Sun-kissed (The Au Pairs 3)

Three thousand words! Practically a novel! And had Sam Davis said "cover"? This was her big chance!

79

"But before I forget, there is one thing I desperately need," Sam Davis said. "Socks."

"Socks?"

Sam pointed to her feet. "Socks. For my tennis game. I need some. Get Sydney to send some over. Tell them we're shooting for a fashion page."

"Sorry--call in some socks?"

"Are you deaf? Yes. Here's the number," she said, throwing a card at Mara. "I'm late for my lunch at Nick and Toni's."

And with that, Sam Davis departed.

Mara stared at the scrap of paper in front of her. Did her boss actually expect her to ask a designer to messenger over some socks? Why couldn't Sam just pop down to the store and buy a pair? Or go home and pick up her own?

She dialed the number.

"Goober Public Relations," said a silky female voice she recognized as Mitzi's assistant's.

Mara immediately hung up the phone. She just couldn't bring herself to ask someone to send over some socks, especially not Mitzi. Not even with the crazy excuse of needing them for a fashion photo shoot. They were just white socks--they sold them at a drugstore for $1.99. Maybe she should just run down there and buy some. But what if Sam noticed they weren't Sydney Minx socks? Was there something special about Sydney Minx socks?

Luckily, she had another idea. She quickly dialed Eliza's cell.

"Liza?"

80

"Mar! Holla!" In Cabo, they'd played Gwen Stefani's album on Mara's iPod speakers until their ears bled.

"Holla back, girl! Where are you?" Mara asked, feeling a flush of happiness at hearing Eliza's throaty voice. This summer, the three of them would be together again--and who knew what kind of mischief they would find themselves in?

"Stuck in traffic on 27, as always. I should be there in an hour, though."

"Listen, I need some socks. For my boss. Sam Davis. Do you think you guys can send some over?"

"Socks?"

Mara quickly explained.

"Oh yeah. Don't worry. I heard she does that all the time, calls in for every little thing. No one even lends her any clothes anymore since she always lies and says it's for a shoot and then they see it on her at some premiere party. But she and Sydney go way back, I heard. I'll get one of the girls in the shop to send over a pair. What's her size?"

Mara surreptitiously kicked the Louboutin shoe box under the desk so that she could see the label. "Ten and a half. Literally Bigfoot." She snickered.

Eliza beeped off the line and then beeped back on. "They'll be there by noon."

"You're a lifesaver."

"More like a socksaver." Eliza giggled.

"Guess what? I'm writing a cover story on Sydney Minx!"

81

Mara said, her voice rising with excitement. She doodled on her notepad, writing, By Mara Waters, and, Social Diary by Mara Waters, and tried out a few byline bios: Mara Waters lives in Sag Harbor with her boyfriend. This is her first piece for the magazine.

"Shut up!" Eliza gasped.