lips curled up into a smile.

  Drew: Sounds like a plan.

  He slid his phone back into his pocket as Piper called the dancers back to the front and had each line up with a professional.

  Lola st
ood next to Nolan, her hand on his shoulder as they started slow. He turned into her arms, running a hand along her back. She stared into his eyes, but there was something missing, some intensity.

  She was nervous.

  She went through each step, fumbling a few, but there was no connection between the dancers. It was almost as if she’d never danced with someone else before.

  Drew’s partner dances were a huge part of his concerts. They brought the heat his fans loved—except for the “safety gang” who came out against anything they thought might corrupt their kids. Drew’s solution—his concerts weren’t for kids.

  Neither was his music.

  There was a coldness he hadn’t seen in Lola before when she’d danced on her own. Where was the passion? The fire?

  Piper’s brow creased as she made notes, but Drew didn’t want her judging Lola based on this dance. She was better than this. He was sure of it.

  He wasn’t letting his mystery girl fail so easily.

  The song ended, and Piper looked to the dancers. “Thank you. You may go. We’ll notify you if you’ve made the cut.” She turned to Drew. “We need to talk.”

  Drew led her to the wall nearby. “Don’t say it, Piper.”

  Piper gave him an apologetic smile. “She’s not bad, Drew, but…” She spread her hands. “Look, I know you want to see something in this girl. I saw it too when we were at the studio, but you saw that dance with Nolan. She doesn’t know how to move with someone else. Ultimately, this is your decision, so I’m just giving an honest assessment here.”

  He rubbed the back of his neck. “I know you are, Pipes, and I appreciate it. I haven’t exactly been present today.”

  “Are you ever?”

  “It’s not fair to these dancers who’ve come out. I know that. I just can’t focus. I guess I’m trying to say thank you for being here and doing this, but your snark is getting in the way.” He gave her a half-smile. “I can’t explain it. That dance of Lola’s we saw at the studio… I can’t get it out of my head. She’s rough around the edges and has obviously never danced professionally. She missed steps, and it was like she forgot Nolan was there half the time.”