Title: Dance with Me
Rating: T
Summary: A major league baseball player with a bad rep needs to clean his image. He signs on to do a reality dance show. Will he clean his image and have the right kind of chemistry with his partner?
Disclaimer: Twilight belongs to Stephanie Meyer. I own nothing.
Comments: Based loosely on the reality TV show Dancing with the Stars.
Thank you so much Candy! The girl was on a roll. So let's all be thankful that she managed to beta. :)
This chapter took a mind of its own. But longer chapters make us happy, right?
May 2nd 2008
Edward POV
I threw my keys on the coffee table and booted up my laptop. While my screensaver was loading I got my cell phone out and hit Bella's name. It rang a couple of times before she answered it.
"Hey," I said settling on my sofa.
"Hi," she replied.
She sounded upset still. I know our little disagreement back at the studio frazzled her and I was hoping she'd have cooled off by now.
"Bella, you know there is nothing to worry about, alright? Alice and Jasper are my advisory team. Whenever I need to make a big decision I always go to them. They're the ones who advised me to participate on the show."
"I know," she sighed. "Alice told me you have some business to take care of. Everything is alright?"
"Yes," I reassured her. "You don't have to worry about anything."
"Okay," she said. "I'll see you tomorrow morning."
"Goodnight, Bella."
"Goodnight, Edward."
I ended the call and place my cell phone on the coffee table next to my laptop.
I hated that Bella was nervous and jittery. She must think I'm in trouble or something. But she doesn't have to worry.
I do. I have a big decision to make. Whatever I decide can influence my relationship with Bella. After the show we go back to our real lives. I'm going back to training and playing baseball and she's going to tour and then be back here with a new partner.
Right now it's easy to be together because we're practically glued to the hip. The show is more than halfway done. After this week it's the semi-finals. And then the finals and then it's time to say goodbye.
An hour later I found myself sitting at the table with Jasper and Alice. They had all my necessary paperwork and were ready to get down to business.
"I'd like to stay in California, but I need to consider all these options. I just don't know," I said in frustration.
Alice patted my hand. "Let's talk about why you'd like to stay in California."
"It's the only place I've ever lived besides Chicago. We've all been here for the past six years. Do we really want to pack up and leave?" I asked looking at them.
"Forget about us, Edward. Just tell us why you would like to stay here," Jasper said.
"I like it here," I said simply.
"Why?" Alice pressed.
"I'm familiar with the area. It has been my home for the past six years. Both you and Jasper are here. Everything I know is here."
"Like Bella?"
I sighed and gave Alice a look. "Don't bring her into this."
"Why not?" she asked. "You guys are together now and this affects Bella too. You can't just string her along."
"I know that," I growled. "Don't you think I've been tying to do the best for both of us?"
"Maybe you should talk Bella. I think she deserves to know what's going on."
"It's too early for that. Bella needs to focus on her life here. If I had to choose right now I'd say the Angels were a good team to go to. I can stay here and none of us would have to move. But I also can't ignore that other teams are looking at me. It gives me room to move in a way."
"Alright," Jasper said. "From a strictly business point of view I'd say we should look into Seattle. Yeah, it's a bit far for us, but they're a good team. And yeah, I'd say the Angels are a good choice too."
"What about the other teams?" Alice asked. "Aren't they good?"
Jasper and I looked at Alice. We love her. But she didn't much about the other teams. Yes, she supports me and Jasper and helps us, but she isn't very knowledgeable in our sport.
"They're okay," Jasper said. "No doubt Edward could play in San Diego and San Francisco. We just don't think we'll be going there."
"We've narrowed it down to Anaheim and Seattle," I said.
"Why Seattle?" Alice asked curiously.
"They're a good team."
"Do we have to decide for sure tonight?" Jasper asked.
"No," Alice and I said at the same time.
Laughing, "I think Alice is right. I should let Bella in on some of this stuff."
"She was worried today," Alice confessed. "I felt guilty for not being able to tell her everything."
"What did you tell her?" I asked.
"Nothing that she didn't already know."
"I'm kind of afraid I'm compromising going to a good team just to make her happy."
"Edward!" Alice gasped.
"Don't think like that Alice!" I cried. "You know why I signed up for the show. It was all so I could go back to playing again. I never, ever, thought I would find Bella. Do you think I planned for this? She wasn't supposed to happen!"
"Edward, don't push her away. You can't be selfish now. She's given you so much and this is how you will treat her? By not even considering her? I cannot believe this."
"Didn't you hear me earlier? I am trying to do what is best for both of us-me and Bella. I am considering her why do you think I'd say yes to the fucking Angels right now? It's all for her. Because of her I want to stay here and endure whatever the crap people will throw at us. But there is a part of me that thinks I'm doing this all for nothing. That I am compromising myself for someone that may not even be here two months from now."
