Learning to Tango

by Louise Hall

  “If Ben decides to take the job in Hong Kong, would we sell both houses?” Ben and Erin’s house was part of their property.

  “I guess so.”

  CHAPTER 28

  “What are you doing?” Kian laughed. Cate was lying on her stomach on the floor of the lounge, holding up flashcards at Sierra.

  “Ugh,” Cate frowned. “I’m trying to figure out what the theme should be for our daughter’s first birthday party.”

  “And these are your options?” Kian flicked through the cards she’d discarded on the rug. “Pink and girly?”

  “She is a little girl.” Cate got to her feet and scooped Sierra up from the sofa. “I really wish I knew what you wanted for your birthday, baby girl. If it was Lola’s birthday, I could do a soccer-themed party or I could just let her loose in the bookstore. It if was Mats’ birthday, I could take him to the aquarium – he never gets bored there – or we could go over to the San Juan Islands and go whale watching.”

  “Why does it have to have a theme?” Kian asked, looking at the rest of the cards. “Orcas?”

  “She might be like Mats and love the water,” Cate frowned. “She was born here in Seattle.”

  Kian put his hands on Cate’s shoulders. “She’s one. Whatever you do, she’s not going to remember it.”

  “Thanks a lot,” Cate grumbled, wriggling out of his grasp. “I just want it to be perfect.”

  She settled Sierra in her highchair. “Can you call Lola and Mats; tea is almost ready?”

  “What dance are you doing this week?” Lola asked as she slid in to her seat at the dining table.

  “Quickstep,” Cate said, “so far, it’s very quick and it’s got lots of steps. I’ve got to go back to the gym after tea so Dad’s going to put you all to bed tonight.”

  “What was the best birthday party you’ve ever had?” Kian asked Lola.

  “Hm,” Lola thought really hard about it. “I liked my fourth birthday party when we had the bouncy castle.”

  “What did you like most about it?” Kian asked. “The bouncy castle?”

  Lola shook her head, “the bouncy castle was fun but my favourite bit was the cake that Auntie Liv made for me - it looked exactly like the Rovers Stadium.”

  “We’re trying to decide what to do for your sister’s first birthday party” Kian explained.

  “Why don’t you have it at the Taco Shack? Luke had his birthday party there and his mum said that it was brilliant because she didn’t have to clean up afterwards.”

  Kian laughed. “That’s not a bad idea?”

  Cate rolled her eyes, “you’re just saying that because you love their fish tacos. I’ll think about it.”

  After they’d finished eating, Cate drove back to the gym. “How’s my perfect ten?” Declan teased.

  “I feel more like a miserable two at the moment. It’s Sierra’s first birthday soon and I just can’t decide what to do for her party. I want it to be extra-special because I’ve spent so much time away from them while I’ve been doing Stepping Out.”

  “If you want, I can make the choreography easier this week? We can cut back on rehearsal time.”

  “No,” Cate shook her head. She’d made a commitment to Stepping Out and she didn’t want to let Declan or anybody else down. “Just ignore me, I’m feeling a bit mopey, that’s all.”

  They were dancing the Quickstep to “Tu Vua Fa L’Americano.” It had a 1950s theme with Declan playing an Italian waiter with slicked-back hair in a white vest and black trousers with a white apron while Cate played the classy lady who had mistakenly stumbled into his humble café.

  While she was driving to rehearsals on Wednesday morning, Cate spoke to Heidi. “Of course,” Heidi said enthusiastically. “We would love to host Sierra’s birthday here at the Taco Shack.”

  Despite Heidi’s exuberance, Cate still felt conflicted about having Sierra’s birthday at the Taco Shack. She chastised herself for being a snobby bitch but she couldn’t help wondering if it was enough for her daughter’s first birthday? This was the last first birthday party she was going to throw for any of her children. She was incredibly torn between wanting her children to experience all of the incredible things that Kian’s wealth and celebrity could provide for them with having the solid grounding of a relatively “normal” childhood.

  “That was awesome,” Declan high-fived Cate, “let’s take a quick break.”

