Singer - 25. Last Dance

“You look exhausted.” The hairstylist draped a cape over Chipper’s shoulders the moment he sat on the chair.

“I’m drained!” Minutes after leaving the stage, he was getting ready for his final performance. This time, he had the third position on the rotation, giving him a bit more time between sets. “That damn song’s beautiful but emotional as fuck. Ooops, pardon my French.”

“Yeah, right. Like I haven’t heard worse.” The man removed the band holding the hair and ran his fingers through the dark strands cascading to Chipper’s shoulders. “You still want to wear it loose?”

“Yeah! Just brush it out. I want it to bounce around whenever I move.”

“Oh, god! You’re such a queen. You sound just like my boyfriend when we go out dancing.”

Once the protective cape was lifted, Chipper stripped off his shirt and replaced it with a black leather motorcycle jacket over the white tank-top. “Damn, this thing’s flimsy. As soon as I have some money I’m splurging on a real one.” He was thinking of the classic Perfecto made famous by several artists and owned by some of his biker friends.

“I’m surprised you don’t have one. Didn’t you say you ride motorcycles?” The wardrobe coordinator took a step back and signaled for Chipper to turn in place.

“I have the license, but I don’t own a bike. One of these days.”

“Well, you look the part. Let’s keep the jacket open so people can see the wife beater underneath. The girls are gonna scream their heads off. You sure you want to wear sneakers and not the motorcycle boots?”

“Yeah…” He had chosen to wear a pair of adidas Marvel’s Black Panther basketball shoes. “I’m not used to dancing in boots. The sneakers will be easier to move around in.”

“Why did you choose a Maroon 5 song for your blind audition?” Carson sat in an armchair facing the couch shared by Chipper and Adam.

“Duh! I wanted to impress Mr. Levine here.” He shoulder bumped his coach, who ruffled his hair. “He was my first choice. Alicia was second. Once Adam’s chair turned, I knew who I’d end up with.”

“You also performed one of Alicia’s hits. That was pretty ballsy.” The interview with Carson would air prior to Chipper’s final appearance.

“To be honest, that was one of the easiest choices. I love the song, I knew it by heart, and I’d done it before. Hell, the first time I sang it in public was on a train ride from DC to New York. We had close to a dozen friends traveling together and I ended up singing for them and a bunch of strangers.”

“Speaking of those cities, are you headed back East any time soon? What are your plans after the show’s over?”

“I’m having a few cocktails and since it’s legal in California, smoking a doobie.” Levine shook his head while Daly offered a fist bump. “No, seriously, I’m staying in Cali for a few days. My mom’s in the wine business and we’re visiting a couple of wineries together. Then we’re flying to New York for a little family time with my sister and niece.”

“Are you spending the Holidays in the City?”

“Not this year. I have to be in the DC area for the Marine Corps Christmas Ball. Christmas itself I’ll be in Tampa with my dad and my sister. Then I’ll head back to Washington for New Year’s”

“You sound excited about that.”

“I am! You’ve all heard me talk about The Squad. My two best buds will be in Australia for Christmas, but they’ll be back home in time to throw a party on the thirty-first. It’ll be the first time we’ll all be together since spring. I love those guys. They helped me out when I was struggling with family issues and moving from New York. We’ll be tight the rest of our lives.”

“What about professionally?”

“I’ll be back in California in late January. Hopefully working on my first album.”

Chipper plucked the opening of the song on an acoustic guitar. The audience appeared to recognize and approve of his choice; applause erupted before he sang the first note. As he did, the band gradually joined in.

Since his first two songs were ballads, he selected Shawn Mendes’ “There’s Nothing Holdin’ Me Back” for his final appearance. The choice also continued the pattern of alternating slow and fast numbers. He wanted to end with a high-energy performance that would have people dancing in their seats and itching to vote for him.

Wearing a Madonna microphone headpiece while strumming his guitar, Chipper sang the opening verse and first chorus standing in front of the band. When they took over for an instrumental bridge, he placed the guitar on a stand and moved toward the front of the stage.

As he began the second verse, the same dancer he had twirled around the stage during the semifinals catwalked from one end to the other. When she passed by him, they exchanged suggestive glances before he dramatically lifted a foot and followed.

It was now a cat and mouse game with Chipper singing to her, and the woman teasing him. She echoed the lyrics by pulling in and out of his personal space. Finally, as he finished the second verse and again launched into the chorus, Chipper reached for her.

What followed was a tight choreography of high kicks, twirls, and dips that evaporated when the tempo slowed down. At that point, Chipper swayed in place and sang to her. The pattern repeated through several iterations until the song was nearly over. That was when the dancer faded into the background, and Chipper faced the judges and audience.

The moment the performance ended, Carson came on stage. They waited until the audience quieted before the host was able to speak. “That was your last dance on The Voice stage this season, Chipper. Let’s see what the coaches have to say.”