premiere

noun

1. the first performance of a musical or theatrical work or the first showing of a film.

I watched the upper crust of Mt Summer City all smoozhing and snoozing their fellow rich contemporaries. Seriously, the wealth congregated at this show venue could finance a small island nation for ten years, at least. They looked happy though, drinking, chatting, laughing. The music played from hidden speakers, lights kept the place low key, intimate but lively, and the atmosphere was invigorating.

The catering and waiting staff were amazing in their black uniforms with red ties. They carried trays of expensive wine and champaign, hors'd'oeuvres and nibbles. Like a well oiled machine. I checked the time, walked over to my mum, squeezed her hand to let her know I was off, then slipped around the lake towards the backstage arena.

Just before I arrived, I found a leecher hitting in my step sister, Eyva. It wasn't a pretty sight. He was dressed to the nines, smoking a cigarette and smelling of cheap wine, not the kind we'd been serving at the party. And I knew him. Rake Channing, my ex-boyfriend, like the 'ex' as in killed me, ex-boyfriend. Soon to be kicked out, never-boyfriend.

A tremor shook my soul, trying to loosen repressed memories and locked away emotions. I shoved it all away again, locking it behind the need to get this show over and done with. He's just another man, just another filthy tool used to keep me under control and on the run. He no longer matters.

I tapped the walkie-talkie in my dress pocket that I'd been given for the event, not believing that I'd ever need to use it tonight, and sent a code grey to the security team. Grey stood for trouble but not danger. I stepped up to Eyva and pulled her away from the guy who had his cigarette hand running all over her back dropping cinders on the thousands of dollars dress. Then two big burly security guys moved quickly from the venue entrance nearby and took one look at the situation and broke into a run.

"Hey, what's the deal, babe. We're just having a little bit of fun, aren't we Miss Eyva?" He looked me up and down, winking at my sister who was trembling beside me but hiding her fear well. She sneered at the guy.

"We broke up, if I remember correctly," she was obviously pretending to know who this guy was. "I'm sure I wouldn't have gone out with a creep like you anyway. So get lost!" Eyva's voice was harsh as she flicked her hair over her shoulder and turned away from him, while still standing beside me.

"Please leave, you aren't welcome here." I firmly requested as I stood in front of Eyva to guard against him. Not that I'd know what to do with him. I haven't played any sports in months and my martial arts skills were really rusty.

The leering smile on the guy's face fell as he lurched to grab a hold of my sister from behind me and I threw my hands up to ward him away. It wasn't needed though.

"You bit..." He didn't get to finish his insults as the first security guard to reach us took a hold of his reaching hands and twisted them behind his back, forcing him onto the ground.

"Are you all right, Miss Twice, Ms Overmeyer?" I nodded as Eyva ignored the guard. That was her gig, still a snob, but at least she's a pretty snob now.

"Get this guy out of here and ban him from the premises and any future Overmeyer activity from here on out."

"You can't do that! I'm Rake Channing. I'll have my brother..." His voice trailed off as he was dragged away.

"You didn't need to go all commando on his arse. I was handling it fine." Eyva ignored my hand and brushed past me towards the back stage. I caught up to her as quickly as I could on heals.

"Nope, it doesn't work that way." I took a hold of her elbow, much in the same way a certain building inspector had done just a while ago and it felt weird. But she stopped, turned to look at me and I could see her embarrassment and frustration about the whole thing.

"You were a bi%ch to everyone around you and used people like handkerchiefs, then threw them away when their usefulness was over. That piece-of-works Channing, was one of the worst. I don't know what your agreement with him was, but he hung around you like the worst kind of street scum and did all manner of things for you that I don't even have time to go into, nor do I want to." I looked at her in the eyes, my light blue to her vivid blue, and I could see how scared she had been.

"You want to go into the lion's den again without knowing how you managed to tame those blood sucking lions, then be my guest, but don't drag my family down with you."

"You don't know shit, Lily." She tried to pull away from me then we both paused our tussle as a few of the technical team passed us moving away from the backstage arena. I huffed my breath as she pulled herself free, but she didn't run away.

"I get it, you're worried. I can handle it, just don't be such a bi%ch." She groused.

"No, I don't think you do, Eyva. Matthew Channing, Rake's older brother, heads up the city's underground. He's Patricia's ex-husband, my Patricia. He got her pregnant, forced marriage onto her, drove her and her two year old boy into a power pole, then stole everything from her when she was struggling to survive while still in hospital. Then he black listed her in every industry in the state and never gave her son a funeral. You think you can handle a family that launders money and flesh, then be my guest, but if I have to be a fuc%%n bi%ch just to keep you out of that, then I god-damned will." I watched the changes her emotions made across her face as she heard me.

I knew at this stage that Patricia Palmers was actually waiting at the entrance to the backstage behind me, I'd seen her step out just before we arrived. I felt embarrassed for sharing her story to Eyva like that, but I didn't really know how else to get through my blond sister's thick scull.

"Wallace will always protect you. You only have to ask him. He's already aware of what the Channings are up to in the city so don't get in his way. He's the only muscle in this country who could take them down legally, anyway."

"OK." Eyva's eyes were wide as she whispered to me. I pulled her into a hug then looked down at her arse at the back of her dress. "Fu%%en bastard. He's gone a burned holes in your beautiful gown." I pulled her to turn her around and found ash spots burned into her butt.

"Damn it. Patricia, can you call the house and have another dress delivered for after the show?" I turned to my assistant and bodyguard and noticed she'd already made the call. "Thank," I smiled at her, looked at the scar along her face that told of a thousand pains, covered under make up and fringe as it was, then kissed her lightly on the cheek. "Sorry for spilling your story." I murmured before I pulled away and took Eyva into the backstage arena.

"I didn't see anything!" Grant was back peddling away from the door with his hands up. "Although if you're starting to swing that way..."

"Keep it clean, Hepburn. We're got children in the area." I called out to him.

"All right. Everyone, can I please have your attention!" I called out to the whole group of models and technical staff who were backstage.

"We've got a little under ten minutes before show time. Please get yourselves sorted, lined up and ready for action in five." I patted Eyva on the back as I pushed her into the waiting arms of Ms Claire with her attire for the show. Then I realised that we were missing the star of the show.

"I'm hewr, I'm hewr!" There he is. I turned to find the Little Cherub Angel running towards me, his nanny maid behind him. He was already in his Shadow Hawk children's silk robe. I picked him up and held onto him for the next little while as he told me all about the party and the dinner he ate. When the show was pulling up lights, the music changed and the intro music began to play, I placed JacJac down on the ground at the beginning of the line of lovely ladies and handed him the bunny night light that someone had already kindly turned on to glow. I gave him one last kiss and handed him over to Sunny Ishida, who was wearing a light lemon coloured tank top with peach blossoms over a pyjama shorts. Her robe was peach with lemon coloured blossoms, in reverse contrast to the lower layers. She looked cute as could be with a top knot in her hair and oversized reading glasses on.

"I thought I said, no smexy." I winked at her as she gave me a shit-eating grin.

"Look after him. He's the heir to an empire, Miss Ishida." I kindly reminded her and watched her step up onto the catwalk with my baby brother in hand.