by John Hall
“It’s Felix’s eighteenth birthday party next Saturday. I was planning to go. Who else are you inviting for the weekend?”
Okay, curve ball. Why was he asking her who else was going? Was it because he didn’t want to be alone with her?
She couldn’t tell him she hadn’t invited anyone else. She didn’t want him to think she was planning anything romantic.
“Hello? Paige? Are you there?”
Think, Paige. Think! Who else is going? Who else is going that would make Max want to come?
“I invited Colleen,” she said in a rush. “And Bianca and Rachel. You met them at Anthony’s party, remember?”
“Oh yeah, I remember them. Cute girls.”
Bianca and Rachel would freak out if they heard they’d been described as cute. Sultry was their new favorite word when it came to describing themselves.
“Is Anthony coming?”
Paige almost dropped the phone. Why was he asking about Anthony? Was it because he liked him and was hoping he could get closer to him? If that was the case, then why hadn’t he already made a move?
“Anthony can’t make it,” Paige said, making a mental note to herself. She’d have to make sure Anthony told Max he had plans for that weekend. And she’d have to make sure Colleen, Bianca and Rachel canceled their plans for next weekend because they were going to be spending the weekend with her.
There was silence on the other end of the line. Why was he hesitating? She was inviting him for a weekend in the Hamptons with four girls! Any straight guy would be drooling. What more did he want?
Then the light bulb went on over Paige’s head and she uttered the words she knew no guy—straight or gay—could resist. “There’s a hot tub.”
“I’m there!”
After getting off the phone with Max, Paige called Anthony and filled him in on Operation Hamptons.
“I’m impressed, Miss Paige. Very impressed, especially since he’s skipping Felix’s birthday bash. Very clever of you to mention the hot tub.”
“Thank you,” Paige said, feeling quite proud of herself. “You realize, though, why this has to be girls only, right?”
“Yes,” Anthony sighed. “I would have loved to have seen Max in just a bathing suit, but I understand. Promise to take pictures?”
“Promise.”
“So let me ask you a question.”
“Shoot.”
“What happens once you get Maxie out to the Hamptons?”
“What do you mean?”
“How are you going to seduce him?”
“Seduce him?! I’m not going to seduce him!”
“Wrong word. Sorry. How are you going to tempt him? Or should I say test him?”
“Test him? I don’t know. I haven’t thought that far ahead.”
“Well start thinking. You need to come up with a game plan, otherwise you’re going to stuck with one bored guy who’ll be looking at his watch, wondering when the next jitney is heading back to Manhattan.”
“We’re going to be in the hot tub.”
“The entire weekend? Trust me Paige, you’re not going to look good at your most wrinkled.”
“What do you suggest then?”
“I know you’re not going to like hearing this, but you’re going to have to step up your game.”
“Huh?”
“Show the goods, Paige! Show the goods! You’re going have to plan out every outfit you’re going to wear this weekend. From hair to shoes to makeup. I know you don’t like putting a lot of thought into this kind of stuff, but you’re going to have to if you want to keep Max’s interest.”
“You’re wrong. Max isn’t that kind of guy.”
“You mean he’s not straight?” Anthony sighed. “Paige, for most straight guys it all comes down to how hot a girl is. Maybe Max is the exception to the rule, but if we really want to find out if he’s gay or straight, then you’re going to have to pull out all the stops. At least for this one weekend.”
Paige sighed. “You really think I need to glam myself up? Show some skin?”
“Paige, gay guys have been advising women about fashion and makeup for hundreds of years. I think we’re doing something right. But if you want the female point of view, why don’t you invite Colleen, Bianca and Rachel over and have them go through your closets. They’ll tell you the truth. And they won’t sugarcoat it!”
“Fine, fine!” Paige huffed. “I’ll have them come over this afternoon, but only to prove that you’re wrong.”
“No, I’m right,” Anthony stated smugly. “You’ll see.”
Paige hated it when Anthony was right.
