Chapter 40
Maxime
The spotlight focuses on the dance floor. It's so bright that I can't see the people in the audience. Nevertheless, I feel that Aurora is somewhere in this hall, gazing down at Alice and me with rapt attention as we take our starting position for the Viennese waltz.
My goal for this competition is clear. I want Aurora to be proud of me. So I focus on what lies ahead. This is the first of five selection rounds, and after each one, couples will be chosen to continue dancing, similar to a tournament.
Alice and I are well-prepared; we have synchronized ourselves after weeks of intense training, and when we dance the standard dances, it feels like we have been dancing together for years. All thanks to my little trick that I have perfected over time.
I glance at Alice. In my mind, I replace her blond hair with dark hair, her round face with an oval one, and her narrow lips with full ones. I smile, envisioning the fire in Aurora's eyes. She beams at me, nodding resolutely and stretching her body. The vibrant waltz music fills the room.
Let's begin.
We take the first steps and prepare for the open rotation. Gracefully, I turn to face the judges, and everything flowseffortlessly. The choreography is perfect, just like my smile, which comes naturally, without any effort.
I keep an eye on the cameras for safety; the television network wants to assess how we appear on screen, so I smile at the camera.
Finally, it's time for our last rotation. At the final pose, we give it our all.
Thunderous applause from the test audience, who can vote for their favorite couple in the final round using buzzers, fills the room. In my imagination, the Aurora before me slowly transforms into the real Alice.
She winks at me, and I lift her from her backbend. Hand in hand, we turn toward the judges to bow. I only notice in passing the score cards the judges hold up at the command of the host.
"We did it," Alice whispers, probably grasping the situation faster than I do.
Finally, the room lights up. I search the rows of spectators.
Aurora is not behind the judges.
We turn to the right, bowing again. Now the cameraman is right in front of me, blocking my view. I shield my eyes with my hand against the bright camera light and stretch toward the left.
Once again, I don't spot Aurora in the crowd. As we turn again, this time toward the length of the dance floor, I take a bit longer to search for her among the people.
There she is!
Her hands clasp over her mouth as she watches us. It seems like she's happy. At least that's what I can make out in the dim light. Are tears glistening in her eyes? I fixate my gaze on her, sending her anI love youin my thoughts, and I stay in place until Alice pulls me off the dance floor.
"Next up is the rumba," Alice reminds me, completely out of breath. "Nothing can go wrong if we dance it just like before."
I look at her in surprise. How can she be so sure? It's simply impossible to know. "The competition is strong."
She rolls her eyes and lets out a sigh. "So what? We're better. Trust me."
Suddenly, Madame Durand is beside me. She's usually nervous during performances, but today she seems completely calm. "Thirsty?" she asks me, holding out a bottle of water.
"What's going on here?" I take the water from her, my gaze shifting between Alice and our boss.
My dance partner raises her shoulder with a meaningful grin. "Nothing."
Throughout the evening, I try to figure out what they're hiding from me. They won't tell me, but as we continue dancing round after round, heading toward the final, my suspicion grows that something is happening behind the scenes that I'm not supposed to know about.
Could it be something shady?
Of course, we want to perform in the gala show, but I want to win this selection competition fairly. I tell Alice this several times, and she brushes it off each time.
At least I catch glimpses of Aurora between the rounds, and she seems to become more emotional with each passing moment. Before the grand finale, tears stream down her cheeks so heavily that I can even see the damp trails on her skin from a distance. Suddenly, I'm not so sure anymore if she's crying out of joy or if she's actually incredibly sad.
Whatever it is, she stays, and that motivates me. Despite her pain, she wants to see me dance. So for the last time, I take Alice's hand and step onto the dance floor to perform the tango.
