“You know what someone did the night before last?”
“I hate to guess.”
“In the morning we found ‘I love you, Suzy’ spelled out on the lawn in toilet paper! Have you ever heard of anything so outrageous?”
“I wonder who did it?”
“I’ll give you three guesses.”
Enid grinned. “I think I only need one. Winston, right?”
“Who else would do something so nutty?”
They both giggled.
“Boy, old Win must have it bad,” Enid said. “I think it’s kind of nice, though. Ever since Mandy Farmer moved away, he seems to have lost his sense of humor—if that’s possible for Win. It’s about time he got over her. But still, this thing for Suzy looks even more drastic than his old crush on Jessica.”
“Don’t let Jessica hear you say that. She thinks the only reason boys were invented is so they can fall in love with her.”
“In that case, it’s a good thing Suzy won’t be around when she gets back!”
“You’re right. Jessica would be furious. But it’s not as though it’s Suzy’s fault. She just seems to have this strange affect on men.”
“That’s OK,” Enid said, “as long as she keeps her charm rays away from Todd and George.”
“Do I hear somebody paging me?” George rolled over onto his back and propped his head on Enid’s knee.
Enid tousled his sandy hair affectionately. “You can go back to sleep. I was just telling Liz how you turned down a date with Bo Derek so you could take me to the movies last night.”
George winked. “Yeah, she was really persistent, too. She kept crying and telling me she was going to throw herself off a bridge if I didn’t go out with her. I was almost afraid I’d have to give in.”
“What finally convinced her to forget it?” asked Elizabeth, biting down on her lip to keep from laughing.
With a perfectly straight face, George said, “I told her she’d never be good enough for me.”
“Ugh!” Enid socked him lightly on the chest. “You’re so conceited!”
“I know. It’s one of the many reasons you love me, right?”
“Right.” Enid leaned over and kissed his forehead.
George looked up at her tenderly. “Mmm. Got any more of those?”
“That’s for me to know and you to find out.”
“I can hardly wait.”
“I’ll bet!”
“Will you guys quit horsing around?” Todd growled in jest. “I’m trying to do some serious sunbathing here.”
They all converged on him at once. George grabbed him by the ankles, while Elizabeth and Enid each took an arm. By the time Todd realized what was happening, it was too late to escape. They carried him, squirming and yelling, down to the ocean, plunging him into the surf with a single mighty heave.
Afterward Todd chased Elizabeth down the beach, pretending to lasso her with a long piece of seaweed, until they both fell laughing into the ocean. He kissed her as a wave crashed over them. Elizabeth decided this was better than having “I Love You” spelled out in toilet paper on her lawn any day.
By the time they returned home later that afternoon, sunburned and happy, Elizabeth had pushed all thoughts of the lost necklace to the back of her mind. It was Suzanne who reminded her.
“Why don’t we look for your necklace now, Liz?” she suggested as they were going upstairs. “I’ll feel so much better when you’ve found it. I know how awful it is to lose something you really care about.”
Eight
The phone rang just as Elizabeth was getting ready for bed. She was expecting a call from Todd, and so she quickly grabbed the extension in her room.
“Hi!” a voice chirped over the crackle of long-distance static.
“Jess!” Elizabeth cried. “How come you’re calling? Isn’t it expensive?”
“Don’t worry, the Devlins can afford it,” she said. “Anyway, I wanted to see how you were getting along without me.”
“Fantastic!” Elizabeth blurted out. Then, realizing Jessica’s feelings might be hurt, she quickly backtracked. “What I mean is, we really miss you and all, but you wouldn’t believe Suzanne—she’s really fantastic. I wish you could meet her.”
“Yeah, I wish I could, too,” Jessica said.
“Are you OK?” Elizabeth wanted to know. “You don’t sound too happy.”
“I don’t?” Jessica said quickly. “It must be this awful connection. Honestly, Liz, I’ve never been so deliriously happy in my entire life. The Devlins—well, it would take me a hundred and thirty-seven years to describe them. Everyone around here is so fabulously rich, it’s enough to make you sick!”