Colleen, Bianca and Rachel were staring at Paige’s walkin closet with horror.
“I knew it was going to be bad,” Bianca whispered, “but not this bad. I think I need to sit down.” She put a hand to her forehead, as if she were dizzy. “Where’s the color? Have I gone color blind? Everything in this closet is muted. It’s like somebody turned down the color on a television set!”
“It’s worse than I thought,” Rachel said, fingering through a rack of pleated skirts as if they were contaminated. “Much worse.”
“Obviously we have a fashion emergency,” Colleen said.
“I thought you said you bought a whole new fall wardrobe when you were out in California visiting your mother,” Rachel said.
“I did!”
“Then why is everything in this closet nearly identical to what you wore last season?” Rachel asked.
“Maybe because I bought a lot of pieces from last year’s collections?”
“Why?” Rachel wailed.
Paige shrugged. “They were marked down. You know how I can’t resist a bargain.”
“What happened to that cute low-cut red shirt I know you have?” Bianca asked. “You wore it that time Rob Kalinsky was flirting with you. You looked totally hot that night.”
“That was last Valentine’s Day,” Paige said. “The night we went to that kegger party and you got sick, remember? After spending an hour with you in the bathroom Rob barfed all over me.”
“I told you I had some bad mayo!”
“Whatever. Anyway, I threw that shirt away.”
“Well, we’ll have to replace it. Along with everything else!” Bianca declared. “There’s nothing in this closet that’s going to trap a man. Nothing!”
“Max is only seventeen years old!” Paige exclaimed. “He’s hardly a man.”
“That was just a figure of speech.” Bianca stood up and twirled in front of Paige. “Take a look at what I’m wearing. Do I look like I’m seventeen years old?”
Bianca was wearing a form fitting brown suede miniskirt with a leopard print top that was low-cut.
“No, you look more like you’re twenty-five. But then, you always have. Ever since we were freshmen and you stole Victor Manning away from his girlfriend.”
“Victor was the first senior I ever went out with.”
“Until he found out you were a freshman,” Colleen reminded. “And dropped you like a hot potato.”
“But not until his ex-girlfriend spilled the beans,” Bianca shot back. “And even she was unsure of how old I was. Don’t you see, Paige? We have the advantage over boys our age. We can look older if we want. If we look twenty-five and catch the attention of a guy who’s twenty-five, well, obviously we’re doing something right! And that means guys our age will be all over us!” Bianca took another look at Paige’s hanging clothes and threw herself dramatically onto Paige’s bed. “This all says safe. Secure. Boring!”
“There’s nothing surprising in here,” Rachel said, sitting down next to her twin.
“Surprising?” Paige asked. “What do you mean?”
Rachel’s eyes lit up. “Haven’t you ever seen something in a store that you normally wouldn’t buy for yourself? There’s something so naughty about it, so forbidden, that you have to have it? Then you buy it and hide it away at the back of your closet, hoping you’ll have the courage to someday wear it?”
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br /> “Mine’s a red leather dress that laces up the sides,” Bianca confessed.
“Mine’s a pair of thigh-high white boots,” Rachel said.
“Mine’s a thong bikini,” Colleen admitted as Paige’s jaw dropped on that one.
“Everything in this closet is blah with a capital B,” Bianca said.
“I like my clothes,” Paige said, staring at the racks of expensive clothing. They were all designer names like Ralph Lauren and Calvin Klein. “There’s nothing wrong with them.”
Bianca sighed. “Are you not listening to me?! We’re young! We’re beautiful! We’re sexy! Why shouldn’t we show it off? It’s not going to last forever.”
Paige squirmed. She liked her body; really, she did. She wasn’t one of those girls who thought she was too fat or too thin. She just didn’t like putting herself on display for the entire world to see. What was wrong with that?
She sighed. “Do I really need to do this?”
“Do you want to land Max?” Colleen shot back.
“Yes! But it shouldn’t matter what I look like. Or what I’m wearing.”
