Although Donna had received the phone call only a week earlier, she hurried to get dressed, leave her Los Angeles rented apartment, and head to the studio 33 where she was scheduled to meet with the various dancers and producers for this year's season. It was her second year participating inDancing with the Stars, the thirty-fourth season of the show, and last year, the redhead had finished in third place out of fourteen contestants, paired with a new actor from a popular TV series. This time, however, she hoped to aim for first place and win the competition, seeing it as a potential stepping stone for her career. The redhead was now twenty-six years old, and although she had graduated from Yale with a degree in theater, it was in dance where she truly flourished. Still, she hoped one day to land the lead role on Broadway — her ultimate dream. She had started ballet at the age of five, and since then, she had devoted herself body and soul to her passion, as today she was working on various projects, includingDancing with the Stars, which would take up fifteen weeks — exactly the duration of the break from the Broadway show she was currently performing in. As soon as she arrived in front of the studio, she quickly greeted the security guard, showed her invitation, and then headed to where she was expected, crossing paths with one of the other dancers she had worked with the previous year.
«Alma, hey»
«Hey Red, I'm so happy to see you»
«Me too. How are you doing, girl?»
After chatting for a few minutes with the blonde, Donna greeted the other dancers, both old and new, before the twelve contestants gathered around the table, ready to be addressed by the show's producer, who quickly began the kickoff meeting. For nearly an hour, they discussed schedules, filming locations, airing dates, and other show details before finally reaching the moment everyone had been waiting for: the announcement of their dance partners. As the first six contestants were revealed, some well-known and others less so, the redhead looked up when her name was called.
«Donna, this year, you'll be with Harvey Specter»
«Harvey Specter?»asked the dancer, having never heard that name before.
«Yeah, the Giants quarterback. Football»
A quarterback? Really? She had to deal with an athlete, alright, she would have preferred a singer or dancer, someone who could have had a dance background at least, but an athlete, it was all or nothing. Anyway, while she was trying to find the positive aspects in her new partner, she saw Alma leaning over before hearing her whisper in her ear.
«You lucky girl»
«What?»
«You have no idea who Harvey Specter is?»
«No»
«Are you living in a cave or something?»snorted the blonde.
«Why? Is he that famous?»chuckled Donna.
«Well, famous to the point of being the muse of Calvin Klein and that there are huge posters of him in brief displayed a bit everywhere»
«Excuse me?»whispered the redhead with wide eyes.
«He's like so hot»
«Yeah?»
«Really hot. Plus, these posters leave no room for imagination»
«Alma»choked Donna as her friend laughed at the situation.
For another twenty minutes or so, the producer announced the remaining contestants before a final debrief, allowing everyone to leave the meeting room. All the dancers then shared a bite to eat together afterward, as Alma was sitting next to Donna while the two women chatted for a while, the redhead talking with her friend with a smile.
«Are you happy about your partner?»
«Yeah. I mean, you know actors, most of the time, they have a dance background and I've read on his Wikipedia that he did a dance movie a long time ago. Plus, he's over forty, which is still the prime age, and he seems to be in good shape. On Insta, he looks muscular and athletic, doing action movies and that sort of thing, so I don't think it'll be much of a problem in terms of training. You know how hard it is to have partners who don't have any of that»
«Yeah, for sure»
«What about you?»
«What about me?»
«Harvey?»
«Oh, I don't know. I haven't looked, yet. He's an athlete, so I think when it comes to the pace of training and physical conditioning for lifts and figures, it'll be fine. What worries me is if he's a bit rough, because I get the feeling that's what football is all about — bumping into each other and running. You know how delicate and complex dance is, I'm a bit afraid he might be too... wild»
«Oh, trust me, you're going to want him to bump into you and be a little wild»
«Alma, stop with that»snorted the redhead.
