Unmasked

"Hurry up Maria," came the call of the gorgeous Danielle Marie Parnell's always demanding voice down the main hallway of her palatial Davidsonville home, "your sister and I will not suffer the humiliation of being the last to arrive to this event because you can't decide what to wear."

"And no tracksuits to this one Maria," laughed Danielle's now nearly 20-year-old daughter Anna, piling on to her mother's insults, "you can work on your lesbian wannabe wardrobe on your own time."

It took all the patience Maria Parnell could muster not to explode at her imperious mother and sister. Besides, what good would it due her anyway - she'd just be grounded again. The sporty Maria, who as an 18-year-old senior in high school was the captain of Davidsonville High School's state championship caliber field hockey and lacrosse teams, knew that rebelling against her arrogant mother - especially now that Anna had almost equaled her in her haughtiness - was a no-win situation.

"I'll be right there," the youngest Parnell replied holding her tongue to the best of her ability, "and I still don't know why I need to come along to this silly garden party of yours anyway."

The "silly garden party" to which Maria referred was the annual Davidsonville, Maryland Summer Flower & Fashion Show. While styled as a charity fundraiser - which indeed it was - what the flower show really provided was a chance for the Washington D.C. area's alpha-moms and their daughters to endeavor to one-up each other by lunching in the year's most exclusive summer fashions while their husbands, sons and boyfriends looked on. And Maria's mother was the alpha-mom of alpha-moms.

Danielle Parnell, Esq. outwardly possessed every conceivable imprimatur of beauty. The nearly 49-year old stunner had a body better than most women half her age, honed from incredibly good genetics and a ruthless dedication to fitness. Although standing a mere 5' 3" tall, her legs seemed to go on forever with perfectly sculpted calves, toned thighs and a heart shaped ass that seemed as if carved from marble. Her taught and tanned midsection was merely the staging ground for the gorgeous, firm baseball sized breasts above it and her muscled but feminine arms appeared as graceful as her legs did long. With a face that was a perfect blend of Kerrie Russel and Miranda Kerr, framed by a mane of luxurious, sun-kissed brown hair, the emerald eyed Mrs. Parnell could turn the head of any may - and she loved it. The problem was she knew it. What's more - she wanted others to know it.

She loved nothing more than walking into a room and watching the heads of every man and boy turn to drink in her glory. Although she thought them all beneath her, and would never as much as smile without some ulterior motive behind the gesture, their attention fed her limitless ego - the pathetic losers. Danielle enjoyed nothing more when catching one of them ogling her fabulous form than to loudly and publicly upbraid them for the transgression.

"Exactly what are you staring at Dr. Miras... my eyes are up here Mr. Hess... what would your mother think Calum..." she'd exclaim feigning shock while reveling in her target's humiliation.

But what was more exhilarating to the lovely lawyer than humbling these unworthy men and boys was the joy she felt doing it in front of their wives, mothers and girlfriends. For Danielle, it wasn't enough that her physical presence distracted men from their mates, she loved to rub it in by calling it out in front of those women and in so doing causing them to recognize that in her presence they were invisible - the cows.

Anna Parnell hadn't always been like her mother. Threw her elementary, middle school and early high school years she was courteous, studious and thoughtful of others. In fact, when she first entered her teens she was sometimes embarrassed by her mother's showy behavior - how she dressed, the way she bossed others around and how she was always the center of attention - especially to boys who couldn't seem to take their eyes off her. That all began to change as Anna "blossomed" and, by the time of her recently passed nineteenth birthday - although still quite studious - her courtesy and thoughtfulness for others had most certainly diminished. In fact, in almost every way, she was more, rather than less, like her imperious and haughty mom.

Her physical gifts were unmistakable. Standing nearly 5'8" tall, her fabulously toned legs appeared endless and when they did end, it was at a perfectly shaped ass so tight you could bounce a quarter off it. Her muscled yet feminine midsection - which she loved to show by wearing crop tops as often as the weather would allow -- was a mere appetizer to a bustline that made even her mom's pale in comparison. An elegant neck and gracefully sculpted shoulders and arms were perfect accompaniments to an athlete's chiseled back. Yet, more exquisite than even her almost peerless body, was the oldest Parnell daughter's beautiful face. Evocative of Danielle's own gorgeous visage, with piercing blue rather than emerald eyes, the raven-haired Anna Parnell seemed an even more spectacular Miranda Kerr - she was a vision. But now - like her supercilious mother - Anna not only realized her gifts but loved them and loved even more to lord them over others.

