"WHAT?" Sara gasped.

She felt a hand encircle her wrist. Her head snapped around.

"Come on, you'll have a blast," Anita said.

The cameraman pushed the camera lens close to Sara's face. "Try to relax, Hun. You look terrified," the cameraman said. "Just put on a show. That's what we're all here for, right?"

Sara forced herself to smile. She tried to see Ella, but it seemed the other girl was conveniently nowhere to be found!

Bentley was trying as hard as possible to conceal the smile on his face. "Soooo. You and me?" he whispered. He placed a warm hand on her lower back.

Her eyes blurred at his gentle touch. "It should be you and Ella!" Sara said.

Bentley shook his head. "Do you see her anywhere?" he asked.

Sara frowned.

He grinned, knowingly, and guided her away from the balcony. They followed Anita and the cameraman down the flight of stairs.

Sara could feel the blood draining down to her toes. But what she couldn't fathom was having to hold Bentley's hand in public.

"Right this way," the cameraman said. He opened one of the double doors on the first level.

As Sara and Bentley stepped into the room, the crowd EXPLODED INTO CHEERS.

Sara almost covered her ears with her hands, but Bentley held her hands down.

"Act normal," he said, laughing. He craned his neck back to a guy standing behind him. "Hey, man. Grab me a mask, will you?"

Sara raised an eyebrow at him as she stepped onto the hard floor of the stage. "Why do you get to wear a mask and not me?" she asked.

"I want people to focus only on you," Bentley said.

The production assistant handed him a mask.

Bentley slipped it on, over his face. The only thing visible on him now were his luscious lips. And that wasn't what she wanted to be staring at on national television.

"Welcome, welcome!" the manager called. He clapped his hands excitedly. "We've found our young couple. They are CRAZY IN LOVE with each other!"

Sara wished she had a mask too. She was pretty certain her face was bright red with humiliation.

Bentley shook the manager's hand.

Sara did the same.

"We're a couple in love," Bentley said. She could see his mouth twitching at the corners.

The manager raised his arms in the air. "Excellent, excellent!" he called. It seemed he liked to repeat himself.

The dancers, Betty and Henrique, came up to introduce themselves. "Happy to have you," they both said, shaking Sara's hand and then Bentley's.

Sara quickly whispered to Betty. "I don't remember this show ever inviting members of the audience to dance on stage," she said.

Betty nodded her head. She had bright brown eyes and flowing, braided hair. "You're VIP. Besides, the people who run the show appreciate new sponsors. Show us what you've got!"

The manager spun Sara back around, away from Betty. "What a magnificent dress, young lady. This is perfect. Just perfect." He clicked his fingers. "Angle in on this dress for ten seconds. I want the full view."

Sara couldn't help it. She burst out laughing as the cameraman dropped down and slowly panned the camera up from her heels to her shoulders.

"This is SO embarrassing," Sara mumbled to Bentley.

He squeezed her hand. "You bought the dress," he snickered.

"Now, foxtrot, please!" the manager called, clapping his hands together. "Show us chemistry...LOTS of chemistry. We WANT to feel your PASSION!"