Amber had to go ahead to make sure everything was set to go, leaving Vanessa with the daunting task of escorting Emilia to the venue. Turning her head in different directions at regular intervals, she remained vigilant about their path of trajectory as well as their surroundings. This was her first time making this journey without Amber’s guidance and with Emilia by her side this time around, her level of apprehension was twice as high. In an effort to ease her conscience, she added, “just as a precaution, when we get into the thick of it, maybe it would be best if you kept your eyes towards the ground.”
Emilia nodded, obeying immediately. After they turned a few more corners, she noticed a sudden increase of litter. Shreds of women’s clothing, mostly lingerie. Occasional patches of white powder. Foil wrappers of various colors. Then, to her alarm, several used condoms. At which point, she grabbed onto Vanessa, who told her to shift her gaze downward and avoid making contact with anyone they might run into.
Streetlights grew scarcer as they neared their destination. Every other corner had scantily clad girls propositioning anywhere from one to five men. Some of them were being shoved into walls as men assaulted them from behind, gagged so their screams couldn’t be overheard. ***
All of this gave Vanessa the incentive to increase their walking pace. The only saving grace was Emilia following her instructions to the letter, so she missed the worst of it. Across their various conversations, Amber had told her about how The Underground specialized in S&M. After seeing just a glimmer of that forbidden world, Vanessa couldn’t for the life of her understand how Amber could handle those kinds of mind games. Even for someone as sexually experienced as she was herself, it was too much.
Unfortunately, when she resumed her duty as navigator after the multitude of distractions, Vanessa couldn’t tell one street corner from the next. Music was playing far in the distance, but the streets were so intertwined with one another, it was impossible to discern the proper direction. She sighed, realizing she had no choice but to ask one of the “locals” for directions. When they found one that was free, far away from the majority of the action, Vanessa advised, “Emilia, keep your attention on me and let me do all talking.”
Sensing their approach, the girl cocked a curious eyebrow, “You two are Calypso girls, aren’t you? Always dressing to impress. What brings you to this dingy side of town?”
“Do you know where we can find Isaac’s old place. Amber invited us to tonight’s show.”
“Sure,” she exhaled a puff from her cigarette, “just keep on this road for a couple blocks and it should be on your right.” Her eyes were bloodshot and caked with eyeshadow. “Why she’s trying to create an honest business in a place like this is beyond me.”
Vanessa dismissed her comment with a shrug and a canned response. “Amber has her own reasons for what she does, but they make sense to her.”
The girl kept babbling like she had a larger audience to impress. “And as much as we dislike Amber for what she did in the past, Natalia is no better. She gives prostitution a bad name by actually enjoying what she does. This is not meant to be a life choice… or something you voluntarily give into.” She studied Emilia a little closer and shakily pointed, “Either this one is a complete sociopath or she’s putting herself at risk being in Natalia’s company. As well as ours.”
Vanessa quickly positioned herself between the stranger and Emilia. “Maybe Amber’s plan is to change things here too. So nobody will have to resort to any of this anymore.”
“Highly unlikely. To make change, you need power. Even if she had Natalia in her corner, your bosses… the main anchor of their business is in this neighborhood. They’d lose serious investments if this neighborhood cleaned up. Most of us, we’re forced into this business because our bosses get us addicted to drugs that come from your bosses’ associates. Whether she accepts it or not, Amber can’t change this neighborhood. In one form or another, prostitution will thrive and we’ll remain slaves to the system.”
As Vanessa tried to lead Emilia away, she asked, “what did Amber do that you hate her for?”
After a smirk and slight cock of an eyebrow, she answered Emilia’s query, “If you really want to know… she got one of our best girls killed.”
Emilia gasped and all of the color drained from her cheeks. Noticing the sudden change, Vanessa took immediate action. “Thanks for the help. C’mon, Emilia.” She quickly secured an arm around her shoulders and led her toward their destination.
Once they got far enough away, Emilia exhaled the breath she’d been holding. She whispered, “That’s not true, is it?”
“Not exactly. Isaac used to own this place that Amber’s friends have been trying to take over for the past five years. His girlfriend was Amber’s roommate. Isaac killed her when he found her in bed with another girl. Then after Amber debuted as one of our sirens, he tracked her down with designs to kill her too.”
“Oh my…” Emilia freed herself to brace against a crumbling brick wall nearby. “I need some time to process this.” Vanessa rubbed her shoulder to ease her panting and shaking. “What happened after that?”