“Paige, he’s a teenage boy. They think with their hormones. Or rather, they’re led by their hormones and all those hormones collect in one place.” Bianca and Rachel started giggling and Colleen joined in.
“You’re going to need to turn up the heat,” Rachel said. “And sizzzzle!”
“Are you up to the challenge?” Bianca asked, arching an eyebrow.
Paige bit her lower lip. Like Anthony had said, it was only for one weekend. She would think of it as acting. Yes, acting! And she would be playing a part. After all, she’d had small parts in some of Anthony’s other films. She could do this. She’d just pretend it was another role.
“I guess so,” she finally said.
Bianca rolled her eyes in exasperation. “Such enthusiasm! Stop! Please!”
“Paige!!!!” Rachel wailed. “Come on! This is going to be fun!”
“I’m nervous, all right?” Paige admitted. “I’ve never done something like this before. You know, aggressively gone after a guy.”
“Well it’s about time you did!” Bianca exclaimed. “Your problem is you worry too much, Paige. You’re always afraid of what other people are going to say or think. Forget them! We’re not going to steer you wrong. And we’re going to be with you the entire weekend.”
“All we have to do is shake things up a bit,” Colleen said.
“How?” Paige asked, trying not to sound nervous.
Colleen’s grin grew. “Three magic words that every girl knows: Daddy’s credit card!”
Luckily, Paige’s father was home that weekend. He’d gotten back to New York on Friday night after spending a week in Paris, but would be heading off to Amsterdam the following Wednesday for two weeks. He was working in his study when Paige knocked on the door and asked if she could borrow his credit card for some shopping. He’d given her the card without question, said hello to her friends, and told her to have a good time.
“Your father is a fox,” Rachel said, after he’d given them his American Express gold card.
“Ew, gross!”
“No, seriously,” Bianca said. “How come he never got remarried?”
“One word: Camille. She traumatized him for life. If he even hears wedding bells, he goes into hiding. Why are you two always asking about him?”
Bianca shrugged. “No reason. Just seems like a waste.”
“I keep telling you he’s like thirty years older than you. And he doesn’t go for brunettes. Oh, and need I mention again that he’s my dad?! The last thing I want is a stepmother who’s the same age as me!”
“Don’t worry, Paige,” Rachel said. “Even though we like older guys, we don’t like them that old!”
“Speaking of Camille, how is America’s favorite daytime diva?” Colleen asked.
“I saw her yesterday on one of the Saturday morning talk shows,” Rachel said. “Were you at the studio with her?”
“Camille’s still Camille,” Paige said, not wanting to discuss her mother. “We can talk about her later. Right now we’ve got something more important to focus on.” She waved the American Express gold card in the air. “Shopping!”
They started at Victoria’s Secret.
“Think of it as building a house,” Colleen said as she and Paige walked through the store. “You need to have a strong foundation. You need to feel sexy in the underwear you’re wearing. Nothing makes you feel sexy like something from Victoria’s Secret.”
“But Max isn’t going to be seeing what’s under my clothes,” Paige pointed out.
Colleen smirked. “Are you sure?”
“Yes! I’m not that type of girl.”
“Well, anyway, the underwear isn’t for him. It’s for you. It will make you feel confident.”
“Try these on,” Bianca urged, handing a stack of bras to Paige. “They’re push-up bras, but without any padding! They make the most of what you have!”
“And Max is from the land of California blondes,” Rachel chimed in. “That means one word: boobs!”
Paige resisted the lurid colors that Bianca and Rachel kept pushing on her. Instead, she settled for peaches and pinks and slipped into a dressing room. She had to admit, starting at herself in a full-length mirror, she did look good in the undergarments. And they felt fabulous! Silk was so much nicer than cotton!
And as much as she hated to admit it, Bianca and Rachel were right. They did make the most of what she had!
After they finished at Victoria’s Secret, they decided to tackle shoes.
“Enough with the flats,” Rachel exclaimed. “I don’t think I saw one pair of heels in your closet. We need to get you a couple of pairs.”
