Kiara glanced back at Nykyrian. "How do we do this?" she asked.
Instead of looking at her, he scanned the crowd. "I'm not going to hover over you like a buzzard." Kiara noted the irritation in his voice and wondered what upset him more, the fact she had drawn him along to this soiree, or the fact that they were forced into a large thronging mass of people. "Just don't get out of my sight."
Kiara smirked. "That sounds like hovering to me."
He didn't respond.
Fine, Kiara thought, heading off to the punch bowl. He's a grown killer, he can fend for himself.
"Kiara Biardi!"
Kiara spun around to face Elfa Dicuta, her understudy. "Hi Elfie, how are you?"
Elfa gave her one of those famous fake smiles. "Just fine. I can't tell you how sorry I am you had to pull out of the show. I feel just terrible about it."
I bet. "So how's the show going?"
This time, Kiara suspected the smile might be real. "Great." Elfa's eyes drifted to where Nykyrian leaned against the far wall. "Didn't you come with that Andarion?"
Kiara picked up a cup of punch, wanting to toss it at the little blonde. "Yes, I did."
A scheming look crossed Elfa's face. "The promoters might not like that." Kiara detected a hopeful note under the girl's tone. "Have you been dating him long?"
Gripping her cup tightly, Kiara swallowed her mouthful of punch. "I'm not dating him at all. He's my bodyguard."
"Well honey, he can guard my body any time!"
Kiara turned around at the voice in her ear. "Shera!" she said, relieved to find another friendly face in the shark-infested waters.
Shera pulled her into her arms for a quick hug. "Now don't wrinkle me," Shera said, pulling away. "Som e of us have to work at looking good, isn't that right, Elfie?"
Elfa puffed up to the point Kiara thought she might burst. Narrowing her eyes, she left them without so much as a polite "excuse me."
Kiara laughed with Shera, her favorite costume designer. Shera was always good for depression and worry. "I'm glad you're here," she said, squeezing Shera's hand.
"Did I have a choice?" Shera asked, gesturing dramatically like a diva. "Tiyana threatened m y life if I missed this." Turning serious, Shera pulled Kiara off to the side, away from the nearest group of people. "Is that gorgeous hunk of man really your bodyguard?"
Kiara nodded.
Shera's smile was wide and hungry. "Girlfriend, were I you, I'd be at home doing a little sheet dance with that boy!"
Kiara laughed, looking over to where Nykyrian stood apparently oblivious to the people around him, knowing he was watching everyone intensely. "I'm afraid he's not interested."
Shera laughed, her face a mask of comedy. "Then I'd find a way to make him interested!"
Kiara shook her head, grateful to be laughing so much again. "You are incorrigible."
Shera shrugged in an unconcerned manner. "I always say incorrigibility is good for the soul, but sex is infinitely better!"
Kiara rolled her eyes.
"Seriously though," Shera said, looking back in the direction Elfa had disappeared. "I wanted to warn you about your understudy."
Kiara's laughter died. "What?" she asked, fear closing around her.
"Little two-face got a fantastic review last night and since then, she's been going around telling promoters and directors that a certain dancer is past her prime."
"I'll kill her!" Kiara slammed her cup down on the table and started toward Elfa.
Shera grabbed her arm. "Not now," she said in Kiara's ear. "There are too many promoters here. If you start something, she'll tell them you're too temperamental and impossible to work with."
Kiara clenched her fists at her sides, wanting to jerk every strand of bleached blond hair out of Elfa's head.
Shera patted her arm . "The best way to get back at her is to return to the show as quickly as possible. I promise you her review was nothing compared to the ones you receive."
Shera's laugh returned. "Besides, think of this, I had to let your costume out two sizes to accommodate her fat butt!"
In spite of herself and her anger, Kiara laughed. "Did you really?"
Shera nodded. "And red isn't that girl's color."
*
Kiara retrieved her punch from the table and reluctantly allowed Shera to drift off. Looking over to Nykyrian, she wanted to smile at him as she recalled Shera's words. He was definitely the most handsome man at the party even with those glasses obscuring the majority of his face. And she would like very much to do a sheet dance with him, if he would only cooperate.
"Aw, there you are. Tiyana told me you were here."
Kiara cringed. It wasn't Paulus, it was worse. Wicmon, her own show's promoter, the one m an she couldn't afford to be rude to no matter what.
"Hi," she said, sm iling her prettiest smile.