The Makeup Artist Ch. 06

We lay there silently, still trying to catch our breath, but gently kissing and nipping at each other's lips. I could still taste my sweet honey on her lips and I kissed her harder and deeper.

I suddenly started giggling as I realized how loud I had been.

"What's so funny?" she asked.

When I told her what I was laughing at, unable to resist, she joined me in my happiness and we hugged each other tight.

As we continued to lie there, my cell phone rang. I slid out of the bed and went to answer it.

"You have such a cute ass," Monica said, admiring my nude body. I smiled as I heard her chuckling behind me. I pulled my phone out of my handbag.

"Hello?"

"Hey, Nikii! It's Saadia. I'm on my way. I'll see you in about 15 minutes." She paused. "I hope you didn't get bored waiting for me?" she teased.

Monica winked at me from the bed.

I had to laugh.

~~~

"How are your waffles?" Saadia asked as she touched her napkin to her thin, delicate lips. My sorority sister and I sat across from each other in an elegant, yet cozy restaurant in Caesar's Palace.

"Delicious," I winked at the gorgeous woman in front of me. "Very tasty."

She was relaxing in her chair, finishing up a healthy fruit and cheese plate. As she picked up her champagne flute and sipped on one of the mimosas she'd ordered for us, she winked back at me.

We had a good time laughing and giggling, getting to know each other by sharing some of our sorority pledge stories. Though I was trying my best to remain professional and friendly, Saadia's pretty face and beautiful figure kept urging me on to think very erotic thoughts.

Saadia's face, golden bronze and dotted with cute freckles, had a distinct angelic quality that soothed me. She wore light makeup: just a bit of sable eyeshadow, black mascara and a touch of shimmery pink lipgloss, but the total effect was wondrous. Her rich auburn hair was again styled in tight, curly ringlets that gently skimmed her shoulders.

She wore a tailored business suit that hugged her every curve; the soft material a rich, vibrant coral shade that looked divine against her smooth, bronze skin. Her long legs, clad in neutral-colored stockings, sloped into dainty feet in expensive high-heeled shoes that perfectly matched her suit.

Still aflame from my earlier romp with Monica, my pulse raced a bit faster as I watched Saadia's lips. I shivered thinking about how wonderful they would feel kissing my smooth thighs and inching up to my now moist pussy.

Fire was added to that flame as I watched her tongue peek out every so often as she took the last tiny bites of her meal. The innocent, yet erotic sight was almost too much to bear.

Both of us being members of the prestigious Rho Sigma Tau Sorority, the most elite and most erotic African-American sorority in existence, meant two things: First, it meant that we were two of the hottest, sexiest and most passionate women on our respective college campuses. Second, it meant that we were always ready, willing and able to explore our passions with our fellow sorority sisters.

But first we had to work. I took my focus off Saadia's lips and put it back onto her words as she began to speak.

"I have your copy of Nicole's schedule for tonight right here." She reached into her briefcase next to her chair and handed me a neatly typed sheet of paper. "We're all going to meet this evening at the Pussycat Doll Lounge for rehearsal at 5pm. We start getting her dressed at 6pm for her press interviews that start at 7pm. There's a meet and greet with some of the hotel VIP's at 8pm. After that, she gets to chill until about 10:30pm. Then she has to get ready for the show."

She took the last sip of her drink before she continued. "There'll be two costume changes so it'll take us some time to make sure she's fitted and fully prepped for everything. Then she performs at midnight. The afterparty starts at 2am and runs on into the night. Now because she'll be changing outfits several times tonight, I'll need a few different looks for her makeup. Can you handle that?"

I nodded. I then asked about Nicole's wardrobe and we talked at length about what looks they wanted to achieve.

We discussed a few more details and after agreeing on the terms, we completed the paperwork and signed the contract. Looking at my watch, it was just about 11am.

Saadia checked her own watch. "Again, I'll need you to report to the Pussycat Doll Lounge at 5pm sharp. And if you want, you can even come earlier to hang out and get familiar with the place. I'll let the doormen know you're coming."

I nodded again.

She sat back in her chair, crossed her smooth, golden-bronze legs and stared at me. "So after I show you to your room, what are you going to do until five? Just chill?" She took a curly lock of her hair in her fingers and twirled it around. "You thinking about hanging out in bed?" she winked.

Smiling, I shook my head. "I wish! Actually, I really need to go shopping. I've used so much product over the past two days that I need to replenish almost everything I have. I need to go to a department store, a beauty supply store and maybe an art store."

"Do you have a car? A rental or anything?"

"No, I was just going to take a taxi. But I thought about renting a car for the day."

"Well, let's go to the front desk, then. We'll get you hooked up." She motioned for the waiter. I looked over the schedule again and made a few notes while she settled the bill. Then she rose from the table and extended her hand.

"Shall we?"

