NOTE: This opening scene may be longer than usual to set up the story but please keep your replies to 2-3 short paragraphs at most. Also, I have unexpected company and may not be able to stay here with you long. If anyone wishes to make a comment outside the story as we go along, please indiate it as a SIDEBAR NOTE:.......
Chuleta rushes in from working on last minute details for the opening in a few minutes. She looks like a goddess in her golden, form fitting dress with beautiful golden crystals. As she walks she leaves a scent of "I am woman hear me roar". She's gathered everyone, and checking to make sure everyone looks like a million dollars. She pulls and tucks the ladies here and there.
"Latina, Dama, Soleful, Bella" "presente" they all chime in at the same time. "You are all here to make our guests feel special. This is not going to be just any club...this will be the club that everyone will talk about centuries from now. Your job is to keep the men dancing and drinking. The VIP guest list is impressive and they are men with very, very deep pockets. Let's make sure that when they leave here, those pockets are bone dry". Latina jumps forward and starts to show Chuleta how she's going to dance "El Guineito". Chuleta assures her that she's already seen it a thousand times. Chuleta looks over her costume and suddenly pulls up the skirt. Latina jumps back in fear. "What are you doing Chuleta?" "I'm making sure you're wearing panties this time. I'm not having any of that from the old club. This is a classy joint and I want it to stay that way!" Latina gets a little miffed but shakes her head in agreement. "Is everything clear ladies". They all shake their head in unison. Soleful looks at Chuleta and raises her hand "Am I going to do my banana dance?" Chuleta crosses her arms and looks at her sternly..."No more bananas for you!". Soleful pouts and gets back in the line.
"OK QVO, are the gambling tables set downstairs? Make sure we have plenty of Dom Perignon for our "special" guests. And remember, I know what you did in the old club and I'm keeping my eyes on you all the time. In fact, this club has eyes everywhere so don't forget that Big Sister is going to be watching you at all times."
Chuleta walks over to the bar and the smell of mahogany and tapestry on the stools permeates the bar. Money was not spared to make this into the most elegant nightclub this side of town. QVO is looking around as if to look for someone. "Hey where's TD, Moogie and Pajarito?" "Don't worry about any of that, just keep the VIP list with you at all times and make sure that they don't leave this place until next month. Moogie and PJ have arranged special suites for them and I'm sure that they would not want to leave here anyway. Sanchez had to leave town on business...so what else is new? He's probably nailing someone, somewhere as we speak cause you all know what a sweet tooth he's got for the ladies". All the ladies smile as if they all had a taste of him still in their mouths. Let me just say this, you all look absolutely stunning in your beautiful dresses and costumes and I expect you to look like this every night.
OK she points to the big band, points to the side and the lights are dimmed and the music begins to play. Chuleta and QVO go to the entrance of the club and 2 uniformed, built like Adonis young men pull open the golden doors with an engraved panther on each door. Moogie and PJ lead the line of VIPs anxious for the doors to open. A parade of beauties from the club engage the men to escort them to their seats and an army of drop-dead gorgeous men dressed in skin tight black pants, black sleeveless silk vests and a golden bow tie around their massive necks.
After everyone is escorted to their tables, the champaign begins to flow like water and the atmosphere is heating up. The Pantera Dancers have the men mesmerized with their swift hip movements and dancing "The Guineito". Dama is making motions with her hands as if she's peeling a banana and moving her hips rhythmically to the beat of the music. The others are doing the same as if they are synchronized swimmers. Moogie and PJ look at Chuleta from afar and make the "thumbs up" sign. Suddenly QVO comes over to whisper something in Chuleta's ear...
Comment deleted by an Administrator
This post has been deleted
Oh Lord, I posted a couple of paragraphs, noticed I had made a mistake and deleted it. Will make an attempt again first thing in the morning. This is what a half bottle of leftover New Year's champagne does to a person. Never again. Got to get some sleep. Cheesh what a lightweight.
SIDEBAR: That's hilarious Moogie. The party's just started and you are already drunk???? Well why don't you go take a nap and recollect yourself but take off that pretty dress so it doesn't wrinkle.
See you all tomorrow and we could pick it up from there. I'm kinda busy too.
Muah,
Chuleta
Moogie sees the tense look on QVO's face as she conveys her message. Chuleta's expression never loses the pleasant smile plastered on it. But Moogie can tell by her quick movements that there's some kind of glitch in this so far perfect opening night. Moogie's eyes scan the floor nervously as she adjusts her black velvet gown looking for anything amiss. She has seen this club built from the ground up and her breath still catches at the grand beauty of it all. The start up money used to build this pleasure complex was not enough to accomplish this breathtaking final product. Moogie knew that 'other' sources where involved. She trusted Chuleta with her life but knew that her business dealings were not always on the up and up.
The dancers are finishing their number and Moogie is impressed by the style Latina has introduced into the choreography. There's a thin line between class and crass and Latina walked the line perfectly. So far so good. But Moogie's mind is still unsettled. She glances over to her partner Pajarito who is now busy schmoozing with a table of people who will be hotel quests this evening, a singer she recognizes as Frank Sinatra, with his current girlfriend movie actress Ava Gardner. The other gentlemen at the table are the type of people one sees in a James Cagney gangster movie. She knows one of them is named EDv. The black tuxedo's do nothing to hide the fact that these characters are rough and dangerous men. Moogies eyes catch the sparkle of Chuleta's gold gown across the room. She is moving quickly toward one of the tables and bends over to speak to a tall gentleman with jet black hair...
Chuleta has been blessed with a sixth sense that can smell BIG money from across the oceans. She walks very calculating towards this amazingly interesting man with hair like ebony slicked back. So dapper with his black tuxedo and white bow tie and pencil thin mustache. His eyes are deep and very dark. He studies her every move, her every step and appears hypnotized by Chuleta.
