Read Online Two to Tango by Sheryl Berk - Free Book Online Page A

like this,” she told Toni.
    â€œA dancer can dance anywhere,” Toni replied. “Fred Astaire danced on the ceiling.” She climbedup on a ladder to check that the PVC pipe Liberty’s mom had sent them was properly hung from the gym ceiling and rigged to a water hose.
    â€œIs that our hurricane?” Anya asked.
    â€œHopefully,” Toni said. “The holes should let the water from the hose trickle through behind you. And the trough on the floor should catch it and keep the floor dry. It’ll look like a curtain of rain behind you.”
    Toni continued talking—more to herself than to any of the Divas. “We need to make sure the thunder and lightning goes off on time . . . and the wind machine is blowing hard enough so the judges can feel it in their faces. Rochelle? Are you paying attention?”
    Rochelle was sitting on the bleachers, watching Liberty and Hayden run their routine in the corner of the gym. She knew it was just acting, but they did look like a couple in love, especially when Hayden lifted her high overhead, then gently cradled her in his arms. Watching them only made her feel worse, but she couldn’t look away.
    â€œDid you hear anything I just said?” Toni asked.
    Rochelle jumped to attention. “Sorry. What?”
    Toni sighed and sat down next to her.
    â€œMarcus Sanzobar,” her teacher said quietly.
    â€œHuh?”
    â€œMarcus Sanzobar was the boy my teacher Miss Olga paired me with in
pas de deux
class at ABC.”
    Rochelle sensed a tale about Toni’s teen years at American Ballet Company coming on. Her teacher was very tight-lipped about her past, and only shared details when she had an important point to make—a moral to her story. So Rochelle listened carefully.
    â€œMarcus was an amazing dancer,” Toni said. “I loved to watch him. He was so dynamic as Franz in
Coppélia
.”
    â€œWas he cute?” Rochelle asked.
    â€œThe cutest,” Toni replied. “He had blond hair and green eyes that twinkled in the spotlight. We hung out together after ballet class every day. We’d eat pizza, play video games. Then one day, he called me Swanilda.”
    â€œUgh!” Rochelle made a face. “That’s an awful thing to call anyone!”
    â€œNo! No!” Toni corrected her. “It’s a lovely thing to call your girlfriend. Swanilda is the girl who wins Franz’s heart in
Coppélia
.”
    â€œSo, he was your BF?”
    Toni smiled. “My first BF ever. Justine got to dance with him quite a bit at ABC as she made her way up the ranks there.”
    â€œOh, no! Justine stole your boyfriend?” Rochelle cried. “That’s terrible!”
    â€œNo, that’s the point. She didn’t. She tried her hardest, but Marcus was never interested in her, only her dancing. You see what I’m saying?”
    Rochelle slowly nodded her head. “That I shouldn’t worry about Liberty doing a duet with Hayden?”
    â€œExactly!” Toni said, patting her on the arm. “What you should worry about is the wind machine, Swanilda.”
    Rochelle checked and double-checked that all the Divas’ music was ready, and all their props were in place and working. “Don’t forget, Anya,”she reminded her new teammate. “You enter down the ramp.”
    She pointed to a white wooden wedge Toni had stowed in the wings. Anya was dancing the role of Nikiya, a royal temple dancer, from the ballet
La Bayadère
. It was Toni’s idea to dress her in a flowing white handkerchief skirt, a silver beaded halter top, and a white chiffon veil draped over her face. The dance called for incredible grace and beautiful long lines—both were Anya’s specialty. But Anya wasn’t too sure about the veil.
    â€œIt’s kind of hard to see through,” she told Rochelle. “I’m afraid I’m going to fall down the ramp. Or worse, into the judges’