Take My Dress Off (4 page)

Despite the
dramatic send off to summer I was able to let go of the bullshit with Dillon and enjoy spending time with Chaz. He became a regular with Maddie and we modeled together at the mall and in shows for local boutiques. Since Dillon was out of the picture, Chaz was now my partner and my regular “prom date” in bridal shows and we were affectionately referred to as “The Barbie Dolls” by the boutiques. It was so nice working with someone who didn’t play mind games like Dillon. Better yet, Chaz didn’t have a girlfriend I had to worry about.

My agent Theresa loved him too. Chaz and Danielle had tagged along with me for an audition at the agency in L.A. Theresa took one look at Chaz and signed him that afternoon.

As summer came to a close, Danielle, Donny, Chaz, and I were booked for a hair convention in Anaheim. I was especially excited for this trip because Maddie didn’t have to come with us since I was over eighteen now and didn’t need a chaperone.

“Jesus, where in the hell is the van?” called Donny from the wrought iron bench that was holding him up. It was much too early for anyone to be up, especially Donny (who, knowing Donavan Hunter very well, had probably quit partying about an hour ago).

“Holy shit!” exclaimed Danielle when the sleek black limousine pulled up to the curb at our meeting spot, the Hotel Encanto. The agency was sending a car to drive us from Vista to Anaheim but we usually traveled in a big van, we didn’t expect a limo! We slid in and settled into the plush seats. Donny picked up the champagne that was chilling in the console.

“Here’s to two hours of riding in style.” He popped the cork. Danielle grabbed the glasses and we toasted.

“I’ve never had champagne before,” I said and took a sip.

“I have,” Chaz said as he studied the golden bubbly liquid. “At my sister’s wedding. It gave me a headache.”

“Maddie always gets it for her New Year’s Eve party,” I said.

“Of course she does,” smirked Donny.

“Take it slow,” Danielle cautioned. “Believe me, it can

give you a wicked hangover.”

“C’mon you wussy,” Donny said and kicked Chaz’s foot. “Bottom’s up.” Donny threw back his champagne as Danielle and I sipped slowly. Donny refilled his glass and threw that back too.

“Grab that bottle, Paige,” called Danielle. “Donny’s going to finish it before we even make it to the freeway,” she laughed. I passed it to her and she tucked it between us.

“Fuckin’ A!” yelled Donny. He clapped his hands then fiddled with the radio dials in the mahogany console. “Let’s get this party started, boys and girls!” Duran Duran filled our small space and we raised our glasses and danced in our seats. We toasted to being young, to freedom, and to Simon Le bon. Donny lasted another ten minutes before he collapsed against Chaz’s shoulder, his empty glass falling along with his hand to the floor.

“What a light weight,” Danielle giggled.

“To his credit we were partying all night.” Chaz crawled across to our seat, scooting in between Danielle and me, allowing Donny the whole bench seat to stretch out his long frame. “We got in at like four AM. I think I got about two hours of sleep but he was too amped up.”

“On what?” Danielle lifted her eyebrows and emptied her champagne glass.

“Who knows with Donny…” laughed Chaz smiling over to his snoring friend.  “The guy loves a party.”

“The guy
is
a party,” grinned Danielle.

Chaz didn’t last much longer. Soon he was asleep too, his weight pushing into my shoulder. Danielle scooted closer to the window and buried herself in a
Glamour
magazine. I glanced over to Chaz and took advantage of the opportunity to take in his beautiful features. Square jaw, full lips, long dark lashes. How I wanted to reach up and stroke his sun-kissed hair. He took a deep breath and exhaled, his chest muscles stretching beneath his mint green IZOD button down shirt. I looked down the length of his arms to his long graceful fingers. How I wished those fingers were entwined with mine. I thought about his lips brushing softly against mine the night we went to the drive-in. He hadn’t kissed me since that night. All of our time together had been for photo shoots or fittings. I became very aware of his knee pressing firmly against mine.

“It’s really hot in here,” I whispered and aimed the vent toward my face.

