The Sirens of Calypso- Chapter 10- Not That Innocent

 

            “Good evening,” Juan Paulo said as he took a stool directly across from where Alejandro was cleaning cocktail shakers.

            He put them back in their place under the bar and flickered the nearby switch to flash the ceiling lights. Over his shoulder, he called, “Ok, bar is closed! The first number is set to start in a minute!” All of the people on the floor cheered, some hoisting their drinks up in the air while doing so. Alejandro leaned forward over the counter to address the newcomer directly. “You must be Juan Paulo. There’s no need to be so formal, my friend. Although it does help if Talia is the one expecting you.”

 “Yeah, I was thinking of ordering her a drink. Do you know what she likes?”

            “I think I know just the one. For now, it’s time to get on with the show. I must say you picked a pretty good night for your first time here.” He slid his hand underneath again, finding the far-right switch to dim the ceiling lights and the one next to it to trigger the row of spotlights directly above the stage.

The outermost curtain opened. Armed with a microphone, Vanessa took center stage. Talia and Scarlet flanked her on either side, swaying side to side on the heels of their feet, as she sung along to the track. As she explained earlier to Amber, this first song was about demanding respect and trust. She knew what she wanted for herself and nobody was going to tell her otherwise. Occasionally, she’d comb her long nails through her hair and toss her head playfully to the side. The crowd loved that flirtatious attitude whenever it came out. She attacked the rest of the number with the kind of sass garden variety suitors would find intimidating.

            The lights came back on and the conversations among patrons on the floor resumed. Alejandro fulfilled a few more drink orders while he and Juan Paulo made small talk. His eyes were glued to the stage, expecting Talia to make an appearance any minute, but quickly realized she wouldn’t greet him until she’s ready.
            “Here you go,” Alejandro slid a rocks glass toward him, “whiskey sour with a wedge of lime. Talia’s favorite as long as I’ve known her.”  

“When can I meet with her? I know she’s busy so maybe when the night is over…”

            “That would probably be best. This is a weeknight so I imagine they should be wrapping things up after Talia has a solo. Tonight is Vanessa’s birthday so she picked the theme for the night.”

“Oh wow. I’ll be sure to wish her happy birthday when I go to see Talia.”

            Alejandro triggered the lights again and the noise level rose again. “Now if you will excuse me, I need to get on stage. I have a small role to play to the next number.”

            When the curtain opened again, it revealed a bizarre scene. Stage right, Alejandro was seated in a chair. Talia and Scarlet stood behind him, each holding onto a shoulder to restrain him. Both were still wearing the same clothes from the first number: Talia in her red belly-dancing dress and Scarlet in a sparkling tangerine dress with fringe running down the front as well as the hemline. At the top of the music, Vanessa strutted out in a maid’s outfit complete with a matching head scarf and feather duster. She carried an air of contempt as she dusted his face and shirt before hurling it out of sight in the right wing. Shortly after, her scarf was discarded as well, except she stuffed it into his lapel pocket. The message was loud and clear. She’d had enough of catering to his every need and she was ready to strike out on her own. The chorus was her victory dance, ending with a gratifying slap across his face. Talia and Scarlet dragged the chair backwards and out of sight as he pled for forgiveness. Vanessa skipped off to the other side of the stage, but her vanishing act was only temporary.

            The second curtain opened. Hanging from the ceiling was Calypso’s name etched in neon lights. On either side was a café table paired with a couple of chairs. Vanessa tore off her apron, leaving only a simple mahogany dress underneath. Talia and Scarlet returned to support her. They repeated many of the same steps together, occasionally exchanging glances and smiles to relish in their triumph.

