Hi everyone! Welcome back to this story.
So I've just finished all of my coursework for history, which is worth like 20% of my final grade, so I decided that rather than just jumping straight back into revision I'd celebrate by writing another chapter! Like I said last time, exams and stuff, but hey who needs qualifications to live, right? Anyway, hope you're all enjoying Come Dance With Me so far!
This story is inspired by the BBC (a British television network) series 'Strictly Come Dancing', and its American equivalent 'Dancing With The Stars', neither of which do I own.
As ever, I do not own Austin and Ally or anything you recognise from the show in any way, shape or form, nor do I own any recognisable brands, songs or lyrics within them.
Enjoy!
. . . . .
Chapter Nine: Week Two – The Press Party
Friday
We've just finished our first studio rehearsal, and Trish and I are being driven back to my apartment. I have to say, although I've been laughing and rolling my eyes at her for complaining so much about her Quickstep with her partner, now that I've seen it in person… wow. I can understand where Trish is coming from now. But, I know her, and she will do anything in her power to make sure she's not the first professional out of the competition… I guess we'll have to wait until tomorrow night to see how they do!
Austin and I nailed it, so I'm really not worried about our performance tomorrow night. As long as neither of us get completely drunk tonight (dancing with a hangover is not fun… I can tell you that from experience) then we should be okay! I'll just have to keep an eye on how quickly his glass is going down.
Trish and I are excitedly chatting about our second tradition surrounding press party night – yesterday, we had our day off shopping together, but today, as soon as we get back to my apartment it's crappy romcoms and takeaway pizza whilst we get ready for the party. We've made a list of movies and everything, and my Netflix account is open and ready waiting for us!
We practically sprint through my front door and, quite literally, throw our dance bags into our bedrooms before heading back into the living room to order the pizza. One phone call later, and our order of 1 large cheese pizza (with extra pickles) and 1 large barbecue feast pizza with fries and cheesy garlic bread is on its way. Next it's a charge back into our bedrooms to take a quick shower before the pizza gets here. Once out of the shower I wrap my hair in a towel to be styled later and throw on some black shorts and a grey sweater.
Trish and I head back out into the living room and flick on the TV, turning on the first movie of our marathon. We watch for a few minutes until our food arrives and instantly dig in – a day of rehearsals like that really gives me cravings for pizza!
As soon as our food is finished, it's time for us to start getting ready. Trish has amazing make-up skills, so I know I'm in good hands! My specialty lies in hair, so it works perfectly with her being in control of the make-up and me in charge of our hairstyles.
Trish does my make-up first. Nothing too over the top, so it matches my style, just a red lipstick to match my dress and smoky eyes with a little mascara and a few spots of concealer to match my natural skin tone. After it's done, Trish starts doing her own make-up whilst I take the towel off my head and get to work on my hair. I make sure it's dry before straightening it, then bringing it all round onto the left side and pinning it in place.
As Trish is just finishing her make-up, I start on her hair. I straighten it completely, to contrast her normal tight ringlet curls, before pulling it up into a high ponytail and spraying with hairspray.
Not gonna lie, by the time we're done we both look hot. And I don't often say that about myself.
It's about 7pm when we're finished with our hair and make-up, and our car is scheduled to come pick us up at about 7:15, so we head back into our bedrooms to change into our dresses and grab our accessories and clutches. I quickly put on my red strappy heels to match my dress before heading back into the living room.
The car arrives perfectly on time and Trish and I eagerly get in, growing more and more excited about the party by the second.
During the drive I think back to yesterday and Dallas's sudden arrival in Sonic Boom with a desire to talk to me, and the ensuing agreement that we'd be able to talk tonight. What could he possibly want to talk to me about? He said he wanted to 'catch up', but what exactly does that even mean? Does he really care about my life now, all of a sudden? Because the way things ended between us were pretty sudden and he didn't seem to care about just cutting me out of his life in an instant.
Regardless, I can't help but feel excited at the prospect of talking to him again. I mean, I know I'm meant to be getting over him, and he has a girlfriend and everything, but still… I'm feeling the same butterflies I felt around him when we first started dating all those years ago. Maybe Trish is right, I just need to have a conversation with him once and it will all be out of my system and I can move on with my life. But, the strange (and slightly scary) thing is… I'm not sureI want to move on...