“It’s probably the champagne,” she smiled. “Or the dead guy lying on you.” She tucked her legs underneath her and nosed back into her magazine which in turn pushed Chaz closer to me. He exhaled and stretched his arm around the back seat. I brazenly leaned into his shoulder and rested my head in the curve of his neck. Delicious warmth spread all through my body and I got lost in his clean scent…

“Wake up, lovebirds.”

Donny roused me out of my peaceful slumber. I opened my eyes and squinted. We were in the city at a traffic light. “We’re almost there,” he said peering out of the window. Danielle had moved and was leaning cozily against him reading
Flowers in the Attic
for the millionth time, Donny’s arm dangling lazily from her shoulder. I tried to adjust my eyes to the light and focused on the leather bracelets that hung loosely from his wrists. They looked so comfortable together. I longed to have that with Dillon but it wasn’t meant to be. Would Chaz and I be this close one day?

Chaz stirred, pulled back his arm from where it had been perfectly wrapped around me, and grimaced. “How long have I been out?” he asked as he rubbed his shoulder.

“Like the whole trip,” said Danielle without raising her eyes from her book.

I reluctantly pried myself from his side and sat up.

“You okay?” he yawned, stretching his arms overhead. “Did I crush you?”

I knew I was blushing and straightened, sitting taller in the seat. Donny curiously watching my every move like a Cheshire cat didn’t help either.

“No, I’m fine,” I smiled. “That ride always gets to me, it’s so boring.” The limo turned into the Anaheim Convention Center and continued down a ramp to a tunnel where we were deposited at the rear entrance.

“This is how the rock stars arrive, folks. V.I.P.” Donny slipped on his shades even though we weren’t outside. We exited the limo and the driver told us our bags were being taken to the hotel. Except for Chaz, we had all done this show last year so we knew the drill. We also knew the trouble we could get into. Those hair stylists knew how to party and let us have whatever we wanted. Last year Danielle and I were so hung over I almost puked on the stage. I had watched in horror as her long, dark curls fell around her (as she turned several shades of green) and Maddie grounded me for half the summer! We had to keep it low key this time or this would definitely be our last hair show and the money was really good.

Donny led the way as we trekked down the hall to where Theresa was waiting for us. Theresa Ross was small in stature but she commanded a room with a single glance. She gave the appearance of being much taller than her five-foot-four inches due to her perfectly coiffed up-do. Her lips and nails were always coated in red and her friendly smile never matched the guarded look in her eyes. As usual she was dressed to kill. Her mahogany hair was twisted into a classic chignon and she wore a tight red and black snakeskin looking dress with sky high red heels.

“Thanks for the limo, T.” Donny leaned down and hugged her tiny frame.

“You think I sent that for you guys?” she laughed. “You can thank
Nexus
, they wanted to make sure you got here in one piece.” She scanned us over. “From the looks of you guys, I don’t know if it helped.”

“Chaz you’re new so listen up and ask the others later if you have any questions.” She clasped her hands, her many diamond rings clinking together. “You guys know the drill,” she began. “You’ll meet up with the stylist that selected you from your headshot. They will show you pictures of the style they want to create and you will negotiate on what you’re willing to do. Remember, you have final say and if there’s any problem, you come find me. I own your hair, not them,” she smirked. “Your dinner is covered and breakfast is a light buffet back here in the morning. If you want anything else you’ll have to pay for it. Don’t try and voucher it later, I’m not covering it.”

Chaz was listening intently, overwhelmed by it all but the rest of us were nodding, wishing she would hurry up. We’d heard this all before.

Theresa continued, “You get paid only for the time you are working for
Nexus
which means the time when you’re in this building. Got it?”

“Got it,” we replied in unison.

“One more thing…”

Donny lowered his head, knowing what was coming next. Last year he got into a fight with a guy at the hotel pool and almost got arrested.

“Any fights, any of you gets arrested…” She put emphasis on
arrested
and glared at Donny. “I’m not bailing you out. Is that clear?”

“Crystal.” Donny’s full lips curled into a seductive smile.

“I mean it,” Theresa scolded.