“Isaac ceased to exist after that night. Having support from the brothers and Alejandro can come in handy with a lot of sticky situations. After what Isaac did, not just to Amber, but his girlfriend and her lover, he couldn’t be allowed another opportunity to exact his revenge.”
“Revenge?”
“He blamed Amber for his girlfriend’s change in sexuality. I imagine that’s what led to this rumor that she’s a ‘ladykiller.’”
For a reason she couldn’t explain, that word stuck out in Emilia’s mind. Coupled with the curious fashion choices of the residential streetwalkers, she imagined the lot of them spontaneously breaking into song like something out of a modern movie musical. And they’d spin a couple of verses about all the wrongs Amber had committed in her short-lived time in their neighborhood. It was amusing in a morbid sort of way. But this wasn’t the time or place to be amused so after taking a few extra moments to regain her composure, she resumed the conversation.
“And what about what Talia believes of Amber? She says she’s talented but doesn’t know how to be a team player. Ruby won’t come out and say it, but I’m pretty sure she believes Amber’s only concerned with herself.”
“You’ll just have to decide for yourself what you believe, Emilia. You never truly know a person until you get to know them personally.”
“Yeah, you’re right.” She noticed Vanessa had stopped walking and followed her line of sight. Except for the neon sign overhead, the rest of the old building had clearly seen better days. Some of the shutters were hanging off the hinges, all of which were in desperate need of a fresh coat of paint. The siding, in varying shades of gray, was half old and half new. Its most curious feature, in Emilia’s opinion, was the door, which looked like the entrance from an old Western saloon.
After taking it all, Emilia shrugged. “It’s not a looker but the place does have a certain charm to it.”
Vanessa could only shake her head. “If Talia knew this was where we were, she’d have an aneurysm. At least when Alejandro pissed her off, she had a certain M.O. so I knew what to expect. This is going to be something else.”
“Makes me glad I didn’t follow through with trying to get those two together. If things went south, she might have completely forced him out of the business. I couldn’t imagine dancing with anyone else behind the bar.”
“Yeah…”
Emilia shrugged and took a deep breath, knowing what she had to do. “Maybe you should go and check on her. I can handle things from here.”
“Are you crazy? I am not leaving you alone in this place.”
“I won’t be alone. I’ll be with Amber.”
“But…”
“Look, she’s wanted this collaboration for so long. She wouldn’t be foolish enough to risk all that the moment she gets what she wants.”
Finding herself out of excuses, Vanessa relented, “Well… that’s a good point. But call me as soon as you get home so I’m not up half the night worrying about you. Promise?”
“Yeah, promise.” She quickly added as Vanessa began to take her leave, “for the record, I hope the home you come back to isn’t too bad.”
“Thanks…” she halfheartedly replied. Knowing Talia for as long as she has, the next 24 hours at minimum were going to be hell.
Nobody was sitting at the bar or any of the pub tables. The crowd of fifty plus surrounded the stage, cheering the performers on. The two guys, if not for their slight difference in height, appeared identical in their movements. Their smooth footwork and the fluidity in their arms could only be described as “graceful.” Their bell-bottom pants and open shirts accentuated their features just as well.
Emilia immediately recognized Amber as the girl in the middle. Her top gave way to a little cleavage, matching her mini skirt as if they were one garment. Both were a dark brown, a few shades lighter than her hair color, with varying patterns of striping that almost matched her skin tone. Compared to her club attire, it was less flamboyant and ultimately proved she could exude her degree of sexuality without having to try too hard.
The sway of her hips, during her samba walks as well as her quick cha-cha steps, kept precise time with the music. When she wasn’t moving, their clasped hands and arms formed complicated crisscross patterns that they navigated like professionals. The guys fawned over Amber when they weren’t supporting her with their partnering. She received their fawning with flirtation that Emilia found to be very playful. The lyrics, much like the rumors, passed her off as a snob, but she didn’t see it that way. She just saw three good friends enjoying themselves, encouraging the crowd to feel the same.
Everyone paid for their drinks and contributed to the tip jar on the bar before making a hasty boisterous exit. Emilia quickly got out of the way and waited patiently next to the bar for the three dancers to reemerge through the drawn curtain. The high of the performance made those 10 minutes pass in no time at all. Amber hugged the guys, Emilia heard her call them “Michel” and “Misha,” one at a time, lingering in each hug for a few seconds.
“Thanks for coming tonight, Amber.” Michel, the taller of the two, made his way to the bar. “We couldn’t have done this amazing thing without you.”
