Sweet Pleasures ✔︎

[22] 𝑼𝒎, 𝒘𝒐𝒘

Status : Unedited

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*A/N : Long ass chapter ahead*

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It took one sleepless night for Jupiter to come to the conclusion that if she was revamping the Rainbow Palace, she shouldn't be afraid of revamping herself. Especially for a high-society museum gala.

And though the thought of being at the mercy of Julia Bennett was rather terrifying, there was no question Julia knew how to rock "personal style," whatever that was, and high-class fashion. Jupiter, on the other hand, was happy when she found a shirt in her drawer that didn't have chocolate stains.

And she was pretty sure that Pierre Lacroix maintained an impeccable appearance, even when he was making religieuses au chocolat and champagne truffles.

So Jupiter called Julia (grudgingly) and told her (pointedly) that she wasn't about to pay for any of her pricy consulting or hairstyles or whatever else Julia had planned.

"That's what no charge means, dear," Julia replied coolly over the phone. "What time it Josh picking you up?"

"He's not. He had a business call with China or whatever, so I'm meeting him at the museum. "

"God forbid he should put China on hold," Julia muttered. "However, this will give us more time to work on you. The event starts at six, so you'd better be here at two. one second thought, make it one. We'll need an extra hour."

"For your voodoo curses, right?"

"Art takes time, Jupiter."

"I'm not art."

"You will be, as long as you wear what I tell you to wear and look how I want you to look. And for God's sake lay off the doughnuts and muffins. Bloat is never stylish."

Jupiter didn't tell Josh that she was letting his aunt style her up, just in case she ended up on the lam for melting Julia with a bucket of water, but she showed up at the studio at one sharp on Saturday afternoon. A hair salon, boutique, offices, spa compromised the entire floor of a private, refurbished building near downtown Indigo Bay.

Jupiter was greeted not only by Julia but by a team of male assistants whose names all ended in O - Marco, Antonia, Stefano - and women whose names ended in A - Anisa, Dawna, Bella. First the women made her strip down to her skivvies before coming at her with enough tools and products to fill a warehouse.

Jupiter was waxed all over, including places where she didn't know she had hair, then her skin was exfoliated, conditioned, moisturized, massaged, and plucked. Julia walked around issuing orders like a general commanding her to try on at least a dozen gowns -"The latest," she informed Jupiter - and designer shoes.

Jupiter modelled clothes that were probably more expensive than her debt and savings combined, while Julia and the assistants circled her with comments and critiques.

"The mermaid styles doesn't flatter her hips." "Nice around the bust." "Orange isn't her colour." "With her figure, she needs an A line."

They decided on a black-and-grey gown that hugged her breasts and torso before flaring around her hips into a soft waterfall of silk and lace. Jupiter had barely had time to admire herself in the mirror before Julia sent the gown off to be altered to her figure.