She handed each of us a lanyard with a badge, an index card, and waved us off with her hand. “Go to the room next door, find your stylist, and get to work,” she said. “And no Disneyland. I mean it, Donovan!”

“Yeah, yeah,” he called as we started down the hall.

The next room was quite a different scene. There were rows of mirrored work stations and hair washing bowls. Men and women wrapped in black
Nexus
smocks were milling about meeting with the models.

“You’re mine,” called a man with spiked, bleached tips contrasted with dark razored sides, a five-o’clock shadow, and tiny gold hoop earrings. He looked like a plump George Michael. “You’re Paige, right?”

I nodded and he held out his hand.

“I’m Trent. Oh, honey, you’re even prettier than your picture,” he beamed, showing off evenly spaced rows of bright white teeth. He seemed nice enough. We’d get along just fine, as long as he didn’t want to chop off my hair. He led me to a work station and talked to me in the mirror.

“Your hair is trés fabulous,” he said and slid the elastic down my ponytail. Then he raked his hand through the waves and shook it out as it spilled all around my shoulders and down my back. He sprayed something on it, grabbed a wide-toothed comb and ploughed through my tangles. I winced as I stared into the mirror and surveyed the room. Chaz was sitting in the row behind, his back to me, a lady with short flame-red pin curls chattered to him as she ran her hands through his golden hair. A look of concern furrowed his brow and his green eyes met mine in the mirror. I smiled and waved. He rolled his eyes. Danielle was next to me. A silver-haired man that was definitely not old enough to have silver hair was trying to talk her into a short bob.

“No way, Raphael,” scoffed Danielle. “My hair got hacked last year and I’ve been growing it out ever since. You can color it, curl it, tease it, take it out to dinner, but no cutting.” They both agreed on hot pink streaks. Donny was sitting at the station opposite mine so I couldn’t see what was happening to him.

“So, honey,” began Trent. “What I want to do is crimp your hair.”

“Crimp? What is that?”

“It’s the newest trend in hot irons. I’ll use a crimping iron in sections all over your hair and it’ll look wavy like it’s been in braids. It gives your hair lots of body.”

“It’s not going to be frizzy is it?” I had visions of me looking like Diana Ross at the Grammys.

“Oh, honey, no.” He gently pushed my chin to my chest and parted my hair into sections that were held back with big clips. “I don’t plan on cutting your hair but I might need to trim here or there if it doesn’t sit right. Is that okay?” I agreed and was given a paper with instructions for the morning. “Are you attending the dinner tonight at the hotel?”

“We plan to.”

He released my hair from the clips and leaned into my ear as he untied the smock. “I’ll hook you up with some drinks or whatever else you want after the dinner. I always take care of my models,” he winked and patted my shoulder.

I hopped down from the chair and joined Donny, Danielle, and Chaz at the door. We walked back down the hallway to the exit. In the tunnel were several vans from the Marriott Hotel.

“Hey! What happened to my limo?” Donny’s voice echoed through the tunnel. Chaz slid the door open for us and I climbed all the way across the cloth bench seat. Donny plopped down next to me. “Cinderella, the ball is over,” he hissed in disgust.

“Welcome to your pumpkin,” Danielle laughed.

***

“I swear this is the same exact room we had last year.” Danielle tossed her suitcase onto the bed.

“Could be…” I fished around in my bag for my swimsuit. There was a knock at the door.

Donny and Chaz strolled into the room. “Geez, you’re not ready?” groaned Donny. “Women!” He threw himself onto Danielle’s bed. Her suitcase flipped and fell to the floor, clothes spilling out the sides.

“Watch it, dork.” She scooped up the suitcase and dragged it to the wall.

“Forget something, Dan?” Donny held up a pair of hot pink panties.

“Don! Give me those. Unless you want to borrow them,” she smirked.

“You sure your fat ass fits into these?” he teased as he stretched them over his head. Danielle dove onto him but he tossed the panties to Chaz. Chaz dangled them from his finger and turned as pink as the panties. I snatched them from him and tossed them into my bag.