The Au Pairs (The Au Pairs 1)

Eliza told them that she'd heard the entire city of East Hampton had to be insured for up to five million dollars against any incident related to the party and that Puffy had paid for an eleven-thousand-square-foot tent with a ten-inch plastic foam

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wall on one side to keep the dulcet tones of Funkmaster Flex from reaching a nearby neighbor.

"I heard he even had a whole orchard planted the week before to make it look more countrylike!" Eliza said.

At the receiving line they spotted Leonardo di Caprio getting patted down by several hulking bodyguards. Leo was a vision in white, from his cream-colored baseball cap to his snow white shoes. There was Topher Grace hanging out with Ali Hilfiger, Gavin Rossdale walking in with Gwen Stefani, and Eve, Li'l Kim, and Busta Rhymes mingling with Zac Posen, Paz de la Huerta, and Claire Danes.

The three girls held their collective breath as one of the huge bouncers waved their invitations underneath a laser. It seemed an eternity before it pinged as authentic.

"Go right in." The doorman in the pristine three-piece suit waved them inside.

A cocktail waitress in a white lace dress brought over a tray of champagne flutes. "Cristal?"

They each took a glass and toasted each other.

"To all of us," Mara said. Sure, it was a little cheesy, but she was allowed--she was a Hamptons It girl.

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it pays to tip the valet well

They found an unoccupied table not far from where Amanda Hearst sat in deep conversation with Andre 3000. Puffy's annual barbecue was the perfect mix of old money and mo' money. Waspy blue bloods traded tall tales with gold-toothed gangbangers. New York's fanciest socialites boogied down with Hollywood hotshots and hip-hop stars. A white Moroccan-style tent was set up on the grounds, and belly dancers in ivory-andpearl-embossed ensembles were clacking their finger cymbals as they gyrated through the crowd.

"Check it out! His logo is, like, everywhere!" Mara said. Their host's monogram was engraved into the bottom of the pool, on the napkins, even on the towels that hung in the bathrooms. In fact, on every beach, bath, and dish towel on the premises.

"Yeah." Eliza sighed. Somehow the fact that she had scored a legitimate invitation to the best party of the season didn't do anything to improve her mood.

"Don't be so down," Mara said. "It's our last night together!"

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Eliza managed a weak smile. "I know. I'll try."

Jeremy had never bothered to call. He said he needed time to think about it, but for Eliza time had run out. Kit, the only friend who still talked to her after she was "outed" as poor, had offered to drive her back to the city next day, and she had a ticket on the Greyhound back to Buffalo.

"Who knows, he might surprise you," Mara said.

"I know. I feel like it might still work out," she said a little hopelessly. "I gave him my number at home. Who knows, maybe he'll call me still."

"If he doesn't, there are a million other guys who would die to go out with you," Mara said loyally. She would never have thought she could be best friends with someone like Eliza--but there you had it.

"Maybe," Eliza said. The summer had been spectacular--but humbling as hell. Before this summer the thought that she would lose her heart to the gardener was laughable, even ludicrous. She was Eliza Thompson; she could have anyone she wanted.

But Eliza Thompson didn't get everything she ever wanted anymore. She was starting to learn that.

Lindsay and Taylor walked by. They did a double take when they saw Eliza. What was she doing here? Nevertheless, they decided to stop by Eliza's table and show her how bighearted and generous they could be. Besides, it wasn't like they were going to have to

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hang out with her in the city anyway. They knew all about Buffalo.

But when they walked up to the table, Eliza looked the other way. Eliza knew it wasn't their fault they were the way they were, but that didn't mean she had to pretend to like them anymore. The truth was that she had never really liked them. Not really. Not in the way she liked Mara and Jacqui.

"Um, hi?" Lindsay said.

Taylor cleared her throat.