It's unusual to showcase only one dance in each selection round, but this is not a regular tournament. Here, only the rules of the television network apply.
"Mesdames et messieurs," the voice from the speakers announces, "are you ready for a surprise?"
The audience applauds, whistles can be heard, and a few spectators jump up from their seats. A surprise? I glance at Alice. "What's going on here?" I ask her in a hushed tone.
She licks her lips with her tongue and grins at me unabashedly. It's evident that she knows exactly what's going on. No, even more, I can't help but feel that she might have orchestrated it.
All evening, she's been acting strangely, exuding unwavering confidence, and discreetly observing me from the corner of her eye when she thinks I don't notice.
"What's going on here?" I repeat my question sternly, but once again, I get no answer.
"That was clear," the voice from the speakers takes command again as the audience falls silent. "Well, then it's time to inform you."
A murmur spreads through the hall.
"Ladies and gentlemen, the final dance will not be the tango." I involuntarily hold my breath. I don't like where this is going. "The couples will dance a mambo for you without any preparation. This will show who truly deserves the spotlight at France 2."
The audience can hardly contain their excitement while every muscle in my body freezes.
No. I won't dance the mambo.
"Come on, get into position." Alice steps in front of me, rises on her toes, and puts her arms on my shoulders.
"This can't be done!" I exclaim in shock, stepping back.
There it is again, that wicked grin. Only a fool wouldn't understand she's behind this charade.
I still don't grasp how it all fits together, but I realize why she's doing this.
She knows that the mambo belongs solely to Aurora and me. And she believes that if we both dance it, she can undermine our relationship.
In disbelief, I shake my head. Her lips sport a confident smirk. "Don't be such a baby," she whispers, pressing her pelvis against mine. "After all, you don't want to risk your career, do you?"
My gaze searches for Aurora, but the hall lights have already dimmed. I can only guess what's going through her mind right now.
Would she want me to dance this final dance?
My God, I don't know. All I know is that it feels terribly wrong. It felt that way from the beginning, yet my decision to dance with Alice has brought comfort to both Aurora and myself.
Since I returned to training, we've been happier. What would she think if I were to back out so close to the goal? Would she love me or hate me? Would she smile or cry?
Dammit, why don't I know? I should be as certain about this as I am about anything else in this world.
Have we been pretending to each other in the past weeks? Has the glass wall between us not disappeared but grown even thicker while I was busy believing in a better future?
No. Aurora's laughter was genuine. Her rosy cheeks, our shared dreams, our love. All of it is true. Just like Aurora's deep desire for me to dance for both of us while she can't.
She would want me to do it.
With tightly pressed lips, I hold Alice's waist and once again imagine I'm holding Aurora in my arms. Then I dance the mambo with Alice as if my life depended on it, and that's exactly how it feels.
I do it solely for Aurora, who would never stop fighting for what is important to her.
***
We won. Perhaps only because Alice's wealthy daddy pulled the right strings in the background. Perhaps because we were good.
Whatever the reason, it doesn't matter.
