Is He Or Isn't He? (2 page)

“Ugh!” Anthony exclaimed. “Must you share your germs? And you're dripping sweat all over the kitchen.”

Paolo looked around at all the trays of food on the counter.

“Not another party?” he groaned.

“Don't worry, this isn't one of my usual extravaganzas,” Anthony said, throwing ice cubes and strawberries into a blender as he prepared to make nonalcoholic daiquiris. “I'm saving that for Halloween. I just invited a few friends over for an end-of-summer party.”

“How many is a few?”

“Around twenty or thirty.” Anthony put the lid on the blender and pressed a button. Soon the sound of crushing ice filled the kitchen. “I can't remember,” he shouted over the din.

Paolo slapped himself on the forehead. “Mom and Dad would flip if they knew how many people you were having over.”

Anthony gave his brother a pointed look. “They won't know unless someone tells them.”

Paige loved Anthony's parents. They were both so glamorous and she never tired of hearing how they fell in love when they were both students at the Fashion Institute of Technology. Anthony's parents were Lorenzo and Francesca DeMarco, fashion designers who were known around the world. The L & F logo—which first appeared when they were students and Lorenzo had carved a heart on a tree with an L & F inside of it—appeared on everything from jeans, shirts, dresses, underwear, shoes, and perfume bottles to sheets and housewares. If there was a spot on an object where the L & F logo could be stamped, it was!

Because they were constantly opening up boutiques across the country and overseeing the production of their merchandise in Europe, Anthony's parents were rarely in New York. They made an appearance at least once a month and Paolo was usually responsible for taking care of Anthony, although one of their many aunts usually stopped by to make sure the refrigerator was well stocked with food and the penthouse was still in one piece.

Paige's home life was no different. Her mother was the soap actress Camille Crane. She starred on the daytime soap opera
The Yields of Passion
, where she played the much-married and much-divorced Priscilla Foxworth—not much of a stretch from Camille's own life. Fans of the show
loved
Camille and the wicked character she played.

Paige wished she had a closer relationship with her mother, who lived year-round in Los Angeles, where
The Yields of Passion
was taped, but the only person Camille
seemed to care about was herself. Even though her mother had let her down in the past, Paige had hoped that this year things would be different. She had so been looking forward to spending the summer with Camille. She figured that she and her mother could spend a lot of time together. She would hang out on the set of the soap, they'd go shopping and maybe even take a car ride down the coast for a long weekend, stopping in cute little towns along the way. Camille would ask what was new in her life and she'd tell her.

None of that had happened.

With the exception of a once-a-week phone call with Camille, Paige hardly had any contact with her mother during the school year; it was no different in July and August. First, Camille forgot to pick her up at the airport. Then, when she arrived at Camille's house, she wasn't there. When her mother finally put in an appearance after three days—she'd been rejuvenating herself at a health spa—she apologized for her forgetfulness and then flew off to the Bahamas, where
The Yields of Passion
was filming some episodes on location (Priscilla had been kidnapped by a voodoo priest who was obsessed with her and was preparing to sacrifice her on his altar of love unless she married him). When Camille finally returned from the Bahamas after three weeks, she still didn't have time for Paige. She was either busy taping her show or running off to some party with her latest boy toy. Paige had kept herself busy with shopping and movies, but she didn't have any friends in California and by the end of July, she was bored out of her mind. When August finally rolled around, Paige couldn't stand it anymore. She left her mother a note and hopped a plane back to New York.

She hadn't heard a word from her mother since leaving.

Paolo put the bottle of Gatorade back in the refrigerator. “I'm going to be in my room doing some reading. Classes have already started for me and my professors have really doled out the work. Try to keep the noise level down, okay?”

“Okay, okay,” Anthony promised, pouring a daiquiri for Paige and adding a swirly straw. “Now beat it. Your antiparty buzz is destroying the mood.”

“Bye, Paolo,” Paige called, taking a sip of her daiquiri as Paolo left the kitchen. “Mmmm. Good.”

