Chapter 18
DEMI
[My place, 8pm sharp.]
I scowl at the message on my phone. When mother comes down the stairs, I slip the phone into the back pocket of my jeans and beam up at her. She looks radiant as always in a fuchsia pink dress that hangs just below her knees, exposing her beautiful long legs.
"Is that what you're wearing? Demi, why don't you try the clothes Ashley painstakingly handpicked for you?" A small frown creases my forehead as I recall the complete overhaul of my wardrobe.
"Most of them are either too sexy or too elegant. I can never find something that feels just right like a plain shirt and pants. Can we just go? I promise I'll wear something classy on our next lunch date." Reluctantly, she nods.
We meet up with the quads and Mr. Rollins for lunch at a five star restaurant. Mr. Rollins makes a scathing remark about my outfit.
"How could you let her come here dressed like that?" He asks, turning to his wife. "You know this lunch is a PR stunt to show our family as a unified front irrespective of the negative media attention we've garnered over the past few weeks. How are the photos supposed to turn out with her looking even more shabby than waiters in a two-star diner."
"Calm down Brett. I am sure it won't be so bad. Everyone in Danvarr knows Demi comes from a humble background. If we hastily try to change her to our own image of the perfect daughter-in-law, that might backfire. I think people will appreciate the fact that Demi feels very comfortable being herself around us. Nothing will look forced upon her."
"I think mom's right."
I glance up and note from the hand signal he gives me that it's Ashal talking. The last time we spoke at length, he had told me to expect a very unique but subtle hand signal to tell him apart. It's our little secret, he said.
"Judging from the comments from her response to Iman's accusations, a lot of people insinuated that based on her outfit, Demi seemed uncomfortable and pressured to live up to our standards. I think it will be a breath of fresh air if they see her in her usual clothes every once in a while."