“I can’t take this!” Mara protested, trying to give it back.
“Yes, you can.” Jacqui nodded fiercely.
“But what about . . . Don’t you need the money?”
“I did that Japanese commercial, remember? With the payment and residuals, I made enough for tuition,” Jacqui said proudly.
“Are you sure?”
“Chica, I’m sure. Believe me, the check I got, it’s got a lot more zeros than what’s in that envelope.”
Mara turned around and gave Jacqui a close hug. “Thank you.”
Jacqui nodded. “I’m not giving up on modeling completely. Christy Turlington graduated from NYU, you know.”
Mara shook her head and smiled.
* * *
The drive back into the city was quick, Eliza speeding around all the other cars with a dainty honk and a giggle. They made it to Washington Square Park by midafternoon, and Eliza parked the car by the curb in front of a building with a big purple NYU flag on the front steps. Jacqui looked out the window and took in the scene, near bursting with happiness. There were so many eager eighteen-year-olds, most with their parents in tow, carrying their purple NYU orientation packets and wearing their NYU Class of ’11 T-shirts. Sure, they looked a bit like wide-eyed tourists, but she was one of them. And even if her parents couldn’t come from Brazil to help her get settled in, she had two people who loved her to see her off, right here in this very car.
As her eyes scanned the crowd of bobbing heads, she suddenly recognized a very familiar head of blond hair. “Pete!” she yelled excitedly, not stopping to think for a second.
Mara and Eliza exchanged smirks in the rearview mirror.
“Is this the famous Pete Rockwood from Indiana?” Mara asked.
“Pete Rockwood? That sounds familiar. . . . Wait a minute—is this the guy who called the store from his dentist’s office?” Eliza pushed her sunglasses up on her head to get a better look at him. “Talk about regulation hottie—this one is off the charts!”
But Jacqui was getting out of the car so fast she couldn’t hear them. She didn’t even bother to open the door, instead leaping over the side of the convertible. She ran up to Pete, who was standing under the grand arch in Washington Square Park, surrounded by cardboard boxes and suitcases.
“What are you doing here?” she said breathlessly as she approached him, not pausing for the usual civilities.
He put down one of the suitcases he was carrying, looking the slightest bit embarrassed. “I’m a freshman here, actually,” he said sheepishly. “Remember when we met? I was in New York because I was wait-listed and had a follow-up interview. I was too embarrassed to admit I hadn’t gotten in.”
Jacqui nodded. That sounded familiar. When she was deferred for a year, she’d done the exact same thing.
“And besides, I didn’t want you to think I was just telling you to go to NYU because I would be here.” He shrugged. “Although that might have been part of it,” he added with a small smile.
“So it’s just fate.” Jacqui nodded, smiling.
“Just fate,” Pete agreed. “But what about you? Shouldn’t you be in Paris?”
She shrugged. “Paris will always be there. I’ll see it some other time. Isn’t that what spring break is for?” She raised an eyebrow and flipped her dark locks over her shoulder.
Pete grinned at her, his dimples forming irresistibly in either cheek. “So, uh . . . need some help moving into your dorm? If it’s not too forward of me to see your room on our first date,” he added quickly. His shy but eager smile said everything, and Jacqui felt that familiar tingle up her spine.
“You bet.” She grinned right back. “But just a second—I’ve got to say goodbye to my girls.”
Jacqui ran back to the car, her glossy black hair flowing behind her, grinning widely, her face aglow. The three girls hugged one last time.
“So you’re not going to be in New York this year,” Eliza said sadly to Mara.
“Neither are you,” Jacqui reminded Eliza.
“Princeton isn’t too far away,” Eliza assured her. “I’ll come visit.”
“And I’ll write long e-mails, I promise,” Mara said. “And you can always read my blog,” she added with a grin.
After one last hug Eliza pulled the car away from the curb. She and Mara waved to Jacqui and Pete until they were mere specks in the distance, two figures standing hopefully beside each other underneath the looming arch of Washington Square Park.
Eliza steered the car uptown, the late-afternoon light streaming through the windshield. Another summer was over, and they would all be separated once again. But good friends were never too far away in spirit.
Mara turned on the car radio. They sang along to the Natasha Bedingfield song, the one they knew all the words to, and felt a little better.
“The rest is still unwritten. . . .”
www.blogspot/eurogirl1
Europe is amazing! We got to Italy yesterday, first stop Venice, and everything is even more beautiful than I had imagined. R. and I are having too much fun. This afternoon we went on a gondola ride, where the gondolier was actually wearing a red-and-white-striped shirt and a silly black hat. R. joined in the singing, of course, which was hilarious, if not melodic. I’m currently typing from a Venetian Internet café. Did you know they have Internet here now? I had wondered how they’d get the wires through those canals, but apparently my notions are silly and outdated. Italy is just like home, except the pizza is better.
E. is having a blast at Princeton. She’s already in the best eating club and is hard at work on her next collection—preppie basics! Of course. Guess she’s taking inspiration from her surroundings. She and J. are going strong and have already booked the church for 2012. Here’s hoping she designs the bridesmaids’ gowns.