Anthony poured himself a daiquiri. “Now that you've heard all about my depressing summer, it's my turn to hear all about your fabulous one. Cheer me up! Confess! I want to hear
everything
. Did you meet any hot young actors? Dance on table tops? Make a naughty video? Paige Crane in
Girls Gone Wild Part Thirty
! Go to any fun parties? Camille must get tons of invitations.”

“Yes, she does, but she didn't share any of them with me.”

“How come?”

“She never asked me. She either went by herself or with whoever the latest boyfriend of the week was. I think the new one's name is Bruno, but that could have changed since I left.”

“Did you ask her if you could tag along?”

“No.”

“Well, duh!” Anthony took a sip of his daiquiri. “How would she know that you wanted to go if you didn't tell her?”

“Why should I have to ask? Besides, the parties don't matter. I just wanted to spend time with her. That's why I flew out there!”

“Did you tell her that?”

“Why should I? She should know. She's my mother!”

“Paige, sweetie, I've met your mother. She's
such
a diva. So over the top. Big hair. Big clothes. Big jewelry. Big ego. She's into herself and the character she plays on TV. I think she just needs to be reminded that she's supposed to be doing Mom-like things.”

“Next time she calls I'll tell her I need a dozen cupcakes for the school bake sale,” Paige said dryly. “I can just see her becoming the new Betty Crocker. Not.”

“Look, I know Camille is never going to be Mother of the Year, but cut her a little slack. She's not that bad.”

“I suppose you're right,” Paige grudgingly admitted. “It's just that I'm still mad at her! I spent the entire summer by myself.”

“Then why didn't
you
call
me
?” Anthony demanded. “Misery loves company. We could have consoled each other.”

“I didn't want to spoil things for you and Ian. I knew you'd be worried about me and probably insist that I fly out.”

“That's exactly what I would have done.” Anthony shook his head. “We're both two of a kind. Here I thought we were going to be like Sandy and Danny in
Grease
, telling each other about our hot summer nights. Instead they were lonely summer nights. Okay, new promise. You ready?”

“Ready.”

“When we go off to college next year, we talk or e-mail each other
every
day. Deal?”

“Deal!”

“So you want to take a look at the outside?”

Paige nodded and followed Anthony out of the kitchen,
daiquiri in hand, eager to see his decorations. Anthony's parties always had some great theme.

“What do you think?” Anthony asked, throwing open the French doors that led outside to the penthouse deck.

“Wow! I thought you said this wasn't going to be one of your usual extravaganzas.”

“I lied.”

Anthony had transformed his deck into a Hawaiian paradise. There were palm trees with coconuts, pineapples and bananas on their branches, lush orchids and other tropical-looking flowers, thatched huts, tiki torches and piles of white sand everywhere. There was even a roasted pig turning on a spit!

“How did you do all this on such short notice?” Paige asked.

Anthony flipped out his cell phone. “There's a prop shop that my parents use when they have their fashion shows. I gave them a call and told them I needed whatever they had that was Hawaiian.”

“They even had the pig?”

“The caterer provided that. I'm good with putting together munchies, but that's about it. You know I can't cook to save my life. We're going to have a chef who's going to barbecue burgers and hot dogs and chicken. And he'll also slice up the pig.”

“Is that the ocean I hear?” Paige asked, still amazed by what she was seeing.

“It's a sound machine. I figured we could listen to some lapping waves and the screech of seagulls before we switch over to music.” Anthony glanced at his watch. “I better go
change before everyone gets here. You better go change, too.”

“Into what?”

Anthony's mouth dropped open. “Paige Elizabeth Crane! You're not telling me you didn't bring a swimsuit, did you?”

“What's wrong with what I'm wearing?” Paige was wearing a short-sleeve hot pink cotton blouse tied in a knot at her waist with white shorts and flip-flops. Her light brown hair was worn in a ponytail tied in a matching pink ribbon and she had a pair of sunglasses perched on top of her head.