Just past the halfway point of the routine, Vanessa’s imagination drifted. She recalled the day Talia came to her old dance studio and performed for her students. All of them knew what she’d been going through with Richie but it took Talia’s determination to convince her to finally make that move. If she could go back, she would have loved to leave him the same way she had on stage. She’d do a dance for him, reprimanding him for screwing things up, before running out into the street. Slowly, the façade of Calypso would come into view. Talia would place a hand on her shoulder as her way of saying “welcome home.” Then once inside, all of her students would be performing a routine they’d choreographed without her knowledge. But by the time the song ended, she’d fall in line with the rest of them without missing a beat.
            “Vanessa? Vanessa, are you ok?” Scarlet jostled her shoulder to grab her attention.
            “Oh…” She shook her head. It slowly dawned on her that tears had been streaming down her face. She wiped them away with her palms. “Yeah, sorry. My mind went somewhere else for a minute there.” Looking around, she also realized that the curtains were once again shut and the music was gone. How long it had been that way, she didn’t know. At this point, she couldn’t have cared less. This dance had been therapeutic in a way none of her performances had been before and the sense of euphoria lingering in its stead felt amazing.
            “Believe me, I know. You were great up there.”
            Talia came over and brought her in for a warm hug. “Happy birthday… you have come so far since I brought you here. I cannot begin to say how happy I am for you.”
            The only thing that could put a damper on the mood was Alejandro clearing his throat a few feet behind her. She let go of Vanessa and they all turned around to face him.
            Noting her narrowing eyes and shrinking smile, he raised his hands in front of his chest in self-defense. “Juan Paulo is here. He wondered if he could meet with you after the show.”
            "Does he have the drink in hand?” Her hand rested comfortably on her hip.
            “He does.”
            “Fine. Tell Juan Paulo to meet me here in five minutes.”
            “Very well.”
            “Thank you,” she added, “you can send the rest of the customers home now. This is going to be a private show just for him.” He quickly bowed out and disappeared before more objections followed.
            “Thanks a lot, Talia.” Vanessa said.
            She nodded. “That was an incredible moment. It deserves to be the last impression everyone has before they return home for the night.” Inhaling deeply, Talia peeked at Juan Paulo around the curtain. He and Alejandro were exchanging words and his entire body was trembling with excitement. Speaking at a volume only she could hear, she muttered, “without question, this flirtation has to end tonight.”
            Juan Paulo was in the palm of Talia’s hand from the word go. The other Calypso denizens, meanwhile, reached similar conclusions within seconds of each other. While Amber hadn’t claimed the music for herself, they couldn’t help but imagine what she’d do with it. Her favorite nuances to use on stage were gimmicks. Alejandro would cause the overhead spotlights to flash in time with the pop bass line. She’d wear a combination of halos and angel wings and later swap them for horns and pitchforks. Vanessa giggled in spite of herself. Having spent a lot of extra time with Amber recently, she could picture it so clearly in her head she’d almost forgotten Talia was the one on stage and the ultimate reason behind this charade.
            Talia had earned her reputation because she was simply the best at what she did. From her half-closed eyes to her slow scintillating belly rolls, she could cast a spell as effortlessly as a snake charmer. But with this music, she was more than just a pretty face. The verses were playful, but she used the chorus to go on the offensive. Whatever antagonism Vanessa had brought to the preceding routine looked like child’s play in comparison. What Juan Paulo thought had been flirting, to her, love was a game and the only reason she won was because she never surrendered to it. At last when the music stopped, she flipped her hair and disappeared behind the curtain with a renewed swagger.

