Luna Tango Read online

  Luna Tango

  ALLI SINCLAIR

  www.harlequinbooks.com.au

  ABOUT THE AUTHOR

  Alli Sinclair is Australian born but considers herself a citizen of the world. She spent her early adult years travelling the globe, intent on becoming an Indiana Jones in heels. She scaled mountains in Nepal, Argentina, and Peru, rafted the Ganges, rode a camel in the Sahara, and swam with sharks and eagle rays in Belize.

  Argentina and Peru became her home for a while and it was there her love of dance bloomed. When she wasn’t working as a mountain guide or tour leader, Alli could be found dancing the tango, salsa, merengue, and samba.

  All of these adventures made for fun storytelling and this is when she discovered her love of writing. Alli’s stories combine her passion for exotic destinations, the quirks of human nature, and the belief that everyone can dance, even if it’s to their own beat. She is a sucker for family sagas, romances, and mysteries.

  Alli now lives in Australia with her partner and two children (and chickens). New travel adventures are never far from her mind and Alli has every intention of her and the family achieving every one of them (a lottery win would help).

  As well as writing fiction, Alli blogs about storytelling, culture, dance, and travel at www.allisinclair.com

  For Pa—a true gentleman, adored and loved by many. I’ll forever miss your cheeky smile and twinkle in your eye.

  CONTENTS

  About the Author

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  Chapter 22

  Chapter 23

  Chapter 24

  Chapter 25

  Chapter 26

  Chapter 27

  Chapter 28

  Chapter 29

  Chapter 30

  Chapter 31

  Chapter 32

  Chapter 33

  Chapter 34

  Acknowledgements

  CHAPTER

  1

  Dani McKenna stood on the stone steps of Escuela de Danza Vida, the Vida Dance School, still unsure which was the lesser of two evils: ditching her first assignment and killing her career as a features writer, or diving into the world of tango and dredging up torturous memories. Glancing at the grey sky, Dani willed a beam of light and a choir of angels to sing and deliver an answer in a silver box with a blue bow. She got nothing other than a pigeon flying past and pooping next to her new red heels.

  ‘Fine,’ she huffed, and yanked open the heavy wooden door, keen to be rid of the diesel fumes spilling from buses, the headache-inducing horns, and suffocating midday heat. After two days in Buenos Aires she’d yet to discover why this city was known as the Paris of the Americas.

  Dani took tentative steps into the expansive foyer, where pristine marble covered the floor and a wrought-iron balustrade snaked up the wide staircase. Cool air soothed her hot skin and she relaxed her shoulders, happy to be free from the craziness outside, including wayward pigeons.

  She balanced on her gorgeous, but incredibly uncomfortable, heels as she adjusted her turquoise silk shirt and tucked her newly highlighted blonde curls behind her ears. She’d much prefer faded jeans, ballet flats and a retro T-shirt but this assignment required her to dress like a professional, despite feeling like a phony. Dani squeezed her eyelids tight, remembering how much money she’d just spent on a new wardrobe. But if all went to plan, her new garb would convince the world, and herself, that she was more than capable of doing this job—she hoped.

  A gust of wind rattled the door leading to the street. She could still chicken out. After all, if her colleagues at the magazine were right, her mission was doomed anyway. But she chose to ignore their warnings, even though her interview subject, Carlos Escudero, hated the media with more passion than he’d ever danced the tango. His refusal to talk about the motorbike accident that destroyed his dancing career and ruined the relationship with his dance partner only motivated journalists to dig deeper. They were determined to unearth the story that lay beneath the well-rehearsed statements from the estranged couple. So far, the journalists’ efforts had smashed into a wall of anger and silence.

  Pushing out a long sigh, she adjusted the shoulder strap of her handbag. As much as she wanted to be the one to finally discover what happened on that fateful day, Dani wasn’t so naïve she thought she could succeed where so many seasoned journalists had failed. Besides, his personal life wasn’t why she was here. Her job was to get Carlos Escudero on board with her history of tango articles and nothing else.

