Easy Rumba

by Edwards, Anna

  The last few bars of the music play, and Elise presses in close to me. Her eyes are captured in mine, and her pupils are dilated. I can see the sexual tension within her. She’s smoldering with need, but the only satisfaction I can give her at the moment is a good score.

  We finish the dance, and the audience erupts. Everyone is on their feet, clapping and cheering. I’ve never heard anything like it in all my years of dancing. I look at the judges, and they are all on their feet as well. I know instantly we’ve done amazingly.

  “Oh, my God.” Elise keeps holding on tightly to me. “Thank you,” she says to the entire audience rather than anyone in particular. “Thank you.”

  We make our way over to Vanessa and stand there waiting for the judges’ feedback. Elise is still gripping my hand tightly.

  Sharon sits back down before speaking first.

  “That was simply stunning. The hairs on my arms are standing up. I’m crying—it was so beautiful. The emotion between you both, and the perfect moves and steps. Leo, I can tell you’ve worked Elise hard this week, and it’s paid off. I’ll be watching that performance on video again and again later. There’s no way you’ll not be going through to the next show.”

  She gets to her feet once more and gives us another round of applause. Elise looks up at me, and I’m desperate to kiss her on the top of her head, but I know I have to refrain. I just squeeze her tighter and wonder if Gabby will have Izzy to sleep over tonight.

  Elton is up next, his praise is similar to Sharon’s with another standing ovation, and I shut my eyes when it’s Denzel’s turn until Elise gasps, and I open my eyes quickly. Denzel is on his feet, clapping his hands.

  “I’ve no words. That was the best rumba I’ve ever seen in all my years on this show. Fabulous.”

  The audience erupts into cheers and shouts. I’d like to think we could get a perfect score tonight, but I have to be realistic. Denzel has never given a ten before the final in all his years on the show.

  Vanessa sends us to the backroom where all the other dancers and celebrities are cheering our name. Angelique grabs me and whispers her own congratulations before the second host, Chris, calls us forward for another quick chat. I don’t really hear what Elise is saying. I don’t know what I’m saying to be honest. My heart is beating so fast with anticipation. Eventually Chris announces the scores are ready.

  Denzel is up first.

  It seems to take forever for him to raise his paddle.

  I breathe deeply.

  My palms sweat.

  I’m a mess, and all because of a dance.

  TEN

  It really does say it, doesn’t it?

  Everyone around me goes crazy—the judges, the audience, the hosts, my fellow dancers, and celebrities. It’s amazing. I’ve won a lot of competitions, but getting a thirty on this dance with Elise is the best feeling in the world.

  Shit.

  Did we get tens from the other judges too?

  I come back down to Earth for a brief moment to check.

  We did.

  Phew.

  I go crazy, swinging Elise around in the air as she squeals with delight. Eventually, Chris calms us down enough so he can announce the phone lines are open for voting, and the show ends.

  The congratulations continue, but the only thought I have on my mind is getting Elise alone and sinking deep inside her. It won’t happen anytime soon, though. We need to pre-record the results show, and then there is Izzy. Thankfully, the rest of the evening passes quickly. We get through to the next show, Gabby offers to have Izzy for the night, and I get my time alone with Elise.

  Life is bliss.

  What could possibly go wrong?

  Chapter 19

  Elise

  “Izzy, dinner will be in five minutes,” I shout out as I scoot past Leo, who’s opening a bottle of wine. We’ve earned it today. Jive is probably the hardest dance I’ve ever done. It’s been a couple weeks since we got the thirty, and a small mishap with my footing last week led to a twenty-nine for the Viennese waltz. Part of me was devastated as I loved that dance and the song that accompanied it. But as Leo said, you have to brush these things off and move onto the next one. At least I get to show a bit more of my mad side this week. We’re dressing up in eighties clothing for Elton John’s, ‘I’m Still Standing’. It’s fun, but as I said before, exhausting. I swear my legs are about to fall off they hurt so much.