«Girl, did you look him up online? I don't think you realize. He's one of the hottest guys on the planet — handsome, athletic, six-pack abs, well-endowed by nature, and I think he's single»
«Do I need to remind you that we're here for the competition? My goal isn't to walk away with a man in my arms but with the trophy»
«Oh please, you can have both — professional and personal, right?»
«No way. Listen, I almost made it to the final last year, this time I'm going all the way. And since it takes two to win, we need to stay focused on the competition. So, as sexy as that quarterback might be, I'm here to win, not hook up. Plus, trust me, neither of us will have time to think about that — he'll be exhausted from the little training session I'm going to give him»
«We'll talk about it later»winked the blonde woman.
For another ten minutes, they discussed the competition before chatting with the rest of the table. Once lunch was over, Donna returned to her apartment, rolled out her yoga mat, and began her stretching and Pilates routine, grabbing her phone along the way to do a bit of research. Alright, so, Harvey Specter, quarterback for the New York Giants… Barely had she typed his name when the athlete appeared, and the moment she clicked on his profile and his photo popped up, she swallowed hard — Harvey Reginald Specter, born and raised in Riverside, New York, twenty-nine years old, 6'", 208 lbs… and oh my god, that was impressive. Physically, he was exactly Donna's type: big chocolate brown eyes, a strong jawline, a distinctive smile, short dirty blonde hair styled to the side, and a body... gosh, Alma wasn't lying. As she was busy stretching, her legs spread wide as she pushed her body forward, feeling the muscles in her thighs and lower back hurt, she zoomed in on the various Calvin Klein photos and felt a wave of heat rush over her. He definitely had a six-pack, but also bulging arms, well-developed shoulders, muscular thighs and calves, as well as an incredibly well-molded ass in his underwear and a bulge that actually doesn't leave much room for the imagination, indeed. While Donna initially saw the benefits of such a body for lifts in dance, she couldn't help but think about the fact that she would be touching that body a lot.
«It's going to be difficult»whispered the redhead to herself.
For a few minutes, she continued her research, reading articles and statistics, analyzing his body for professional purposes, of course, weighing the strengths and weaknesses, but also for personal reasons. While most of what she found online was about football, she stopped dead when she saw the title of a gossip blog about the footballer and a movie star: Dana Scott, aka Scottie. Apparently, the pair had been on and off for years, with rumors of cheating and separation hanging over them, as they were apparently no longer together. In the photos, she saw him with the actress but also with other women — models and influencers — while he was seen leaving nightclubs and parties. Great, she could see exactly what kind of unstable, fun-loving guy he was. As she was busy stalking his Instagram photos, she was suddenly interrupted when her best friend's name appeared on the screen.
«Rach, hey»
«Donna. How are you doing?»
«Great, I'm training right now»
«As usual»snorted the brunette.
«Yeah»giggled the dancer.
«So? No news, good news?»
«Have you heard about Harvey Specter?»
«You're kidding»
«You know him?»
«Who doesn't know him?»
« Well..»
«Donna. I mean, his abs are all over Times Square»
«I just saw that»
«You lucky girl. Let me tell you, these rehearsals are going to be.. hot»
«No, they're not»
«He's apparently single»
«That's the thing, Rach. Look, I kind of stalked him on the web, and he's the type to hook up with models and gorgeous actresses without a second thought. He's not serious, and even though I have to admit he's very handsome and attractive, I'm not going to let him distract me. I mean, I have a career, and I can't afford to let him throw us off track, alright?»
«Alright, alright. Too bad for you»
«Anyway, how is your latest article going?»
For a few more minutes, the two friends chatted, Donna putting her phone on speaker while continuing to stretch, until Rachel had to hang up to finish writing her article. Donna then started preparing something to eat and settled onto her couch to watch several choreographies, already beginning to get inspired for the upcoming rehearsals. Meanwhile, in New Jersey, Mike was searching for his champion throughout the training facility, but without success. It wasn't until he had checked a series of rooms, all plunged in darkness, that he finally spotted him from a distance — running shirtless with shorts tucked in his briefs on the treadmill with his headphones on, the only one left in the vast gym illuminated by neon lights.