“I’m glad you’re having such a good time,” Elizabeth said. She didn’t feel a drop of envy. She was having too good a time herself to care.
“I’m having a fantastic time!” Jessica emphasized. “Last night some of Suzanne’s friends gave a party in my honor. You should have been there, Liz. They’re all so sophisticated. There’s this one girl, Evelyn—she’s our age, and she’s dating a guy who’s twenty-five. She says she never gets asked for her I.D. when they go places.”
“It sounds a little strange to me.”
“That’s because you’re so inexperienced,” Jessica said in a lofty tone.
Elizabeth laughed. “What’s that supposed to mean—that you’re so experienced? Come on, Jess, neither of us is exactly Liz Taylor.”
“Speak for yourself!”
“OK, what’s all this leading up to?” Elizabeth asked impatiently. “I know you, Jess, you didn’t call up for no reason. What gives? Or should I say who? Knowing you, it’s got to be a boy.”
“How did you guess?”
“Easy. Your track record speaks for itself. Who is he?”
“Oh, just a friend of the Devlins,” Jessica hedged. “Oh, Liz, I wish you could meet him. He’s the sexiest guy you could possibly imagine.”
“I couldn’t possibly imagine anyone sexier than Todd,” Elizabeth declared staunchly.
“OK, then, he’s just as sexy as Todd.”
“Mmmm. Sounds intriguing. Tell me more.”
“He’s tall, dark, and handsome, with the most incredible green eyes you’ve ever seen—”
“I prefer brown myself.”
“—and you wouldn’t believe how sophisticated he is!”
“I’ll take fun-loving over sophisticated any day.”
“Naturally, he’s crazy about me.”
Elizabeth smiled. “Naturally.”
“When we’re together, he can’t keep his hands off me.”
“Uh-oh, sounds pretty dangerous.”
“Don’t worry, I can handle it.”
“Are you sure? Remember what happened with Scott Daniels.”
Scott was a college guy Jessica had thought so terrific—until he pushed her past her limits. They fought, and she ended up spending a night stranded in a mountain cabin.
Jessica groaned. “Do you always have to remind me about him? That was ages ago. Besides, this time it’s completely different.”
“I hope so, for both our sakes.”
Elizabeth couldn’t forget the way she’d been dragged into the Scott Daniels fiasco. After staying out all night, Jessica ended up missing an important test in school the next day—a test she talked Elizabeth into taking for her. Elizabeth had felt horribly guilty afterward, and her fight with Todd over the incident hadn’t helped.
“Oh, Liz!” Jessica brought her back to the present. “Don’t be such a worrywart. Everything’s going to be absolutely perfect. It’s like a dream come true. But, listen, I have to go now. I’ll fill you in on all the details when I get home. ’Bye!”
As she hung up, Jessica couldn’t help feeling a twinge of guilt about the way she’d lied to Elizabeth. The truth was, everything wasn’t absolutely perfect. After the cool treatment she’d gotten from Pete, she was certain she’d never see him again. Besides all that, she was starting to feel a little homesick. In fact, she’d c
alled Elizabeth just to hear her voice. Jessica was lonely. She felt hopelessly uncomfortable around Mrs. Devlin, who did nothing to put her at ease. And Mr. Devlin, though friendly, was always off at some embassy function or other. On all but two of the nights since her arrival, Jessica had gone to sleep before he’d gotten home. She was starting to have second thoughts about this whole trip. It was something she would never have admitted to anyone in a million years. She had even tried denying it to herself. The night of Evelyn’s dinner party, for instance, she’d thought she was having fun at first—until things got out of hand and she realized she was in over her head.
Evelyn was Suzanne’s best friend. Her family lived in a building on Sutton Place, one of the most exclusive streets in Manhattan. A doorman with gold-braided epaulets had ushered her in. At the door to Evelyn’s apartment a woman in a uniform met her to take her coat and show her into the living room.
Suzanne’s friends were all drinking champagne when she arrived. A tall, sleek brunette wearing an outfit that looked like silk pajamas got up as she walked in.
“Hi,” she drawled. “I’m Evelyn Meeker.”