  “Here you are.” Leo hands me the glass, and I take a sip.

  “Perfect. Thank you.”

  “What are we eating tonight?”

  “Nothing special, biscuits and gravy. I fancied something filling.”

  “I can go with that. I’ll give you a workout later to get rid of the calories.” Leo winks at me.

  “Seriously, I’ve been thoroughly worked out all day.” I wave him away with the gravy spoon.

  “I didn’t mean a dance workout.”

  My cheeks heat. Even though we told Izzy about our relationship on the night of the rumba dance, we’re still keeping it quiet from everyone else as we don’t want to share it yet. However, Leo is staying over a lot, so I’m sure the press will discover it soon enough. All I care about is whether Izzy is happy with Leo being here, and she’s told me she loves it.

  “I swear you have a one track mind,” I tease Leo.

  “I told you I have a lot of lost time to make up for.”

  Shaking my head, I ignore him and dish up our meal.

  “Izzy, dinner, come and wash your hands.”

  A few seconds later, my daughter walks in through the kitchen door. She looks confused.

  “What’s wrong?” I ask while placing her and Leo’s plates on the table.

  “Why is Dad…Simon on the television?”

  It’s her choice not to call her father, Daddy, and normally she’s fine with it, but when I look more closely at her, she’s shaking. Leo places his glass of wine down on the table and heads into the lounge while I comfort my daughter.

  “Izzy, what’s wrong?”

  “Elise! Get in here,” Leo shouts, and holding Izzy’s hand tightly, I rush into the lounge.

  I’m shaking now, the hairs on my body standing up on end. What has Simon done now?

  Leo looks at me as I walk into the room. He’s lost all the color from his face. He points toward the TV, and my eyes look to see Simon there on the screen, but it’s the man next to him who captures my attention more. He’s not a man I’ve seen in a long time, but his features are distinctly similar to Leo’s. Mainly because they are father and son.

  “Mr. Westwood. Please can you explain in detail what you saw that night?” An interviewer asks. I think it’s one of the news channels. Izzy has been watching them a lot lately as part of a school project about news events.

  Leo’s father, Tony, looks toward Simon and then back to the interviewer.

  “It was horrible, Bill. I still can’t get the sight out of my mind. My wife and my best friend were in bed together. Having sex while my son slept in the next room.”

  I should be covering Izzy’s ears and removing her from the room, but I’m too stunned at what I’m hearing. Leo slumps down onto the nearest chair.

  “Can I just clarify for the audience—your wife is Sofia Westwood, and you are both the parents of the professional dancer and man of the moment, Leo Westwood,” the interviewer continues.

  “Yes, that’s correct. Although I have to question whether he’s even my son after what I saw that day. Looking at him you can tell he’s Spanish, but I don’t think he looks anything like me,” Leo’s father continues, and I lead Izzy to the chair next to Leo, and sitting down, I take his hand.

  “I’m sure that’s a point we can discuss later, but for now, let’s establish the facts. Can you give me more details on your best friend?”

  “Yes, we were inseparable in high school. We went on our first double dates together. He was like a brother to me. I was his best man at his wedding and vice versa. Our children grew up togethe
r.”

  A sickening feeling hits me.

  I grab the television remote and pause it. “Izzy, why don’t you go back in the kitchen and get some food.”

  “What’s happening, Mama?”

  “Nothing you need to worry about. Leo and I’ll watch this and then come and join you.”

  “Ok.” Izzy disappears into the kitchen, and I press play again.

  “Robert Landry was my best friend, and the father of Elise Landry. I couldn’t believe it. I left that day, and because of my wife and her lies, I’ve been prevented from seeing my son ever since. I don’t even know what she’s told him about me. Whenever I’ve tried to call him, he won’t answer.”

  “Liar,” Leo snarls and wraps his fingers around my hand, holding tightly onto it.

  “That must be devastating for you. But, Mr. French, how did you come to be involved in this?” the interviewer now turns to Simon.

