Luna Tango (20 page)

Memories flooded back of jumping through waves with Iris, building sandcastles and taking strolls along the shore. Since her mother had left, Dani hadn't set foot near a beach, which had been a difficult task, as she'd spent her teenage years living on the Australian coast. Could Dani's aversion to the sea be a result of memories she wanted to forget?

‘She cried every time we went. I do not understand why she would torture herself like this but she is an artist, like me, and masochism is in our nature, no?'

‘I guess.'

‘I have looked for her everywhere.' Diego sighed. ‘You would think a famous dancer such as her would be easy to find. Maybe you might discover a different angle. After all, you have never met her, so you can think outside the box, as they say.' His smile was wide and eyes hopeful. ‘I am going to La Pampa for a break from the show preparations. Maybe you will have news on my return. Thank you and I will be forever grateful for your help in ensuring Iris receives my letter.' He stood, leant down and kissed her on the cheeks, then squinted for a moment. ‘I still think you look like her.'

Dani's eye widened as she shook her head. ‘I don't think so.'

Diego shrugged and took off up the aisle, leaving Dani and Carlos alone again in the softly lit theatre.

‘Who does he think I am, his personal courier? I thought he was at least going to give us a hint as to where she—Iris is.'

‘Yes, I thought the same but the moods of Diego are hard to understand. He is not called
El Gemelo
for nothing.'

‘The twin?'

Carlos nodded. ‘It is like he is two people. Every day his mood is different. Sometimes it changes from minute to minute. No one could understand why
La Gringa Magnifica
stayed with him for so long. Always, they are doing the fighting.'

‘Really?'

‘The last time was here.' He pointed at the stage and shook his head. ‘Horrible.'

‘You saw it?'

‘Sí
. They were at a rehearsal, he yelled, she said nothing, he yelled more, she yelled and left. No one saw her in public after that.'

‘What was it about?'

‘I could not hear all of it but I did catch something about missing sheet music and Eduardo Canziani.'

‘What?' Her voice came out shrill. Carlos cocked an eyebrow. ‘Sorry, but you know this story intrigues me.'

‘And I asked you to drop it.'

‘And I asked you why.' She could play this game, no worries.

‘Yes, you did and I think my explanation is enough.'

‘Well, then, I ...' Oh, she could finish that sentence but it would not be in her best interests to do so.

‘You?'

‘Doesn't matter.' She shook her head, alarmed at her foolishness. One kiss from Carlos and she was about to spout crazy ideas about her grandma's history and Dani's relationship to Iris?
Get a grip, McKenna
.

‘I think it does matter. Look at the way your eyelid is doing this strange movement.' He tilted his head. ‘You are lying.'

‘No, I'm not.' Twitch, twitch. ‘Don't be ridiculous.'

‘Aha!' He pointed his finger at her eye. ‘Look! The lid of your eye moves funny when you tell untruths. You cannot lie, no?'

‘I'm not—' Her left eyelid went into spasms and she pressed her fingers against it. ‘Fine. I suck at lying, but it doesn't mean I have to tell you everything. You haven't told me much about you.'

‘I discussed my childhood.'

‘But did you truly? You glossed over it. What was life really like with your family? Did they fight? Did they work all the time? Come on, tell me juicy stuff.' After she'd locked lips with Carlos, the urge to dig deeper into his personal life had surfaced again.

‘Can you know someone and not worry about their history? What does it matter? It is more important to be in the present and not judge a person by their past,' he said.

‘But the past makes the person who they are today.'

‘The past includes family relationships and I did not think you cared much for yours.'

Shifting in her seat, she said, ‘It's not that I don't love them. They're just ...' How could she explain? She couldn't lie because bloody Carlos had cottoned on to her affliction. Urgh.

‘Please, do not be afraid.' He placed his hand on her arm and the second they touched, electricity zapped through her again. If this kept this up her brain would fry.

‘I'm not afraid, I ...' The longer she left it, the worse it would be. Dani didn't move the arm resting under Carlos's hand. ‘Okay, I am afraid to tell you, but I will. My family is far from loving. My mother left me when I was five—'

‘I thought you said she died.'

