The Sirens of Calypso- Chapter 25- Without Shame

            In the weeks since Juan Paulo became Emilia’s morning escort to work, it quickly became one of the biggest highlights of his day. Granted, she didn’t give away all of the secrets behind the scenes, but her enthusiasm was as invigorating as a strong cup of coffee. Their conversations were often one-sided, and he didn’t mind. On the days when Talia’s tears and the knowledge he had of her past weighed heavily on his mind, hearing Emilia’s admiration of her had him falling for her all over again.
            But in recent days, a strange role reversal occurred. Juan Paulo’s level of production wasn’t slowing, and he would rave about his latest creations. When he finally came up for air, he’d look over to see her smiling and nodding, but offering no further comment. He’d ask if something was wrong and she always gave the same answer. After letting out a big yawn, she insisted they had a long night and she was still waking up. Of course he knew this wasn’t true; Emilia was the dictionary definition of a “morning person.”
            After a few mornings of awkward silence, he tried a different approach. “You know, Emilia, we are friends. If something’s bothering you, you can tell me. Maybe I can help.”
            She bit her lip, trying not to smile but she lost the fight. Something about his company put her at ease and it’s been difficult lying to him. “You’re so sweet. But I don’t know if you can. It’s sort of a work thing.”
            “Like what, specifically?”
            “Talia’s thing lately is exposing to me as many of the twins’ routines as she can. Just in case Scarlet gives it all up for Javi.”
            He smiled broadly, assuring her, “I’ve been hearing that rumor too. As far as I can tell, she still enjoys spending time with us and with the rest of you.”
            “That’s good.” She exhaled and pressed forward. “The thing is—I’m really happy that I’m finally being included in these routines and I’ll gladly substitute if someone isn’t feeling well. But I also have my own ideas. I just don’t want Talia to be disappointed in me because I want to do more than what she’s giving me.”
            “Hey,” he massaged her shoulder, “Talia loves you. Disappointment isn’t in her vocabulary when it comes to you. And she’d want you to be happy. If this means that much to you, you gotta fight for it. Otherwise, you’ll be stuck with all the what if’s years from now and only have yourself to blame.”
            In an instant, the ache of defeat that’d been weighing her down the past few days vanished and renewed hope took its place. A light blush returned to her cheeks as she beamed, “You’re right. Thanks, JP. I’ll give a try.”
            With Talia’s current mindset, however, this was easier said than done. The high she experienced with Juan Paulo was so contagious, the other sirens were compelled by example to work tirelessly on her itinerary, leaving little energy left for idle chitchat. The twins took turns asking Emilia about the other day. Initially, she was so afraid of ruining Talia’s good time that she denied her true feelings about it every time. After Juan Paulo gave his advice, she finally told them when the three of them were able to meet alone, “I’ll handle it on my own time, okay? Please, can we just focus on getting this right?”
            Her only real opportunity to broach the subject was accompanying Talia to get lunch. There was no upbeat music to distract her. But each time she thought of where to begin, a voice in the back of her head talked her out of it. They’d return and the twins looked at her expectedly. The moment Talia’s attention was elsewhere, Emilia shook her head in their direction and their sagging shoulders echoed the sentiment.
            Scarlet spent much of her free time turning over ideas in her head about how she could help, but an answer that would make everyone happy proved elusive. It eventually got to the point where it detracted from her time with Javier. Even as she experimented with dance moves that would complement the band’s music, he could see she wasn’t present in the moment. She’d described the latest rehearsals as chaotic so he chalked it up to exhaustion at first. Yet there was something else he couldn’t quite place. Plus, their two-month anniversary was coming up and he really wanted to do something special for her. It has since become more about finding the perfect distraction from whatever burden she was carrying on her shoulders. Time flew by and he was running out of time for inspiration to strike. The night before, everything came together as if by magic.

*      *     *

            Almost every night during this time ended in a similar fashion. Ruby was Emilia’s escort home while Talia and Scarlet met their lovers at La Scala after their set. But it was rare for them to arrive at the same time. More often than not, Scarlet performed for two numbers and, with Talia’s permission, she took an early leave to assume her second role as band spectator. Scarlet went inside and took the seat left empty for her in the front row. Then she and Javier resumed their own series of rehearsals. Talia, meanwhile, skulked in the alley by the back door. Juan Paulo became so familiar with this reoccurrence he made sure his guitar wasn’t resting against his body so it wouldn’t be caught in Talia’s line of fire.
            One night, it worked out that the two of them took the journey together. Scarlet found herself in the same position as Emilia, spending much of the trip contemplating how to remedy the current situation. When the building came into view, spotlights and all, she had an epiphany. “Talia, you know I appreciate all the flexibility you’ve given me. But I think you might be overestimating me and Javi.”
            “Why? Don’t you like him?” She cocked an eyebrow.
            “Of course I do. I think we’re great together and we can have a great future. But I’m not ready to retire as a siren just yet. And Emilia’s resume can’t be based around being my replacement if I do. You chose her because you thought she had a fresh take on our routines. She’d exceeded all of your expectations and I think she’s ready to find her own individual direction.”
            Talia nodded thoughtfully, taking it all in one sentence at a time. “You’re right. Emilia has so much to give. I feel her drive and determination.” Then she frowned, “but she has yet to begin this dialogue with me. We walk half an hour every day to bring back lunch, but that precious time is wasted in silence. I can see the reason for her accompanying me is to talk, but lacking confidence is holding her back.” Spying Scarlet’s disappointment from the corner of her eye, she offered reassurance. “When she is ready to show me her life’s story through dance, I’ll do all I can to bring her vision into reality. That is my promise.”
Scarlet wanted desperately to believe her but the pit that took up much of her stomach these days said otherwise. She still managed a smile, knowing Talia’s heart was in the right place.
            Upon arriving at their destination, they discovered a sign taped to the door. It read: Closed for a Private Function
            “That’s strange,” Scarlet mused. She put her ear to the door. “I don’t hear any music.”
            Talia pat her on the shoulder. “Only one way to find out.” She promptly excused herself and ducked into the back alley. Wearing a furtive smirk, Juan Paulo was already there waiting for her. “Have any idea of another place we can go tonight?”
            “Why? What’s going on?”
            “Nothing that has anything to do with us.” With the slightest neck bend and shift of his pupils, he nodded back to the building and winked.
            She immediately understood and accepted the sudden change of plans. “Yes, I know the perfect place we can go.”

