The Au Pairs (The Au Pairs 1)

"Luca!" she shrieked.

But Luke had seen her clear across the way and was ready. "Jacqui!" he said smoothly, kissing her on the cheek. "Good to see you!" He put an arm around her. "I want you to meet my girlfriend, Karin. Karin, this is Jacqui. We met in Sao Paulo last spring break. And now she's working for the Perrys! Small world, huh?" He glared at Jacqui, warning her not to give him away.

"Hi, Jacqui," Karin said pleasantly. She was a mild-faced blonde with soft, rounded features and a small button nose. She was wearing a floral calf-length Laura Ashley dress that looked more like a sack.

Jacqui shook Karin's hand automatically. "Pleased to meet you," she mumbled.

It wasn't this girl's fault, Jacqui knew that. But just as she was trying to find the right English words to say, Luke turned and started to walk away, taking Karin along with him.

"Um, nice meeting you!" Karin called back.

Too hurt to run after him, Jacqui walked away, catching her high heels in the dense thick mud. Several South American polo players returning to the field walked by her, chattering to each other in Spanish and Portuguese.

"Cuidado," one said, catching her as she tottered.

"I know where I'm going!" Jacqui hissed. She brushed by them, completely oblivious to their appreciative stares.

168

"Bonita!" yelled Nacho Figueroa, the handsome team captain. So what if she was gorgeous? She was miserable.

Jacqui walked off in a daze and found herself in front of a white linen table manned by a tuxedoed bartender.

"Bacardi. 151. Straight up. Double," she ordered, and downed four shots in quick succession.

She returned to the Perry table, where Eliza and Mara were in the middle of arguing about whether it was time to take the kids home yet.

"I swear, they won't mind!" Eliza pressed. She wanted to hightail it out of there before Taylor and Lindsay spotted her playing Mary Poppins. "Look how tired Zoe is."

"But Anna and Kevin didn't say anything about it," Mara said doubtfully.

"Do you really think they care if the kids see the end of the game? Look around you, Mara, everyone's leaving!"

It was true. Now that the TV cameras and the photographers from the society rags had departed, many of the guests decided they'd had quite enough themselves.

"Hey, Jacqui, where've you been?" Eliza snapped, then instantly regretted it when she saw the look on Jacqui's face.

"What's wrong?" Mara asked, concerned. They had never seen their self-possessed roommate so unnerved. Jacqui was shaking, her eyes were red, and she looked like she was about to cry. And she smelled like a rum distillery.

Mara put a hand on Jacqui's shoulder. "You're so cold!" she said.

169

"What happened?" Eliza demanded.

"It's ... Luca... . He ... he has a girlfriend... . He's been lying to me... ," Jacqui choked out.

"What?!" Eliza exclaimed.

"That's terrible!" Mara said.

"I just saw him ... across the field... . He said it was someone he used to date ... but it's not... . nossa ... that's why he never wanted to take me out anywhere... . I was just... a fling ... fiicil, and I thought ... I thought..."

"What a dickwad!" Eliza declared.

"Don't," Jacqui said. She felt even more depressed by their sympathy. "He's right behind you."

Eliza turned around and saw Luke van Varick with Karin Emerson.