. . . . .
At 8pm sharp we arrive at the venue, some huge mansion on the outskirts of the 'rich side' of Miami, in the most exclusive area in the city. Let's just say the television network spares no expense for the press party every year, eager to give the media the best impression possible. Last year, the press party was held in some convention centre right on the coastline with huge windows overlooking the ocean and beach. It was magical.
Trish and I walk the small red carpet to the mansion together, posing and smiling for the few journalists not part of the party who wanted pictures. I'm always happy to talk to, and have pictures taken by, the media. I guess it's because I'm not really a celebrity in that I'm not always recognised on a day-to-day basis, so times like this during the show's run are the only opportunities I really get to feel like one, so why not make the most of it? It's good fun, anyway. I'm sure for major celebrities it can get tedious and boring after a while, but I just want to make the most of every moment I get to feel like this.
Once we get inside the mansion we are led by security guards to the 'Grand Hall', the room in which the party is actually being held. As we walk in, I feel all the breath in my body leaving at once as I gasp at the décor. I have never been in a room quite like this before. It has the feel of an old, stately manor home from like 17th Century England, with grand portraits hung on the wooden-panelled walls, a ridiculously high ceiling painted with a beautiful mosaic and an absolutely huge chandelier. The room is easily the size of a football field, with a huge wooden dance floor in the centre, under the chandelier, and tables scattered around the outside covered in crisp white cloths with beautiful light-up glass and water centrepieces. The room is dim with a few flashing lights on the dance floor to create the perfect party atmosphere, and the DJ station is set up ready to go (but empty as yet, the DJ not starting until around 10pm). At one end of the room is a bar, with various people mingling and getting drinks.
The party started at 7pm, but the producers purposefully stagger the arrival times of the celebrities and professional dancers, meaning some are already here and others won't arrive for another couple of hours. At this moment I realise Austin is one of those that isn't here yet, this is hardly surprising considering he is one of the biggest celebrities in the competition this year, meaning he will probably be one of the last to get here as the producers angle for a 'big finish' in terms of celebrity arrivals.
One thing I noticed immediately, however, is that Dallas was already there. God help me. Thankfully he was one of those currently at the bar, so before he could turn and see me I grabbed Trish and dragged her over to a table where I had seen Carrie sitting. "Hey Caz." I said, sitting down next to her.
"Oh hey Ally, hey Trish!" She said excitedly, leaning over to kiss us on the cheeks. "You both look gorgeous!"
"Aww thanks, you do too!" I reply as Trish and I settle into our seats.
Carrie was wearing a blue dress that came to just above her mid-thigh, with a thick black belt just below her chest and black high-heeled ankle boots, and her blonde hair was hanging naturally in gentle curls.
"Oh, guys, this is Hugh." Carrie said, introducing us to the late-middle-aged man sitting beside her. "He's my partner this year."
"Nice to meet you." I said politely with a smile, shaking the man's hand before Trish did the same.
"How are you finding the competition so far?" Trish asked, and I saw the tiny glint in her eye at the glimmer of hope that she may not be the first out of the competition.
"Well, rhythm's not exactly something that's come naturally to me, but I'm really enjoying myself." He replies, placing his hands on top of each other on the table.
"Well don't worry, you're in good hands." I respond with a small giggle. "Carrie's one of the best."
She smiles at me. "Says you, soon-to-be-returning-champion!" Carrie says with a wink and I laugh a little again.
"Hey don't speak too soon it's only week two!" I say smiling.
"Oh, please, Ally, everyone knows you've already got this in the bag." Trish says, grabbing a bottle of water from the centre of the table and pouring some into her glass.
"Oh shut up…" I say under my breath, grabbing my phone out of my clutch having heard it *ping* a few minutes ago.
From: Austin
Hey Ally, you at the party already? X
I feel myself smile at the message as I type a reply and hit send.
To: Austin
Yeah, when are you getting here? X
I barely have time to get back into the conversation before my phone goes off again.
