Campaign for Love

by Annabelle Stevens

  Elsa giggled. "Was that all he stayed for?"

  "Yes, damn it, although I did get a super goodnight kiss."

  "That's better than a poke in the eye with a sharp stick, as your gran used to say."

  She giggled at the recollection of all they had shared. "Lots better, believe me. Goodbye now, and let me hear from you."

  Elsa said she would and rang off.

  Suzy spent the rest of the day taking care of the usual dull household chores, and Quentin was on her mind all day. That night she had wonderfully erotic dream about Quentin, but even in her dream, though he kissed her and fondled her, that was as far as it went.

  Perhaps she was not as ready to take the plunge as she had hoped. But when Suzy awoke in the morning, she tried to comfort herself by wondering if perhaps it was impossible to dream of an experience one had never had.

  After a late breakfast, she looked up Quentin's number in the phone book, something she'd never done before with any man, but afterwards she found it she knew it wasn't in her to call him without a good excuse. Try as she might, she couldn't think of one. But as it happened, she didn't have to. About an hour later, he called her.

  "Hi, Suzanna," he greeted her. "It's Quentin."

  "Hello, Quentin. What a nice surprise."

  "I wanted to tell you again how much I enjoyed your dinner. Well, er... That's not quite true. I really had a sudden urge to hear your voice. Has anyone ever told you that you have a soothing voice?"

  She could feel her cheeks heat. "No, I can't say that they have, but it's kind of you to say so."

  "Now that I've heard your voice, I do want to tell you again that the dinner was super. So was your playing and singing. I think a person could know you a lifetime and still learn something new about you every day."

  "That would certainly keep life from becoming monotonous, wouldn't it?" she laughed.

  He was silent for a moment on the other end of the line and then said, "I have to be honest here. All I know is that since you came to be my assistant, I look forward to work days and find weekends dull."

  "Does that mean my job is secure?" she asked in a bantering tone.

  "I'd rather part with my right hand. In fact, you are my right hand. Which reminds me, remember they had to reschedule the Femme Fatale work we were supposed to have done on Wednesday? Well, we're expected to be at there at nine Monday morning. Why don't I pick you up at eight-thirty and we'll go directly there instead of wasting time going to the office first?"

  "Good idea. I'll be down in front of my building at eight-thirty so you don't have to keep a cab waiting."

  His next words sounded almost disappointed. "Okay. See you then. Bye."

  As she hung up the phone, Suzanna grinned to herself. Her gran had always said, 'The way to a man's heart is through his stomach.' Could it be that simple? Could he really be falling for her due to her dinner?

  Or was it also worth playing a little bit harder to get?

  CHAPTER SIXTEEN

  Suzanna had just stepped from the elevator when she saw the taxi pull up in front of her building.

  Quentin stepped out and helped her into the cab with a curiously old-fashioned attentiveness which set her pulse racing. He slid back in beside her closely, then gave the cabbie the address of Femme Fatale Cosmetics.

  Once they were on their way, he turned to Suzy, kissed her on the cheek and linked her arm through his. They smiled at one another, and she felt her heart surge in her chest.

  "I forgot to tell you," Quentin said, "that Femme Fatale has hit a snag. I told you they liked the idea of one model, and the snaps of the girls you suggested, but the trouble is, they can't find exactly the right model."

  "But those girls were all gorgeous."

  "That's the trouble."

  "Pardon me?"

  "They're too gorgeous. You see, they want to do a 'before' and 'after', so the model has to be average, without make-up, but spectacular with it. They also want a brand new face-one that no one has seen before in connection with any other commercial, someone uniquely their own. And they want the whole campaign to launch as soon as possible, because they've decided to push ahead much faster than before, and hit the Christmas market."

  She frowned. "Wow. That's a pretty tall order."

  "I guess they feel they can't afford to wait."

  "Well, there must be lots of undiscovered beauties out there. Maybe they could have a contest. You know, have girls submit an eight by ten color photo without make-up, and one with. Or a talent search. Have scouts go to restaurants in business districts during lunch hour. They could check out the waitresses and everyone else out and about.

  "If they go for the contest, they could advertise. You know, 'Would you like to be a Femme Fatale? Our cosmetics can change you from Girl Next Door to Glamor Queen.' Some slogan like that."

  "That sounds terrific," he said with a smile, "but the time element is against it. That's why they wanted to see us. They want to introduce us to their product so that we can start with layouts and copy while they find the face that fits."

  "In that case, the talent scout idea is probably best. What about co-eds? We have N.Y.U., Columbia, Fordham, Brooklyn College, all the high schools and colleges. They should come up with someone in less than a week."

  He nodded approvingly. "That sounds like the way to go. We'll offer the suggestions, and they can take it from there."

  "Tell me about the people we're seeing this morning."

  "One is Felix Morgan, President and Chairman of the Board of Femme Fatale. The other is his assistant, formerly a famous model, I understand, and very knowledgeable."

  "What's her name, do you remember?"

  ''Yes, I think it's Maxine Barr."

