Sun-kissed (The Au Pairs 3)

Zoe nodded.

It was a book for twelve-year-olds, and Zoe was eight. Two summers ago, the kid hadn't even been able to recognize letters. But now she was reading at an advanced level! Okay, so maybe Zoe shouldn't be reading that book (blond incestuous twins?)--but hey, at least she was reading! It looked like the "summer off" plan was working. With Kevin out of the house, the daily battles had ceased, and the environment was peaceful for once. William had decided to be an amateur geologist and was collecting stones and seashells on the beach and doing research on their provenance. Free from a fully regimented schedule, Cody had stopped having his "accidents" and was finally properly toilet-trained. Madison had even (grudgingly)

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started eating again. She looked red-cheeked and happy.

Even Jacqui was benefiting from the new relaxed approach to the summer. If her plan didn't work, at least she'd return to Brazil in September with a killer tan.

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blue-collar blues

TALK ABOUT A SIGHT FOR SORE EYES. ELIZA UNTIED HER

apron and stuffed it in the laundry basket underneath the counter, smiling as she saw Jeremy walk inside the door. Her spirits lifted the minute their eyes met. He looked so adorable in his blue uniform work shirt with STONE CONTRACTING scripted on the front pocket. His jeans were dusty and muddy, but Eliza thought she had never seen him look cuter.

"Can I help you?" she asked flirtatiously.

Jeremy pretended to scan the menu underneath the glass counter. "I'm not sure. I'm looking for an Eliza Thompson? You might know her--about so high," he said, motioning under his chin. "The prettiest girl in the Hamptons, kind of high-maintenance?" He leaned over the counter. "Do you know what time she gets off work?"

Eliza threw her arms around him and gave him a kiss.

"So, do you want to eat here?" he asked.

"Are you kidding? I can't get out of this place fast enough."

They drove to the nearest sushi restaurant, and over shrimp tem-pura rolls, Eliza unburdened her tale of woe. Jeremy knew that

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she'd lost her job working for Sydney's showroom but not that Paige had fired her. She'd kept that detail out of it, not wanting to bring up memories of his old "friend."

"I can't even walk, my knee hurts, and I think I'm breaking out from all the stress!" she said, dipping a piece of sushi into the wasabi spiked soy sauce. "And I almost burnt my fingers when I tried to get the corncobs out of the oven!"

Jeremy was silent as he picked at his chicken teriyaki. It had been Eliza's idea to get Japanese, and it was obvious he didn't share her enthusiasm for the cuisine.

She continued her tirade, complaining about customers who didn't tip, waitresses who stole her stations, and an abusive and mocking kitchen staff. Jeremy grunted in response but didn't interrupt her self-pitying monologue.

Finally, he threw his napkin on the table. "So what?"

"What do you mean, so what?" Eliza asked, taken aback by his harsh tone.

He shrugged and took a swig of his Sapporo. "People work, Eliza. I know it's hard to imagine, but some people have to work hard to get where they are; they don't just inherit it. I've worked hard all my life. ... I started out as a gardener, a groundskeeper, and I worked all through high school and college and every summer. And even now, even though I have my own landscape company, it's not easy. Nothing's easy. You just need to get used to it."

Eliza started to protest, but he didn't let her get a word in.

"Some people think money's just handed to them; they don't

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realize how much hard work really goes toward earning it. You've got to get your hands dirty, you know? It's not just about cruising through life. It really makes me sick how entitled some of my clients act," he said, furiously taking another swig from his beer glass.

"I mean, I know you're not used to it. But it's like, my friend Paige--she and I used to cut lawns together, and we had to get in the dirt and pull weeds, and we made, like, minimum wage, but she was always there, and she never complained."

"Oh, really. So you want me to be more like Paige, is that it?" she asked snippily, trying not to show him how much he'd hurt her with his unsympathetic comments. And to bring Paige into it as well--that really stung.

"Well, not everyone can be like Paige--"