“Good, then we can focus less on the steps and more on the connection. Drew and Leah were a special pair. They have a force that draws them together, and it makes every eye turn their way. Don’t try to match that. Drew chose you for a reason none of us know, but I trust him. Form your own connection with him. But first, learn how to get comfortable with me. If you get lost on any of the steps, just follow me.”
Lola nodded. She’d always been a fast learner, picking up dances easily.
Nolan started first, and then Lola joined him, going through every step, laughing when she bumped into Nolan. He was a good teacher, but each time she had to get close to him, she backed off, breaking the trance of the dance.
After a while, his frustration was evident on his face.
And Lola started wondering if she could do this after all.
17
Drew
Drew’s fans were the best. He stood on the sidewalk near the back entrance of the arena with Jo and Noah flanking him. After pushing this concert back, they owed it to the fans to at least acknowledge them.
Girls, boys, young and old screamed their names, a sound Drew would never get used to. Some days he wondered what any of it meant. But most days, he loved the fame. It never got old.
He bent to sign an autograph for a little girl and flashed her a wink before straightening and signing his name to the various items thrust at him.
Noah loved it just as much as Drew, but Jo hung back. The enigmatic drummer looked like she just wanted to escape inside the building.
A security guard stepped forward to speak in Drew’s ear. “It’s time to get inside.”
Drew nodded and slid an arm over Jo’s shoulders as he lifted his voice. “Thanks for being here tonight! We’ll see you on stage.”
A guard opened the door, and the others ushered the trio of rock stars inside. Drew and Noah wore matching grins.
“Bloody brilliant.” Noah laughed. “I love concert nights.” Adrenaline rolled off him in waves.
Drew released Jo. “And you two are going to leave me to do that all alone soon.”
Jo rested a hand on her stomach where her bump was barely visible. “Well, they won’t want to see beluga Jo anyway.”
Drew pulled her into a hug. “Pregnant, Joey. Not a whale. They’d love to see you any way they can have you.”
“Ew, get off me.” She pushed him away, pretending offense, but the corners of her mouth lifted. “Don’t hug me again.”
Drew grinned. “You love Drew hugs. Admit it.” He nudged her.
She snorted. “Only in your dreams.”
“Awww, Joey, I’m hurt.”
She shoved him, and he laughed before skipping away and throwing his arm over Noah’s shoulders instead. “You like my hugs, don’t you, Noah?”
“Only when they’re a little too tight and last a little too long.” Noah matched his grin.
Jo laughed. “Well, some of us have to go make ourselves look beautiful. So, I’ll leave you two to your love fest.”
As she followed a security guard toward her dressing room, Drew called after her. “You’re always beautiful, Joey.”
She flipped him off and kept walking.
“I think she appreciated the sentiment.” Noah laughed.
Drew smirked. “She loves us. She just won’t admit it.”
“I’ll bet you say that about all the girls.”
He smirked. “Well, it’s true with all the girls. Except most don’t have a problem admitting it.”
Piper stormed down the hall toward them, clipboard in hand.
“Speaking of girls who’d never admit to loving you.” Noah’s grin widened. “Pipes! We’ve missed you today.”
Her eyes shot daggers at him. “You wouldn’t have had to if you’d stuck to the schedule instead of spending the last hour chatting with screaming women.”
Drew flinched, suddenly remembering he was supposed to have met with some label exec. “I’m sorry. But they were calling our names. We couldn’t ignore them.”
Piper sighed and pressed a hand to her forehead. “You’re going to be the death of me, Drew. Even Quinn was easier to handle than you.”
“I don’t need handled.”
She laughed at that, and Noah joined her, clapping a hand on Drew’s back. “Bro, she schedules your naps, makes sure you eat, keeps you out of trouble with the label. You need more handling than I’ve ever seen.”