~~~

Several hours later, Saadia and I relaxed in my new luxury suite at Caesar's Palace. The rooms were enormous, beautifully decorated and each had an awesome view of the Las Vegas Strip.

I sat cross-legged on the bed, surrounded by tens of small packages, grinning like it was Christmas morning. I gleefully opened them all, removed the makeup and art products inside and set everything around me. I had my makeup case out and open and I was carefully organizing my products and placing them inside.

"I'm glad you got everything you needed," Saadia said as she sat next to me on the edge of the bed. "And it was fun shopping with you. But I can't believe you actually shared some of your make-up secrets with me."

"And if you tell anyone, you're in trouble." I teased.

"Oh yeah? What are you gonna do?"

"This." I reached over and pinched her thigh.

"Ouch! You're mean," she said as she rubbed the tender spot.

I looked into her eyes. The bright, Vegas sunlight reflected in them and I loved the sparkles that danced within. Suddenly I was overtaken with emotion because of this beautiful, exotic woman.

I leaned in close. "Thanks for everything."

She leaned in closer. "It's my pleasure." Her soft, inviting lips hovered dangerously near mine.

Just then a cell phone rang. "It's mine," she sighed as she slid off the bed and grabbed the phone from her handbag. Reluctantly, I went back to organizing my new purchases while she spoke quickly for a few moments.

Then she hung up. "Nikii, I have to go. I have a few fires to put out before tonight's performance."

"Saved by the bell," I teased.

She grabbed her handbag and slung it over her shoulder. As an afterthought, she walked back over to the bed, reached out and gently stroked my hair.

"Oh, I'm going to get back to you," she winked as she turned and headed toward the door. "I promise."

~~~

Just after 4:30pm, I left my suite after a short nap and a hot shower, and headed down to the Pussycat Dolls Lounge. As I waited for the two doormen to check my ID, I peeked behind them into the club. I smiled when I saw the vibrant colors and the sexy animal prints. Once the larger man spoke into his headset and verified my identity, they stepped aside and waved me in.

The seductive music hit me first. The driving beats pulsed though me as I recognized the Pussycat Dolls' most famous song. As I silently sang along, I couldn't help but wiggle and gyrate my body a bit.

The main performance room was dimly lit, but I could see that the lounge had been elaborately designed as a racy, cabaret-style nightclub. The entire space was decorated with a distinct burlesque feel that was very sexy and quite seductive.

Vibrant reds, hot pinks and sultry leopard prints were everywhere -- from the walls to the chairs and even on pillows strewn around the room.

I grinned as I saw the silver stripper poles set up around the room. As I looked around, I saw that in one corner was a circular staircase that reached to the ceiling; in another corner was an oversized swing hanging from the ceiling. I also saw a giant champagne glass positioned next to the main stage.

As I walked toward the bar, I noticed a large, mirrored wall to the side of the lounge. I caught my reflection and smiled, loving what I saw.

I had since changed into a short, peach-colored babydoll dress. The silky material sashayed around my pretty, brown thighs as I moved. I added a pair of sexy, open-toed matching heels, just two inches in height, and I was good to go. I wanted to be elegant and professional, but still sexy and a bit risqué. I thought I blended in perfectly with the erotic feel of the lounge.

Several of the go-go dancers were already on stage practicing their routines. Watching their complicated dance steps coupled with several high kicks and full splits, I was instantly hooked.

I was so mesmerized with the lustful sight that I set my makeup case down and gazed at them. Watching the gorgeous girls twist and turn to the suggestive music held me in place.

However, one dancer in particular held my attention longer than the others.

She had flawless, honey-brown skin and jet-black hair pulled into a long ponytail. She was long and lean, with an incredibly toned body.

She wore a midnight-black corset, tied so tight that her full breasts were nearly bursting out. She also wore tiny, scarlet-red panties, cut so that the cute cheeks of her round ass peeked through. Of course, she wore patent leather, four-inch stilettos.

I was absolutely outdone by her exotic beauty.

When she caught me staring, I swore she winked at me. Feeling her style, I winked back.

"They look great, don't they?" a masculine voice said behind me.

I turned to see an adorable young man standing there. He was tall, slender and dressed casually in black workout gear. The cute dimples dotted on his smooth brown skin made me smile.

"You must be Nikii. The new makeup girl."

I smiled. "How did you know?"

"You're the only one here that I don't know. And I know everybody," he laughed. He extended his hand. "I'm Julian. I'm Nicole's choreographer."

"Nice to meet you. And yes, I'm Nikii. Nikii Clarke."

"Welcome."

We turned back toward the dancers. The honey-brown dancer I'd spotted earlier was doing a complicated back bend into a back handstand. Her long, toned legs looked simply luscious.

"So how do you like the show so far?" he asked.

"Great. Is that your choreography?"

Julian shook his head. "No. They came up with that stuff on their own. I'll be starting my rehearsal in about fifteen minutes. Then you'll see what real dancing looks like," he winked.

"Okaaaay!" I laughed. "Arrogant much?"

"Girl, I'm the best. Why should I hide it?"

I smiled. "Well, to your credit, I saw the Pussycat Dolls TV show that came on a while back. The one where y'all were looking for a new member? And I gotta admit: y'all were working it out. You guys worked hard, I'll give you that."

"You saw the show?" he asked.

I nodded. "Never missed an episode. It looked like fun."

Julian softened up. "Fun? Honey, that shit was wild! All those cameras!" He paused. "By the way...how did I look?"

"Fabulous!" I said.

"Of course I did, darling. I'm the bomb!"

We laughed as he linked his arm in mine. "Come on, Nikii. Let me show you around."

