Sun-kissed (The Au Pairs 3)

the purloined vodka martinis. The show was going to turn into nothing more than a cocktail party if she didn't do something fast.

"What are we going to do?" Shannon asked, her eyelashes heavy with mascara.

"We need to start, Eliza. They're already playing the music," Madison said as the opening chant to Gwen Stefani's "Holl a back Girl" played in the background.

"Shit!" Eliza cursed, gnawing on her cuticles until they bled. She had no idea what to do now.

Jacqui noticed they weren't starting and walked out of the line to speak to Eliza. "What's the problem?"

Before Eliza could answer, another figure appeared next to her car.

"Hey, did I miss anything?" Mara asked, walking up to the huddled crowd.

"The spotlights--they won't go on!" Eliza told her friends. "I don't know what to do!"

"I just saw someone working on them," Jacqui remembered. "I thought she was one of your volunteers."

"No, Serge just checked. He said they're busted," Eliza said. "Mar, where have you been?"

Mara blushed deeply. "Sam made me go to Sydney's show. But don't worry--the thing was a total disaster. No one even stayed for the finale. I thought I was the only one walking out early, but when I turned around, I noticed a bunch of people behind me. I think they all followed me here too."

279

Eliza felt elated at the news. Sydney's show was a bust! Ha! Then she realized. Paige. It had to be. She'd known Eliza was staging a show, and she must have been furious when she noticed that everyone had walked out before the end of Sydney's show to go to Eliza's. Sabotaging the spotlights had to be her revenge.

Eliza started to feel the sweat form in her armpits. She was so done. She could see major editors from W, Vogue, Bazaar, and the New York Times out there, as well as several prominent buyers from the best department stores in the country. They would never give her another chance if she messed this up. She would just be another fashion statistic--joining a slew of wannabes whose creations crowded the clearance racks. If she even made it to the clearance racks.

"Okay, what if we gave all the models candles?" she suggested. "I could run to the Stop and Shop on 27 and--"

All of a sudden, there was a hoot from the crowd. Then cheering erupted.

"What's going on?" Eliza craned her neck. She saw the sandy runway ablaze in lights, even though the spotlights were still dark. "How--?"

"Who cares? Let's go!" Jacqui said, stepping out from behind the car and leading the pack of models down the catwalk.

The show finally started, and to the surprise of everyone, most of all Eliza, the "runway" turned out to be lit by two lines of cars parked by the beachhead, their headlights blazing.

280

jacqui in wonderland

JACQUI WAS STILL WEARING HER FINALE OUTFIT-A DARING

three-piece black suit that was perfectly fitted to her proportions-- when she saw three guys walking toward her from opposite directions, each holding an enormous bouquet of flowers. They handed them to her one by one, looking adorably sheepish.

"You were great," Duffy said. "It made me want to wear the clothes myself!"

Ben elbowed him away and turned to Jacqui with a somber look on his face. "Are you okay?" he asked, concerned.

"I'm fine." Jacqui nodded. "I really like you guys."

"We really like you too." Grant winked.

"And the site, is everything okay?" she asked.

Ben nodded. "Stock's back to where it was before the fall, a few points higher, even."

"Someone sent in a video of that movie star Boris Carter, you know, Mr. Action Guy--who says he does all his own stunts?-- getting a leg cramp from walking his dog. Pretty funny."