Twin Playboy centerfolds enjoy a footloose and Hefner-free Friday

By Melissa Arseniuk

Saturday, July 18, 2009 | 1:38 p.m.

It has been almost a year since Hugh Hefner let his twin girlfriends, Karissa and Kristina Shannon, out of his sight for the night.

Yesterday, however, the 19-year-olds had a full day to themselves -– and in Las Vegas, no less.

“It’s crazy,” sister No. 1 said. “It’s so weird not being around him, like, we’re around him 24/7.”

“It’s like, Vegas? By ourselves?” she said, almost mocking her disbelief.

“We’re in his suite without him, it’s so weird,” the Shannon sister No. 2 chimed in.

(In addition to being identical twins, the similar-sounding blondes speak over each other so much that it’s nearly impossible to discern which one said what. Apologies for the lack of attribution.)

The twins said the last time they had a night to themselves was in August of last year, when they took a trip back home, to Florida. Still, the July-August double issue of Playboy’s Playmates of the Month didn’t have big plans for their first night off in months.

“We might have some fun in his suite but other than that, no (plans),” twin No. 1 said.

“We’re in his suite without him, it’s so weird,” her body-and-mind double observed.

After a long day of public appearances, the girls retired to the Palms’ $40,000-a-night Hugh Hefner sky villa, the hotel’s two-story tribute to their iconic boyfriend.

“Yeah, in his suite, maybe … we might get a little crazy ourselves,” the foremost sister smiled.

But after a long day of appearances, autograph signings, and PR appearances, the two pair said they were too exhausted to get wild without their 83-year-old companion.

And since they have yet to celebrate their 21st birthdays, they’re not quite old enough to truly hit the town, even if they wanted to.

Yet it was their lack of energy, not their being underage, that prevented them from marking their night of freedom in true Las Vegas fashion.

“We’re, like, beat,” twin No. 1 said, noting that while they usually sleep until “eleven or 12, or sometimes one or two,” she and her sister “were up at 5 a.m.” to make the trip from the Playboy Mansion to the airport and catch their flight from Los Angeles to Las Vegas.

The girls were in constant motion after they landed in Nevada and said they barely had a time to eat due to their action-packed itinerary.

“We were so busy today,” the more talkative of the two said.

“It was a lot of fun, it was worth it,” the second sister chimed in.

“We flew out here … we went to the (Venetian’s Madame Tussauds) wax museum with Holly (Madison) we’ve seen the ‘Peepshow,’ which was very good,” the other said.

“Oh my God, I was so impressed,” her sister remarked.

“Yeah, I know, she was so hot,” Shannon twin No. 1 said before resuming her recital of highlights of what proved to be a long day.

“We did a signing at the Playboy store at Caesars Palace, and this was our last stop, the comedy show,” she said between autograph signings following the night’s Playboy Comedy performance.

The twins hosted the night of yuks at the Palms, and will return to host tonight at both the 8 and 10:30 p.m. shows.

Meanwhile, Hefner is scheduled fly to Las Vegas today and will join them for tonight’s final performance. Before that, however, he and his third and final full-time girlfriend, Crystal Harris, 22, will check out the early performance of Madison’s “Peepshow” at Planet Hollywood.

After that, Madison will rejoin the Playboy fold in Hefner’s suite for a late and private dinner with her ex-boyfriend and the women that replaced her at the Playboy Mansion.

The twins said they were looking forward to reuniting with their personal pin-up magazine mogul.

Despite the controversial multigenerational age difference, absence makes the heart grow fonder for fresh-faced and bright-eyed sister No 1.

Speaking on behalf of both her sister and herself, she smiled last night as she said, “We’re excited to see him.”

Melissa Arseniuk writes about Las Vegas entertainment and celebrity events. She can be reached at 702-948-7823 or by e-mail at [email protected].