Shortly after leaving Calypso, Scarlet told the others to go ahead without her. Javier offered to walk her home and the others said their goodbyes before parting ways for the night.
Ruby and Emilia swapped ideas for what songs to perform, whether they’d go up together or as two separate acts, for the duration of the walk. Although she hadn’t planned on it, Vanessa wound up spending this time watching Talia. This was an event she looked forward to every year as much as the rest of them, but she was missing the typical spring in her step. Her attention was also focused, almost exclusively, everywhere else but the path in front of them.
Lively chatter surrounded them on all sides. Couples or groups of friends gathered at the cafe tables. Buskers on every corner, each with instrument cases filled with fair amounts of cash deriving from a wide assortment of countries. Eclipse was two blocks away from Food Truck Central. Its various cuisines filled the air, combining into one very tempting sweet and spicy aroma. It was enough to distract Ruby and Emilia from their current train of thought. A new conversation, one that was more mouthwatering, took its place as a result.
Talia’s concentration wasn’t so easily broken. Her thoughts were no longer under her control and she made no attempt to amend that fact. She’d lived in the city for over a decade and made a multitude of memories in the process. Yet everything, even the most rudimentary details, reminded her of Juan Paulo. The places they got together in secret between rehearsals. The night she left in the middle of a show to act on her feelings for him. At the end of it all, she found herself at the place where it all began. The others went inside to sign in and select their songs, but she stopped short of going through the door. She ran her fingers down the wood grains as her mind wandered and she had to remind herself every few seconds to breathe.
Suddenly, the door moved away from her and she jumped six inches back, jostled back into reality. “Talia?” Vanessa came back out, closing the door and leaning against the frame. “What’s wrong?”
“Nothing, it’s just…” She shook her head. One quick deep breath later, she added, “so ridiculous… acting like this over one stupid American boy.”
Reaching over to pat her shoulder, Vanessa flashed an understanding smile. “Come on, let’s have a drink. Ruby and Emilia are due to go on in a few minutes.”
An invisible force field typically separated the sirens from everyone else so they could go about their lives outside Calypso with some anonymity. The night of the big karaoke contest was the one exception. Between performances, a number of people came up to their table, offering kind words and small tokens of appreciation— a mix of flowers and jewelry from souvenir kiosks. Two schools of thought dominated the rest and it surprised Talia in ways she’d never expected. Amber had garnered a small following and she happily agreed to send their compliments her way. As for the other, a few patrons who’d come from the show earlier that evening expressed how long it’d been since they’d seen her fully enjoy a performance. After the stream of admirers ran dry, Talia remarked, “I never realized…”
"Yeah,” Vanessa concurred, “you’re a great actress but you can’t hide everything behind that facade.”
“Maybe I am losing my touch…”
Vanessa caught something in her tone and leaned across the table. “What are you saying?”
“I have to decide something. I need to see how the rest of the night goes before I make my final decision.”
Almost startling Talia a second time, Vanessa grabbed the hand resting on the table and squeezed. “Just remember, you’re not alone. Whatever it is, whether you like it or not, we have your back.”
“Thank you. I will be sure to remember that.”
 |
| (If only the Animal Crossing characters wore shoes...) |
Ruby and Emilia came out next. For anyone in the room that had anything pressing on their minds, those worries fell by the wayside for the next three to four minutes. In a funny twist of fate, all of those rehearsals of Emilia learning the twins’ roster of routines wound up paying off in a huge way. They traded vocal lines from one section to the next and the one not singing was dancing. The chorus featured a lot of flamenco flair with quick circular arm movements and spins. When it came to the verses, they stuck to their specialties. Ruby had jive flicks and kicks in all directions; Emilia’s step work created the same visual effect but drew influence from the Emerald Isle. Had they had more time to prepare, they would’ve brought some cowgirl boots to match the country flair of their music. The applause and cheers they received moved across the room in waves. It was impossible to determine who received more praise. In the end, it didn’t matter.
“Well done, both of you. Especially you, Emilia,” Talia beamed with pride as she pulled her in for a hug.
“Thanks, Talia,” she replied, taking a moment to put the copper colored trophy on the table. It was shaped like a microphone stand and had “Summer’s End- Karaoke Champion” etched along the base. She turned back to face her, her mouth askew with confusion. “But why didn’t you compete?”
