Long chapter today. I messed up the next chapter, so I'll try and fix it over the weekend, but apologies in advance if there's a delay!
To Riordanlover16- Dresses are very hit and miss with me. I haven't worn one in years because the neckline's too low or the skirt's too short/too long. And what's with three quarter sleeves? I hate three quarter sleeves with a passion. I like sleeves I can pull down over my hands to sleeve-smack people or whatever, what is this three quarter nonsense? And yes, that ten bucks is yours XD
Mellie kept Leo busy at the grand opening. He had to be there early so she could run a head-to-toe inspection of him, blissfully finding no discrepancies. She and Coach both wore Piper's handiwork too; she had a creamy yellow sleeveless dress that swept down to the floor and Coach wore a matching yellow suit he kept posing in, rolling his shoulders and flexing. Mellie looked lovely, a vaporous ray of sunshine. Coach looked like a Minion, though Leo wisely kept that thought to himself.
Friends and family arrived. He saw the Jacksons talking with Grover, Jason, Nico and Will. There was Hazel, straightening Frank's tie. There was a clump of his siblings from Camp, Nessa and Harley waving at him. Piper and Reyna were chattering, Piper laughing loudly and drawing the looks of many envious and enamoured characters. Some of his current customers had accepted the invitation and were fidgeting in their best clothes. Some hoity-toity guys rolled up in all manner of pricey, showy vehicles, beautiful women on their arms. Leo realised he had been making faces at them, clued in with Mellie's elbow chastising his ribs.
"Behave yourself," she whispered. "We need them to like us."
"I'm very likeable," Leo reminded her. "How'd you even get those guys? They look, like," he pressed his nose to the window, narrowing his eyes, "snobs. They look like spoilt rich snobs."
"Well, yes, some of them are, but some of them are quite lovely. And they're all interested in what you're doing, your advances in technology. Stop making faces." She swatted his shoulder, jarring him from squashing and stretching his features on the windowpane. "I had to call in a few favours to get these people here, so the least you could do is smile."
"Fine, fine." Leo bared his teeth in a grimace. Mellie sighed, reaching out to poke and prod his face into something more acceptable.
"Right, do you remember the plan? Do we need to go over the plan again?"
"No, no. I got it the first thirty times. Thank everyone for coming, cut the ribbon, invite them in, quick tour around the Bunker in the designated safe zones you marked out with bright red tape," he raised an eyebrow at her, awaiting her approving nod, "and then back to the waiting area for food and music and… are you sure we can't play pin the tail on the donkey?"
"I'm very sure. This is a serious business endeavour, not a children's birthday party."
"But you said there were gift bags at the end."
"I did. What's that got to do with anything?"
"Did you at least put bubbles in them? Everyone loves bubbles in a gift bag."
"I put bubbles in them, yes, but no yo-yos, no slap bracelets, no sticky hands, no Haribos and no unicorn hair bobbles." Leo blew a raspberry. Mellie pursed her lips. "We can be fun and sensible, Leo, there's a balance. I've given them some grown-up things, like Starbucks vouchers and—"
"Taxes," Leo guessed. She regarded him suspiciously.
"You've sorted out your taxes, right?"
"I thought about it. Does that count?"
"Oh my gods, how does Lou put up with you?"
"Spite, apparently. Where is Lou anyway? I haven't seen her since lunchtime." They had eaten together in the cafeteria, helping themselves to the chocolate pudding cups from the fridge. She had gone home after that, taking Bradley and Chuck to her mother's. Jessica and Harvey would be babysitting them tonight, while Sally, Paul and Estelle had Tobias.
Mellie checked her watch.
"Hopefully not much longer. You cut the ribbon in ten minutes."
"I'm not cutting the ribbon," Leo said. "I'm burning it, check out my flamethrower." He hefted the contraption, grinning maniacally. Mellie stared at it blankly, a thousand thoughts clamouring, not sure which reaction to go for first.
"Leo," she eventually said slowly, "do you remember that big folder I showed you?"
"The big blue one I tried to pitch out the window?" She nodded, eyes widening when he scoffed and waved away the notion. "The day I abide by health and safety laws is the day I hang up my toolbelt for good. Where did you put that, by the way? I want it back."
