"Well, look who's here," purred a voice from behind the champagne bucket. A sloe-eyed blonde with a vixenish pout appraised them coolly. She was wearing a pink beret, aviator sunglasses, and a tight baby T-shirt that showed off a completely flat midriff.

"Sugar!" Eliza said, bending down to say hello.

"Careful--I just had it blow-dried," Sugar Perry said, turning away before Eliza could get any closer.

"How are you?" Eliza asked, sliding into the seat next to her. Sugar was the most popular girl at Eliza's old prep school. At least, she was now that Eliza had left.

"I'm all right," Sugar drawled, taking a cigarette from Eliza's pack and tapping it on her hand. "I'm so over this scene."

"I know, it's so boring. The same every year." Eliza knew this was the right thing to say in the Hamptons, even though the truth was, she was thrilled to be back.

"You're so lucky your parents sent you to boarding school." Sugar sighed. "If only I could get away from mine."

"It's never going to happen," added a similarly hoarse voice. Eliza looked up to see Sugar's identical twin, Poppy, looming over them.

"Eliza, you're back," Poppy said flatly. She had the same long platinum Donatella-Versace-like locks as her sister, the same seductive

69

languor, but where Sugar had the makings of a porn star in a debutante body, Poppy, who was taller and two minutes younger, projected a more innocent air. Sugar was sexy; Poppy was just cute.

Finding the banquette fully crowded, Poppy parked herself on Eliza's lap without a second thought. Eliza didn't have the nerve to complain. She was too excited not to have to answer any difficult questions. Taylor and Lindsay receded to the background, pretending not to be bothered that Eliza had replaced them for the twins without a second thought.

Meanwhile, after downing two quick flutes of champagne and making chitchat with some of Eliza's friends, Jacqui scanned the room again. These people were nice enough, and yes, she could tell they were rich, but after meeting Luca, Jacqui had started caring less about those things. Before him she probably would have made her way straight over to the handsome Almost Forty who was staring at her from across the room--Jacqui knew the benefits of seeing an older man (hello, expense account)--but Luca had changed everything. For once she had found a guy who really liked her for who she was, not what she looked like.

Jacqui looked around, trying to look through the older man still staring her down. I can see your wedding ring, she thought. And then a flash of familiar stripes made her sit up a little straighter. Was it? No way... there was no way. But it was worth a shot. She stood up, pulling her underwear-completely-optional low-rider jeans up with her, and walked off to follow the lanky guy wearing a very familiar-looking rugby shirt.

70

back at the beach, mara gets blown off so eliza can blow out her hair

Mara couldn't believe they'd pulled this on the first night. She packed up the picnic basket, trying to keep an eye on the one-two-three-four (thank God they were all there!) kids. "All right, everybody, follow me."

"Don't want to go! Want to stay play ou'side!" Zoe whined.

"Can we go over there? There's ice cream," Madison said, pulling at Mara's hand.

"Why you want ice cream for? Porky Pig Porky Pig!" William jeered. He started snorting and making noises with his armpit.

"William!"

"WHAT???"

"STOP MAKING THAT..." Mara clapped. "Arrrghh!" William, who was clearly enjoying torturing his sister, cackled. Madison was nearly in tears.

"Hey, buddy, that's not nice."

Mara looked up to see Ryan Perry standing next to her, holding

71

a death's-head skateboard in one hand. He wore a faded Groton

sweatshirt over his frayed shorts. He smiled at Mara, then put a hand on William's head and turned the kid around. "Apologize to Maddy."

"Erm sorry." William sniffled.

Madison stuck a chocolate-covered tongue out at her brother. "I saw Eliza and Jacqui back at the house. I figured you might need a hand," he explained.

Tags: Melissa de la Cruz The Au Pairs Romance
Source: readsnovelonline.net