Love Waltzes In (Dancing Under The Stars) Read Free Page B

r eceptionist called over to her. “Ms. Marcil, Larissa is ready for you.”
    Selena sucked in a deep breath before standing. Let the games begin.
    In the back room, she stripped off her peach-colored terry sweat suit, put on a smock, and lay on the paper-covered table.
    Larissa entered the room and gave Selena a smile. “I just got tickets to the competition tomorrow. I can’t wait to see you win.”
    “Thank you for supporting us.”
    The hot wax dribbled onto Selena’s skin. “Are you thinking of retiring? I read in Star Magazine that you want to start a family.”
    Larissa ripped the hair above Selena’s eye, but the face Selena made had nothing to do with the pain. Star , of course. “I hope to, someday.” Selena yearned to take a break and start a family. She was confident that she’d be able to balance her career and children but she hadn’t been on a date in years. Selena’s goal was to win Blackpool, the most prestigious dance competition in the world. People outside of the industry didn’t realize that no one could ever have a normal relationship in the ballroom world. Dancers had three options for dating: they could either date their partner and combine their floor and relationship problems, like what happened with her and Dima; they could date a dancer who was not their partner and the worse dancer of the two would be jealous of the others’ success; or they could date a non-dancer, who usually would have a hard time understanding the partner relationship and the travel demands. How would she explain to a prospective boyfriend that she spent ten weeks twice a year training celebrities? In the show’s off-season, she spent every weekend in a hotel in different states or countries with Dima at some random competition? Add in her celebrity status with cameras following her everywhere, and it was too much drama for most men to handle.
    So, basically, it was hopeless.
    A lump gathered in her throat. No nerves.
    Larissa paused, a new glob of pink wax on the stick in her hand. “Well, you guys just look so good together. Watching you two dance is amazing. It’s too bad about all the rumors going around. It can’t be easy on a couple…right?”
    Maybe that was why she couldn’t get a date. Everyone still thought she was involved with Dima. “We aren’t a couple. We just dance together.”
    “Oh, I’m sorry. You both look so great together.” Larissa cleaned up Selena’s other eyebrow. “Okay, honey, time for your bikini.”
    Selena sighed and spread her legs.
    Three hours later, primed and plucked, Selena looked in the mirror at her blotchy face and debated putting on her makeup b efore leaving. Forget it; it would just sweat off in rehearsal. Though her natural hair color was a beautiful espresso brown, it currently was bleached blond, which shined great on stage under the bright lights but in plain sunlight resembled straw. Dima forced her to dye it because he thought it would make a better contrast to his own dark hair. She pulled her long locks back into a tight ponytail, grabbed her oversized purse filled with her dance shoes, and exited the spa. Putting her sunglasses on, she headed over to the small ballroom to meet the producer.
    “Selena Maria Marcil.”
    The deep voice stopped her from taking another step. Only one person would use her middle name.
    But it couldn’t be him. Maybe she had fantasized so many times that he had found her that she was now imagining his voice. There was no way that Bret Lord could be inches away from her.
    She slowly turned.
    She couldn’t move. For the past ten years, she’d wondered what he looked like now. She’d dreamt of him but never could see his face.
    He wore khaki pants and a white polo shirt that hugged his ripped chest. A few hairs peeked out of the neckline, teasing her. Surrounded by all these groomed dancers and Hollywood pretty boys, Selena hadn’t seen a real man’s chest in years.
    “Bret! What are you doing here?” Selena thought