«Harvey»
As he continued to run without noticing his best friend, the music probably being too loud, he sat down in front of him before Harvey tapped a few things on the treadmill's screen and took off his headphones to smile.
«Who let you in?»
«Maybe they thought I was on the team, who knows?»
«Hey, bro, don't take this the wrong way, but I'm not convinced you even have the physical ability to throw a ball»
«You wanna bet?»chuckled the blondie.
«For your own dignity, no»
«Alright. Forget about it»
«What are you doing here?»
«Jessica called me, she tried to reach you several times today, and you didn't answer»
«I was busy training»
«I see that»
«What did she want?»
Without even answering him, Mike typed a few things on his screen before handing his phone to the athlete, who gasped when he saw the photo his best friend was showing him.
«Who is that?»
As Harvey zoomed in on the photo of a stunning redhead with large hazel-green eyes, he felt his heart race a thousand miles an hour, not understanding what was happening to him. He couldn't explain why, but he could see through the photo just how sweet and kind she was, yet also confident and sharp-witted. While he was completely lost in admiring the subtle freckles scattered across her face, he heard Mike speaking to him.
«Donna Paulsen, your dance partner»
«What?»
«Dancing with the star? Please, don't tell me you forgot»
«No, no. I mean, I remember, but are you saying that this is the girl with whom I'm gonna dance everyday for weeks?»
«She is, yeah»
«You're kidding. She's— »
«Totally your style. She reminds me of Ricky Garfield's mother»snorted Mike.
«Dude. She's gonna drive me crazy»
«Alright, easy tiger. Come on, give me my phone back»
Despite Mike's request, Harvey seemed unwilling to give in. While he was still sweaty on the treadmill, he took the opportunity to open Instagram, type her name into the search bar, and browse through every photo of the redhead, falling a little more for her with each picture. If her face was the definition of pure perfection, her body was just as flawless. In one of the videos she posted, he watched as she was in a massive rehearsal space, taking a few steps before leaping into the air, her legs fully extended to either side, feet pointed, arms raised. He admired her long, toned legs in black leggings, her perfectly rounded ass, and her breast compressed in a bralette while her long red hair was swirling with the movement as he found himself captivated by her grace and delicacy.
«Harvey»chuckled Mike.
He couldn't care less, scrolling through photo after photo, video after video, completely obsessed with her, unable to believe thatshewas the one he was going to be paired with for the show. It was while he was staring at a photo of her rehearsing for a Broadway show, wearing a crop top and leggings, talking with other dancers, that Mike snatched the phone out of his hands.
«Wow, dude. Are you with me here?»
«What?»
«What's going on with you?»
«She's hot»
«Harvey»
«What?»
«Don't ever think about it»
«Oh, come on»snorted the footballer.
«Anyway, how are you feeling about all of this?»
While Mike was still sitting on the bench, he saw Harvey sigh before he stepped off the treadmill, grabbing the towel hanging on the side to quickly wipe his face and wet chest as he then sat next to his best friend and murmured.
«I don't know»
«We haven't really had the chance to talk about it yet, but I admit that I was surprised when you told me that you were going to participate in Dancing with the Stars»
«It was Jessica's idea»
«But why?»
«Because I'm twenty-nine, in a year or two, my career will be over, and she thinks that I should start my reconversion like that so as not to end up as a random guy but rather as a sports personality, a presenter, or columnist»
«But you know that you're going to do tango and god knows what else live on television?»
«Well, it's thanks to Jessica that I'm here, she's my agent, and so far, she's always made the right choices. I trust her on that too»
«Yeah — damn, dancing with the stars, that's something»
«I can't believeit »snorted the footballer.