*      *     *

            Scarlet slipped inside and pushed the doors closed behind her. After turning around, she gaped at the mystifying sight awaiting her. All of the house lights were off, but the small stage was brilliantly lit with dozens of tea candles. Soft acoustic guitar started playing from the speakers, but nobody appeared to be home.
            “Hello?” Scarlet called out, receiving no response in return. “Javi?”
On cue, her boyfriend came onto the stage. “Good evening, Scarlet. You look ravishing as always.”
            “What’s going on? What is all this?” As she approached and got a closer look, she added, “that’s a new look for you. What’s the special occasion?” Instead of his collared shirt and blue jeans, he sported a red silk shirt and black dress pants.
            “Our two-month anniversary, remember?” She immediately braced her forehead. “Oh my god, I can’t believe I completely forgot. It’s been so crazy lately.”
            “I suspected as much. That’s why I wanted to set all of this up. Make you forget all your troubles for a while.” He climbed down from the stage and took her hands in his. “May I have this dance?”
            “Oh, oh yeah, sure.” As she followed him up the steps, she gasped upon recognizing the voice on the recording, “is that your song on the stereo?”
            “Yeah, we recorded it the other day. I know how much you love dancing and I wanted to join you. I couldn’t quite do that with a guitar hanging from my shoulders.” He rushed over to reset it from the beginning. Back at her side, he held her hand in one hand and braced her arm with the other.
            He adjusted his eyebrows to soften his expression. “Just follow my lead. Then when you feel comfortable, move into your own steps. If it helps, think of my waist as the pole you practice with.” Too stunned for speech, she nodded and they began.
            The verses featured a smooth, sensual Argentine tango where they occupied a small space at center stage. Occasionally, he flicked his ankle on either side of hers and she mirrored the gesture on the proper beat. At the pre chorus bridge, he spread their arms out. She understood the signal and proceeded with her Rumba choreography. She did multiple crossovers in front of him before dropped into a squat. Grabbing his waist, she swayed her hips and torso as she stood back up. Next, a smooth waltz across the floor for the chorus, Javier occasionally breaking hold to spin her around. As more time passed, the steps became less important. Scarlet rested her head on his shoulder and they swayed back and forth like a slow dance at a wedding or prom. He whispered in her ear, “You wanna get out of here? My home will be only ours for the night.”
Without hesitation, she agreed.
            As quickly as she and Javier fell into bed together, Scarlet felt the passage of time slow to a crawl and she reveled in every second. Her father stole her virginity long ago, but her first time making love was everything she hoped it would be. Each kiss was deeper and more passionate as they melted into each other. His thrusts elicited moans of pleasure she never knew she was capable of. Waves of ecstasy crashed over her like ripples in a pond, steadily increasing in size and intensity until everything came together all at once. After catching their breath and untangling themselves, Scarlet nestled back into Javier’s arms where she fell asleep, leaving all of her worries far behind.

***

Dance: Argentine Tango/Waltz/Slow Dance

Music: "Shameless" by The Weeknd

The Sirens of Calypso- Chapter 24- Rumors, Confirmed

            “Here’s your order, Vanessa. Everything’s piping hot. I also threw in a few extra spice packets for ya.”
            Vanessa accepted two large white plastic bags from the mustachioed man that ran her favorite food truck. “Thanks, Sergio. Your services are always greatly appreciated.”
            As she turned around to leave, a voice dripping with sarcasm impeded her progress, “So the rumors are true. Talia finally gave in, huh?” Vanessa nearly tripped over her own feet in her surprise. She adjusted her grip on her purchases before turning to face Amber who was relaxing at one of the nearby cafe tables. The only thing in front of her was a pile of used napkins stacked several inches high. Wearing a triumphant smirk, she stretched one of her feet underneath to push out the chair directly across from her.
            Vanessa took the hint immediately. “I don’t know all of the details myself but… yeah, Talia blew us off last night to hook up with JP. And apparently one of her regular clients didn’t get the memo either. He was waiting for her outside our place when I came home and he wasn’t happy.”
            “Hmm...” Amber self-consciously rubbed the scars on her wrists under the table, deciding not to press further on the matter. “So I have an idea for what songs would work for which people, but then I thought... it might be better if everyone had a say in what songs they want. And I’d be open for going beyond that album. Like if something else worked better for that particular character, we could explore other options.”
            “Oh,” astonishment colored Vanessa’s tone, “what brought you to that conclusion? I mean, it’s not like you to allow input on your ideas.”
            “Yeah well,” she shrugged and leaned back in her chair, “I figured if I was getting sick of only being allowed a handful of routines, some of the others might be too. You know how Talia is about only allowing female artists on our playlists and how they need to be strong and vastly successful. I can keep the first part because that’s one of the themes of this whole thing: the bonds of female friendship. But it’d be cool to bring in music from independent artists. I used to do that in the early days, but not anymore.” She sighed, staring into the distance, “Talia just wants us to stay in the same old roles forever like we’re actors in her own little play.”
            “Yeah, but I think it’s more along the lines of ‘this is what the audience comes to expect so we give them what they want.’ The same way musicians play the hits at their concerts because that’s what sells tickets.”
            “Call it any name you want, that needs to change. I thought that would finally happen when we brought another girl in, but Talia decided to hold onto Emilia because she doesn’t trust me. I can’t exactly blame her but, come on, it’s been over a year. I’m tired of being patient.”
            Vanessa bit her lip, trying to figure the best way to put the question she wanted to ask. She didn’t have the heart to pass on Talia’s message, but she wanted to find some sort of compromise. “It’s highly unlikely Talia would agree to these terms, but if working with Ruby was her stipulation for letting Emilia work with you, would you?”
            “Work on a routine with Ruby?” Amber scoffed, “I’d rather...” Her eyes softened as she thought through what she was about to say. The scars on her wrists started stinging from the reminder and she rubbed them until the images fell out of her head.
            Over the years, Amber had gotten more comfortable with the bizarre positions her clients put her in. It was the only way she could achieve climax and get any enjoyment out of the experience. But in between those moments of ecstasy were horrors she’d worked for years to block out. The one-night stand with Talia’s client had brought a lot of that back to the surface. Her biggest regret was initiating the exchange and ending up with more than she bargained for. She knew it was rape, but most of the indecent men she’d come across would argue just as avidly that it was consensual. If the wounds weren’t still fresh in her mind, it would have been much easier to say, ‘I’d rather be screwed a million times over.’
            When she finally did resume the conversation, Amber redirected her disdain elsewhere. “Is that what everyone talks about when I’m not invited to rehearsal? All the hoops I need to jump through to be considered ‘safe’ to work with? Maybe I should cast myself as the villain in this play trying to steal everyone’s virtue. That seems to be the only thing anyone expects of me.”
            “Wow... I get why you’d think that, but you’re wrong. I can only speak for myself here, but even when you left as Carmen all those years ago, I never thought of you like that.”
            After her pulse calmed down and she took a few deep breaths, Amber replied, “I know. That’s why I picked you to do a routine with. You’re a good listener. And I can’t begin to say how much I appreciate it.” She raised an eyebrow at the bags. “All that food is probably cold by now.”
            “Yeah, I should go. Good thing Alejandro installed that microwave.”
            Amber smiled at the mention of his name and quickly added, “By the way, if Talia was interested in any sort of update from me, you just got it. But I’m not doing it without Emilia.”
            The blood rushed back to Vanessa’s face. “How did you...”
            “Your face is too easy to read. You jumped out of your skin when you saw me. You clearly had something to tell me and you were afraid of what I’d have to say.”
            “Ok, I’ll tell her, but I don’t think she’s going to budge. I thought she’d be more agreeable once she got together with Juan Paulo, but that doesn’t seem to be the case.”
            “Come on, this is Talia we’re talking about. Did you expect anything less?”
            Vanessa could only answer with a sigh and a halfhearted shrug before beginning the trip back.

The Sirens of Calypso- Chapter 23- Trade Secrets

Emilia (Mitzi), Talia and Scarlet (Tabby)
rehearsing "Explosion"

