Pas De ... Don't

1. Showtime

"Well, she doesn't seem so little sister now. Not after that smoking hot salsa with Carlos last week. Let's take another look." She pointed to the video monitor where some very sensual moves played in miniature. The final shots were of a half-leering Carlos pulling Kate tightly against his hips and a pan over to the wings where Daniel looked on with tight lips and clenched fits. The MC mimed fanning herself. "So, Kate it sure looks like you clicked with Carlos but you didn't switch partners to stay in the top three. Instead, you decided to dance to survive with Daniel. Why?"

"Daniel's my partner. He's the one who brought me, and as fine a dancer as Carlos is, or as any of the other guys are for that matter, they aren't my guy," Kate blushed furiously over the way her confession slipped out but thought it must okay by the way Daniel squeezed her hand.

"Aren't you a lucky man! I'm sure all the romantics will be cheering on the pair of you. Good Luck." The MC beamed at them, holding her pose until the lights dimmed. She frowned and said, "Treacle is not my taste but the opening number should play nicely into the fantasy."

Kate was shocked by the woman's sharpness but Daniel just hurried them over to the costume department. The dresses had not been ready in time for the last rehearsal but now the pastel rainbow flowed in unison. The pairs wove through a complicated pattern to form an unfolding bloom for the overhead cameras. Kate's low-backed light blue gown was an almost bridal confection under the spotlights.

Their Viennese waltz smoothly timeless enough for Kate to nearly lose herself in the music. Only Daniel's strong lead got her through the slight slip on the final turn. He went down on one knee in front of her, holding out a ring. She knew it was a prop, the move carefully rehearsed, but for a moment she allowed herself to imagine it was real. With all they had been through in the competition she knew they could be so happy together. Her glowing face telegraphed her strong emotions. Daniel kissed her hand as the lights went down. In the sudden gloom he slipped the ring back off her finger to get it straight over to the prop master. She froze until the flurry of movement around the set brought a cold dose of reality. Kate rushed to get ready for the next number.

Their hip-hop duet was rough. Kate tried extra swagger to cover Daniel's misstep but she could see Vince shaking his head in the wings. The all-girl's routine went much better. The bubbly energy of the local favourites was contagious. Neither Bethany nor Sarah-Anne expected to be in contention by the end of the evening, so leaned into the Charleston with slapstick-gusto. Kate was nearly breathless from trying not to laugh at their antics and stumbled over some of the camera cables backstage. She felt a disheartening crunch when her ankle rolled. There was no time to do anything other than lace her high-tops tighter for her solo. She edited the routine on the go, simplifying the acrobatic elements to focus on the emotional connections in the push-pull of the darker music. She miss-timed a low flip, winding herself ahead of her bow, and unsurprisingly scored in the middle of the pack.

She flashed Daniel a quick thumbs up when his score was announced. It was the first time he ranked higher than Kate -- High enough to pull whomever he picked as a partner into the finale.

"Oh, your fella's a bit of a dark horse, isn't he," Sarah-Anne nudged Kate as the rankings were revealed.

"I don't know what you mean. He's always been good and in fact he had danced better on other nights."

"Maybe the judges just couldn't see him while you hogged the spotlight," one of the other girls sniped. Kate tried to see where the remark came from but noticed the cameras zooming in so double checked her mark and put on her performance face.

It was the men's turn to pick partners before each new pair drew two dance styles to prepare for the last show. The all-stars coaches would then select partners from remaining contestants for a chance at a consolation prize. Ballroom champion Carlos selected a solidly build girl who excelled with afro-beats, and seemed very satisfied with the dance cards they pulled. The next pairing seemed to home in on contemporary and modern jazz styles and looked a bit worried when they saw their dance assignments.

The spotlight fell on Daniel making his way over to the line of waiting girls. Kate smiled warmly and tried to catch his eye. She touched the angel-wing pendant he had given her after their first big win. After their first kiss. On-stage, at the end of an exciting routine, but still a kiss.

"You give me wings," he had told her then, and again after each of the wins that brought them to this stage. As Daniel approached, Kate silently promised she would keep soaring with him but he walked straight passed her and to pick pretty little Natalie out of the line. Kate blinked twice and shook her head. This could not be happening. Not now. She looked around franticly hoping it was some kind of joke but she could see the new pair reaching for their assignments.

"Oh love," Bethany reached over and put her arm around a very wobbly Kate. "Just breathe. We've got you."

Sarah-Anne came in from the other side, effectively blocking the cameras zooming in to catch the drama. "You don't have to give them tears. Don't give that jerk the satisfaction. Come-on girl, just keep it together for a few more minutes."

Sarah-Anne rubbed Kate's back, inadvertently touching one of many bruises. The jolt of physical pain caused Kate to draw her breath and fall back into the poise drilled into her by her first, and fiercest dance instructor. She squared her shoulders, picked a mid-distance focal point, and schooled her features into the blank canvas her grandmother called gentle-repose. Her heart might be shattering into millions of pieces, trampled, and trashed like the confetti left at the end of the show, but she stayed in performance mode.

Time slowed. Vince selecting her was a bitter consolation after Daniel's defection. Her stoic reserve was sorely tried by the interviewer digging for a more emotional reaction to the biggest plot twist of the season.

"No, you're right, things did not work out quite the way I had hoped," Kate admitted with a stony look at the woman who had been hyping the romance side of the dance pairings for weeks. "I still wish Daniel all the best with his new partner."

"So how do you think Natalie's street style is going to translate for a Bollywood routine?"

"She's still a pro and her looser style will help with the rhythms. Ballroom or b-boy come down feeling the music in your body."

"So perhaps an easier transition than from your more classical orientation?"

Kate was not at all sure what the MC was trying to get at with her question and struggled not to be defensive. "One of the best parts of this competition has been learning to adapt to different styles. Its amazing to see how everyone came in with different strengths and where they are now. It's the opportunity of a lifetime for any dancer."

"So, no regrets?" the woman probed.

"Not at all. I have been so lucky to be here and I am super proud of the way Daniel performed tonight." Kate's praise was sincere but her smile did not reach her eyes. She stayed completely still as the lights finally went down.

"And that, ladies and gentlemen, it what is know as a class act." Bethany narrated from the sideline.

"Now let's get you out of here before Daniel manages to get past Vince. I'm assuming you don't want to see the scum-bag right now." Sarah-Anne held out her hand for Kate.