Easy Rumba

by Edwards, Anna

  “Little man? I think you need to take a look in the mirror. Elise is no longer your wife, and you signed all rights away to Izzy. So get out and leave them the fuck alone.” My words leave no room for discussion. I’m done speaking to him. He’s an abusive, stuck up asshole with far too much self-importance. It’s a waste of my time trying to talk to him. He won’t listen to me.

  Simon steps back and folds his arms across his chest.

  “You seem to know a lot about me. Far too much for just a dance partner. Whatever Elise has been telling you is all lies. She has an illness, and she needs help.” I bend down and pick up my bag before barging past him. I’m not going to listen to anything else he has to say. “My daughter is in danger, and what you’re doing is making it worse. You need to throw the dance this weekend and get her chucked out of the show. Then I can get my wife the help she needs,” Simon continues to shout at me as I walk down the corridor. His footsteps hurrying to keep up with me. “She hits our daughter. Do you want to be responsible for Elise harming her?”

  I slam to a halt. Rage boils within me. I need to calm down.

  Be sensible, Leo.

  He’s doing this on purpose.

  You know Elise.

  You don’t doubt her for one minute.

  If you reveal that you know about his abusive behavior, Elise could lose Izzy.

  I’m almost at the main door to the building when I turn around slowly and drop my bag back down on the floor.

  “You know what. Elise wouldn’t harm a single hair on Izzy’s head. I’ve seen them interact together, and they worship each other. You, on the other hand, I’ve serious doubts about. I’m not convinced you’re anything but an asshole. You’ve just proved to me you’re a liar who can’t leave his ex-wife alone. I know Elise a lot better than you because I grew up with her. I knew her for eighteen years, and despite a period of time apart, during which you somehow managed to destroy her confidence, she hasn’t changed at all. She hates lying and if she does feel the need to lie, she starts playing with her hair. She’s always been the same. She twists the strands around her fingers because she’s too honest and doesn’t like having to deceive anyone. I bet she did it loads around you just to keep you happy. Now, I’m telling you one final time to leave, or I’ll call the police and have you charged with trespassing. This is not a public studio. It’s open only to those who’ve rented it, so unless you’ve got a booking, get out!”

  Maybe I let my temper loose a little bit too much, but I’m seriously pissed he would even dare to suggest Elise could hit Izzy. Her heart is the biggest I know, and she’s passed that overwhelming kindness onto her daughter.

  My hands are shaking now. I’m on the verge of losing it, and I know I can’t. Simon is the sort of man who’ll twist it around for his benefit. He mustn’t know Elise has told me about how he abused her. I need to stay calm. I’ve said my piece. I just need him to leave.

  “Idiot. You’re a complete fool to believe anything that bitch says. She doesn’t like sharing the limelight as you’ll see soon enough. She’ll eclipse you on this show, and you’ll lose everything. That’s what she was trying to do to me. She may be an Oscar nominated actress, but the truth is she’s a nobody from nowhere with no discernible talent at all. She only made it famous because she married me. I’m the real star, and I’ll prove it when I see her rotting back down in the gutter where she came from.” Simon leans into me. The heavy scent of too much aftershave wafts in my nose—it distracts me from the rage threatening to erupt in the form of a punch, which would no doubt shatter his perfect, plastic surgeon enhanced, nose. “You’ve had your warning. You’ve become fair game now and can join her in the gutter.”

  Simon barges past me and out of the front door of the studio. The door slams back and hits me. I know I need to stay here, rooted to the spot, or I’ll hurt him. I’ve got so much anger coursing through my veins it feels like I’m on fire. What right has he got to say those things? Who does he think he is? He’s nothing but an abusive asshole with a bank balance that gives him an overinflated opinion of himself.

  I take a few deep breaths before reaching down and picking up my bag once again. I have to get out of here. I need to go home and take a cold shower. Actually, no, I need to go to the gym for a while and lift weights, lots of heavy ones…no, scrap that, I wonder if there is a boxing facility near here where I can punch the hell out of a bag. I’ve got to do something. Anything to get rid of all this aggression.

