Take the Lead--A Dance Off Novel Read online

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  To Mike.

  This first one is for you.

  DEAR READER,

  Take the Lead was my debut novel, the one that started my journey as a published author. Originally released as an ebook in 2017, it’s been given new life in paperback with a beautiful illustrated cover, updated text, and bonus material. Whether you read the original or are discovering it now for the first time, I’m so grateful this book has found its way into your hands.

  At its heart, Take the Lead is an opposites-attract romance about living life on your own terms. The story begins when professional dancer Gina Morales teams up with Stone Nielson, a TV survivalist, for a celebrity dance competition. While I’m not a dancer myself, I admire the skill and dedication it takes, and I’ve always been fascinated by what goes on behind the scenes in film and television. I wanted to explore how someone ambitious might balance success and love, and how someone reserved would navigate familial expectations and the spotlight of fame. And of course, how the two of them could eventually find their happily ever after together.

  Thank you for picking up this book and giving these characters a chance. My hope is that Stone and Gina will make you laugh, make you swoon, and—dare I say it—dance their way into your heart.

  Wishing you all the best,

  ALEXIS DARIA

  The Dance Off

  Season 14 Cast List

  Welcome to THE DANCE OFF!

  Season 14 brings together a star-studded collection of celebrities for a sizzling competition on the dance floor, featuring elite athletes, TV personalities, movie stars, and more. Meet the cast and their dance partners below, along with The Dance Off’s judges and hosts. Then get ready to vote for your favorite couples!

  THE DANCERS

  Alan & Rhianne

  Alan Thomas

  Claim to fame: Gold-medal-winning Paralympian

  Alan is a Team USA Paralympian athlete with three gold medals in Track and Field events. When he’s not training, he works with veterans.

  Dance partner: Rhianne Davis

  Beto & Jess

  Norberto “Beto” Velasquez

  Claim to fame: Reality star and athlete

  Argentinian millionaire Beto Velasquez is the latest star of the reality dating show Your Future Fiancé. Before that, he had a successful soccer career, and he now owns a high-end menswear fashion empire.

  Dance partner: Jess Davenport

  Dwayne & Natasha

  Dwayne Alonzo

  Claim to fame: Athlete

  Fresh off a Super Bowl win, NFL star Dwayne Alonzo is known for his boldness and energy, as well as a few memorable sitcom cameos. Will his end-zone victory dances translate to the ballroom?

  Dance partner: Natasha Díaz

  Farrah & Danny

  Farrah Zane

  Claim to fame: Actress and singer

  The youngest of the cast at nineteen, Farrah starred in the hit kid’s TV movie I Spy a Star, where she played a spy going undercover as a pop singer. Her first album will be out soon.

  Dance partner: Danny Johnson

  Jackson & Lori

  Jackson García

  Claim to fame: Actor

  Jackson’s a star on the rise, achieving acclaim for his role as a vampiric werewolf on the sexy TV drama Bite Me. What fans might not know is that Jackson is also an accomplished singer.

  Dance partner: Lori Kim

  Keiko & Joel

  Keiko Sousa

  Claim to fame: Swimsuit cover model

  From the runways of Paris and New York to the covers of magazines, up-and-coming model Keiko is emerging as the new face of fashion. Her parents, tech mogul Terry Sousa and supermodel Miaka Kano, must be very proud.

  Dance partner: Joel Clarke

  Lauren & Kevin

  Lauren D’Angelo

  Claim to fame: Olympic figure skater

  A two-time Olympic figure skater for Team USA, Lauren D’Angelo is known for her boldness on the ice and her outspokenness with the press. Lauren has never won an Olympic medal, but will she win The Dance Off’s trophy?

  Dance partner: Kevin Ray

  Rick & Mila

  Rick Carruthers

  Claim to fame: Singer

  Rick has a music career spanning decades as the lead singer of the multiplatinum 1980s rock band Carruthers & Co. He still tours, and runs a nonprofit organization that supports art and music programs in public schools.

  Dance partner: Mila Ivanova

  Rose & Matteo

  Rose Jeffers

  Claim to fame: Actress

  Rose starred on The Lab, a hit TV show about teenage scientists that ran for many seasons in the 1990s. She hasn’t acted much since then, but fans still hold fond memories of the glamorous chemist she played.

  Dance partner: Matteo Ricci

  Stone & Gina

  Stone Nielson

  Claim to fame: Reality star

  Stone stars on the popular reality show Living Wild, which follows the day-to-day life of the Nielson family as they live off the grid in the Alaskan wilderness. Among his six siblings, Stone is known as the strong and silent one.

