As was the case every year, the final night of Calypso’s busy season coincided with the end-of-summer karaoke contest. Although Eclipse enjoyed a fair bit of success in its five years of operation, this cross promotion ensured a massive payout for both venues.
Talia considered bringing La Scala into the fold but through Javier, she quickly learned that wouldn’t be necessary. After Juan Paulo did the showcase for the label executives and heard nothing back from them, he lost all interest in performing. The other bands under contract made a valiant effort to fill the void left behind, but to no avail. La Scala closed to the public shortly after. Talia apologized to the owners, taking full responsibility, but they reassured her this was only a minor setback. They were already working on plans to draw extra business next year, including a “battle of the bands” competition among other musical prospects.
Amber briefly considered making a similar arrangement with Evangeline’s but the time wasn’t right just yet. Despite procuring a small following in a short time, The Underground remained too dangerous for garden variety tourists. Matters would have to wait until she discussed the logistics with Alejandro. It was too much to expect the complete eradication of the drug-fueled prostitution, but she hoped with his help, precautions can be put in place to keep the two worlds separate.
Without question, the big night was one for the ages. There were two last minute snags, but the record-breaking crowd was none the wiser.
Scarlet dropped out of all but one of the numbers she’d committed to. Despite the fact she was now taking in enough calories for two, she didn’t have as much energy for herself as she’d had in the previous weeks. Her participation in the karaoke competition would solely depend on how she felt by the end of the night.
Then in irregular fashion, Talia arrived five minutes before showtime. This caused additional apprehension because her solo was the opening number. While Amber didn’t appreciate Talia’s tardiness, her tone was surprisingly calm when she asked her about it. “You were the one who wanted to open the show tonight. If you can’t commit to being here on time…”
“I know, I know… I had another meeting with the brothers and I lost track of time.” Anticipating more questions to follow, she added, “they wish us luck on our show tonight. And there may be some more changes going into next season… some things still need to be decided but once they are, I will let everyone know.”
As Talia got into position, Alejandro brought something curious to her attention. “My uncles messaged me two hours ago saying you’d left and to wish the rest of us luck. What else have you been off doing?”
She shook her head but the eye roll that followed was oddly humorous. Talia’s attitude toward Alejandro had changed dramatically over the last few weeks; he’d confessed to the others on numerous occasions that he still wasn’t used to it. “There are no guarantees but karaoke this year may be a little different. Now you’re the one slowing us down. Start the music.”
Offering a playful smirk of his own, he responded, “Right away, boss.”
The curtains open, revealing the interior bar set from Amber’s show. Sitting at the baby grand piano, Talia plays along to the dramatic keys that open the first song. She gets up from the bench two measures later to take her position center stage. The hip hop beat is new territory for her, but she entrances the audience with her sultry demeanor and seductive belly rolls the same way she had since day one. Then as the tempo picks up, her pacing follows. She twirls over to stage left, sashaying her hips in slow motion to fuse cha-cha and belly dance, and repeats the pattern on stage right.
A collective gasp rolls through the crowd, breaking into patches of excited whispers, when the music suddenly shifts into a new song at the conclusion of the first chorus. The curtains close momentarily. A light fog fills the stage, followed by the unfurling of a purple oriental rug. Talia reappears but she isn’t alone. Wearing a similar belly dancing outfit, but in royal blue, Amber joins her. Their other accessories include three bangles on their right arms and ornate headpieces with matching silk veils running down to their shoulders. The fog ebbs away. A landscape painting depicting a vast desert with a large castle in the background serves as their backdrop.
These first two songs had a few key elements in common. Both fused hip-hop beats with poppy hooks and recounted a former life when control had been taken away under false pretenses. But the second was especially unique because it was by an all man band with a female guest vocalist—the first time Talia danced to a song led by a male artist. Amber introduced it to her after they handled the situation with Rodrigo but before discussing the details with Emilia. It took a little convincing but once Talia found herself in the story, she was on board—on the condition Amber performed the number with her.
The combination of their personal styles worked together so well, they left the impression they’d been dancing together for years. Bombastic hip-hop arm movements met the precise hand gestures of Bollywood. During the instrumental breaks between sections, they swayed their bodies side to side as if the rug under their feet was their flying carpet. Individually, they traded solos during the verses—Talia during the first and Amber the second—but the common ground they shared in their lives came through in their chemistry. It escaped everyone else’s notice but as the big finish approached, Amber noticed silent tears streaming down Talia’s face. She was too caught up in the moment to realize the same thing was happening to her. It wasn’t until after they took their bows and the curtains closed, they allowed themselves to break down in a cathartic embrace. Nobody said anything; nothing needed to be said. They simply shared a smile and began preparations for the next number.