            Talia took her place in the middle of the dance floor to watch the others. Alejandro stood on her right, relaying the various observations he’d made. Even with her attention divided between the two, she got the big picture quickly. Emilia was strong in the chorus where the music hit a massive crescendo. The same could not be said about the verses; she was either behind or ahead of the tempo and needed an extra 10 seconds to resynchronize with the others.
            “That will be all, Alejandro. I’ll take over from here.” Talia dismissed him two run-throughs later and approached the stage. “Ok, Emilia Your enthusiasm is great as always. But your timing needs a little work.” She waved her hand to draw attention to Scarlet and Vanessa. “You need to be in perfect rhythm with the music and your comrades. Sometimes, you are behind and sometimes you’re a little too early on the cue. For the moment, go to where I stand on the floor below so you can see the three of us do it together. From there, you will rotate back in and the three of us will take turns watching. Maybe between the three of us, we can come up with a solution.” She paused to give her a moment to process and offered an encouraging smile. “Does that sound like a plan?”
            “Yeah, sure…” Her face glowed red and she dropped her eye to get a grip on herself. “I know I’m not good as the others yet on this one, but I’m up for suggestions.”
            “Perfect. Now let’s go. We have a long morning ahead of us.”
            For the first minute or so of the routine, Emilia shook her head with astonishment. Seeing the senior sirens dance with unwavering command of the stage brought her back to a time not too long ago. She’d walk home from school with her friends, hear the music pulsing from the building at the end of the main drag and they took turns peeking through the window next to the door. But before she could drift too far into nostalgia, she snapped herself out of it and started taking mental notes.
            Scarlet switched places with Emilia and saw immediate improvement, but new problems started cropping up. Occasionally when she was starting to fall behind, she looked at what the others were doing and corrected herself. After the music stopped, she rushed to the edge of the stage. “I have an idea. If you find yourself in a position when you’re not sure if you’re in the right place, rely on your peripheral vision. Or when there’s a point in the choreography where our backs are to the audience, use that moment to check around you. Because the way you’re doing it now, it’s going to ruin the illusion.”
            Emilia nodded thoughtfully. “Ok, I think I can do that. Wow… when you’d pick up that trick?”
            “I don’t know.” She tilted her head with a broad smile across your face. “There were a couple of times when I did a night with my sister and I didn’t have it completely together. And you know how Talia is about making everything seem effortless. So it occurred me somewhere that I could sneak a look at Ruby and see where she was when our backs were turned. It’s helped me a couple of times.”
            “Sometimes you just have to get creative,” Talia shrugged, “just as long as those trade secrets don’t leave this building.”
            Vanessa had a different set of advice when it was her turn to play observer. “I notice you get really excited for the chorus and it shows in your footwork. It gets a little jittery. But you need to give each part of the song equal energy and attention.” A few more rotations later, Emilia took the notes and put them into action. She had three perfect run-throughs by the time Ruby arrived.
            For the long rehearsal days, at least three sirens would show up early in the morning. They would spend a few hours ironing out the kinks in routines they’d be performing that night or someone would introduce a new idea and they’d spend this time fleshing it out. A fourth siren arrives by noon and they choose what to work on next. Typically, the latecomer would be one of the girls who performed the previous night because this allowed them time to catch up on sleep.
            Towing one garment bag containing a cheerleader uniform over her shoulder, Ruby ran up the stage. Emilia and Scarlet’s faces beamed with excitement and they rushed over to meet her. Unfortunately, Talia beat them to it. “You’re just in time, Ruby. I have a new routine for you and your sister to be a part of.”
            Her excitement immediately vanished and every other emotion inside her fought to take its place. She cleared her throat to compose herself and settled on confused worry. “What happened to you last night? Vanessa and I were worried sick about you.” When Talia didn’t immediately respond, Ruby sized her up. Despite her best efforts to cover everything up, the new light in Talia’s eyes was impossible to disguise. Her pores also emitted an unmistakable animalistic lust. Finally, she conceded, “Never mind... so what do you need us to change into?”
            “Something with a little less fringe but just as fun. This number is about untamed joy.”
            “I can see that...” Ruby nodded with her mouth gaping, still disarmed by the change in Talia’s visage.
            Talia looked over her shoulder. “Emilia, you get ready too. You’ll need to learn this in case we need an understudy.”
            “Oh wow,” she gasped, “awesome.” But before she turned to leave, she quickly added, “Oh, could we also go over my routine if we have time?”
            Talia read the room. Emilia’s suggestion made the other sirens light up. Their ribs tightened as they held their breath, anticipating her answer. “If we have time, yes”
            Emilia returned to the dressing room, completely undaunted. Once she disappeared, however, Talia’s accommodating facade vanished. The remaining sirens looked at each other, their hearts sinking with dread. Crossing her arms, Talia clarified, “I appreciate your initiative, Ruby, but we may need all day for this. It’s been a long time since I’ve had such good inspiration and I don’t want to lose it.”
            “Fine,” Ruby worked to keep her voice as even as possible, “And I’m really happy last night went well for you. But I gotta say—I don’t appreciate the fact that lately you’ve let your personal problems interfere with our work. I expect that kind of BS from Amber but not from you.” She promptly left for the dressing room. Scarlet frowned but said nothing as she followed her sister’s lead.
            Vanessa and Talia went down the steps towards the bar, both with a different objective in mind. Talia ran through the sleeves of music in hopes of narrowing down tonight’s set list. Meanwhile, Vanessa began gathering some of her things. She occasionally peeked at Talia to see if Ruby’s comment left any impact on her but saw no change. Business as usual seemed to be the only thing on her mind.
            Slinging her purse over her shoulder, Vanessa said, “Since you won’t be needing for me this number, I’ll go and get us some lunch.” Because her height exceeded the rest of the sirens’, any routines Talia performed with the twins were the only ones she never took part in. Along with synchronicity, this was another crucial part of the troupe’s visual aesthetic. While her timing of departure was typical for long rehearsal days like this, Vanessa felt an added sense of urgency.
            “Very well,” Talia shut the case and rested her right elbow on the counter, “In case you see Amber while you’re out, could you let her know I need her final proposal by the end of next week? Unless she’s lost interest and abandoned this idea like all the others…”
            Before making a conscious decision to do so, Vanessa stiffened with defiance. “She hasn’t abandoned it. Not even close. It’s just not ready yet. The last time we talked, she had it narrowed down to 10 possible songs and the sirens she wants in the show.”
            A suspicious glare streaked across her face. “If Emilia is still on her wishlist, she can forget it! She’s going to be too busy learning more of Scarlet’s routines in case this thing with Javier becomes really serious.”
            Vanessa swallowed and took a moment to collect herself before speaking. By now, she was used to Talia disappearing without warning to satisfy her insatiable appetite. Ruby, on the other hand, was not. Even after they nailed last night’s finale, Ruby was still fuming that she’d left so suddenly.
            Her incensed words still rang in her ears: By this point, the reason doesn’t matter. We’re all in this together. Talia may not want to hear it, but when Scarlet and I were working on Emilia’s routine with her, that was the first time in a long time it’s truly felt like that. If you ask me, that’s where our focus should be.
            Back in the present, Vanessa shook her head. “I get it. Amber has to prove she’s a team player before she can get new dance partners. I thought if I helped out, it would speed up the process. But you’ve set up the perfect conditions so she’ll be doomed to fail.” She paused to assess Talia’s reaction; other than the slightest narrowing of her eyes, she remained unaffected. “I honestly can’t blame her for being intimidated by Ruby. As much as I love her like a sister, I understood last night what that feeling was like.”
            Talia reached and patted her lightly on the shoulder. “Hearing the way you advocate for her with so much passion, it shows me you’ve made a lot of progress. And I hope that continues.” Just as quickly as it appeared, the hint of a smile she wore receded. “The two of them have had the same night for five years now. She needs to learn that this silly fear of hers only proves she’s not confident enough in her own abilities. And she should be.”
            “Wow, that’s the closest thing to a compliment I’ve heard you say about Amber in ages. Too bad she isn’t here to hear it for herself.” She turned away. “I have to go.” The hollow click of her heels filled the empty room as she departed. The creaking of two door hinges, which seemed to come from the front and back of the room, put a period at the end of their conversation.
            Talia stood idle for a moment to take it all in. Alejandro entered the last of the receipts from the previous night into the ledger but kept his head low in an attempt to disguise the fact he was eavesdropping. As he made his way to the office to put it away, she called after him, “if you’re in need of real busy work, Alejandro, the doors sound like they need oiling.”
            “I did all that just last week. It must be the extra humidity. Either that or some of these old doors just need replacing.”
            “Fine. Do what you think needs to be done.”
            Alejandro shook his head, sighing, as she left for the ladies’ room, “Same old Talia… some things never change, I guess.”