Whether it was complementing her male professors with a sexy smile, bending at the waist to pick up a purposefully dropped book or gently touching the arm of, say, Sharon Miras' boyfriend as Sharon stared daggers, Anna took extreme pleasure in her ability to manipulate most any man while likewise reveling in the shame that her toying with them brought on their girlfriends, mothers and daughters. In short, Anna had become Danielle 2.0 and, as Maria finally made her way to the large foyer in the Parnell's manse where her mother and sister awaited, that point could not have been more apparent. Rolling her eyes and stifling a laugh at the ridiculousness of it all, Maria came upon the two prima donnas wearing, save for the different pastel of each (one in a blush pink the other a light purple, identical Twenty Fall ostrich feather dresses.

The sleeveless strapless creations were at best minidresses that hugged the wearer at the bust line and ended at mid-thigh. With Anna's height, hers seemed almost scandalously short for an event like the flower show while Danielle had had hers shortened to be no less risqué. Her mother was wearing 5" high Christian Louboutin So Kate ankle boots on her feet while Anna - towering over Danielle much to the latter's dismay - was bedecked in spectacularly high, 5.5", 70s inspired, white patent leather Prada sandals. Atop her severe updo, Danielle wore a light purple top hat with a dark purple satin ribbon. With her hair down, Anna sported a blush pink mad hatter style boater. Of course, despite the pandemic raging around the world, and the imposition by the Governor of Maryland of a mandatory mask order, neither woman had thought to or intended to wear a face covering.

"Birds of a feather for sure," Maria joked as each of her sister and mother sneered at her.

"Finally," huffed Danielle.

"It sure took you long enough," Anna joined in, "and where in God's name did you find that dress - the army surplus store."

Not caring a wit about the rather pedestrian olive frock she had found to wear to the garden party, Maria was still annoyed by the patronizing tones of her sister and mom.

"I take it you each remembered to pack a mask in your tiny little purse," Maria queried knowing how much the idea of covering their beautiful faces annoyed them.

"Oh please, Maria," Danielle practically spat at her youngest daughter, "you don't honestly expect Anna and I to wear masks do you."

"Yeah Maria," Anna chimed in with a cruel smile on her face, "it's one thing for the likes of you and your teammates to cover up those manly mugs of yours but the whole point of today is for people to see us."

"That's funny," Maria shot back, "I thought the point was to raise money for charity. And besides, the law requires you to wear one."

Piqued beyond words by Maria endeavoring to tread on her professional turf, Danielle decided to put an end to her daughter's carping.

"Is that so, Maria... and you know this because you're the managing partner of one of the nation's largest law firms? Oh wait, that's me and I'll not have you telling me what the law does or doesn't require. I know full well the scope of my constitutional rights and I'm prepared to dress down anyone who might challenge that knowledge - now let's go - the both of you!"

I'd sure like to see the two of them dressed down, Maria thought to herself imagining the two peacocks devoid of their ridiculous plumage. As fate would have it, soon enough she - and everyone else at the flower show - would be witness to just that.

* * *

Although the sun shined brightly as Danielle eased her 2021 Porsche 911 Turbo S Cabriolet into the parking lot of the Maryland State Capital - the sprawling lawn of which was the staging ground each year for the flower show - the sporty convertible's top remained up which in turn basically sandwiched Maria in its back seat.

"I can't believe you kept the top up mom," the crouched teen groused, "I'm completely crushed back here."

"Be quiet Maria," her mother snapped, "you didn't expect your sister and I to get blown to bits by the wind on the drive over here did you."

"Yeah Maria," Anna piled on, "unlike you, people will actually want to see us."

Happy just to be getting out of the car, Maria held her tongue even after noting that her mother had pulled into a spot that said "Reserved - Maryland Attorney General."