‘I said my mother is dead in my grandma's eyes.'

‘Yes, I do remember. Tell me more, please.' Carlos stroked her arm and all she wanted to do was climb onto his lap and continue where they'd left off before Diego had barged in.

‘I thought you said someone's history is not important, it's the person they are today that counts.'

‘Sí,'
he sighed, gently pushing stray curls behind her ears. ‘I say many things. Sometimes actions speak louder than the words, no?' He leant over and placed his lips on hers again. Once more her body flooded with heat and her heart lurched. The delicious moment lingered, and the longer they kissed, the heavier the guilt about Iris weighed on Dani's shoulders. Reluctantly, she pulled away.

‘You do not like this? Maybe if I—'

‘Carlos, I like it very much, believe me, but I need to tell you something before this goes further.' He nodded and she took a deep breath. ‘As much as I like the recent developments between us, and even though this is probably an innocent fling—'

‘I do not do the flings.'

‘So what's this then?'

‘I do not know.' He shrugged and a wicked smile snuck across his lips. ‘But I would like to find out.'

‘Me too.' Not allowing herself to hesitate, she dived in. ‘I have to tell you something but I'd like you to answer some questions first. I promise it will all make sense when we're done.'

Carlos stretched out his legs and crossed them at the ankles. ‘You are interesting, Daniela McKenna. Not like other women. Why is it you have not found a man yet?'

‘Carlos! Are you going to cooperate?' He nodded, which helped steady her nerves. ‘Thank you. Your mentor was Iris Kennedy, right?'

‘Yes, she helped choreograph several of my shows. Why?'

Dani narrowed her eyes.

‘You can ask me another one,' he said. ‘But remember, I answer these questions in advance of you mastering the basic tango steps.'

‘I thought we'd gone past that.'

‘I am helping you find Iris, yes, but if you want more information, you dance. Agreed?'

‘Fine.'

He pointed at her left eye. ‘I do not see a funny moving thing with your eyelid. I believe you are telling the truth.'

‘Gee, thanks.'

Carlos showing his softer side had given her the confidence to say what she needed and it seemed appropriate to do so in the theatre where her mother had performed. The sexiness oozing from his every pore did not help matters. Dani took a deep breath and exhaled slowly. ‘Were you and Iris Kennedy good friends?'

‘She was my mentor and we became friends but now we don't speak.'

‘Why aren't you in contact any more?'

‘Things, they got complicated.' Carlos closed his mouth and stared at the stage, darkness clouding his handsome features. ‘Iris and I do not talk any more because we do not agree about Cecilia.'

‘Your fiancée?'

‘Ex-fiancée,' he said with certainty. ‘Iris is the reason Cecilia and I danced together. Iris was like a mother to me and Cecilia.'

It took a colossal effort not to flinch. She imagined him having coffee with Iris at a café, talking about life, love, the universe. Apparently her mother had strong maternal instincts for her dance students but none for her own flesh and blood. If Carlos's parents had found a way to raise a child while they worked in theatre, why couldn't Iris, even if it meant dragging her daughter to the other side of the world?

A lump lodged at the back of her throat and a thin film of sweat broke out on her forehead.

‘You do not look healthy. I will get you water. Stay here.' Carlos rushed out of the theatre and the door closed with a bang behind him.

Alone in the beauty of the Teatro Colón, Dani tried to compose herself, even though it felt like she'd gone six rounds in the emotional boxing ring. Staring at the stage, she pictured her mother performing the moves that had captivated audiences. Her long, dark hair would have swept across her delicate features and her graceful steps would have demonstrated the passion she held for tango. If Iris had made a different choice, Dani would have grown up watching her mother performing magic and capturing everyone's heart, including Dani's.

Holding her head in her hands, the years of hurt finally overwhelmed her. For so long she'd told herself Iris meant nothing and she'd wiped her hands clean of the woman who'd dumped her child so callously. She had every reason to hate her mother but the reality was she'd never stopped loving her.

‘Take this.'