"It isn't for nothing," Alice said. "You know that."
"I think we've dealt with enough business for tonight," Jasper said. No doubt he could sense our tension. "Edward has an early rehearsal tomorrow so we'd better let him get some rest. Come on, Alice."
Jasper and Alice gathered the papers and after Alice cleaned up the table they were gone.
***
May 3rd 2008
The next morning I had come to the conclusion that Bella and I really needed to talk. Alice was right-I wasn't being fair to Bella by keeping her in the dark. We've made the decision to take our relationship seriously and both of us agreed that this wasn't some sort of summer fling. I cared about Bella and I know she cares for me too.
When I got to the studio I found Bella already setting up. She had her dance shoes on and she was fixing the stereo. She greeted me with a little wave and motioned for me not to disturb her.
I glanced at the studio clock. The camera crew wouldn't be here till after lunch. I quickly put my ballroom shoes on and then started doing some stretches to wake my body up.
"Okay, so today we have to work on your footwork and the detailing on the Quickstep and I'd also like to get further on the Samba."
She was all business today. I could tell by her tone of voice.
I decided to let her be in charge. We could talk during lunch.
The first couple of hours Bella and I worked on the Quickstep. She fixed my posture and then we went over the routine and tried to perfect my performance and details.
I realized by now that Bella pays close attention to the song and lyrics. She tries to make an entertaining story out of the music and weave the dance around it. I think the hard job was keeping the basics of the dance and spinning it with witty choreography. Bella is a fantastic dancer and an excellent choreographer. She's very well liked amongst the show and the audience likes her too.
Since our song is "I Love You" by Martina McBride Bella placed in a couple of leaps in certain areas of the song. Our dance is only a minute and thirty seconds but it has to be timed perfectly in order for it to look good. Another thing Bella put in our routine was a moment where I dip her and we both mouth the lyrics "I Love You" to each other. Of course when we do camera blocking on Sunday the producers will pick up on that and have the camera on us on the day of the show. I did like our Quickstep. It was fast and fun. And we were in hold for virtually the whole dance and holding Bella close was always a nice perk.
By the time it reached twelve thirty Bella and I were putting back our sneakers. I suggested we get some pizza. Junk food was Bella's weakness and I figured we'd burn it all off when we Samba later on.
After putting her stuff away she met me at my car. I had the doors unlocked and she slid in easily.
"I want Pizza Hut," she said as soon as she had her seat belt on.
I looked over at her. "You sure you don't want to go to Olive Garden or something like that?"
She glared at me. "I like the stuffed crust."
I held my hand up in surrender. "Okay, okay. We'll go there."
She gave me a small smile. "Thanks."
Half hour later I found myself back at the studio sitting on the hardwood floor sharing a large supreme stuffed crust pizza with Bella.
She already had three slices before I finished my second.
"What?" she said laughing. "I'm hungry."
"I can see that," I smiled. "Bella, there's something I need to talk to you about."
She held her slice of pizza mid air. "Yes?"
I took a deep breath. "I have some offers from very good teams. Teams from California and from out of state; I'm trying to consider all my options and make the right decision."
"Okay," she said a bit uncertainly. "Why are you telling me this?"
"I'm telling you this because if I was to choose a team I would like you to have a sort of opinion."
"I don't understand," she said. "I know you're nervous about what team you pick, but what does that have to do with me?"
I was hurt she said that. What does this have to do with her?
"It had everything to do with you!" I said a bit more harshly than I meant to. "If I stay in California it'll be easier to be with you, but if I was to play for a team like Seattle then maintaining our relationship would be tricky."
"Oh," she said. "Wow, I wasn't sure how serious you were about me so I just panicked and got all worried that you were keeping something awful from me. I tired getting Alice to tell me what was going on, but she only told me stuff that you had already told me. I didn't know what to think. I was confused and worried."
"You didn't know how serious I am about you?" I gasped. "Bella, I told you I want you for real. I want you forever. I mean that, Bella truly."
She put her pizza down and gave me an apologetic smile. "I'm sorry I doubted you. But in my defense I just didn't know. I can be a little insecure like that."
"I'm sorry too," I said. "I should have been up front with you from the beginning."
"What team do you want to go with, Edward?"
"I don't know," I answered honestly. "I've narrowed it down to two teams. But I need Jasper and Alice's opinion. If I move away from here they're coming with me. It's not that I'm making them move, it's just how it is with us. It's been the three of us for a long time now."
"Where would you go?"
"Seattle."
"That's not very far from my hometown," she said.
No. I did not want Bella to even consider moving away herself. I couldn't ask that of Bella. Her life is her. Her work is her. Opportunities are better for her here. With her extensive background in dance and performing arts it's just logical for her to stay here. I can play anywhere, but Bella would flourish here.