  She lowered her head and shook it. Seriously? She’d taken to lying to herself now?

  The tango history stories were important—her career depended on them—and uncovering the mystery behind the motorbike accident appealed, but they were nothing compared to the opportunity to learn about Carlos Escudero’s mentor, Iris Kennedy. He’d been privy to a side of Iris the rest of the world hadn’t seen, a side Dani desperately needed to discover. If she could get some understanding about the passion that drove Iris to abandon her husband and five-year-old daughter in favour of becoming a tango diva on the world stage, then Dani might finally exorcise the demons that had chased her since childhood. She had no intention of finding and meeting the elusive Iris as, even after two decades, the pain remained raw. Through Carlos, however, Dani might finally comprehend her mother’s actions.

  She narrowed her eyes at the ancient lift cage. No matter how many times she chastised herself, Dani just couldn’t enter one of these boxes without being slammed by the memory of the last fiery argument her parents had. No child wants to witness such venom, especially from her own flesh and blood. She planted her foot on the marble steps, even though her mind tried to convince her that dashing out the door, sight unseen, was the best option. Perhaps it would be better if she knew nothing about Iris, as the truth had the potential to rip Dani’s heart out. As much as she tried to deny it, the stars had aligned and Dani’s arrival in Argentina offered the perfect chance to build her career and heal old wounds—or make them deeper.

  ‘Ah, to hell with it.’

  She powered up the stairs and arrived on the eighth floor. Panting, she wiped the back of her hand across her wet brow then on her navy linen pants. She placed her hand on the ornate brass knob but froze when the slow whine of the bandoneón slipped through the gaps around the doors. The accordion-like instrument had thousands, possibly millions, of fans all over the world, but for Dani, the music of the bandoneón was akin to fingernails scraping across a blackboard.

  She grimaced then turned and scooted to the edge of the staircase.

  The thick wooden door swung open.

  ‘¡Para!’ a voice barked. ‘Stop!’

  She spun around and came face to face with Carlos Escudero.

  God, he’s more beautiful in the flesh.

  ‘Beautiful’ wasn’t a word she normally used to describe men, but he qualified. His dark eyes hinted at the untold stories she so desperately wanted to discover and she bit her lip in an effort to contain the thousands of questions that threatened to break free.

  ‘¿Sí?’ He spat out the word as he leant slightly to the left and rested his hand casually on a wooden cane.

  ‘You are Carlos Escudero?’ She gave him her friendliest smile, hoping he didn’t notice the slight waver in h
er voice.

  ‘I am he, what is your business?’ His frown deepened yet didn’t diminish his attractiveness.

  ‘I believe you worked on the UNESCO application to get the tango listed as an Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.’ That was a mouthful.

  ‘Sí.’

  ‘My name’s Dani McKenna. I’m here as a guest of Tourism Argentina and I’m writing articles—’

  ‘I cannot help.’

  ‘But you don’t know what I want to ask.’

  ‘I am done with the journalists. They are nothing but parasites.’

  Bubbles of indignation rose in her belly. What cheek he had. ‘Just so you know, I’m not—’

  ‘No.’ He turned and limped back through the doorway, disappearing from view.

  Dani stared at the entrance to his studio, her feet itching to hightail it out of there.

  ‘Come!’ Carlos’s voice echoed in the hall and down the stairwell.

  Who did he think he was? If it had been anyone other than him, she’d have bolted and found someone else to interview. But no one else had the tango experience and knowledge he possessed, so she had to stay and suffer his rudeness. And no one else knew Iris like he did.

  Taking a deep breath, she strode across the landing, into the studio and halted. Bright daylight streamed through arched windows on the southern side of the room and the scarred floorboards told of passionate stories that had unfurled across them. Tango music played through tinny speakers as a young couple floated across the floor and memories of her mother and father in happier days rose to the surface. Hot tears pricked her eyes.