Noah and Jo didn’t even have an assistant. They took care of most things themselves or with the help of Melanie. Drew didn’t know what he’d do on his own. For so many years, he’d had Matt and Leah, now Piper.
Drew sighed. “Fine, Piper. Next time, I’ll tell you where we are. How much time do I have before we go on?”
She checked the time on her phone. “Half an hour. Come on, we need to get you dressed.”
Noah wheezed. “Mama needs to help Drew get dressed.”
Drew left behind a chuckling Noah to follow Piper across the concrete floor. Dancers rushed in and out of a dressing room as they passed, each saying hi to Drew. Others walked down the hall, no doubt preparing for the concert, whatever their jobs were.
Piper opened the door to Drew’s dressing room and basically shoved him in. “I’ll be back in ten. Get dressed and start stretching.”
He saluted her. “Aye aye, captain.”
She rolled her eyes and shut the door.
Alone, Drew walked to the clothes hanging on a rack. Loose jeans, a black tank top, and a button down white shirt. His signature style. He donned the clothes like he’d done on so many other nights. But this wasn’t another night. For the first time in years, he wouldn’t have Leah.
Instead, Brooke would stand beside him, dance with him. To the audience, there would be little difference, but to Drew… it couldn’t possibly feel the same.
Unlike Ben, he didn’t wear makeup when he performed. What the audience saw was what they got. He stood in front of the mirror as he buttoned up his shirt. What would his dressing room have been like in a different life? Crowded with his hockey teammates, smelling of sweat but bursting with chatter?
He missed it sometimes. Hockey. There’d never been a day he regretted his decision, but sometimes he wished he could have had both.
Piper slipped through the door again and stopped. “You aren’t stretching.”
“Just thinking.”
“Well, you have no time to think. Come on, you can stretch with the dancers.” She led him back into the hall and around the corner to where he could hear the opening act loud and clear. His dancers huddled in a circle as they stretched and prepared themselves for a performance.
Off to the side, he caught sight of Lola as she laughed with Nolan and bent forward into a stretch. He couldn’t wait for the day when she was ready to step up to the front, but they had to take it in steps. First, he needed to see how she’d do in the back.
Brooke noticed him first and stood, her face brightening. “Drew! I’m so ready for tonight. I can’t wait.”
He wondered how often Brooke had secretly hoped something would happen to Leah, but he had to shake those thoughts away. Tonight, he needed to trust his partner. He lowered himself to the ground, and Brooke sat beside him.
“You all prepared to get back out there?” he asked as he stretched.
A jumble of yeses came from the cluster. Nolan leaned into Lola, and she laughed at whatever he said. Irritation welled up in Drew, but he pushed it down.
By the time Piper returned, he’d barely stretched, too busy watching Lola. “Okay, it’s time. I need dancers stage left. Drew and Brooke will enter stage right.”
They scrambled to obey her. Drew was the last to get to his feet. He opened his mouth to say something to Lola. Good luck, maybe? But Brooke looped her arm through his. “Come on.”
His gaze met Lola’s for just a moment before he let Brooke drag him away. He had to get his head in the game. Once he stepped out onto that stage, this wasn’t about him anymore or his worrie
s.
It was about them.
The fans.
And he never let them down.
Music pumped through Drew as he faced the crowd who’d just voiced half the words to his most popular song. There was nothing like hearing thousands of fans singing your words.
A hand slipped into his as the music faded. For a moment, he thought it was Leah. Then, he remembered who it was that stood beside him, and he slipped his hand free.
Brooke was an amazing dancer. She hadn’t missed a single step and had an energy even Leah couldn’t match, but there was something cold about how efficiently she executed the dances, some kind of feeling that was missing. When he danced with her, he didn’t disappear into the music. It wasn’t an experience for him. Instead, he focused on matching her step for step.
Drew held out an arm, letting the crowd cheer for Brooke. She bowed, basking in their praise.
Once Drew finally caught his breath, he spoke, “Well, Miami, our time together is sadly over. You’ve been great. Please give a warm welcome to Noah Clarke!”
