By the time Talia sorted out her various purchases, freshened up and arrived at her destination, the band’s showcase was already in full swing. They had the crowd’s full attention so she completely escaped notice as she found a place to stand against the back wall.
Before launching into their next selection, Juan Paulo addressed the room, “All right, we have a special treat for you guys tonight. Javi and his girlfriend have been working on adding some new moves to our performances and the time has come to show them off. You might recognize her from the sirens of Calypso. Put your hands together and give a warm welcome for Scarlet!”
He immediately ripped into an electric guitar solo Talia recognized from the band’s audition. Scarlet entered the fray moments later, taking center stage as a dancer for the first time in her life, and she owned every second of it. Her lightning fast cha-cha steps and sensual belly rolls gave the song new dimension that made the original version pale in comparison. Juan Paulo had said the idea behind it came to him in a dream. Talia couldn’t help but wonder if her presence had been there as well, if she looked as gorgeous to him as Scarlet did to the audience now. In the decade she’d known her, she couldn’t recall an instance where Scarlet looked this happy.
For much of the night, Scarlet wore the same dress. Flourishes of yellow and tangerine mixed together flawlessly. Its mullet skirt feathered out behind her, allowing her legs plenty of room to carry out their various tricks. Cha cha remained her signature style, but for the occasional slow song, she switched over to rumba or tango. While she played off both of the guys, the electricity was far more apparent with Javier, especially when they locked eyes. Resisting the temptation to blush added an element of suspense, at least in Talia’s eyes, as to whether or not they’d run off at any moment and surrender to their urges. This amusing image made her smirk, but she shook the ridiculousness of it out of her head. Scarlet may be crazy in love, but she had more restraint than that. Other than herself, Amber was the only other siren she could imagine pulling off such a stunt. Her sense of sexuality was always front and center in her routines; it wouldn’t surprise her if that carried over to her personal life.
Talia was so caught up in her own imagination she didn’t come up for air until the final number.
She did a double take before it dawned her that the stage setup had changed. A pole had been installed far stage left, but it was cleverly disguised as a streetlight. Leaning against it, Scarlet wore a little black dress with a hem adorned with fringe. Her eyes had a smokier look thanks to some extra eye shadow and mascara. The large drum set was gone and a pair of tom-tom drums and hi-hat cymbals took its place. Javier switched to bass guitar. Only Juan Paulo remained unchanged with his acoustic guitar straddled across his lap. He sat at the end of the stage, his legs dangling over the edge.
The lighting scheme was also different. Until now, the house lights had been dim with the stage fully visible. The floor lamps were now on a lower setting and both sides of the stage had their own spotlight. The band was illuminated just enough so they could still see their instruments. Instead of Scarlet supporting the band, they were now supporting her as her routine became the center of attention.
Things started slow with a series of rumba moves. She walked to one side of the pole, held on with one hand and sashayed her hips left to right. Crossing over behind it, she repeated the steps on the other side. Then she leapt onto it and slowly spun her way back to the ground. Talia nodded to herself, intrigued by Scarlet’s portrayal of a streetwalker, but something didn’t sit quite right with her and she didn’t know why.
The drummer picked up the pace, moving from just dusting the tom-toms with brushes to adding a cymbal for more rhythm. In response, the stage’s lighting scheme resumed as normal. Anticipation started building in the center of the audience and fanned outward through a barrage of cheers. Talia shot out of her pensive daze. Her jaw dropped when she realized Javier put down his bass and was now dancing as Scarlet’s partner. Their style of tango alternated from standard to Argentine depending on the tempo of the music. She didn’t know how much experience he had in this area, but he supported her with the ease of a pro.
As gorgeous as the spectacle was to behold, Talia couldn’t bring herself to enjoy it. Something was still bothering her that she couldn’t put her finger on. She studied Juan Paulo for a moment before it finally hit her and the impact felt like the sky had fallen on top of her. Her hand immediately reached for the back wall to keep her from falling to her knees. His lyrics were getting too specific, too personal and, as they’d always been, they were about her. There were details from her past she’d never told him, but he’d somehow guessed at with terrifying accuracy. Her perfectly crafted façade, he’d seen right through it, and he played off her deception like it didn’t matter to him. Her flaws, he not only magnified, they endeared her to him.
Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Scarlet wiping the sides of her face, leaving behind a glittering residue on her cheeks. A line repeated in the chorus about the tears rolling down her face every time they met in close quarters and she was applying makeup mid routine to bring this startling image into reality. Meanwhile, those same tears came back, but Talia’s cheeks were so hot with embarrassment they evaporated on contact. Furious, her ears buzzed so loud that the rest of the lyrics never reached her. She rummaged in her handbag for her cell phone, hit a few extra buttons to undo the actions she’d previously taken with this one contact, and sent a quick text.
The crowd filed out of the building, taking no notice of Talia amid their elation. She closed her eyes, taking deep breaths to stave off hyperventilation before opening them again. Juan Paulo exchanged high fives with everybody except Scarlet, whom he eagerly threw his arms around to congratulate. Javier pulled her to his side and kissed her on the top of the head. As usual, her blush was visible from the back of the room and after a giggle, she pulled away and offered a couple high fives of her own.
Scarlet gazed around the room, reflecting on a job well done, when something caught her eye. “Talia, hey!” She leapt off the stage and rushed over to hug her. “What a nice surprise! But what about Calypso? It’s Wednesday.”
“Yes, yes, I know. Not to take anything from your sister and Vanessa, but I had a hunch this was the best place to be tonight. You were amazing out there. Like you were a brand-new person.”
“Oh, thank you,” she leaned against Javier and beamed up at him, “I couldn’t have done it without Javi’s encouragement.”
“Don’t sell yourself short, mi amor. The beautiful pictures you made with the dance. That was all you.”
Scarlet blushed, stammering over her words as he gave her a squeeze and another kiss, “I never thought I’d be able to do anything like this. Or that I would have someone like you to do it with me.”
“Well, this calls for a celebration.” Talia removed her wallet and took a few bills. “Javier, Scarlet deserves a nice meal for a job well done. Here, it’s on me.”
“Of course,” he accepted her offer, “but really, this is a team effort. We should all go.”
“No, you two go ahead. I have my own business with Juan Paulo tonight.”
Once they said their goodbyes, Scarlet and her boyfriend left arm in arm.
Rubbing the back of his neck, Juan Paulo gave a light chuckle, “I was starting to think I wasn’t going to see you at any of our shows. I certainly hope it lived up to all your expectations.” His blue eyes were warm as always, but they couldn’t reach Talia’s frozen heart. She succeeded in keeping her true feelings locked behind a guarded smile, but everything she said going forward contained a hidden meaning only she was privy to.
“Don’t be so modest, Juan Paulo. Tonight’s performance met every expectation I could possibly have.” She looked briefly at the clock on the wall behind his head before adding, “It’s late. We should probably go as well. I’d say keep up if you can, but that’s never been a difficult thing for you, has it?” She winked before darting out the back door into the alleyway. Now that her back was turned toward him, any hint of amusement on her face vanished instantly. Her purse vibrated twice and she nearly ripped it in half retrieving her phone. The response to her message had the most blatant display of egotism she’d ever experienced, but it supplied her with the alibi she desperately needed.
Juan Paulo had gotten an expansive tour of the city’s side streets over the past several days. Talia always led him in a different direction, but their final destination remained the same. The previous night when she led him back to her place instead of his, he took as a sign that some serious progress was about to be made. But as their surroundings became too familiar too quickly, he began to realize that wasn’t the case.
“Wait, you’re taking me home?” He demanded after catching up with her. She’d stopped dead in her tracks in front of his residence with Javier to send a quick text reply. When she didn’t answer him right away, he asked, “Talia, what’s going on?”
“You’re smarter than I gave you credit for.” She smirked, her back still turned. “Something came up and I need to work tonight.”
“Ok… I’m not sure if I follow.”