The bar and tables lining either side of the room were littered with glasses holding varying heights of liquids. Some of their contents formed puddles on the dance floor. Alejandro had a mop, bucket and towels ready to go for the clean-up, but he had another duty to take care of first.
            “Right this way.” Alejandro led Juan Paulo up the steps leading to the stage. He parted the curtains to grant him entry.
            “Thank you, Alejandro.” He nodded to him graciously.
            “Forget it.” He waved it off and left him and the sirens to their business.
            The moment Talia heard this exchange, she turned her back. While she tried to keep her posture neutral, she couldn’t help shifting her weight from one foot to the other. Maintaining her confidence on stage came naturally to her but for some unknown reason, the same couldn’t be said for any of the occasions so far she conversed with Juan Paulo in a rudimentary setting.
            “Hello ladies. Great set tonight.” Juan Paulo beamed, clapping his hands together.
            “Thanks.” Scarlet spoke first. She followed by tilting her head to the lanky ash blonde girl on her left. “Vanessa put the playlist together. It’s kind of a special night.”
            “I heard. Happy birthday, Vanessa. It’s a pleasure to meet you.” He held out his hand, throwing a glance in Talia’s direction. Her back remained turned.
            She shook it without hesitation. “Likewise and thank you.”
            “Scarlet,” he nodded, “good to see you again.”
            “You too.” She returned the nod.
            “Juan Paulo?” Talia recaptured his attention the moment she placed a hand on his shoulder. “Follow me, please. Vanessa, I’ll see you at home. Don’t wait up. Congratulations on another successful show.”
            She promptly escorted Juan Paulo through the backstage door into the back alley. Only distant street noise penetrated the peaceful silence of the night.
            His jacket creased at the shoulders as he shrugged. “Are you sure you don’t want to go somewhere we can sit and talk? I know you must be on your feet all day.”
            “I am just as comfortable standing, thank you, Juan Paulo.” Inside, her nerves were aflame with irritation and impatience. But for each complimentary remark he made, it was impossible not to smile.
            “Ok, if you’re sure… oh, I bought you a drink. I hope it’s to your liking. Alejandro said it was your favorite.”
            She took a good sip from it and gave a satisfied exhale. “Usually when I get one of these, it’s because someone wants to fuck me.”
            “I’m sorry? I don’t quite understand.” Whether or not he was shocked, it was impossible to tell. His countenance showed no sign of change. Regardless, Talia abruptly changed the subject.
            It’s not important right now. We have other business to take care of tonight.” She put her glass down on the edge of one of the nearby trash bins, freeing her arms to cross. But instead of holding them tight to her chest, she braced her elbows with opposite hands at her waistline. “What did you think of tonight’s show?”
            “I enjoyed it. Vanessa did a really nice job putting it together.”
            She smiled proudly. “I’ll tell her that you said that. Usually, we take our birthdays off, but she loves dance so much she puts together a special show each year to celebrate.” Taking a moment, she traced between her lips with the side of her right index finger and nodded. “I believe this is her best yet. It tells her story and how she came to be here with us.”
            “Oh, so do all of your dances come from personal experience?”
            “Some but not all. I have yet to put an entire night together, but every night I perform, there is always one dance that is personal to me. Or I use the opportunity to send a message to someone in the crowd.”
            “What, you mean like ex-boyfriends?” He joked.
            The side of her mouth curved upward. “Not exactly, but you are not too far off the mark. Maybe you noticed I performed lead for the final number?”
            “Yeah, again, you were amazing.” Then he paused to think about what she said seconds earlier. “I thought maybe it was because you always close the show since this is clearly your invention. But now that I think about it, if this is Vanessa’s…”
            She interrupted, eager to broach the subject at hand, “You are wondering if there’s a reason I asked to see you alone?”
            “Actually, I was thinking about the night we met. The song you chose. Was it directed at me? Because just so you know, I’m not that kind of guy. Javi can vouch for me. I’d been working so hard to provide for my family—I haven’t been with anyone since high school. Even then, I’d only had a couple of relationships.”
            “I usually don’t accept the word of other men, but your friend has been good to Scarlet. It’s been some time since I’d had the company of a gentleman outside of what I do here.” Looking away, she half-heartedly shrugged.
            “You didn’t answer my question.” He titled his hand, trying to catch her eye, only to fail.
            “I thought the song had a great beat and would make a good show. I am not a regular at karaoke like Scarlet so I try to leave a lasting impression.”
            “Every time I see you, you do exactly that. And I’m already excited to see you again.”
            “Stop,” she held out her hand and took a quick sip of her drink, “Juan Paulo, this needs to stop. You are a nice guy. And I am sorry if maybe I gave you the wrong impressions. My last two performances, they were a message to you. To anyone who claims they are in love with me because of my dancing. And the case used to be that…” Another hair flip disguised eyes that started to moisten with tears. She took a healthy gulp, but on her way to slamming her glass down, her hand shook and the opposite hand rushed to stabilize its descent. The rest of her body skewed sideways away from him. “You need to understand there is no future with me. My job as a siren is about the performance. Luring men into falling in love. That way, I always have the power. Several of us have had that power taken away from us by men in our lives. So with Scarlet and Vanessa’s dancing talents and mine, I created the sirens of Calypso. It saved this business, but in the big picture, this business has saved us.”
            Immediately after catching her breath, her palm collided with her forehead and delicately, she reached the other hand to brace the brick wall behind her. She cursed under her breath. “I’m sorry. I said too much.”
            “It’s okay. I won’t say anything. I’ll give you my word.” As she opened her mouth to correct him, he beat her to the punch. “I know that might not mean much to you now, but I want to change that.”
            Lifting her head, she studied his expression while searching for the words. Even after she lost control, he hadn’t. The quiet confidence remained in his fixed gaze. Meanwhile, she fought back tears, afraid blinking would unleash a waterfall. Idle chatter, completely unaware of the intense discussion, and stray cats rustling in garbage bins filled the growing gap in the conversation.
            “Talia,” she refocused her attention upon hearing her name, “you say this is an act. I don’t believe you.” Her heart sank and a heavy swallow of saliva came before she could stop it. His eyes softened as he took a step forward. Her eyes shifted with uncertainty until his progress stopped a foot away from her. “I appreciate your honesty. I really like you and deep down, I know you feel the same way. The dim lighting here can’t hide that.” Wanting to caress her shoulder, he reached around, but he quickly thought better of it and pulled back. Instead, he did the maneuver with his eyes for a different reason entirely. “You might want to finish that before the ice melts.” Her hand grasped the glass, but she couldn’t break the stare as he stepped away. “I’ll be back for your next performance. That’s a promise and I never break my promises.” One last flash of a smile and he was gone.
            Talia’s entire body exhaled as if she’d spent the last several minutes holding her breath. Drink in hand, she reentered the backstage door. After emptying three-quarters of its remaining contents, she threw the glass at the door that now served as a reminder of the greatest moment of weakness she’d felt in over a decade.

***
Music: I have a playlist on my iPod for Vanessa's birthday, including the one Talia used for her private performance. But between pacing and the fact the numbers for this chapter were among the last I wrote, only a handful of them made the final cut.
All but two of those 8 songs are Britney Spears songs. 


"What you see is what you get" is the singing performance at the start of the night.

"Cinderella" was the epic production... the last time I listened to it, I wanted so badly for it to be an actual scene I could see with my own eyes. It would be SO cool.
It's a bit unrealistic for storytelling, but some of Vanessa's daydreaming was what I'd wanted it to be. A combination of a scene you'd see in "Glee" or the "Dancing Queen" scene in the Mamma Mia movie.

"Oops... I did it again"- I actually had not listened to this song in several years. You could say it was a hit I slept on for 20 something years. But I gave it a listen to try it out for Talia's solo performance and it was exactly what I needed.