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"Are you sure?"
"Yeah, just take this next right and it's straight down."
Just as Jeremy had predicted, Two Mile Hollow Beach was paradise compared to the towel-to-towel congestion of Georgica. Down beyond, Eliza spied groups of handsome gay men arrayed around lavish picnic spreads, complete with champagne and caviar, while several random lesbian couples sunned underneath golf umbrellas.
"This is great!" Eliza said, unzipping her Juicy Couture hoodie and taking off her shorts. She was wearing a sleek black bandeau bikini with boy-cut briefs monogrammed with the letter E. She looked like a throwback to one of those Vargas pinup girl calendars, with her long blond hair in a high ponytail with a thick black headband.
"I always come here. It's the best beach in the Hamptons--it's so private," Jeremy said.
The kids seemed to agree. Already William was engrossed in building the largest sand castle he could imagine--he always had to fight for space on the other beach. Madison had taken off her shorts--she was always too self-conscious to be seen in her bathing suit, but since there was no one else around, she didn't seem to care. Zoe just snuggled next to Eliza, who seemed a lot nicer when she wasn't trying to hide from her friends.
Eliza pulled out a glossy magazine from her tote bag. Zoe
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had forgotten Where the Wild Things Are at the ice-cream parlor, but Eliza was determined to get her reading. She flipped through the pages. Maybe the reason Zoe wasn't learning was because she was reading all those boring books about puppies and flowers. Maybe if they gave the kid something more interesting to read...
"Here, Zoe, let's start with this," Eliza said, finding a promising page. "How to blow his mind in twenty-six ways." Eliza pointed down the column. It was alphabetical! So educational "A is for Always Be Ready."
"Always be ready," Zoe repeated, her eyes wide at the picture of a woman in a tiny camisole lying on silk sheets.
"For what?" She asked Eliza.
Eliza didn't quite know how to answer that one. "Hmm ... let's try something else," she said, paging through to a fashion spread. "Here we go. Packing for a weekend in the country."
Jeremy, who had been silently appalled the whole time, burst out laughing.
"I dare you to kiss her," Zoe turned to Jeremy.
Jeremy blushed. "A dare is a dare," he said solemnly, and brushed Eliza's cheek with a quick kiss.
Eliza was flattered. She was surprised at how much fun she was having. It was always such a hassle finding parking, getting a space, and making sure no one from her old high school spotted her with the kids. This way she could actually relax. And that kiss wasn't too bad either... .
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"What are you doing later?" Jeremy asked. "My friends are having a bonfire in Montauk tonight."
Just as Eliza was about to ask what time, her cell phone rang with a piercing shrill.
"Sorry--let me just take this," she said. "Oh, Lindsay, hi! Charlie's having a party? No, he didn't tell me. Tonight? Oh my God, I've been dying to get in there. Sure, I'm not doing anything! What time should I meet you guys?"
She clicked off, a happy smile on her face.
Eliza noticed when Jeremy turned away and scowled at the ocean. Did I really just make other plans right in front of him after he asked me out?
"About tonight ... Eliza said hesitantly. "Something just came up for later. But maybe we can still do dinner or something?"
"Sure." Jeremy nodded. He wouldn't normally have said okay, but there was something about Eliza that made guys agree to lots of things they normally wouldn't.
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jacqui is still testing out that brazilian saying
Meanwhile, somewhere in Bridgehampton was a bedspread with two lumps underneath. Jacqui and her new boyfriend were spooning, and she was happy to feel the warmth of another person next to her. It was the most comfortable she'd felt in weeks.
"Oh ... Luca... ," Jacqui whispered.
A tousled head shot up. "What did you say?" he asked Jacqui. "What did you call me?"
