Marianna DeSka pushed a broom across the floor one last time before unlocking the doors. She glanced around Club Calypso, glad for the reopening and the chance to start anew. Layla:) had certainly been a mess for the past few months. Murder and divorce had run rampant, and there were markedly fewer men around than there had been. There were rather fewer people around, to tell the truth.
But that was behind them now. Marianna and her children were living quietly in a new cottage, nothing as ostentatious as the old house, although on the same beachfront property. Alan had moved out after Marianna's suicide attempt, claiming he was unable to handle her mood swings. No one knew where he was, and Mari couldn't care less. Daniela had moved next door, to keep an eye on her sister, and was sharing the house with Doreen and her baby daughter, Beylana. Both had given up on Neil, who was paying child support while his solo career in L.A. started to take off.
Daniela had also given up on her boyfriend from New York, choosing to focus on her latest "fave," Ricky Martin. In fact, Club Calypso was opening with Salsa Night. Marianna looked at the stage, where Daniela was dancing to whatever music was playing in her head as she gave last minute instructions to Tchadde, the new D.J. Mari thought that maybe Dani was going to go after Tchadde, but they'd been good friends for so long, it was weird to think of them... together.
Mari stopped thinking and cleared her throat. "Hey, everybody." The waitstaff and everyone else in the Club turned to face her. Doreen, Dream, Coli, Marina, Tianne, and Pandora were waiting tables tonight. George and Nicolas were at the bar. Ellie and Zachariah poked their heads out from the kitchen. Of course, Daniela and Tchadde were still on the stage. "Hey, it's great, isn't it? We survived all sorts of awful stuff, and now we're reopening the Club. Everything's going to be better than it's ever been... because we're doing it together."
"Open the doors already!" Daniela cried. Marianna laughed and unlocked the door. A flood of human life washed through, hitting the dance floor, pressing up to the bar to experience Mari's famous pi–a coladas. Daniela immediately claimed her spot at the center of the dance floor-- beneath the disco ball that had always been a part of the Club. Marianna threaded her way through the crowd to lean up against the aquarium behind the bar. She just wanted to watch. The people of Layla:) had been so... dry without her Club. They'd lost a part of their souls.
Inda gasped for air as he slid onto a barstool. "Great opening, Mari. Need a bit more oxygen in here, though." Inda had recently retired to UPChuck's old house, south of Marianna's property. He and Marina lived there in semi-solitude-- they were frequently called upon to babysit Polly, Jamie, Amanda, and Beylana. "Where are the kids tonight?"
"Downstairs. Asleep, I hope." She paused. "Actually, I'd bet that Polly is online."
"They get worse and worse, younger and younger, don't they?"
"Please, Inda, don't make me feel older than I am."
"You don't look a day over twenty-three." They laughed together breifly over the resurrection of Marianna's youth spell, then Inda motioned for George to get him a microbrew. Marianna moved on, toward the booth where Frogman was seated.
"Marianna, how nice to see you," he called as he saw her approach.
"And the same to yourself. Enjoying the music?" Mari slid into the booth across from him, determined to be nice. No reason to chase the business away, she reminded herself as Frogman flicked his tongue out to catch a fly on the wall. Or a free exterminator. "Daniela's latest fad. And thank goodness for fads, or she'd be breaking hearts left and right out of boredom."
"I'm enjoying it quite a lot," Frogman returned. "When I was living in Brazil, I would sometimes go out to bars having amateur nights. Plenty of Latin-flavored music out there. You might have liked it; there were a lot of bands that covered Beatles songs."
"I'm sorry I was never able to make it down there, but of course there were crises up here that needed to be dealt with."
"I was sorry to hear about your... problems these past few months."
"Well, suicide attempts and divorces are nothing new for me, are they? It was just compounded by all the children, and the murders, and Daniela's new boyfriend looking at us all as if we were psychotic. But I'm sane now!"
"For you."
"But of course." Marianna looked up just in time to see Joanna come in. "Gotta go now, mingle and whatnot. I'll see you around?"
"I intend to be here a lot."
Great, lovely, Marianna thought as she slid out of the booth, smiling politely all the while. She dashed across the Club to meet Joanna halfway to the bar.
"I swear, I'm not here to drink!"
Marianna laughed, something she'd been doing a lot of lately. It just feels so good! she mused. "Well, as long as you aren't here to work," she told the medical examiner.
Joanna shoved her way through the crowd to an empty table. "Nah, just had to get out of the house. Biff was really going after his sock again, and I couldn't take it."
"I've heard too much already," Mari cried. Just then, she was distracted by a sudden silence. All eyes were turned toward the ladies' room door, and Mari wondered if a catfight was about to take place. Thankfully, it was only Daniela.
If there was such a thing as "only" Daniela.
Of course, there was not. Daniela had emerged from the lav clad in a red bikini top (Polynesian-style, if it matters), a red flamenco skirt, her trademark platforms (this time, strappy red sandals)... and a huge basket of fruit on her head.
"You better not have taken that fruit from my kitchen!" Marianna called. A few patrons giggled. Daniela ignored her and continued her promenade across the floor toward the stage. Mari wondered how her sister was staying upright in that get-up.
Finally, Dani gained the stage and looked benevolently upon the crowd. "My dear friends and loyal fans," she began. Mari caught Dream's glance from a table away and they gagged in unison. "I would like to thank you all for coming to the grand re-opening of Club Calypso, and to our first Salsa Night. Judging by the wonderful turnout, the Club did not lose its popularity during its brief hiatus. And neither did I. On behalf of all of us here at Club Calypso, I invite you to enjoy the sexy sounds of Mister Ricky Martin!"
Daniela cued the men's room door, and, sure enough, Ricky Martin stepped out. Marianna's jaw dropped. All around her, she saw other jaws dropping, eyes bugging, and brains losing their ability to function properly (assuming they ever did). Then the great deluge of people surged toward the stage. It was all Daniela and Tchadde could do to keep Ricky from being attacked. Finally, Daniela resorted to throwing her headpiece at the crowd, and the former Menudo member was able to start singing to the taped music.
Daniela took advantage of the great chance to show off her dancing moves, as well as her upper thighs. Tchadde monitored the music and watched Dani dance. The surge to the stage was soon overcome by a surge to the dance floor, and the waitresses returned to their normal activities. The cash register punctuated the downbeats with its ka-ching! and Layla:) saw a star-studded party like it hadn't seen in ages.
Ellie smiled hello as she passed Mari and Joanna. Marianna called after her, "This is the kind of business I could get used to!"
On the next episode of Club Calypso...
Doreen rushed into the bar, shoving her way through the throng until she reached Marianna. Breathless, she gasped, "The babies are missing!"
"How can they be missing? Polly too?"
"I don't know, yes, Polly too. Oh, Mari, if we don't find them soon, Beylana could be taken away from me!"
* * * * * * *
"Frogman, get away from me." Daniela turned her nose up in disgust and started to walk away. He put his hand on the wall, blocking her path. "I mean it, fly-breath." She turned to go the other way, then realized she was backed into a corner.
"You knew it had to happen sooner or later, Daniela," Frogman slurred.
"You're drunk."
"That never stopped me before."