From: Austin
I'm on my way now, see you soon! :) x
I smile again before putting my phone back into my clutch and taking a sip of my water, continuing to get to know Carrie's partner, Trish becoming ever more hopeful about her prospects of remaining in the competition.
. . . . .
At around 9:00, Austin finally walks through the door. Let me tell you, the man looks good in a tux. Standing beside him is a tall redhead in an extravagant jacket, who quickly speaks in Austin's ear and taps him on the shoulder before strolling over to a group of men in suits and greeting them all, clearly friends of his.
I smile and excuse myself from the conversation I was currently having with Piper, one of the other professionals, and walk over to Austin, wrapping my arms around his neck in a hug as I feel his wrap around my waist.
"Hey Austin." I say as we hug.
"Hi Ally, you look beautiful." He says as we pull out of the hug, causing me to look down and blush. I suck at taking compliments from anybody, let alone a man as attractive as Austin.
"Thanks, you look good too." I reply somewhat shyly, looking back up at him as he smiles down at me. "Who's the guy you arrived with?" I ask out of curiosity.
"Oh, that's just my manager Dez." Austin explains before continuing. "Do you wanna get a drink?" He asks. I haven't had any alcohol yet, knowing full well that I should only have one drink (if any) because of how much of a lightweight I am, and had been waiting for Austin to arrive so we could have one together, knowing he'd want one.
"Yeah, sure." I reply with a smile, and as we turn to walk over to the bar I feel him gently place his hand on the small of my back, and my smile widens without me even realising it.
When we reach the bar, Austin orders a cider for himself and a gin and tonic for me, and just as our drinks are served, I feel a tap on my shoulder. I spin around and am surprised to see Dallas stood there, having pretty much forgotten he was even at the party since I had barely seen him all night.
"Oh, hi Dallas." I say with a small smile, seeing Austin also turn to face him in my peripheral vision.
"Hi Ally, you look beautiful." Dallas complimented.
Next to me, Austin sniggered loud enough so that only I would hear, before muttering under his breath; "Already said that, dude, too slow."
I held back a giggle at Austin's comment, noticing that Dallas hadn't heard what Austin had said.
"Thanks." I reply to Dallas with a smile, taking my drink Austin was holding into my hand and taking a sip. I realise at this point that the two men haven't really met each other yet. "Oh, Dallas this is my partner Austin, Austin this is my ex-boyfriend and one of the other professionals, Dallas." I introduce the two, indicating between them.
They shake hands and exchange "Nice to meet you"s, smiling politely, although I can sense a tiny bit of tension for some reason.
"You were very impressive last week, Austin." Dallas says and I smile at Austin proudly.
"Thanks man, it's all Ally though she's a really amazing teacher." Austin replies, smiling back at me.
"Yeah, she's always been amazing as long as I've known her." Dallas said, also smiling at me and I blush at the compliments.
"Oh you guys." I say bashfully with a small giggle. "Is Kira not here?" I ask Dallas politely. "I thought you'd have brought her as your plus one." I explain, quickly glancing around the room for his girlfriend. All the professionals and celebrities are allowed to bring one guest with them to the party – Trish and I just don't bother because we go together and don't really have any other friends worth bringing, and it's definitely not my dad's scene.
Dallas freezes for a second before responding "Oh, uh, no, she, uh, she had to w-work tonight." He says and before quickly clearing his throat and moving the conversation on. "Anyway," Dallas continues. "let me introduce you guys to my partner." He turns around and taps a tall strawberry-blonde girl on the back. She spins around to face us, and… woah. She is gorgeous. "Guys, this is Cassidy my partner this year, Cassidy this is Austin Moon and his partner Ally."
Cassidy smiles at me and excitedly shakes my hand, saying "Hi!", before throwing her arms around Austin's neck in a quick hug, gushing over him, saying "Hi Austin! Oh my God I'm such a huge fan of your music!" I see Austin's eyes go slightly wide at the sudden hug, but don't miss the way in which he was already slightly wide-eyed at the sight of the beautiful woman in front of us. Hmm.
"So, Cassidy, what do you do?" Austin asked as they broke apart.
