Skinny Dipping (The Au Pairs 2)

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to Madison about how girls like Angelica, who were too skinny and privileged for their own good, just masked their own insecurities by making fun of everyone else, but she knew she would just embarrass the girl, so she kept her mouth shut.

Instead, Jacqui heaped her own plate with cheese, salami, bread, and pickled vegetables, and made a show of eating every last bite, to the fascination of both preteen girls, who couldn't believe anyone who looked like Jacqui could eat like that.

Angelica had already tried flattery to get Jacqui to like her, but since Jacqui hadn't responded, the girl had taken to calling Jacqui "the au pair" in a snotty voice. Jacqui was relieved when the two decided to make the most of the day and sunbathe quietly on the deck.

Jacqui looked around at the kids, who were all entertained, and at the glittering water and bright sun. She leaned back on the deck and felt the wind in her hair. She was glad to have a friend like Kit.

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it's so much easier to lie on the phone

ELIZA DABBED A SPLOTCH MORE FOUNDATION ON HER

neck. The hickeys from Ryan had bloomed overnight. She looked war-ravaged, with little purple and yellow love marks all over her chest, collarbone, and underneath her chin. It was more than a little distressing. She couldn't go to work looking like she'd just been mauled, hence the bottle of Bobbi Brown foundation. Thank God for perfect-blend makeup.

Okay, so that was a little weird--hooking up with Ryan again like that. What about Jeremy? Was she

cheating on him or something? Were they even together? Eliza felt confused and a little sad. And Ryan--what was up with that? She didn't like Ryan, did she? Ryan was like, her friend. Like, her brother--okay, so not like her brother exactly.

That morning, he'd woken her up and carried her to her bed. "I gotta go. I don't think your parents will be so thrilled if they see us in the living room," he whispered, kissing her nose.

"Okay." She'd nodded sleepily.

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"See you later," he said, tucking her in.

Eliza smiled at the memory, dabbing a smidge more green-tinted concealer to mask a hickey, when her cell rang.

"Hi, 'Liza, it's me."

"Oh," she said, holding a compact powder in midair. Mara. Shit. Had Ryan told her something?

"Listen ..." Mara started.

Eliza sucked in her stomach.

"I'm really, really sorry about last night," Mara said. "I don't know what got into me. I've never been that drunk before."

"Oh." Eliza exhaled. "It's nothing--don't worry about it."

"I just want you to know I would never ever do anything to get you in trouble," Mara said. "I know how much your job means to you."

"No, really, seriously, don't worry about it," Eliza said, wanting nothing more than to hang up. Mara was being so nice, it was hard to take. It would be so much easier if Mara was a real bitch, but she wasn't.

"Well, I really feel awful about it," Mara insisted. "And in front of Ryan, too!"

"Mar--I really gotta go," Eliza said, cutting her off. Even though she and Ryan had agreed that last night was a fluke, just as Palm Beach had been, and nothing whatsoever was going on between them at all, Eliza couldn't deal with the guilt. Even if Mara had Garrett Reynolds now, it didn't make Eliza feel any better.

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"Oh, okay. Maybe we can go get coffee later this week or something?" Mara asked meekly.

"Yeah, I'll call you, 'kay?" Eliza replied quickly.

"Okay," Mara answered, but Eliza was already stabbing at the END button.