As Evie led the guys through the pool area, with an elegant walk and sensual steps, people followed her with their eyes in stony silence.
It was so strange to be in the spotlight.
"Hey, did anyone see where I put my..." Draco checked his pockets and Evie held up a hand.
"You left your phone on the dining table in the suite," Evie said, pulling the phone out of a pocket of her bodyguard uniform, "Here you go."
"Oh! MulÈumesc!" Draco took it with a giggle.
"Hey Evie, would you mind..."
"Here," Evie interrupted Frank, handing him some gum, "I know you get anxious when you can't smoke."
"Thank you," Frank took the gum, and looked at her with a raised eyebrow, "You know me well. Is this..."
"Sour explosion," Evie nodded, "I know, only sour flavours take away your anxiety."
"Hey Evie," Alex rubbed his nape, "This is embarrassing but, did you happen to bring..."
"Here it is," Evie opened a back pocket on her belt and tossed a can of spray deodorant at Alex. He barely caught it, "In case you start to sweat. And yes, it is the Seductive Chocolate one."
"God, my head hurts," Finn rubbed his temples, "So much work has dazed me."
"Here," Evie held up a tablet of pills that she took out of another pocket.
"Naproxen?" Finn raised an eyebrow.
"Yes. I know paracetamol makes you sleepy." She nodded. "Everett, don't forget that a sincere smile makes the corners of your eyes crinkle. And remember that if an ugly memory comes to you..."
"I must think about baby mountain goats, got it," he nodded.
"Hey Evie," Zeth rubbed his palms together, "You know I'm a control freak and..."
"I know, here it is," Evie handed an earpiece to Zeth, "You'll hear the bodyguard channel, specifically, everything I hear."
He looked her up and down with a chuckle.
"It seems you know us more than we know ourselves," Zeth said and Evie winked over her shoulder. She raised a hand and all the guys stopped, motioning for the enormous golden circle.
"I've known you for years, it would be ridiculous not to know you well."
"And you'll be my group's bodyguard too, Evie?" Paul asked, looking at the Fifth Octave boys.
"Sorry guys. Maybe that'll be my fake-sister, or BC-13," Evie replied, "Anyway, I'll be at the centre in case of emergency." She stepped into the circle and the guys stood all around her.
"Ready," Alex gave her a thumbs up.
"Good. Ladies and gentlemen! Now you may approach." Evie said into the microphone and the place erupted in screams and laughter. It was like a tsunami of people approaching the boys.
Evie looked up, where BC-13 gave her a thumbs up from the gargoyle.
Evie nodded at him, then she pressed her earpiece.
"JD-46, I noticed that KC-47's client is still around. Why is The Red Sparrow not in custody yet?"
"I had a bit of a problem, tiny delay... I have the target in my sights," Jade said, but truth be told, she was lying. She sucked at this job. She had lost sight of the target during the human tsunami. "Wait, who was KC-47?"
"You gotta be kidding me. HE-77, I need you to tag in with JD-46," Evie said to her earpiece.
"On it, moving now."
"TY-63, you will keep HE-77's perimeter," Evie ordered. "JD-46, The Red Sparrow is all yours."
"Oh! Right!" Jade's voice sounded unsure, "I... I'm on it."
"Jade sounds disoriented," Zeth said, looking at Evie while he quickly autographed a poster and posed for a selfie with a girl. Evie turned quickly to see a hand approaching Zeth's crotch, and with a quick swipe, she looked at the owner and shook a finger no.
Evie's eyes turned to the girl who was approaching Draco with her hand in her jacket, quite suspicious. A firearm? Knife? Oh! It was just her cell phone.
"This is insane, the pool area is at full capacity," Frank exclaimed and signed an autograph, "I hope Jade isn't overwhelmed."
"This is chaotic," Evie rubbed her forehead, "But don't worry, guys. I have my entire team deployed, even someone guarding the bathrooms. Just like when you guys went to the college campus the other morning."
"How did you know..."
"I know you're very paranoid about security, Zeth," Evie told him, "And I know you like my team to know the difference between Safety and Security so I gave Jade a lesson too on our way here, and I hope she doesn't get too stressed tonight."
"Relax! Jade is a very capable girl," Draco said. He got closer to a girl and stuck out his tongue for a selfie, making horns with his hands, "Besides, it's her first job. It's logical that she's a bit worried."
"I was on my first day as a stripper," Alex said, and posed with two girls for a photo, flexing his biceps.
"Oh yeah! You told me you couldn't stop shaking and Elord Darke almost nicknamed you Alex 'The Jelly' Alfaro," Evie laughed, "Was that the night when you fell on your butt because of the body oil?"