“I’m happy to help whenever I can. You know that.”
Emilia made the decision then to approach the stage. Misha helped Amber into her jacket and spied her. She blushed, but he just smiled and cupped Amber’s shoulder with his hand. “Your guest is waiting for you.” She looked down and the edge of her lip curled into a smile. He patted her on the back and left them alone. Amber approached the edge of the stage and knelt down to Emilia’s eye level.
“I was getting a little worried. Where’s Vanessa?"
“I told her to check on Talia and I’d be fine here on my own.”
“And she believed you? That’s surprising.” Emilia’s face turned red and puffed up. Anticipating her next statement, she clarified, “I mean, everyone else has been so overprotective of you and insistent that the two of us could never be alone in a room together. I just never expected to get everything I wanted because you were the one bold enough to make the first move.”
“Thanks… I think… she was kind of on edge about what she’d come home to so I thought that was a better use for her time than being here babysitting me. As far as I’m concerned, I’ve washed my hands of Talia. I’ve had enough of her petty excuses.”
Amber crossed her arms and cocked her head sideways. “I guess I should ask about what happened between you two, but it can wait until we’re back at my place.” She jumped off the stage to take her place beside her, “Just do me a favor and try to keep up.”
As they left, Emilia took one last look at the old building when the name on the neon sign caught her attention. “Who’s Evangeline?”
“An old friend that’s not here anymore. She taught me to embrace the Underground lifestyle and it made me tough. Sometimes I wonder if she’s proud of me or if she’s even watching from where she is.”
“Did you love her?”
“She was like the big sister I never had… she kissed me once when she was drunk and I didn’t pull away. Maybe I did, I don’t know.” A moment of silence followed before she resumed the conversation, “how much did Vanessa tell you on your way over here?”
“Not much, just a little about what happened with Isaac. She felt the need to defend you to me after one of the local girls mentioned an ugly rumor.”
“The ‘ladykiller’ rumor.” Surprise didn’t register in her tone. “After our business started picking up, fewer street corners are being occupied by girls I used to waitress with. Things are getting better around here, but there’re always going to be a few who take part in the BDSM practices popular in The Underground.”
Emilia’s eyes were wide, but she quickly mastered herself. Their eyes met again and Emilia immediately waved off whatever concern she may have had. “I’m okay. It’s just been a crazy night.”
Bras and panties were strewn throughout the loft’s main room. Emilia also observed, with some apprehension, a couple blindfolds, frayed scarfs and a pair of handcuffs hanging off one of the chairs. Amber grimaced, promptly removing the handcuffs from view. “Why don’t you get the kettle boiling while I straighten up and slip into something more comfortable?”
“Sure.” On her way to the kitchen area, she peeked into the bedroom. Comparatively, it was immaculate as if it hadn’t been lived in for days.
Amber returned to her side just as the kettle began to whistle. She had traded her clothes for leather black lingerie, dark stocking feet and a white shrug sweater. Emilia took half a step back, looking her up and down. “I think you’ll like this tea. It’s full of flavor and very sweet. At least I like to make it sweet.” She added two teaspoons of sugar to each mug before stirring in enough milk to turn their contents white. Once they got relaxed on the sofa, knees inclined inward, she asked, “So what changed your mind?”
Emilia stared at her steaming tea, unsure where to begin. “I really looked up to Talia. Even before I auditioned, I wanted to dance like her. What she did tonight… who breaks up with someone who’d do anything for them only to hook up with some random guy in an alleyway? I thought she had more class than that.”
Nearly choking in response, Amber quickly put down her mug and grasped onto her seat cushion “Hold on, hold on. Shit! She broke up with him? Un-freaking-believable!”
She shrugged her shoulders before taking a sip. “What makes you say that? I mean, hasn’t she done this hundreds of times?”
“Yeah, yeah, but it was never this serious. Shit…” Her grip loosened but the head shaking continued.
Emilia, meanwhile, remained confused. “I didn’t think you cared that much about Talia’s love life.”
“I don’t.” She covered her face with one hand. “But Alejandro has spent years chasing her. Since the day he met her. Just this once, he deserves someone who actually gives a damn about him.” Her eyes, darkened by anger, widened with horror the next time they met Emilia’s.
“Oh my gosh…” A tear formed and began sliding down Amber’s right cheek before she caught it. “How long have you liked him?”
