Twice Over

Chapter 116 - Watertight

watertight
adjective
1. closely sealed, fastened, or fitted so that no water enters or passes through.
2. (of an argument or account) unable to be disputed or questioned.
3. without flaws or loopholes.

"Huff, huff, I think... I am... Out of... Breathe." I giggled as Eyva and I both landed on her huge soft bed. We had been playing rough and tumble together for the last twenty minutes, tickling and pillow fighting and chasing each other around her very flash bedroom. I was careful not to damage any of her expensive furniture, but soft furnishings were not out of bounds and they ended up all over her floor. I looked at Eyva and started giggling again, her short blonde hair was stuck up all over the place and her top was missing a few buttons. I could see her singlet straps where one shoulder was exposed.

As I straightened up her top, she straightened up mine, then I groaned as I realised the cuts on my thighs were screaming at me again. I think I over did it. Just a little.

"Did you open your cuts? You Idiot!" Eyva groused as she sat up and turned me over on her bed to see what damage I'd done. "You're only bleeding in one spot, I can see it through your jean shorts, Stupid." She pocked the sore spot that was apparently bleeding with a grin on her face.

"Ow! That hurts," I complained then looked around at the mess that we'd made of her room and I started laughing again. "Oh my goddess! Your room is a pig sty!"

"Pig sty! Pig sty!" Came a cute parroting voice as JacJac ran into the room, mum closely following behind him. "Oink! Oink! Oink!" He climbed up onto Eyva's bed with my help and started jumping up and down, much the same way my step-blister and I had done just minutes before. Mum finally caught him, scooped him up mid jump and placed him on her lap as she sat down on Eyva's bed.

"How are you two doing?" She asked, her gorgeous face reflecting the happiness that was bubbling about the room.

"We're good, but Eyva pushed me over and now my cuts have all opened up and I'm bleeding out all over her room!" My dramatic complaint was over exaggerated, big fat pout and crocodile tears and everything. Secretly, it was payback for all of the shit Eyva 1.0 put me through with her big fat white lies. I pocked my tongue out Eyva then cuddled up to mum to show her my little owie on my arse.

"Mum, she beat me up! I needs an angel to hug me better!" Then I grabbed my little step brother off our mum's lap and cuddled and tickled him until he nearly wet his pants.

"Get off my bed, you're bleeding all over it." Eyva interrupted moments later and pushed me away. I gave JacJac back to Mum and got up, waving my fingers at them all goodbye.

"Come out with me to the back yard to see the fashion show setup, Eyva. I need your advice on a few things. Give me a few minutes to clean up." I called out over my shoulder as I left her room and went back to mine. Doing exactly what I said I would, I placed a band aid on my open cut, changed my clothes into a pair of boyfriend jeans with a lace cardigan over white tank top. I quickly fixed my hair then walked carefully back to my sister's room, sans the knee brace. Mum and JacJac met me in the corridor.

"Be careful, you're still healing, Lily." Mum admonished me, pointing to my mending knee.

"Yes, I will." I promised, then leaned into JacJac. "Kisses!" He gave me a big fat smooch on his way past.

Eyva met me at her door with a lopsided smile on her face, concern in her eyes. "You OK?" She asked quietly. I think she felt guilty for making my sores open up and bleed again.

"Nothing to it. All sorted, let's go." I hooked my arm through hers and leaned on her a little to get to the indoor lift for a trip downstairs. We met a few maids along the way, greeting them kindly.

Mr Denault's security office is tucked away behind the stairwell, located fairly centrally in the large manor building. We popped in there for our first stop of the day.

"Hey Mr Denault, hi everyone!" I called out, Eyva doing the same. There were four men in the room, three older and one younger.

"Miss Lily, Miss Eyva. How can we help today?" Mr Denault was a study in professionalism. Straight up serious all of the time, I've never seen him crack a smile let alone a simple joke. He stood up as we came into the office that, to me, felt more like a recording studio. Monitors arrayed across a long desk with a glass window in the wall opposite it. But instead of a music room or sound studio, the next door room was the security team's meal room and kitchenette. They cooked all of their own meals, socialised and rested in this room. The glass panel window in the wall was for them to view the monitors if they were short staffed.

The whole building, inside and outside was wired up for camera and sound recording. Bedrooms and bathrooms were strictly clean of recording devices, but everything was double and in some places, triple secured against intruders, thieves and people up to no good.

"How's everyone doing?" I asked as I moved further into the room so we could close the door behind us.

"Very well, Miss." The oldest security guard was a man named Douglas Fen who had been with the Overmeyers for over twenty years. He gave us a smile as he vacated his seat, offering it up for us. I sat down as Douglas Fen slapped the young man next to him, waving him out of the seat to offer it up for Eyva. Eyva wanted to refuse until I pulled her down into the vacated seat, patting her on the hand as she settled in. I looked her in the eyes sternly, trying to remind her that she was an Overmeyer and she was a Lady of the House as well. Receiving a smile in return and a nod that she understood, I turned back to Mr Denault to discuss what we'd come here for.

"Tell me about the security procedures for the fashion show, please." It was a firm request, one that I hoped came across mature and full of responsibility. These guys knew their stuff and had been providing security for Wallace and his family for decades. I wasn't asking about the fashion show's security plans because I didn't trust that these guys could carry out exactly what we needed. I was asking because it was my show and I was responsible for anything that went wrong, to guests, staff, models or family members on the night. I needed to know what had been planned and put in place to keep everyone and everything safe.

Mr Denault smiled, like totally genuinely smiled, warm eyes and crinkled up brows and everything, then he proceeded to tell me about the policies and protocols that he and his team had planned for the next week leading up to the fashion show and what would take place on the night. I heard most of what he spoke about, but I was kinda still distracted by the memory of his smile.

When we left the office ten minutes later, Eyva elbowed me in the ribs and asked me what was up.

"Seriously, you're spacing out and it is a little weird. You are normally the organised and mature one." She whispered as we headed out to the back yard venue for the show.

"Mr Denault smiled, like really smiled. It was a small one, but I truly saw it, honest to goddess!" I turned to her. "He never smiles."

"Oh, OK." Was her bland reply then she left, walking towards the chair platforms that had been built over the grass lawn and artificial lake. I shook off my wayward thoughts and followed after her.

We stopped in the covered pavilion at the back of the venue setup where we bumped into Claire Godfrey, our event planner.

"Hi Ms Godfrey. How is everything coming along?" I asked. "This is Eyva Overmeyer, Wallace's daughter. Eyva, this is Ms Godfrey." I introduced them both. They shook hands and greeted each other politely, then Ms Godfrey turned to me and spoke in a faux stern voice.

"I've told you many times, Miss Lily, please call me Claire." She waggled a finger at me.

"Oh, no, I couldn't. Not only would Wallace kick my arse, but your brother and his beautiful wife... It just wouldn't do, Ms Godfrey." I gave a dramatic shiver in fake fear, then smiled as she poked her tongue out at me and turned to Eyva.

"Call me Claire, please. This brat has been mocking my business connections for a month and still refuses to relax around me." She sighed as I shrugged my shoulders, then we laughed at our silliness.

"OK, let's get down to business. How's everything coming along? What's been done, what is still to do?" I asked and we moved into the business end of our impromptu meeting for the fashion show.