"You can have it back after the opening. After."
"Don't give me that look. You're getting double for overtime."
"Should have made it triple."
"Too late now," Leo grinned. "You signed the contract."
"I know," Mellie sighed. "Let's get you outside, come on. You've people to greet. No more faces. Be nice. Remember your manners. And for the love of gods, don't set anyone on fire." Leo tested his flamethrower, scorching the corner of his new desk.
"No promises."
Mellie had tutored him very strictly on what to say, hovering to the side with a fierce glower. She had made him leave the flamethrower behind one of the big posters with the Valdez Industries logo on. Leo stood front and centre, a microphone waiting for him. Someone had set it too tall and he took a moment to adjust it.
"Who did that?" he asked. "Clever as I am, I can't talk through my hair." He noticed a few more had joined the assembly, spying Louisa's mortal friends, the Entourage. She wasn't with them though, his heart sinking. He had asked her to be on stage with him, wanted her there, wanted to share this with her.
Mellie cleared her throat pointedly. Leo shook his head, gathering his thoughts. "Thank you all for coming," he smiled, battling to remember Mellie's cue cards. "Some of you I've met before and some of you I've yet to meet." He waggled his fingers almost flirtatiously at the group of rich dudes. They made up the right side of the audience, as if they couldn't possibly be seen standing with the riffraff on the left.
What was the next bit? Oh, right. "Whether you've seen my work before or not, I hope we have something here today that will amaze each and every one— what's that?" He looked past the crowd in time to see Jessica's car ba-bump over the threshold. It swung into one of the last spaces available, narrowly missing someone's Maserati. The engine died and Louisa clambered out, muttering to herself.
Leo forgot every word he had ever known, head spinning. That looked like Louisa, but it couldn't be! It wasn't possible!
She was wearing a dress!
It was a knee-length garment, cinched at the waist and belling out in a shimmering of stars over black opaque tights. A glittery material overlaying the dark dress— that was the same colour he was wearing! A blue so deep, the night sky captured within its seams, accentuated by the billowing black tulle sleeves that ended at her wrists in yet more bell shapes.
Piper had clearly made it, accommodating any anxieties Louisa may have had, if that was indeed Louisa. The neckline was something Piper had taught him recently, something called surplice, covering to the base of her throat but folding over her with a femininity no-one had thought she would possess, not even herself.
She smoothed the skirts down as she hurried over, a tumble of perfect curls curving around her neck. The crowd parted for her.
"Sorry, sorry," she was saying as she got within earshot, "fuckin' traffic, fuckin' fuck." Leo gave a start, laughing. There she was.
He reached down to help her up, marvelling at her. She saw the intact ribbon and smiled. "I didn't miss it," she mumbled. "Good. Sorry I'm late." Leo squeezed her hand, not trusting himself to speak. He was inclined to believe this was a clone or a brainwashed variation, maybe something else his muddled mind could not conjure up. Whatever, words were still beyond him, tongue-tied before this heavenly enigma.
A sharp jab in his back, Mellie humming innocently. She had not moved from her spot, hiding the offending Nerf gun behind her clipboard. Leo wasn't sure where she had got it from, eyeing her warily. She glared at him, jerking her chin to indicate the crowd.
Louisa cursed in Latin, hands disappearing into the folds of her skirt. Apparently, the dress had pockets, evident in the stack of coloured cue cards shoved into his hand.
That would be why he and Mellie couldn't find them earlier. Louisa had stolen them.
Mellie had written in Ancient Greek for him, in neat print. How he got through them, he had no idea. He knew he had things to say about what Valdez Industries was doing and what it could do, ranging from helping those in need to helping the world around them. No job too small and no job too big, Valdez Industries was open to all. And then something about a tantalising buffet at the end, though he didn't get why Percy and Annabeth found that funny.
Cutting the ribbon with the flamethrower drew some gasps from the crowd, a smattering of applause. It was weird using the tool for something he could do with his hands, though Mellie had warned him off demigodly abilities. And now, knowing she had at least one Nerf gun, Leo was less inclined to contradict her.