“A long time... He and his family were so good to me when I came here. Just because she had the million-dollar idea to save our business, it’s all about Talia and what she wants. What she needs. What about my needs? I get two nights a week to be a star on that stage and I’m stuck with the same tired routines.”
“You’re not the only one... I had an idea the other week, but she said it was too unpolished. Now I’m starting to think it was too tame for her to get behind.”
“Oh, that’s right. I remember. So, what was the inspiration behind it?”
“An ex-boyfriend that my friends warned me about. I put in a lot of time with Scarlet and Ruby and we had so much fun. I just wanted to contribute, you know.”
“Yeah, I know that feeling all too well.” Amber shrugged, equally demoralized. “Maybe if this good mood of hers lasted a little longer, I could have run my latest idea by her and had a better chance of getting it approved.
Interest piqued, Emilia asked, “What is it?”
“A theme night. We wear leather clothing and accessories and dance to songs that empower us.”
She raised an eyebrow. “So you’re dressed like this to get inspiration?”
Amber looked down, using the shrug to cover herself. “Oh. Vanessa likes to lay around in lingerie, so I thought I’d give it a try. It can be very freeing. Good for creativity too.” She collected herself before continuing. “I don’t know what the other girls have said about me, but I’m not my reputation. I’d actually give anything to get away from it.”
“Why do you do it then?”
“I had to lower myself to this level just for Talia to consider me worthy of the ‘siren’ brand. And clearly, that’s the kind of girl Alejandro wants.” She trailed off, staring into the distance. When she came back to the present, she asked something she’d been dying to bring up all night, “Did he… say anything about my performance tonight?”
“He seemed more concerned about the schedule being changed without his knowledge. But he did say it’s been a while since he’d seen you enjoy yourself up there.”
She nodded thoughtfully to herself. Emilia waited for further comment, but none came; either because she was absorbing the compliment or reflecting on why that hadn’t been the case for a long time. Despite her bravado, she was slowly gathering the fact Amber had her own insecurities buried deep inside. Then she offered, “If you want, I can talk you up to Alejandro and maybe…”
“Tsk…” Amber rolled her eyes, “should have figured being a virgin made you a hopeless romantic.” Seeing Emilia avert her gaze with flushed cheeks, she added, “ok, I’ll stop with the self-righteous comments. I appreciate the thought, but let’s not get ahead of ourselves. First, we need to put on a kickass show. Things have been so chaotic lately that’s probably the one thing Alejandro wants the most right now.”
“Agreed.”
At different times, both of them took sips from their tea. Thanks to their engrossing discussion, their drinks had cooled down to lukewarm. Amber shrugged it off and gulped the remnants in one fell swoop. “This might be asking for a little much after all you’d witnessed tonight, but would you be up for stepping outside the box a little?”
Images of the girls from The Underground and Talia having sex in the alley flickered through Emilia’s mind. As rattled as she was, she knew that she had to keep an open mind. Amber had impressed her so much with her dancing and she didn’t want to let her down the moment she joined her. “Um, sure. What did you have in mind?”
Sensing her hesitation, Amber gently leveled it with her. “I was thinking you could be the opening act.”
“Oh wow… nobody’s asked me to do that before… I’d love to.”
“Great.” Amber grabbed one of the CDs sitting on the side table and handed it to her, “give this a listen and do some brainstorming over the next couple of days before we begin rehearsal. It’ll be the main soundtrack for my theme night idea. Personally, I think this album is her best work. It’s very theatrical but under all that flash, there’s plenty of good substance to work with.”
“Ok, cool. Thanks.” Emilia finished her tea and gathered herself to leave. She had one hand on the door when she added, “I know I’ve been saying a lot tonight that I don’t want to be treated like I’m helpless but would you walk me back? Just this one time?”
Amber’s entire face lit up like it would be her greatest pleasure, but she quickly dialed it down and coolly said, “sure, if it’ll make you feel better. Let me just get my shoes.”
Streetlights grew scarcer as they neared their destination. Every other corner had scantily clad girls propositioning anywhere from one to five men. Some of them were being shoved into walls as men assaulted them from behind, gagged so their screams couldn’t be overheard. ***
All of this gave Vanessa the incentive to increase their walking pace. The only saving grace was Emilia following her instructions to the letter, so she missed the worst of it. Across their various conversations, Amber had told her about how The Underground specialized in S&M. After seeing just a glimmer of that forbidden world, Vanessa couldn’t for the life of her understand how Amber could handle those kinds of mind games. Even for someone as sexually experienced as she was herself, it was too much.
