Read Online The au pairs skinny-dipping by Melissa de La Cruz - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Melissa de La Cruz
Tags: General, Juvenile Fiction, Children: Young Adult (Gr. 7-9), Young Adult Fiction, Art, Children's & young adult fiction & true stories, The Arts, Au pairs
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for loaning her the dress to criticize them. Besides, she was tired of being the Good Girl all the time. Jacqui and Philippe were old enough to know the risks of getting fired if they were caught smoking pot.
"Tell Eliza I'm sorry I didn't make it, okay?" Mara told them, slipping on Jacqui's sandals. She walked up to the main house to wait for Garrett in the foyer.
Not long after Mara left, a pair of heels clicked on the concrete walk. Jacqui figured it was just Mara--she'd probably forgotten something--but it was Anna Perry who emerged from the darkness, dressed in a silk robe pulled tightly across her waist,
72
and high-heeled brocade bedroom slippers. "I thought I smelled something," she said.
Jacqui choked on an exhale and tried to wave away the smoke.
"There you are," Anna said, smiling warmly at Philippe. "I was looking for you everywhere," she said flirtatiously, as Jacqui quickly hid the incriminating evidence behind her back.
"What are the two of you up to?" Anna asked, taking a seat next to Philippe by the curb. "Jacqui, is something wrong?"
Jacqui shook her head and surreptitiously threw down the joint, crushing it beneath her heel. "Nothing--we were just--nothing." Jacqui attempted a smile, edging away from the two of them. "I'm sorry, I'm really tired. I need to hit the straw. Um, good night!" she said, turning the doorknob to the servants' cottage.
She slammed the door behind her, her heart beating quickly in her chest. Her boss had busted them smoking pot! How would Anna ever recommend her for a job in New York now? Jacqui wondered what was going on outside, since Anna was still talking to Philippe. She pressed an ear to the door and found she could overhear parts of their conversation.
"Do you have anything?" she heard Anna ask.
Philippe murmured a protest.
"Don't be silly. I'm not that clueless, you know," Anna said.
Jacqui heard rustling and then Anna's voice again. "God, have I been craving this. Kevin is so boring sometimes. We used to have a lot of fun together, but now it's all just work, work, work."
Philippe snorted.
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Jacqui couldn't believe it. Anna Perry! Smoking pot with one of the au pairs! Anna began to giggle at something Philippe said, and Jacqui suddenly felt abandoned, even though she was the one who'd left.
"How old do you think I am?" Anna asked Philippe.
Oh God, what an old line, Jacqui thought.
"Twenty-five," Philippe said graciously.
"Close, but no," Anna said. "I'm thirty-two. That's not too old, is it?"
Jacqui muffled a laugh. Thirty-two seemed kind of ancient to her.
"Sometimes I can't believe I'm thirty-two and the mother of seven children. Seven!" Anna shook her head. "I'm like Maria von Trapp or something."
Jacqui coughed. Anna was actually only the mother of one kid, Cody, and was a stepmom to the rest of the brood. Jacqui couldn't hear Philippe's reply. Then Anna said something about her life passing her by, and Jacqui realized the poor thing was lonely. It must suck not to have any real friends to talk to and to have to resort to the company of an employee. Still, why did it have to be Philippe?
After what seemed like an eternity, Jacqui heard Anna stand up, and footsteps clacking away from the cottage. She opened the door tentatively. Now that Anna had gone, maybe she and Philippe could hit Seventh Circle. But when Jacqui stepped outside again, there was no sign of the French boy anywhere. There
74
were only the remnants of a stubbed-out joint and some torn rolling papers on the curb.
Jacqui felt deflated. She could still go to the club, but somehow, the prospect wasn't as fun or exciting as it had been when she had assumed Philippe would be with her. Besides, now that she thought about it--she was tired. Running after three kids all day could do that to a girl. She trudged up the stairs, thinking that her SAT book could keep her company. Somehow, knowing she was doing the right thing wasn't as much consolation as she'd thought.
75
there's nothing
"Tell Eliza I'm sorry I didn't make it, okay?" Mara told them, slipping on Jacqui's sandals. She walked up to the main house to wait for Garrett in the foyer.
Not long after Mara left, a pair of heels clicked on the concrete walk. Jacqui figured it was just Mara--she'd probably forgotten something--but it was Anna Perry who emerged from the darkness, dressed in a silk robe pulled tightly across her waist,
72
and high-heeled brocade bedroom slippers. "I thought I smelled something," she said.
Jacqui choked on an exhale and tried to wave away the smoke.
"There you are," Anna said, smiling warmly at Philippe. "I was looking for you everywhere," she said flirtatiously, as Jacqui quickly hid the incriminating evidence behind her back.
"What are the two of you up to?" Anna asked, taking a seat next to Philippe by the curb. "Jacqui, is something wrong?"
Jacqui shook her head and surreptitiously threw down the joint, crushing it beneath her heel. "Nothing--we were just--nothing." Jacqui attempted a smile, edging away from the two of them. "I'm sorry, I'm really tired. I need to hit the straw. Um, good night!" she said, turning the doorknob to the servants' cottage.
She slammed the door behind her, her heart beating quickly in her chest. Her boss had busted them smoking pot! How would Anna ever recommend her for a job in New York now? Jacqui wondered what was going on outside, since Anna was still talking to Philippe. She pressed an ear to the door and found she could overhear parts of their conversation.
"Do you have anything?" she heard Anna ask.
Philippe murmured a protest.
"Don't be silly. I'm not that clueless, you know," Anna said.
Jacqui heard rustling and then Anna's voice again. "God, have I been craving this. Kevin is so boring sometimes. We used to have a lot of fun together, but now it's all just work, work, work."
Philippe snorted.
73
Jacqui couldn't believe it. Anna Perry! Smoking pot with one of the au pairs! Anna began to giggle at something Philippe said, and Jacqui suddenly felt abandoned, even though she was the one who'd left.
"How old do you think I am?" Anna asked Philippe.
Oh God, what an old line, Jacqui thought.
"Twenty-five," Philippe said graciously.
"Close, but no," Anna said. "I'm thirty-two. That's not too old, is it?"
Jacqui muffled a laugh. Thirty-two seemed kind of ancient to her.
"Sometimes I can't believe I'm thirty-two and the mother of seven children. Seven!" Anna shook her head. "I'm like Maria von Trapp or something."
Jacqui coughed. Anna was actually only the mother of one kid, Cody, and was a stepmom to the rest of the brood. Jacqui couldn't hear Philippe's reply. Then Anna said something about her life passing her by, and Jacqui realized the poor thing was lonely. It must suck not to have any real friends to talk to and to have to resort to the company of an employee. Still, why did it have to be Philippe?
After what seemed like an eternity, Jacqui heard Anna stand up, and footsteps clacking away from the cottage. She opened the door tentatively. Now that Anna had gone, maybe she and Philippe could hit Seventh Circle. But when Jacqui stepped outside again, there was no sign of the French boy anywhere. There
74
were only the remnants of a stubbed-out joint and some torn rolling papers on the curb.
Jacqui felt deflated. She could still go to the club, but somehow, the prospect wasn't as fun or exciting as it had been when she had assumed Philippe would be with her. Besides, now that she thought about it--she was tired. Running after three kids all day could do that to a girl. She trudged up the stairs, thinking that her SAT book could keep her company. Somehow, knowing she was doing the right thing wasn't as much consolation as she'd thought.
75
there's nothing
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