  I turn to leave when an ashen faced Elise appears at the door. She takes one look at me and runs.

  Chapter 15

  Elise

  Realizing I’ve left my phone with Leo, I turn the car around and return to the studio. Izzy is staying the night at Gabby’s, so I need my phone to keep in contact with her. In addition, I don’t know if I’m going to see Leo later, and when I’m alone, I’m one of those people who would rather sit and read about random stuff on the internet than watch television.

  What I don’t expect to see as I pull up to the dance studio is Simon leaving the building, his face red and with a stern expression on it. Getting out of the car, I keep to the shadows so he doesn’t notice me. What the hell is he doing here? I peer into the lobby and can see Leo standing there with his shoulders hunched over and his fists clenched. Whatever it is can’t be good. Once I’m sure Simon has definitely left, I race as quickly as I can into the dance studio. It doesn’t take a genius to figure out something bad has happened when I see Leo’s face. My first thought is for Izzy, and I run back to the car as quickly as possible. I don’t make it before Leo catches up to me and pulls me toward him. His bag smacks into my legs, and he drops it to the floor as I try desperately to get away from him.

  “Izzy,” I cry, worrying that Simon is here for her.

  He told me he would come, surely he can’t be planning on taking her. Damn it. What is he doing here?

  As if sensing my fears, Leo pulls his phone from his bag and hands it to me.

  “Call Gabby and warn her. It will be much quicker than driving. The number’s in there. She gave it to me in case of an emergency.”

  “Thank you.” My hands tremble as I pull up her number and dial it. It takes a few seconds before she answers.

  “Hello?”

  “Gabby, it’s Elise.” My voice is shaky.

  “What’s wrong?” she asks on the other end of the phone, her voice laced with concern.

  “Simon…he was here. Is Izzy…?” I can barely form a sentence. Why was Simon here with Leo?

  “Rhys,” I can hear Gabby shouting down the other end of the phone. “Get the children inside. Lock all the doors and put up the closed sign. We’re not open to any guests other than those booked in already for tonight.”

  In the background, I can hear Rhys calling the children, and when I hear Izzy’s disappointed voice on the other end of the line, I let out a long sigh of relief.

  “Thank you.”

  “We’ll keep her under careful watch until you get here.”

  The line goes dead, and I pass the phone back to Leo.

  “She’s safe. Rhys and Sam are monsters with baseball bats. I wouldn’t take them on. What did Simon want?”

  Leo runs his hands through his hair. I can tell he’s still angry but is tempering it so as not to upset me.

  “To warn me away from his wife and child.”

  “Wife and child? But we’re divorced?”

  “I know, but it seems in his eyes you’re both his property. Whether he wants you around or not, nobody else can have you. He was telling me to back off, politely at first but then he resorted to barefaced lies.”

  Leo guides me back to my car and sits me in the passenger seat. I’m shaking like a leaf. It’s a massive shock to see Simon so unexpectedly after a year of having him out of my life.

  “Lies?” One of Leo’s words sticks in my head.

  “Yes, he told me that you were unwell and were the one beating Izzy. He said I needed to stay away from you an
d make you lose the contest, so he can then get you both home and make you better and ensure Izzy is safe.”

  I let out a loud wail. I can’t help it. The thought of me hurting my daughter sickens me. It would never happen in a million years.

  “Why would he say that? I would never hurt her, Leo. I promise you. Please, you have to believe me.”

  I grab at his t-shirt. If he believes Simon, I don’t know what I’ll do.

  “Hush, it’s ok.” Leo leans into the car and pulls me into his arms. His warmth gives me comfort. “I know. You don’t have to convince me he was lying. He hurt you. He’s a control freak, and now seeing you do well and enjoying my company, he’s trying to exert his authority again. Making you doubt what’s happened and the decisions you’ve made. It’s what a man like him does. Stay strong, Elise—believe in yourself. Doing the show is giving you all your confidence back. Don’t let him destroy it.”

