Luna Tango by Alli Sinclair Read Free Book Online

pushing through the crowd like a salmon swimming upstream.
    He pulled out a chair and motioned for her to sit then he signalled a waiter to bring drinks. Dani concentrated on the dancers, admiring the ease with which they moved as one, as if they had telepathy and could anticipate each other’s moves. The waiter returned with a carafe of red wine and three glasses. Gualberto filled hers to the brim. She leant forwards, took a tentative sip and let the liquid slide down her throat, warming her insides.
    â€˜I am not shy and I will ask this. Are you and my cousin ...?’ He arched an eyebrow.
    She stopped mid-sip and squeezed her eyes shut as red wine burned her throat and nostrils. ‘God no!’
    â€˜Yes, it would have surprised me.’
    â€˜What’s that supposed to mean?’ She doubted she’d be Carlos’s type. He wasn’t hers even if he did look like a Ralph Lauren model.
    Gualberto leant forwards. ‘How well do you know Carlos?’
    â€˜Not very well. I’m working on articles for a magazine—’
    Gualberto slapped his thighs and let out a belly laugh. ‘Oh, ho, ho! What is my cousin doing with a journalist?’
    â€˜He doesn’t like them much, does he?’
    â€˜I believe he would like to stick the hot pokers in his eyes rather than be near people from your profession.’
    â€˜I gathered as much. May I ask why?’
    Gualberto cast his eyes around the room and leant his elbows on the table. ‘You do not know his history?’
    â€˜Only from what I’ve read and heard from other journalists. Is that why he has a problem with them?’
    â€˜I am not sure if this is right for me to tell. Perhaps you should be asking him.’ His eyes slid to the dance floor and he watched the couples strut their stuff.
    Leaning forwards, she said, ‘I can’t speak for my colleagues, but I promise you I would not betray anyone’s confidence and I don’t plan on telling Carlos’s story unless he wants me to. I may mention him briefly in my article but I’m focusing on the dance, not the man. And I had planned on contacting you so I can write an article about you and your musicianship.’
    â€˜From a well-balanced angle.’
    â€˜Is there any other way to tell a story?’ Then she remembered Carlos had experienced many pointy angles. ‘Scrap that. Just know these articles will do tango proud.’
    â€˜Is this how you get information from people? You charm them with sweetness, yes?’
    Dani gave a small laugh. ‘I bet you woo people with your charisma.’
    â€˜Maybe I do.’ His lips kicked up at the corners. ‘I will tell you, but it is only for the benefit of my cousin. If you understand his history you may find a way to work with him. It is important for him to have hope and if he can trust a journalist, maybe he can trust in other aspects of his life, yes?’ He nodded, as if agreeing with himself. ‘The most important trait a tango dancer has is trust.’
    â€˜Okay,’ she said, not entirely sure where he was going. Guilt tugged at her sleeve again. Maybe she should tell Carlos who her mother was.
    â€˜And my cousin doesn’t fully trust anyone.’
    â€˜Is that why he can’t dance the tango any more? Because he doesn’t trust his dance partners?’
    â€˜Ah, it is not that simple, but yes, I do think there is truth in this. But please, do not do the Google on my cousin. You will find many stories but none are true. I am one of the few who know what happened the night of his accident.’ His eyes locked on hers and she willed her expression to remain nonchalant. ‘You have done the Google. I can tell.’
    â€˜How?’
    â€˜Your eyelid. It is moving funny.’ He pointed and she rubbed her eye with her finger.
    â€˜Gualberto, first, remind me never to play poker with you, and second, I don’t believe what’s on the web unless