*
Kiara smoothed her dress with her hands, double checking to make sure she looked fine for the party. Tiyana had warned her a group of promoters would be there, and a disillusioned promoter could damage her career as much as death. In the dancing business, image was everything. Opening the door to her room , she went to find her sullen guard. Once again, Rachol was there to house-sit as he so grudgingly called it. To her the effort seemed a waste of his time. She couldn't imagine why they needed someone to stay in her flat all the time. But she wasn't willing to argue, she was too relieved to finally be going outside the confines of her four-room flat.
The two of them leaned over the computer terminal which sat on her counter, absorbed.
They spoke in their weird language, oblivious to her.
Kiara took a deep breath. This was the first time in her life she actually blended into the background and she found the experience horrible, if not somewhat humbling. What did she have to do, run through the house nude to capture their attention? "Excuse me?" she said.
They looked up sim ultaneously.
"We're going to be late."
Nykyrian pushed himself away from the counter. "Get started on it," he said to Rachol.
Rachol nodded, a seductive smile on his face as he stared at her.
Without another word, Kiara retrieved Tiyana's present from the kitchen table and walked to the door. Nykyrian walked past her and opened the door for her.
"We won't be gone long," he told Rachol.
Kiara bit the caustic remark she wanted to utter. She promised herself she was going to enjoy herself at the party, no matter what.
Tiyana's flat was just two streets over. She and Tiyana had been classmates and best friends at several academies while growing up, and as adults they both danced for the same company. When Kiara had first starting looking for her own place to live, Tiyana had insisted she live close by so they could continue their lengthy gossip sessions and late-night food binges.
Doing her best to ignore Nykyrian and his latest dour mood, Kiara rang the bell. After a brief wait, Tiyana opened the door, her beautiful face beaming as she recognized Kiara.
"Sweetie!" she exclaim ed, drawing Kiara into a fierce hug. "I was so afraid you wouldn't come."
Kiara smiled, pulling out of the hug before Tiyana broke her ribs, to stare at Tiyana's bright green eyes. Tiyana was everything she had always wanted to be— tall, blond, voluptuous, gorgeous and sophisticated, not to mention strong. "How could I miss it?"
Kiara said happily. "It's not everyday you turn twenty-six."
Tiyana shuddered and put her finger to her own perfectly rouged lips. "Don't say that so loud," she whispered conspiratorially, flipping a long blond curl over her shoulder. "I've told all the promoters I'm twenty-two. If they ever found out how close to thirty I am ..."
She held her hand up to her head like a blaster and pretended to pull the trigger.
Kiara laughed at the gesture. "Do me the same favor and we'll call it even!"
"Done!" Tiyana said, pulling her into another hug.
Kiara felt Tiyana stiffen. "Who's your date?" she whispered.
Kiara moved away from Tiyana to stare up at Nykyrian. "He's not my date, he's my bodyguard."
Tiyana's eyes widened. "Your father must be up to his old tricks."
Kiara nodded.
Tiyana smiled a dazzling smile at Nykyrian, but he didn't acknowledge Tiyana in the slightest way. Kiara couldn't resist feeling a bit satisfied that Nykyrian seemed as immune to Tiyana's charms as he was to hers.
A frown of disappointment flitted across Tiyana's face, only to quickly disappear. She turned back to face Kiara. "Well I can't blame your father for being neurotic after the way those guys broke into your hotel room, and then that night at the theatre." Tiyana shook her head.
"Enough!" Tiyana said, interrupting herself, and dragging Kiara into the house by her hand. "Come on in." Tiyana shut the door behind Nykyrian. "I think you know everyone here, if not, just give me a wink and I'll introduce you."
Tiyana pulled Kiara to her and whispered in her ear, "Paulus is here and he's drunk, so be warned."
Kiara rolled her eyes. Paulus was every dancer's nightmare. His father had made a fortune with his media company before becoming an art sponsor and as a result, Paulus thought he should have the privilege to sleep with any dancer who caught his fancy.
Kiara cringed in distaste.
Well she had always managed to avoid him in the past, by now she was used to prying his wandering hands off her body.
With a final smile, a quick hug and grasping her latest present, Tiyana floated off into the crowd.
Kiara searched the huge gathering for friendly faces. So much for Tiyana's word that she had invited just a "few" friends and associates. It looked like everyone Tiyana had ever spoken with was here.