  “Why does he hate me so much?” The words come out as a sob.

  “He doesn’t. He’s jealous because he’s not as popular as you are.”

  “He’s a world famous action movie star.”

  “But not critically acclaimed. Honestly, he’s not worth worrying about. You need to tell your lawyer that he visited me here and let him deal with it. If Simon’s in breach of the contract he signed, then you can take action against him.”

  I lay my head back against the car seat. The tears have stopped now, and the fear’s subsiding. I know Izzy will be safe. I meant it when I said Rhys was a monster with a baseball bat. A new emotion begins to surface within me…anger. How dare Simon come here and threaten Leo. He has no right. I’m going to call my lawyer right away. Well, when I find my phone.

  “I’m going to get something put in place so he can’t pester you either. It’s not fair. What’s next? Will he try to come after me on the show? Contact the producers and spread lies to them? It’s not my fault he’s nothing more than an action hero with very little actual acting ability. That’s all down to him. I’m not going to let him drive me away from the dance show, Leo. I love it too much. He’s such a…a…dickhead.”

  Leo chuckles. It’s good to see the tension easing within him.

  “I couldn’t agree more. I bet he’s all talk and no action when it comes to the contract. He won’t void it because it will make him look like the bad person. Izzy’s safe from him. Don’t worry.”

  I laugh at his comment this time.

  “Talking of no action, can I tell you a secret?”

  “Of course?”

  “His pants are padded. He wears special underwear to make him look bigger down there because he’s actually really small.”

  “See. All talk.” Leo strokes his hand down the side of my face.

  “I really could ruin him, couldn’t I?”

  “If he voids the contract, you can probably ensure his reputation’s destroyed in Hollywood. He won’t hurt you and risk that. He was just trying to get me to do his dirty work because he wants to control you.”

  I lean out of the car and press a kiss to Leo’s lips.

  “Thank you for standing up to him. I’ve never actually seen him so flustered as when he walked out of the building.”

  “It’s ok. His arguments were useless. I know you too well, and I told him just that. I can’t forget all your little tells even after fourteen years. Eighteen years is a long time to learn them all in the first place.”

  “My tells?” I inquire, not sure what he means.

  “He said that you were lying to me. I made it clear to him that every time you lie, you twist your hair around your finger. When you told me about him, you didn’t do that.”

  Leo’s comments warm my heart.

  “I remember you pointing that out to me when we were younger. I’d lied to my mama about us going to your house when we were actually sneaking to the park to climb trees.”

  “Yep, you twisted your hair the entire time as you spoke to her. It was so funny. I was trying not to laugh. I think she knew it was a lie as well, but she didn’t call us on it. She knew that together we were safe.”

  “Are we together now, Leo?” I pause after my words. Leo and I haven’t put a name to what is happening between us. We’ve kept it to ourselves, but I think it’s time to call it what it is, a relationship. “Leo, I think we need to go public about us. I want to tell Izzy so it doesn’t come as a shock to her. Especially if Simon is going to start coming after you as well. If you defended me as much as I think you probably did, then he’s going to suspect something is going on, and it could cause more trouble if we keep quiet.”

  “I agree completely. I’ll tell Leah tomorrow, and she’ll announce it through the show’s press. I’ll get her to say we knew each other as children but grew apart due to circumstances. Our worlds have come back together, thanks to the show, and feelings have been reignited.”

  “They definitely have,” I respond as Leo kisses me again. “Will you come back to my house? I want to fetch Izzy and tell her first.”

  “Of course. I’m not leaving you on your own while Simon is in New Orleans. I’ll drive your car. Mine will be fine here overnight.”

  “Agreed.”

  Leo helps me get fully into the passenger side of the car and comes around to the driver’s side. I give him the keys, and he starts the car but doesn’t pull away.

  “Are you going to tell Izzy about Simon being in the city?”

  I shake my head.