J. is dating P. at NYU and modeling on the side. They’re planning to meet us in Paris for spring break so J. can go to some look-sees (and eat some escargot, obv.). She’s been doing a lot of commercial work since the September Vogue came out—but, she assures me, only as much as doesn’t interfere with her classes.
And in really exciting news, my blog is going to become a book! It sold to a big publishing house that wants to publish next summer. I’m so excited I don’t know what to do with myself. My first novel! I even decided on a title yesterday: The Au Pairs. I want the cover to have three girls in bikinis. I know, I know. No sign of the children anywhere. But really—the book is more about the friendships I found there than about the kids or the partying. And, of course, the great guy who made every summer special.
Till next time,
Eurogirl1
PS—And no, I still don’t have a webcam!
acknowledgments
The Au Pairs was a great ride, and I’d like to thank everyone who made it a possibility. Writing this book series changed my life, and I am deeply grateful to everyone who made it happen. Emily Meehan and Josh Bank for being the books’ godparents. All my fabulous current (and former) editors at Alloy who had a hand in making it wonderful: Sara Shandler, Ben Schrank, Siobhan Vivian, and Joelle Hobeika (thanks especially to Joelle for being so patient with the Crazy Hot drafts!). Thank you to Les Morgenstein for everything. Deep gratitude to Richard Abate and Josie Friedman at ICM who have my back. And Niki Castle, Karen Kenyon, and Colin Graham who help Richard and Josie have my back. Thanks especially to everyone at S&S who were such big cheerleaders for the series: Rick Richter, Elizabeth Law, Jen Bergstrom, Bethany Buck, Carolyn Pohmer and Courtney Bongiolatti. It means so much to me to be part of the S&S family.
Thank you to my dear friend Tom Dolby for his steadfast friendship and support. Thanks, Tom, for being so patient with me while I finished this book. We can work on our project now. Thank you to all my friends in New York and Los Angeles. I love you all.
Thank you to all my dear readers from all over the U.S. and the world (all the way from Sweden, Germany, Poland, and the U.K.) who e-mail, blog and MySpace-friend me. You guys are the best
! I love hearing from you, so please keep in touch by writing me at
[email protected] Thank you to my amazing family—the DLCs: Mommy, Papa, and Chito. The Greens: Aina, Steve, Nicholas, and Joseph. The Johnstons: Mom J., Dad J., John, Anji, Alex, Tim, Rob, Jenn, Val, and Lily. The Gaisanos: Tita Odette, Isabelle, and Tina. The Torres family: Tita Sony, Tito Badong, Mandy, Stevie, and Miggy. And all the Ongs and de la Cruzes who are too numerous to mention, but especially my nieces Mica Calangi and Bianca Ong, who are big fans of the books!
Thank you to Nubia Alvarez, who helps me be a working mom.
And most importantly, thank you to the loves of my life, Mike Johnston and Mattie Johnston. I thought of you every minute I was writing this book.
Also by Melissa de la Cruz
Beach Lane
Beach Lane: Skinny-dipping
Beach Lane: Sun-kissed
Angels on Sunset Boulevard
Girl Stays in the Picture
The Ashleys
The Ashleys: Jealous?
The Ashleys: Birthday Vicious
The Ashleys: Lip Gloss Jungle
Melissa de la Cruz is the New York Times bestselling author of several books, including the Ashleys series, the Blue Bloods series, and Angels on Sunset Boulevard. She has worked as a fashion and beauty editor and has written for many publications, including the New York Times, Marie Claire, Harper’s Bazaar, Glamour, Cosmopolitan, Allure, the San Francisco Chronicle, McSweeney’s, Teen Vogue, CosmoGirl!, and Seventeen. She has also appeared as an expert on fashion, trends, and fame for CNN, E!, and FoxNews. She lives in Los Angeles, California, with her husband and daughter.
Simon & Schuster • New York
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An imprint of Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing Division
1230 Avenue of the Americas, New York, New York 10020
www.SimonandSchuster.com
This book is a work of fiction. Any references to historical events, real people, or real places are used fictitiously. Other names, characters, places, and events are products of the author’s imagination, and any resemblance to actual events or places or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.
Copyright © 2004 by 17th Street Productions, an Alloy Company, and Melissa de la Cruz
All rights reserved, including the right of reproduction in whole or in part in any form.
is a trademark of Simon & Schuster, Inc.
Originally published in 2004 as The Au Pairs by
Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers.
The Simon & Schuster Speakers Bureau can bring authors to your live event.
For more information or to book an event, contact the Simon & Schuster Speakers Bureau at 1-866-248-3049
or visit our website at www.simonspeakers.com.
Book design by Krista Vossen
Cover design by Krista Vossen
Cover photograph copyright ©2013 by Vyacheslav Shramko/Vetta/Getty Images
The text for this book is set in Garamond.
First paperback edition May 2013
Library of Congress Control Number: 2013933267
ISBN 978-1-4424-7409-3 (pbk)
ISBN 978-1-4391-0765-2 (eBook)
An imprint of Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing Division
1230 Avenue of the Americas, New York, New York 10020
www.SimonandSchuster.com
This book is a work of fiction. Any references to historical events, real people, or real places are used fictitiously. Other names, characters, places, and events are products of the author’s imagination, and any resemblance to actual events or places or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.