Unfortunately, when she resumed her duty as navigator after the multitude of distractions, Vanessa couldn’t tell one street corner from the next. Music was playing far in the distance, but the streets were so intertwined with one another, it was impossible to discern the proper direction. She sighed, realizing she had no choice but to ask one of the “locals” for directions. When they found one that was free, far away from the majority of the action, Vanessa advised, “Emilia, keep your attention on me and let me do all talking.”
Sensing their approach, the girl cocked a curious eyebrow, “You two are Calypso girls, aren’t you? Always dressing to impress. What brings you to this dingy side of town?”
“Do you know where we can find Isaac’s old place. Amber invited us to tonight’s show.”
“Sure,” she exhaled a puff from her cigarette, “just keep on this road for a couple blocks and it should be on your right.” Her eyes were bloodshot and caked with eyeshadow. “Why she’s trying to create an honest business in a place like this is beyond me.”
Vanessa dismissed her comment with a shrug and a canned response. “Amber has her own reasons for what she does, but they make sense to her.”
The girl kept babbling like she had a larger audience to impress. “And as much as we dislike Amber for what she did in the past, Natalia is no better. She gives prostitution a bad name by actually enjoying what she does. This is not meant to be a life choice… or something you voluntarily give into.” She studied Emilia a little closer and shakily pointed, “Either this one is a complete sociopath or she’s putting herself at risk being in Natalia’s company. As well as ours.”
Vanessa quickly positioned herself between the stranger and Emilia. “Maybe Amber’s plan is to change things here too. So nobody will have to resort to any of this anymore.”
“Highly unlikely. To make change, you need power. Even if she had Natalia in her corner, your bosses… the main anchor of their business is in this neighborhood. They’d lose serious investments if this neighborhood cleaned up. Most of us, we’re forced into this business because our bosses get us addicted to drugs that come from your bosses’ associates. Whether she accepts it or not, Amber can’t change this neighborhood. In one form or another, prostitution will thrive and we’ll remain slaves to the system.”
As Vanessa tried to lead Emilia away, she asked, “what did Amber do that you hate her for?”
After a smirk and slight cock of an eyebrow, she answered Emilia’s query, “If you really want to know… she got one of our best girls killed.”
Emilia gasped and all of the color drained from her cheeks. Noticing the sudden change, Vanessa took immediate action. “Thanks for the help. C’mon, Emilia.” She quickly secured an arm around her shoulders and led her toward their destination.
Once they got far enough away, Emilia exhaled the breath she’d been holding. She whispered, “That’s not true, is it?”
“Not exactly. Isaac used to own this place that Amber’s friends have been trying to take over for the past five years. His girlfriend was Amber’s roommate. Isaac killed her when he found her in bed with another girl. Then after Amber debuted as one of our sirens, he tracked her down with designs to kill her too.”
“Oh my…” Emilia freed herself to brace against a crumbling brick wall nearby. “I need some time to process this.” Vanessa rubbed her shoulder to ease her panting and shaking. “What happened after that?”
“Isaac ceased to exist after that night. Having support from the brothers and Alejandro can come in handy with a lot of sticky situations. After what Isaac did, not just to Amber, but his girlfriend and her lover, he couldn’t be allowed another opportunity to exact his revenge.”
“Revenge?”
“He blamed Amber for his girlfriend’s change in sexuality. I imagine that’s what led to this rumor that she’s a ‘ladykiller.’”
For a reason she couldn’t explain, that word stuck out in Emilia’s mind. Coupled with the curious fashion choices of the residential streetwalkers, she imagined the lot of them spontaneously breaking into song like something out of a modern movie musical. And they’d spin a couple of verses about all the wrongs Amber had committed in her short-lived time in their neighborhood. It was amusing in a morbid sort of way. But this wasn’t the time or place to be amused so after taking a few extra moments to regain her composure, she resumed the conversation.
“And what about what Talia believes of Amber? She says she’s talented but doesn’t know how to be a team player. Ruby won’t come out and say it, but I’m pretty sure she believes Amber’s only concerned with herself.”
“You’ll just have to decide for yourself what you believe, Emilia. You never truly know a person until you get to know them personally.”
“Yeah, you’re right.” She noticed Vanessa had stopped walking and followed her line of sight. Except for the neon sign overhead, the rest of the old building had clearly seen better days. Some of the shutters were hanging off the hinges, all of which were in desperate need of a fresh coat of paint. The siding, in varying shades of gray, was half old and half new. Its most curious feature, in Emilia’s opinion, was the door, which looked like the entrance from an old Western saloon.
