Paradise Lost (Private 9)

Or was he my vacation boyfriend now? Did saving my life make him my boyfriend? In that case, Josh was my boyfriend, too. And he definitely was not my boyfriend. He was Ivy's. So by that logic, Upton was still just a fling.

And my brain was starting to hurt.

"It's nice to meet you, Mrs. Giles," I said, offering my hand to the tall blond woman with a gazelle-like neck. She wore a white cashmere turtleneck sweater, black thin-wale corduroys and red velvet shoes, as if we were snowbound in the northeast rather than

kicking back in the islands. They even had the AC jacked up to arctic levels, so that those of us who had dressed climate appropriately were starting to get goose bumps. Apparently the Giles family really wanted to pretend it was a white Christmas. At least Mrs. Giles's smile was genuinely warm as she shook my hand, her chunky gold bracelet sliding up and down her thin wrist.

"The pleasure is all mine, Reed. Upton can't seem to stop talking about you," she said. " I feel I know you as well as a character in a novel I've read a hundred times."

175

"Is that a good thing?" I asked with a laugh.

"Considering that Upton rarely talks about any of his friends with us, I'd say it's a very good thing," his father chimed in, taking a sip from his mug of hot cider. With his balding head; small, square glasses; and full tweed suit and tie, he looked like the stereotype of a college professor.

"Thanks for that, Father," Upton said.

Mr. Giles lifted his glass again in acknowledgment.

"Come on, Reed, let's go in by the fire," Upton suggested, putting his arm around me. "Stop my parents from embarrassing me further."

Mr. and Mrs. Giles laughed good-naturedly as we walked away. That had gone well. At least they hadn't treated me the way Mrs. Ryan had. We walked by Noelle and Kiran, who were standing with their parents and Taylor, chatting and laughing. Noelle shot me an approving look, as if congratulating me on charming the elder Gileses. I smiled back and just hoped that she wouldn't make me fetch any drinks for her or run back to the house to get her a sweater. That could be embarrassing.

"What's with the winter vibe in here?" I whispered to Upton.

"My parents hate being on the island for Christmas," he replied, moving his hand to the small of my back to steer me around the Ryan family, who were standing in a klatch with Sienna in the center of the living room. All five of them shot us cold looks as we passed. Upton didn't seem to notice. "They only come these days because it's tradition, and they don't want to be the first to break code."

176

"God forbid," I said, pausing by the fire.

Unlike all the other open, airy island homes I had visited over the past few days, this house was all cozy old-world elegance. The walls were covered with ornate wallpaper in reds, greens, and golds. The floor was waxed hardwood, dotted with antique rugs, and the furniture was carved wood and overstuffed upholstery. There was a roaring fire in the brick fireplace with stockings hung over it, and a gigantic Christmas tree blocking the entire window--and therefore, the view of the beach.

Upton nodded and took a sip of his eggnog. "They renovated a couple of years ago and transformed this room and the dining room into exact replicas of our house on High Street in London."

I blinked at him, trying to process this over-the-top behavior.

"I know. I think they're starting to go senile," he joked.

The front door opened, and an older couple I hadn't seen before walked in, the woman shedding her silk wrap. A hush fell over the room, and the two of them looked around, as if startled. Upton's parents moved in to greet them.

"What's up?" I asked. "Who are they?"

"They would be Poppy's parents," Upton said, turning away. "And there's still no sign of Poppy."

I gulped, watching as the Simons spoke with the Gileses in hushed tones. Poppy's mother looked nothing like her daughter. She had straight black hair and a long face to go along with her tall frame. But she did have her daughter's carefree smile. Neither she nor her husband appeared to be worried as they chatted with their hosts.

177

Of course, everyone in the room was whispering. Someone overheard the Simons' conversation and soon the news traveled to us all.

"Daniel says Poppy hasn't called or contacted them in any way, but she had said something about needing alone time on this trip, so they assume she's taking it," Noelle whispered to us as she, Kiran, and Taylor joined us by the fire.

"But over Christmas? " Taylor whispered, hiding her mouth behind her mug of eggnog. "She just bails on her family on Christmas? "

"I'm sure she'll ring them tomorrow," Upton said, squeezing my shoulder. "She's not a monster."

"No, just totally oblivious," Kiran replied.