“I have not been doing my job to the fullest of my ability. I need to make up for all of the time... so much lost time this summer.”
“Lost time?” He stuttered, “What do you mean, lost time? Is that all this has been to you? When you came here looking for me and we first got together, I thought it was because I meant as much to you as you do to me.”
“Hmm,” She whirled around, her arms crossed, “if I really mean that much to you, you had a very peculiar way of showing it tonight.”
To Juan Paulo, the last minute had been a whirlwind. Talia not only put her walls back up, but they came with extra reinforcements. This sudden reversal left him scratching his head, trying to figure out what changed. But when she ran a hand down her cheek the same way Scarlet had during her dance with Javier, the fog cleared and he didn’t like what he saw on the other side. “My new song? That’s why you’re doing this?” Her eyes narrowed, providing all the confirmation he needed. Matter-of-factly, he stated, “The inspiration behind that song comes from a couple different sources. Nobody will be able to connect all of those dots back to you. I swear on my…”
“So you’re saying some of the dots come back to me?” She spat venom at him. “Unbelievable…”
“You have to let me explain.” He held his palm out. “Are you emotional like that with anyone else? It makes me worry about you.”
“That is none of your concern. Now, if you’ll excuse me…”
But before she could make her escape, he quickly grabbed her hand. “Talia, please wait.” She gasped out of surprise, but feeling his touch still warm against her skin, she reconsidered. “I get it. You’re scared about letting me in. That I might understand you better than you think I do. As I told you before, I will wait for you to let your guard down for me. No matter how long it takes.” He leaned forward. Her eyes automatically closed as she felt his lips press tenderly against her forehead. “Your faithful subjects will be just fine. They can get along without their princess for one night.”
Her eyes flickered back open. Talia closed her hand into a fist and tore it out of his grip. Caught off guard by the sudden movement, Juan Paulo almost fell over, but quickly regained his balance. She gulped down the bile in her throat before speaking. “Is that what this is? That’s all I am to you? Some damsel in distress to be rescued? If you really cared about me, you wouldn’t be keeping me from doing what makes me happy.”
Juan Paulo took a deep breath, struggling to maintain his composure. “So… this time we’ve been spending together, that wasn’t making you happy? Was it just another part of the ‘siren act’ you were telling me about the other night?”
“No. Our time together, that was no act. I was very happy, Juan Paulo. Then you insult me like this. Now it feels like another lie… you men do nothing but lie…”
“I don’t understand. How did I insult you?”
“Someone else called me princess once,” she turned to face him and feverishly jabbed toward her chest with every word, “and he broke my heart and took everything from me! But of course, your song would know all about that…”
“Wait, hold on a second,” he put his hands on his hips, his head on a slight tilt, “There’s a saying about how happiness is the best revenge. So why do you insist on throwing your happiness away? I think you’re afraid to let go out of the past because you don’t know who you are without it.” He paused to gauge her reaction, but she only shook her head at the ground separating them. “Well, I’ve got news for you, Talia. If he still holds this much power over what you do with your life, he already won. It’s no wonder you haven’t been able to heal after all this time. Vanessa told me on our dinner date how you still cry yourself to sleep some nights. She’s worried about you. I am too.”
Overcome with fury, Talia’s voice teetered on the edge of losing control. “I don’t believe this. That is the last time I trust her with anything!”
He shook his head, trying to hide his disgust. “You can’t be serious… she’s your best friend. And you’d turn your back on her because she confided in someone who wants to help you as much as she does?”
“I don’t need help!” Unable to control herself, Talia slapped him across the face. “Your ridiculous talk of heroics… how dare you think so little of me?!”
Rubbing his sore cheek, Juan Paulo had just about had enough himself. “He probably tried to help you too… and when he realized he couldn’t, he overdosed so the monster he created would be left to destroy herself. It took a decade, but it looks like that bullet finally hit. All that’s left is this poor damaged girl that can’t be repaired by anyone. Not even herself.” As easily as that zinger rolled off his tongue, the regret set in almost immediately. Her deer-in-the-headlights expression told him he’d gone too far. “Talia, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean it.”