“I did sign up when it was first announced but after what happened between… I just couldn’t imagine doing this without him.”
The MC from the contest swung by their table a short moment later. “Congratulations again, ladies. We’re going to close down in ten minutes so if anyone wants one last crack at the mic…” His eyes swept over all of them but the fact they lingered on Talia the most didn’t go unnoticed.
The other sirens spoke at once, their enthusiasm steadily growing over time. Words jumbled together and buzzed in Talia’s ears as she scanned the room. Juan Paulo was nowhere to be found. But before her heart could start sinking, something astonishing happened. It slowly dawned on her that the entire room was chanting her name. If it was possible, the reaction when she finally agreed was even louder.
As she discussed the details with the MC, Talia’s group of friends netted the majority of her attention. Once or twice she thought she read Juan Paulo’s name, shortened or otherwise, on their lips and the immediate response was a shrug and a faltering smile. Regardless of what their conversations entailed, she knew one thing for certain. This would be the final performance she gave for a long time.
Talia turned away, fixing her gaze on the blank wall on the far side of the room, to compose herself. As she inhaled to begin the next verse, another voice beat her to the punch and her heart leaped forward upon recognizing it. Quizzical whispers and murmurs cascaded through the audience; no one knew where the voice was coming from. Even the spotlight swirled aimlessly, unable to pinpoint its source. The only thing that registered with Talia in that moment was how Juan Paulo brought just as much passion to the lines he chose to sing.
The music hit its big crescendo in the same instant Juan Paulo stepped out of the crowd onto the catwalk. The widest smirk broke across Talia’s face. She stepped away from her microphone and let her body do the talking. But instead of the seductive moves she was famous for, the unbridled energy in her movements bent her body a million different ways. A strange yet beautiful combination of jazz and contemporary. Emilia had shown the other sirens the different styles of her own training over the past week. Compelling as this choreography was, how and when Talia found the time between Amber’s rigorous rehearsals to put it together remained a mystery to everyone.
The duet finally came into play for the final iteration of the chorus, both voices now singing as one. Talia’s heart thumped against her ribcage, sensing his presence drawing closer to her with each passing second. She leaned heavily into the character of the music to keep her ankles steady, but as long as he was there to catch her, crumbling wouldn’t have made any difference. On the last line, she finally found the courage to turn around.
Even with everything that happened between them, nothing had changed since the day they met. The warmth of his gaze told her he had no intention of leaving her again. Out of his back pocket, he pulled out an open envelope with his name scribbled across the front in her handwriting. Her hand clapped over her mouth; her 11th hour idea worked better than she could have imagined.
Reassuring her with a kind smile, he whispered, “I accept your apology… I’ve missed you so much.” Dropping the envelope on the ground, he reached with both hands and laid a deep kiss on her lips. After he pulled back, Talia did the one thing she’d been wanting to do for what felt like forever. She wrapped her arms around him and held on tight.
The room erupted in applause, the sirens barely audible above the rest of the crowd.
Talia broke away and asked, “Do you want to get out of here?”
“Talia, I thought you’d never ask…” He took her hand and together, they ran out the back door and made the journey back home.
* * *
Two months ago, she would have said otherwise. Now, there was no doubt. That night was the first time Talia made love— and it wouldn’t be the last.
They returned to her apartment and all of the walls she’d put around herself crumbled in an instant. Contrasting with the previous instance he’d spent the night, Juan Paulo was given complete control of everything. Their lips were never further than a few inches apart as his thrusts sent a barrage of shivers through her entire body. Some in places she’d never felt them before and they took her breath away.
But what truly set this time apart from all the others was the fact she didn’t just want Juan Paulo for her physical needs but the person she was when she was with him. On stage, she had been hailed as a goddess. With him, she felt human. More than anything else, that was what had terrified her about him the most. That kind of vulnerability exposed a weakness in her she wasn’t ready to face. But as she laid in his arms, staring into his eyes, she saw there had been nothing to be afraid of.
For a while afterwards, things were quiet. Talia stroked Juan Paulo’s arm as if to commit every inch to memory. He ran his hand over her ear and through her mussed-up hair. A lot had happened in the time they were apart; it was difficult to find where to begin. Predictably, Juan Paulo took the chivalrous step to go first.