“Nothing, but you don't look like you're going to the beach. You look like you're going to a family barbecue out in the suburbs.”

“I do not!”

Anthony grabbed Paige by the hand and dragged her back into the apartment. “Come with me.”

After depositing Paige in his parents' bedroom, Anthony returned with a box filled with brightly colored fabrics. He handed the box to Paige.

“What's this?” she asked suspiciously, knowing Anthony was up to something.

“Swimsuits from this year's L & F line. My parents have a whole storeroom full of stuff next to the kitchen. You should be able to find something that fits in there.”

Paige fingered through the string bikinis. “These don't leave much to the imagination.”

“They're not supposed to!” Anthony huffed in exasperation. “You've got a great body, Paige! Show it off! Use it to find yourself a boyfriend.”

Paige's lack of a boyfriend was a sore point and a topic she didn't like discussing. She was seventeen years old and
still hadn't had a serious boyfriend. Sure, there had been dates and a few kisses here and there, but she still hadn't had a deep, feel-it-all-through-your-body-toe-curling kiss from the one guy who you know is
the one
. Of course, one needed to be asked out on a date in order to acquire a boyfriend, and for the last few months her phone hadn't been ringing. Hopefully that would change with the beginning of senior year.

“I'll meet you outside in fifteen minutes,” Anthony said. “Make yourself into the gorgeous babe I know you can be!”

After Anthony left, Paige went through the box. There had to be something in here that she could wear. After digging through the tiny bits of fabric, she finally found something she could live with.

“Leave it to you to find the only one-piece swimsuit,” Anthony sighed fifteen minutes later when Paige joined him back outside wearing a one-piece L & F swimsuit in neon yellow.

“You said to find something in the box,” Paige said with an innocent smile.

“Okay, you win this round, but I'm not giving up. One of these days I'm going to unleash the sexy babe that I know is inside you.”

“If it's any consolation, you look like you could star on the WB.”

Anthony was wearing a pair of boxer-cut swim trunks with a lime green and yellow diagonal stripe pattern. Around his neck he had a white shell necklace on a thin leather strap and he was wearing a white tank top.

“If we had more time I'd do something about your hair
but we don't,” Anthony said.

Paige reached up to her ponytail in a panic. “What's wrong with my hair?”

“Nothing! But straight guys love chicks with long flowing hair.”

Paige raised an eyebrow at Anthony. “And how would you know that?”

Anthony raised an eyebrow right back at Paige. “Gym class. Locker room. Straight guys. You do the math.”

“Gotcha.” Paige plopped herself down on a chaise lounge. “When is everyone supposed to start arriving?”

“Eight o'clock. I'm sure the place will be packed by nine. Have you spoken to anyone since you've been home?”

“Colleen and I have been playing phone tag and I haven't heard from Bianca and Rachel.”

“I wonder what kind of mischief those two have been getting into. They sent me an e-mail, saying they were coming.”

“I'm sure they were auditioning all summer long.”

“For what?” Anthony asked. “You know I love them both, but when are they going to get a clue?”

Bianca and Rachel Torres were identical twins and heiresses to the Torres Taco fortune, which included a line of frozen Mexican dinners. Bianca and Rachel were two of the richest teenagers in Manhattan, but there was one thing their family fortune couldn't do for them: make them stars.

Paige didn't want to be mean, but Bianca and Rachel were
desperately
untalented. They were constantly trying to find a way to claim their fifteen minutes of fame, often with disastrous results. First they tried to be models (they were bored walking down the runway and didn't like the constant
changing of clothes), then actresses (they couldn't remember their lines and asked if it were possible to have cue cards made) and then pop singers (dogs AND cats howled when they heard the twins sing). Now they were determined to claim their fame via reality TV and were always trying out for shows.

Anthony glanced at his watch. “They'll be here soon enough, so I'm sure they'll let us know what they've been up to.”

“Why can't they be happy running for something like Homecoming Queen?”