Page 41 of Grunt: A Marine Romance

The voiceover cut in: “Dancing the mambo, Robyn Quintana and her partner, United States Marine Bret Lord.”

Now live, Bret led Robyn to the floor. “Mambo #5” started playing. Bret twirled her around and she was on fire. It was a fun routine with a lot of basic actions to please the judges. Bret moved his hips and Robyn shimmied around him, sloshing the matching citrus-colored fringe of her two-piece dress. She swiveled in front of him and he shook his chest. Their energy rippled through Bret’s body. Bret and Robyn crashed their hips together and rolled off each other, never losing eye contact. He spun her into him and dipped her to the ground.

The crowd roared. Bret’s heartbeat raced. He hadn’t made a fool out of himself and he was one step closer to providing for Pierce’s family.

“Excellent job. The ballroom is on fire tonight,” Matt said. “That is how it’s done. And Bret, thank you for your service. Let’s see what the judges have to say. Benjamin Brooks?”

The camera panned to Benny, who wore a yellow suit, black silk shirt, and his signature Australian bolo tie. He looked like a bumblebee. To Bret, Benny Brooks was the epitome of everything that was wrong in the ballroom industry. He rose to fame in a time when ballroom dancing consisted of stringing together a series of cheesy poses while the men paraded around in ruffled white cat suits that were split in a long V shape to ensure that their excessive mane of chest hair showed.

“Robyn, it was a beaut’. You’re a spunk. You have rhythm, charm, and a bonzer of a body. Well done.”

“Karen Brooks Lopez,” Matt said, “what did you think of Robyn and Bret’s mambo?”

Karen Brooks Lopez, perched elegantly on her judges’ chair, leaned on her ex-husband. “Robyn, you were superb. I’m so impressed with what Bret has taught you. You’re the one to watch.”

“Steve Samson, your thoughts?” Matt asked.

Steve Samson was single-handedly responsible for getting ballroom dancing on television. In the nineties, he ran and was the commentator on the successful television show on PBS, The Turquoise Pendant Ball. The entire dance industry was grateful to the exposure he had given ballroom dancing. As progressive and flamboyant as he could be, Steve provided a great contrast to Benny’s old-school traditional views on ballroom.

“Robyn, what a looker. Your spicy exoticism captivated me.”

The audience simultaneously stood to their feet and clapped wildly.

Robyn and Bret rushed backstage and waited for their scores. The judges gave them straight nines! A twenty-seven for their first show. All of Bret’s hard work had paid off. What had only been a dream months ago was finally coming true. He was proud that he had made the sacrifice to go on this show.

A costume assistant came out of nowhere, pulled Bret behind the red room, and started ripping off his clothes. Bret had almost forgotten he had to dance a demonstration with Selena. The makeup girl powdered his face despite his protests. She smudged some lipstick on his lips and before he could blink, she threw him back on stage.

“Now ladies and gentlemen,” Matt said. “We’re going to start with a rumba demonstration from Season Fourteen winner Selena Marcil and our newest professional, Bret Lord.”

The band started playing a rumba, “I Just Can’t Stop Loving You” by Michael Jackson.

Bret crept up behind Selena and took her arm. They slid into the rumba, with him pulling her to his chest. His white, billowy shirt was only partially unbuttoned. Selena caressed his neck and gave her body over to him. He grasped her waist and she rolled down his body. It felt like they had never stopped dancing years ago. But it was even better than Bret had remembered. The tension between them was electric. Bret craved her. She ran away from him and teased him with fleeting views of her inner thighs. The song started to taper and he took her into his arms. When the lights died down and the stage was completely dark, he gave her a tender kiss on the lips. Bret didn’t care who saw them.

The lights came back on and the crowd erupted. Did he really just kiss her? No one saw for sure. And if they had, Bret didn’t care. Selena was in Bret’s arms—just like old times.