Free Take My Dress Off by S. Gilmour

and since we were late we picked through what was left of the breakfast bar…some dried out muffins and coffee.
    “This is shit,” complained Donny as we sat at a small round table. “I need real food. I need eggs and pancakes and pounds of greasy bacon.”
    “Hangover food,” said Danielle.
    “You are correct.” He wiggled his dark eyebrows. “Do we have time to slip outta here?”
    “No,” Danielle and I barked in unison.
    I looked over to Chaz who seemed distant and quiet. He held a Styrofoam cup in his hand, sipping on his coffee slowly.
    “Hey,” I smiled to him. “You okay?”
    “Sure, just really tired,” he offered weakly.
    “Hair of the dog?” asked Donny. He reached back to the empty table behind us and grabbed a half-empty bottle of champagne. “Paige, grab some OJ from the buffet.” I fetched the carafe of juice and some plastic cups. Donny quickly mixed up the drinks.
    “Mimosas, my friends. This will perk us right up.” He distributed cups of the bubbly juice to each of us.
    “Ugh,” scoffed Danielle. “How can you drink so early in the morning?”
    “It’s medicinal,” replied Donny. I took a few sips but it made me nauseous. Chaz gazed at the orange bubbly liquid for a moment then set the cup down. Donny seemed to be the only one who needed it.
    “Drink up, Chaz,” said Donny pouring himself another mimosa.
    Chaz shook his head.
    “C’mon,” encouraged Donny. “Quit being a little bitch.”
    A large Hispanic woman in a long, flowing, red dress strutted into the room. She was heavily made-up with dark hair piled onto her head. She cupped her hands over her mouth and shouted: “Models, please meet your stylists at their stations.”
    “Showtime, guys,” I sang and rose from my chair.
    Donny, being Donny, picked up each of our cups and downed what was left of the mimosas.
    It was a long morning. We had to sit for two hours in the small styling room before it was time for Nexus to present. The boys went first then it was our turn. Our hair was washed and blow-dried, our make-up applied, then we were all dressed in black from head to toe. Tight, black, mini-dresses for the girls, black shirts, ties, and slacks for the guys. Finally, we were up on the stage. Trent quickly parted my hair and clipped up the sections. He combed each section down and ran the too-hot crimping iron over it. I could hear my hair sizzle as he talked into a microphone explaining what he was doing. Danielle was in the chair facing me getting her hot-pink streaked hair curled, her eyes getting bigger every time her chair was spun to face my direction. There were no mirrors on the stage so I had no idea what Trent was doing to me. I glanced over to where Donny and Chaz were waiting off stage. Donny beamed and gave me a “thumbs up” sign, Chaz just stared blankly and I wondered if he hated my hairstyle. His hair had been styled into a pompadour and he was striking with his blond hair contrasting the black clothing.
    Finally, Trent was finished. He dramatically pulled the black smock from me like a magician with his cape and presented his creation. I looped arms with him and we strutted down the runway in step with the music to applause and whistles. Trent stopped and I continued, turning slowly at the end of the ramp. I returned and waited with Trent as Raphael and Danielle took their turn. Donny and Chaz strutted up behind us and we posed as camera flashes went off. We all walked to the end of the ramp, turned, and headed back. Trent and Raphael took a bow then we all exited the stage as the stylists said their thanks.
    “Damn, Paige, you are fierce with that hair,” said Donny as we walked down the hallway and headed back to the styling room to change into our clothes and get our vouchers signed.
    “It feels huge!”
    “Wait till you see it,” teased Danielle.
    “I don’t like that tone, Dan,” scolded Donny.
    I turned to Chaz, “Is it really bad?”
    “No.” He leaned down and whispered, “In