«Yeah, anyway, go wash yourself because you stink»
«I bet. Drink tonight?»
«Yep»
«Let's go»
After going through the shower, Harvey joined his best friend, and both borrowed Mike's car to go to the center of New York and go out to one of the trendy nightclubs of Manhattan frequented by many celebrities. As usual, barely seated in the VIP corner, many girls sat next to him and flirted, but if usually he would have done the same, that night, he did not have the heart, the image of the redhead clouding his mind. The days passed, and if Harvey was supposed to take advantage of the season break to rest, he knew that the next few weeks were going to be intense, but he was used to physical exertion and was not afraid of what awaited him, he loved new challenges anyway. As the days passed and Jessica waited for him at Los Angeles airport to take him to the studio, Harvey got in the car to greet his agent.
«Harvey»
«Jessica»
«Flowers? Really?»
«What? Am I a gentleman or what?»
«Obviously — are you alright?»
«I'm going to dance Rumba or god knows what in front of seven million viewers, I don't know if I'm alright»
«Well, usually you throw a ball in front of twenty million viewers. It should be chill, right?»
«Yeah»
«Plus, I already saw you dancing when you're drunk, you're pretty good»
«Let's hope»
«And I saw your dance partner»
Seeing her protégé smirking, Jessica chuckled before whispering.
«Don't you dare»
«What?»
«You're not going to screw your dance partner, no way. Can you keep it in your pants for once, please?»
«Have you seen her?»
«Harvey. Give up»
«Alright»snorted the footballer.
«Promise me?»
«You know I can't do that»
Jessica knew the young man, and she knew he could be serious even if, most of the time, it wasn't the case. So once in front of the rehearsal studio, he introduced himself to security, where one of the show's assistants explained to him that the first meeting would be filmed and that Donna was already in the training room.
«I hope you're ready»
«Why?»chuckled Harvey.
«Well, Donna is the sweetest girl ever, but she's a hard worker. She was actually the first this morning, she's already trained for hoursbefore you arrived »
«Well, I feel like it's going to be a blast then»
«Oh, you have no idea. But it'll be good, she's amazing»
«I bet, yeah»
Donna had been there for almost two hours, taking advantage of her advance to stretch and start working while she scrolled on her phone at the same time, alternating between messages with Rachel and Broadway reels on Instagram. If she was looking forward to meeting Harvey, she couldn't help but dread the moment, the footballer not leaving her thoughts since she knew she was going to be paired with him. As she was doing pirouettes over and over again, the door opened, and one of the show's coordinators told her that her partner would be here in five minutes. She then put away her headphones and her things before discussing briefly with the cameraman as he smiled at her.
«You ready, kid?»
«Yep»
On the other side of the wall, after dropping his stuff off in the lobby, he entered the room wearing a simple white, loose t-shirt and light, straight jeans, his usual cap put backwards on his head as he felt his heart speed up as he laid eyes on her as soon as the door opened. She was even more beautiful in real life than in the picture, and — man oh man — this was going to be complicated.
«Hey»
«Hi»
«I'm Harvey. Thank you so much for having me»
As he handed her the bouquet of flowers with his charming smile, she felt her heart race as she smiled tenderly at him.
«Thank you. I'm Donna, by the way»
At first, she held out her hand, and if Harvey's first instinct was to imitate her, he quickly hugged her, seeing they were filmed as he responded with a hoarse voice, the scent of the redhead making his head spin while Donna melted when she felt his muscular arms surround her, giving her a sense of security.
« Nice to meet you»
«Nice to meet you too. Welcome to the studio»
«Thanks»
«And cut»yelled one of the cameramen.
Both surprised, having completely forgotten that they were not alone, they turned to the two men, who would chat briefly with the redhead before they left the room, leaving Donna and Harvey alone. As soon as the door closed, the redhead turned to him to smile, making him melt.
«Shall we start?»
God. These next twelve weeks were going to be a sweet torture.