After the rodeo, the locals, their kids and the passengers left to dress for the Spanish fiesta. It had been a hectic day filled with excitement, and everyone was looking forward to the upcoming entertainment. Temporary bars were set up along the footpath next to the hotel. Beside them were benches with large aluminium containers filled with freshly caught grayfish yabbies on ice. Gas burners sat near them for Julio to cook his specialty dish, Paella el’ Yabbies. Large double-levelled grills were next for barbequing the spicy marinated steaks, Julio and Mitch had prepared earlier that morning. Erected at the top end of the street was a stage with the DJ’s backing track system for May-lees music. Garden lights hung between the buildings and across the street creating a warm atmosphere.
By early evening, the locals, their kids and the passengers returned, everyone dressed in Spanish attire. The men and boys as matadors, all wearing large sombreros; the women and girls looked stunning in colourful flowing Spanish gowns. They had fascinators in their hair, and held castanets.
While the townsfolk and passengers mingled in the street, May-lee checked in on Jordie. She gave him a couple of strong painkillers and rubbed his back with more eucalyptus cream.
“A goodnights rest is the order of the day for my gorgeous Jordieee,” she smiled and gave him a light kiss on the cheek before leaving to change.
‘Gorgeous shish,’ Jordie fantasised as the painkillers kicked in, ‘I’d ride a thousand Pretzel Pete’s to hear that word, and feel those lips,’ he smiled dreamily then fell into a deep and peaceful sleep.
When May-lee left, Mitch who had recovered from his spinning ordeal turned up to change into another costume.
He removed his slightly tattered outfit, which he had worn with pride throughout a day of back slapping and well-done praises.
He slipped into a dressier teal blue matador suit and stuck a thick ginger moustache onto his upper lip.
Before he left he gave Jordie a push to wake him. Jordie moaned and peered up at a smiling Mitch, “How do I look?”
“Great,” he mumbled and waved his hand toward the door, “Now get outta here, I need some sleep,”
“I’ll check on you later,” Mitch said and bolted off to help Julio start the cook up.
When Mitch arrived back at the street, he spotted Julio standing at the grills dressed in a loose fitting white peasant outfit and a large sombrero.
“Come Mitchio, we must begin zee banquete,”
Mitch grabbed some steaks from a large fridge behind him, tossed them onto the grills, and the Spanish fiesta began.
Captain and Slim filed by with their taste buds primed and plates at the ready. They congratulated Mitch & Julio on what smelt and looked to be a great feast. After Mitch placed a steak onto their plates, Slim asked how Jordie was. Mitch told him he’d be ok and would be up in no time.
“Goodo, you boys did a great job out there today,” Slim winked then he and Captain grabbed a good portion of fresh yabbies and a jug of beer from the bar, before pushing through the crowd in search of a seat.
May-lee and Kristy skipped up dressed as señoritas in soft red & black trimmed ruffled dresses, and finely netted black fingerless gloves. They had a deep red Rose fascinator in their hair and held castanets. Both performed an elegant twirl, clicked their castanets and sang, “Olayeee’,”
“Hola muchacho’s,” Mitch chuckled attempting to impress with his average impersonation of Spanish.
“We love your mustachio señor,” they giggled.
Mitch twisted the tip and sent them a cheeky grin. The girls laughed and clicked their castanets again.
May-lee noticed the Paella bubbling away in large woks. “Mmm, I haven’t had Paella since my last visit to Spain.”
Julio looked up from the woks and beamed. “It has spicy sausage, saffron, Spanish Calasparra rice, chicken... plus my secret herbs and spices,” he paused and then whispered. “And zee yabbies Normandio caught this morning, will be as succulent, as they are fresh,”
“Very exotic Julio... it smells magnifico delicio,” May-lee praised.
Julio chuckled at her compliment then leant closer and gave her a pining grin. “I have created a soft dessert for you. It is a Champagne and wild berry sorbet, served in a crystal goblet... for afters my belleza,”
“Oh Julio, how sweet,” May-lee smiled, realizing he may have a major crush on her. She would have to find a way of letting him down gently, she mused then picked up two bowls and handed one to Kristy.
After Julio spooned paella into their dishes, Mitch called to Kristy.
“You’ve done a great job with the party,” he praised.
“And you in organising this fine feast,”
“Nothin’ too it,”
“The Chef and the party planner, we’d make the perfect couple,” Kristy teased.
“Do you think so?” he gave her a goofy grin, then flicked the tip of the moustache with his finger; tilting it.
‘Perfectly dumb... perfectly cute,’ she smiled.
“You’re such a tease girl,” May-lee tittered after they’d sat at a nearby table.
“Like my auntie,” Kristy told her, and they both laughed.
May-lee picked up a yabby and snapped it in half. She forked some of the flesh from the shell and placed it into her mouth, “mmm, this is delicious,” she whispered to Kristy, and then spoke louder for Julio to hear, “El’ Chef’s paella el Yabby es ala’ Delicio’,” she put all fingers to her mouth and smacked her lips.
“El’ appetite’ Mistress Mayo-lee,” Julio sang back and shivered with delight.
The girls giggled at his bizarre obsession with May-lee before returning to savor the exotic flavours of his paella.
Kristy left May-lee spooning the last juices of her paella from the bowl and walked to the stage. She went to the DJ’s keyboard and organized the backing track music for the songs that had been chosen.
Before introducing May-lee, Kristy glanced back at the table to check she was ready. A quick click of the castanets told her she was.
Kristy spoke into the microphone, “Ladies and gentlemen, it is now time for the show to begin... it is with great pleasure I give you our star performer... the elegant, spectacular, absolute eye-catching señorita who outshines all others, the one and only, Maay-leee,” Kristy hit the button and a rocky Spanish beat ripped from the speakers. May-lee sprang from her seat, yelled ‘Fiesta Olayeee,’ then with rapid clicks of her castanets danced through the crowd onto the stage. She skipped over to the microphone; and as her songbird voice echoed across the starlit night, Limestone Ridge erupted into merriment.
Throughout her show, May-lee treated the crowd to a mixture of popular melodies, soulful blues and upbeat rock n roll. On the last song of her set, she executed a spicy medley of Spanish love songs. She worked the stage swinging her hips and clicking her castanets in a perfect delivery of her erotically charged routine.
Julio, who had been sipping champagne as he watched her performance, was overcome with passion. When May-lee’s dynamic performance subsided, he rushed onto the stage, took her hand and caressed it with a tender kiss, “Ooh my belleza, your concertió wazz brreeathtaking… we must perform a duet... I have zee perfect tune,”
May-lee sent him an offhanded look and shook her head. However when Julio’ expression dropped; and with his pleading eyes gazing upon her, a feeling of kindness swept her and she generously agreed.
A happy Julio rushed to Kristy and told her the song he would like. She hit the scanner button for the backing track music; and as another racy Spanish beat blared out, May-lee and Julio broke into song. Julio eyeballed her with his love-struck gaze and to May-lee’s surprise he held a pretty good note. When the tempo rose, Julio bopped about jigging his hips and waving his sombrero above his head, to the cheering of the crowd.
In his cabin, Jordie stirred from his slumber to the sound of the music. He was touched with a slight pang of jealousy on hearing May-lee’s duet with Julio.
But sleeplessness crept in, and he was dead to the world when the crowd chimed in on the final chorus. And as the voices rose and castanets clicked, the sky came alive with music, and was dotted with stars and flying sombreros.