~~~

After a quick tour, Julian and I stood backstage in front of one of the dressing rooms. On the front of the door was a large gold star, decorated with vibrant gold glitter. "Nicole's going to be in this dressing room right here. She gets her own room tonight. All the other dancers share the big dressing room down the hall."

Then he checked his watch. "Ok, girlie. It's almost five, so I'm going to get rehearsal started with the other girls. Nicole's usually on time, so she'll join us here shortly. Why don't you get your stuff set up now, so that right after rehearsal, you'll be ready to get started?"

"Thanks, Julian! I really appreciate it."

"Good luck," he waved as he headed toward the stage.

Knocking first, but hearing no answer, I tentatively walked in. When I saw that the room was empty, I found a small space to set up. I opened my makeup case and started arranging my equipment on a vanity table near the back of the spacious room. A large mirror and a few chairs sat in front of the table. Several rolling racks filled with colorful, glittery outfits sat around the perimeter of the room.

"I see you found everything ok," Saadia said as she strolled in. Following her was a young woman who carried a handful of see-through garment bags.

"Yeah. Julian said I should come in and get set up. Was that ok?" I asked.

Saadia nodded.

I pointed at the garment bags in the young woman's hand. "Those are the outfits for tonight?"

"Yeah, and Nicole should be here shortly. Like I said earlier, she's got a few outfits, so she'll need her makeup redone several times."

The young woman hung the bags on one of the clothing racks near the door and Saadia flipped through them quickly. "Rebecca? Please make sure each of these outfits is pressed and ready to wear by 10pm. And when you see Serena, please tell her that she needs to be ready to go when Nicole gets out of rehearsal." Saadia paused. "And if you don't see Serena, please call her immediately."

Saadia turned to me. "Serena is Nicole's hairstylist. She's the best that I've ever seen, but she has a tendency to go AWOL sometimes." Then Saadia's cell phone rang. Checking the display, she headed toward the door. "Nikii, I need to take this call in private. I'll be right back," she said.

Before she walked out, Saadia turned back to me. "Oh, Nikii? This is Rebecca. She's our wardrobe girl. Rebecca? This is Nikii. Our fill-in makeup artist." Then she was out the door.

Rebecca held out her hand. "Hi. Nice to meet you." She was a caramel-colored cutie, but she was only about nineteen, which made her definitely off-limits. Rebecca's sandy-brown hair was pulled back into a loose ponytail. She wore a cute yellow top, jeans and sneakers.

I asked Rebecca to show me some of the garments. As she did so, I grabbed a pen and paper out of my makeup case and made a few notes so I could complement Nicole's outfits with the proper makeup. Once I was done, Rebecca took the clothes and left the room. With not much else to do, I rearranged my equipment and waited to see what would happen next.