“Yes, you did.” Her eyes blazed through the tears. “Now I see how it is. This is over.”
“Talia, please…” he started as she rushed past him into the night, “…I’m sorry.”
As she began turning in for the night, Emilia couldn’t help patting herself on the back for a day well spent. She received a text at the crack of dawn that she was off the clock and she took full advantage of the opportunity. For the first time since joining the sirens, she slept in until noon. After making herself a cheese and mushroom omelet with a glass of orange juice, not a single moment was wasted on anything frivolous.
Positioning herself in front of the full-length mirror attached to her wardrobe door, she ran through all of the routines she’d learned over the past week. All of the steps had become second nature to her, so she used this exercise to work on her visual aesthetic. Now that she was getting more responsibility as part of the group, it was important she looked like she belonged. It couldn’t be blatantly obvious to any newcomers in the audience she was the latest addition of the group. Confidence had to shine through her eyes and reflect in the way she carried herself on stage. As the sun went down, she tried to apply the same principles to her own routine, but without Scarlet and Ruby, it just didn’t feel the same. If their visual presentation was going to be consistent across the board, they would have to figure out the perfect approach together.
Just as Emilia began drawing her curtains closed, she stopped short when she saw Talia and Juan Paulo locked in an intense discussion on the street below. She’d received texts from Vanessa throughout the day so she was caught up on all recent developments. How he spent the night at their place and for one reason or another, Scarlet and Talia called off so it was just her and Ruby holding down the fort. She’d wondered why they didn’t ask her to be the third person, but ultimately decided she needed time to herself to regroup after a demanding week.
Her inner thoughts suddenly screeched to a halt when she saw Talia slap Juan Paulo. “Oh my…” After quickly making sure everything was in order, she raced out the door and down the several steps of the complex. He had one hand on his doorknob when she called out to him. “JP? Hey, JP!”
“Emilia,” he blinked to rule out a potential hallucination, “What are you doing here?
“I saw what just happened from my window upstairs. What’s going on?”
“We just had a big fight and both said things we shouldn’t have.” He shook his head as he reached to turn the key. “It’s done. I won’t be a problem for her anymore.”
“That doesn’t sound like the Juan Paulo I know.” She reached for his shoulder and turned him to face her. Wherever Talia hit him left a huge mark on his cheek, but it was the matte finish of his irises that made her gasp. She’d never seen anyone look so defeated. But she refused to back down. “Remember what you said to me the other day? How we’re friends that can tell each other anything. I’m here to return the favor.”
He sighed, the smallest smile crinkling across his face. “All right.” Over the next two minutes, he brought her up to speed on how Talia came to tonight’s show and took issue with one of his new songs. Because the other girls treated Emilia with kid gloves on certain topics of conversation, he followed their lead and was vague about the specifics. But he confessed that some of the lyrics came from things Vanessa had told him about Talia’s past. “It’s all my fault. I pushed her too hard to open up to me and I only made things worse.”
Without hesitation, Emilia pledged her support. “No, it’s not your fault. I know you’re a good person, JP and you just wanted to help her. We all do.” She thought for a moment and decided, “You know what? I’ll talk to her. If she’s going to listen to anyone else now, I have the best chance.” She fled before Juan Paulo had a chance to dissuade her.
Emilia proceeded down the normal route she took for her morning commute. But in her desperation to find Talia as quickly as possible, she began cutting through the alleyways with only the music blasting from Calypso for guidance. Acutely aware of the fact Talia threw herself into work when she’s upset, that was the most likely place she would be. Suddenly, she stumbled upon something so startling that she couldn’t move or speak. Talia’s arms embraced a man only a couple years older than Juan Paulo. Purrs of joy rumbled from her throat. Her outer leg was wrapped around the man’s waist as he thrust his body repeatedly into hers. Within seconds, her voice hit its highest octave, quickly followed by heavy panting from them both.
