Of course the people at their table knew about Olivia being pregnant but they still put on a show of excitement and happily asked who it was that was expecting. The women had a hunch the Avery had done this to keep the flies away from him. They figured after Agni being single was a much safer choice then to have someone psychopath come into their lives again especially now that a little one was on the way.
Autumn passed her phone to her mother and asked her to take lots of pictures of her and her friends. Each girl posed in various modeling stances and started laughing as they photo bombed each other. While Cheryl-Lynn took out her own phone and stepped away from the table to make a phone call. After they announced that the mother daughter breakfast was to commence the girls went back to their table.
As they were chatting and eating Cheryl-Lynn cleared her throat. Everyone became silent and looked in her direction waiting to hear what she had to say. "Since your 'kind' father has done a number to your hair I have booked you, well you fine ladies..." she said courtly before she winked to her daughter Blair "A wash and style at Skylight Salon right after breakfast."
The girls became overjoyed and started to squeal in delight as Avery gave Cheryl-Lynn a cold glare. "Really Cheryl-Lynn... I worked so hard to make their hair beautiful you know." he said before he stabbed a cherry tomato on his plate and then popped into his mouth. Cheryl-Lynn matched his glare and let an evil smirk appear on her face before she sat back into her chair and crossed her legs and arms.
"If you don't like it I can always have them come to my house and look over some... cough... some pictures that Grace left in my care. She thought it best I kept these 'photos' as leverage for whenever you were having a stubborn streak." she said coolly.
Olivia's curiosity was peaked and she looked at Cheryl-Lynn then her father. Cheryl-Lynn never let her evil smirk leave her face while her father started to sweat profusely. Avery sighed and dropped his head in shame, he then pulled out his wallet and passed Olivia his black card. "It's on me...." he said with a defeated voice.
Avery lifted his gaze to meet Cheryl-Lynn's. She raised her eyebrow and Avery sighed. "Make sure you get everyone medi pedi too." The girls started laughing at the situation in front of them while Cheryl-Lynn nodded her head in approval.
....
The girls felt rejuvenated as the walked out of the salon. Autumn went with a messy fishtail that swooped down around the side of her head and went into a ponytail of cascading curls. Blair, a simple bouffant updo highlighting the sexy aura she always carried.
Laila had decided to go with a dutch & fishtail braid side updo making her look more elegant while Loreley went with a double french braid and twisted chignon updo. Olivia decided to go with finger waved curls, with small braids that twisted into roses at the back of her head her head while soft curls framed her face.
The parents that came to pick up their girls were breathless and teary eyed. Cynthia wiped a tear before she cleared her throat. "My goodness you don't even have your dresses on yet and you all look so beautiful." Autumn tried to hide her bashful face while the other looked pleased with themselves.
The girls hugged each other and said their goodbyes as they went back to their homes for lunch. The father-son luncheon was about to start at the Grand Glory hotel so they avoided the main street and took a longer way home.
After lunch the Steel girls ran into Loreley's room to get their makeup done. Loreley's room was still one of the most breath taking rooms in the whole house. They knew she was creative but this was amazing. The walls were painted a patchy light blue and aqua green color with streaks and blotches of pearl white making it seem that they had were looking upwards from under the surface of water.
She had white floating shelves that had pearl baskets hanging beneath it, that held various fabrics, pencils, thread and accessories. Her bed was round and white while her bed side tables where made of crystal tops and wooden bases. The bronze table lamps had jellyfish shades with chains of tiny glass beads hanging down, acting like its tentacles.
Once the jellyfish lamps around the room were turned on it made the illusion that they were under the sea. There were also various round bean bag chairs that appeared like coral reefs placed around her room, her closet was painted to look like a treasure chest and she had a flat screen 60 inch flat screen LED TV mounted on the wall.
Hanging across the ceiling was a fine net that homed many plush sea creatures, dolphins, killer whales, shrimp, crabs, one blue whale and one very happy purple octopus. She also hung her green fleece mermaid tail for whenever she was feeling too cold or just wanted to mermaid out.
"Loreley, I can never get enough of your room!" Olivia said with admiration. "Yet you guys came in earlier and glittered my carpet." Loreley scoffed. Laila gave her sister a gentle smile "But it did make your carpet have that 'je ne sais quoi' that you were looking for." Loreley blushed as she turned to get her make up kit from her white vanity.
"Well my already lovely ladies it is time to make some magic and look stunning!" Olivia shouted as she struck an overly exaggerated modeling pose. Laila started to laugh and Loreley couldn't hold it in either. It was the best time of their lives at that moment and they wished it could have lasted just a bit longer.