The interior set is back on stage, the baby grand stage on the right and the bar setup to the left. With her back to the audience, Emilia stands alone between them. She wears a white blouse with flourishes of blue breaking its outline. A matching blue skirt adorned with jingling bronze coins sits just below her waistline. On the barstools, Talia, Amber, Vanessa and the twins sit to offer morale support. They also present a fun guessing game for the patrons; who will leave their seat to join her?
Her right hand resting on her hip, Emilia shimmies three times with the percussive slam that begin the next song. She quickly turns 180 degrees and begins to dance. The fast-paced back-and-forth motion of her hips contrasts amazingly with her slow-motion cha cha steps as does the combination of her youth and confidence. The rare breed of confidence that typically only comes to those with years of experience.
Emilia leaves Talia’s signature style behind and brings her classical training into the fray. She floats daintily on her toes, seamlessly moving between ballet and tap. The highlight and biggest crowd pleaser: a series of pirouettes in perfect sync with the record scratch stutter placed on the vocal. After proclaiming her destiny will remain exclusively in her own hands, Amber flanks her on her left and Ruby on her right. They move together as a unit as they retrace every step. In doing so, the music and all of the accompanying visuals will be impossible to forget.
Everyone gathers around Emilia to congratulate her. Their voices jumble together in their excitement, each one indistinguishable from the next. Then one of the twins breaks away and walks over to the piano. She exhales as she sits on the bench. Then she starts playing a few chords without the support of a backing track. There’s a massive gasp from the audience when they realize what’s happening. The other sirens stop their chatter and turn their attention in the same direction.
She pauses and says, “this is my first time doing something like this so forgive me if it isn’t perfect.” She resumes playing, vocalizing soon following. Cheering quickly crescendos from the back of the room to the front when everyone realizes it’s Scarlet. She blushes, “thank you,” and starts singing a slower version of her song. Two lines in, Amber and Ruby clap their hands above their heads. They repeat this every other note until the rest of the room catches on. Scarlet takes a deep breath and hits the chorus with a massive outburst of emotion. As flawless as her playing, her voice maintains its strength the whole way through. Suddenly she stops and calls out, “now, Alejandro!”
The lights fade to black but a spotlight flashing in different colors randomly shifts around. When the house lights illuminate, Scarlet is at center stage with Amber, Ruby and Emilia behind her. Each one is wearing a wig streaked with different mixtures of highlights. Honey brown for some and bright reds and oranges for others. A costume change had also occurred under darkness. Bare midriffs and belly dancing outfits are out; sparkling dresses with fringe running down the middle of the bodice are in. Big and bold choreography, seesawing a fine line between samba and salsa, catapults everyone’s euphoria into the stratosphere.
While the others could have continued for much longer, the adrenaline boost Scarlet received from the cheering wore off after a minute. She finished the chorus before doubling over, panting heavily while wrapping a protective arm around her stomach. Someone must have signaled something to Alejandro because the music’s volume went down considerably.
“Are you ok?” Amber patted her shoulder.
Panting from fatigue, Scarlet replied, “I’m fine. We’re both fine. Just overdid it, that’s all. I’m sorry…”
“Don’t be. That was amazing.” She turned to the crowd, “wasn’t it amazing?” They immediately responded. “Come on, let’s finish this.”
Again, she and Ruby clapped on the beat and everyone else joined them. They sung the chorus and the venue shook as the rest of the room followed along. Scarlet pulled herself together and straightened her spine to face the back of the room. Tears streamed down her face; she was so touched by all of the love and support around her.
Alejandro escorted Scarlet down to the bar so she could have a front row seat for the finale. She beamed when she saw Javier sitting there waiting for her. Words failed her as he kissed her twice and brought her into his arms for a loving embrace. She barely heard him above the noise but hearing “I am so proud of you” capped off what had been a perfect night.
Again, she and Ruby clapped on the beat and everyone else joined them. They sung the chorus and the venue shook as the rest of the room followed along. Scarlet pulled herself together and straightened her spine to face the back of the room. Tears streamed down her face; she was so touched by all of the love and support around her.
Alejandro escorted Scarlet down to the bar so she could have a front row seat for the finale. She beamed when she saw Javier sitting there waiting for her. Words failed her as he kissed her twice and brought her into his arms for a loving embrace. She barely heard him above the noise but hearing “I am so proud of you” capped off what had been a perfect night.
Back on stage, the set changed one final time to one of the exteriors from Amber’s show. Gas lamps, organized in two lines to create the illusion of a street, led back toward the facade of the club entrance. The sirens followed Ruby’s lead, all wearing black dresses with red LED lights sewn into them.