"Oh, my dad's Hamish Peeples, you know, the entrepreneur?" She explained. Hamish Peeples is one of the richest men in America, having built his fortune in technology. "I've just done a little bit of modelling and a couple of reality shows." Cassidy continues. So, she's one of those 'famous for being famous' kind of people. Well at least she seems like a nice enough person.
I open my mouth to ask Cassidy how she's finding the competition, but Dallas starts speaking just before my words form. "Hey, why don't you two get to know each other a little whilst I talk to Ally for a minute?" He suggests, and Cassidy eagerly nods and before I can even agree Dallas is leading me over to the other side of the hall.
"So, what did you want to talk about?" I ask.
"I just wanted to see how you're doing, I know we didn't exactly split in the best way…"
"Yeah, no kidding." I couldn't stop myself from saying that.
Cue awkward silence.
"A-anyway I know that the way we ended was probably pretty hard on you and I just want to make sure you're doing okay." He finishes.
I raise my eyebrow at him. Is he being serious? He cheats on me and dumps me unceremoniously, doesn't speak to me for 9 months and then decides that maybe he should make sure I'm okay? He hasn't even apologised for what he did!
Time to let it all out.
"Well, honestly, Dallas, I haven't been okay for the past nine months because you just dumped me out of the blue after cheating on me and then just cut me out of your life entirely! How do you think that made me feel? One minute I was absolutely in love with you and the next I've been thrown to the curb! You never even apologised for cheating on me! So, no, I haven't been okay. But now that I've finally realised everything you put me through, I am okay, and let me tell you that right now in this moment I'm pretty damn glad you're not really in my life anymore."
Man, it felt good to get all of that off my chest. I can't believe I still thought I wasn't over him.
Dallas just stands there staring at me, shocked, and there is silence for a few seconds as we just stare at each other, both slowly coming to terms with the fact that I've just had an outburst and ranted at him for probably the first time ever. When we were together I always agreed with everything he said, because I was so in love with him that I thought he was never wrong. We'd never even had so much as a minor disagreement, which is why it had hurt so much when I found out he had cheated on me.
When I finally come to my senses, the first thought that comes to my head is to make sure I still look strong, even though I'm now internally freaking out. So, I stroll straight past Dallas and over to Austin, who is still having a conversation with Cassidy, grabbing his hand and dragging him with me outside into the courtyard as he yells a "Sorry!" over his shoulder to Cassidy, who is probably staring at us confused as hell right now.
As soon as we're outside I feel the refreshing cool breeze as the door closes behind us. I don't even know how I feel at that moment. I feel liberated knowing that I'm actually over Dallas now, and proud of myself for finally standing up to him and calling him out for the shit time he put me through. But, at the same time, I'm hit with another wave of sadness as I fully comprehend that the five years of my life I dated him were effectively for nothing and that there was no salvaging it anymore.
More than anything, at this moment I just needed comfort and a hug, which I guess must be why I almost impulsively dragged Austin outside with me. I turn around and throw my arms around his neck, and almost instantly feel his wrap themselves around my waist tightly.
"Everything okay Ally?" He asks softly in my ear.
I think for a couple of seconds before deciding on my answer. "Yeah." I say gently, nodding. "Everything is okay now. Just wanted a hug."
I feel his arms tighten their grip around me and I smile, moving my head from resting my chin on his shoulder to lying my cheek against his chest. And we just stay there. And everything feels perfect.
I don't know how long we stand in the middle of the courtyard hugging. And honestly, I don't even care. Eventually, though, I realise people will start realising that we're missing and get suspicious or come looking for us, so we'd better head back inside.
Reluctantly, I pull away from the hug and look up into his gorgeous brown eyes. "You sure everything's okay?" He asks again, quietly.
I give a small smile and nod, before linking my arm through his and walking towards the door back into the party. When we get back inside I tell Austin I want to sit down for a while, so we head over to a table where we spot Trish and Austin's manager, Dez, sat.
"Hey guys, how's it going?" Trish asked with a smile as we sat down.
"Good, good." Austin replied as we sat down next to each other. "Ally, this is my manager and best friend Dez, Dez this is my dance partner, the lovely Ally Dawson." Austin introduced, gesticulating between the redheaded man and myself.