  Dance partner: Gina Morales

  Twyla & Roman

  Twyla Rhodes

  Claim to fame: Actress and activist

  Best known for her role as Queen Seraphina of the Elves in the blockbuster Elf Chronicles movies of the 1980s, Twyla has also worked as an activist for LGBTQ+ rights. Perhaps she’ll confirm the rumors of an Elf Chronicles sequel …

  Dance partner: Roman Shvernik

  THE JUDGES

  Chad Silver

  A former club dancer, music video choreographer, and internationally known drag queen, Chad keeps busy as a host and judge on many competition shows. He currently serves as The Dance Off’s head judge.

  Mariah Valentino

  Mariah is a pop singer and classically trained dancer who now channels her musicality into choreography. The “Love You Always” songstress lends her compassionate nature to The Dance Off’s contestants as well as to causes benefitting the safety of animals.

  Dimitri Kovalenko

  Known for star turns in movies like Aliens Don’t Dance and for choreographing various stage shows, Dimitri brings a critical eye and high standards to The Dance Off’s judging table.

  Melissa “Meli” Mendez

  The Dance Off is lucky to have international superstar and singer/actress/mogul Meli appear as a guest judge this season.

  THE HOSTS

  Juan Carlos Perez

  Former teen heartthrob

  Reggie Kong

  Celebrity stylist

  THE CREW

  Donna Alvarez

  Producer

  Jordy Cohen

  Field producer

  Aaliyah Williams

  Story assistant

  One

  Gina Morales clutched the edge of her seat in a white-knuckled grip and gave her field producer a side-eyed glare as he and the camera crew sorted through equipment.

  A seaplane. They’d stuffed her into an honest-to-god seaplane.

  The aircraft was painted bright yellow and blue with a tiny propeller stuck to the nose, cute little wings, and pontoons positioned underneath. It looked like a model toy, not something rational human beings who valued their lives should travel in.

  Yet here she was, flying in a tin can over a large body of water somewhere in Southeast Alaska, while the motor droned on like a monstrous mosquito and the faint scent of fuel tinged the air.

  Now she understood why her mother used the rosary in airplanes. It was to keep your hands busy so you didn’t chew off all your fingernails in nervous terror. Noted. Next time Gina was on a seaplane, she’d bring a rosary.

  For now, she prayed to the gods of reality TV.

  Please, please, let him be a Winter Olympian.

  A skier would be good, or a snowboarder, or better yet, a figure skater. Olympians were the holy grail of celebrity dance partners. If one of those awaited her when she landed, this whole harrowing journey would be worth it. After all, what other kind of celeb would be hanging out in the uncharted Alaskan wilderness?

  When Gina finally dared to peek outside, she could admit the view was picturesque. A rippling ribbon of water unfurled below. Tall evergreens speared a brilliant blue sky crowded with puffy white clouds. A gust of wind teased the treetops, making the seaplane bounce in the air.

  Gina clenched her jaw and looked away. Even the pretty scenery didn’t distract from the bouncing. Where the hell were they going? And if they were meeting a skier or snowboarder, shouldn’t there be more snow?

  A tap on her arm drew her attention f
rom the window to Jordy Cohen, her field producer. He was a slim man with olive-toned skin and a ready smile, and he covered his thinning brown hair with a worn UCLA cap. Jordy pointed at the camera, and his voice came through the headset she wore.

  “All right, Gina. Ready to start?”

  Taking a deep breath, she nodded and gave her shoulders a quick roll to relax them. Nerves notwithstanding, she had a job to do. When Jordy gave the go-ahead, she waved at the camera.

  “I’m Gina Morales, a pro dancer. I’m on my way to meet my celebrity partner for season fourteen of The Dance Off.” She gave the intro in a loud, clear voice. Or so she thought.

  The sound guy looked up from a device in his hand and shook his head.

  After adjusting the mic on her headset, Gina repeated the lines at a volume closer to a shout. When she received a thumbs-up, she continued.

  “We’re in a seaplane flying over a river in Alaska, and I’m a little worried my producers are trying to kill me.”

  Next to her, Jordy covered his mouth to stifle a laugh. He gestured for her to keep going.

  “I’ve been on three planes so far, each one smaller than the last.” She gave an exaggerated shrug and a grimace that wasn’t faked. “What’s next, a hot air balloon?”

  Jordy smacked his forehead like he should have thought of that. Gina resisted the urge to flip him the bird.

  The pilot cut in. “We’re beginning our descent.”

  The plane dipped. Gina spun to face the window again, her pulse racing as the water zoomed closer. Were they going to make a water landing? They had to be. Despite climbing aboard at a marina, she hadn’t allowed herself to imagine the landing. With every second, the glistening surface of the inlet raced closer, but Gina kept her eyes open. She could do this. She was strong.

  And if she died, at least she’d see it coming.