  “No, unless he contacts us again. I don’t want to worry her. She doesn’t want anything to do with him, no matter how many times I ask, and I’m not going to force it. She’s sensible. If she sees him, she’ll tell me, and in the meantime until I can talk to my lawyer and confirm Simon is back in LA, we won’t let her out of our sight.”

  Chapter 16

  Leo

  “We’re here,” I inform Elise as I pull the car into the parking spot.

  She’s not let Izzy out of her sight the last few days, but we received word yesterday that Simon is back in Hollywood, so Elise agreed to a date with me as long as Rhys and Gabby looked after Izzy. I’ve no doubt she’ll be safe. With Rhys and Sam both protecting her, she’s safer than if she’d been locked in a room and wrapped in cotton wool.

  Elise looks out of the window.

  “What is it?”

  The bland building in front of us doesn’t look much, but I know when she steps inside it will become a vibrant jazz venue with the added bonus of booths offering everything Louisiana has to offer with its mixed culture. The Jazz and Craft Festival has been a long standing event in the city for many years now, and I’ve always wanted to go, but I’ve never had the chance. I didn’t realize how much I missed the city I grew up in until I returned here. I’ve been to a lot of places in Europe, but nothing feels like home to me as much as New Orleans with its welcoming and vibrant, colorful nature.

  “You’ll see when you get inside.”

  Elise looks skeptical, and I don’t blame her.

  “I’m not into dodgy strip clubs.”

  “Damn,”—I slap my thigh—“and here was I hoping to get you drunk and up on a pole in just your panties.”

  Her eyes go wide with horror.

  “Joke.”

  “Not funny.”

  “We really need to loosen you up a bit. Come on. I promise you’ll enjoy it.”

  Exiting the car, I go around to the other side and open the door for Elise. She’s dressed casually in a t-shirt and jeans. They hug all the right curves, and I can’t help staring at her stunning backside when she walks in front of me.

  “What is this place, Leo?”

  We join a small queue of people waiting to go inside. A couple turn to look at us—they must recognize us because they whisper to each other but don’t approach. That’s one of the things I’ve discovered since being back here in New Orleans, people leave you alone unless you approach them. It’s not always the same in Europe. I’ve heard a few unpleasant stories about some of the incidents th
at have happened to dancers in the UK especially. One even lost a tooth when he was attacked. I know it also happens in parts of America where celebrity culture is big, but New Orleans is much more relaxed.

  The door opens, and a rhythm and blues jazz song floods out the door. Elise grabs my hand.

  “It’s a jazz and craft festival. It’s held every year and comes highly recommended.”

  “Seriously? God, I heard about this last year, and I really wanted to go, but everything had just happened with Simon. I was still covered in bruises and needed to hide out for longer. I didn’t realize it was here. I’m so excited now.”

  “And you weren’t before?” I tease.

  Elise rolls her eyes at me,

  “I’m always excited when you’re close to me…if you put your hand in my panties, you’d feel how much.”

  Fuck me.

  I’m hard at the thought.

  “You’ll pay for that comment later.”

  Elise sticks her tongue out at me just as the security guard ushers us in through the door. Our tickets are checked, and our belongings scanned before we’re allowed into the main auditorium, but when we do gain entry, I can feel my whole body start to sway with the beat filling the room. A soul singer with a voice like the great Nina Simone belts out one of the singer’s greatest hits, ‘My Baby Just Cares for Me’.

  “This is fantastic,” Elise shouts at me over the music, and I lead her farther into the room. The first few aisles are full of traditional crafts, such as quilting and basket weaving. Next come colorful beaded necklaces. Elise stops and looks at a few. “I think I’ll get one for Izzy. She’ll love it. She’s started trying on my jewelry recently.”

  I step back as the larger than life female vendor appears, and I watch as Elise discusses with her which color would be the best to get for Izzy. In the end, Elise purchases a couple and puts a teal colored one around her own neck.

  “What do you think, Leo?”

  I decide to tease her.