She hadn't heard him return. Smiling her thanks, Dani took the glass and let the icy water slide down her throat. Draining the glass, she handed it over. ‘Thank you.'

‘Take this, too.' Carlos handed her tissues.

‘Thanks.' Her voice was barely above a whisper. Dabbing her wet eyes, she let out a small, nervous laugh. ‘I'm sorry. I must be overtired.'

‘This excuse would work on lots of people but not me. I have seen your reactions when people speak of
La Gringa Magnifica
.'

‘What do you mean?'

‘There.' He pointed at the side of her neck. ‘Your vein pops out when people mention her name.'

‘Does it?' Self-consciously, she placed her fingers on her neck. A heavy throbbing lay underneath. He'd already figured out the eye twitch, so there was no point in denying the vein, even though she hadn't even known about it.

‘All right, no more beating around the bush,' she said. Carlos raised a questioning eyebrow, so she clarified, ‘I'll be straight with you. Iris Kennedy is my mother.' She waited for his face to relay an emotion.

Carlos chewed his lip, his eyes not moving from hers. Now that was a poker face.

‘Carlos?'

‘Diego was right.'

‘Huh?'

‘He said you looked like her.' He squinted. ‘Yes, I see it. You have her eyes. Her nose. Is this why you are here in Argentina?'

‘I'm having issues with my boss in New York. We were engaged and he's now back with his ex-wife; my grandma isn't talking to me; I want to ditch my job as an editorial assistant but needed a break to get into feature writing and I talked my boss into letting me come here and write for Tourism Argentina and—'

Carlos held up his hand. ‘Your grandma is not talking to you? Why?'

‘She's scared I'll find my mother and get hurt again.' Pausing, Dani collected her thoughts. ‘After everything I've blurted out, that's what you focused on?'

‘Work and romantic relationships come and go, yes? But family, ah, family is what makes us who we are. If your grandma, the woman who raised you, is not talking to you, this is important and of course, with the new information you have given me, I understand why.'

‘You don't think this is all a tad weird?'

He shook his head. ‘I do not understand how
La Gringa Magnifica
could leave a young girl like you on the other side of the world. She has always been caring—' He stopped and searched her face, no doubt sensing her pain. ‘I am sorry. Why did she leave?'

‘She'd studied tango when she was eighteen, then she met my father but continued to dance. Iris had always been independent so after she had me, she struggled to be a mother and wife and my dad tried to save the relationship by getting involved in tango but by then it was too late. Her talent and passion had taken over, so Dad and I were dropped like hot potatoes and my dad died from a broken heart shortly after.'

‘This dying from a broken heart, are you sure?'

‘Yes. She did it to him. Okay, he did have early onset heart disease but her leaving didn't help matters.' Her tone held an angry edge.

Carlos held up his hand. ‘I understand. You were young, this is how you would see it.'

‘That's how it was!' Dani jumped from her seat then sat. ‘Sorry. It's not your fault.'

Carlos wrapped his arms around her and she leant against his chest. Nestling her nose into his neck, she breathed in his scent. In his arms, she felt cocooned in the pure masculinity of his being. This was a happy place.

They sat in silence for a while and as much as she didn't want to move away, a river of tingles spread up her arm and increased to a point where it hurt. Slowly, she moved back and the cool slapped the places that had been warmed by Carlos's chest.

‘I'm not sure if I want to find her.'

‘Is it because your grandma is angry?'

‘Yes and no.'

‘This is not an answer.'

‘Technically, it is. I don't want to piss off my grandma any more than I already have and I don't want to find Iris because if she'd wanted me in her life, she would have come looking for me by now.'

‘Hmm ...' Carlos rubbed his thumb and index finger on his chin. ‘You have valid reasons but family and relationships are never easy. You need to talk to Iris, then, if it does not work out, at least you will have tried.' He tilted his head, daring her to disagree.

‘I can't do it. Too much time has passed. She has another life— one that hasn't included me for a very long time. We're connected by blood, not relationship.' Visions of the mothers with missing children haunted Dani. At the time she'd felt inspired to find Iris, but clouds of doubt now loomed.