D-day. It was the day that we had been waiting for. There was a mix of emotions that could be sensed around us. Many were nervous, but many were excited as well. But for me and Vince, things were not yet back to the way they were before. We didn't talk as much, and Keith noticed it as well. He told us to fix whatever problem we had and not mess up our performance later.

"Ivy, can we talk?" Vince asked while we were waiting backstage. I looked up at him and was surprised to see him looking so miserable. We hadn't seen each for a day, and he was like this. What on earth was happening?

Vince led the way to a corner where we could talk privately. His hands were inside his pockets, and he looked lost. It's like he didn't know where to start. I wanted to console him and tell him that it wasn't his fault, but I couldn't bring myself to do it. And so I waited.

A couple of minutes passed, and nothing happened. Vince was still looking down at the floor, and he still hadn't talked. When I used up all of the patience that I had, I finally said, "Look, are we just going to stand here for the rest of the night or what?"

Vince looked up and faced me once again, shocked. I didn't usually snap like this, but our situation was too frustrating. It wasn't helping us prepare for the contest at all.

"Ivy, I'm sorry. I didn't know that it would turn out this way, but what I said is true. I like you a lot. Whenever we talked, it felt like we have a deep connection. All of the meals that we had together inthe past weeks made me happy and full. I thought you felt the same way, that's why I kissed you, but I guess I got that wrong," Vince said, and I felt how sad he was.

"Guys! We'll perform in three minutes!" Keith shouted, and that's when I decided that it was now or never.

"It was my fault. I guess I panicked. I didn't know what to do that day, so I acted impulsively and ran away," I told Vince. Before I could even chicken out, I continued, "Vince, what I'm trying to say is that I like you too. Heck, I've liked you for a long time, even way before our practices started. Every time that we're together, I'm happy. You make me happy, and I'm sorry for making you feel miserable because of a foolish thing that I did."

"Wait. Are you serious?" Vince asked, and all that I could do was to give him a nod. Looking back, I realized that I shouldn't have run away that day. I should have faced him and clarified things once and for all.

"Ivy, you're not kidding, right? You like me too," Vince said, and his face glowed with happiness. A huge smile formed on his lips, and I smiled as well. We were looking at each other, and it seemed like time had stopped and trapped us in our own little world.

"Guys, let's go!" Keith shouted once again, and it broke the magic that surrounded us. Vince then offered his hand to me and asked, "Ivy Louise Marquez, can I have this dance?"

Vince did not take his eyes off me the whole time that we were dancing. We weren't just performing a courtship dance for the sake of it. It was as if Vince was really courting me through the dance. Even whenwe had switched to the modern dance, Vince expressed the lyrics of the song really well. I felt the sincerity in his every step, and as we looked at each other in the eyes, we couldn't help but smile. We had danced our way into each other's hearts. Finally.

~

"The winner of our dance contest got a score of 95 points. This group is none other than..."

The host paused, and nervousness could be felt in the air. There were only two groups left, and thatincluded us. It was our modern-infused cariñosa versus another group's interpretation of pandanggo sa ilaw. As the drum rolled, my teammates and I held hands tighter. Our eyes were closed, and we hoped for a positive result.

"The champion for the dance contest is group number 4!"

Cheers filled the whole area when we heard the announcement. We won! We were jumping up and down, and tears rolled from our eyes. All of our efforts finally paid off.

Keith stepped forward to accept our trophy and cash prize. As we stood behind him, we couldn't help but feel thankful for having a leader like him. He really pushed us to our limits, and whether we admit it or not, his "romantic" exercise helped us a lot. Romance was really portrayed through our dance, and it wasn't just felt by Vince and me. It radiated throughout the audience too.

"Guys, we did it!" Keith screamed as we gathered in a group hug backstage. When we pulled away from each other, Vince suddenly hugged me from behind, and my eyes widened in horror.

"Vince," I hissed, but he just laughed it off. He even hugged me tighter, and my teammates looked at us knowingly.

"I knew it. I always thought that you're going to end up together," Keith said with a teasing smile, and all of my teammates followed suit. My cheeks heated up because of that, and Vince didn't help at all. He kept on laughing like it was nothing, and he even kissed me on the cheek.

"Seriously! Go get a room," Keith joked, and we all laughed together.

"Kidding aside, congratulations, team! You all did great," Keith said, which concluded our punishment, I mean, dance contest.

One by one, my teammates went back to their seats. The dance contest may have ended, but the night was still young. The program was still ongoing, and the whole company was still having fun. When it was just me and Vince who were left backstage, he spun me around and made me face him.

"You were amazing tonight," he said with a smile. He looked at me straight in the eyes, and this time, I didn't dare to look away. I was happy enough to see the glow in his eyes and to know that it was only me that he saw with those eyes.

"And so were you," I responded. He then pulled me in and kissed me on my forehead. Butterflies filled my stomach the moment his lips touched my skin. It felt like this was what we had been waiting for.

"Have I told you that I liked you?" he asked, and I nodded in response. After which, he continued, "I take that back. Ivy Louise Marquez, I think I've fallen in love with you. Will you be my dance partner forever?"

"I would love to," I answered, and slowly, Vince closed the gap between us. This time, though, I closed my eyes and savored the moment. I may not be the best dancer out there, but with Vince beside me, I know that I'd be the best one for him.

***

As mentioned in the story description, this short story was first published in 12 Months of Romance, 24 Reasons to Love. If you're interested to read 24 romance short stories (with monthly themes), it can be bought through Amazon. Look at the lovely cover below.

Thank you!

xxRaice