“Emilia looked amazing tonight.”
“Oh… yes, she’s come a really long way.” Talia looked down and swallowed hard. “There will never be enough thanks for what you did for her.”
His quick response to that was a nod and a warm smile. But it just as quickly faded. “If you didn’t know any better, you would have no idea. But I guess that’s what you sirens are about. Always good at bouncing back.”
“Yes, but it never should have happened. It was my responsibility. If I had known when I started this with…” Talia bit her lip. There was no way to proceed without disclosing her entire history with Rodrigo. She only foresaw one result if she did and couldn’t even bear the thought.
Once again, Juan Paulo superseded her expectations and confessed, “I know. I heard the whole thing from him.”
“What?”
Squeezing his eyes closed for a moment, he took a deep breath before recollecting his version of the events. “I left everything on the stage that night. It impressed the men from the label but I wasn’t proud of it. Javi took care of closing up shop for the night and I walked home with only my thoughts for company. After how I performed, I didn’t want to face anyone because I was afraid they’d see right through me. So I took shortcuts through the alleys. Vanessa got me acquainted with them when we went out that one night. That’s when I heard them…”
“You know, it didn’t have to come to this. You could have just left me and Talia to our business. But because of your meddling, I lost my arrangement with Talia.”
Juan Paulo shook his head with disgust. “The sheer arrogance… I know its kind well but never like that. I heard Emilia… her screams thrust me back into reality. I knew I had to get to her before it was too late. I’ve been carrying that knife for years, but I never pulled it on anyone until that moment. For every evil thought in his head, I would make him pay.”
The hand stroking her hair clenched and shuddered at the reminder. It hurt but Talia was so caught up in the flashback it didn’t register. Offhandedly, she added, “he did pay… Amber and I saw to it.”
“Wait, what?” Juan Paulo gasped. He noticed his fist and immediately drew it back into himself.
“Only the three of us know about this. Well, four including Alejandro.” She rolled her eyes but in a more playful way than she had in the past. “He’d wanted to take revenge on him for a very long time. Personal history going back long before we met. But he insisted we should not know the feeling of taking a man’s life. To my knowledge, Alejandro had only murdered one other but of course I only heard this from Amber.”
“Wow…” Taken aback, the tension in his frame relaxed. “I don’t know Alejandro as well as the rest of you, but I wouldn’t have known he was capable of doing something like that.”
Talia tilted her head to catch his eye. After succeeding, she said, “I could say the same about you.” A question formed on his lips but she insisted on continuing. “The scar you left in his neck. Any deeper and he would have bled out in seconds. I know you love Emilia like I do but that tells me there was something more behind it.”
“Yeah…” Without further prompting, Juan Paulo sat up in bed and told Talia about his sister. Whether it was her understanding and patience or the fact he’d had this conversation twice already, it was hard to be sure. He only knew that telling the story a third time was much easier. Only when he got to the end did his emotions get the better of him. He buried his face in his hands. No tears fell but his voice did enough crying to make up the difference. Talia leaned her head on his shoulder and rubbed his back. At the end of his monologue, there was an addendum he’d reserved specifically for her. “When Javi invited me to spend this summer with him, I almost didn’t come. I was in a really bad place, still grieving what had happened. Then I met you… and Emilia and the others… and I felt alive in a way I hadn’t in a really long time. Sometimes I still feel guilty that I’d found happiness in a life without her.”
“If your sister knew what you did for Emilia, she would be so proud of you.” His response caught in his throat but a self-deprecating laugh quickly followed in its place. “When I was mad at you because I thought you wrote that one song about me… it was about her, wasn’t it?”
He nodded. “And what Vanessa told me about those things about your past, I thought you were settling for less than you deserved. The same way she did. So if I saved you…”
“You have, Juan Paulo. It may have taken longer than it should have but I know I am better… I will be better, because of you.”
Then it was Talia’s turn to dredge up the ghosts in her past. Nothing was off limits. On at least three occasions, she expected him to make an excuse to leave because he couldn’t handle it. This fear was never realized. In fact, it was during those moments Juan Paulo’s hand squeezed hers as they clenched on her lap. She got what she thought would be the hard part out of the way first: the truth about her promiscuity and how her legion of clients helped finance Calypso. She made sure to put extra emphasis on the past tense of this arrangement, a gesture Juan Paulo assured her wasn’t necessary. Only the future mattered now.
