Cabaret Time

Gloria led them downstairs to the bar, where she started handing round a huge platter of her very own tapas."Just an old fashioned girl" Sergi laughed. The room was becoming really crowded now. "I think you'd better take Rin Tin Tin upstairs, darling. His tail's knocked over two G&Ts already. "I'm not sure he wants to leave the party, Glo" said Ry noticing all the fuss the customers were making of Big Dog. "He will, if you give him this" She handed him a hot, spicy sausage. "Come on, Rubbish. Let's me take you away from all this"

Sergi meanwhile, made his way to the open door for a breath of fresh air. At half past one in the morning, the neighbourhood was livelier than ever. Under a baroque street lamp, a black guy with a guitar case hanging from his shoulder, was smoking.  He looked about forty. Six foot two, at least (thought Sergi) with the kind of mature, effortless sensuality that George Clooney could only dream of.

"Hi" he said  "You must be one of the boys who'll be staying at Gloria's place"
"News travels fast"
"Yeah. You can't keep a secret long around here. Smoke?"
He handed Sergi his spliff.  "I'm Jean Luc, by the way"
"Yes, we've heard about you. You're the guy with the "to die for" lavs, right?"
"Like I said, news travels fast" he said as Sergi took a long drag on the joint.
"I'm Sergi. Ry, my ... "I know, I know" smiled the Frenchman.
"He'll be down in a minute. He's just taken our dog upstairs away from the crowd"  "You brought your dog as well? Guess you really are moving in"

Gloria pushed her way through the door, feigning outrage. "Ahah! There you are. Caught in the act.
Who's seducing who? Come along JL" she said, dragging the musician towards the dinky stage.
"You're ON"  "I am? How am I doing?"
Marco turned off the music and faded up the blue and amber spots. Gloria addressed the audience in fluent French, Spanish and English, inviting them to welcome QT's resident Troubador. The travelling sign burst vividly into life with more of  the Hostess's bon mots moving slowly from right to left, proclaiming:
"Jean Luc Sex God ...Jean Luc Sex God...Jean Luc Sex God..."

Through a Glass, darkly.

He began predictably, with some crowd pleasers including "La Mer" and "Ne me quitte pas" Then came the Beatles' "Norwegian Wood" followed by "Let's Do It" with a salacious new lyric by Gloria, that would have made even Cole Porter blush. Sondheim's wistful "Not while I´m around" followed, and the set ended an hour or so later with Jean Luc's signature song "What are you doing the rest of your life"
This was the cue for Marco to flick on the merciless house lights "That always gets rid of the buggers" said Gloria as JL packed away his guitar and made for the exit. "See you guys for breakfast, then? We open at ten" "Thanks. Adios - au revoir" said Ry as Jean Luc headed home.
Gloria emerged from behind the bar, clutching a bag containing the night's takings. "Got to fly,
darlings.The loot's  in here and I must get it home pronto, before I'm tempted to blow it on some passing rent boy."

" Now you know where I am, don't you. It's the big grey stone building. Number fifty four. The bell's marked Atico, which means Penthouse, over here. Right then, I'll expect you at crack of noon - and not a moment earlier, mind you" She embraced them effusively and was gone.
Jordi and Julia, his latest conquest, said Buenas Noches and kissed their way upstairs.
Marco scraped the remains of tapas into a plastic bin.
"Have you got all this lot to clean up?" asked Ry "Can we give you a hand?"
"No - gracias. Carmen clears everything away and does the glasses and stuff first thing in the morning - before she slips into something Radiation Proof and tackles the loos!"
In the upstairs Salon, the slumbering Guard Dog failed to acknowledge intruders.
Minds clouded by mojitos, Ry and Sergi struggled noisily with the intricacies of their Ikea sofa bed.
Rubbish finally emitted an irritated groan.  The next thing they heard was the sonorous bell of Santa Maria del Mar, chiming eleven o'clock.