  “Because it’s like father, like son. I want the world to know the truth about Leo Westwood—he’s a marriage wrecker. He and Elise may tell everyone they lost contact after school until they were reunited on the dance show, but it’s all lies. Everything they say is lies. Leo Westwood and my wife were having an affair behind my back. They took my daughter away from me, and I’ve not been able to see her in a whole year. I’m livid they can get away with this sort of behavior.”

  The bottom falls out of my world. I can’t believe what I’m hearing.

  It can’t be real.

  I use my free hand to pinch myself. It hurts—so this isn’t a dream. I’m wide awake and actually seeing this. Somewhere in the house, I can hear my mobile ringing. A few seconds later, the house phone starts at the same time as Leo’s mobile goes off.

  “Leo Westwood takes after his mother, and Elise follows her father. Both are philanderers, and I’m going to do everything I can to get my daughter away from them. That’s why I agreed to this interview. I want the world to know all about them.”

  Leo’s chest heaves, and his eyes have blackened to the color of the sky at night. Pulling his hand free from mine, he gets to his feet and turns the television off. The room is now silent apart from the sound of phones ringing and our increased breaths.

  “Who the fuck does he think he is?”

  “Which one?” I respond, but the question is rhetorical. Both men are equally despicable in my eyes at the moment.

  “My father,” Leo spits the word out like it’s a piece of rotten apple. “How dare he say those things about my mamá.” Leo’s fists are clenched tightly. “How dare Simon say those things about you. You’d never cheat on him. He’s a good-for-nothing liar and abuser.”

  “He’s trying to punish me for putting myself back in the spotlight. He wants to destroy me.”

  “He wants to destroy us both.”

  I fall silent, my head drops down, and I stare unfocused into my lap.

  “I’ll withdraw from the show.” Words I don’t want to say emerge from my lips.

  I love dancing with Leo, and I shouldn’t have to give it up. We’ve done nothing wrong. I was faithful my entire marriage, which is something I’ve never been entirely certain Simon was.

  “It’s gone too far for that.” Leo comes and kneels in front of me. I can tell he’s still suppressing the anger burning inside him. “Elise, you have to reveal the truth. Tell the world what he did to you. It might be the only way we can stop the storm that’s about to hit us.”

  I raise my hands up to my ears and cover them. Even though I know Leo is making sense, I can’t. I can’t relive what happened, and I can’t risk breaching the contract I signed. I’m in trouble whatever I do, and Izzy has to be my main priority. I have to take care of her.

  Lowering my hands again, I look directly at Leo.

  “I can’t. I can’t risk breaking the contract I signed.” Tears form in my eyes. “But most of all, I can’t stand the thought of reliving what he did to me. Having to admit how weak I was, allowing it to happen again and again. I’ll never recover from that, Leo.”

  He pulls me close to him.

  “I’ll be by your side the entire time.”

  I’m fully crying now.

  “I can’t, please. We’ve got to find another way. Don’t make me do this. I won’t survive it. It’s why I signed the contract so freely because it allowed me to move on and forget it.”

  “None of it was your fault, Elise. Don’t hide away, because you think it was.”

  “I’m not. I just don’t want Izzy to see me as weak.”

  Leo goes to open his mouth and persuade me some more when a noise from the kitchen doorway distracts us both. Izzy is standing there, staring at us.

  “Mama?” I turn my head away and quickly wipe the tears from my eyes. “Has Simon said something to upset you?”

  “No, Izzy, I’m fine.” I try to keep my voice strong.

  “I think your mama is just tired from all the dancing.” Leo kisses the top of my head and stands up. “Have you finished your dinner?”

  “Yes, Mr. Leo.”

  “Good girl. Now, why don’t you go and get your pajamas on, and your mama can do the same. I’ll tidy up, and then we can all settle down for a movie night. We’ll worry about the outside world tomorrow. But tonight, we can get lost in the latest Avengers film. What do you say to that?” Leo moves around the room as he speaks, putting the phones on silent. He gets to the house phone and pulls it from the wall.

