Page 33 of Easy Rumba

“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.”

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