  Carlos stood in the corner with crossed arms, not acknowledging her presence. The track finished and the couple split apart, wiped themselves with towels and took long gulps from drink bottles.

  Carlos angled a finger at her. ‘Your turn.’

  ‘What? Oh no.’ She shook her head and backed away. The tears that had threatened to spill quickly disappeared. ‘I have two left feet and—’

  ‘Nonsense! You want to write about tango? You must dance it.’ He pointed to the young man, who stared at her with wide eyes.

  ‘The heart,’ Carlos said.

  ‘What?’

  ‘The heart. This.’ He thumped his closed fist over his chest. ‘Dancers must have their hearts facing each other.’ He motioned for her to stand chest to chest with his student. ‘Jorge will assist.’

  Was this some sadistic torture he lumped on every journalist who dared cross his path? She shuffled into position, annoyed with this grumpy Argentine’s arrogance. Though for as long as she stood on his dance floor, she had a chance of getting what she wanted.

  ‘It does not matter what the feet are doing,’ he said. ‘It is unimportant. You are not two dancers—you are one heart.’ His flowery words were a stark contrast to his gruff demeanour.

  ‘But I don’t know how—’

  ‘¡Basta! You will learn. Allow the music to flow into your soul. Let the melody, not the rhythm, dictate your dancing. This is what makes the tango unique. You dance now.’

  Carlos limped over to the stereo, punched a button, faced the hesitant couple and raised his eyebrows. Dani let go of Jorge, shoved her hands on her hips and raised her eyebrows back at Carlos.

  ‘You choose not to dance?’

  She pursed her lips.

  ‘Okay. Goodbye.’ He gave a dismissive wave and turned to the stereo.

  The obscenities wanted to burst out but she willed them to remain within. ‘Fine. I’ll do it. Just don’t expect Ginger Rogers.’

  The music started and the melancholic notes floated through the studio, goose bumps sprouting all over her body.

  Jorge offered a gentle smile. ‘Do not worry, I will help you.’

  ‘I hope you can work magic,’ she said.

  He held out his hand and Dani took it, their fingers entwining in a clammy mess. As much as she wanted to escape this humiliation, Jorge’s eyes reassured her.

  ‘Dance!’ Carlos yelled.

  Dani flinched then squared her shoulders. Jorge placed a hand on her waist and with a small movement, guided her in the direction he chose. The haunting combination of violins, piano and bandoneón filled the room, washing over her, although the whining bandoneón made Dani grind her teeth. She closed her eyes, and concentrated on the soulful notes of the other instruments and the singer’s passionate voice. She felt Jorge move slightly to the left and Dani followed, placing her foot with care. As much as she wanted to hate the tango she—

  ‘¡Mierda!’

  Her eyes flew open at Jorge’s expletive. ‘I’m sorry!’

  Carlos banged his cane on the floorboards. ‘Keep going!’

  Jorge let go, rubbed his foot then held her again, determination renewed. They moved to the right and this time Dani kept her eyes open. She took a hesitant step, pulled back, leant forwards and smashed her head into something solid.

  ‘Argh!’ Jorge rubbed his forehead.

  ‘Oh god, I’m sorry!’ She turned to Carlos. ‘I can’t do this. He’s going to end up in hospital before the end of the song. Listen, I’m not here for a lesson. All I want is to ask a few questions—’

  A smile raced across Carlos’s lips and his eyes sparkled. A belly laugh followed.

  ‘What?’

  ‘I never thought I would see the day,’ Carlos spoke between bursts of laughter, ‘when there would be evidence of a person with two left feet.’

  ‘You are hilarious. I tried to tell you I couldn’t dance but you wouldn’t listen.’

  ‘My listening skills are very good but I chose not to believe you, yes? I find you amusing. Tell me your name.’

  ‘Dani McKenna.’ Like I said before, if you’d paid attention.

  ‘Dani is short for Daniela, sí?’ He stroked his chin with his thumb and forefinger.

  She nodded.