I didn't even take note of Austin's compliment until I was already shaking Dez's hand, trying desperately to avoid blushing. "Pleasure to meet you." Dez spoke kindly as we shook hands.
"You too." I replied sweetly with a smile as we released hands. "I'm guessing you're becoming acquainted with Trish?" I asked.
"Ally's my best friend." Trish explained to Dez. "She lets me live with her in her apartment while the show's running."
"Oh, so where do you normally live?" Dez asks.
"I have an apartment in L.A. I love it out there." Trish explains, sighing happily as she thinks of her home on the west coast.
"Oh cool, me too!" Dez replies. "I also work as a film director so that's my main base, I just do management on the side. I only got into that because Austin's been my best friend since we were kids and he needed someone to do it."
"So do you live in L.A. too?" I ask Austin.
"No, actually, I live here in Miami." He replies with a smile, and I feel a jolt of happiness inside me at this revelation. "I grew up here and then moved out to L.A. with Dez when my music career started, because we thought there'd be more opportunities for me there. But then it just so happened I signed with Starr Records who are based here so I got to effectively come home." Austin recounts happily. "I liked L.A., but Miami will always be my home. It's my favourite place in the world."
"Mine too." I agree and we smile at each other. "I've lived here my whole life, I couldn't really imagine being anywhere else."
We spend about an hour all chatting and getting to know each other a bit. Dez is lovely, a little… eccentric, but really sweet and such a nice guy. Just the four of us hanging out in a group felt really right, and I have a feeling we're going to be a really good, solid group of friends.
At around 10:30, the DJ is in full swing and the dance floor is alive, full of people dancing, singing along and just having a great time. Austin notices me glancing over at the crowded area and smirks at me. "Care for a dance?" He asks, holding out his hand.
I giggle and take his hand, before we stand up and walk into the midst of the crowd with Dez and Trish following behind us. Once we find a good area, we all just instantly get right into it, singing along at the tops of our voices, jumping and dancing around, almost like a group of teenagers at a high school party having the time of their lives.
At some point Carrie and Joanne find us on and join our little group. We're all having such a great time, and I'm laughing and loving every second of it. At one point, Austin leans down to me and asks if I want another drink. I've only had the one we got when he arrived so I decide that one more can't hurt and nod to him. He takes my hand and leads me off the dance floor after we tell the others that we'll be back in a minute.
When we reach the bar, Austin ordered a vodka and coke for himself and I ordered a strawberry daiquiri. We take a seat on some stools at the bar as our drinks are brought to us, and each sigh in relief as we begin to sip away. We don't even have to say much as we sit there enjoying our drinks. We simply enjoy each other's company as we watch everyone having fun on the dance floor, each taking a few minutes to just recover from the hectic atmosphere we'd just spent a considerable length of time in.
The party was gradually beginning to wind down as it approached midnight, with some of the older celebrities especially leaving to make sure they got a good night's sleep before the live show tomorrow night. As we finished our drinks, we hopped down from the bar stools and headed back onto the dance floor, quickly finding Trish, Dez, Carrie and Joanne again.
However, shortly after we re-join the group, the DJ comes on over the mic. "Alright, alright, everybody having a good time?" He asks enthusiastically and gets a good response from the crowd of dancers. "The night's starting to near its end, so it's time we slow things down a bit." He finishes before a slow song starts to play.
At that point around half the people leave the dance floor, including everyone in our group except Austin and I, neither of us seeming to make the conscious decision to either go or stay. We stare at each other for a couple of seconds before smiling, and I walk into his arms and wrap mine around his neck in their now-familiar position as his go down around my waist. I rest my head on his chest and listen to his steady heartbeat as we begin to slowly sway in time with the music.
It's a weird feeling. I don't hate it, by any means, in fact it feels almost natural dancing with Austin this way. It's just strange how my body seemed to do this by itself, without any conscious thoughts or decisions being made by my brain. I decide that doesn't matter for now, though, and instead decide to just enjoy the moment. At one point I catch Trish smirking at me with an eyebrow raised, but choose to ignore her for now and just close my eyes as we continue to sway gently.