The tour went well. They started small with prosthetic limbs, one of the customers getting a sneak peek of his new arm. With some prompting from Louisa, Leo gave a demonstration. He hooked the arm in place and made some adjustments for comfort. "This here," he said, hefting something that looked like a bronze hearing aid, "this goes behind the ear. May I?" he asked the man he was working on, Clarence.
Clarence nodded, turning his head helpfully. Leo continued his explanation. "This will pick up on your thoughts," Leo told him, "and transmit signals to the arm. Hold on, let me link it up." He pressed and held a button on the earpiece and one on the back of the artificial hand. "Three, four, five," he counted, smiling when both devices beeped. The fingers twitched and Clarence gasped. "Now, I've still got a few things to finish, mostly cosmetic. Here, hold this." Leo gave him a spanner. Clarence's new fingers closed around it.
"Is that safe?" Someone asked. "That thing behind his ear, is it safe?"
"Yes," Leo smiled. "It can detect electrical impulses in the brain and translates them into commands so he can use his arm as he would normally. It's well-insulated so the wearer doesn't get any shocks, I've designed it for comfort and durability so it can be worn for as long as needed. The battery in it will last from three days to a week, depending on usage." Leo took away the spanner and gave Clarence a pen. Louisa supplied a pad of paper.
"What about power in the arm? How does that work?" It was one of the richer guys talking, studying the arm shrewdly. Leo looked him over, offering a warm smile and resisting the urge to set the man's overpriced suit on fire.
"It has its own charging port, like a phone or a laptop, but it can also build reserves up from kinetic movement."
"I wrote my name!" Clarence laughed. He wrote a few more words, scribbled his signature, drew a stickman and a flower, penned out random numbers. Leo took the pen and paper away and held his own hand up. Clarence mimicked his movements easily, pressing each finger to his thumb, playing rock-paper-scissors, curling into a fist to bump on Leo's. "This is awesome," Clarence grinned. "When can I take it home?"
"Two more days," Leo said. "My chief artist needs to inspect it." He jabbed a thumb at Louisa, who nodded.
"What if there's any damage to the arm or the ear thing? What's the guarantee like? Do you have a guarantee for it?"
"Oh, yes, we did work that out. Mellie, what was it again? Five years?"
"Yes. Prosthetic limbs have a five-year guarantee starting from the day it's taken home."
"Five years?" The man thought about it for a minute. "How long does it take to make them?"
"This one took me about… three weeks?" Leo counted on his fingers. "Just over three weeks. I needed to take Clarence's measurements, made sure the arm was tailored for him. Not too heavy, not too light, the right length, without forfeiting any strength or use. I dropped the first thumb I made though and still haven't found it."
"Buford took it, I told you," Louisa snickered. Leo was trying not to look at her. He really needed to concentrate and couldn't be reduced to a jibbering, gawping mess by her sudden fashion upheaval. Gods, she was gorgeous.
"Buford?" The man asked. "Who's Buford?"
"My table," Leo replied simply. He stuck his fingers in his mouth and whistled sharply. A minute later, Buford appeared from between the work desks, puffing steam in greeting. Even his Coach Hedge hologram had dressed up, wearing the same yellow suit as his living counterpart.
"GET THOSE KNEES UP! PUT SOME CLOTHES ON!"
"Buford is one-of-a-kind," Leo said, patting the tabletop affectionately. "He's been with me for years, haven't you, buddy?"
"LET'S HAVE IT, CUPCAKE!"
"That means he loves me," Leo decided. Buford rattled his drawer at him and scuttled off to headbutt Percy.
"Have you ever made more of those?" Someone else asked. Leo really should have given them all nametags.
"No. And I won't either. One-of-a-kind is one-of-a-kind after all. I can make more arms though. How are we getting on, Clarence?"
"Do I really have to wait two days?" Clarence pouted.
"It's just for final checks," Leo assured.
"First thing I'm going to do," Clarence said, admiring his new hand, "is play catch with my kid."
Leo answered a few more questions about the arm, detaching Clarence from it as he did so. He couldn't mass produce the limbs, each one specifically created for its user, but he was more than happy to take whatever orders given. He had the basics down, only needing to make changes based on the wearer. Full limbs, half limbs, yes. Hands on their own were still in the works. Yes, he would be hiring more staff to help as the business grew and, yes, they would all be working to the standard he had produced for Clarence.