  “Yes, please.” Izzy jumps up and down before running to her room.

  “What if my mama phones?” I question, suddenly worried she’s seen the interview.

  “Call her while you’re changing but only her.”

  Leo brings my phone over to me as I stand up from the sofa.

  “Tell me it’s going to be okay, Leo.” I plead.

  “It’s going to be okay.”

  Leo kisses me on the lips and pushes me toward my bedroom. But before I disappear from the lounge, I take one final look at him for reassurance. It doesn’t come, though, when I see his figure slumped in defeat.

  Chapter 20

  Leo

  The next few days pass in a flurry of meetings with various different press people and lawyers. My father is sticking by his words and has sold his story to anyone who’ll listen. I’ve tried to speak to my mamá about it, but she’s not been answering her phone. I called one of her neighbors to check on her, but they phoned back saying she didn’t want to be disturbed at present because the lies had hurt her too badly. My mamá hasn’t exactly been known for her good mental health in the past, and I don’t want to push things with her, so I asked the neighbor to keep an eye on her.

  On the day of the live show things get even worse. The fantastic jive we’ve been practicing falls apart not just in rehearsal but during the actual performance as well. We come in the bottom two after a score of twenty-four, but the judge who made the final decision saved us over the other couple.

  Thankfully, the cast of the show are supporting us. It’s been made known that although we are now in a relationship, Elise and I were not, as Simon suggests, having an affair while she was married. A part of me wants to leave the show and hide Elise away from the limelight. Maybe she’s right. If she quits, then Simon might leave us alone. I can’t bring myself to let her do it, though. He’s nothing but an abusive bully, and this is another one of his tactics to destroy Elise because she’s better than him.

  “Mama, the public are poopy,” Izzy cries as she runs toward Elise.

  The look of upset on her face has me clutching at my chest in disappointment for her. It must be hard seeing her mama put in this position. I know it’s the reality of the show, but Izzy isn’t stupid—she’s seen the news reports and heard our whispered conversations over the last few days. She knows there’s more at stake here than winning a dance contest.

  “Isabella French, you go wash your mouth out,” Elise admonishes her, not forcefully, though. It’s actually quite funny.

  “Sorry, Mama,” Izzy re
plies. “But you taught me to always tell the truth.”

  I can’t help laughing at Izzy’s comment. She has her mama dead to rights there.

  “Cheeky, but I love you for it. Why don’t we get changed and go home? It’s getting late.”

  Elise pulls Izzy into her arms. I just stand there smiling at them both.

  “Another reason you’re a bad mother.” The deep timbered voice comes from somewhere near the stage. There are a lot of people milling around, so it takes a few seconds for me to locate its owner. The second I do, I step in front of Elise and Izzy. Rhys and Sam, who’d accompanied Gabby and Izzy in the audience, do the same. Leah is standing to the side of the stage, talking with a few executives.

  “Leah, call security.”

  Simon smirks as he stops in front of me. He’s accompanied by four cops.

  “It’s okay, Leo. I brought my own protection. You don’t need to be concerned about my safety,” the smug actor retorts.

  “Believe me, I wasn’t. I was thinking of the quickest way I could get you removed from the building.”

  “Don’t worry. I’m not hanging around.” He tries to step around me to talk to Elise, but I stand in the way.

  I shake my head,

  “Not happening, you don’t get to talk to Elise. Leave now.”

  Leah must have already called security because several large men in suits arrive. One of the police officers with Simon steps aside to talk to them while a number of the male professional dancers come and stand beside us as well. Another one of the policemen steps forward.

  “Ms. Landry, is there somewhere a little more private we could talk.”

  I don’t allow Elise to respond. I’m too quick with my own answer.

  “Anything can be said here in front of witnesses. Mr. French is not allowed anywhere on his own with Miss Landry.”