*     *     *

            Emilia backed away from the dressing room door and caught her breath. Although grateful Talia hadn’t caught her spying, everything she’d overheard left her unsettled. She covered her mouth, her eyes wild as she tried to make sense of it all.
            “Hey Emilia,” Scarlet approached her, dressed in a tangerine dress adorned with sparkles, “are you ready to go? We’re all set.”
            Taking another breath to gather herself, Emilia put on her brightest smile and spun around to face her and Ruby. “Yep. I can’t wait to see this new routine Talia’s so excited about.” But as soon as she left, the twins looked at each other and raised their eyebrows with grave concern.

***

Music: "Explosive" by BOND
... I think Hines Ward did a Paso Doble to this song on Dancing with the Stars years ago. But I just thought of it here because it's the one song from this group that I remembered, lol

The Sirens of Calypso- Chapter 22- Do It and Just Dance

            Because the next day was going to be crazy with rehearsals, Alejandro arrived at the crack of dawn to begin the daily preparations. He wasn’t looking forward to it, though. Talia had left so suddenly the night before. Even though Vanessa and Ruby had a couple of routines in their back pocket to maintain the illusion everything was fine, he spent the remainder of the evening worrying about her. It didn’t matter which person Talia spent the night with; he always dreaded the morning after, not knowing which version of her would show up.
            But as he went to unlock the doors, he realized there was music playing—happy, upbeat music. He replaced the key in his jean pocket and pushed his way inside. Beside himself, Alejandro could only marvel at Talia’s ease of movement. There was no methodology to her steps; she darted from one corner of the stage to the next, keeping perfect time, but completely uninhibited. Recognizing that its conclusion was drawing near, he raised his voice, “Feel an extra spring in your step after running off to see Rodrigo last night?”
            The sunshine blanketing Talia’s face was steadfast as she sauntered over to lower the stereo’s volume. “As usual, Alejandro, you could not be more wrong. But that is fine. Nothing you say can spoil my good time.”
            “Wait,” his voice cracked, “that’s not why you left? He’s usually the reason you disappear without a word to anyone.” Hands firmly on his hips, he eased into the speech he’d built up in his head over the past 10 hours. “Lucky for you, Vanessa and Ruby are professionals that can keep this place going whenever you ditch us. I should be furious with you…”
            “Hmm, I did not realize you had that capability.” She flipped her hair to one side as she paged through sleeves of CD’s.
            He sighed, rubbing the back of his neck, “Really, I am just glad you are all right. You mean so much to our family here. I can’t help but worry about you, you know.”
            “A meaningless exercise as I have told you many times,” she smirked, shutting the case and resting it against the wall. “Nothing happened last night that you would not have approved of… not that it matters anyway because I was never yours to begin with.” She spun around to face him. Alejandro blinked in case his mind was playing tricks on him. Talia wasn’t wearing her trademark leer for him, but a sly knowing smile. A smile that soon became bigger when Emilia arrived at the club with Juan Paulo close behind. This prompted him to do a double take between the two of them. Before he could open his mouth to ask, she playfully chided him, “shut up,” dashing past to greet the newcomers.
            Emilia noticed the difference in her immediately, in awe of the glow of her presence. “Wow, Talia, you’re in a really good mood this morning.” She shifted her gaze to Juan Paulo, who shook his head to profess his innocence of revealing anything, meeting him only with a wink. In return, he braced his chest and exhaled with relief.
            Quickly, she changed the subject. “Enough about me. You have a long day of work ahead. Alejandro, hold all of my calls until I get back.” Noting his alarmed expression, she elaborated, “Shouldn’t be long. I just need to see Juan Paulo to his business.” Her lip curled ever so slightly as she took his hand, interweaving her fingers with his before pulling him outside.
            Befuddled by their sudden department, Emilia gaped at Alejandro while aiming her thumb over her shoulder. “I didn’t just imagine that, did I?”
            “Nah, it sure seemed real.” He was just as perplexed but was more masterful about keeping that hidden. After locating her cell phone under the bar, he went through the motions of putting it on silent so that all calls went to voice mail. Then his jaw dropped, “Dios Mio…”
            “What, what is it?” She asked.
            “It’s not like Talia to let it go to low battery, but she is a little distracted today.” His eyes shifted to the door and Emilia got his meaning right away.
            “Yeah, you’re probably right.” She promptly excused her to start warming up.
            Alejandro plugged the phone in the back room and sighed, bracing the nearest shelf. What he’d neglected to mention was that Talia received dozens of livid texts: all from the same number.

*     *     *

            The urgency in Talia’s stride startled Juan Paulo, but he couldn’t bring himself to question it because she had a clear objective in mind. What it was exactly, there was no way to be sure. This Talia differed greatly from the one he’d gotten to know over the past month. Once they arrived in front of La Scala, she pulled him several feet down the nearest alleyway and shoved him against the wall for a kiss.
            “Whoa, easy.” He broke away. “At least let me take the guitar off my back first.” She stopped, sizing him up. It was then she noticed the black case strapped around his back. A frenzy of excitement had seized all of her senses when he first arrived with Emilia that she hadn’t seen anything but his face and his waist. Wordlessly, they removed the obstructing instrument and she swapped their positions so her back was the one against the bricks.
            Muscle memory from her various encounters with Rodrigo guided her hands, placing Juan Paulo’s in the same places. His right braced her leg against him for support and his left between her thighs. *** Ecstasy came for Talia in less than a minute. After a deep pleasurable moan, she leaned her face into the crook of his neck to catch her breath.
            Juan Paulo’s eyebrows furrowed as her tears tickled his skin. The lump in his throat wanted, again, to ask if she was ok when her lilting tone distracted him. “This feels so nice. The best I have had in a long time. So much time that had been wasted.” She met his sympathetic gaze, but completely missed the intention behind it. “I hope you will understand if I’m not ready to give all of myself to you yet. I just need some time to…”
            “Sure, whatever is good for you.”
            The ease of reassurance in his countenance warmed her heart. Talia never imagined being so fortunate with a lover, but part of her was still afraid to put herself completely in his power. Not just because this was all new, but she wanted to avoid any further setbacks, given her recent history. Then she looked down and smirked at the distinct bulge in his slacks. “It would seem even you are unable to resist my expertise.”
            Juan Paulo followed her line of sight, quickly looking away with a light blush coloring his cheeks. “I guess I should have worn something looser.”
            “Hmm,” she bit her lip, “and I thought all men preferred tight clothing. So when they lose control, the result makes them look more manly.”
            “I get why you would think that. Personally, I find that it cuts off circulation and I’d prefer if that didn’t happen.”
            “Suit yourself.” Her hands moving faster than he could catch, she *** proceeded to finish what already started.

