Page 48 of Maximum Bet

“After that, I want to change the isolation a bit.” I get into a wide second position squat. “Wait, hold on a minute.” I shuck off my shoes and toss them downstage just left of Violet. She raises her brows but doesn’t complain.

I get back in position. “You’re going to use that chest isolation, but only once.” I show them, keeping my legs still and popping my upper body to the left. “Then I want you to roll back to center, split squat right, split squat left, stand, low kick, and throw your arms, crossing them to the front.” I show them the choreography one more time.

The dancer with the ponytail nods. “All right, girl, let’s do this.”

I count them down, and at “one” they execute the new choreography. The turns cross perfectly, ending stage left and stage right, close to the platforms, framing the area Violet will be using. The dancers continue through the rest of the sequence, hitting each movement with precision and an attitude that brings the piece to life.

“Perfect.” I clap along with the other dancers when they finish. “Okay, you two on the platforms.” The girls nod. “I want you to do the same thing, but a quadruple pencil turn so you don’t gocareening to the floor.” That earns me a laugh, but the girls tell me they’ve got it.

With a “5-6-7-8,” they break into the movement, nailing it on the first try.

“Yep, you’ve got it.” My smile grows as my vision comes to life. “The four of you in the back.” The remaining dancers perk up. “We’re going to reverse what the girls on the platform are doing. You’re going to start with the squat and isolation, then end with the quadruple turns.”

Once they show me that they’ve got it, I step back next to Violet so I can see the whole stage.

“Let’s do it together from the top.” Everyone gets into position, and I give them, “5-6-7-8.” My smile is so wide that my cheeks hurt when the choreography comes together flawlessly

“Yes. You guys got it. Violet, do you want to join in and try it with the music?”

With a raised brow, she nods, places her water bottle on the floor, and finds center stage.

“Sound, you guys ready?” I turn to the sound booth in the back of the auditorium, shielding my eyes from the bright lights.

“We’ll start from the middle of the song,” a man says over an intercom.

I give a thumbs-up and return my attention to the performers on stage.

The music starts up, and Violet nods to the beat until the chorus picks up. She breaks into her vocals, and the dancers take position.

As the chorus ends, Violet flips her hair and pops her hip. They enter the third verse. My heart beats to the quick rhythm of the music—my nerves on edge as I wait to see my choreography come to life.

Violet starts her strut downstage while my dancers begin their turns, the back row dropping low and busting out their hip-hop moves.

The crossing turns hit perfectly, getting nowhere near Violet, and the switch between the dancers’ parts moves seamlessly as Violet gives a sultry spin and blows a kiss while she walks to the other side of the stage.

I twist and wave my hands to the sound crew, causing the music to fade away. When I return to the group on stage, everyone is grinning and sharing hopeful glances.

Violet taps her finger against her chin, eyeing me. “I threw in some improv. What did you think about my turn and kiss?”

“I thought they were perfect,” I say honestly. “You need to perform however you feel comfortable. Your background dancers are here to accentuateyourshow, not take attention away.”

Violet’s smile grows, and she walks closer. “What’s your name?”

“Cassandra.” I tuck my lip between my teeth as I wait for her criticism of my work.

“You’re hired.” Violet sticks out her hand to shake mine. Dumbfounded, I do the same.

“Nora,” Violet calls to the audience. “You’re fired.”

Violet’s original choreographer stutters. “What the fuck do you mean I’mfired? We have a contract.”

“That has a stipulation that the job is at will. If I’m not happy with your work, I can fire you. I’m not happy with your work.”

“I—What?” Nora crosses her arms, glaring my way. “Who the hell is this girl?”

From the shadows, a tall figure emerges. With his hands in his pockets, Dominic chuckles, an amused glint in his eyes. “That’s my fiancée.”

“Okay, so?” Nora huffs, glancing at Dominic.