As the doors to the Parnell family's $250,000 roadster opened, every male head within view turned to watch. From each of the driver's and passenger's side doors stepped out the long, tan, high-heeled legs of - on the one hand - Danielle - and on the other - Anna Parnell. Bedecked in their ostrich feathered creations and sporting the most fashionable sunglasses below their spectacularly sophisticated hats, the mother and daughter Parnell looked mouthwateringly sexy and they knew it. Abandoning Maria to practically crawl from the sports car's back seat, Danielle and Anna veritably prowled onto the state house's expansive lawn toward the gathering of similarly smartly dressed sophisticates.

After each accepted a champagne flute from the veritable army of waiters racing to greet them, the two beauties temporarily split up, Danielle to torture some of the men in front of their wives and Anna to tease mercilessly the boyfriend of Sharon Miras who, although two years older than the feather-frocked femme fatale, was as intimidated by the younger girl as her mother Rachel, the newly appointed Maryland Attorney General, was by Danielle.

Having shunned the affections of Anna's arrogant older brother Will, Sharon was sure that Anna wanted to make her day miserable - and she was correct. Despite her age advantage and the fact that she was already in college, Sharon Miras always felt "less than" around the ceaselessly sexy and sophisticated Anna Parnell. What made today even worse was that Sharon's new boyfriend, the Harvard college rower Aaron Tabash, was standing by her side as Anna approached. Although the fact that the now rising college senior was dating Sharon should have instilled in the young girl the confidence she needed to face down Anna Parnell, the imminent arrival of her uber-fashionable female nemesis instead practically paralyzed her with a foreboding sense of imposter syndrome.

"Why hello there Aaron," Anna practically purred while placing her hand on the tanned forearm of the clearly flattered oarsman, "don't you look handsome today in your seersucker shorts and polo shirt. If only I could see that handsome face you're hiding behind your mask."

Before the captivated collegian - who couldn't pull his eyes away from the vision in front of him - mustered a word, Sharon Miras desperately but cautiously sought to intervene.

"I like your dress Anna," she shyly offered as perspiration began to form on her forehead.

"I'm sure you do," the eldest Parnell daughter replied derisively, before again seeking to belittle Sharon Miras in front of the young Master Tabash.

"How about you, Aaron," she coyly addressed him, "what do you think of my dress compared to... say... what your girlfriend here is wearing."

Completely put off his game by the teasing temptress before him, Aaron Tabash tried his best to be diplomatic in the face of her leading question.

"Well... I... um... I think you both look very nice... so really... I don't think comparing your dresses...," he bumbled.

"Let me help you out stud," Anna purred as, guiding the young man's hand to touch the feathers on her dress, she wickedly smiled, "there is no comparison either between our dresses or anything else about us... it would be like comparing a butterfly to a caterpillar."

As Aaron stood stunned and Sharon cowered, humiliated again by the younger girl, Anna went in for the kill.

"Isn't that right Miras," she laughed reveling in her superiority before continuing her onslaught.

"I will say one thing for you though," practically guffawing at the broken girl, "you certainly look better with that mask on than without."

And then, after her running her long fingers down the goose-bumped arm of the mesmerized Aaron Tabash, Anna Parnell, with a self-satisfied grin on her face, turned on her towering white heels to rejoin her equally arrogant mother.

Had she even thought to look back at the carnage her hubris had had wrought Anna may have seen her sister Maria, along with a gaggle of her high school classmates and others who had come to protest the frivolousness of the flower show in the midst of a raging health crisis, come to the aid of a now crying Sharon Miras.

* * *

As Anna made her way across the expansive lawn, drinking in the male attention and mocking the female envy cast her way, Danielle Parnell was working her own magic with the attendant men while belittling their wives, girlfriends and daughters whether there to defend themselves or not.

The emerald-eyed beauty was as usual reveling in the inability of any man present not to gaze upon her splendor and the absolute futility of other women present to compete with her. That so many of the flower show's attendees - male and female alike - had pathetically in her view decided to wear an array of ridiculous looking masks only added to her feeling of superiority. That the fashionably forward gathering was slowly finding itself surrounded by a sea of protesters - while it should have been a warning of things to come - only cemented in her mind the privilege that she so enjoyed and, of course, deserved.