*      *     *

            Talia returned to Calypso as effortlessly as she had left. She kept out of sight in the backstreets where she smoothed her clothing back into place. Once inside, she leaned her back against the doors to catch her breath. Except for Alejandro, who was going about his business exactly where she’d left him, the main room was deserted. Animated chatter of three distinct voices reverberated from the dressing room, prompting her to shake her head. As she slipped behind the bar, Alejandro responded without missing a beat, “It’s plugged in the back.” She reached around him under the counter for her purse and disappeared through the door behind them.
            One by one, Vanessa, Scarlet, and Emilia emerged, fringe adorning their yellow and tangerine gowns. The energy of their ongoing exchange was so manic, its nature could not be deciphered. Alejandro heard Talia’s name mentioned multiple times so he could only surmise their excitement involved the latest turn of events.
            The sudden shattering of glass in the room behind him brought it all to a screeching halt. After a long exasperated sigh, Alejandro clapped his hands together and approached the stage. “Ok, this is what we’re going to do. Since all of you chose to coordinate your wardrobe today, start work on the inferno samba routine. The last thing Talia will want is for us to lose any more rehearsal time today.” Vanessa opened her mouth to protest, but he quashed it. “I will handle this. If she throws me out, she throws me out. But I have to try.” He jogged to the backroom door, pausing for a moment before knocking. “Talia?” No response. “Talia, I’m going to come in, ok?” There was no rebuff, so he pushed his way through.
            Talia was a foot away, reapplying her mascara with one hand and holding her compact in the other. Only one bottle of tequila lay in shards on the floor; her dinged up cell phone sat in a puddle of its contents. Alejandro left her to her devices as he cleaned up the mess with a broom and dustpan. “I appreciate you not taking your anger out on anything expensive.” It was meant to be a joke in an effort to lighten the mood, but she didn’t take the bait. Talia traded her mascara for her brush to smooth out the frizz in her hair. Music started pouring through the loudspeakers. The bounce in its melody brought a smile to her face and her brushing grew more vigorous in response. Once he completed his custodial duties, leaving her phone untouched, Alejandro rested his hands on his hips. There was only one question left to ask and he put it as casually as he could. “Is there anything else you need?”
            “Yes. Have them run through this routine twice. After I finish up in here, I want you to have some feedback ready for me. Emilia knows the steps well enough, but her movements need to tighten up so she doesn’t fall out of time with the rest of the group. For this one samba, the audience needs to see one fluid image, not individual dancers.” Alejandro nodded. But while his hand rested comfortably on the doorknob, his subdued gaze revealed no intention of turning it. Piecing this together, Talia gave a blunt self-assured response. “Trust me. I have this under control.” Not wanting to risk another prolonged argument, Alejandro relented without uttering another word and saw himself out.
            Aside from a few scratches, Talia’s cell phone was still in working order. She promptly blocked Rodrigo’s number to put a stop to the incessant messages but stopped short of deleting it altogether.

***

Music: (in case I don't mention it in a later chapter) "Do it" by Nelly Furtado

The Sirens of Calypso- Chapter 21- He Could Mean Everything

            Juan Paulo’s jaw dropped at the sight of the lead siren on his doorstep. His relaxed smile, as always, was quick to replace it. “Talia, hey…”
            She was ravishing in red from her shoulders to her ankles, the rhinestones in her bodice sparkling like stars, but her brown hair was slightly unkempt as if she’d run all the way here from a performance. Her voice ragged with nerves, she gasped, “Are you here alone?”
            “Yeah, I am.” He pushed the door against the wall, skepticism skewing his eyebrows. “What’s going on? You have a show…”
            Talia’s lips and tongue forced the remainder of that sentence back down Juan Paulo’s throat. She walked into him, swiftly closing the door behind her, and slammed his body against the wall. She deepened the kiss, drawing his tongue into her mouth.
            His hand caressed her cheek, holding fast for five long seconds, before prying her face from his. “I’m sorry, but what brought this on?”
            “I kept thinking about what you said. How you’d wait for me for as long as it took. It was a big distraction for me tonight. I hate when my focus is not on my dancing where it should be, but I am a professional so no one noticed anything wrong.” She dropped her hands to her sides.
            “I’m sorry, Talia. I didn’t think…” Her raised eyebrow brought his apology to a grinding halt. “Right, sorry…”
            Her hands clenched and loosened several times as she collected her thoughts. Taking another deep breath, she resumed, “Tourists come out to see us to have a good time. But you and Javier, you see us as people and have been nothing but gracious to us. I want to see if this leads somewhere—a place I never thought I’d be able to go.”
            “What place would that be?” He asked with a combination of seriousness and warmth in his eyes. His smile, meanwhile, abandoned ship when his heart started skipping.
            Instead of revealing more than she already had, Talia leaned back in. Juan Paulo wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her body next to his. Their tongues met, massaging one another before migrating into each other’s mouths.
            Tentatively, Juan Paulo moved one hand upward and rubbed it across her breast. Talia broke away to release a pleasure moan stuck in her throat. Eyes closed, she took his other hand and positioned it on the underside of her thigh, moving it down and up again. Vanessa’s advice came back to Juan Paulo as he put two and two together.
            “Do you want to go to bed?” He whispered in her ear.
            “Juan Paulo,” her face crinkled, “I’m not…”
            “No, I mean, wouldn’t you be more comfortable on the bed if we’re going to do this?” To reinforce his point, he maneuvered his hand under her skirt and over her lacy thong. His middle finger pressed the strap against her skin.
            Again, she moaned and her knees gave for a quick moment before she responded, “I will follow your lead.” She took his free hand and intertwined her fingers with his. Her grip tightened as he led her down the narrow hallway through the open door on the right, determined to stay on her feet between the light headedness and butterflies.
            Grabbing her hips, he sat her down on the edge of the bed. As he knelt on the ground, she observed the lack of decoration and plainness of the walls. “Why is it so empty in here?”
            “Well, it’s a spare room Javi never used and I’m only here for the summer. Besides, my tastes are very simple—at least they were until I met you. You make me crazy, but that’s why I like you so much.” He kissed her lips a couple times before returning to the task at hand.
            *** One last time, Juan Paulo’s eyes flickered at Talia’s as if asking permission to proceed. She exhaled and nodded. While her smile was calm and understated, inside, her nerves were on fire. *** Her fingers grasped the bed frame even harder ***
            Talia moaned so loud, she could have woken the neighbors. Panting, she wiped the sweat from her brow and helped Juan Paulo back into the light. Grabbing him by the cheeks, she leaned in for one final kiss before reopening her eyes. Instead of his reassuring smile, she found concern and knit eyebrows. She looked at him quizzically, but before she could jump to conclusions, he traced the line of one of her tears back up to her eye. “Are you all right?”
            She nodded rapidly. “Yes. In fact, I don’t think I’ve felt better.”

