The Au Pairs (The Au Pairs 1)

the best way to find out a secret? a bottle of grey goose and a game of truth

An empty vodka bottle rolled down the threadbare carpet.

"Here's another one." Eliza hiccupped, grabbing another bottle from her bag.

"No thanks--I'm done," Mara said.

"No way, if I'm having another, everyone else is, too."

Jacqui held up her glass. She wasn't one to argue with that.

Stealing a couple of bottles from the Perry stash seemed totally appropriate, given how they had been slaving away. It was sort of like a bonus, Eliza had told herself.

"Let's play truth," Eliza decided, and spun the bottle around. It stopped in front of Jacqui.

"What do you want to ask me?" Jacqui asked. Plus Luca had called earlier to say could they meet at eleven for drinks at Turtle Crossing instead, so she had lots of time to kill with the roommates.

"Have you ever been in love?" Eliza asked, thinking she would start it off easy.

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Jacqui blew out a puff of smoke and considered the question. "Of course."

"Are you in love now?" Mara asked.

"Maybe," Jacqui hedged.

"The game is called TRUTH!" Eliza said.

"Okay, okay. Yes. I'm in love." Jacqui giggled. She told them about Luca, the guy she had come all across the globe to be with, and how they had gotten reacquainted very very quickly. It was the same as it ever was. Or was it? She didn't tell them, but Luca never took her out on proper dates. Instead they spent an awful lot of time in his bedroom or in dingy, out-of-the-way crab shacks on the North (known by most as the "Wrong") Fork.

"I'm just not digging the scene this year, Jac," Luke had explained one evening when they were getting ready to drive all the way to some ramshackle bar on Shelter Island for what he called "the best hamburgers in the Hamptons." Jacqui didn't think the burgers at the Dory were anything to write home about, but she had found her man and as long as they were together, she was happy.

Jacqui spun the vodka bottle, which pointed toward Mara. "Shoot," Mara said. "Ask me whatever you want."

"How many guys have you slept with?" Eliza asked with a grin. She wanted to shake Mara up a little. The girl was so uptight sometimes.

To Eliza's surprise, Mara merely rolled her eyes. "One."

She told them about Jim, her boyfriend back home, not that

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it had escaped her roommates' notice that all Mara seemed to do after work was log on to her laptop to send him e-mails or else max out her mobile minutes to chat to him every night. As if it was doing her any good. Even Jacqui could see that every time Mara set her eyes on Ryan Perry, she got all flustered.

"So how was he?" Eliza giggled.

"I don't believe you guys get follow-up questions!" Mara huffed.

"Not that good, huh?" Eliza teased. She was in a good mood after three vodka tonics.

"How many guys have you slept with?" Mara demanded. Eliza blushed. "It's not my turn!"

"C'mon, how many?" Jacqui asked, curious.

"I'm not telling."

"TRUTH! TRUTH! TRUTH!" Mara demanded.