‘Fucking right you are.’ Ben clinks his glass against his, smirks and shrugs. ‘Old habits die hard.’
‘So I see.’ Marcus’s eyebrows shoot upwards. I gather he’s also noticed Ben rubbing his nose, and isn’t just referring to Ben winding him up.
When the voting lines finally close, Aaron and Teddy summon the six of us to the stage. The drum roll from the band is deafening. Three couples stand under the heat of three dazzling spotlights with the trophy on display between them.
The ominous roll continues for well over a minute with the tension heightening by the second. Finally, Aaron steps forward and the beat is brought to an abrupt halt.
‘This season’s winner ofSexy Come Dancingis…’
Marcus pulls me tighter against his chest; his hand drops lower, fingers tracing over the curve of my newly toned backside. He couldn’t give a shit who the winner is, and neither could I. We are both winners already.
‘Gemma and Sonny!’ Aaron drags their names out with slow deliberation as if he’s introducing fighters in a boxing ring. Gemma leaps into Sonny’s arms and he twirls her mercilessly until I’m dizzy watching them.
A hot rush of happiness spreads through my core. The best couple won in the end. It makes it all the sweeter knowing that hopefully now they’ll be able to use this to side-step their careers into a more family orientated direction. One where they can call the shots.
Glitter floats in the air around us and all of the former contestants arrive on stage to congratulate the winning couple. Between the shrieking congratulations and the squeezing, Aisling and Natalie find me, pulling me into a group hug.
Pulling back, I glance down towards Natalie’s foot. ‘How’s the ankle?’
‘Not too bad. Won’t be sporting stilettos for a while, but Michael has been taking great care of me.’ A blush flushes her cheeks, suggesting Michael’s ‘care-taking’ covers a multitude of sins.
Aaron and Teddy part the crowd of contestants, urging them backwards so Barry can present the enormous trophy to Gemma and Sonny.
‘Congratulations to both of you.’ Sonny takes the tacky bronze eyesore and places it under his arm as if it weighs nothing.
Teddy moves in to air-kiss both of them on each cheek. ‘How does it feel?’
Gemma leans into the microphone. ‘It feels amazing! Thank you all so much. Thank you for the weekly votes, the encouragement and mostly, thank you to the new friends I’ve made.’ Her eyes scan the stage before landing on me. ‘I’ve learnt a lot the past few weeks, and I’m not simply referring to the dances. The showbiz industry can be hard, cutting and cruel, but in it, there are decent, genuine people. I think I’ve found a few good ones in my short time here.’
‘That’s wonderful to hear.’ Aaron steps in before Gemma can go further.
Glancing between the two winners, Teddy asks, ‘Did the two of you decide which charity you’d like to donate the prize to?’
Gemma and Sonny lock eyes, before landing on Marcus. ‘We’d like to donate it to a new sports facility project being undertaken in Bluebell, Dublin. It’s about time we all gave something back to the city that raised us. To give children of this county an opportunity to grow, learn and have somewhere safe to hang out.’
Marcus bows his head in gratitude. We could fund the club ourselves, especially with the help of our friends, Marcus’s teammates, but this new donation will pay for the extension and equipment to facilitate twice as many children in the area without the worry of grant applications being turned down.
‘Thank you,’ I mouth across the stage. Though I wasn’t keen on this project to begin with, I’ve done the full circle. If it wasn’t for that place, none of us would be where we are today.
‘Excellent choice. Consider it done.’ Teddy bows, backing away from the couple, applauding as he shuffles.
An emotional-looking Marcus nudges the three of us towards the side of the stage. ‘Let’s get out of the way, so Gemma and Sonny can do their final dance.’
‘Absolutely. Did someone say Moët?’ Aisling bats her eyelids theatrically. ‘Got any single teammates, Marcus?’
The first few chords of Gemma and Sonny’s final dance resound around the studio.
Marcus glances to me, then back to Aisling. ‘Honestly, I don’t think I do.’
Natalie takes the arm Aisling offers to support the weight from her injured ankle, clutching a crutch in the other. ‘Do you know what, Aisling? I think Michael does...’
‘Wonderful. Put in a good word for me.’
Marcus snorts. ‘Those soccer lads aren’t made of the same stuff as our boys.’
‘Perhaps. But seeing as your lads are already taken, I’ll take my chances,’ Aisling says with a grin.
‘You won’t have long to wait. Some of Michael’s teammates are going to the ball,’ Natalie mouths over the music.
‘Wonderful.’ Marcus rolls his eyes, but the glint in them reassures me he’s joking. We’ve had enough rivalry between sportsmen for one year.
As we watch Sonny and Gemma own the dance floor with their exquisitely executed moves, Marcus cradles me from behind, watching over my shoulder.
‘Are you disappointed you didn’t win?’ His hot breath brushes against my earlobe, sending shivers rippling deliciously across my spine.
‘I did win.’ Turning my head, I press my lips to the rough stubble of his face.