When she couldn’t hold her breath anymore, Emilia gasped louder than she meant to. They both freeze and, in slow motion, turned their heads to face her. Even huddled in the shadows, Talia’s blanched visage was impossible to miss. She immediately shoved her partner away from her. Annoyed, he whirled around to zip up before leaving in a huff.
Talia quickly replaced her black laced panties and smoothed out her dress before going after Emilia, who’d already began her speedy exit. “Wait, I didn’t mean for you to see that! Emilia, look at me.” She put a hand on her shoulder.
The gesture stopped her running, but her touch otherwise had no effect on her. Her voice wavered, “JP needs the apology more than I do. How can do you this to him?!”
“You don’t understand…”
“No, I don’t! Please explain it to me! Who the hell was that guy? What were you doing with him?”
Sighing, Talia confessed, “One of my associates I had some unfinished business with, that’s all.”
“What kind of business.... wait a minute, one of? There are others? How many? How long has this been going on?”
She crossed her arms and leaned against the nearest wall. “My stepfather worked for the brothers and caused a lot of trouble for their business. To make amends for his… actions, I offered them my help. I used my skills to woo some of their business partners who wanted to leave their organization because of him. In return, they paid me handsomely and I used the money to save what became Calypso. It was originally a restaurant they were giving Alejandro to run, but the economy fell hard, and it was losing money. Some of the other sirens did it as well, in the beginning, but when everything settled down, they left that part of the business behind.”
Emilia took everything in stride, occasionally nodding to show her attentiveness. As fascinating as this history lesson was, she still had a lot of burning questions. “I know it’s policy for us to be entitled to our secrets, but why do I get the feeling there’s a lot more you’ve been keeping from me? Why hire me if you couldn’t be honest with me about any of this?”
“You have a special quality to your dance most of us have lost after what we’ve gone through. I only wanted to protect you.”
Breaking eye contact and crossing her own arms, she shook her head. “I heard what you told Vanessa the other day. How you didn’t think my routine was strong enough. Were you protecting me then too?” She raised her head just enough in an attempt to catch her eye, only to see she’d turned away as well. “That’s what I thought. You act like you care so much about my artistry, but when I want to express it in my own way, you can’t even tell me to my face why you won’t help me with it. But I know someone who will...”
Talia shot up with a gasp. “Emilia, Amber is... she takes this business too seriously. You couldn’t handle it.”
She rolled her eyes into a glare. “Whatever she has to offer can’t be any worse than what I just walked in.” Backing away, she concluded, “I’m so done.” Without another word, Emilia left Talia alone with only her thoughts for company.
***
Rubbing the back of his neck, Juan Paulo gave a light chuckle, “I was starting to think I wasn’t going to see you at any of our shows. I certainly hope it lived up to all your expectations.” His blue eyes were warm as always, but they couldn’t reach Talia’s frozen heart. She succeeded in keeping her true feelings locked behind a guarded smile, but everything she said going forward contained a hidden meaning only she was privy to.
“Don’t be so modest, Juan Paulo. Tonight’s performance met every expectation I could possibly have.” She looked briefly at the clock on the wall behind his head before adding, “It’s late. We should probably go as well. I’d say keep up if you can, but that’s never been a difficult thing for you, has it?” She winked before darting out the back door into the alleyway. Now that her back was turned toward him, any hint of amusement on her face vanished instantly. Her purse vibrated twice and she nearly ripped it in half retrieving her phone. The response to her message had the most blatant display of egotism she’d ever experienced, but it supplied her with the alibi she desperately needed.
Juan Paulo had gotten an expansive tour of the city’s side streets over the past several days. Talia always led him in a different direction, but their final destination remained the same. The previous night when she led him back to her place instead of his, he took as a sign that some serious progress was about to be made. But as their surroundings became too familiar too quickly, he began to realize that wasn’t the case.
“Wait, you’re taking me home?” He demanded after catching up with her. She’d stopped dead in her tracks in front of his residence with Javier to send a quick text reply. When she didn’t answer him right away, he asked, “Talia, what’s going on?”