Laila and Loreley had their dresses hanging in their closets and Olivia to spend some one on one time with them and took the chance to help them get ready. She walked with Laila to her room first as Loreley wanted to add some finishing touches to her dress.
As Olivia fastened the last button on the back of Laila dress she took her chance to ask her what was bugging her. "Laila." she started as Laila gave her a quick spin in her red, off shoulder ball gown. It was delicately embroidered with red lace and sequins from the straps that went around her shoulders, down the front and midway in to the dress. "Yes." she said as she finished her spin.
Olivia struggled to find the right words and Laila just patiently waited as she watched her with such innocent eyes. "How happy was your life after I was gone?" Olivia asked her quietly. Laila gently reached out, grabbed her hand and brought her over to her bed to sit. Olivia looked around Laila's fairy tale forest themed room before she looked into Laila's eyes.
"I'm not going to lie to you but you need to understand that I love you, I have accepted you into my heart as my true sister and that will never change." she said softly as she gave Olivia's hand a small squeeze. "You see my life never actually changed. When you left it felt like I wasn't allowed to feel sad, mad or anything negative in fear that my own demons would come out and rampage the house and streets. I locked you away in my heart and pretend you were still beside me the whole time. There were times I would catch myself talking to you but you were not there...."
Laila started to shiver and tried to command her tears to stop forming in her eyes. "I refused to believe that you left me and Loreley, I made myself believe I was a happy person. On the outside I smiled but in the inside I was still that naked little girl locked away in the hotel room half drowned and bleeding on the floor." Olivia hugged Laila and instantly regretted asking her the question.
Laila rubbed her back "The answer to your question is yes the puppet me was happier but the human me was dying without you." she whispered into her ear. After some tears Olivia walked out of Laila's room, thanking Loreley for her having them wear water proof makeup and hoped that Laila would soon forget the hurt she felt when she was abandoned by her even though she had already forgiven her.
Olivia knocked and walked into Loreley's room and seen her cut the thread from her dress. Olivia's jaw dropped the moment her eyes caught sight off it. She quickly walked up to the dress and carefully caressed the fabric. "My god Loreley you are talented!" she said enthusiastically. Loreley beamed at Olivia as she circled around the tailor dummy. "Can I place my order in now for my wedding dress?" she asked earnestly.
Loreley put away her sowing kit and gave her a small laugh "Sure, after I win a Ruin Fashion Award." she said sarcastically. Olivia looked at her proudly "With this dress you know you would come in first place." Loreley suddenly looked bashful and walked up to the dress.
"Well let's see it on you already!" she said as she started to move behind the tailor dummy. "Wait!" Loreley shouted as she put her hands on the shoulder of the tailor dummy. "I changed my mind I will wear another dress." she said sternly. Olivia smacked her hands "No you won't! You worked hard on this dress and you will wear it and look beautiful... beatuifuller?... no beautifulest... aww f*ck it just drop dead sexy and make all the guys drool over you and have those stuck up fashionistas worship the ground you walk on." Olivia yelled.
Loreley was shocked by Olivia's rant and only nodded in agreement. "Good now strip!" Olivia huffed as she unpinned the dress and slid it from the tailor dummy. Once the dress was on Loreley she made her do a slow spin so she could fully see it. Olivia gave a small whistle as she nodded her head.
Loreley had designed and made a forest green, sweet heart mermaid gown. It had a high neck sheer, cap sleeves, an open back and light green, flower appliques with tiny pearl clusters all over her torso, cap sleeves and on the trim of the dress. She had also delicately added a darker green flower applique around her neck line that dipped down towards her chest.
Olivia smiled at Loreley while she pursed her lips. "The ruffles you just added to the back make you look like you're actually swimming gracefully in the water." Loreley's eyes started to shine brightly. "I know right! I didn't think that it would work out so well adding giant ruffles around the back and letting the fall downwards but I'm glad I did it!" she said hurriedly as she touched the dress.
Olivia raised her eyebrow and Loreley gave an awkward laugh. Olivia kissed her sister's cheek and started to leave the room "You have been hanging around me too much that you can now properly go into fangirl mode but you do look beautiful." she said loudly without turning to face her. "Not beautifuller?" Loreley laughed, Olivia turned once she was out of her room "F*cking drop dead sexy!" she said before she left to go to her own room.
She closed the door after she got in and locked it. She walked up to her closet and pulled out a bag on a hanger "My turn." she said as she started to break the seals.