“And some boots!” Bianca added. “There’s nothing hotter than a pair of boots!”
“Oooh! Let’s go buy some Jimmy Choos or Manolo Blahniks! Please?” Rachel begged. “Pretty please?”
“Why not both?” Bianca suggested.
“Excellent idea!” Colleen exclaimed. “A girl can never have too many pairs of shoes.”
“Or boyfriends,” Bianca quipped.
Their first shoe stop was Jimmy Choo where the sales clerk brought out box after box of gorgeous shoes. Naturally, Bianca and Rachel had to try on a few pairs as well.
“These pinch my feet,” Paige complained as she walked around the store in a five-inch crocodile sandal.
“Beauty is pain,” Colleen said.
“Besides, look how long they make your legs look,” Rachel said as she tried on a pair of pink python pumps. “Absolutely gorgeous!”
Paige admired her legs in a full length mirror. She hated to admit it, but Rachel had a point. The shoes did make her legs look good.
But the price!
“These are way too expensive,” Paige said.
“When was the last time you splurged on yourself?” Bianca asked, trying to make up her mind between a pair of crystal jeweled sandals with a four-inch heel and a pair of beaded slides. In the end, she decided to take both.
Paige took another look at herself in the shoes. They were growing on her.
“Okay, I’ll take them,” Paige said quickly, before she changed her mind.
After Jimmy Choo, Paige resisted the urge to go to Manolo Blahnik. Instead, she and the girls went to the more reasonably priced Nine West where they found a pair of black boots, a sexy high-heeled sandal that laced up the leg and a pair of platforms. After that, they headed down to SoHo and went from one designer boutique to another, loading Paige down with skirts, blouses, tops and jackets in a wild array of colors and fabrics.
“I can’t wear these clothes!” Paige wailed, inspecting herself as she tried on one outfit after another. Each outfit had the same thing in common. It was short and tight. “Anthony would call this designer white trash.”
“No, he wouldn’t,” Colleen said. “Trust me.”
“He wouldn’t?” Paige asked skeptically.
“He’
d call it Eurotrash!” Colleen exclaimed.
“That’s just as bad!” Paige wailed.
“Are you crazy? What are you talking about?” Bianca asked. “You look hot! Hot, hot, hot!!! We’d wear something like that, wouldn’t we, Rachel?”
“Absolutely,” Rachel agreed. “You’re just not used to showing off so much of yourself.”
Paige took another look at herself in the mirror. “Colleen? You’d tell me the truth, right?”
“You’re the daughter of daytime TV’s number-one maneater. Some of that has gotta be in your genes! But if you don’t trust me, here.” Colleen held out a cell phone with a video screen. “Ask Anthony.”
“Paige!” Anthony scolded from the video phone. “Our love lives are in your hands. Buy whatever the girls tell you to buy.”
“But this isn’t me!” Paige whispered.
“Why are you being so difficult?” Anthony moaned. “Bianca and Rachel have dated half the guys at Peppington Prep. From seniors to freshmen! They know their stuff.”
Paige took another look at herself in the mirror. “You really think this outfit looks good on me?”
“The truth?”
“Yes!”
“Personally, as a gay guy, it does absolutely nothing for me. However—”
“So you do think it looks bad!”
“You didn’t let me finish! A straight guy is going to feel differently. This outfit is gonna rock his world!”
“Is Anthony still trying to talk you into this outfit?” Colleen moaned. “Come on, Paige! Make up your mind. Either you’re going to take it or you’re not. We’ve still got other stores to go to.”
Paige turned back to the cell phone and stuck her tongue out at Anthony. “All right. All right! I’ll buy it!”
“Bye!” Anthony said before disconnecting.
In the end, as they went from store to store, Paige allowed herself to be talked into the outfits the girls kept recommending. After all, when it came to acquiring boyfriends, Bianca and Rachel were the undisputed queens. Every other month, they had a hunky new guy. There was no arguing with success.