“You’re smarter than I gave you credit for.” She smirked, her back still turned. “Something came up and I need to work tonight.”
“Ok… I’m not sure if I follow.”
“I have not been doing my job to the fullest of my ability. I need to make up for all of the time... so much lost time this summer.”
“Lost time?” He stuttered, “What do you mean, lost time? Is that all this has been to you? When you came here looking for me and we first got together, I thought it was because I meant as much to you as you do to me.”
“Hmm,” She whirled around, her arms crossed, “if I really mean that much to you, you had a very peculiar way of showing it tonight.”
To Juan Paulo, the last minute had been a whirlwind. Talia not only put her walls back up, but they came with extra reinforcements. This sudden reversal left him scratching his head, trying to figure out what changed. But when she ran a hand down her cheek the same way Scarlet had during her dance with Javier, the fog cleared and he didn’t like what he saw on the other side. “My new song? That’s why you’re doing this?” Her eyes narrowed, providing all the confirmation he needed. Matter-of-factly, he stated, “The inspiration behind that song comes from a couple different sources. Nobody will be able to connect all of those dots back to you. I swear on my…”
“So you’re saying some of the dots come back to me?” She spat venom at him. “Unbelievable…”
“You have to let me explain.” He held his palm out. “Are you emotional like that with anyone else? It makes me worry about you.”
“That is none of your concern. Now, if you’ll excuse me…”
But before she could make her escape, he quickly grabbed her hand. “Talia, please wait.” She gasped out of surprise, but feeling his touch still warm against her skin, she reconsidered. “I get it. You’re scared about letting me in. That I might understand you better than you think I do. As I told you before, I will wait for you to let your guard down for me. No matter how long it takes.” He leaned forward. Her eyes automatically closed as she felt his lips press tenderly against her forehead. “Your faithful subjects will be just fine. They can get along without their princess for one night.”
Her eyes flickered back open. Talia closed her hand into a fist and tore it out of his grip. Caught off guard by the sudden movement, Juan Paulo almost fell over, but quickly regained his balance. She gulped down the bile in her throat before speaking. “Is that what this is? That’s all I am to you? Some damsel in distress to be rescued? If you really cared about me, you wouldn’t be keeping me from doing what makes me happy.”
Juan Paulo took a deep breath, struggling to maintain his composure. “So… this time we’ve been spending together, that wasn’t making you happy? Was it just another part of the ‘siren act’ you were telling me about the other night?”
“No. Our time together, that was no act. I was very happy, Juan Paulo. Then you insult me like this. Now it feels like another lie… you men do nothing but lie…”
“I don’t understand. How did I insult you?”
“Someone else called me princess once,” she turned to face him and feverishly jabbed toward her chest with every word, “and he broke my heart and took everything from me! But of course, your song would know all about that…”
“Wait, hold on a second,” he put his hands on his hips, his head on a slight tilt, “There’s a saying about how happiness is the best revenge. So why do you insist on throwing your happiness away? I think you’re afraid to let go out of the past because you don’t know who you are without it.” He paused to gauge her reaction, but she only shook her head at the ground separating them. “Well, I’ve got news for you, Talia. If he still holds this much power over what you do with your life, he already won. It’s no wonder you haven’t been able to heal after all this time. Vanessa told me on our dinner date how you still cry yourself to sleep some nights. She’s worried about you. I am too.”
Overcome with fury, Talia’s voice teetered on the edge of losing control. “I don’t believe this. That is the last time I trust her with anything!”
He shook his head, trying to hide his disgust. “You can’t be serious… she’s your best friend. And you’d turn your back on her because she confided in someone who wants to help you as much as she does?”
“I don’t need help!” Unable to control herself, Talia slapped him across the face. “Your ridiculous talk of heroics… how dare you think so little of me?!”