*      *     *

            Upon returning home, Vanessa’s stride skidded to a halt. A strange man was pacing in front of their building like a wild cat guarding his territory. His sculpted physique was visible through his tight white shirt and his well-defined biceps were crossed before his chest. She’d never met him in person, but based off secondhand accounts from Alejandro, she knew this had to be Talia’s most prolific client. His silhouette was intimidating, but she remained calm. “Rodrigo? What are you doing here? Did Talia call you?”
            “Yeah,” he faced her, his stance otherwise unchanged, “a week ago. But I haven’t been able to reach her phone all night. Where is she?”
            She could only shrug. “Talia left before our set ended. I assumed she was meeting you and didn’t want to say a word about it.”
            “Well,” he lifted his right arm to check his shiny gold watch, “I haven’t got all night. So tell her when you see her that she owes me. I cancelled all of my plans tonight for her and it’s too late now to reschedule.”
            “Fine, I’ll tell her.” Vanessa held her ground, crossing her arms as well. He averted his gaze as he stomped past. Before he got too far, she called after him, “Oh, by the way, show some respect. Talia has given herself to you more times than I care to count. One missed appointment is not reprehensible.”
            “Respect?” He spat. “She gives fucks for a living. How can anyone respect that?”
            Vanessa waited patiently for him to leave before shutting herself inside. She groaned, “Ugh! When Alejandro said he didn’t like this guy, I thought it was just the usual jealousy, but he is downright unpleasant.”
            But as Vanessa prepared to turn in for the night, ditching her dress for her newest set of black lingerie, she started getting really worried. If Talia hadn’t left to see with Rodrigo, where was she? Talia never met her clients on their turf because she insisted on controlling every detail of her transactions. If she was meeting with their bosses, she would have said so. And Talia was the one siren who knew how to take care of herself while walking the streets at night. However unlikely it was that something bad happened to her, Vanessa realized there was only one other option. “There is no way…” She scoffed at herself as she threw the covers over her head.
            Not a moment later, the door slowly creaked open and a pair of whispers, one male and one female, materialized. Vanessa tiptoed out of bed and pressed her ear to the door jamb.
            Juan Paulo held the door open for Talia as she stepped inside. Her heels dangled from her left hand. “Thank you for seeing me home, Juan Paulo. You didn’t need to…”
            “I know.” He caressed her cheek. “But it was the right thing to do. And you were a little emotional back there, so I wanted to make sure you were all right.”
            “I don’t know why I am like this when I am with you.” Instead of responding verbally, he leaned in and let his lips do the talking for him. Her arm automatically wrapped around his neck and brought him in closer. Her tongue entered and tangled with his for a few seconds before breaking away. “I’m sorry. I really want to, but I can’t do this again tonight.”
            “That’s okay.” He stepped away. “Whatever pace you want to go from here is fine by me.”
            “Thank you, but it isn’t just that. Vanessa is a light sleeper and I don’t want to wake her. If she found out about this…”
            “You don’t have to explain. I get it. Whatever this is between us, you don’t want anyone to know yet.”
            “Exactly. Now if you will excuse me…”
            “Oh right. I’ll let you go, then.” He leaned in once more, this time for a peck on the cheek. “Good night, Talia.”
            “Good night, Juan Paulo.” The door creaked shut behind him. She sighed, “I should get that door fixed if we are going to keep doing this.” But upon hearing a soft “ahem” from the other side of the room, she knew it was already too late. “Not a word, Vanessa.”
            She stood up straight after spending the past few minutes leaning in the doorway. “I was just going to say Rodrigo came here looking for you. He wasn’t happy you kept him waiting.”
            “Damn, I knew I forgot something.” She turned around and started rummaging through her purse. “This rendezvous with Juan Paulo was very last minute and I lost track of time. I will call him and apologize.”
            Vanessa crossed the room and braced her shoulder. “Right now, you should get some rest.”
            Her shoulders went slack. “Of course. It has been a long night.” Without speaking another word, Talia slinked off to her bedroom and shut the door. All the while, Vanessa couldn’t help but notice the secretive smile that lit her face in a way she’d never seen in her friend before.

***

The chapter title comes from the song "Say it Right."
I still remember where I was when I heard this Nelly Furtado song for the first time. It was during college and I went on a day trip as part of a bird-watching club that didn't last more than maybe a week. This was among many songs on the radio that day and I'd played it at least twice in the weeks since.
You know how you'll flip through the radio, come across a song you like and get annoyed when you find out it's almost over? That was this song for me until I finally bought the album it's on. It took a few years until this story came out of those songs but after that, the rest was history. 

The Sirens of Calypso- Chapter 20- Te Busque

 

            Using her unsurpassed knowledge of the city’s alleyways, Talia put as much distance between Calypso and herself as possible before stopping to catch her breath. It took a little more time for it to register that the erratic buzzing following her wasn’t coming from her racing thoughts, but her cell phone. Vanessa’s name flashed on its fluorescent screen. She hastily shut it off before stuffing it back into her purse. “Ugh,” she shook her head, “he said I will know where to find him. Juan Paulo must take me for a complete fool.” She replaced her heels back on her feet and continued onward.
            The first idea that came to mind was the closest option. Talia retraced her steps to find her way back to the main drag. Music was still pulsing from Calypso and its entrance was obscured by the masses of people unable to gain access inside. She paused to take in the view she rarely had the opportunity to appreciate. Despite the tough competition of attending a show, these patrons hadn’t let it damper their spirits. Whatever music made its way outside, they used to create their own block party. Some were even handing out street food to their friends. “We really do have the best show in town,” she nodded with immense pride. But before anyone could recognize her, she disappeared down the block and slipped into La Scala. She pressed the doors closed behind her and let out a massive exhale.
            “Talia! Talia! Natalia!” A trio of voices called out to her in unison. The first two were clear as bells; the latter was less familiar and had a slight accent. Her head jerked upward and she flushed. Her intrusion broke up what appeared to be a closed rehearsal. Scarlet was center stage, accompanied by Javier who sat askew on a stool with an acoustic guitar straddling his right thigh.
            Emilia shot up from her seat in the front row and ran over to throw her arms around her. “What are you doing here? Don’t you have a show tonight?” Shifting her gaze around her head, Talia saw Scarlet waving her cell phone in the air. Her green eyes bulged with panic. They exchanged no words, but Talia understood immediately. Scarlet had heard about her sudden disappearance through the grapevine. Based on Emilia’s reaction to her sudden appearance, she wasn’t in the loop.
            Loosening Emilia’s grip, Talia redirected the question to the stage. “What about here? Doesn’t the band have a show too?”
            Javier replied, exasperated, “We were planning to, but JP called last minute to cancel. He’d been home all night”
            “I see...” Talia said coolly. She tried not to let disappointment color her tone. The difference hadn’t escaped Scarlet, though. Her posture relaxed, but perplexity remained in her expression. She narrowed her eyes as if to decipher the meaning of her visit through ESP, yielding no results.
            “If you don’t mind, Natalia,” Javier lowered himself from the stool, his guitar cradled to his chest, “could I show you something I’d been working on?”
            “Javi,” Scarlet suddenly reached for his shoulder, “now might not be the best time”
            Talia waved away her concerns. “It’s ok, Scarlet. I have a little spare time for this. Go ahead, Javier.”
            He sat on the end of the stage, his legs dangling over the side. “I’m not an expert poet like JP, but my guitar playing has its own unique strengths as well.”
            Right away, Talia noticed his style of playing was vastly different than Juan Paulo’s. Instead of relying on a guitar pick, he delicately moved the strings between his first three fingers. The Spanish melody brought her back to her childhood and the lullabies her mother used to sing her to sleep. Scarlet sung a haunting wordless melody to it, inspiring Talia to find an open space in front of the stage to dance. She shut her eyes and let herself get carried away in the moment. At what sounded like a chorus, she sung, in clear Spanish, words from one of those old songs.
            In a whisper, Javier answered the question mark over Scarlet’s head with an air of reverence, “I grew up with that song. A lot of Latinos and Latinas with deep family roots had it passed down to them. Hearing it always made me a little sad.”
            “How come?” Briefly, she studied Emilia. She was so enchanted by Talia’s ease of movement that she was oblivious to everything else happening around her.
            “It’s about searching for the one who will complete your heart even if that person does not exist in your lifetime. My mother sang it for years after we came here. She thought my father was her soul mate and wondered if she’d had it wrong. That her true other half was still out there somewhere. She remarried eventually, but it took a long time before she returned to that place of happiness.”
            “Wow… Talia has ghosts in her past like the rest of us, but I’m not sure if that’s all she’s thinking about right now.” Watching Talia do what she did best, Scarlet couldn’t help but revisit recent history. Before they met Juan Paulo and Javier at karaoke. Talia was throwing herself into every aspect of her work. She put on a brave face when there weren’t any shows to give or clients to see, but Vanessa told her of nights she heard Talia cry herself to sleep. In some of these recollections, Talia’s melodic Spanish was audible through the wall separating their rooms. It was soft and beautiful, but also sad.
            Javier finished before anyone realized it; each of the sirens were entrenched in myriads of reminiscing and daydreaming. Once his guitar stopped playing, his and Talia’s voices filled the entire room. They matched each other word for word and their voices blended into the most breathtaking duet. Talia stopped dancing and her jaw slackened when she realized what had transpired. She bit the nail on her right thumb and turned her back on the others. Once she regained herself, she averred, “Very nice, Javier. It would be a good introduction for the people who did not grow up with those old songs. But I think maybe you should make the melody in the verses different, so it feels like you have your own twist on it.”
            “I appreciate that, Natalia. Thank you.” He turned to his left. “Do you want to call it a night, Scarlet? If the show at Calypso is done, it must be getting late.”
            “Actually,” Talia spun around, “if you need to rehearse more, you can. If this is to be for an upcoming show, a little more polish would not hurt.” She cast a generous smile to Scarlet, who turned red in response. Then she redirected, “On the other hand, Emilia should be getting her beauty rest. It will be another long day of rehearsals tomorrow.”
            “Right, of course.” As they headed to the doors, Emilia waved, “The two of you look amazing. I can’t wait to see you do it for a real show.” Scarlet shrunk away from the compliment, but it was hard to tell from across the room if embarrassment or nerves were behind her reaction. However, it was clear that Javier would be there to support her no matter what. He wrapped an arm around her shoulders and pulled her in for a kiss as Talia escorted Emilia outside.
            The crowds outside were thinning, but that didn’t stop Emilia from reveling in whatever the excitement they came across. Some people were waiting for their food truck orders while others played instruments in the streets for passersby as well as their own amusement. “Wow, this town is so vibrant at night. I wish I was able to enjoy it more.” She looked up at Talia, whose eyes were focused elsewhere. Taken aback, Emilia averted her gaze and they walked the rest of the way back in silence. The opportunity to discuss her routine was within her grasp, but she couldn’t bring herself to take it. Talia seemed so carefree and happy when she was dancing earlier, the happiest she’d seen her in weeks, and she didn’t want to ruin it.
            When they reached her building, Emilia looked across the way at the row of one-story homes. It had become an automatic reflex for her after several mornings of having Juan Paulo as her escort. She’d reach the bottom of the complex’s staircase the moment he was locking his residence and they would meet in the middle of the street. As she studied it with an uncertain tentativeness, Talia did a double take, “What is it?”
            “It’s strange… I mean, I know JP is crazy talented as a songwriter, but he usually isn’t up this late. His house is the only one with the inside lights still on.” At the sound of his name, Talia’s ankles buckled, but she forced herself to remain standing. She casually swept over the series of houses with identical stucco facades, but each with a different colored roof. Juan Paulo’s was a distinct turquoise and unlike the others that were dark inside, it had a soft yellow glow. “Well, good night, Talia. Seven o’clock, right?”
            Not turning her head, she replied, “Sure. That would be perfect, thank you.” The clattering of Emilia’s ankle boots against the metal staircase of her building echoed in the distance until it disappeared completely. The street was completely deserted and even the voices in the distance seemed to be getting further away.
            Talia swallowed. She started pacing as every doubt bubbled to the surface of her subconscious. Javier had said Juan Paulo called off their show without explanation and had been here all night, but doing what? The only people in this town who were still awake in their homes at this time of night were in her line of work. It’d only been a week since they last saw each other, but she knew from experience that men are insatiable and impatient. Was it possible he already moved on? Was the incident with Alejandro that had been an irritant for so long about to repeat itself? As much as her engrained self-preservation instinct implored her to run away, her ankles rooted her in place.
            Finally, she decided, “I used to think that old song was just a fairytale. Something we were told as children but could never become truth. Nothing ever changes because people never change. But with Juan Paulo, something is different… and I need to know why.” Shaking from the surplus of adrenaline pulsing through her veins, Talia raised her fist and knocked on the door.