Hoping to offer additional reassurance while she paused to gather her thoughts, he leaned forward to kiss her on the neck. She moaned as blood rushed to her head. As much as she enjoyed it, the fire building in her belly made her uncomfortable. “Juan Paulo, please…” Her voice wavered until it broke, “please stop.” He quickly obeyed and she scooted away from him just enough to catch him off guard.
“I’m sorry. Did I do something wrong?”
She bowed her hand, self-consciously combing her hair out of her face. “No...” Picking her head up, she wiped away a tear with the heel of her hand. “No, I love you… so much. You are so sweet and I want so badly to… how can I explain? This makes me want to give myself to you again… and again. To where I don’t know if I’ll be able to stop.”
Juan Paulo replied, “all right. I think I understand what you’re saying.”
“I don’t want what we have, whether we’re together now or… I don’t want that to be everything we are to each other.”
“Hey…” He waited until she looked him in the eye before offering another smile. “I love you too and we’re together now if you’ll have me. So whatever it takes to make you happy, tell me and I’ll do what I can to make it work.”
Talia slowly closed the space between them and Juan Paulo allowed her the courtesy to explore on her own. She kissed him firmly on the lips, making the most of every second she allowed herself before forcing separation between them.
Without further hesitation, she went into the second half of her series of confessions. As she talked about her complicated history with her stepfather and her addiction, the back of her mind dwelled on her recent conversation with Amber. About how her body was “conditioned” to be receptive in uncomfortable circumstances. It made her realize another thing they had in common. Their pasts determined their sexual preferences and habits that were difficult to break. Falling in love helped her recognize that she didn’t want that physicality to define their relationship.
“I admit—I really admire people like you and Scarlet. You have felt so much pain and were made to feel so helpless, but you’re able to move forward and find new passions. And what do I do with my new life? I’m still the same damaged girl I was when my stepfather overdosed.”
“I still feel bad about saying those things to you. That was out of line.”
“No, Juan Paulo, you were absolutely right. You were right about everything. I’ve lived a lot in this life but I still have a lot to learn. Especially about myself.”
“You’ll get there someday. I believe you.” Smiling with a light blush coloring her cheeks, she weaved her fingers around his and squeezed his hand in response.
Unbeknownst to either of them, the sun had begun to creep in through the blinds. They’d been talking all night. Vanessa was staying at Emilia’s to give them privacy so there was no outside stimuli to snap them out of their private bubble. But they eventually realized they had to get some rest.
With a sigh, Juan Paulo said, “this has been the best night I’ve ever had. I’m just afraid I’m going to wake up and all this will be gone. Well, it’s going to be soon anyway. Summer is almost over, and this silly American boy needs to go make an honest living back home.”
Talia smirked, “who says this has to end?” She retreated under the covers and encouraged him to do the same. She flipped on her other side and pulled his arm until it wrapped around her waist. Resting in each other’s arms and listening to each other breath, a dream-filled sleep eventually overcame them. Although nothing either of them dreamed held a candle to what had just become their new reality.
But what truly set this time apart from all the others was the fact she didn’t just want Juan Paulo for her physical needs but the person she was when she was with him. On stage, she had been hailed as a goddess. With him, she felt human. More than anything else, that was what had terrified her about him the most. That kind of vulnerability exposed a weakness in her she wasn’t ready to face. But as she laid in his arms, staring into his eyes, she saw there had been nothing to be afraid of.
For a while afterwards, things were quiet. Talia stroked Juan Paulo’s arm as if to commit every inch to memory. He ran his hand over her ear and through her mussed-up hair. A lot had happened in the time they were apart; it was difficult to find where to begin. Predictably, Juan Paulo took the chivalrous step to go first.
“Emilia looked amazing tonight.”
“Oh… yes, she’s come a really long way.” Talia looked down and swallowed hard. “There will never be enough thanks for what you did for her.”
His quick response to that was a nod and a warm smile. But it just as quickly faded. “If you didn’t know any better, you would have no idea. But I guess that’s what you sirens are about. Always good at bouncing back.”
“Yes, but it never should have happened. It was my responsibility. If I had known when I started this with…” Talia bit her lip. There was no way to proceed without disclosing her entire history with Rodrigo. She only foresaw one result if she did and couldn’t even bear the thought.
