So that is how a real gay man behaves, Alex thought to herself as she watched Lawrence gently stroking her long hair and giving every single dark strand his undivided attention.
Dressed in a bright pink-and-white-striped shirt neatly tucked in the dark-grey skinny jeans, he looked immaculate. Not to mention those crocodile skin shoes and that sleek bob hairstyle made him seem almost on the verge of being tipped over the fashionable scale.
Alex noticed that Lawrence behaved nothing like Jayden. Lawrence was sweet-talking, his voice always high-pitched, and his hands were constantly moving in a wishy-washy fashion as he spoke. Occasionally, those hands touched the man’s backside whenever Lawrence happened to pass a particular male he fancied. Oh, yes! Lawrence—a sweet gay man who treated every woman like his best girlfriend—behaved nothing like Jayden.
“Darling, how could you ruin your hair like that?” he said. “Simply not done, darling, simply not done.”
Alex, who was sitting on a high chair with a full-length mirror in front of her, wanted to laugh at the situation she found herself in. She was surrounded by beautiful, fashionably dressed people, Lawrence as the chief stylish, Lisa as a beauty therapist and makeup artist, and Mitch as a hairdresser. They were all examining her and touching her hair, face, and hands.
“Can you do it?” Kelly asked finally from somewhere behind Lawrence, which Alex couldn’t quite see.
“Of course I can do it,” Lawrence said, hands on hips. “Are you questioning my ability, darling?”
Kelly chuckled. “No, Lawrence, I’m not questioning your ability. Otherwise, we wouldn’t be here, right?”
Lawrence did a high-pitched laugh, his hand delicately waving in the air. “Of course, darling. Of course.” He turned to Alex. “Now then, I assume you’ve had this dark hair since forever?”
Alex nodded.
“Ah. Boring color, this. Doesn’t suit your complexion at all, sweetie.”
“Really?”
“Yes. Too dark for your fair skin. We’re going to change that.” Lawrence turned to Lisa. “Light brown, Lisa, with a hint of blond. The cut? Layer! Lots and lots of layers. And some curls. Understand?”
Lisa nodded.
Lawrence returned his attention to Alex. “Now then, sweetie, your skin needs special care. It’s so dry, yet it’s oily around your T-zone. I’m no dermatologist, but I can see that you need some help there.” He did another high-pitched laugh as he turned to Gracie, Kelly, and Stephanie. “Luckily, I have just the right person who’ll be able to help.”
The three women, all smiling, nodded at him in acknowledgment. Lawrence turned back to Alex and touched her chin. “Sweetie,” he said, a hint of jealousy in his voice. “You are one lucky gal. How could you hide yourself in there? Your eyes, your straight nose, your full lips. It’s model material.” He shook his head. “I wouldn’t mind trading my soul for that pair of kissable lips.”
Kelly chuckled. “Lawrence, you’re supposed to be gay.”
Lawrence turned to Kelly and glared. “Darling, I am gay. I desperately want Alex’s lips because I want Jayden to notice me. Speaking of which, is he here?”
“No, he is not,” Kelly replied. “A lunch appointment with Mr. Marcelo.”
“Is that so?” Lawrence commented. “Heard they are having a cocktail party tonight at the Marcelo’s Hotel. Speaking of which, better tell Amy to mess up Britney’s makeup. What do you think? Never liked that woman.”
Alex laughed. She couldn’t help herself. “Does she come here often?”
“Oh, yes, sweetie, all the time,” Lawrence replied. He made it sound as though the very thought of Britney coming was exhausting in itself. “Can’t get enough of us, even when we mess up her hair.” With his hands clasped together, Lawrence said, “I think I got it all sorted. Shall we begin, darling?”
And so began Alex’s makeover. While she waited for her hair to color, Lawrence made her have her manicure and pedicure done. Once her hair was washed off, Lawrence dragged her to a cozy, private room where her legs were waxed, her whole body exfoliated, massaged, and moisturized. She felt so good and so relaxed she almost fell asleep if not for the fact she needed to go to the toilet. At the corridor in one of the other private rooms, she overheard a conversation that bugged her.
“I heard she’s Jayden McCartney’s girlfriend,” a woman’s voice said. A massage therapist?
“Jayden’s girlfriend?” Another voice scoffed.
Alex was sure this one belonged to Britney.
“She’s not Jayden’s girlfriend. Besides, that girl has no backbone. What a total loser. If she’s his girlfriend, she doesn’t behave like one. By the way, have you seen her? She’s so plain. Jayden would never date a girl like her. I mean, why would he go for her when he has someone like me? I’m rich, I’m hot, and I’m fun. What more does he want?”
The woman said, “That’s not what I heard.”
Alex gritted her teeth in disgust. She heard enough. That Britney was a bitch, and God, how she wanted to slap that woman.
So she didn’t behave like a girlfriend behaved, did she? “Well, we’ll see about that,” she muttered under her breath as she marched down the corridor, her head high.
Alex was exhausted by the time Lawrence was finished with her. Now, she stood in front of the mirror and could hardly recognize herself. She was stunned, and by the looks of it, so was everyone. But not Lawrence because he had a fat, satisfied smile on his face.
“Oh my God,” Kelly said in awe.
Alex bit her lip. Yes, she still had on her skinny jeans and T-shirt, but she looked utterly different. Her complexion was glowing with health, her ash-brown hair with blond highlights was glossy and shining, her eyes were sparkling with vitality, and she felt different, too. She thought the change on the outside had changed something inside her as well—her confidence.
Jayden, eat your heart out!
She wondered if he’d be able to recognize her. The thought caused her to smile broadly. Yes, it was about time she took control of this whole masquerade. Jayden wanted her to pretend to be his girlfriend, Britney wanted to be Jayden’s perfect girlfriend, and everyone expected her to be in love with Jayden. Then so be it. She would be Jayden’s perfect girlfriend.
* * * * *
CHAPTER 15