After taking it all, Emilia shrugged. “It’s not a looker but the place does have a certain charm to it.”
Vanessa could only shake her head. “If Talia knew this was where we were, she’d have an aneurysm. At least when Alejandro pissed her off, she had a certain M.O. so I knew what to expect. This is going to be something else.”
“Makes me glad I didn’t follow through with trying to get those two together. If things went south, she might have completely forced him out of the business. I couldn’t imagine dancing with anyone else behind the bar.”
“Yeah…”
Emilia shrugged and took a deep breath, knowing what she had to do. “Maybe you should go and check on her. I can handle things from here.”
“Are you crazy? I am not leaving you alone in this place.”
“I won’t be alone. I’ll be with Amber.”
“But…”
“Look, she’s wanted this collaboration for so long. She wouldn’t be foolish enough to risk all that the moment she gets what she wants.”
Finding herself out of excuses, Vanessa relented, “Well… that’s a good point. But call me as soon as you get home so I’m not up half the night worrying about you. Promise?”
“Yeah, promise.” She quickly added as Vanessa began to take her leave, “for the record, I hope the home you come back to isn’t too bad.”
“Thanks…” she halfheartedly replied. Knowing Talia for as long as she has, the next 24 hours at minimum were going to be hell.
* * *
Nobody was sitting at the bar or any of the pub tables. The crowd of fifty plus surrounded the stage, cheering the performers on. The two guys, if not for their slight difference in height, appeared identical in their movements. Their smooth footwork and the fluidity in their arms could only be described as “graceful.” Their bell-bottom pants and open shirts accentuated their features just as well.
Emilia immediately recognized Amber as the girl in the middle. Her top gave way to a little cleavage, matching her mini skirt as if they were one garment. Both were a dark brown, a few shades lighter than her hair color, with varying patterns of striping that almost matched her skin tone. Compared to her club attire, it was less flamboyant and ultimately proved she could exude her degree of sexuality without having to try too hard.
The sway of her hips, during her samba walks as well as her quick cha-cha steps, kept precise time with the music. When she wasn’t moving, their clasped hands and arms formed complicated crisscross patterns that they navigated like professionals. The guys fawned over Amber when they weren’t supporting her with their partnering. She received their fawning with flirtation that Emilia found to be very playful. The lyrics, much like the rumors, passed her off as a snob, but she didn’t see it that way. She just saw three good friends enjoying themselves, encouraging the crowd to feel the same.
Everyone paid for their drinks and contributed to the tip jar on the bar before making a hasty boisterous exit. Emilia quickly got out of the way and waited patiently next to the bar for the three dancers to reemerge through the drawn curtain. The high of the performance made those 10 minutes pass in no time at all. Amber hugged the guys, Emilia heard her call them “Michel” and “Misha,” one at a time, lingering in each hug for a few seconds.
“Thanks for coming tonight, Amber.” Michel, the taller of the two, made his way to the bar. “We couldn’t have done this amazing thing without you.”
“I’m happy to help whenever I can. You know that.”
Emilia made the decision then to approach the stage. Misha helped Amber into her jacket and spied her. She blushed, but he just smiled and cupped Amber’s shoulder with his hand. “Your guest is waiting for you.” She looked down and the edge of her lip curled into a smile. He patted her on the back and left them alone. Amber approached the edge of the stage and knelt down to Emilia’s eye level.
“I was getting a little worried. Where’s Vanessa?"
“I told her to check on Talia and I’d be fine here on my own.”
“And she believed you? That’s surprising.” Emilia’s face turned red and puffed up. Anticipating her next statement, she clarified, “I mean, everyone else has been so overprotective of you and insistent that the two of us could never be alone in a room together. I just never expected to get everything I wanted because you were the one bold enough to make the first move.”
“Thanks… I think… she was kind of on edge about what she’d come home to so I thought that was a better use for her time than being here babysitting me. As far as I’m concerned, I’ve washed my hands of Talia. I’ve had enough of her petty excuses.”
Amber crossed her arms and cocked her head sideways. “I guess I should ask about what happened between you two, but it can wait until we’re back at my place.” She jumped off the stage to take her place beside her, “Just do me a favor and try to keep up.”
As they left, Emilia took one last look at the old building when the name on the neon sign caught her attention. “Who’s Evangeline?”