"Bella, I don't want you to consider moving if I end up leaving Los Angels."
"Why not?"
"Because you're life is here. You have a great job with a lot of opportunities here. What could possibly await you in Forks or Seattle?"
She rolled her eyes. "Gosh, you're such jerk right now."
"I am not!"
"Yes, you are," she said. "This job here is great I won't deny that. But I can do so much more than this. I can open my own dance studio if I want. Do you know how many offers I've gotten to branch out and do other things? And the reason I haven't taken a lot of the opportunities is because I like to focus on one thing at a time. My job here is long and stressful sometimes. I'm under contract and I don't have a lot of time to do some of the things I would like to."
"Okay," I said trying to calm down. "Let's talk about my work and your work. And we'll see if we can fix any of our misunderstandings."
Our lunch break ended up to be very long. Bella called the camera crew to come by at five instead of two.
We each took turns explaining our career aspirations and then we talked about our typical work year. What we do, where we go, etc.
I found out that Bella's typical year consisted of two seasons of Dance X with a tour in between. She has little time to rest and vacation and that also doesn't leave her much time to work on other projects like her own dance studio or her own dance clothing line or partaking in other entertainment endeavors. Bella did say that whenever the studio would allow her some time off she'd like to take a vacation for a few weeks and then possibly work on other projects.
I told Bella that typically I would start preseason training in February and that the season starts sometime in April and it ends in October. Obviously I wasn't playing this year, but I could be playing next year. This season just started and I would have to wait till the end of October to work out my contract with whatever team I chose.
During the off season I'd stick around here and then in I'd go back to Chicago to spend the holidays with my family.
Talking about what we do and what a typical year looked liked for us helped us understand each other better.
Bella said after this season she was going back on tour with the other professional dancers and that some of the "stars" would also tour. The tour lasts for about 2-3 months. They travel by bus and have little free time. Rehearsals for the tour would start in early June and then by the fourth week of June they would be on the tour bus starting the dance tour. They would end sometime in August and get ready for another season of the show. The fall season starts in September and ends in November. Bella would tour from December till February etc.
If I was going to play next year then I would have to really work hard to see Bella. This wasn't going to be easy. We're both very busy people with hectic schedules.
"I think we should focus on the show and then we'll talk about the summer and hopefully by the end of the summer we've figured out where I'm going to go."
"Shouldn't you be the one to decide where you go?" she asked with a laugh.
"Before I wouldn't consider anyone in my decision, but now I have someone to come home to."
She smiled at me and poked me in the chest. "I swear you know exactly what to say to me to make me feel better."
"Well, I hope so!" I gathered her to my side and gave her a kiss on the side of her temple. "You make me happy, Bella. I only want to do the same for you."
She stayed next to me and picked up another slice of pizza. "You do make me happy, Edward." She said it so quietly that if I wasn't paying attention to her I might not have heard it.
I rubbed her arm and smiled to myself. One step at a time was all it took. Bella and I didn't have to decide the fate of my career now. We didn't have to think about anything more than what was presented to us. For now, we'd focus on the show and then we'll see.
***
May 5th 2008
Bella POV
Edward had the Quickstep routine memorized perfectly. He knew what to do with his footwork and controlled his posture. He held his head high and twirled me effortlessly on the floor. Our routine would be a crowd pleaser, I was sure of it.
Our Samba routine on the other hand was completely different than our Quickstep. Where the Quickstep is light and happy, the Samba is hot and sexy. Edward and I were going to get down and dirty. I put in some good content for him. We had voltas and shadow rolls. We had a small gyration sequence and we were ending with both of us on the floor. Literally.
I was quite proud of my Samba choreography. It was hot and sexy for sure, but it had all the elements of a Samba. Edward did get the steps right. He found his bounce and I think we could really do well this week.
The past two days have been quite stressful. Being on the show is stressful enough, but with the added anxiety of Edward's career prospects and clearing the air about our relationship I was ready for some long overdue hibernation. Sleep was all I wanted, but of course, that would have to wait.
The day Edward and I talked about our careers and what it entails gave me a sense of understanding. Edward's life simply does not mesh with mine. We're both so busy and don't have a lot of free time. Admitting to ourselves that our relationship was much more than a little play or fling was something and admitting it to each other out loud was something else. We both want this to work between us. We both feel the inexplicable chemistry and infatuation to each other. We're drawn to each other and quite frankly, we both love each other. How could I not love him? After being glued to the hip for almost three months we've become a part of each other. I was scared of what comes next for us. Being together is easy now because we have to be. But once the show ends we could depart. I know neither of us wanted this to end.