Even with all of the highlights there’d been so far, they’d saved the best for last. The choreography screamed Broadway karaoke musical while invoking nostalgia of a bygone era of pop diva music videos. The song encapsulated the theme of the night while promising an even brighter future ahead. All the while, the sirens took turns looking at each other; big smiles on everyone’s faces only served to increase their own.
On a whim, Scarlet watched the audience for a few moments. It was something she did every now and then to gauge what the general response was. She couldn’t recollect a single night in recent memory when things were this lively. Then she noticed something curious happening in the midst of it. Alejandro was working his way through the people, stopping every few feet to say a few words before continuing to the next party. Whatever was being said, he left with a bigger smile when he departed than when he first met with them.
Javier whispered directly into her ear so she heard him clearly, “what do you think he’s up to?”
“I don’t know… it’s a first for me too.”
After what had been a thrilling evening, the curtains closed for the final time. Everyone left on stage was gasping for breath through smiles so big their cheekbones hurt.
Emilia was the first to say, “great show, Amber…” Talia, Vanessa and Ruby echoed her sentiment in their own way, exchanging hugs and high fives with one another.
Seconds passed slowly and a single word started working its way above the cheers. It wasn’t immediately clear at first but soon enough, the chants for Amber to give an encore roared above all other chatter.
“Amber…” Ruby patted her shoulder, “they’re asking for you…”
“Wait, what?” She shook her head. But after listening for a few seconds, it finally resonated. “No way… I thought maybe Scarlet after the reception she…”
Javier whispered directly into her ear so she heard him clearly, “what do you think he’s up to?”
“I don’t know… it’s a first for me too.”
After what had been a thrilling evening, the curtains closed for the final time. Everyone left on stage was gasping for breath through smiles so big their cheekbones hurt.
Emilia was the first to say, “great show, Amber…” Talia, Vanessa and Ruby echoed her sentiment in their own way, exchanging hugs and high fives with one another.
Seconds passed slowly and a single word started working its way above the cheers. It wasn’t immediately clear at first but soon enough, the chants for Amber to give an encore roared above all other chatter.
“Amber…” Ruby patted her shoulder, “they’re asking for you…”
“Wait, what?” She shook her head. But after listening for a few seconds, it finally resonated. “No way… I thought maybe Scarlet after the reception she…”
“It isn’t like you to be so modest…” Alejandro had just joined them backstage and a hot blush broke across her face. “Come on, you deserve this…”
“You… you did this?” After getting a grip on herself, she exhaled, “ok… but I’ll have to sit down for this because I don’t think my knees can handle it.” She said her goodbyes to the others and promised she’d catch up with them at karaoke later. But even as she spoke those words, she didn’t fully believe them.
“You… you did this?” After getting a grip on herself, she exhaled, “ok… but I’ll have to sit down for this because I don’t think my knees can handle it.” She said her goodbyes to the others and promised she’d catch up with them at karaoke later. But even as she spoke those words, she didn’t fully believe them.
The curtains opened one last time. Amber was sitting on the bench and Alejandro straddled himself over a chair on the other side of the piano. She couldn’t help but smirk. The last time they’d been together on stage like this didn’t go as well as she’d hoped but she knew without a doubt this time would be different.
She tinkered randomly on the keys before addressing the patrons. “Scarlet’s boyfriend took a little time over the past week to teach all of us the basics. Having this piano was my idea so it only made sense.” She looked up at Alejandro and returned his smile. “Someone once told me they’d like to see me do something authentic and personal. As much as I want to go on and on about how this person makes me feel, how I knew for sure I’d one day get to this place… this song is the one I want to do in this moment. If you know it, feel free to sing along. If not, count to three and clap on three.”
Once they got the timing down, she started actually playing the song. Alejandro covered his mouth to stifle a gasp; he was immediately blown away by this unexpected show of talent. Little by little, the size of the world shrunk and Amber only had eyes for the man sitting across from her. She changed a few lyrics as she went along to make it personal to the two of them. Whether anyone noticed, she didn’t know and ultimately it didn’t matter. Alejandro finally had her full attention. Occasionally she’d concentrate harder in an effort to read his mind. As far as she knew, he could just have been beaming at her as part of the act.
After closing up for the night, Alejandro offered to walk Amber to the other venue, but she had other plans. “I think I just want to go home and rest. It’s been a crazy couple of weeks.”
“All right, then. My offer still stands.”
“I’d like that…”
No further words were exchanged until they arrived at their destination. Amber spent so many years dreaming about what she’d do if they found herself in this position. In a dense fog of euphoria and exhaustion, she’d forgotten them all. Instead, she decided just to thank him. “Tonight was amazing… all of us really left everything on that stage.” Unlocking the door, she said, “tell the others I’m sorry I couldn’t join them…”
“I’m sure they’ll understand.”