Rubbing his sore cheek, Juan Paulo had just about had enough himself. “He probably tried to help you too… and when he realized he couldn’t, he overdosed so the monster he created would be left to destroy herself. It took a decade, but it looks like that bullet finally hit. All that’s left is this poor damaged girl that can’t be repaired by anyone. Not even herself.” As easily as that zinger rolled off his tongue, the regret set in almost immediately. Her deer-in-the-headlights expression told him he’d gone too far. “Talia, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean it.”
“Yes, you did.” Her eyes blazed through the tears. “Now I see how it is. This is over.”
“Talia, please…” he started as she rushed past him into the night, “…I’m sorry.”
* * *
As she began turning in for the night, Emilia couldn’t help patting herself on the back for a day well spent. She received a text at the crack of dawn that she was off the clock and she took full advantage of the opportunity. For the first time since joining the sirens, she slept in until noon. After making herself a cheese and mushroom omelet with a glass of orange juice, not a single moment was wasted on anything frivolous.
Positioning herself in front of the full-length mirror attached to her wardrobe door, she ran through all of the routines she’d learned over the past week. All of the steps had become second nature to her, so she used this exercise to work on her visual aesthetic. Now that she was getting more responsibility as part of the group, it was important she looked like she belonged. It couldn’t be blatantly obvious to any newcomers in the audience she was the latest addition of the group. Confidence had to shine through her eyes and reflect in the way she carried herself on stage. As the sun went down, she tried to apply the same principles to her own routine, but without Scarlet and Ruby, it just didn’t feel the same. If their visual presentation was going to be consistent across the board, they would have to figure out the perfect approach together.
Just as Emilia began drawing her curtains closed, she stopped short when she saw Talia and Juan Paulo locked in an intense discussion on the street below. She’d received texts from Vanessa throughout the day so she was caught up on all recent developments. How he spent the night at their place and for one reason or another, Scarlet and Talia called off so it was just her and Ruby holding down the fort. She’d wondered why they didn’t ask her to be the third person, but ultimately decided she needed time to herself to regroup after a demanding week.
Her inner thoughts suddenly screeched to a halt when she saw Talia slap Juan Paulo. “Oh my…” After quickly making sure everything was in order, she raced out the door and down the several steps of the complex. He had one hand on his doorknob when she called out to him. “JP? Hey, JP!”
“Emilia,” he blinked to rule out a potential hallucination, “What are you doing here?
“I saw what just happened from my window upstairs. What’s going on?”
“We just had a big fight and both said things we shouldn’t have.” He shook his head as he reached to turn the key. “It’s done. I won’t be a problem for her anymore.”
“That doesn’t sound like the Juan Paulo I know.” She reached for his shoulder and turned him to face her. Wherever Talia hit him left a huge mark on his cheek, but it was the matte finish of his irises that made her gasp. She’d never seen anyone look so defeated. But she refused to back down. “Remember what you said to me the other day? How we’re friends that can tell each other anything. I’m here to return the favor.”
He sighed, the smallest smile crinkling across his face. “All right.” Over the next two minutes, he brought her up to speed on how Talia came to tonight’s show and took issue with one of his new songs. Because the other girls treated Emilia with kid gloves on certain topics of conversation, he followed their lead and was vague about the specifics. But he confessed that some of the lyrics came from things Vanessa had told him about Talia’s past. “It’s all my fault. I pushed her too hard to open up to me and I only made things worse.”
Without hesitation, Emilia pledged her support. “No, it’s not your fault. I know you’re a good person, JP and you just wanted to help her. We all do.” She thought for a moment and decided, “You know what? I’ll talk to her. If she’s going to listen to anyone else now, I have the best chance.” She fled before Juan Paulo had a chance to dissuade her.
Emilia proceeded down the normal route she took for her morning commute. But in her desperation to find Talia as quickly as possible, she began cutting through the alleyways with only the music blasting from Calypso for guidance. Acutely aware of the fact Talia threw herself into work when she’s upset, that was the most likely place she would be. Suddenly, she stumbled upon something so startling that she couldn’t move or speak. Talia’s arms embraced a man only a couple years older than Juan Paulo. Purrs of joy rumbled from her throat. Her outer leg was wrapped around the man’s waist as he thrust his body repeatedly into hers. Within seconds, her voice hit its highest octave, quickly followed by heavy panting from them both.
