Chapter 8
Maxime
She shouldn't look at me like that.
As I swallow heavily, trying to suppress the strange feeling spreading in my chest, a fierce determination flares up in her expression, just like she showed me in the park two days ago. But there's something else.
A strained kind of desperation.
She knows it. She's well aware that her dance hasn't been convincing so far.
Now, her partner places his hands around her waist and lifts her. She extends her legs into a split and gracefully spreads her arms while he initiates the spin.
Our gazes lose each other, and I finally manage to focus on their performance. Aurora's posture is excellent. Despite her simple attire, she shines like a dazzling star.
I turn my head to the right, where David sits, and nod significantly at him. I expected him to respond to my gesture, but he merely shrugs for a fraction of a second.
How can he be so blind?
Shaking my head, I redirect my attention to the dance floor, where they finish their spin.
Aurora beams, getting ready to land safely on the floor. But just then, Enzo makes another mistake. His last step was just a fraction too short, and his right foot lands too close to the left. This can only go wrong. I don't want to look, yet I'm fixated on them as my fists clench.
Before Aurora's floating phase is over, Enzo becomes unstable. The disturbance is minor, but it affects his partner, and of course, she struggles to place her foot securely on the ground. Even the best dancer couldn't compensate for that.
How unfair! I'm sure Aurora would have performed a perfect transition.
Externally, I remain composed, but inside, I feel like a volcano about to erupt. And it intensifies even more when I catch a glimpse of Madame Durand, huffing as she shifts her attention to her fingernails.
Has she written off Aurora?
The heat inside me intensifies, my heart racing. And suddenly, as if out of nowhere, the volcano erupts within me.
I rise from my chair abruptly. It crashes so loudly behind me that my fellow judges flinch despite the loud music. Aurora and Enzo continue dancing, but I can see Aurora looking at me questioningly.
"What are you doing?" David hisses at me. "Sit back down."
No, I won't. Keeping my gaze fixed on Aurora, I circle the judging table and approach her.
Before I reach her, the music comes to a sudden stop. The silence is so profound that I can hear my heart galloping. Nevertheless, I march on with determination.
"May I have this dance?" I ask, as composed as I can, extending my hand to Aurora.
She looks at me as if I'm an alien.
Enzo clears his throat. "But... um..." he stammers but then retreats without further protest, leaving the dance floor to Aurora and me.
I signal the assistant at the stereo to restart the music. Then I take Aurora's hand and swiftly pull her close in a turn so that we end up in the same starting position where she began her dance with Enzo.
The first notes of the mambo begin, and I feel her muscles relax as she gently rests the back of her head on my shoulder. Instantly, the volcanic eruption inside me subsides, replaced by a completely different feeling: joy.
Finally, Aurora has a chance to showcase her talent.
Filled with a warm sensation in my chest, I guide my hand along her waist, and our fingers interlock.
She looks up at me, and even though our feet haven't moved yet, it feels as though we're already dancing together. I give her a quick wink, and she reciprocates. That's all I need to know she's ready.
"Let's set the jury's blood on fire," I whisper in her ear.