Evelyn introduced her to the others, but their names were a blur to Jessica. Several of the boys eyed her appreciatively, but the girls didn’t seem too interested. As soon as they’d greeted her, they went back to what they’d been discussing before.
“Daddy says real estate makes more sense,” said a nasal-voiced blonde with pinched good looks. “If I put Grandmother’s inheritance into the stock market, I could lose everything.”
“Diamonds,” piped a petite red-haired girl. “When I come into my money, I’m putting it all into diamonds.”
“With the family you come from, you might need a whole room for those rocks,” said a boy standing next to her.
“Oh, Simon,” the redhead retorted with annoyance. “Don’t be so crass.”
Someone filled a champagne glass and handed it to Jessica. These people were all so sophisticated! It seemed impossible that they were the same age as she. They all appeared so much older. Quickly, she downed her champagne. Just as quickly, her glass was refilled.
“Where are your parents?” she asked Evelyn, glancing about nervously.
Evelyn gave a tinkly little laugh. “My parents? Oh, you mean like in chaperon. Don’t worry—they couldn’t be bothered. Besides, they’re in the Caribbean right now. They always go this time of year.”
Wow! Jessica thought. If only she could have parties like this, without her parents hanging around.
“It must be nice having the whole place to yourself,” she said.
“Oh, I hardly ever stay here when they’re gone. My boyfriend has an apartment in the Village. I usually stay there.”
“Your boyfriend has his own apartment?” Jessica echoed incredulously.
Evelyn laughed again. “Well, he’s twenty-five, after all. Don’t you just adore older men? Honestly, boys our age are such incredible babies.”
“Unfair!” cried a boy sitting on the plush beige couch. Leering tipsily at Jessica, he added, “All I ask is that you give me a chance. I may be seventeen, but I’m old at heart.”
“Malcolm’s OK,” Evelyn whispered. “His family owns a big estate in Connecticut, and he drives a Maserati.”
The woman who had answered the door announced that dinner was served. They all retired to the dining room, where a fabulous feast had been assembled as if by magic. Evelyn produced several more bottles of wine she’d “borrowed” from her father’s cellar.
By the time dinner was over, Jessica was so dizzy she could hardly stand up. The room seemed to be spinning. She tried to concentrate on what people were saying, but none of the conversations made sense. What was even worse was that every time she tried to say something, it came out sounding garbled and foolish. On top of everything else, she was starting to feel slightly sick.
She got up in search of the bathroom, nearly tripping over a bronze urn set on the floor near the fireplace. “Ooops!” she said as she bumped into an end table, knocking over a small vase of dried flowers.
“Obviously she can’t hold her liquor,” she could hear someone saying through the buzzing in her head.
“What did you expect?” someone else said. “She is from some little town in California, after all.”
Jessica’s cheeks were flaming as she ducked into the bathroom. She was so embarrassed she wanted to die. Instead, what she did was simply pass out. One minute she was holding on to the sink while the floor rocked wildly beneath her. The next thing she knew, she was lying sprawled in the backseat of a cab speeding back toward the Devlins’ apartment.
Nine
“I can’t, Todd. I just can’t. A promise is a promise.”
Elizabeth stacked the last of the dinner plates in the dishwasher and flicked it on. Two tickets to a Lakers game and she had to be baby-sitting! Oh, well, Todd would just have to understand. Mr. Collins was counting on her, and she couldn’t just back out at the last minute when it would be hard for him to find a replacement.
“I know it’s kind of late and all,” Todd said. “But I just found out myself. My cousin had to cancel, and so he gave me his tickets. Are you sure you couldn’t get somebody to take your place?”
Elizabeth bit her lip. “I suppose I could ask Enid.… No, wait. She’s going to the movies with George. I don’t know, Todd. Practically everybody I can think of already has plans.”
“I don’t.”
Todd and Elizabeth turned to find Suzanne standing there. She’d come in from the laundry room and was carrying a stack of freshly folded sheets and pillowcases.
“I couldn’t help overhearing,” she explained. “Liz, there’s absolutely no reason for you to miss that game. I’d be happy to take over your baby-sitting job.”
“But—” Liz started to protest.
