"So, from what I understand, it was another perfect performance from Canada's latest musical sweetheart."

Phyllis unlocked the door of her hotel room, ushering her companion inside. "That's my girl. If you keep going like this, the country won't have anything to talk about except Sirena and what Sirena's about. Maybe I shouldn't have worried about coming to Canada after all. It seems it was the right move."

She slipped off her jacket, dropping it down onto her bed and moving towards the mini-bar, pulling open the cooler door.

"Are you going straight to bed or do you want a drink to celebrate?" She asked, pulling out two bottles and holding them up. "We've a first class vintage Merlot...or if you prefer, Chardonnay."

"I'm not really thirsty, honestly." Emily sighed, sitting down on her mother's bed and rubbing her temples. Phyllis paused, frowning.

"What do you mean?" She asked, setting both bottles back down and crossing the floor to her daughter's side. "Are you all right? Don't tell me you were freaked out by one hysterical fan tonight, because I won't believe it. You're my daughter. You're tougher than that."

She sat down on the bed beside her, wrinkling up her nose.

"Em, have you been smoking?"

"So I'm an adult, it's my life." Emily snapped. "Isn't that my business?"

"Not when my company are promoting your voice." Phyllis shook her head. "Don't you get that? Your vocal chords are damn important. Good singers don't smoke, Emily. They just don't. Look at me. Look at Topaz. Your precious Luca. Do they smoke? Do I?"

"No, but..."

"Because it's bad for your career prospects." Phyllis said frankly. "And I won't have it. Your voice is worth way too much money to me to put at risk. Do you have any more?"

"Mom, I've been smoking on and off since I was fifteen. It's not like it's a habit." Emily shook her head. "Besides, I was stressed out tonight. If you'd been there, you'd have probably been smoking too."

"What do you mean, if I'd been there?" Phyllis's brows knitted together. "One hysterical fan and you can't handle it?"

"No." Emily toyed with the scarf in her hair, pulling it loose and idly playing with it between her fingers. "Something else happened, Mom."

"Stuart didn't report anything else to me." Suspicion flashed into Phyllis's eyes. "I told him to be with you at all times - did he let me down?"

"No, he didn't. And I didn't tell him what happened because it wasn't his fault it did." Emily said simply. "I like Stuart. He's a good guy and we both know that. That fan - the hysterical one - she went off on one big time. She was screaming and yelling and pounding the door...he had to forcibly remove her from the building. I made him. Her screaming was giving me a headache. So he took her off and got shot of her. He was protecting my safety, just like you told him to. Not to mention my hearing."

"And while he was doing that...?" Phyllis began.

"Dad showed up." Emily glanced at her hands.

"What?" Phyllis's eyes became big with incredulation. "Eric was there? The slimy creep! What did he want?"

"To discuss some kind of business with me." Emily grimaced. "It's all right, Mom. I threw him out. But he said some things and they wound me up. Hell, him even being there wound me up enough. I could've quite happily smashed his face in."

"But you didn't?"

"No."

"Pity."

"Well, you know an assault charge wouldn't make good publicity." Emily groaned. "Unfortunately, so did he. But dammit, I was tempted."

She shrugged.

"The cigarette calmed me down. I was about at the wall-pounding stage when Stuart came back and I didn't want him to know. For a start, I don't really like pouring my heart out to someone unconnected to things. And secondly, he didn't let me down. He had to get rid of that girl, she was a nutjob. He couldn't be in two places at once."

"Wonder if Eric banked on that." Phyllis pursed her lips thoughtfully. "If he was there all night watching for an opportunity, or..."

"If the fan was somehow not a fan at all?" Emily's eyes widened. "Do you think he set it up?"

"I know Eric." Phyllis said grimly. "I more than believe him capable of setting up something like that. Too convenient, the timing. Don't you think? Stuart's not a man to leave his post unless he has to. That's why I chose him to stop behind with you and keep an eye out. Isn't it too much of a coincidence that your father was on the scene in the what, ten minutes that Stuart was called away?"

"Yeah. It is." Emily sighed. "I guess you're probably right. It was a diversion. He really wanted to talk to me, so made sure he could."

She frowned.

"And maybe none of your execs owned up to calling you away because none of them did." She added. "If he set up one thing, why not the other?"

"Good point." Phyllis owned. "Dammit. That man is a sleaze and a slimeball. I'm beginning to think that something needs to be done about him once and for all."

"Like?" Emily raised an eyebrow. "Short of sending him into orbit, there's not much we can do."

"Well, we can start with a restraining order, to keep him away from you." Phyllis said darkly. "Followed by threats of further legal action if he bothers you again. Emily, if you see him one more time while we're here, tell me and we'll kick some of these into motion. I've spent long enough regretting the time I spent in that man's company. I'm not going to have a constant reminder of it flitting in and out of my life and I'm damn well going to keep him out of ruining your life the way he did mine."

"Did he ruin your life by wrecking the company or by getting you pregnant with me, Mom?" Emily asked softly. Phyllis pulled a graphic face.

"Both." She said honestly. "Whatever our relationship these days, Em - I still sometimes think we'd have both been better off if it hadn't have happened."

Emily pursed her lips.

"Sometimes I think you're right." She owned. "I told him that any issues I had being a child were past now, but I guess a lot of them never really will be. Maybe you are right. Maybe we'd have been better off if I hadn't existed at all."

"This is not exactly the celebratory night I was expecting when we got back here." Phyllis said ruefully. "I guess we'll save the wine for another night, huh?"

"Yeah...I think I'm gonna just go to bed." Emily admitted. "But it's cool, Mom. I told Dad in no uncertain terms how I felt about his intrusion. If he's as rational as he claims, he'll realise I'm a bad business venture and move on to someone else."

"Well, just in case he does try again, keep me posted." Phyllis ordered. "Good night, Em. And put him out of your head, huh? Tomorrow we've got more important things to tackle, and Eric Raymond is not going to be the one who wrecks this tour!"