***

Music: "Te Busque" by Nelly Furtado

This was my original title for the story but since Spanish isn't my first language and the subsequent text is all English, I figured it was best to change it to what it is now.
If this book actually got published, that's the only way I can see this title working.

The rough translation is "I searched for you".
The song has an English version and a Spanish version, but in both, the chorus is all in Spanish. Even before conceiving this story, I found it super beautiful and sad. And it's still one of the biggest highlights on the album for me and remains proof that music is the one universal language we all have.

Te busqué [I searched you]
debajo de las piedras [On the bottom of the rocks]
y no te encontré En la mañana fría y en [and I didn't find you in the cold morning and]
la noche te busqué [in the night I searched you]
Hasta enloquecer [until I went mad]

Pero tú [But you]
llegaste a mi vida como una luz [came into my life like a light]
Sanando las heridas de mi corazón [healing all the wounds of my heart]
Haciéndome sentir [and made me feel]
vivo otra vez feel [alive again]

The Sirens of Calypso- Chapter 19- Wait For You

 

            Talia said nothing about her final conversation with Juan Paulo, but thanks to their various connections, the other sirens had a fair grasp of the details.
            For the most part, everything at Calypso was normal. Talia maintained her strict administration of rehearsals and her trademark allure and charm made her live performances as scintillating as ever. The only instances contrary to this pattern revolved around Emilia’s arrival and departure. Although she upheld her façade in front of the others, she couldn’t shake the anticipation of crossing paths with him. Every time this endeavor proved futile, she cursed herself for getting her hopes up or that she was agonizing about this situation in the first place.
            Emilia gave everything to each task assigned to her, but Talia’s rejection of her proposed routine was difficult to shake. Whenever she had time alone with Scarlet or Ruby, they asked her about it and encouraged her to pursue it, but to no avail. Everything was getting busier in the meantime so the timing never felt right to revisit the issue.
            With Talia controlling so much of the content at rehearsals, Amber started utilizing other venues for her special project. The last thing she wanted was to introduce it too quickly, only for Talia to snuff out the flame as soon as she ignited it. She discussed various options for dance styles and music with Vanessa during their lunch breaks and she agreed to lend her assistance wherever needed. After all of the drama involving Juan Paulo in recent weeks, she welcomed the change of pace and scenery. Practice sessions began in Amber’s apartment, located on the ground floor of the same complex the twins had their place. Over time, these locations started to drift to the other side of town where two of her friends had business aspirations of their own.
            Scarlet continued to split her time between Calypso and band rehearsals. During which, her sister, Vanessa, and Emilia took turns keeping her company. Sometimes when the band had days off, she’d run through some Rumba choreography with Javier and they’d give her different pointers. For one song in particular, Ruby suggested a pole to give certain moves more stability and Javier signed off on it immediately. Scarlet was so carefree on the stage with him, he was willing to do anything to make sure she was happy.
            Occasionally, Juan Paulo would take a moment to exchange words with them, but it was rarely more than a minute or two. He’d bounce a few of his ideas off them before rushing off to write them down in his notebook. Vanessa suggested keeping his target audience in mind while selecting songs; Scarlet thought it was better to just to choose which songs fit well together. He agreed both approaches had merit to them, but it was difficult to choose when all he could think about was checking in on Talia. But he promised himself he’d give it at least a week before he blinked first.

