LUKA (The Rhythm Series, Book 2) by Jane Harvey-Berrick

happened.
    It was watching a train wreck. In slow motion. You’re screaming inside, but like one of those dreams where you’re trying to run through quicksand, I couldn’t get there in time.
    Alice took off on the wrong foot in the wrong direction, heading into the dancers coming from the opposite direction. The first two managed to dodge her, but the third, a really big guy, crashed into her, sending her sprawling across the stage, nearly tripping Beverley who was trying to perform her show-stopping solo at the end of the first act.
    Alice landed on her ass, center stage, and I heard a ripple of shock and then amusement rise up from the audience. I waited for her to get up and out of the way, move, anything! But she just sat there, an expression of horror frozen on her face.
    In my head I was screaming at her. Move! The first rule of dance, the first rule of theater, the show must go on . It doesn’t matter what happens on the stage, you keep going, but Alice had frozen. Not only had she caused a crash, but she was about to cause a pile-up as the dancers coming from the wings hadn’t seen what happened, and would be running onstage and tripping over her.
    I had to get her off the stage. There was no time to do anything else, so I ran forward, doing a knee-slide, so I was beneath Beverley’s eye-line, then I scooped Alice into my arms and ran offstage.
    I carried her right up to the women’s changing room. By then the shock was wearing off and when I dumped her into a chair, she wrapped her arms around her knees and started rocking.
    “ Ohmygodohgmygodohmygod! ” Then she looked up at me, tears staining her cheeks. “I’m so going to get fired.”
    That was my thought, too. It just depended on how good her contacts really were.
    Gretchen came bustling in followed by a glowering Kathryn.
    “Worse things happen at sea, liebchen . You must not worry.” She patted my arm. “You are a nice boy.”
    I think she would have said more, but Kathryn was steaming.
    “Luka, would you give us a moment?”
    Alice shot me a panicked look.
    “Yes, ma’am,” I said reluctantly, heading back to the basement.
    The yelling started right away, and I had a feeling Alice wouldn’t be dancing in the second half.
    I didn’t see Alice leave the theater, but I heard she was in tears. Kathryn was furious, and we were all keeping our heads down.
    She wasn’t fired even though Kathryn wanted to.
    “Luka,” she snapped, striding toward me. “You’re freestyling the sections you’d have danced with that idiot. And for God’s sake get Bev’s airplane lift right and the overhead one.”
    When your D.C. talks to you like that, there’s only one answer.
    “Yes, ma’am.”
    The second half went okay, I wouldn’t say any more than that. If I’d been D.C. on the show, I’d have pulled my role completely, even though I was the guy doing the airplane lift with Bev. It was putting a lot of trust in someone on their first night, especially after what had happened. I appreciated the vote of confidence, but everyone was slightly on edge, and we all lost our groove, just a little.
    I don’t think the audience noticed, or if they did, it didn’t stop them cheering at the end. Felt good.
    I took my time showering and getting changed. I was tired, not having slept much the night before, but a good kind of tired—which meant I’d sleep really well tonight. Although the thought of going back to an empty apartment didn’t hold much appeal.
    Seth had been sending me texts all day, but we hadn’t arranged to meet. Maybe tomorrow, after I’d . . .
    “Hey, handsome.”
    Seth was leaning against the wall next to the artists’ entrance, a huge smile on his face. He was wearing a suit, so he must have come from work. His hours were crazier than mine.
    “I couldn’t wait to see you again,” he said. “I plan on becoming your new favorite stalker.”
    “You know, you’re kind of crazy.”
    “In a good way?”
    I laughed. “Works for