Magical - Mollie and AJ's Strictly Story

Part 5 - Feet can't touch the ground

I smile at the rosy cheeks in my reflection. I know what you've been doing. Salsa. You've been learning the salsa. And snogging. Just a little bit.

Is it the routine, with all the scary (and I mean scary – I don't see any of the other contestants doing these!) lifts or the emotional highs making me feel like I can't touch the ground? Or has he got me flying? Or is it just me reading too much into everything? A combination thereof?

It is so easy to get swept away. There were rumours already. I don't want to court those. The press can be rather savage. Fans can too – I've had a backlash for a relationship in the past, and that was without social media being how it is now. I dread to think what would happen if anyone knew about this and it didn't turn out to be a fairytale (and none of my relationships have been a fairytale). He's a grown man, he doesn't need protecting from me.

In fact, I've been very restrained, all things considered. I just love being around him. Maybe I'm kind of old-fashioned, but I rather like that we are chaperoned most of the time by the film crew. It's how it would have been in, like, the 1920s. Mind you, I'd be an old maid in the 1920s; unmarried at the ripe old age of 30! Not that we have classified what this is. We are just really good friends who spend 10-12 hours a day together, hold hands or cuddle all the time and sometimes kiss each other. That's not a big deal, really. Oh, and neither of us are doing any of those things with anyone else. But we aren't defining it. Because we don't want anything to define us. And Strictly relationships don't have great odds. I mean it is a pretty strange situation. No wonder they refer to it as a bubble. I can't really remember reality right now. It's been over a month since we started this. How quickly I have adjusted to this situation. It seemed so weird at the beginning...

Oh my god, that first day in group rehearsals...one of the female professional dancers took pity on me and taught me how to point my feet. I worked with all the male dancers over the rehearsals. I do remember working with him, enjoying it, loving his sweet focus and thinking how handsome he was. But I didn't pay much attention because I didn't think we would be paired. I must ask him at some point if he remembers that.

Meh, salsa is hard. I miss the ballroom hold. Being sexy isn't natural for me, despite his whispered assurances. As long as he keeps those arms around me, I'll be fine. Maybe.

God, I'm having so much fun. I don't want this to end.