“But nothing. What are friends for? Besides, I’d enjoy it. I think Teddy’s adorable.”
Elizabeth stared at her in disbelief. “Suzy, I can’t let you. It’s—it’s too much! You’re always doing things for us. I’m starting to feel positively guilty.”
“Don’t,” Suzanne said. “I know this sounds hopelessly corny, but it just so happens I like doing things for other people. It makes me happy.”
“Suzy, you’re incredible! It doesn’t seem possible that anyone could be so nice.”
“You’ve just been living with Jessica too long,” Todd muttered under his breath.
Elizabeth ignored his comment. She was too happy about going to the game to let anything bother her.
“I’m sure it’s OK, but let me call Mr. Collins first and let him know,” she said.
A tiny frown creased Suzanne’s forehead. Then she smiled. “Listen, why don’t you let me do the phoning? You’re going to be late if you don’t start getting ready.”
Elizabeth hesitated. “I don’t know. I really should talk to him myself.”
“Suzanne is right,” Todd broke in with a glance at his watch. “We’d better hurry if we want to get there in time. Besides, I’m sure Mr. Collins won’t mind. He’s pretty easygoing.”
“OK, I give up.” Elizabeth threw her arms around Suzanne in a quick, fierce hug. “Thanks, Suzy. You’re fantastic. I don’t know how I’m ever going to repay you.”
Suzanne laughed. “For one thing, you can stop thanking me. Just go and have a good time.” You can bet I’m going to do the same, she thought.
Half an hour later, Todd and Elizabeth were dropping Suzanne off in front of Mr. Collins’s house.
“Give Teddy a kiss for me,” Elizabeth called as Suzanne was climbing out of the car.
Teddy isn’t the one I plan on kissing, Suzanne thought, laughing to herself. She waved a cheerful goodbye as she bounded up the front steps. While waiting for her knock to be answered, she deftly opened the top button of her short-sleeved blouse.
It was all Suzanne could do to keep from laughing aloud at Mr. Collins’s astonished look when he opened the door to find her standing t
here.
“Liz couldn’t make it,” she explained, sailing inside. “I hope you don’t mind, but she asked me to take her place.”
He frowned. “She should have called to let me know.”
“Oh, well … she said she was going to, but I guess she forgot. She was in kind of a hurry.”
“That doesn’t sound like Liz. She’s usually so responsible.”
Suzanne smiled. “I guess no one’s perfect.” She leaned close to Mr. Collins, accidentally on purpose brushing up against him. She enjoyed watching him redden. “Anyway, you don’t have to worry about a thing. I love little kids. Teddy and I will get along just fine.”
Roger Collins’s frown deepened as he glanced at his watch. “I don’t like last-minute rearrangements, but I suppose it’ll have to do. I’m having dinner with some friends; so it’s too late to back out. Anyway, I should be home around twelve-thirty.”
At that moment Teddy came bounding into the living room. When he caught sight of Suzanne, his face lit up at the unexpected surprise.
“Are you gonna baby-sit?” he asked. “Where’s Liz?”
Suzanne flopped down on the couch. “Whoa! One question at a time. But first I have a question for you: Would you like me to baby-sit?”
“Yeah! That’d be neat!”
“OK, then let’s seal it with a handshake.” Solemnly she shook his chubby hand. “Later on, if you want to, I’ll show you how to make a cat’s cradle.”
“Neato!”
Suzanne cast a demure look up at Mr. Collins. “See what I mean? Teddy and I will get along fine. We’re friends.”
Mr. Collins knelt to give Teddy a goodbye kiss. “OK, Bear, you know the rules. Bed by eight-thirty. And don’t forget to brush your teeth.”
He gave Suzanne the phone number where he could be reached. “Call me if you have any trouble—any trouble at all.” Obviously he had trouble on the brain where Suzanne was concerned.
“Don’t worry about a thing,” she purred. “Everything will be just perfect.”
After Mr. Collins had left, Teddy clambered up to sit beside Suzanne. “Do you know the story about Theodore the Turtle?” he asked.
“I don’t know any stories,” she replied in a bored voice.
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