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The emcee hopped on the stage, introduced himself, and welcomed us to the cruise. We listened to his spiel while the servers brought around drinks, and I desperately wanted him to stop talking so I could get back to my cubs. But when he finished with an introduction to a band and some dancers, my attention suddenly locked onto the stage like a heat-seeking missile.
Dancers? Were they any good? As good as me?Betterthan me?
“Oh! Dancing, Alice!” Doris leaned over and squeezed my thigh. “Bet you want to get up there, don’t you?”
My heart said yes. Oh, God, please, yes. Let me on that stage. Nothing made my soul sing louder than dancing in front of a crowd. But my body ... my aching, aging body begged me to keep my toned ass glued to the chair.
I just smiled at Doris and watched the dancers filing out, critiquing them in my mind and noting that though they were decades younger than me, I could dance circles around each one of them.
“They ain’t as good as you,” Marge whispered.
I turned to her, waiting for the snarky comment that usually followed, but saw nothing but her eyes glued to the stage.
“Thank you, Marge.”
“I’ve seen you dance enough that I know you could whoop any of these little snot-nosed baby dancers up there. You should get up there and show them what you’ve got.”
A tight purse of my lips contained the smile I wanted to beam. “Well, obviously, but I’m not going to just get up on stage and start dancing.”
Sylvie grinned. “Why not? We did it last year, and look how well that turned out.”
Laughing, I shook my head. “Indeed, it did turn out splendid. But stealing the stage was a one-time thing. Now, I’m a renowned dancer of my own accord, and I no longer need to steal the stage. People beg me to dance on it.”
“You’re a dancer?” Eliot, my cub with the soft, wavy brown hair asked, leaning forward. “Get out of town.”
Pride pushed my chin higher. “Yes. I’m the star of my own show. The Las Vegas hit,Gammy.I’m a showgirl.”
It had been almost a year since my show had debuted, and it never got old saying those words out loud.
The star of my own show.
It may have taken fifty years longer than I expected to own those words, but I did. And nothing in my life felt more valuable than my ability to say them.
“Wow! Freaking awesome.” He grinned a toothy smile. “I sure would love to see you dance.”
“Me too,” John agreed. “I’d really love to see your ... moves.”
The thinly veiled sexual innuendo didn’t go unnoticed, and I twitched a painted red lip in a smirk. “I bet you would.”
“I want to see the show too,” Alec said, stealing my attention from John.
I glanced back at the stage, and though my feet still throbbed with the pain that seemed unrelenting these days, my heart whispered at them to be quiet and let me back up on that stage where I belonged.
“Maybe I’ll just let the emcee know that I’m here on this cruise, and if they want me to put on a quick show, I can. I mean, it won’t be like my shows in Vegas with the costumes, lights, and choreography, but I’m sure I can throw something together that’s better than this.” I waved a hand at the girls dancing behind me.
“I think that’s a great idea!” Doris clapped her hands. “I do love watching you dance.”
“Do it,” Sylvie agreed. “Go talk to him.”
With all the eyes at the table encouraging me on, I tipped my head in a quick nod and excused myself. Having an impromptu dance on the stage would be an excellent way to set myself apart from the other cougars out hunting for cubs. I could wow them all in one fell swoop and obliterate my competition.
I glanced at Jessica Rabbit.Look out, hussy. You may be younger, but I’m the one they’ll all be clamoring to.
When I got to the emcee, I extended my hand and introduced myself. The moment he heard my stage name, his eyes lit up.
“You’re Gammy? Oh, man! What a treat! We all saw you a few months ago during a company outing in Las Vegas. Wow! I can’t believe you’re here on this cruise. You truly are a talent.”
I dipped my chin in a modest nod. “Thank you. I appreciate the kind words. And I just wanted to let you know that if you would like me to do a little showcase during the trip, I would love to hop up on stage for a few spins. I’m barely away from my own show and already itching to get back up there.”
