All for the Mirrorball

Chapter 26 - Crushing It

The next morning, after her gym sesh, Ilona walked into the studio balancing two coffees and a bag of pastries. "Look alive, Bersten," she called out as Alan looked up from his phone, grinning.

"Is this bribery?" he asked, taking the coffee and peeking into the bag.

"Nope. Well, maybe... so you'll go easy on me this week," she said with a smirk, dropping her bag on the couch.

Alan pulled out a croissant, breaking it in half. "You know that's not how this works. Besides, this week's dances are going to be fun - intense, but fun."

Ilona raised an eyebrow as she sat down next to him. "Uh-huh. You say that every week, and then I end up with blisters and existential crises."

Alan laughed, holding up his coffee in a toast. "To the joys of dancing!"

She clinked her cup against his. "And to getting through the paso without murdering you."

"You'll love the paso. It's fiery, dramatic, and basically made for us. Trust me."

"Should I trust you, though?" she teased, narrowing her eyes.

"You already do," he said with a wink, standing and stretching. "Okay, let's get ready. The cameras will be here any minute."

—

The crew filtered in with their usual bustle, setting up and adjusting angles. Alan and Ilona took their places on the rehearsal floor, chatting with Shay.

"Alright, you two," Shay said, clipboard in hand. "We'll do a quick debrief about last week and then talk about this week's dances. Keep it natural but fun."

Ilona grinned. "Oh, natural and fun is my specialty."

The director gave them a countdown, and Alan started first. They talked about their excitement for their first 10, and Ilona gave an impassioned appeal about how she'd remember the experience for her whole life and "didn't want it to be cut short."

Alan made it through the whole thing without crying, which was harder than it sounds. Even the thought of their season ending was devastating.

Once they talked about the two dances for a bit, Alan went on to explain the challenge of the week.

"Semifinals is the hardest week of competition because we have to show our range," he said, clasping his hands together.

When Ilona commented that it would be another "alter-ego, sexual, powerful dance," he couldn't hide his smirk. If anyone knew that she didn't need an alter-ego to bring out her sexual side, it was Alan.

The director called cut, and Shay handed them the updated filming schedule for the week. "Great energy, as always. We'll grab a few shots of you warming up, and then we're out of your hair 'til tomorrow afternoon!"

—

As soon as the cameras left, Alan turned to Ilona, his grin taking on a mischievous edge. "Alright, are you ready to unleash your inner warrior?"

Ilona arched an eyebrow. "My inner warrior? What are we doing, a battle scene?"

"Pretty much," Alan replied, clapping his hands together. "The paso doble is all about power and control. Think of it like a dance-off where one of us is trying to dominate the other."

"So, like... every conversation we've ever had?" she deadpanned.

He laughed, pulling her into position. "Exactly. It's hot. Now, it's all about tension - every line has to be sharp and intentional. And when I pull you in like this -" he slid his hand dramatically along her back, pulling her closer, "you need to resist just enough to show the struggle."