Once again, Juan Paulo superseded her expectations and confessed, “I know. I heard the whole thing from him.”
“What?”
Squeezing his eyes closed for a moment, he took a deep breath before recollecting his version of the events. “I left everything on the stage that night. It impressed the men from the label but I wasn’t proud of it. Javi took care of closing up shop for the night and I walked home with only my thoughts for company. After how I performed, I didn’t want to face anyone because I was afraid they’d see right through me. So I took shortcuts through the alleys. Vanessa got me acquainted with them when we went out that one night. That’s when I heard them…”
“You know, it didn’t have to come to this. You could have just left me and Talia to our business. But because of your meddling, I lost my arrangement with Talia.”
Juan Paulo shook his head with disgust. “The sheer arrogance… I know its kind well but never like that. I heard Emilia… her screams thrust me back into reality. I knew I had to get to her before it was too late. I’ve been carrying that knife for years, but I never pulled it on anyone until that moment. For every evil thought in his head, I would make him pay.”
The hand stroking her hair clenched and shuddered at the reminder. It hurt but Talia was so caught up in the flashback it didn’t register. Offhandedly, she added, “he did pay… Amber and I saw to it.”
“Wait, what?” Juan Paulo gasped. He noticed his fist and immediately drew it back into himself.
“Only the three of us know about this. Well, four including Alejandro.” She rolled her eyes but in a more playful way than she had in the past. “He’d wanted to take revenge on him for a very long time. Personal history going back long before we met. But he insisted we should not know the feeling of taking a man’s life. To my knowledge, Alejandro had only murdered one other but of course I only heard this from Amber.”
“Wow…” Taken aback, the tension in his frame relaxed. “I don’t know Alejandro as well as the rest of you, but I wouldn’t have known he was capable of doing something like that.”
Talia tilted her head to catch his eye. After succeeding, she said, “I could say the same about you.” A question formed on his lips but she insisted on continuing. “The scar you left in his neck. Any deeper and he would have bled out in seconds. I know you love Emilia like I do but that tells me there was something more behind it.”
“Yeah…” Without further prompting, Juan Paulo sat up in bed and told Talia about his sister. Whether it was her understanding and patience or the fact he’d had this conversation twice already, it was hard to be sure. He only knew that telling the story a third time was much easier. Only when he got to the end did his emotions get the better of him. He buried his face in his hands. No tears fell but his voice did enough crying to make up the difference. Talia leaned her head on his shoulder and rubbed his back. At the end of his monologue, there was an addendum he’d reserved specifically for her. “When Javi invited me to spend this summer with him, I almost didn’t come. I was in a really bad place, still grieving what had happened. Then I met you… and Emilia and the others… and I felt alive in a way I hadn’t in a really long time. Sometimes I still feel guilty that I’d found happiness in a life without her.”
“If your sister knew what you did for Emilia, she would be so proud of you.” His response caught in his throat but a self-deprecating laugh quickly followed in its place. “When I was mad at you because I thought you wrote that one song about me… it was about her, wasn’t it?”
He nodded. “And what Vanessa told me about those things about your past, I thought you were settling for less than you deserved. The same way she did. So if I saved you…”
“You have, Juan Paulo. It may have taken longer than it should have but I know I am better… I will be better, because of you.”
Then it was Talia’s turn to dredge up the ghosts in her past. Nothing was off limits. On at least three occasions, she expected him to make an excuse to leave because he couldn’t handle it. This fear was never realized. In fact, it was during those moments Juan Paulo’s hand squeezed hers as they clenched on her lap. She got what she thought would be the hard part out of the way first: the truth about her promiscuity and how her legion of clients helped finance Calypso. She made sure to put extra emphasis on the past tense of this arrangement, a gesture Juan Paulo assured her wasn’t necessary. Only the future mattered now.
Hoping to offer additional reassurance while she paused to gather her thoughts, he leaned forward to kiss her on the neck. She moaned as blood rushed to her head. As much as she enjoyed it, the fire building in her belly made her uncomfortable. “Juan Paulo, please…” Her voice wavered until it broke, “please stop.” He quickly obeyed and she scooted away from him just enough to catch him off guard.
“I’m sorry. Did I do something wrong?”