"How can you be sure?" the first guy asked.
"Ask them yourself," Leo encouraged, gesturing to his siblings. "We've worked together for years; I taught them everything they know." He grinned cheekily, pretending not to see Nessa's eye roll.
Mellie tapped her watch and they moved on. Leo showed off plans for his security defences, describing some of the companies he had worked for so far. Louisa was at his side for this one, hand on the inside of his elbow. Her fingers squeezed in what he took as silent gratitude— his best security work lay within Jessica's apartment.
Some of the rich people were most impressed, especially when he dropped some names, and three of them wanted him to secure their homes and workplaces too. Leo directed them to Mellie to make appointments. "I'll come round and inspect the place, see what we're working with. Then I can plan what you'll need, where things will go, I can show you the different packages we offer." Mellie flashed him a thumbs-up. It had been her idea to sell these different packages for private security, from Basic to Premium to Don't Even Think About It.
They went over disability accesses and aids. He showed them toys he and Estelle had been working on, the girl's imagination boundless. He answered dozens of more questions, gave several more demonstrations and then directed them to the final part of the tour, circling back around. The waiting area was on only metres away and, through the doorway, he could see the caterers clustering for the last few touches on the buffet.
"My wonderful secretary and my head of security have encouraged me to think more environmentally friendly," Leo said, aware of the Nerf gun aimed at the back of his head. He saw Grover wriggle to the front, intrigued. Leo dragged the whiteboard he had been working on out, tapping a finger on his chin. "As you can see, we had lots of ideas."
And they had. Everything from solar panels and geothermal energy to more efficient appliances for the home or the workplace, for hospitals and shops. Machines that could clean the oceans of litter and oil spills while being mindful of wildlife (this one had been big for Louisa). Equipment that would help humans clean up their lands and skies without taking away human jobs. "No-one is going to be replaced by a robot," Leo assured. "We work for people, we work with people. With all this, we can lower greenhouse gas emissions, revitalise the air, the water, we can clear up poisoned lands, minimise dumpsites, encourage growth for agriculture and wildlife alike."
"You certainly have a lot of ideas." That same man again. Mellie had whispered that his name was George… something. Leo had forgotten his last name already, but apparently he was a big deal and would be a top investor. "How do you hope to manage them all?"
"Divisions," Leo said. "Departments. Each thing I've shown you today will have its own team working on it and I'll be pitching in where I can. The more we build up, the more people we can hire."
"Leo," Louisa tugged on his arm. He looked round, momentarily forgetting he wasn't supposed to do that. The dress was so alien on her, so very beautiful. She had been out of his league before… now she was out of his wildest dreams. "Leo," she prompted when he remained silent, distracted. "The apprenticeships, tell them about the apprenticeships."
"Oh, yes. Yes, yes, yes. We'll be looking to take on apprentices as well, by March. Everyone is welcome to apply, of any age, but our sole focus would be on kids from rough backgrounds, from the care system."
"Why?" George demanded. How many questions could one guy have?
"Because that's where I grew up," Leo replied simply. "It wasn't easy, I… bounced from foster home to foster home, slept on streets… I want to give kids like that, like me, a chance for something better."
"Will these be paid apprenticeships?"
"Of course. They'll get paid minimum wage, minimum working wage. Full employees get paid above minimum wage, with, uh, with overtime and paid holiday and so on. The apprentices will also be given the opportunity to stay on as full employees when their courses are complete."
"How long will the courses take?"
"Mmm, depending on what they want to learn, their skillsets… anywhere from a year to three years?" Leo shrugged a shoulder. "We're still working out finer details."
"Are you going to be able to support a large team?"
"Uh, yes. Yes, if things carry on as predicted, we'll be able to hire a sizeable team. In time, we may even be able to open other shops elsewhere. We'll be able to offer at-home services too, for those who can't travel for whatever reason."
George stroked his chin, looking around as he thought.
"OK," he said. "You have my interest."
Leo could have kissed him. George taking the step forward like that spurred courage amongst some of the other wealthy visitors. A nod and thumbs-up from Mellie sealed it— Leo had his investors.