As Chuleta approaches his table, he slowly gets up. Chuleta reaches her hand out to greet him and shake his hand and he gently grabs her hand and plants a tender, kiss on it. "Welcome to La Pantera Dorada Mr. HUGE. Perhaps one day I'll learn why you were named HUGE?" A sinister smile comes across his face reavealing perfectly shaped white teeth with a small gap in between. "The name is Hughes...Howard Hughes". Chuleta blushes and tries to get her foot out of her mouth. She mumbles to herself "I'm going to kill that QVO always giving me the wrong information".
Chuleta raises her hand to catch the attention of the wait staff. Two panteros jump at the snap of her fingers, "Go to the cellar and bring this table La Pantera's best for Mr. Hughes. Please enjoy your evening Mr. Hughes and order anything you'd like." Mr. Hughes looks at Chuleta as if she was truly a fried pork chop on his plate. "I'm sure you'll enjoy your meal and the entertainment and when you're done, we have some special private rooms downstairs for a little poker? I take it that Moogie and PJ have given you the best suite in the hotel." He grabs her hand once again and this time plants a wet one. "Thank you Chuleta, I think I'm going to enjoy this evening very much".
A long black limo pulls up in the alley beside the La Pantera Dorada Nightclub, two men jump out, one opens the side door of the clb while the other opens the back door of the limo. It's TD Sanchez. He walks into the club and go straight to the main office where there is a two way mirror to the club. TD takes off his overcoat and then pours him self a cognac. He takes a swig of the drink, sits at the ddesk and opens up the safe under the desk. He put in about 9 or 10 stacks of hundreds and suts the safe. He goes over to the two way mirror and sees Chuleta flirting with Howard Hughes. "Too bad she don't know that he is whacked out of his mind." TD says to himself. He saw enough and then goes inside of the club to check on Moogie and PJ t omake sure they don't have any problems.
On his way inside of the club, he tell his bodyguards to go enjoy themselves, but take up a position at the end of the bar so the can see the entire club. TD walks into the club and the first person to see him is Chuleta. She come over to him saying, "Where the hell you been?" TD smiled and said sarcasticly, "I was out in the fields picking you some flowers." Where the hell you think I was at? I was making my rounds collecting MY money." TD walks off and head straight to the bar, "Double Mojito"! "First time she see me today and here she is questioning me. I'm the "Queso Grande" in Harlem. No one questions me." TD downs the Mojito quickly and orders another one. While he is waiting on his drink...
Dama notices that TD has arrived and runs over to him planting a big one on his lips. "AY Tee Dee (with a heavy Spanish accent) wear hab ju bin?". She's all over him and he's trying to play it cool and pushes her away gently. "You look gorgeous baby but get back on the floor before you know who has a fit. We'll catch up later". Dama kisses him one more time and takes off shaking her booty to the music. Chuleta walks over to TD and whispers in his ear. He gets up and they walk out of the ballroom and into a small private office.
They stare each other down. "Look Sanchez, this is strictly a business deal. Nobody knows that you are my secret partner and I want to keep it that way. You are the muscle of the club as far as everyone knows so please don't come to my club as if you own it. You have carte blanche here but please respect my rules and everything will go smoothly. As you can see, we are going to make a shit load of money here if we play our cards right. We have the VIP catacombs that we built with the escape tunnels and we have many gambling rooms set up as well as some rooms for the gents to "relax"...she winks at him. TD is just staring at her lips moving and showing his arrogance.
"Look I've accepted that you and I could never be. I know the truth and I know you love Dama but she's employed by me now and I ask that you keep your affairs with her out of my club and out of my face. He looks surprised...yeah and I hear you're developing a sweet taste for Bella too so just keep all that shit away from my club." TD has a big smirk on his face that irritates Chuleta and before she gets upsets she begins to walk out of the office. Chuleta turns around quickly. "By the way, you look absolutely wonderful in those threads..."
Chuleta walks back into the ballroom and admires the kingdom she has built. Everyone is lost in the mesmirizing atmosphere created here. She notices PJ and Moogie standing elegantly being perfect gracious and classy women. "Hey ladies, I guess we did it huh?" They all shake hands then embrace each other in victory. They notice Pablo walks in looking like something you just want to scoop up with an icecream spoon. His white hair against the black tuxedo makes him look so distinguished. He is escorting Cinderella who also looks absolutely stunning. Pajarito looks Moogie then at Chuleta "Hey when did that happen?" They all look at each other dumbfounded. Pajarito looks a little upset "I thought she was married? Something tells me she's hiding something or hiding behind something. Humpf, there's something not right about that witch and I'm not going to leave a stone unturned until I find out who she really is!" Chuleta chuckles, "PJ are you jeolous cause you had eyes on Pablo first?" PJ is not amused.
"Hey Moogie, did you see EDV yet? He's been MIA for a while." "Yes I know Chuleta and I know something happened to him but he won't tell me. Is he OK? "Well I saw him over at a table with "the boys" but he didn't look too happy." Chuleta looks at them, "Well you know not much goes on in this town without me hearing about it but I heard he had a run in with a spineless, back-stabbing, malcontent, coward who snuck up behind him and struck before he could see who he was. Hurt him deeply and then took all of his writings from his safe. The only thing he's learned is that this man has a tatoo on his left butt cheek with a fountain pen that says "The Velvet Pen". Moogie looks upset..."Really then we are going to have to find out who this SOB is. You know we have survellaince in our special rooms and I will tell the girls to keep an eye on that tatoo. Let me see if I can do soemthing to cheer him up."
PJ and Chuleta each go to different tables to mingle with their VIP guests.