I feel so relaxed, what with the gentle swaying and the sound of Austin's heartbeat and the warmth coming from his body wrapping itself almost around mine. The downside of this, though, is that I'm starting to get tired. I open my eyes and glance up at the huge clock on the wall and notice it's now a quarter past midnight. I quickly scan the room and notice that Trish is also gone. How long have we been dancing? I didn't even realise.
I look up at Austin and we make eye contact. He's starting to look a little tired too, with dark bags beginning to form under his warm brown eyes and a vaguely sleepy look on his face. He must have sensed how tired I was, too, because he asks "Getting tired?"
I nod gently and smile, not releasing my arms from around his neck. "Shall we go?" He asks and I nod again.
"Where'd Trish and Dez go?" I ask, noticing the absence of the lanky redhead as well as my best friend.
"They both left about 10 minutes ago." Austin replies, as we finally release our hold on each other and begin to walk back over to our table, where I've left my clutch and phone.
As Austin went to ask a member of staff for a car for us, I unlock my phone and see a text from Trish.
From: Trish
Gone home, have fun with lover boy. We'll talk about that tomorrow ;) xxxx
I roll my eyes at her message. Typical Trish.
"Ready to go?" Austin asks as I look over at him, sliding his own phone back into his pocket as he walked back over to me.
"Yeah." I reply happily and he takes my hand as we leave the hall and walk down the corridor towards the front entrance.
There are still a few journalists and paparazzi outside as we walk back down the red carpet towards the car waiting for us, and I smile as some take a couple of pictures of us walking away from the mansion.
Austin opens the car door for me and I thank him as I step inside, him joining me shortly afterwards and closing the sleek black door. "Where to?" The driver asked politely.
"Give him your address, I'll just walk back to mine from there." Austin tells me quietly.
"Are you sure?" I ask and he nods before pulling out his phone. I give the driver my apartment block address and the car begins moving, a comfortable silence falling over Austin and I. I see him putting his phone away in his pocket and look over at him, shooting him a smile as we make eye contact which he quickly returns.
I feel him rest his hand on top of mine on the empty seat in between us, catching me off guard as he begins to slowly stroke it with his thumb. Shocked, my head (which had been enjoying the view of the ocean out the window) quickly snapped back to look at him, another small smile forming on both of our faces for a brief second as we again make eye contact, before we both simultaneously look away and I pray he can't see the light blush I feel creeping onto my face.
We soon arrive outside my apartment block and I thank the driver, giving him a tip as we step out of the car and Austin closes the door behind me and the car drives away. Austin and I turn to face each other.
"So, I guess this is goodnight?" Austin asks as we smile at each other.
"Yeah, are you sure you want to walk home at this time of night? I mean I don't mind calling a taxi and you can wait inside and I jus-'' I start to ramble before Austin cuts me off with a chuckle, gently placing his hand on my shoulder.
"Honestly, Ally, I'll be fine. I promise." He says, looking into my eyes.
"Okay." I reply, smiling up at him once again, before wrapping my arms back around his neck and hugging him tightly. "Thanks for such a good night, I loved every second." I say in his ear as we hug.
"And thank you for being the best dance partner of all time." He replies with a chuckle, making me giggle lightly. "I had a really great time too."
We break apart from the hug. "So, midday tomorrow at the studio?" I ask, referring to our call time for final rehearsals and pre-rolls.
"Yeah, can't wait." Austin replies excitedly.
"Me neither." I reply with a giggle. "Goodnight Austin."
"Night Ally." He replies, giving me one more quick hug before starting to walk backwards down the street, our eye contact lingering for another few moments.
I turn and walk into my apartment building, stealing one more glance over my shoulder to see Austin still looking at me, before blushing and smiling as I enter the lobby and head into one of the elevators to go up to my floor.
I quietly enter my apartment and close the door behind me, knowing that Trish will probably be asleep with me and does not like being disturbed. I lock the door and head into my bedroom, quickly kicking off my heels, changing into a tank top and shorts and collapsing onto my bed, sighing heavily.
What a night.
. . . . .
Boom, longest chapter of the story so far! I really hope you enjoyed this one, I had a lot of fun writing it and I'm really happy with how it turned out.
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