  The pontoons hit the water, skimming along and kicking up a wave under the wings. Her stomach bounced, but she’d braced herself for a rougher landing. As the plane pulled alongside a small floating dock made of barrels, Gina pried her fingernails out of the seat cushion. She focused on getting her breathing under control while they disembarked. Once off the plane, they climbed into a waiting skiff and motored to shore. The air carried the scent of salt and wet soil, along with a crisp freshness she could taste on the back of her tongue.

  Fresh air. What a novelty.

  Once they were ashore, Gina and her crew gathered on a pebbly beach that led right into the water from a clearing. Ahead stood a line of trees the seaplane pilot had called Sitka spruce, the state tree of Alaska. Behind her, the water. Nothing else, aside from the seaplane, the skiff, and a second camera crew she didn’t recognize. No stores. No houses. No cars. Just trees, water, and dirt. And sky. Lots and lots of sky.

  Too much nature. Not enough civilization. Was it possible to feel claustrophobic in a big empty space?

  Gina hunched into her coat. “Where are we?”

  Jordy didn’t look away from the tablet he shared with the other crew’s producer. “Alaska.”

  “I know that, but…” Searching the unfamiliar crew’s clothing for logos revealed nothing. Gina pulled out her phone. No service. Of course not. Why would there be service in the middle of fucking nowhere?

  Better not to think about how far away they were from the rest of the world. Except now it was all she could think about. What if there was an emergency?

  Eyeing the trees warily, she inched toward the boat. Growing up in New York City had given her a healthy distrust of forests. Forests had animals and serial killers hiding behind every tree. Didn’t these people watch movies?

  Before she could stop herself, she blurted out, “You know I’m from the Bronx, right? I don’t do nature. I’ve never even been camping.”

  Damn it. Gina bit her tongue as one of the cameras swung her way. It was the perfect sound bite and would without a doubt be aired during the premiere. This was exactly what they’d hoped for—drag her out to the wilderness, film her freaking out, then toss her at her partner before she could get her bearings. The producers would do everything they could to throw her off-balance in the name of good TV.

  Gina took a deep breath, then another. The air chilled her lungs. It was colder here than it had been in Juneau, but so fresh she couldn’t stop swallowing it in deep, cold pulls. It helped focus her, but also made her giddy.

  “You all right?” Jordy actually looked concerned.

  “I’m fine.” Just having an existential crisis over the complete and utter remoteness of this location. No big deal. She shoved her hands in her coat pockets and balled them into fists. “Let’s go meet him.”

  The crew checked her lavalier mic and gave her a minute to touch up her hair and makeup. After she fed a few more lines to the camera about how excited she was to meet her partner, they started the trek through the trees.

  “Don’t break an ankle,” Jordy warned.

  Gina pressed her lips together and didn’t reply. If she’d known where they were going, she would have worn different shoes. The soles of her shiny black boots were better suited to sidewalks than wet docks or dirt trails. They were already caked in mud and sand, which crunched under her feet with every step.

  Jordy was right, though. It would be awful to get injured right before the new season started. With her eyes on the trail, curiosity about the man she was about to meet consumed her thoughts. What kind of a celebrity would he be? Would he be able to dance? And more importantly, was he popular enough to get lots of votes?

  On Gina’s first season, her celebrity partner was a young singer who’d started his music career on social media. While he’d been a great dancer—if a little too energetic—with a vocal fan base, he didn’t have the recognition factor needed to win over The Dance Off’s older audience. They’d only made it halfway through the season. Nostalgia could help, too, but Gina’s partnership with an aging actor from a popular action movie franchise had ended after three episodes due to his arthritis.

  Despite entering her fifth season, Gina didn’t have the fan following some of the other pro dancers did. Kevin Ray had been on the show since season one, and The Dance Off was now approaching season fourteen. Kevin had won four times. With his easy charm and incredible choreography skills, people voted for Kevin no matter who his celebrity partner was.

  It made Gina want to pull her hair out. Kevin had reached the finals in season thirteen with a sixteen-year-old Internet makeup artist, while Gina and her partner—a popular football player who’d shown marked improvement—had been cut in the semifinals.

  At least she wasn’t the newbie anymore—that spot went to Joel Clarke, a Jamaican dancer who’d joined the cast a month ago.

  Since it couldn’t hurt, she sent up another prayer that her new partner would be up to the challenge. If he had even a modicum of dance skill and audience appeal, she’d do whatever it took to reach the finals and get a shot at The Dance Off’s gaudy golden trophy.

  The trail ended in a large clearing with a two-story house made from planks of yellow lumber. A smaller house of dark, weathered wood sat to one side, and a hut made of … branches, maybe … sat on the other. A treehouse painted with a camouflage pattern perched in one of the tall trees.

  Gina stared, taking it all in. What … the … fu …

  This was … well, she didn’t know what this was exactly, but there was no way this collection of makeshift homes was the training camp of a Winter Olympian.

  As her plans for an Olympics-themed first dance turned to dust, anger kindled in the ashes.