Page 40 of Grunt: A Marine Romance

She turned around, grabbed a brush from her bag, and started scaling the suede sole on her shoe.

When her soles were brushed out, Selena put her arm around Bret. “You nervous?”

“No. I just hope none of my Marines are watching this.”

“Ha! Don’t worry. I think you’re safe. They don’t know you’re on the show yet. I doubt a bunch of Marines are crowded around a television set in Fallujah watching Dancing under the Stars. Isn’t Monday Night Football on? Aren’t we still at war?”

A director ran through the door. “Okay, everyone, five minute warning for the opening.”

A makeup girl started brushing Bret’s face with foundation as he winced.

A costume assistant eyed Bret suspiciously. “Do you think he’s stoned enough?” she asked Kendrick, the costume designer.

“Absolutely not. More stones. More stones!” Kendrick attacked Bret from behind with a bedazzler and shot him up with more rhinestones. Bret didn’t know whether to duck or cover.

“Are you nuts, Kendrick?” Bret yelled. “I already have fifteen thousand stones on this outfit.”

“Fifteen thousand and one, fifteen thousand and two…” Kendrick counted as he blinged Bret up. This guy didn’t mess around. Kendrick had already made sure Bret’s shirt was cut open because it was more flattering for “someone with Bret’s manly chest” after Bret had won his battle to keep his chest hair. Thoughtful guy, that Kendrick.

As Kendrick bedazzled him, Bret made sure to breathe.

Selena came over and rubbed his back. “Are you ready?”

“Not sure. This is serious. I don’t think I can go out there and humiliate myself.” His hand shook.

Selena rummaged behind the sofa, found her purse, and handed him a flask.

Bret took a gulp of whiskey, hoping it would calm him down.

She whispered in his ear. “You’ll be fine, babe. You won’t humiliate yourself. And before you know it, this season will be over and we can start our life together—away from the cameras.”

Bret pursed his lips until they turned white. But it wasn’t for himself. He prayed he wouldn’t screw up so he could get enough money for Pierce’s family. After all they had been through, even dancing dressed up like a peacock was worth it.

“Live, from Hollywood. It’s Dancing under the Stars,” the British voiceover said on the other side of the curtain like the Wizard of Oz. The audience screamed and clapped on cue.

“C’mon, soldier, suck it up,” Dima hissed.

“I’m a Marine, asshole.”

But Dima was right. This was no time to coddle. Bret was a pro, he could do this.

Dima shoved his partner ahead of Bret. The annoying theme song started playing and the pros marched out one by one with their partners. They all arrived on the floor and the camera panned across their beaming, nervous faces. Selena started bopping along to the music. Vika blew kisses at the audience. Robyn popped on her most beautiful smile. Bret stood up straight like he was in formation. It was show time.

The host, Matt Brinkman, was in all his glory. “This is our best year yet, with Olympic medalists, Grammy award winners, and reality and network television stars. And we also have a new professional dancer. Right now is your first chance to see our competitors. Now for our first dancer, Emmy winning television star Robyn Quintana.”

Bret presented Robyn to the audience to a roar of applause. “Robyn is the star of the long-running daytime soap Delicious Divas,” Brinkman said. “She’s won seven daytime Emmys. Robyn is paired with our newest professional dancer, American War Hero Bret Lord.”

American War Hero? Who wrote that? Bret’s cheeks flushed.

The overhead monitor cut to a clip of Bret and Robyn as the rest of the dancers scurried back to the red room to watch their montage and their performance.

“I’m Robyn Quintana and I’m the star of Delicious Divas. I’m also a wife and mother.” Her charm bounced off the TV screen. A montage of her television shows graced the screen.

“I’m Bret Lord and I’m a former amateur United States National Latin Champion. I’m currently a Staff Sergeant in the United States Marine Corps.” Bret looked at the screen and saw competition footage of him and Selena winning their championship, and then later on the road trip in the truck, talking about Pierce. A short segment played of his Marine unit, with Bret yelling at his men in formation. Bret had told his men that the cameramen were just filming a documentary about the Marines. The audience let out a collective gasp as the montage flashed a picture of Pierce’s funeral, his wife and young children walking behind the casket. A single tear threatened to slip from the corner of Bret’s eye, but the cameras were luckily not on him.

There it was. No more hiding. By morning, every member of his unit would know where he had disappeared to over the last few weeks.

Another clip showed the first time Bret and Robyn met in Tiburon.