Before I Do Amazon (3 page)

"I had some good things going for a while, but I got injured, and everything went bad."

"You couldn't go back to the barre and get it back?"

She sighed. "I tried, but time had moved on, and I needed to come up with a new plan. So I decided to teach, help my aunt run the studio."

"And you don't miss performing?"

"Sometimes I do, but teaching others can be fulfilling, too." She took a breath. "Let's talk about you."

There it was—the personal questions in reverse. He should have known better. "My life has not been as interesting as yours."

"I seriously doubt that. Tell me why you want to learn to dance the tango."

"It's a requirement for a business deal."

She raised an eyebrow in surprise. "That's the first time I've ever heard that answer. What's the deal?"

He didn't usually like to share business details, but he might need her help. In fact, he knew he was going to need her help, because the one thing he'd learned from his first lesson was that if he was going to successfully dance the tango, he would need a good teacher and a good partner.

"I want to buy a piece of land in Argentina. The owner of the land wants to make sure that I understand his country and his culture. Apparently, my dancing the tango for him will prove that."

"It might help," she agreed. "I don't know anything about your deal, but I do know that the tango is part of the Argentinian culture. If you can understand the passion behind the dance, you'll have a better understanding of the people who dance it. And if nothing else, you'll have learned something new in life. Nothing wrong with that."

"I prefer to learn new things that can help me in my business."

"Well, apparently the tango is going to help you in your business."

"True," he conceded. "If I can find a way not to trip over my feet."

"You will. You just have to learn how to get out of your own way."

"You're making it sound easier than it will be. You and Ricardo were amazing partners. I can't imagine getting to that point."

"Ricardo and I have known each other for years. He first came to the studio when he was fifteen, and I was thirteen. We grew up together. We know each other's strengths and weaknesses. That's why we tango so well. But each pair of tango dancers is different. When you and I dance…" Her voice drifted away.

"What?" he pressed. "What happens when you and I dance?"

She looked him straight in the eye. "I'm not sure yet. We're just getting to know each other."

That was true. As much as he didn't want to dance, he found himself wanting to get to know her better. She was one of the most interesting women he'd spoken to in a very long time. But he hadn't come here to find a date. He needed to stay focused. "When can we meet again? Tomorrow night?"

She hesitated. "Friday night? You don't have other plans?"

"I will make myself available for these lessons. I don't have much time before I have to perform the dance."

"Tomorrow night might work. I'll have to check my schedule."

She'd no sooner finished speaking than the studio door opened and a slender, dark-haired, dark-eyed woman walked out to the patio. She appeared to be in her late forties, early fifties and bore a striking resemblance to Isabella.

"Aunt Rhea," Isabella said in surprise. "When did you get back from L.A.?"

"About fifteen minutes ago," Rhea answered, giving Nick a curious look. "Hello."

"This is Nicholas Hunter," Isabella quickly said. "My aunt, Rhea Carvello."

"Nice to meet you," he said, getting up to shake Rhea's hand.

"You, too. I didn't mean to interrupt."

"I just finished giving Nick a tango lesson," Isabella said.

"Out here?" Rhea challenged with a curious smile.

"No, we were getting some air. The studio was quite warm tonight. I don't think the fan is working that well."

"Or maybe the tango got you all hot and bothered," Rhea said with a gleam in her eyes. "At any rate, I just came by to tell you that I have some news. It may not make you happy, but I think I have to consider it."

"You're not talking about selling the studio again?" Isabella asked, tension in her voice.

"I have an offer, Isabella. It's a good one. I want you to look at it with me."

"I don't want you to sell. So, no thanks."

"Oh, honey, I know it will be a big change, but I need to move on."

"And I understand that, but I want to be the one who buys the studio from you. I'm working on a plan to make that happen."

"We both know a buyout will take more money than you have."

"Business has been increasing," Isabella argued. "And I have some other ideas, too."

Rhea frowned. "I don't want to make you unhappy, Isabella, but I don't want to worry about this studio anymore. I've given up a lot for this place and now it's my turn. David and I have something special. We want to travel. We want to be free of debt and responsibility."

