Skinny Dipping (The Au Pairs 2)

Jacqui took copious notes, which Mara had to snigger at, while Philippe put his hands behind his head and kicked his chair back. He yawned openly.

The slide clicked, showing a weekly calendar.

"We've decided on a very packed schedule for them this

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summer. Idle hands, idle minds, the devil's playground, and all that. Sundays and Mondays are surfing in Montauk, Tuesdays are music and art appreciation, horseback riding on Wednesdays, kabala camp on Thursdays, and etiquette and ballroom dancing at the country club on Fridays. Saturdays they can do as they please, but I hope you can encourage the children to do something productive, like practice their meditation. Spirituality is so important." Anna nodded to Laurie and the lights flashed back on.

"Excuse me, Anna, what about Madison? Do we have any goals for her this summer?" Mara asked.

"Madison is eleven. Too old to have an au pair anymore," Anna said. "No need to worry about her. We're so proud that she finally found success with her new diet!"

The rest of the day was a manic blur, and when the kids were safely tucked into bed, Mara and Jacqui returned, exhausted, to their room. Philippe had skipped out soon after the first disastrous tennis lesson. (William had used his racquet as a blunt instrument, Zoe swung hers like a baseball bat, and Cody could barely lift his.)

"I'm so tired!" Jacqui said, heaving herself up with difficulty onto the top bunk. "I don't remember last summer being this much work!"

Mara's mouth opened with a ready reply, but when she saw Jacqui's face, she burst out laughing. At least Jacqui was around to

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lend a hand this time--who even knew where Philippe had gone?

They'd barely had a chance to relax when the new phone began to ring.

"Au pairs!" Mara answered, just as Anna had instructed them, even though it made her feel silly.

"No kidding," Eliza guffawed. "You bitches coming over or what?" she demanded. "My parents just left for the night and I just found a great mojito recipe. Bring mint!"

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when skinny-dipping at night, it helps to get sloshed

WHEN THEY ARRIVED AT ELIZA'S HOUSE, IT WAS ALMOST

ten o'clock in the evening, since Jacqui had insisted on trying to find Philippe to invite him to come along. "It seems rude to just leave him here," Jacqui told Mara. Even though she'd promised herself no more boys, there was nothing wrong with being friendly, was there? But the French boy never resurfaced, and Mara, who was tired of waiting, persuaded Jacqui to leave him a note with directions to the Thompsons' house instead. The only car left in the driveway was Ryan's Aston Martin, and even though the Perrys had always assured them they could use any car in the lot that was available, they decided to hitch a ride to Westhampton with one of the day staff instead. They figured they could call a taxi or something for the ride back.

The Thompsons' rental was a weathered New England cottage with an inviting wraparound porch. It was nestled in a pretty cul-de-sac and shaded by a grove of bent oak trees. Several single-passenger kayaks and long wooden paddles were stacked on its front l

awn.

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Eliza greeted them at the door with a tray of frosty mojitos in tall glasses.

"About time," she chided, handing out drinks. "I thought I'd have to drink these all myself."

Eliza gave Jacqui and Mara a quick tour. "I don't think they've renovated since the seventies," she sighed, shaking her head at the orange shag rug. "And of course, we're on the wrong side of the highway," she added, since the house was located north of Route 27.

Mara looked around admiringly. She really couldn't understand Eliza sometimes. Sure, it was nothing like the Perrys' designer show palace on Georgica, but it was airy and comfortable nonetheless. While the house looked small from the outside, Mara counted six bedrooms--two in the attic, three on the ground floor, and one downstairs in the expansive finished basement, complete with a dartboard and a foosball table. Eliza had no idea how good she had it.

They made their way to the back patio, where Eliza pointed out the "crummy" pool and the "gross" hot tub. The three of them sat at the edge of the pool and let their legs dangle over the side, balancing their drinks carefully.

"This is delish," Mara said, taking a big gulp from her glass, careful not to splash on her shirt. The sugarcane and mint mixed with the rum had a pleasant salty but sweet taste.

"Mmm," Jacqui agreed. God, it was heaven to be away from those kids. She borrowed a cigarette from Eliza's pack. Eliza lit

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