The crowd roared, and he tried to imagine they weren’t cheering louder for Noah than they had for him. But who was he kidding? The volume was deafening. Noah had a special kind of fame Drew hadn’t yet reached, the kind of fame that led to immortality.
He jogged off the stage as the dancers joined him, their excited chatter filling his mind. He’d done it. He’d danced without Leah. He searched the group for Lola, finding her once again on the edges with a grin stretched across her face.
His heart kicked up a notch. He’d have to ask Nolan later how she did in her first show, but seeing the pure joy shining in her eyes hit him unexpectedly hard. That was the thing missing from Brooke’s dancing. The joy.
Piper smiled as she approached and handed him a bottle of water. “You were great tonight.”
He drank half the bottle without stopping and wiped his mouth. “I was okay.”
She shook her head and held her phone out to him. “Someone wants to talk to you.”
He exchanged the water for the phone and brought it to his ear. “Hello?”
“Piper told me you rocked it tonight.”
Relief flushed through him at the sound of Leah’s voice. “I don’t know.” He jerked his head toward the hall, and Piper nodded, letting him walk away. Drew left the others behind and made his way to his dressing room.
Leah laughed. “I never thought I’d see the day when the always cocky Drew Stone doubted a performance.”
“The performance was fine, but there was something missing. You.” He sat on the oversized blue chair in the corner of the dressing room.
“Dude, you don’t need me. You never have. Maybe this injury is your chance to learn to do this without me.”
“Never.”
She sighed. “Don’t use me as a crutch, Drew. You were a rock star before I came around. Sure, I love dancing with you too, but it’s your job to dance with whoever is there.”
“Even if that person is Brooke?”
Laughter vibrated through the phone. “Yes, even her. What about the new girl? When do you plan to get her in?”
“She danced in the back tonight.” He wished he’d been able to watch Lola, to see her dance again. There was video of the concert, but it wasn’t the same as watching in person. “I was hoping she’d be beside me in Jacksonville, but Nolan says she isn’t ready.”
“She’ll get there. You just have to have faith.”
“I’ve never been very good at that.”
“It’s because you haven’t needed to be. Drew, your life has been so easy. Yes, I know you worked hard for everything, but you’ve always been the best at whatever you do. You were drafted in the NHL draft. You have the best family known to man. And this whole singing and dancing thing? It came naturally to you. Me being hurt isn’t a big deal in the grand scheme of things. I was replaceable, but you, you’ve always been one of a kind.”
He leaned his head back and stared at the ceiling. “You aren’t replaceable.” He needed her.
“You’re sweet, babe. Listen, you obviously saw something in this girl. Piper told me she bombed her audition. So, be patient. Trust your gut. She’ll get there.”
A knock sounded on his door, and he sighed. “I should go.”
“Okay, love you.”
“You too.” He hung up and pushed himself from the chair to open the door.
Brooke stood on the other side. A smile slid across her lips. “Hey, Drew.” She tried to push past him into the dressing room.
He put an arm across the opening to stop her. “What’s up?” He had a rule on tour. No getting close to the women. This meant the only women allowed to enter his dressing room were Piper and Jo. It kept him from getting himself in trouble or causing rumors to circulate.
Brooke pouted. “When Noah is done with his set, a few of us are going out. Come with us.” He’d heard his dancers talk about how excited they were to check out the Miami night life. They went out to blow off steam after a lot of concerts, and it didn’t bother him. But he never had the energy. Once the adrenaline wore off, he crashed, wanting to just crawl into bed and turn on a movie.
He shrugged in apology. “Sorry, Brooke, I’m bushed. Maybe next time.”
She stepped closer to him. “If you’d like, I can stay back with you.”
“Nah.” He pasted on a smile. “I wouldn’t want to keep you from the fun. Have a good time. The busses leave for Jacksonville around noon tomorrow.” He offered her one final smile before closing the door, cutting off any more words.