  Cate slumped down with her back against the chilly mirror and unpeeled her banana. The camera crew were there again but she was too exhausted to worry about what she looked like. The Quickstep was most definitely kicking her ass; she was almost beginning to regret not taking Declan up on his offer to make the choreography easier this week. But Declan was such a talented, inventive choreographer and this would be his final season of Stepping Out in the U.S. Cate wanted him to go out on the highest high possible.

  She heard the door to the studio swing open. “Mama!”

  When she opened her eyes, Kian was there with Mateo and Sierra. “Oh my…” Cate struggled to her feet. “What are you guys doing here?”

  Mateo ran across the studio to give his mum a big hug. “Surprise,” he yelped.

  Kian chuckled. “I know you’ve been feeling really guilty about spending so much time away from the children so we thought we’d come down here and surprise you.”

  “You definitely did that,” Cate was choked with emotion. “Hey, baby girl.” She took Sierra from Kian.

  Sierra grabbed Cate’s ponytail in her little fist and gave it a sharp tug. “You like doing that, don’t you?” Cate laughed, flipping her ponytail over her shoulder, out of Sierra’s reach. “Maybe we could throw you a ponytail-themed birthday party? We could play pin the tail on the donkey?”

  “Do you want to see some of our Quickstep?” Declan asked.

  Cate handed Sierra back to Kian and he led Mateo across to the side of the dance floor. “We’d love to.”

  It was incredibly nerve-wracking dancing the Quickstep in front of Kian and the children but after they’d finished, she couldn’t mistake how proud they all were.

  The camera crew must have been in on the surprise because they’d given the three of them gold “10” paddles to hold up.

  While Kian hugged Cate, Declan held Sierra. “Are you going to be a dancer like your mummy when you grow up, Sierra?”

  “That would be really nice,” Cate laughed, feeling a thousand times better for seeing Kian, Mateo and Sierra. She kissed the top of her daughter’s head, “at least I’d know what theme to use for her birthday parties.”

  She turned to Declan, “whatever happens on Saturday night, I’d really like it if you’d come to Sierra’s birthday party.”

  “Of course, I’d love to come to your birthday party,” Declan pulled funny faces at Sierra, making her giggle.

  After Kian and the children left, Cate hugged Declan. “Thank you so much. I needed that.”

  Later that night, after the children had gone to bed, Cate wrapped herself up in the wedding quilt Sadie had made for them and curled up on the swing on the back porch. “Please tell me that you’re struggling this week too,” Annie pleaded.

  Cate laughed, “I’ve got the biggest blister on my left heel. Do you want to see it?”

  After they’d swapped photos of their war wounds, they talked about the dances they were doing this week. “Mickey and I are both Argentine Tango virgins,” Annie sighed, “and you know what happens when two virgins get together… nothing good! He’s never been in the competition long enough to do the Argentine Tango before. It’s definitely going to be more of an Arkansas hoedown – I feel just ridiculous rubbing my leg up his inner thigh.”

  “You’re an amazing dancer, Annie,” Cate tried to reassure her. “People are still talking about your jive.”

  “It’s one thing to be fun and bouncy, it’s quite another to be sultry and seductive. Your Rumba last week was so hot I felt like I was going through the menopause again. Please tell me your secret
.”

  Cate laughed, she couldn’t exactly admit to Annie that her secret weapon had been a butt plug. “I don’t know…I guess, I just pretended that instead of dancing the Rumba with Declan in front of a studio audience, I was dancing it with Kian in the privacy of our bedroom.”

  “That would be helpful,” Annie grumbled, “if I had a very sexy husband like yours but I can’t pretend I’m dancing the Argentine Tango with my husband. If I tried to slide my leg up his thigh, I’d end up covered in dust because he’d been working in the fields all day.”

  “OK, maybe not your husband then. Is there any celebrity you’ve got a little crush on? If my sister, Liv was doing it, she would definitely be thinking about the actor Michael Fassbender.”

  “I don’t think I’ve heard of him,” Annie mused. “I guess I could always think about Vladimir.”

  “Vladimir?” Cate coughed, “personality of a World War Two dictator?”