"I understand, but just give me some time," she pleaded.

"All right, we'll talk again later." Rhea paused. "I'm sorry, Nick. I interrupted your session with my personal business."

"Not a problem." He stood up. "I should be going anyway."

"I'll walk you out," Isabella said as she rose. "We can check the schedule on the way out and see how tomorrow night works."

They walked back into the studio together.

Rhea said goodbye in the lobby, leaving them alone by the front counter.

"So your aunt wants to sell this place?" he asked.

Isabella opened her calendar on the computer and nodded, a grim expression on her face. "Yes. She fell in love last year with a man who lives in Los Angeles. He wants her to move down there and live with him. I can't blame her for wanting to do that. She's been single forever, and now she wants to have a relationship. I just don't want her to sell the studio to a stranger. It means everything to me."

"It's your home." He remembered the passion and emotion in her earlier words.

"Exactly. She taught me to love this studio, and now she wants to sell it and have me be happy about it."

"It sounds like she wants to be happy herself."

"I know, and I'm trying to put her interests in front of mine, because she's done a lot for me, but it's not easy."

"Let me ask you another question. Is the studio profitable?"

She sighed. "I'm sure the answer would be no by most standards. But this place isn't just about money; it's about dreams."

He smiled. "You're talking like a dancer, not a business owner. Everything is about money. It makes the world go round."

She frowned at him. "I don't agree. The arts are an important part of a civilized society."

"But you can't continue to teach that art if you don't make money. From what your aunt said, it sounds like she's been struggling to keep this place afloat for a long time."

"Business is better now," she argued. "I'm not going to let this studio go without a fight."

He appreciated the light of battle in her eyes. Too many people gave up too easily; Isabella obviously wasn't one of them.

"So tomorrow night," she said, looking down at the computer. "I can do eight o'clock. Will that work?"

As much as he wanted to say no, he knew he had to say yes. The clock was ticking. "I'll see you then."

Chapter Three

"Isabella, Isabella? Are you there?" Liz Palmer snapped her fingers in front of Isabella's face.

"Sorry," she said, realizing she'd drifted away in the middle of lunch on Friday with two of her good friends, Liz Palmer and Julie Michaels. They'd met a half hour earlier at the Delano Street Café by San Francisco's Embarcadero, and judging by the curious expressions in both sets of eyes, she'd been distracted for far too long. "What did you ask me?"

"What's going on with you?" Liz said. "It's like you're in a daze."

"I have a lot on my mind," she replied.

"The studio?" Julie asked sympathetically.

She'd told Julie about her aunt's plans to sell the studio the night before when they'd confirmed lunch. "That and…"She stopped, realizing that a good part of her distraction was not just about the studio but also about Nicholas Hunter.

"And?" Liz prodded. "There's a guy, isn't there?"

She frowned. "It doesn't always have to be a guy."

"But it is, right?"

"I did get a new student last night," she admitted. "He's very interesting."

"As in sexy, single, take-to-bed kind of interesting?" Julie enquired.

"I think he's single, and he's very attractive, off-the-charts sex appeal, but…he's also a very controlled person. He doesn't smile much. He's very reserved with his conversation. So he's not really my type. I prefer more outgoing men. But he does have thick, wavy dark brown hair, a killer body, and a pair of light blue eyes that are amazingly intense."

Julie laughed. "He definitely made an impression on you. No wonder you're daydreaming."

"What kind of lessons is he taking?" Liz asked. "I hope he's not getting ready for his wedding. That's when most men seem to want to learn how to dance."

"No, he's not doing that. He wants to learn the tango. It's part of some sort of business deal."

"That's an unusual deal," Liz commented. "What's this guy's name?"

"His name is Nicholas Hunter, and he's the president and founder of Hunter Resorts International."

Liz's jaw dropped. "I know who Nicholas Hunter is. Several years ago I worked on a promotional campaign for the Grand View Towers."

"Really?" she said in surprise.