  "Maxine Barr? She was a big name a while back. She called herself 'Candy,' Barr and her gimmick was to carry little chocolate bars with her name printed in black and gold foil wrapping. She'd give them out instead of autographs. She was tops for a few years. Then, she dropped out of sight. I think she married and retired. But I guess she must be looking to further her business interests. Who would know more about cosmetics than an ex-model."

  The taxi pulled up to the curb in front of F. F. Cosmetics. Quentin paid off the driver and they found their way to Felix Morgan's office.

  Suzanna, who had carried out her plan to leave off her restraining undergarments and wear instead loose dresses with a pashmina, scarves, boxy jackets and other means of camouflage, had made an effort to look a bit more attractive for Quentin, and she could see it was paying off from the way he kept looking at her.

  She wore a heavy beige linen suit with an attractive wide-sleeved jacket, an ivory blouse with a lace jabot, beige high-heeled pumps, and matching sheer pantyhose. Her hair was still up, but not as tightly. A few curly tendrils had escaped and wisped around her face. Her lip gloss was pale pink, as was her blusher, and she had risked some eyeshadow behind the fake specs.

  She looked clean and wholesome, the kind of girl a man would like to take home to mother, but not necessarily to bed, she had to admit to herself.

  As they entered the reception area, they were greeted by the secretary, who told them to go right in to Mr. Morgan's office. He was expecting them eagerly, and greeted them both with a firm handshake.

  Quentin introduced him to Suzanna, and then Felix Morgan asked them to have a seat. He called his assistant on the phone, and just as they were helping themselves to coffee, a beautiful woman emerged from the next office and joined them.

  Even before she was introduced, Suzanna knew who she was. Maxine "Candy" Barr was still gorgeous, her skin flawless, her clothes impeccable, and the height of comfortable fashion.

  Felix suggested, "Let's all go into the studio where you can get an idea of what our cosmetic line is like."

  'Candy' Barr had been studying Suzanna ever since she had entered the room. "Examination complete," she said, "Ms. Sills, you have an interesting face-clear eyes, excellent bone structure, and perfect skin. I notice you we
ar virtually no make-up. Would you mind if we had our beautician work on you? I think you'll be surprised at the difference it will make."

  "Of course she wouldn't mind. Would you, Suzanna?" Quentin asked.

  She flushed to the roots of her hair and tried not to panic. "Oh, I don't know. I think I'd feel a little foolish."

  "No need for that," boomed Felix Morgan. "I bet you'll turn out great."

  That, thought Suzanna, was exactly the problem.

  "Go ahead, Candy. Call Bruce," Felix said with a smile.

  Candy had Bruce paged. While they were waiting for their make-up man to arrive, Candy took a digital camera out of a cabinet and put a stool in the middle of the room under a bright light.

  Then she told her to take off her glasses and proceeded to snap pictures of Suzanna from every angle despite her protests. When she had finished, she said, "Will you come with me, Ms. Sills?"

  Suzanna cast a worried look over at Quentin, but he seemed completely oblivious to her dismay. She had no choice but to follow obediently.

  Next they were in a dressing room with brightly-lit mirrors. Candy handed Suzy a white terry wrap-around with Velcro side fastenings.

  "Get out of your clothes and into this before Bruce gets here."

  She did as she was directed.

  "Not that Bruce would mind. He's not that way inclined. So don't let yourself get hung up on him working on you."

  "What makes you think I would get hung up?" Suzy asked quietly.

  "Look, I live in New York. I know what it is like. Believe me, I've had my fair share of hassles over the years. But I think your problem is worse than that. I can't figure out why a woman as beautiful as you would go to such lengths to disguise it. It must be a really serious problem. An abusive ex- or something?"

  She shook her head, stunned that the other woman had guessed so much about her with literally once glance. "No, nothing like that, just men in general. And I wanted to be wanted for me, making it in the business world, not because I am pretty, but because I have the talent and brains."

  "Amen to that!"

  "You are very astute to have worked out my secret so quickly," Suzanna remarked.

  Candy grinned. "No, it's just that the people you've been dealing with are a bit obtuse."

  Suzanna had been removing her clothing slowly and reluctantly. She was down to fetching pink teddy and pantyhose when Candy gaped, then gave a low, unladylike whistle. "You're incredible!" she breathed. "Take the rest of that stuff off and let's see what you're hiding."

  Suzanna wasn't coy and had no false modesty. She had merely been reluctant to give up her protective disguise. Now, she stepped out of her remaining garments without a second thought.

  "Mama mia!" said Candy. "That's about the sexiest body I've seen in years. Talk about hourglass. Thanks. Now put on that sarong before Bruce gets here. You might make him forget he's gay."

  Suzanna had just secured the fastenings under her arm when there was a knock and Bruce entered. Once he'd been introduced, he too gave Suzy the double take.

  Then he said, "I take it this isn't going to be the usual run of the mill before and after. You've found your Femme Fatale, haven't you?"

