Winning Moves (Stepping Up 3)

“That’s what I thought,” Kat said to the kid. “Because, you see, this is a professional stage. My girls have to put on skimpy costumes and trust the male dancers who have their hands all over them. This isn’t a night club.”

“She said ‘my girls,’” Darla whispered.

“Yeah,” Jason said with satisfaction. “I heard.”

“Yes, ma’am,” the boy shouted. “I’m sorry. It won’t ever happen again.”

“You’re going to have to dance like Michael Jackson at this point not to get sent home. In fact…” Kat glanced over her shoulder. “Ellie?”

“Coming right up,” Ellie said, choking on laughter with her mic still on.

A few seconds later, Michael Jackson’s “Thriller” started to play and Kat motioned the boy forward. He hesitated for a tenth of a second and then moved to center stage, where he proceeded to dance his backside off. The kid was good—very good.

Kat and Ellie let him dance for a solid two minutes before she held up a hand and stopped the music. She and Ellie whispered to each other, careful to cover their mouth pieces, before Kat said, “That was Michael in diapers. Give us grown-up Michael tomorrow or you’re out.”

“I’m returning?” he asked, looking stunned.

“Yes,” Kat said. “And don’t make us sorry.”

The kid slid on his knees to Kat’s feet and bowed. “Thank you. Thank you. I won’t make you sorry. I promise.”

“Get out of here before I change my mind,” she teased with a smile and then turned to Shannon. “And you go home and practice being a diva in the mirror.”

“I’m coming back?” Shannon asked, and yelped with joy when Kat confirmed. She raced forward and hugged Kat.

“Everyone else will get your fate at the end of the day,” Ellie announced, and sent everyone, Shannon included, on their way.

Kat and Ellie both flipped their microphones aside and put their heads together in a short conversation before Kat headed toward the stairs.

Jason’s cell buzzed with a text. He quickly replied to Kat’s agent, telling Michael that yes, she was here, and he was working on making that permanent.

“Uh-oh.” Darla laughed from beside him. “I think you’re in trouble, Jason.”

“You two so have a past,” Lana said. “I can smell it a mile away.”

Jason jerked his gaze upward at the comments to find Kat headed their way, or rather his way, with her gaze fixed intently on him. Oh yeah, he was in trouble. She’d apparently been thinking about more than dancing on that stage, because she was fired up. He could almost feel the heat of flames crackling off her. That kid wasn’t the only one leaving here busted. Jason had to hope this ended as well for him as it had for the kid: with a second chance. Okay, in his case, maybe more like a third or fourth. But this was going to be the one he made count.

4

KAT WAS FURIOUS—at herself and at Jason. They both knew what would happen if she came here today, yet he’d baited her and she’d let him. Now it was done. She was attached to the show and she was going to get hurt again. He was going to hurt her again. And she’d lose him and the show in one short season. Why would he want to put either of them through that?

Jason stood up as she neared. “I’m guessing it’s time for that talk?”

She gave a nod and he motioned her toward the backstage exit. “Should we keep going?” Darla asked.

Jason arched a brow at Kat. “Yes,” she said. “Go ahead. I don’t want to back things up.” Her gaze returned to Jason. “I need to deal with my conflict once and for all.”

“My exact thoughts,” he agreed, motioning her to the right, to a path that led behind the stage.

Her chest tightened and she clung to her anger. If she was angry, she wasn’t turning to melted chocolate in the man’s hands. No, a voice in her head reminded. That always came after the anger. But she always, always turned to melted chocolate.

Side by side, they walked past the stage and around it, then down to a sunken hallway that had doors. “This way,” he said, indicating the rows of doors and opening one of them, letting her enter first.

Kat found herself in a small costume room. Racks of clothes pressed in on either side of her. No, it wasn’t even a small room. It was a closet, and the tiny space set her on edge. Maybe this had been a bad idea. A small room, alone with Jason and a closed door.

She whirled on him the minute he shut the door. “You knew what would happen if I came here today and I told you I can’t do this thing with us again. I can’t. If I take this job then it has to be work only.”