"I have to admit I didn't have any meetings with him personally, but his company was wonderful to work with. A year later, his assistant sent me a complimentary stay at his Hawaii hotel, which was awesome." Liz paused, a glitter of excitement in her eyes. "I did happen to see Nick Hunter walk by the conference room one day and the man is gorgeous. He's also extremely wealthy. What on earth is he doing taking dancing lessons at your studio?"

"I told you—it's part of some business deal."

"That must be some deal."

"I didn't get the details. I'm a teacher. He wants lessons. I wasn't going to say no."

"Maybe you could be more than student and teacher," Liz suggested with a sparkling smile. "I'm pretty sure he's single."

"I was thinking the same thing," Julie put in. "Especially now that I've just heard Liz rave about him. She's usually extremely picky and judgmental about men."

Liz rolled her eyes but didn't deny Julie's good-natured comment.

Isabella smiled fondly at her friends. "Ever since you two fell in love and got engaged, you've been trying to set me up with every single guy who crosses my path. You need to stop. I'm not desperate, and I'm not that eager to get involved with anyone. I have a lot of other things to worry about right now. If you want to help me brainstorm something, help me figure out how to buy my aunt's studio without having enough money."

"What about your mom?" Liz suggested. "Could she help?"

She shook her head. "My mother has finally gotten to a place in her life where she doesn't have to work two jobs. I can't ask her for money."

"Maybe Matt and I could invest," Julie offered. "Matt has made a lot of money the past few years."

As the star baseball player for the Cougars, Isabella knew that was true, but she didn't want to borrow from her friends.

"So has Michael," Liz interjected. "And Andrea's husband Alex could probably help as well."

She immediately shook her head. "No, thank you. This is my problem, and I will figure it out. I appreciate the offers, but you both have weddings to plan, and Alex and Andrea have recently set up a huge foundation to support foster kids in the city. I need to figure this out without taking charity from my friends."

"It's not charity," Liz said. "It would be a loan."

"I couldn't take a loan unless I knew for sure I could pay it back, and I honestly don't know that. So, I need to keep thinking."

"Maybe you should keep thinking about whether or not you really want to buy the studio," Julie said. "You're a dancer, Isabella. You're a performer. I know your career was derailed by your injury, but are you sure you don't want to try to get it back?"

"I don't think so," she said slowly. As much as she missed performing, she didn't miss the pain and disappointment and frustration of the last two years. "Enough about me. Let's talk about your wedding, Liz. I can't believe it's only three weeks away. How are all the plans coming along? Do you need my help with anything?"

"It's all good," Liz replied. "Maggie is taking care of everything at the Stratton. And the hotel gardens are already blooming, so it's going to be beautiful. My dad's health has improved, so he'll be able to walk me down the aisle."

"That's wonderful news," she said, seeing the moisture in Liz's eyes. Her father had been battling cancer for a couple of years and it had been touch-and-go the last few months. Apparently things were better now.

"It means a lot to me to have my dad give me away," Liz said, dabbing at her eyes with her napkin. "I can't believe I'm crying. I'm so
not
a crier."

"Weddings bring it out in all of us," Julie said, blinking some suspicious brightness out of her eyes.

"What's just as important as having my dad with me," Liz continued, "is having my friends by my side. I'm thrilled that everyone is going to make it—even Jessica."

"We made a pact," Isabella said with a smile. "And you were nice enough to schedule your wedding when school gets out so Jessica could make it."

"That is partly why I picked June, so I'm glad it worked out for everyone. I have to admit I had no idea planning a wedding could be so time-consuming and stressful. I've been trying to convince Julie that she and Matt should just get married at the same time so she could avoid all this craziness."

"I would," Julie said with a laugh, "but Matt can't get married in the middle of baseball season. We're shooting for next November or maybe Christmas, but definitely after the World Series, just in case the Cougars go all the way."

"The way Matt is swinging a bat lately, along with the rest of the Cougars, I'd say the World Series is a definite possibility," Liz said. "But it would have been fun to have a double wedding."