Page 24 of Easy Rumba

“Of course, Mama.”

Izzy disappears off to play, and I sit back in my seat and watch Elise as she finishes her water. Over the past few weeks, she’s changed back to the confident and smiling girl I knew in school. Her complexion is no longer pallid, and her eyes don’t dart around, constantly looking for the first sign of trouble. I can’t imagine what she went through. It breaks my heart to even try.

“It’s rude to stare unless you’re going to tell me what you’re thinking,” Elise interrupts my day-dreaming.

“I don’t know—maybe my thoughts are ruder than me staring at you,” I tease her, licking my lips

“What the hell were you thinking?” Elise looks alarmed.

“How good it was when you wore your short skirts at school. I got a lovely view of your panties every time I happened to drop something.”

“Perv!”

“I was an adolescent boy. Everything went straight to my dick.”

“And now?” She playfully raises an eyebrow.

“Let’s just say I’m excited to see you in your rumba outfit.”

“You’ve always been a terrible flirt, Leo Westwood.”

“And you, Miss Landry, wouldn’t have it any other way.”

“No. I wouldn’t, and that’s the frightening thing.”

A silence falls between us, and I shuffle closer to Elise in the booth. I wrap my arm around her, still not speaking, and she lays her head on my chest.

“I’m glad fate brought us back together, Leo. Even if it’s given me blisters all over my feet and an appetite like a pregnant elephant.”

I can’t help laughing. The comment about the elephant is something we learned in biology when we were at school. I like the fact it’s stuck with her.

“Mama?” Izzy comes back to the table, looking perturbed.

“What’s wrong?” Elise leans forward but doesn’t move away from me.

“I want to go on the climber, but there are some big boys on there, and they don’t seem very friendly. I wish Sam was here.”

Elise cocks her head to look out of the window.

“Play on the other equipment. We’ll be getting dessert soon anyway, so you won’t be out there for long.”

Izzy’s face falls. I hate to see a woman upset.

“I’ll come on it with you.”

I let go of Elise and shuffling back out of the seat, I emerge next to Izzy. Elise looks at me with a ‘you don’t have to do that’ expression on her face, andI give her a wink.

“You choose dessert for the three of us and call us in when it’s ready. I’m sure you can remember what I like to eat.”

Leading Izzy outside, the older boys stare down at me from the climber when I start to help her get up it. They can’t be more than fifteen, but I remember being that age and wanting to intimidate the other kids around me because I thought I was so cool. I soon changed that opinion when I had my backside walloped by my mamá for getting into a fight with an older boy after I’d scared his younger brother.

I give the boys a stern look as if to say they can stay sitting where they are, but I am going to let Izzy play on the climber. They seem to respect that and turn back to looking at their phones and ignore us as Izzy completes the climber assault course in no time at all.

“Will you do it with me this time, Mr. Leo? I bet I can beat you.”

“I dance professionally for a living, Miss Izzy. I’m pretty fit, you know.”

“I know. Mama was telling Miss Gabby that you’re pretty fit as well, but I’m smaller and can move quicker. I think I can beat you.”

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