"I think you're right," Liz agreed, nodding. "I'm likely going to be here longer than that, if my mother gets more contracts. So maybe we should stick around and see what this is about."

"Agreed." Lucy settled in to watch.

Over the next week and a half, the girls went back to the club three times, although they only ever sat at a side table and watched. They didn't try to get involved in the whole thing.

So when the Hitachiin twins had a break between clients, they meandered on over to take a better look at the Americans.

Liz was sipping at a cup of tea and just watching everything, so she didn't immediately notice the twins.

"So you're the Americans huh?" the twins asked as they peered at the girls, moving around the back of the table. "You don't look all that different."

"A little bit different," Liz said, glancing between the two as she set her teacup down. "Not that it's a bad thing."

"No," they agreed.

"We do like your hair," Kaoru said.

"Even if it is a shade too long," Hikaru added.

"It's due for a trim in a couple of days," Liz said, waving a hand briefly. "I'm just taking the time to find a good stylist. I had to leave my favorite one behind in the States."

"We know a few good ones," Kaoru said.

"Kaoru! I'm not letting her borrow you!" Hikaru said with a pout.

"No no, the ones outside the family," Kaoru said with a grin. "Come have tea with us and we'll tell you."

Liz blinked at the sudden offer and glanced at Lucy in a silent 'should I?'

Lucy shrugged a bit and nodded slightly. Might as well, she figured. It could be fun.

Liz nodded and got up, gesturing to the twins.

"Lead on," she said.

The twins led her back over to their table, sitting down and pouring tea.

"Well, of course I prefer to do Kaoru's hair," Hikaru said.

"Hikaru!" Kaoru objected with a faint blush. "You said you wouldn't tell people about that!"

"I'm sorry, Kaoru," Hikaru said. "But you're so trusting with me."

Liz just watched, blushing faintly and grinning. Hey, she could admit she was enjoying the scene.

"I change my hairstyle with the season," she said as she sipped her tea. "This summer's big styles are long with loose curls and single strips of contrasting color, but I think next season will be more of an up-do/French braid trend for the fall." She looked at them both. "You two just get right into that routine, don't you?"

"Well why not?" Hikaru asked with a grin. "He is my twin."

"Your hair would look good in a french braid," Kaoru mused. "We could tell you a few good hairdressers in the area and let you pick who you like."

"I'd appreciate the help in finding a good stylist," Liz said. She grinned. "After all, my hair has to match the new line coming out in the fall. My mother set aside some pieces specifically for me."

"Yeah, our mom too," the twins said. "She always does."

"At least she doesn't dress us like girls anymore," Hikaru grumbled while Kaoru wrote down the couple of stylists they visited and had passed their tests.

Liz grinned. Now she knew where she had seen the two last.

"I have to say, though, I saw a lot of very good style choices at the last Milan event," she commented. She knew they had been there. "Peacocks and owls were still big, and I saw a lot of the blue/green/brown palette used well."

"You wouldn't say that if you saw our grandmother," Hikaru said.

"Hikaru, be nice. She didn't look bad," Kaoru chastised.

"She looked like a giant bird of prey disguising itself poorly as a peacock."

"I didn't say all of it was good," Liz pointed out, grinning a bit. "But I got a really nice cocktail dress out of the Milan event, so I was pleased."

The twins both snorted but then Kaoru shrugged.

"The events aren't bad," he said. "They're better when we get to do what we want."

"Rather than having to sit and watch the show?" Liz asked. She grinned. "I know how that is. I'd love to be able to just rummage around backstage and take the pieces I like."

"We've seen everything before," Hikaru said. "And it's no fun just sitting there."

"We could help with hair and make-up," Kaoru added. "But we're not allowed." They both pouted.

"What's the next one, Paris?" Liz asked. "I have to be there, one of my mother's lines is going out, but it shouldn't be too bad."

"Paris," they agreed. "In another month."

"We're going too," Kaoru said. "Mother and Grandmother both have things coming out." He sighed.

"Maybe this time Grandmother will let us play..." Hikaru grinned.

Liz grinned.

"I knew I saw you both in Milan," she said. "I guess I'll see you in Paris, then, too."