“An old friend that’s not here anymore. She taught me to embrace the Underground lifestyle and it made me tough. Sometimes I wonder if she’s proud of me or if she’s even watching from where she is.”
“Did you love her?”
“She was like the big sister I never had… she kissed me once when she was drunk and I didn’t pull away. Maybe I did, I don’t know.” A moment of silence followed before she resumed the conversation, “how much did Vanessa tell you on your way over here?”
“Not much, just a little about what happened with Isaac. She felt the need to defend you to me after one of the local girls mentioned an ugly rumor.”
“The ‘ladykiller’ rumor.” Surprise didn’t register in her tone. “After our business started picking up, fewer street corners are being occupied by girls I used to waitress with. Things are getting better around here, but there’re always going to be a few who take part in the BDSM practices popular in The Underground.”
Emilia’s eyes were wide, but she quickly mastered herself. Their eyes met again and Emilia immediately waved off whatever concern she may have had. “I’m okay. It’s just been a crazy night.”
* * *
Bras and panties were strewn throughout the loft’s main room. Emilia also observed, with some apprehension, a couple blindfolds, frayed scarfs and a pair of handcuffs hanging off one of the chairs. Amber grimaced, promptly removing the handcuffs from view. “Why don’t you get the kettle boiling while I straighten up and slip into something more comfortable?”
“Sure.” On her way to the kitchen area, she peeked into the bedroom. Comparatively, it was immaculate as if it hadn’t been lived in for days.
Amber returned to her side just as the kettle began to whistle. She had traded her clothes for leather black lingerie, dark stocking feet and a white shrug sweater. Emilia took half a step back, looking her up and down. “I think you’ll like this tea. It’s full of flavor and very sweet. At least I like to make it sweet.” She added two teaspoons of sugar to each mug before stirring in enough milk to turn their contents white. Once they got relaxed on the sofa, knees inclined inward, she asked, “So what changed your mind?”
Emilia stared at her steaming tea, unsure where to begin. “I really looked up to Talia. Even before I auditioned, I wanted to dance like her. What she did tonight… who breaks up with someone who’d do anything for them only to hook up with some random guy in an alleyway? I thought she had more class than that.”
Nearly choking in response, Amber quickly put down her mug and grasped onto her seat cushion “Hold on, hold on. Shit! She broke up with him? Un-freaking-believable!”
She shrugged her shoulders before taking a sip. “What makes you say that? I mean, hasn’t she done this hundreds of times?”
“Yeah, yeah, but it was never this serious. Shit…” Her grip loosened but the head shaking continued.
Emilia, meanwhile, remained confused. “I didn’t think you cared that much about Talia’s love life.”
“I don’t.” She covered her face with one hand. “But Alejandro has spent years chasing her. Since the day he met her. Just this once, he deserves someone who actually gives a damn about him.” Her eyes, darkened by anger, widened with horror the next time they met Emilia’s.
“Oh my gosh…” A tear formed and began sliding down Amber’s right cheek before she caught it. “How long have you liked him?”
“A long time... He and his family were so good to me when I came here. Just because she had the million-dollar idea to save our business, it’s all about Talia and what she wants. What she needs. What about my needs? I get two nights a week to be a star on that stage and I’m stuck with the same tired routines.”
“You’re not the only one... I had an idea the other week, but she said it was too unpolished. Now I’m starting to think it was too tame for her to get behind.”
“Oh, that’s right. I remember. So, what was the inspiration behind it?”
“An ex-boyfriend that my friends warned me about. I put in a lot of time with Scarlet and Ruby and we had so much fun. I just wanted to contribute, you know.”
“Yeah, I know that feeling all too well.” Amber shrugged, equally demoralized. “Maybe if this good mood of hers lasted a little longer, I could have run my latest idea by her and had a better chance of getting it approved.
Interest piqued, Emilia asked, “What is it?”
“A theme night. We wear leather clothing and accessories and dance to songs that empower us.”
She raised an eyebrow. “So you’re dressed like this to get inspiration?”
Amber looked down, using the shrug to cover herself. “Oh. Vanessa likes to lay around in lingerie, so I thought I’d give it a try. It can be very freeing. Good for creativity too.” She collected herself before continuing. “I don’t know what the other girls have said about me, but I’m not my reputation. I’d actually give anything to get away from it.”
“Why do you do it then?”