I tired going over my summer schedule and burst into tears when I realized I was swamped. I didn't have to the time to stop and see him. If we were going to see each other after the show then it would be up to Edward to make it happen. He would have to visit me on tour or he would have to sign up for the tour and that way we'd be together for another month or so. I wasn't sure if Edward would want to go on tour with me though. I know he'd rather get back and do some private training and he has his own career to think about.
I felt like I just couldn't win. No matter what solution I thought of there always seemed to be a loophole in it.
Knowing that I couldn't let Edward go after the show ends scared me; I have never felt this way about anyone before. It felt like I was out of my mind.
I decided to talk to Edward about the possibility of having him tour with us this summer. He would no doubt bring out a lot of fans to see the shows and touring is always fun so maybe he would think about it.
We finished our trip to wardrobe. For our Quickstep we were wearing silver. Edward had a grey suit with a white dress shirt no rhinestones or glitter. For me I had a backless silver dress with flowy material on the skirt. Lots of bejeweled rhinestones for me just like Edward wanted. For our Samba outfits I had Edward in the standard black pants and shirt. I tired persuading him to have an open chested shirt, but he didn't go for it. I was wearing a pink bustier and skirt set.
Edward and I got Chinese take out and brought back with us to the studio. Lately, we've been eating at the studio instead of going out on lunch dates. We were both competitive and this season was really fun. Jessica managed to bring her partner in the quarter finals with me and Edward. Angela was long gone, but she was still here hanging out and participating in the results show.
We sat on the floor with cartons of food. Edward was just talking casually about Jessica's partner. He was an entertainer and he and Edward got along well. They often talked and joked around in the red room during show time.
"Hey, did you get the invite for the movie premiere?" Edward asked.
"The Chronicles of Narnia?"
"Yeah, that one," he said.
"Yeah, it's next Wednesday. Most of us are going."
"Really?" he asked. "The show sets this stuff all up?"
"Yeah, it gives the contestants a good opportunity to plug the semi-final and finals shows. I think we're set to go together."
"Oh, good. It'll be nice going out."
I smiled. "Yeah, it will. So umm, I've been thinking about the summer tour. And I was wondering if you'd like to sign up to tour with us? A few of the old stars are going to be doing it and it's a lot of fun so.."
"I don't know," he said. "It does sound like a lot of fun, but Jasper and I were talking about getting a strengthening couch for me so I could start some early private training, you know, to get me back into the swing of things."
"Oh," I said trying to play it cool. "That's fine. I figured you'd be busy, but thought I'd ask anyway."
"Bella," he said laughing. "You don't have to act so nonchalant. I know why you're asking. I don't want to go one without you either and trust me; I'm working on a way to see you during the summer. I've got some things to plan and think about. Please, don't worry about anything. I'll figure something out I swear it."
I breathed a sigh of relief. "Thank goodness! I just don't want this to end, you know?"
"I know," he replied. "One step at a time, remember?"
I nodded. "Yeah, one step at a time."
After lunch the camera crew came back and we rehearsed for three more hours. The practice was our last one before camera blocking tomorrow. We made the most of our time and when we were finished we agreed to go home and then meet up later for dinner. Edward wanted to take me out tonight. We decided to keep things simple tonight. Sushi dinner and then ice cream followed by goodnight kisses and then we'd be at the studio bright and early for our camera blocking and then one more rehearsal till show time.
Originally, I was going to cover the full week and the day of the show, but Edward and Bella felt like you guys should know what's going on and they wanted to reassure you that the drama wouldn't be extreme heart fail. ;)
Remember in the last chapter Edward didn't want to go to the Angels because it was "too close" to his old team. However, he is considering the pros (and cons) of staying close in California. I'm still deciding on a team for him. At this point it's all about where I want to go with the story and where I'll take Edward and Bella. Give me time. You'll know when I know.
Okay, I realize this is week 8 of the competition and that I haven't given them the Paso Doble yet. While this could be deemed as a trival issue I think we'd like some dominating Edward. No? Just me then? Well, fine, I'll write it for me..... Alright, basically I'll add one extra week to my format. DWTS has 10 weeks (but last season there was 11 weeks so yeah..it doesn't matter though; I'm making my own format lol..) I will give our couple the V. Waltz and the Paso Doble. Yeah, I know. They've danced the Waltz already, but the V. Waltz is different. Besides, I've already choosen their songs. Hah! And okay, I'm already thinking about their Freestyle. Any song suggestion for that dance? I'm open to pretty much any songs. I promise if you suggest a song I will listen to it. And one last thing: I do not know how long I will make this story. When I started it I thought I could end it around 20 chapters, but now it doesn't look like that. The length isn't really that important. Whatever. We'll just "go with the flow" mmmmkay?
Till next time.
Tina