  “Mm,” Annie sighed, “but the body of an Adonis. You don’t see too many of those here in Arkansas.”

  “I’m sufficiently creeped out now,” Cate said. “I’ll see you on Friday in L.A.”

  CHAPTER 29

  “That visualisation trick you gave me worked a treat,” Annie giggled as she and Cate walked arm-in-arm through the corridors backstage to hand their costumes back to Hope and wash off the thick stage make-up. They had both just got through to the quarter-finals. “I was so convinced that it was Vladimir I was dancing the Argentine Tango with, I almost fainted when the music stopped and I realised it was Mickey. When he held me close towards the end and we did that spin thing, I could have sworn I felt a deliciously chiselled ab against my tummy.”

  Cate laughed, “perhaps Mickey has been secretly working out?”

  Annie shook her head, “If Mickey had a secret, believe me I’d know. We’re together twenty four seven right now. He’s living in our basement.”

  “OK,” Cate raised her eyebrows, “that sounds a little creepy.”

  “Our town is so small that it’s only got one bed and breakfast and it’s been temporarily closed down because of a bedbug infestation,” Annie explained. Ugh, just the word “bedbug” made them both inexplicably itch. “Mickey might not be Vladimir but just knowing that there’s going to be a hunky guy at my breakfast table makes it so much easier to get up in the morning.”

  Cate giggled, “I’ll see you next week.”

  Outside the studio, there was a car waiting to take her to the airport. “No Mr Warner?” it was the same driver from last week.

  Cate shook her head, “it’s just me.”

  She climbed in to the backseat, being careful to securely fasten her seatbelt after their almost-accident last week. As the engine revved, Cate felt a tight squeeze of anxiety in her stomach. To calm herself down, she switched on her phone and checked the MLS scores. Seattle F.C. had their penultimate match of the regular season tonight, which was why Kian hadn’t travelled with her to L.A. They had been playing the Vancouver Whitecaps at home. She really hated missing home games, especially because Kian was considering retiring at the end of the season. She’d checked her phone in between filming the two shows and the score had been 0-0. Wow, she felt a huge rush of relief when she saw that Seattle F.C. had ended up winning the match 2-1. It gave them a really good chance, with only one match left to play, of finishing second in the Western Conference.

  She settled back in her seat and switched on Skype on her phone. “Hey!” Kian said. Even though they’d only been apart for two days and she would be seeing him again in a couple of hours, she still missed him far too much. He was finishing the washing up and so he propped his phone up on the window ledge so that they could talk. Lola had been at the match today; Lena, the wife of one of Kian’s team-mates had a daughter of a similar age and so she’d volunteered to watch her.

  “I should have been there,” Cate frowned. She was so unbelievably proud of Kian.

  “You’ll be there at the final wearing my shirt.” Kian had joked many times that if Seattle F.C. won the MLS Cup this year, he was going to drag Cate out on the pitch with him.

  Cate laughed, “if you get to the final, we’ll see.”

  They chatted about the match and Cate relaxed enough that she could almost forget about last week’s near-accident.

  The car bumped over a pothole and Cate quickly dropped her phone into her lap and tightly gripped the door handle. “Angel,” Kian’s voice sounded really loud in the quiet car, “are you OK?”

  “Yes,” her voice was shaky. She picked up her phone. “We just went over a pothole, that’s all.”

  “Are you sure? You sound really freaked, angel.”

  “No, I’m OK. I just really wish you were here.”

  “Is the privacy screen up?”

  “Um, yes?”

  “We could have phone sex – a couple of orgasms would definitely stop you worrying about what happened last week?”

  Cate shook her head, “after what happened to Ruby and Nico, we are not having sex with any electronic devices.”

  “Not even that remote control vibrator?” Kian teased, making Cate blush crimson.

  He laughed, “I’ll pick you up from the airport.”

  “It’s OK. My flight gets in really late and you must be exhausted, you had a big game tonight.”

  “No arguments,” Kian said firmly. “I want to.”

  “OK,” Cate conceded, “that’s really sweet of you.” There was nothing lonelier than walking through the arrivals doors at the airport and knowing that there was nobody there to meet you.