Copyright © 2005 by Melissa de la Cruz and Alloy Entertainment
All rights reserved, including the right of reproduction in whole or in part in any form.
is a trademark of Simon & Schuster, Inc.
The Simon & Schuster Speakers Bureau can bring authors to your live event. For more information or to book an event, contact the Simon & Schuster Speakers Bureau at 1-866-248-3049 or visit our website at www.simonspeakers.com.
Also available in hardcover edition
Book design by Krista Vossen
Cover design by Krista Vossen
Cover photograph copyright © 2013 by Vyacheslav Shramko/Vetta/Getty Images
The text for this book is set in Garamond.
First paperback edition May 2013
The Library of Congress has catalogued the hardcover edition as follows:
De la Cruz, Melissa, 1971–
Skinny-dipping / by Melissa de la Cruz.
p. cm.
Summary: When Eliza lands an internship at a club, Mara, Eliza, and Jacqui are annoyed until they learn that the new au pair, Laurent, is gorgeous, French, and male, which is only one of the complications their friendship will have to endure during their summer in the Hamptons.
ISBN 978-1-4169-0382-6 (hc)
[1. Au pairs—Fiction. 2. Wealth—Fiction. 3. Friendship—Fiction. 4. Hamptons (N.Y.)—Fiction.] I. Title
PZ7.D3696Ski 2006
[Fic]—dc22
2005279549
ISBN 978-1-4424-7410-9 (pbk)
ISBN 978-1-4391-0770-6 (eBook)
An imprint of Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing Division
1230 Avenue of the Americas, New York, New York 10020
www.SimonandSchuster.com
This book is a work of fiction. Any references to historical events, real people, or real places are used fictitiously. Other names, characters, places, and events are products of the author’s imagination, and any resemblance to actual events or places or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.
Copyright © 2006 by Alloy Entertainment and Melissa de la Cruz
All rights reserved, including the right of reproduction in whole or in part in any form.
is a trademark of Simon & Schuster, Inc.
The Simon & Schuster Speakers Bureau can bring authors to your live event. For more information or to book an event, contact the Simon & Schuster Speakers Bureau at 1-866-248-3049 or visit our website at www.simonspeakers.com.
Also available in a hardcover edition
Book design by Christopher Grassi
Cover design by Krista Vossen
Cover photograph by Frank and Helena /Cultura/Getty Images
The text for this book is set in Adobe Garamond.
This paperback edition June 2013
The Library of Congress has cataloged the hardcover edition as follows:
De la Cruz, Melissa.
Sun-kissed / Melissa de la Cruz.
p. cm.
Summary: Graduated from high school and back for a third summer in the Hamptons, Mara, Eliza, and Jacqui find that life is not as carefree as they had hoped when boyfriends, jobs, and school problems intrude.
ISBN 978-1-4169-1746-5 (hc)
[1. Au pairs—Fiction. 2. Wealth—Fiction. 3. Friendship—Fiction. 4. Hamptons (N.Y.)—Fiction.
PZ7.D36967 Su 2006
[Fic]—dc22
2006009491
ISBN 978-1-4424-7411-6 (pbk)
ISBN 978-1-4424-7416-1 (eBook)
An imprint of Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing Division
1230 Avenue of the Americas, New York, New York 10020
www.SimonandSchuster.com
This book is a work of fiction. Any references to historical events, real people, or real places are used fictitiously. Other names, characters, place
s, and events are products of the author’s imagination, and any resemblance to actual events or places or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.
Copyright © 2006 by Alloy Entertainment and Melissa de la Cruz
All rights reserved, including the right of reproduction in whole or in part in any form.
is a trademark of Simon & Schuster, Inc.
The Simon & Schuster Speakers Bureau can bring authors to your live event. For more information or to book an event, contact the Simon & Schuster Speakers Bureau at 1-866-248-3049 or visit our website at www.simonspeakers.com.
Also available in a hardcover edition
Book design by Christopher Grassi
The text for this book is set in Adobe Garamond.
Cover design by Krista Vossen
Cover photograph by Robert Churchill/Vetta/Getty Images
This paperback edition June 2013
The Library of Congress has cataloged the hardcover edition as follows:
Crazy hot / by Melissa de la Cruz
p. cm.
Summary: Eliza, Jaqui, and Mara are just beginning their careers, but find themselves all together in the Hamptons once again since Eliza’s new stepmother needs a nanny.
ISBN 978-1-4169-3961-0 (hc)
[1. Au pairs—Fiction. 2. Wealth—Fiction. 3. Friendship—Fiction. 4. Dating (Social customs)—Fiction. 5. Hamptons (N.Y.)—Fiction. 6. New York (State)—Fiction.] I. Title.
Fic—dc22 2007 2007278261
ISBN 978-1-4424-7412-3 (pbk)
ISBN 978-1-4424-7417-8 (eBook)
Melissa de la Cruz, The Beach Lane Collection
(Series: # )
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