There was another knock, and he yanked open the door, not in the mood for any more of Brooke’s advances, but his words stopped in his throat because Lola stood on the other side.
“Erm.” She shifted. A sheen of sweat made her face shine. “I just…”
A smile slid across his lips. “What do you need, Lola?”
She squared her shoulders. “Nolan just told me Brooke will dance lead again in Jacksonville.”
He nodded. “You’re not ready.”
“According to Nolan?”
“Yes, and I trust his judgement.”
“Look, you hired me to dance with you, and that’s all I want to do.” Her cheeks reddened. “I mean I want to dance lead. I didn’t give up everything to stand in the back and dance steps I could do in my sleep.”
Drew leaned on the doorframe and crossed his ankles. “Are you trying to tell me how to run my tour?” It was refreshing, to say the least, but he wouldn’t tell her that. Most of the dancers did and said whatever they thought would make Drew pleased with them.
But Lola… he got the feeling she didn’t care what he thought of her.
Still, he refused to put her out there before she was ready.
Her hands clenched at her sides, and she mumbled something in Spanish under her breath.
“What was that?”
Her eyes narrowed. “I said this was a mistake.” She turned on her heel.
He caught her arm to keep her from walking away, but she didn’t turn back to him. “Lola, if I put you out there before you’re ready, it could destroy you. I’m looking out for you, I promise. We will dance together one day soon. That, I know. Be patient, please? I don’t want to dance with anyone else.” He hadn’t meant to say the last part.
Her posture stiffened at the words. “I killed it out there tonight,” she whispered. “I know now I’m good enough, and I’m going to prove it to you.” She pulled her arm free and walked away.
“I know you will.” She was too far away to hear his words.
18
Lola
Lola wasn’t delusional.
She knew she’d been given a gift scoring a spot dancing in the background for Drew Stone. She knew every dancer had to pay their dues, but with each passing concert, she wondered if she’d made the right decision.
Leaving her mom, dropping out of school meant nothing if she ended up back in Gulf City after the tour. But it had only been
one week, three concerts. That worry was for the future. The thing eating at her right now was that Drew had practically ignored her since she set foot on his bus. It was like her presence caused him physical pain.
If he didn’t want her here, why had he tried so hard?
“Again.” Lola’s sadistic teacher gestured for her to begin the dance all over.
“Nolan.” She shot him a glare as she put her hands on her hips and tried to catch her breath. “We just ran through it four times without resting.” And the dance to Drew’s song Dance with Me was the most involved of them all, requiring twice as much energy as any other.
“Well, this will make it five. But you do it without me. Just skip the part where we’re supposed to dance together. I need a break.”
“And I don’t?”
He ran a hand through his sweat-drenched hair. “You’re right. I’m sorry. I’m just so tired of Brooke lording her new status above the rest of us. You need to be ready soon.”
“You’re the one who keeps saying I’m not.”
He lowered himself to the floor of the banquet room Drew rented for the dancers to practice. “Because you’re still not connecting. When I look into your eyes, you shift your gaze away. I don’t even think you realize you’re doing it. Do you want to know why Drew and Leah were so special?”
She plopped down beside him and stole his bottle of water. “Sure. Tell me again how I’m not living up to her.”
He snatched the water back. “The entire world knows Leah Baker is madly in love with her girlfriend. They know Drew is madly in love with being single. Yet, for the length of a concert, they believe in their love story. Drew and Leah sell passion, they sell love. The rest of us are just side-characters in the romance they play out on stage.”
Lola leaned her head back against the wall with a groan. “I’m never going to get this.”
He bumped her knee. “You will. If you can’t be passionate, then you need to be technically perfect—like Brooke.”
But Drew hadn’t chosen her for perfection. Hadn’t he said that?
Love is a Dance Step (Rockstars Anonymous) Page 13