"This way, this way!" Mellie urged with a luminous smile. "We'll talk shop over canapes."
Leo shook hands with several of the guests, Clarence and George included. Clarence promised to shake his hand again when he had his new one, beaming like a kid at Christmas. George said Leo was one to keep an eye on, then hurried off before all the tiny sausage rolls were eaten. Some of his friends clapped him on the back or ruffled his hair, glowing with pride and exclaiming confidence in him. Knew you could do it, Repair Boy! / Not bad, Tinkerbell, not bad. / I am no longer considering drowning you; those save-the-sea ideas are pretty decent.
Leo waited for the last of them to file out, chatter and laughter swarming merrily from the neighbouring room.
"I'm going to be sick," he muttered.
"No, no, no," Louisa fussed, grabbing his arms as the Bunker swayed around him. "It's OK, you did it. You did it!" She directed him to a nearby stool, massaging soothing circles on his back. Leo wheezed, shaking with delayed nerves. She cocooned him in her arms, stroking his hair and kissing the top of his head. Leo closed his eyes, listening to the steady thump of her heart, settling his breathing by mimicking hers. "I'm so proud of you," she said into his hair, kissing his forehead then his nose when he looked up.
Leo remembered why he had been avoiding looking at her, heat flooding his face and no doubt his hair too.
"How the fuck did Piper get you in a dress?"
"She gave it pockets." From which she withdrew a bag of chocolate drops. "I've been eatin' these," she grinned slyly, shaking the packet at him. She tipped some into his hand, partially melted, but Leo didn't care, relishing in the chocolatey sweetness. "Also… well, you know, big night for you. Can't exactly wear my usual now, can I?"
"You dressed up for me?"
"Well," she flushed pink, "yeah. So?" She fidgeted with his tie, smoothed down a lapel. Leo captured her hand, kissing her fingers.
"You're beautiful." The pink burned crimson and she looked away. He pulled lightly on one of her curls. Piper had spent ages on her hair, curling it and twisting it into some fancy topknot thing and then curling it again. She had tried to teach Louisa to do it herself, forgoing that idea when Louisa burnt herself twice on the curling iron and called it a bastard.
She had let Louisa have some input on the dress. If she had to wear one, she had some ground rules. Sleeves, for a start. Nothing revealing and it had to be a sensible length. And pockets. Piper had promised pockets with her clothes, so pockets were an expectation.
Piper worked with what she had, but she had some ground rules too.
"We're going to knock this out of the park, Lou. Leo won't know what's hit him."
"Ow!"
"Hold still!"
On seeing her in the final product, Piper had sniffed. "As much as I ship Leoisa," she said, "call me if anything changes."
"What?" Louisa had laughed. She and Piper had been on-off jokingly flirting for years, part of their relationship. Teasing, harmless, sometimes shameless, but nothing fruitful. It was just a bit of fun.
Piper turned her to face the mirror then and Louisa had seen a stranger. Was that really her? That perfectly styled hair, that dress too pretty to be pretty… She stuck her middle finger up at the reflection just to make sure, baffling herself rather than confirming anything. "Piper," she had said, "what the fuck did ya do ta me?"
She vaguely recalled Piper's response. Some sort of reprimand for hiding under baggy, comfortable clothes, something about showing off the waist and hips that she had, something something irresistible. She was mostly sure she had heard the word 'irresistible', though not in what context.
A tug on her skirts, Leo rustling the material between thumb and forefinger.
"This isn't the Mist, is it? This is a real dress. Piper got you in a real dress." She pouted and he laughed. "I'm not complaining." He sat up straight, his lips meeting hers as his hands traced the curve of her waist. "Thank you," he breathed, kissing her again. Louisa allowed it for a few seconds more, breaking off.
"I'm hungry."
"Oh, five more minutes," he complained, peppering affection along her jawline. She squirmed, laughing and pushing on his shoulders.
"No, I want eclairs. Please tell me you got eclairs."
"I got double the amount of eclairs especially for you. I hid some in the kitchen," he whispered. Louisa grinned, holding his face in her hands and kissing his forehead.
"You are good to me, Valdez."
"Just do me a favour… keep the dress."