coerce

verb

1. persuade (an unwilling person) to do something by using force or threats.

2. obtain (something) from someone by using force or threats.

After a while I remember the conversation I had overheard upstairs earlier on, when she was yelling at Wallace in the hallway. I turned to Evya and spoke seriously.

"Don't go overseas without a bodyguard close by. Wallace has too many enemies for you to be by yourself. Take Mum's abduction for example." Eyva looked at me with a frown and I could see she was getting annoyed at the topic of conversation.

"Go and have fun, find yourself, reinvent what it means to be you but stay safe and come home back to us in one piece. Mum, Wallace, JacJac and I don't' want anything to happen to you. Please, do this for us. Take a bodyguard so that we know you will be safe?" I begged her.

"Fine. OK. But only one bodyguard. No more." She huffed, and I smiled and pulled her into a hug.

"Thank you!" I yelled, then gave her a big fat sloppy JacJac smooch on her cheek.

After a superb dinner meal, I managed to catch up with Mrs H and we went over the catering menu for the fashion show. The twenty eight elegant one-bite hors d'oeuvres looked amazing in the pictures provided, but I thought that twenty eight different pieces of food was just a little too extravagant and asked her to cut it down to twenty.

Pointing at the shredded brussels sprouts and ricotta toasties, they had to go, along with the bacon jam tartlets, they were just wrong. I also asked for the pacific oysters to go - eating something that tasted and felt like snot, nope. And I vetoed the escargot - snails just were not my thing. I looked up at Mrs H, making sure my selections for what to leave out of the menu was OK. She smiled then asked me about desserts. All ten desserts were acceptable in my book. Yummo.

All the food and drinks and equipment needed was already booked and ready for delivery. All the fresh foods and ingredients would arrive Saturday morning of the day of the show.

She then took me into the catering kitchen, the one I'd waited in during Mum's and Wallace's wedding. She showed me all the wine and drinks that had been ordered and delivered last week. It had all been racked in a large temperature controlled wine cabinet in one corner of the larger kitchen.

In another corner were the boxes of swag bags that someone had already packaged up for me. Neat little gift boxes were sitting in large stacked containers, ready for the event staff to deliver to guests on the day. I picked one up and found my Crystal Pear logo on the side. Opening the little petal-like flaps on the top of the gift box revealed the samples of chocolate and unisex bracelets from one of Wallace's jewellery shops, a discount voucher and the silk scarves, printed using the same design as the lounge wear. I was really happy with the gift product. It was high end, beautiful and really eye catching. The jewellery was a nice touch. I must remember to thank Grandma Overmeyer for adding them.

"These look good." I complimented Mrs H and her team on the well packed swag bags. I packed the gift boxes away and moved to the large full wine cabinets. "I'll just take one of these to taste test at home." I suggested as I took a bottle from the temperature controlled rack.

"Take a few, Lovey. We won't be missing any. There are over eight hundred bottles of this label in the cellar."

"Eight hundred!" I exclaimed as I left the catering kitchen, Mrs H following closely behind with two more bottles in her hands.

"Yes, so take these with you when you go home." She grinned at me.

"I have class tomorrow." I reminded her as I reached for the second bottle from her hands.

"I'll get Grant to deliver them home for you, don't you worry. Just enjoy it, now that you're allowed to legally drink it." We moved back to the dining room where Wallace and Mum were finishing up their evening meal.

"Mum, Mrs H said I could drink as much alcohol as I want now that I'm legal." I sing-songed out loud.

"Make sure you drink in moderation and don't drink in the bathtub!" She sing-songed back and I choked on my spit. Wallace was still in the room.

"Mum!" I yelled out, embarrassed.

"What?" She feigned ignorance at what caused my reaction.

"So embarrassing." I mumbled.

"Does that mean I can drink as well?" Eyva asked from the side room.

"No!" all three of us yelled then laughed at our triplets moment.

"Not fair!" She yelled in reply.

"You're had head trauma and the doctor said you're not allowed." Wallace parented.

"Fine." She groused, then sidled up to me and whispered, "You think they will be watching my every move at the show?" I shook my head and smiled.

"Nope. Not at all." I whispered back, then went upstairs to my room for an evening of fabric painting.

Early the next morning, I sent a text to Liam Ferguson on the number Eyva gave me off her old cell phone last night.

[Mr Fergurson, this is Lily Twice. Do you have a moment later today for a catch up? I have a favour to ask of you and your cousin, Jackson. I do not have his number.] His reply came back almost straight away.

[Yes, Jackson and I are free after school today. Where do you want to meet?]

[How about at the new Tea House on Salem Street. It isn't open, but I know the owner. Meet there at 5pm?] I chewed on my lip, hoping they were free today.

[Sure, sounds sweet. Jackson asked if he can bring his girlfriend?]

[I bet he didn't ask but told you he was bringing his girlfriend. And how did you convince him to come anyway?] I grinned.

[You know my grumpy arse cousin very well. I bribed him with a crate of beer.] I laughed at his reply. I can totally imagine that a crate of beer would get his motorbike mechanic cousin to catch up with an old friend.

[See you then, and I'm fine with Jackson's girlfriend coming.]

[See you then.] Was his reply. Good. Two down, two to go.

I was on the hunt for male models for my show. I figured if Claire Godfrey hadn't found any suitable handsome men to help us out, then using four of the hottest guys I knew was a good way to go.

Next up I contacted Dunstin Fredricks, my computer guy, AKA HcakerFreddie.

[Black Phoenix: You there?] Much like the first time I ever messaged Freddie online, I sent him a quick text using my Black Pheonix persona.

[HcakerFreddie: Got another job? I enjoyed the last one.]

[Black Phoenix: Keeping it clean?] I asked in reply, not that I expected him to tell me if he had been hacking any government databases any time soon.

[HcakerFreddie: Its been 14 days since my last confession...] came his smart arse reply, like he was confessing to a Catholic priest.

[Black Phoenix: I have another job for you. You interested?] I purposely didn't say what the job was. I wanted to rope him in first before telling him it wasn't a hacking or computer job, but a lounge wear modelling opportunity at a high end private fashion show.

[HcakerFreddie: Sure, whatcha got?]

[Black Phoenix: 5pm today at the new Tea House on Salam St. You in?]

[HcakerFreddie: Peachy keen, see you then.]

Yes! Now only one to go.

[Hey Grant. What do you call a bear with no teeth?]