"Your dress is so fashionable Danielle," gushed Katherine Wray, a staple of the Washington, D.C. social scene who herself always turned more than a few male heads. The 43-year-old Nashville native - despite Danielle constantly making her look the fool - could not help but vie for the dominating diva's attention and approval. Somewhat unaware of her own effect on the rougher sex, and although married with children of her own, Katherine harbored more than a few Sapphic fantasies about what Danielle might look like under her power suits and - at least for today - plumage.

"Well of course it is Katherine," Danielle imperiously responded with a fake smile, "we can't leave the likes of Mr. Hess and Dr. Miras here looking to you - or worse yet their wives - for a hint of fashion.

Cut to the quick again, all Katherine Wray could muster was a sheepish smile as Adam Hess and Richard Miras drank in the arrogance of the self-same woman who had just denigrated their own wives in front of them.

"Now which one of you handsome gentlemen is going to make his way to that crowded bar and get me another glass of champagne," she cooed tantalizingly.

"Make it two boys," came the equally arrogant order of Anna Parnell who arrived to join her mother just as the two men - like excited children - practically raced one another to the bar as the mother and daughter Parnell laughed at them behind their backs.

* * *

Rebecca Ross and Emily Duncan were seething. As usual, Danielle was teasing Rebecca's husband Adam to the point where he was not only embarrassing himself but her as well - just as that prima donna Parnell wanted. What's more, Danielle's equally arrogant daughter - who had just left Sharon Miras a shaking and crying mess - now had the girl's father running to fetch her a drink like a smitten school boy. And where was Rachel anyway they thought. The crowd of protestors that was gathering to shut down the flower show - and that each of Rebecca and Emily was at this point ready to join - was growing by the second.

"Can you believe those two," Emily angrily asked Rebecca through clenched teeth, "it was bad enough when Little Miss Perfect pranced around on her own with her high heels and tight clothes teasing any man she saw. Now she has her daughter as a partner in crime."

"Trust me, Em," Rebecca replied equally annoyed, "I'd love to pluck those feathers off both of them. And that Anna... ooooh... that girl..."

"Deserves a good spanking," came the voice of Nicole Silver, another one of the Annapolis areas truly beautiful women who - although no shrinking violet herself - despised Danielle Parnell and her daughter every bit as much as did Rebecca and Emily.

"You can say that again Nic," laughed Emily now that Mrs. Silver had broken the tension, "and her mother could use one too."

"I think the only ones getting spanked are the four of us," came the dulcet tones of Mrs. Katherine Wray, who likewise had just joined the circle of friends, "the Her Majesty the Queen and Princess Grace over there are being waited on hand and foot by Rebecca and Rachel's husbands."

And, so they were. As the masked Mmes. Ross, Miras, Silver and Wray stared daggers, Adam Hess and Richard Miras were practically tripping over each other trying to be the first to reach Anna Parnell with a glass of champagne.

"Boys, boys..." the teasing teen mocked, "slow down before one of you spills something. And don't forget about my mother - she gets a glass too."

More than a little irked that her daughter had stolen even a sliver of her spotlight, Danielle prepared to issue no small retort to her offspring but was stopped by the sound of Rebecca Ross practically bellowing at her husband.

"I've had just about enough of this Adam," she stormed, "that girl is too young to even be drinking!"

Titillated that she had caused a dustup between husband and wife, Anna Parnell decided to stir the pot even more.

"Oh Rebecca," she goaded the older woman knowing that addressing her by her first name would raise Mrs. Ross' hackles even further, "by that logic you're too fat to even be eating. But we're not going to starve you now are we."

As a shocked silence fell over anyone within earshot at the unbridled arrogance of the young beauty, Anna Parnell daintily took a full champagne flute from the hand of Rebecca's husband and - with a self-satisfied smirk on her stunning face while looking Mrs. Ross directly in the eye - haughtily exclaimed "I didn't think so -- cheers" before knocking the glass back in one throaty gulp.

"Cheers, darling," Danielle imperiously replied beaming, "I couldn't have said it better myself."

"Too bad we can't see the shock on her fat face," Anna continued delighted that her mother - as always - had her back.

"Although I do think they all look better in those masks," came Danielle's retort as she and Anna clinked glasses while looking down their perfect noses at Rebecca, Emily, Katherine and Nicole.