*     *     *

            During their previous conversation, Talia had promised Rodrigo that she would meet him after the following Wednesday’s show. Much of this had been forgotten by that morning when she woke up with a strange case of the jitters. She shot straight up in bed and spent the next few seconds rubbing her arms. Then as she bent forward to nurse a headache, she muttered, “It’s probably a strange dream I have no memory of. Nothing to worry about.”
            She spent much of that day’s rehearsals talking to no one and only focused on the music. Vanessa and Ruby were going to be her partners on stage that day and she wanted a new playlist to keep things exciting for the crowd. She typically saved her best material for Wednesday nights so there was a lot of pressure to uphold those high standards. After she’d sat on the floor for hours staring at sleeves of CD’s, Vanessa pat her lightly on the shoulder. “Don’t overthink it. Just go with your gut. I’ll see you at ShowTime.”
            Once alone on stage, Talia braced her forehead and mumbled, “Why does everything feel so hard today? Is it because this will be the first time I am alone with a man in weeks? What if nothing is better and all of this time away had been for nothing?” A shudder down her back briefly interrupted her breathing, but she quickly collected herself. “Stage fright has no place in Calypso. I need to make a choice and embrace it.” Opening her eyes again, her favorite album caught her attention and everything fell into place in an instant. “Yes, I’d been meaning to do my routine with this one for a long time. Tonight might finally be the night.” She raced to the bar to bring Alejandro up to speed. “Do you have a set of bongos lying around? I need you to accompany us for my solo.”
            “Of course,” he casually responded in the midst of updating the inventory sheets. “Always happy to help.”
            “Good,” she exhaled, suddenly exhausted from this release of pent up stress, and pat the counter twice. “Thank you, Alejandro.”
            “Thank you?” His head shot up. “Are you sure you’re feeling ok?” Her face promptly resumed the passive-aggressive expression he was most familiar with. “Right… I almost forgot who I was talking to here. All the same, have a good show tonight. Also…” he pushed the paperwork aside so he had room to rest his elbows, “I wanted to say I’m sorry.”
            “Ugh,” she rolled her eyes, “what could you possibly have done this time?”
            “No, I mean about the other week. I may not always agree with the way you do things, but I shouldn’t have interfered.”
            “Well, when he told me you banned him from coming here again, I wasn’t surprised. I knew you were just itching for an excuse to be rid of him. There’s no use worrying about that now. Our particular arrangement needed a change of scenery anyway.” She inclined an eyebrow, “Anything else?”
            Alejandro balked in defiance but bit his tongue. “No, everything is good.” A quick hair flip and she was gone. His posture slumped in defeat. While grateful Talia didn’t bite his head off this time, her answer wasn’t exactly the one he’d hoped for.

*      *     *

            When word got out that Talia was premiering a brand-new routine, Calypso filled up fast. Regulations only allowed a maximum of 200 people in the building, leaving hundreds more with no choice but to seek other means of entertainment. Those lucky enough to gain admission left their drink orders with Alejandro and got comfortable. Talia was rarely the first siren to take the stage and tonight was no exception.
            Ruby warmed up the crowd with one of their standards. Poles slowly emerged through the stage floor and the crowd was quick to express their enthusiasm. Although she had several years’ experience under her belt courtesy of the strip club her father co-owned, she was always picking up new tricks. Each time the chorus hit, the choreography got more elaborate with a barrage of flairs and flips. This drew startled gasps from the audience, who followed with ravenous applause.
            Backstage, Talia nodded, her eyes glowing with pride. “She never fails to entertain.”
            Vanessa agreed without hesitation, but her mind drifted elsewhere. Having spent so much time with Amber, she couldn’t help but be reminded of the numerous occasions Ruby showed her up. Talia had always set the standard and the others fought to maintain that same bar of excellence. Despite having the least amount of dance training, Ruby was the second-best entertainer in the group. It must have been so difficult for Amber, struggling for years to step out their shadows. Goosebumps broke out over her entire body when she suddenly remembered she was the one that had to follow. “How can I hope to compete with that?”
            “Vanessa,” Talia reached over to embrace her shoulder, “you know there is no competition here. All I ever want for you is to go out there and be the best version of yourself. No one else can do that but you.”
            “Thanks, Talia.” She gave her a quick hug and Ruby a high five before getting everything ready for her number.
            Vanessa returned to the stage with a belly-dancing outfit of her own. Both pieces were canary yellow with flourishes of orange. Dozens of coins cascaded the band around her waist. Her music had some Middle Eastern nuances, but her routine offered much more variety. The selection featured an assortment of styles. Naturally, there was samba and cha-cha, but there were hints of pop and jazz as well. It took several years of experimenting and searching for inspiration across countless comedy/musicals in TV and movies, but she finally found a formula that worked earlier in the year. The reception was not only warm, but even more elated than the previous time she’d performed it.
            “What did I tell you? I knew you would be great out there.” Talia threw her arms around Vanessa, shaking with excitement.
            “Thanks, Talia…” She was so high on euphoria, words failed her. That is until she noticed Talia didn’t immediately let go. “Ok, now it’s your turn.”
            “Right…” She let go. “Of course. In ten minutes, then.” She raced off and shut the bathroom door behind her. Ruby and Vanessa faced each other with equal bewilderment. Talia emerged a short time later with a braver face but didn’t acknowledge either of them as they took their starting positions.
            Along with a set of bongos, Alejandro brought the large Oriental rug Talia asked him to pull out of their storage unit. Over the years, she’d asked for a series of random props and accents for the shows. Even if she had no immediate plans for them, they would be on hand in case the perfect occasion arose. Everyone rolled out the rug and worked together to place it exactly in the center of the stage. Then each of the girls knelt down to slip off their heels and put them aside. Their feet were always pedicured to perfection, but the anklets and nail polish matching their outfits brought their sense of glamour to another level. Alejandro took a few moments to admire the change in scenery but excused himself to wait for Talia’s signal by the stereo.
            “Talia,” Vanessa whispered, prompting her to turn her head in her direction, “I’m not sure what’s going on with you today, but everything is going to be all right. We’re here for you.” She and Ruby were a few feet behind, each at a 60° angle, forming an equilateral triangle between the three of them. Talia’s eyes were shifty and uncertain, but she managed a smile as she reached a hand back towards them. The other two did the same until they met in the middle. She then adjusted her gaze to Alejandro and nodded.
            By remote control, Alejandro turned on the music and opened up the curtains to an eruption of cheers. All three sirens, dressed in matching belly-dancing outfits in their signature colors (Talia in red, Vanessa in yellow and Ruby in orange), swayed to the music following the same 8-step sequence. They stepped out with their right foot and swayed their hips in the same direction, reset in the middle and did the same on the left. It was similar to a basic cha-cha step, but much slower and with more emphasis in the hips and torso. The unique rhythmic patterns of the song gave it a lot of character, so Talia decided it would create the best effect if their dancing brought it to life in three different ways. No matter what, Vanessa and Ruby had to be in sync with one another. In the verses, they continued the steps from the opening instrumental sequence and Talia added more flourishes to coincide with the beat’s irregularities. All of her years of belly-dancing experience came together in a span of mere seconds. Just before the pre-chorus bridge, she’d revert to the first eight steps and the others coordinated in an elaborate series of hip movements and hand claps. Then for the chorus, they all did the same extensive choreography at once.
            The second verse was when things started changing. Vanessa and Ruby remained committed to their roles. Unbeknownst to them, Talia found herself doing a lot of her steps by muscle memory alone as her mind drifted elsewhere. She skimmed through the crowd to connect with a handful of people for a few seconds each. This was standard procedure, allowing her to uphold the same level of engagement from start to finish. But as the lyrics started to resonate, she realized she was looking only at the men in the audience. And not just the men, but she was searching for one man in particular. Many of the words in the song mirrored what he had said to her in their last conversation.
            Alejandro took his place at the bottom right corner of the rug. The sirens all paused when he turned the music down just enough for his bongo playing to be more audible. Talia had suggested it to add another layer to the performance; judging by the ecstatic uproar, this addition was greatly appreciated. Then after he left, everything resumed as normal, both choreography and music.
            Meanwhile, Talia started having second thoughts. The initial plan was to do one final number where each of them got a solo and they came together for a big finish. She quickly decided there was somewhere else she needed to be. As the music faded out and Alejandro closed the curtains, she grabbed her clutch and heels and dashed through the stage’s exit door, leaving concerned outcries from her friends far behind her.
***

Music: 
"Love Game" by Lady Gaga 

Ruby would do some insane pole dancing routine to this with a lot of aerial work

"In my Pocket" by Mandy Moore

Not sure if I mentioned this in a previous post, but I originally planned this number for the birthday chapter... and I sorta forgot I put it here.
But this would be similiar to the final Toros performance in "Bring it on" where they took inspiration from various movies and styles

"Wait for you" by Nelly Furtado (group number)
Belly-dancing with clapping in time with the percussive moments in this song