Show Time

**** PRESENT *****

{ Lily, 26 years old }

I wake up in the middle of the night, feeling pissed off. I hate that being back in Altamira has brought up those memories from the past, when my life went from bad to worse.

I try to go back to sleep, but an hour later I have to give up. I just stare at the ceiling and try to think back... did I have any friends in Altamira other than Dean? The answer is no. Not real ones, anyway.

I've never been someone who makes good friends. Except Brian Lannister, apparently, even though I don't remember much about him since I only see him when I'm drinking.

Still, I send him a text just to check if he still wants to be my friend and maybe visit me sometime. It's six in the morning, but he answers my text almost immediately.

"Hey, of course I want to be your friend, maybe even more than that. I wasn't lying. How's it going with your daddy?" He texts back, making me chuckle.

"Not that bad yet. Why are you awake so early?"

"I'm a reporter, I guess you don't remember. I'll be live on channel 9 in just fifteen minutes," he says, and my mouth falls open. How did I end up with a reporter? In some kind of relationship with him? For two months?!

"I'm reporting from the highway; there was an accident." He continues.

"Did someone die?" I ask, not sure what else to ask.

"No. That would be juicy though," he says, and I laugh. I can see why drunk me likes him. "Are you going to watch me?"

"I will," I say, and I get up to look for the Tv remote and put on Channel 9, the news. Lannister stops replying then and I find myself excitedly waiting for him to appear on TV.

Just like he said, around fifteen minutes later, his face appears. He's holding a microphone and standing in front of a car crash. I snap a few pictures of the TV to show him I wasn't lying, and I just watch him, thinking... he's very handsome.

He's also nice. He's already interested in me. So… what if I make him my boyfriend?

I've only had one of those before -unofficially- but he was my stepbrother, so I never had the chance to do normal girlfriend-boyfriend stuff.

Maybe I'm old enough to do it now. And maybe having a boyfriend would be helpful while I'm dealing with the Carrington boys.

Brian's appearance on TV only lasts around five minutes, so I send him the photo.

"That's the most nervous I've been in a while, knowing you were watching me," he texts back, making me smile. Is this how a normal, healthy relationship starts?

I wouldn’t know.

"How often are you on TV?" I ask.

"Honestly, not that often. Maybe once a week. Most of the time, I work in a desk."

"They should show your face more often," I flirt, biting my lip nervously.

"That's what I keep telling them," he responds. Oh, god, he's funny too.

It takes everything in me not to ask him to move in with me already and put a ring around his finger. I keep texting him for a while, but then I fall back asleep with my phone still in my hands.

When I wake up again, it's past noon.

"Fuck me," I groan when I see the time and my mom's missed calls. I call her back and clear my throat to sound more awake, "Hi, mom. I was working out."

"Sure you were," she mutters, "Harry is throwing you a welcome party tonight at seven, I'll send you the location. He's going to introduce you to some important people."

I swallow nervously.

"Okay, mom. I'll be there."

"I need you to get drunk and make a scene," she continues, making me frown, "Not horribly, just to show Harry you're definitely a lost cause. I want him to console me."

"Oh," I say, realizing she's using me for her own vengeance. I guess it's fair, "How about I hook up with someone there?"

"Too far. Just get drunk and be flirty with the investors. That'll be enough," she says. I make an affirmative sound, "The first meeting went wonderfully, by the way. Harry said you look awful, so now he wants us to help you even more."

"That's great, I guess," I mutter, trying not to feel offended. "Do I really look that bad?"

"Yes. Too skinny," she says, "See you later, okay?" "Okay," I sigh and end the call. She hasn't changed much. I was dumb to expect some nice comment from her.

At seven pm, I walk into my welcome party wearing a slutty short dress.

Harry closed a bar downtown for me and when I walk in, he’s already here, waiting for me. I hug him and my mom and I let them introduce me to a lot of people. Important people.

I’m embarrassed about having to make a fool of myself, but I trust my mom. So, once I have introduced myself to everyone, I walk straight to the bar and I lean there, aware of the fact that my dress is too short for this.

And considering there are way more men than women around here, I know there are more than a few pairs of eyes looking at my ass.

"Hi, can I have a vodka cranberry? Heavy on the vodka," I ask. The bartender looks down at my cleavage before nodding.

I guess it’s show time.