She bowed her hand, self-consciously combing her hair out of her face. “No...” Picking her head up, she wiped away a tear with the heel of her hand. “No, I love you… so much. You are so sweet and I want so badly to… how can I explain? This makes me want to give myself to you again… and again. To where I don’t know if I’ll be able to stop.”
Juan Paulo replied, “all right. I think I understand what you’re saying.”
“I don’t want what we have, whether we’re together now or… I don’t want that to be everything we are to each other.”
“Hey…” He waited until she looked him in the eye before offering another smile. “I love you too and we’re together now if you’ll have me. So whatever it takes to make you happy, tell me and I’ll do what I can to make it work.”
Talia slowly closed the space between them and Juan Paulo allowed her the courtesy to explore on her own. She kissed him firmly on the lips, making the most of every second she allowed herself before forcing separation between them.
Without further hesitation, she went into the second half of her series of confessions. As she talked about her complicated history with her stepfather and her addiction, the back of her mind dwelled on her recent conversation with Amber. About how her body was “conditioned” to be receptive in uncomfortable circumstances. It made her realize another thing they had in common. Their pasts determined their sexual preferences and habits that were difficult to break. Falling in love helped her recognize that she didn’t want that physicality to define their relationship.
“I admit—I really admire people like you and Scarlet. You have felt so much pain and were made to feel so helpless, but you’re able to move forward and find new passions. And what do I do with my new life? I’m still the same damaged girl I was when my stepfather overdosed.”
“I still feel bad about saying those things to you. That was out of line.”
“No, Juan Paulo, you were absolutely right. You were right about everything. I’ve lived a lot in this life but I still have a lot to learn. Especially about myself.”
“You’ll get there someday. I believe you.” Smiling with a light blush coloring her cheeks, she weaved her fingers around his and squeezed his hand in response.
Unbeknownst to either of them, the sun had begun to creep in through the blinds. They’d been talking all night. Vanessa was staying at Emilia’s to give them privacy so there was no outside stimuli to snap them out of their private bubble. But they eventually realized they had to get some rest.
With a sigh, Juan Paulo said, “this has been the best night I’ve ever had. I’m just afraid I’m going to wake up and all this will be gone. Well, it’s going to be soon anyway. Summer is almost over, and this silly American boy needs to go make an honest living back home.”
Talia smirked, “who says this has to end?” She retreated under the covers and encouraged him to do the same. She flipped on her other side and pulled his arm until it wrapped around her waist. Resting in each other’s arms and listening to each other breath, a dream-filled sleep eventually overcame them. Although nothing either of them dreamed held a candle to what had just become their new reality.
***
Music:
Ruby and Emilia's duet
"Timber" by Kesha (featuring PitBull)
-if Ruby and Scarlet continue doing twin routines in the future, I imagined they'd dance to a lot of pop/country. This song is very poppy but the harmonica always struck me as country.
-the style could combine those big flamenco arm movements with a little Texas two-step. Then of course some of the specialties of the performances as mentioned in the text
Talia and JP's duet
"My Heart is Open" by Maroon 5 (featuring Gwen Stefani)
-When I first heard this on their "V" album, I wanted SO BADLY for Gwen and Adam Levine to perform it live on The Voice. I can only assume (and blame) the reason it never happened on Blake Shelton because he and Gwen started going out and it would be odd for Adam to sing it with her instead
-Another of those instances where I had the scene in mind, put the song in this context later on and did some editing to mix the two together
And this may sound really silly, but I still haven't completely figured out the ending of the story yet. I have a partial postscript written but it needs work.
For the record, I did plan on ending the story with this long-awaited reunion between Talia and JP. I've seen a couple of movies that ended in similar ways. The second "High School Musical" movie and "The Biggest Fan" with Chris Trousdale. It always sort of annoyed me how a couple reconciles at the end of a movie with a few quick words or a song and the movie just ends. So I actually came back to this chapter a couple of months later because I had to add. And today, I was still adding more. I'd spent so many pages building all of this up, it needed to be hashed out properly.
And yes, I could choose to end it here. But if anyone's fallen in love with these characters like I have, they're gonna be at least a little curious about how lies ahead for them in the future. What happens to them and their relationships after the screen fades to black.
I'll let you know as soon as I have it figured out.
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