"Yeah, it was that night," Alex winked at the girls he was taking the photo with, as if to tell them to get touchy. The girls laughed and put their hands on his biceps, giggling while Evie shook her head at a smiley Alex, "Do you want to touch, Evie?"
"Shut up," Evie swatted a hand away from Alex's crotch, "You are getting too comfortable. If you're going to let them touch you, at least make it clear that it's from the torso up. I don't want what happened in Madrid to happen again."
"Sorry," Alex blushed, "I don't want you to get jealous, you know?"
"The circle we're in I made with magic as usual," Zeth said, "If something tragic happens, it will unleash a curse that will protect us, but that doesn't extend to prying hands, Alex."
"Why is Evie here then?" Damon asked, and surprisingly, he was the one signing the most autographs out of all Fifth Octave boys.
"We like to be safe, don't we girl?" Zeth winked at Evie.
"That's right, Boss," she bit her lip.
"I never thought anyone would ask me for an autograph!" Kato said, and suddenly, Draco pulled his arm so they could pose with a fan for a photo, both sticking their tongues out.
"Me neither! The Opera House show hasn't even aired on TV and we already have fans!" Deadgar exclaimed. "Hey! Frank! Come here! Let's take a photo together with the fans!"
"But the show was terrible!" Boomer broke into a cold sweat, signing a poster of himself.
"Ha! We'll see," Zeth said and Evie looked at him discreetly.
"Elise?" She asked and he nodded, "I'm not surprised."
"Forget that," said Draco, "You better think this will be your first show!"
"I'm so nervous!" Kato said.
"Don't stress," Finn said, and he was surprised by the number of people who asked him for autographs. He had already signed so much that his hand hurt, "I was very nervous my first day on stage too. But if you focus on working as a team, everything will work out."
"Guys, heads up," Evie whispered when she saw a suspicious man approaching, black suit and tie, and he had a... Gun in his hand?! Oh, no, wait. It was his silver phone case. "Nevermind. How are you holding up, Paul?" Evie asked, turning to look over her shoulder at him taking pictures and singing autographs, "Do you already feel loved by the people?"
"I'm excited that I'm famous and nobody knows me yet!" Paul held up a poster of him in the front and the other boys in the back, "How come there are merch and posters where I'm in the centre instead of Anton? I never took any photos with the band!"
"Perception and reality alteration spell," Zeth said with a wink, "Anton is still on the poster, only no one sees him. Same with your 'Phantom' music video and The Opera House show."
"But the show was terrible," Deadgar said.
"Didn't you hear perception and reality alteration spell?" Damon said.
"You fulfilled your dream without knowing it," Evie told Paul, who blushed as he looked into her eyes, "Your mum must be very proud."
"Oh yeah! This is insane!" Paul laughed, but when he turned to sign a photo of himself...
He gasped
This photo was not from his time in the band. It was a photo from his past, kneeling on a bed, flexing and without clothes on.
He swallowed hard, looking up at... Her.
"Hello, Paul," the girl said with a warm smile. "Shall we talk in private?"
Paul turned to look at the other boys, too immersed in their superstar duties, then turned to look at the girl.
"Let's talk somewhere else," Paul whispered, gesturing to an empty space behind the portable stage, "Come on. Just, don't tell me there is a five-year-old kid I don't know about waiting for me at your place."
"He is six," she said and he gasped. She laughed, tugging on his hand, "Relax. I was talking about my little brother. I told you that nothing happened the thousand times that you called and visited me."
"Let go of him," Evie said, taking the girl's hand off Paul.
"It's okay, Evie," Paul raised a hand and nodded, "I know her, she's an old..."
"Business partner." The girl interrupted him.
Zeth looked out of the corner of his eye at Paul making his way out of the crowd with this mysterious girl.
"Where is he going?" Zeth eyed Evie.
"Is Paul okay?" Draco pouted.
"He will be fine, cutie pie. BC-13, come in," Evie said, pressing her earpiece "There's a girl, five foot six, in her twenties, silky green hair. She's taking Sugilite backstage. I want eyes and ears there, now."
"I'm in the middle of something. Artemisia and her assistant..." BC-13 hissed, "There's no trace of them on the web. I can't go down right now."
"BC-13, you're just a jump away," Evie looked up, "Take care of it."
"On it," BC-13 replied through the Comms.
"Excuse me, coming through," a girl with bright crimson-red hair pushed her way through the crowd.
"This girl again," Evie fixed her eyes on Melody Operman.
"Evie. Is my smile convincing?" Everett growled. He couldn't help it.
"Turn the corner of your mouth up a little more," Evie said, taking a quick look around her, "Keyword will be 'Frozen Burritos' if I notice you're expressing your displeasure."
"Thank you, Evie," Everett patted her on the head twice, "You're hero."