She deliberated for a moment before saying, “well, good night…”
Amber had her hand on the door, ready to push her way in when she felt a hand on her shoulder. “Amber…?”
She tinkered randomly on the keys before addressing the patrons. “Scarlet’s boyfriend took a little time over the past week to teach all of us the basics. Having this piano was my idea so it only made sense.” She looked up at Alejandro and returned his smile. “Someone once told me they’d like to see me do something authentic and personal. As much as I want to go on and on about how this person makes me feel, how I knew for sure I’d one day get to this place… this song is the one I want to do in this moment. If you know it, feel free to sing along. If not, count to three and clap on three.”
Once they got the timing down, she started actually playing the song. Alejandro covered his mouth to stifle a gasp; he was immediately blown away by this unexpected show of talent. Little by little, the size of the world shrunk and Amber only had eyes for the man sitting across from her. She changed a few lyrics as she went along to make it personal to the two of them. Whether anyone noticed, she didn’t know and ultimately it didn’t matter. Alejandro finally had her full attention. Occasionally she’d concentrate harder in an effort to read his mind. As far as she knew, he could just have been beaming at her as part of the act.
* * *
After closing up for the night, Alejandro offered to walk Amber to the other venue, but she had other plans. “I think I just want to go home and rest. It’s been a crazy couple of weeks.”
“All right, then. My offer still stands.”
“I’d like that…”
No further words were exchanged until they arrived at their destination. Amber spent so many years dreaming about what she’d do if they found herself in this position. In a dense fog of euphoria and exhaustion, she’d forgotten them all. Instead, she decided just to thank him. “Tonight was amazing… all of us really left everything on that stage.” Unlocking the door, she said, “tell the others I’m sorry I couldn’t join them…”
“I’m sure they’ll understand.”
She deliberated for a moment before saying, “well, good night…”
Amber had her hand on the door, ready to push her way in when she felt a hand on her shoulder. “Amber…?”
She turned toward his voice and Alejandro started caressing her cheek. The smolder in his eyes was brand new; not even Talia had experienced its likes before. Hers closed when he leaned in and their lips found each other. When the opportunity arose, Amber inhaled as much air as her lungs would allow. Traces of Alejandro’s cologne tickled the back of her throat. The next thing either of them knew, she pulled him inside and enthusiastically shut the door behind them.
***
There's a lot to unpack from this chapter. It's the last one that takes place at the Calypso club so it had to end with a bang. Hopefully I succeeded.
Talia's solo:
"Paper Gangster" by Lady Gaga
-only up until the end of the first chorus
-Her typical belly-dance solo with some quick turns to the faster piano notes
-Her typical belly-dance solo with some quick turns to the faster piano notes
Talia and Amber's duet
"Princess of China" by Coldplay featuring Rihanna
-apparently the music video for this song has visuals inspired by "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon" and "House of Flying Daggers" among others. I haven't personally seen it but I was always curious why the princess's ethnicity
-I originally had this as a Talia heart song where she gets super personal but thought it'd be nice closure to have her and Amber do it together. Elements in the lyrics fit both of their backstories and it gets kinda emotional to listen to sometimes
-Talia being a bellydancer was partially inspired by Mayte Garcia and her first project with Prince was "3 chains o' gold," which took place in Egypt so some of my visuals comes from that as well. And maybe a little of Princess Jasmine from Aladdin
Emilia's solo- later joined by Ruby and Amber
"Unprotected" by Britney Spears
Scarlet's solo- later joined by Ruby, Amber and Emilia
"Hair" by Lady Gaga
Group finale- everyone except Scarlet
"Stronger" by Britney Spears OR "The Edge of Glory"
-admittedly, I had trouble figuring out how to describe this number so I just left it at a few lines
-Britney Spears were very integral to Amber's playlist early on and that song came back into my life thanks to "Zoey's Extraordinary Playlist". Where a character was fired for being the least productive coder, this was their kiss-off song and it was epic... when I played this song back today, I didn't get that epic vibe but the Lady Gaga song did so today. Either one could fit in this situation, depending on my mood
Amber's encore
"You & I" by Lady Gaga
-This was one of those ideas that hit me like lightning and I ran with it.
-If this ever became a movie and I was able to clear all of the songs, I'd obviously have to change a lot of words. Probably wouldn't have the final bridge mentioning the three men. Instead of Nebraska, it'd be "my cool Calypso guy" (however cheesy that sounds) and 5 years "since I let you go".
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