  “So…” Kian said, “are you ever going to tell me how you did tonight?”

  “I don’t want to spoil the surprise,” Cate said, “I’ll tell you after you’ve watched the show.”

  “Or you could tell me now… since I watched the show when I got back from the match.”

  Cate raised an eyebrow, “all of it?”

  Kian raised his soapy hands, “OK, maybe not all of it. I had to get the kids ready for bed but I watched your Quickstep and your friend Annie’s Argentine Tango. Your bottom looked incredible in that orange dress.”

  “Stop!” Cate admonished but she had to bite the inside of her cheek to keep from laughing.

  “I’m only telling the truth,” Kian grinned.

  “I got through to next week,” Cate admitted. “Annie and I, we’re both in the quarter finals.”

  Kian punched the air, “that’s fantastic. We’re so proud of you, angel.”

  “I know,” Cate said, feeling a surge of lovely warmth in her veins. She looked out of the car window and regretfully they were almost at the airport. “I’d better go.”

  “I love you,” Kian said, “get that sexy ass of yours home safely and I’ll see you at the airport.”

  “I love you too,” Cate smiled, “drive safe.”

  “Thanks Guillermo,” she said gratefully to the driver as he handed Cate her small overnight bag.

  “Will I see you next week?” he enquired with a twinkle in his eye. He knew Cate wasn’t allowed to say anything about who had been voted off Stepping Out until after the show was broadcast tomorrow night.

  “I guess we’ll see tomorrow,” Cate shrugged. “Did you and your wife like those chocolate cherries?”

  “I didn’t get a look in,” Guillermo mock-grumbled, “she said they were far too good for me.”

  “If I’m back next week,” Cate laughed, “I’ll get you a bag of your own.”

  After she’d checked in for her flight, she walked through the quiet terminal which was gradually becoming like a second home. Because it was so late, most of the kiosks had already closed for the night. Her stomach grumbled loudly – she hadn’t had anything to eat since lunchtime. She made her way towards the falafel stand at the end of the concourse which was always open and got her favourite falafel, hummus and vegetable wrap. It might have cost less than five dollars from an airport kiosk but it was one of the yummiest things she’d ever tasted. She too
k a big bite and savoured all the delicious flavours from the spicy falafel and creamy hummus to the fresh, tangy tomatoes hitting the insides of her mouth. Hummus trickled down her chin and she quickly wiped it away, although she was the only passenger in this part of the building.

  It was really strange to think that there were only three weeks left of Stepping Out.

  CHAPTER 30

  “Would it be possible…?” Cate paced back and forth in the quiet studio. The camera crew weren’t there which she was eternally grateful for because they could easily twist the request she was about to make into yet more evidence that she was an out of control diva. She hated asking for favours. Thanks to her biological father, she wasn’t good with the possibility of rejection. “I know it’s really bad timing because we’ve got two dances to learn this week but I was wondering if there’s any chance…”

  “Geez Cate,” Declan scowled, “whatever it is, would you just spit it out already? You’re making me really nervous.”

  “I’m sorry,” Cate said quickly. “It’s just that my sister, Ruby is coming to Seattle for a visit. Her flight gets in this afternoon and I was kind of hoping to meet her at the airport. She’s been through a really rough time and we were all going to go; me, Mats and Sierra, Liv and Sofia. Lola has made her this huge, sparkly banner – it’s kind of embarrassing and adorable all at the same time. We just want to make her feel really welcome here, you know?”

  Declan looked like he was thinking about it and Cate felt like her heart was beating out of her chest.

  “As soon as she’s settled, I’ll come straight back to the studio, I promise. I’ll even sleep here if that’s what it takes.”

  Declan laughed, “I’m not Vladimir, of course I’m not going to make you sleep here.”

  As she ran out of the studio with a peanut butter and banana sandwich wedged in her mouth, she tried in vain to stop her coat from flapping open because underneath she was only wearing the vest and yoga pants she’d worn to dance in and it was that kind of really bitter cold that made your lungs hurt when you tried to breathe.