Page 23 of Easy Rumba

Chapter 10

Leo

The next few weeks blur into a haze of dance practice and Saturday night shows. It’s something I’m grateful for because I get the chance to see Elise break out of her shell and blossom. I try not to think about her ex-husband, because every time I do, I want to find him and give him a taste of what he did to her. He abused her and took advantage of her while she was fragile. I won’t let him destroy her again. She’s flourishing too much to let that happen.

She’s doing amazingly in the competition. We’ve performed so many dances now—a tango to ‘When Dove’s Cry’, a Charleston to ‘Fat Sam’s Grand Slam’, a quickstep to ‘Don’t Rain on my Parade’, and a paso doble to ‘It’s my life’. Last week, it was an American Smooth to ‘Cry me a River’, one of my favorite songs to dance to. I was beyond proud of Elise for the way she performed it and even more satisfied when she received tens from two of the judges. Of course, we’re nowhere near the final rounds yet, so a top score from Denzel is impossible. He’s so stubborn.

This week, we have a rumba, one of the hardest dances for a celebrity to master. Today was the first day of training for it, and when we’d finished, Elise looked exhausted. We really have done nothing but work, so I gave her the afternoon off, and now I’m meeting her and Izzy for dinner.

“What would you like to eat, Izzy?” Elise questions her daughter as they both read through the menu of the retro diner Izzy chose. I would have preferred the French place down the road. It’s more authentic to the area, but we all agreed it was Izzy’s choice.

“Please can I have a burger, Mama?”

“Of course you can. I’m guessing with lettuce and mayo, no cheese?”

“Yes, please. Can I have fries as well?”

“Someone’s famished.” Elise shakes her head and smiles at her daughter.

“I think I’ll have the same, but I’ll also have cheese on my burger,” I say to Elise with a chuckle. Izzy joins in with me and rolls her eyes.

“Well we might as well just make that three burgers then.”

We all place the menus down on our table, and the waitress instantly comes over and takes our orders. She returns with two waters and a lemonade before leaving us alone to talk.

“What dance are you doing this week, Mama?” Izzy asks and then blows through her straw making bubbles into her lemonade.

“Izzy!” Elise’s tone warns her daughter to stop what she’s doing, and the little girl immediately begins to suck her drink through the straw instead.

I’ve spent very little time around children, but there’s something about Elise’s daughter that captures my attention. She’s like a mini version of her mama mixed with a bit more of a tomboy nature. Elise always dresses in skirts, but I’ve only ever seen Izzy in jeans or shorts. She’s got amazing knowledge of sport as well. I did wonder if it was Simon’s influence, but Elise assured me she’s only been this way since they moved to New Orleans last year. Izzy is happy, and that makes Elise happy too.

“I’m doing the rumba,” Elise responds to her daughter’s question.

“Is that the sexy dance?”

“You’ve done far too much research on these dances, young lady.”

“I just hope you aren’t going to stop me from watching?”

“That’s a good idea. I might get Gabby to bring a blindfold with her.”

“I’ll make sure it’s not too sexy for Izzy to watch,” I interject because the look of sudden disappointment on Izzy’s face is heartbreaking.

I’m sure she knows her mama is joking, but I’m not prepared to wait and see if it upsets her.

“No, you won’t,” both Elise and Izzy answer at the same time, and I flatten myself against the red leather of the booth we’re sitting in, pretending to be shocked by their joint protest.

“It needs to be sexy to win over Denzel,” Izzy elaborates. When I look at Elise, she’s gone bright red, but then a smirk breaks out on her face.

“What Izzy said.”

“Ok.” I hold my hands up in defeat. “We’ll make it sexy enough that Izzy has to wear a blindfold.”

The youngest occupant of the table groans loudly just as the burgers are brought to the table. We sit in a comfortable silence while we all eat. I hadn’t realized how hungry I was until the food was placed in front of me, and it tastes like a dream. I finish first and Izzy second. Elise leaves a few of her fries, so I reach over and pop them in my mouth.

“Mama, can I go on the play equipment outside?” Izzy inquires, looking longingly at the door.

“Go on, but be mindful you’ve just eaten. Take it easy and stay where I can see you.”

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