Skinny Dipping (The Au Pairs 2)

Eliza, wearing her signature headset and a pretty black-and-white Temperley dress she'd bought with her tournament winnings, waved them over.

"See, I told you--she's a friend of mine," Mara said, not bothering to explain that Eliza had also been one of the au pairs the year before.

Mara pecked the air on either side of Eliza's cheeks, while Eliza did the same to her. Things weren't exactly normal between them, but on the other hand, they weren't exactly estranged, either.

"Eliza, this is my sister Megan," Mara said.

"Oh, hi!" Eliza smiled. "Wow, you guys look so much alike!"

"Really?" Mara asked, not sure if it was a compliment. Hanging around Sugar and Poppy had made her think everyone was always being sarcastic.

"You are gorgeous!" Eliza told Megan, and Mara felt relieved.

Eliza looked down at her clipboard, frowning. "I don't see Megan on here," she whispered to Mara.

"Urn, you don't?" Mara asked. She'd meant to ask Mitzi for a seat for her sister, but she'd completely forgotten.

Eliza glanced down. Several of the celebrities they'd been expecting still hadn't shown up, and there was a very slim chance that they would even make it.

"Follow me," Eliza said, pulling back the tent flap. The two Waters girls followed Eliza inside. A long white runway with plastic covering ran the length of the room, and on either side, white

198

folding chairs were arranged in neat rows. Each chair held a small black bag filled with numerous beauty products and glossy magazines, but the bags in the front row were considerably larger than the others.

"Here you go," Eliza said, finding a seat with Mara's name on it. Eliza peeled off the name of a celebrity on the seat next to it. "Megan, you're here too."

"Thank you," Mara mouthed.

Megan plopped down, her eyes agog over the commotion. At the end of the stage, photographers were setting up their tripods and cameras, and a roving band of paparazzi were snapping pictures of the people seated in the front rows. There were famous fashion editors hiding behind their signature sunglasses; a cadre of young, mostly blond women wearing pastel-colored cashmere sweaters around their necks; and a smattering of famous actresses sitting in the best seats. Perky "news" correspondents from all the celebrity news shows and networks-- Access Hollywood, Entertainment Tonight, The Insider, E!, VH1, the Style Network--were interviewing fashionistas, socialites, and celebrities.

Mara crossed her legs and angled her face for the best shot, knowing that they would soon make their way over to her and take her picture. She was pretending not to notice that her sister was already rooting in the goody

bag and exclaiming over the items inside it.

"Look, Mar--free Kiehl's lip balm!" Megan said excitedly, showing her the loot.

199

Mara nodded, smiling. "It's the best," she agreed. She didn't mention that the company had sent her a carton of its products just the other day. Mara smiled at a tiny, curly-haired woman in enormous sunglasses who was sitting down next to Megan.

"Oh my God! I loved your show!" Megan said turning to look at the woman. "I'm totally a Carrie!"

"Thanks," the star replied modestly.

"Can I get your autograph?" Megan asked.

Mara almost died. Even though Sarah Jessica Parker happily obliged, Mara was embarrassed--celebrities totally didn't come to fashion shows to be hassled by fans. It didn't help that once the photographers had stopped taking Jessica Simpson's picture and started taking Sarah Jessica's, none of them even stopped to take a photo of Mara Waters.

Contrary to what Mara had grown to believe, she wasn't nearly as famous as she thought.

200

it's getting hot in where?

JACQUI TRIED NOT TO LOOK INTO THE MIRRORS THAT WERE

everywhere backstage. Her hair! Her glorious, beautiful, thick, black hair! Gone! Replaced by some trendy haircut--a fauxhawk, the stylist had called it--a halfway, wussy Mohawk that was long in the middle and gelled to a point, while the sides were short and cropped. She ran her fingers over the rough edges, shuddering at the buzz cut on the nape of her neck. It felt like it belonged on a boy. But there was no more time to think about it, because the lights went down in the front of the house and Octavian was in front, yelling at all the models to get in line.