  ‘Daniela is a perfectly good name. This is what you were born with, this is what I will call you.’

  She wanted to argue but had no desire to explain why she detested her full name. Sorrow wrapped around Dani as the last words her mother said echoed in her heart. I’ll love you forever, Daniela.

  ‘Have you learned the martial arts?’ Carlos asked, saving her from jumping into the all too familiar well of grief.

  ‘No. What does that have to do with tango?’

  ‘In martial arts you must be completely focused on the other person at all times. You have to adapt and pay attention to what the opponent is doing. A slip of focus means defeat and inevitable pain. It is the same for tango.’

  ‘But you said tango is a meeting of two hearts. What’s this opponent business?’

  ‘Tango, like love, is complicated. Tell me, Daniela McKenna, why should I talk with you?’

  ‘I work for The Edge magazine and Tourism Argentina has sponsored me to write about the evolution of the tango lifestyle over the past hundred years.’

  ‘Not interested.’

  ‘Why not?’

  ‘I am not interested.’

  ‘That’s it?’ Panic grew within at the possibility that her chance for career success and personal healing had just started a slithery descent into the Valley of Failure.

  ‘I will tell you this—the foreign journalists think tango is about sex, sex, sex.’ He pounded his fist against the wall and Dani flinched inside, unnerved by his aggression. Or was it passion? ‘It is not about the sex. It is about a meeting of the souls. It has nothing to do with the physical and everything to do with the spiritual but none of you people understand.’

  ‘I’m not like other journalists.’ Of course she wasn’t. Other journalists wouldn’t endure this humiliation. Perhaps he was testing her resolve. ‘I want to immerse myself in the tango culture and appreciate why people the world over are enchanted by this dance and music. My articles will depict what it’s truly like to live and breathe and love tango.’ Then I might finally understand why my mother did what she did.

  ‘No.’

  ‘Are you alwa
ys this difficult or is it only when you speak to journalists?’ she asked and he gave a half shrug. Surely misunderstanding the meaning of tango is not enough to hate journalists with such fervour. ‘If you had no intention of helping me then why did you make me dance?’

  His lips twisted into a smirk and Dani grabbed her bag and marched to the exit.

  ‘I’ll be back,’ she said over her shoulder.

  ‘I’ll be locking the doors.’

  * * *

  Dani sat in her hotel room and stared at the laptop, willing her inbox to ping with incoming mail. She’d sent a message to Adam only minutes ago and even though she didn’t expect an instant reply, she wanted one.

  She leant against the pillows and studied the flocked red flowers pressed onto the pale gold wallpaper. Somehow, the retro room comforted her.

  The bell sounded on her laptop and her heart tripped and banged against her chest when she read his name in bold. The bastard still had an impact on her life.

  She clicked on the email and sucked air between her teeth.

  Dani,

  I hope you’re feeling better since the last time we spoke. I don’t know how many times I can tell you I’m sorry. I wish there was a way I could help you see why this is right for everyone and I hope one day you’ll understand my actions.

  How are the stories? No doubt Tourism Argentina is treating you like a queen. Use your fluency in Spanish to woo the locals, get the scoop and write me some killer feature articles. I like your idea of digging deeper with Escudero. As we discussed, though, he’s going to be a hard sell and I’m not sure you have the chops for it. Though I wouldn’t mind you proving me wrong.

  This is your only chance at that break into features you’ve been nagging me for. We both know making coffee is not one of your strong points. Take advantage of your time there and make sure it’s the best damn writing you’ve ever done. Make Escudero talk. You’re a smart girl. Figure it out.

  Cheers,

  Adam

  She stared at his sign-off—cheers. Her jaw tightened and tears burned her eyes. Cheers? Cheers! Where did he get off saying cheers? Cheers you say to mates. Cheers you say to work colleagues. Cheers you say to ... Oh. Well, technically she was his employee and nothing else now. Life had gotten complicated way too quickly, although she should thank her lucky stars for her timely escape.