  "My God, yes! She is perfect, isn't she?" Candy breathed. "Suzanna, would you do it if this make-up job turns out the way I'm sure it will?"

  Suzanna looked doubtful. "I don't think—"

  "But you'd be just the right kind of woman for us! Not only are you an unknown now, but I don't think you'd ever give up your career for modeling, which means no one else could ever use our Femme Fatale. We could have an exclusive."

  Suzy shook her head. "First of all, you don't know how I'll make up, or if I'm photogenic," she said matter-of-factly. "Secondly, how would I fit modeling for you into my working day? I do have a job, you know, helping you design the copy for the campaign. Thirdly, and most important, how would Quentin Pierce and Elder and Rubin feel about it? They are going to find out just what a fraud I am once they see the real me."

  "Let Felix handle Quentin Pierce, and let Quentin handle Elder and Rubin. Don't forget, we're a big account. I'm sure they'll co-operate.

  "As for the real you, don't you think it’s about time you came out of your cocoon, little butterfly?"

  All this time, Bruce had been laying out colors like an artist applying paints to a palette. He threw a towel over her shoulders and rinsed her face with tepid water.

  After drying it thoroughly, he applied foundation that matched her complexion on her shoulders, face and neck. He was fast and he was good.

  A blusher came next, followed by eye-liner, mascara, eye shadow and a bit of pencil to the outer ends of her brows. The finishing touch was a deep coral-pink lip gloss. Bruce stood back to admire his work, frowned a bit, then removed the pins from her hair and allowed her magnificent chestnut mane to cascade in rippling waves to her shoulders. He took a comb and brush, fluffed, flipped and styled until it shone.

  "Your hair has gorgeous body and texture," he said. "I could almost go for you myself."

  Candy was as stunned as Bruce at the results. They had exceeded her expectations, but now it was time for the acid test. Although Bruce and Candy saw a sensational change, Suzy was simply seeing herself as she always looked before she adopted her disguise. Their admiration was good for her self-esteem, though. She'd almost gotten used to being drab.

  They removed the towel from around her shoulders, and the effect was even better. In the sarong, Suzy looked as if she were wearing a strapless white gown.

  "Now for the moment of truth," said Candy. She walked to the door, opened it with a flourish and said, "Gentlemen, I give you, Femme Fatale!"

  There was a moment's hush as Suzanna's eyes flew to Quentin's face. His expression was one of stunned amazement and admiration. Felix's was of pure delight.

  "By Gad!" he exclaimed. "You are absolutely the most gorgeous female I've ever seen! Sit on the stool, dear. Candy, get the camera and take the 'after' pictures."

  Candy got the camera once more and posed Suzy just as she had for the 'before' shots. When she had completed the duplicate series, they placed them side by side. There was no doubt about it. Suzy was perfect.

  Candy turned, first to Felix and asked, "What do you think?"

  He nodded his head approvingly. "Perfect, like I said."

  Then Candy asked, "Mr. Pierce, would you allow Suzanna to be our Femme Fatale? No one on the outside will know her real identity, which fits our requirement of anonymity. She will be a new face that will be ours exclusively.

  "Also, it will be convenient. You and Suzanna are going on location for us anyway, so in addition to her salary from Elder and Rubin, she'll be paid the same money as a top model. She'll also get to keep the considerable wardrobe that will be custom made for her because of her wonderful figure and tiny waist."

  Quentin smiled down at Candy. Suzanna noticed that he didn't once look at her.

  "For the life of me, I can't see why not. Nor can I think of any objection on the part of Elder and Rubin. It isn't as if she'd be taking time off from her regular job. But looks as if the decision rests with Ms. Sills."

  He turned his unfathomable eyes to her then. "What do you say, Suzanna?"

  Suzy was undecided for a moment, but when she looked around at the hopeful faces awaiting her answer, she smiled and said, "Okay. As long as my real name won't be used, I think it could be interesting."

  With that, Candy, Felix and even Bruce shook her hand and gave her a hug and kiss on the cheek. Only Quentin stood in the background with a confused and unreadable look in his eyes.

  He looked so lost that Suzanna had an almost overpowering urge to take him in her arms and say, "There, there," as she cradled his head against her bosom.

  But instead Suzy broke the spell by saying, "I'd better get dressed now. We have to get back to the office and we still haven't had lunch."

  "Fine," said Felix Morgan. "We have standard contracts ready to be filled in and signed. May we as
k you to sign one saying that we have exclusive rights to your modeling services as long as you are our Femme Fatale?"

  "Of course," said Suzanna. "If you'll get them ready while I'm dressing, I'll sign them on the way out. I'll be right with you, Mr. Pierce."

  She went back into the dressing room to put on her clothes, but she left her hair the way Bruce had arranged it and kept her make-up on.

  Back in Felix's office, she sat long enough to read the contracts. She also asked Quentin to read them to make sure there was nothing in them to offend or bother Elder and Rubin.

  Upon receiving his approval, she signed them. There were handshakes all around, Suzy thanked Bruce and they said their farewells.