I didn't have to wait long. All of a sudden, I heard a light, cheerful voice behind me.

"Hey there! I know you!"

I turned and looked in the direction of the feminine voice and my heart nearly fluttered out of my chest.

Nicole Scherzinger stood at the door. Sunglasses on and with one hand on her hip, she smiled at me.

She had on a tiny, white sports bra that showed off her golden-hued, olive skin. The snug spandex material hugged her firm, round breasts beautifully. I also took in her loose, navy track pants that, to my dismay, hid her long, lean legs. I smiled at her cute tennis shoes and her navy baseball cap. She carried both a large handbag and a gym bag slung over one shoulder.

As she walked in, she took off her sunglasses and cap and shook out her hair. As it settled, her dark hair fell in beautiful, loose, cascading waves around her shoulders. I admired her golden tanned skin and imagined my lips and tongue gently caressing her warm flesh.

"Hey Miss Nicole!" I beamed. "How are you?"

"Fine, girlie," she said as she sat her bags on a chair near the door. She came over and gave me a warm hug. "Thanks for helping out on such short notice. I saw your work on both Christina and Amerie and I'm extremely impressed."

I couldn't stop smiling. "Thanks. And you're in good hands. I'll make sure you look absolutely gorgeous. You'll be well taken care of."

"I hope so," she winked. "I've heard a lot about you. Your name is really getting around, Nikii." She leaned in close. "In fact, I'm looking forward to experiencing your 'special skills' firsthand!"

Oh my God. Did she know--?

Then she checked her watch. "Now, I have to go rehearse. I'll be back here in about an hour, at just about six. Then we can get started before my interviews at seven."

"Sounds great. I'll see you then."

She grabbed her bags and headed out toward the stage. As an afterthought, she turned back to me. "Actually, if you want to watch, you're more than welcome."

I smiled as I realized I was the luckiest girl in the world. "Thanks. I'd love to."

~~~

As it turned out, I never got a chance to watch Nicole rehearse. Saadia came back into the dressing room followed by Serena, Nicole's hairstylist.

Serena was a gorgeous, full-figured woman in her early forties. She wore a cream-colored silk blouse, which complemented her warm, light brown skin, and black slacks. Her cinnamon-colored hair, styled into beautiful twists, was pulled into an elaborate updo. Once we met, she gave me a bright smile that put me immediately at ease.

Saadia, Serena and I had an impromptu meeting about Nicole's makeup and hair. By the time we finished deciding upon Nicole's looks for the night, the rehearsal was over and it was time to work.

At that moment, 6pm on the dot, Nicole, now freshly showered, came back into the dressing room and sat at the vanity. Serena worked on Nicole's dark hair, styling it bone-straight and leaving the silky strands to cascade well down her back.

Having already seen Nicole's dress, I knew just what colors to apply to make her beautiful skin glow. Working quickly, I applied neutral shades to Nicole's eyes but added a set of false eyelashes for a bit of flair. I also applied a dramatic, crimson-red lipcolor with a touch of clear gloss.

"I wanted to keep your makeup simple, yet still elegant," I said as she looked in the mirror. "What do you think?"

"I love it," she beamed. "You're very talented." She twisted around in her chair to look me directly in the eye. "And I look forward to seeing what other tricks you have up your sleeve," she winked.

I grinned. She had no idea who she was messing with.

A few moments later, Rebecca returned with a dazzling, crimson-red silk dress. The soft, flowy material was nipped gently at the waist to give her a gorgeous hourglass figure.

Once I was finished, Nicole slipped into the gorgeous gown. As we were completing the final touch-ups, Robin Antin, the creator and founder of the Pussycat Dolls, walked in and quickly embraced Nicole.

I was stunned to see Ms. Antin up close and in person. She was truly one of my idols. She had single-handedly created one of the most popular girl groups of this era and I was psyched to be so close to such a music mogul.

I quickly introduced myself and told her about Nicole's makeup. She seemed to be pleased and I breathed a sigh of relief. We also talked with Saadia about the rest of Nicole's looks for the night and, again, Ms. Antin seemed pleased.

Once Nicole was ready, Ms. Antin, Saadia, Serena and I accompanied her out to the Pussycat Dolls portion of the casino, where a small stage had been set up. In the middle of the stage sat a tall podium with several microphones attached.

About a hundred people were waiting, including several members of the press. Tamara Jordan, Nicole's publicist, was already there, speaking to the reporters and finishing up the final details.