When she couldn’t hold her breath anymore, Emilia gasped louder than she meant to. They both freeze and, in slow motion, turned their heads to face her. Even huddled in the shadows, Talia’s blanched visage was impossible to miss. She immediately shoved her partner away from her. Annoyed, he whirled around to zip up before leaving in a huff.
Talia quickly replaced her black laced panties and smoothed out her dress before going after Emilia, who’d already began her speedy exit. “Wait, I didn’t mean for you to see that! Emilia, look at me.” She put a hand on her shoulder.
The gesture stopped her running, but her touch otherwise had no effect on her. Her voice wavered, “JP needs the apology more than I do. How can do you this to him?!”
“You don’t understand…”
“No, I don’t! Please explain it to me! Who the hell was that guy? What were you doing with him?”
Sighing, Talia confessed, “One of my associates I had some unfinished business with, that’s all.”
“What kind of business.... wait a minute, one of? There are others? How many? How long has this been going on?”
She crossed her arms and leaned against the nearest wall. “My stepfather worked for the brothers and caused a lot of trouble for their business. To make amends for his… actions, I offered them my help. I used my skills to woo some of their business partners who wanted to leave their organization because of him. In return, they paid me handsomely and I used the money to save what became Calypso. It was originally a restaurant they were giving Alejandro to run, but the economy fell hard, and it was losing money. Some of the other sirens did it as well, in the beginning, but when everything settled down, they left that part of the business behind.”
Emilia took everything in stride, occasionally nodding to show her attentiveness. As fascinating as this history lesson was, she still had a lot of burning questions. “I know it’s policy for us to be entitled to our secrets, but why do I get the feeling there’s a lot more you’ve been keeping from me? Why hire me if you couldn’t be honest with me about any of this?”
“You have a special quality to your dance most of us have lost after what we’ve gone through. I only wanted to protect you.”
Breaking eye contact and crossing her own arms, she shook her head. “I heard what you told Vanessa the other day. How you didn’t think my routine was strong enough. Were you protecting me then too?” She raised her head just enough in an attempt to catch her eye, only to see she’d turned away as well. “That’s what I thought. You act like you care so much about my artistry, but when I want to express it in my own way, you can’t even tell me to my face why you won’t help me with it. But I know someone who will...”
Talia shot up with a gasp. “Emilia, Amber is... she takes this business too seriously. You couldn’t handle it.”
She rolled her eyes into a glare. “Whatever she has to offer can’t be any worse than what I just walked in.” Backing away, she concluded, “I’m so done.” Without another word, Emilia left Talia alone with only her thoughts for company.
***
Song inspiration: "All good things come to an end" by Nelly Furtado
Aside from the bonus track ("Te Busque" all in Spanish), this is the final track of tihs album...
But it's not the end of the story. In fact, this is just a little past the halfway point.
Aside from the bonus track ("Te Busque" all in Spanish), this is the final track of tihs album...
But it's not the end of the story. In fact, this is just a little past the halfway point.
Stay Tuned- there's still a lot of fun and heartbreak left to be had.
...another note I forgot to add...
This scene had been planned long before I heard "Shoot Love" on the 5th Maroon 5 album, V... but I can imagine that song being performed by JP while he's trying to reason with Talia.
This scene had been planned long before I heard "Shoot Love" on the 5th Maroon 5 album, V... but I can imagine that song being performed by JP while he's trying to reason with Talia.
And the opening number with Scarlet dancing her first solo- that's set to "Out of my Head" by Daughtry. I actually had a dream where I saw someone who looked like Prince's first wife Mayte (a famous bellydancer in her own right before and after meeting him) dancing in a fenced in field to that song. Since then, I've never been able to imagine that song any other way. Although now, to be honest, I'm kinda sick of it and would be fine if I went a couple years before listening to it again.
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