Zana

Burlesque

The spotlight tracks across the translucent plastic stage that hangs suspended from small silver chains bolted to the ceiling of the Stockings and Garter Club

Parisian showgirl and burlesque artist, Miss Scarlett Silver, teases and torments from above.

A magnetic performance.

Attracting wild applause.

From an audience mesmerised by the magnificence of twirling pasties, ostrich feathered fans and provocative winks.

The French Bulldogs are busy chasing orders.

Pulling on their leads and dragging the wonky waiters between the tables.

Who frantically try to balance glittering gold trays.

Ice buckets filled with bottles of La Malice.

A champagne without equal.

Hideously rare.

Sold exclusively in the Stockings and Garter Club.

An arrangement procured over a late night game of poker.

A jackpot won by the owner, Gamma Wild.

Who played a pair of black twos.

A bluff.

Brilliantly executed.

The first fifty cases of La Malice were loaded into the back of a temperamental truck by the losers.

Gamma drove out of the rusty vineyard gates laughing hysterically.

Far from the cobwebbed cellar.

Where lady luck had smiled.

A delicious win.

In Reims.

December 31st.

1999.

'Caravan' by the BBC Big Orchestra, works its unique magic

Sophia is spellbound.

She ignores the satin, midnight blue glove, that flutters down and lands softly in Velvet's sleight of hand.

Her perfect body sways cobra like, moving in rhythm, enchanted.

Dancing to the music.

Kitty purrs.

Slinky and soulful.

Runny rainbows of dripping conversation spill from her pretty lips.

Spun like fresh candy floss.

Miss Fly reaches over and pick pockets another bottle of 666 from Velvet's magic pocket.

He is oblivious.

Missing in action.

His thoughts rushing backwards.

Screaming to a halt.

Stopping abruptly at the perilous crossroad of a fragile memory.

Back to the rainy night in Amsterdam where he first met a broken Bela.

And crossed paths with a rescued Zana.

A story continues.