“I had to lower myself to this level just for Talia to consider me worthy of the ‘siren’ brand. And clearly, that’s the kind of girl Alejandro wants.” She trailed off, staring into the distance. When she came back to the present, she asked something she’d been dying to bring up all night, “Did he… say anything about my performance tonight?”
“He seemed more concerned about the schedule being changed without his knowledge. But he did say it’s been a while since he’d seen you enjoy yourself up there.”
She nodded thoughtfully to herself. Emilia waited for further comment, but none came; either because she was absorbing the compliment or reflecting on why that hadn’t been the case for a long time. Despite her bravado, she was slowly gathering the fact Amber had her own insecurities buried deep inside. Then she offered, “If you want, I can talk you up to Alejandro and maybe…”
“Tsk…” Amber rolled her eyes, “should have figured being a virgin made you a hopeless romantic.” Seeing Emilia avert her gaze with flushed cheeks, she added, “ok, I’ll stop with the self-righteous comments. I appreciate the thought, but let’s not get ahead of ourselves. First, we need to put on a kickass show. Things have been so chaotic lately that’s probably the one thing Alejandro wants the most right now.”
“Agreed.”
At different times, both of them took sips from their tea. Thanks to their engrossing discussion, their drinks had cooled down to lukewarm. Amber shrugged it off and gulped the remnants in one fell swoop. “This might be asking for a little much after all you’d witnessed tonight, but would you be up for stepping outside the box a little?”
Images of the girls from The Underground and Talia having sex in the alley flickered through Emilia’s mind. As rattled as she was, she knew that she had to keep an open mind. Amber had impressed her so much with her dancing and she didn’t want to let her down the moment she joined her. “Um, sure. What did you have in mind?”
Sensing her hesitation, Amber gently leveled it with her. “I was thinking you could be the opening act.”
“Oh wow… nobody’s asked me to do that before… I’d love to.”
“Great.” Amber grabbed one of the CDs sitting on the side table and handed it to her, “give this a listen and do some brainstorming over the next couple of days before we begin rehearsal. It’ll be the main soundtrack for my theme night idea. Personally, I think this album is her best work. It’s very theatrical but under all that flash, there’s plenty of good substance to work with.”
“Ok, cool. Thanks.” Emilia finished her tea and gathered herself to leave. She had one hand on the door when she added, “I know I’ve been saying a lot tonight that I don’t want to be treated like I’m helpless but would you walk me back? Just this one time?”
Amber’s entire face lit up like it would be her greatest pleasure, but she quickly dialed it down and coolly said, “sure, if it’ll make you feel better. Let me just get my shoes.”
***
Music:
"Ladykiller" by Maroon 5
"Ladykiller" by Maroon 5
- I'm sure my interpretation is probably wrong but when I first heard this song, I thought Adam Levine was warning other girls about an ex-girlfriend of his. He could just as easily have addressed his warning to other guys with designs of dating her.
But I swear, if this story was a musical, it would be my own version of the Jailhouse Tango from "Chicago" and take place in the Underground streets, performed by the other prostitutes as the others try to avoid them.
But I swear, if this story was a musical, it would be my own version of the Jailhouse Tango from "Chicago" and take place in the Underground streets, performed by the other prostitutes as the others try to avoid them.
"Tickets" by Maroon 5
-occasionally on Dancing with the Stars, they'd have routines where there's a girl and two guys either dancing together or swapping in as her partner. In this case, it would be a samba
And just because I have nowhere else to put this bit of trivia, part of the reason for Amber's "origin story" came about- I bought pop duo Karmin's EP after seeing them perform on Ellen and almost all of the songs felt like they could be part of the same story.
In the end, though, I don't think any of those songs wound up becoming part of the actual story. Although I could easily see Amber dabbling in hip-hop with the likes of "Told you so". If she had a happy dance scene, that song would play.
I'm also kinda disappointed "I'm just saying" didn't manifest into anything, although "Tickets" would probably have similiar moves.
In the end, though, I don't think any of those songs wound up becoming part of the actual story. Although I could easily see Amber dabbling in hip-hop with the likes of "Told you so". If she had a happy dance scene, that song would play.
I'm also kinda disappointed "I'm just saying" didn't manifest into anything, although "Tickets" would probably have similiar moves.
Evangeline's namesake came from a song by Juliet Simms from The Voice. Her All or Nothing EP has a good range of music, but that one always stood out. It gives me major 70's vibes... and it made Evangeline seem like the type of girl that both men and women would fall for. But again, that might be my perrsonal interpretation.
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