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the life of the party. She grabbed another glass of champagne, her fifth of the evening. Ooh. She should stop. But she'd felt ridiculous standing all alone, dressed to the nines with heavy makeup on, looking like a dismissed diva while everyone else was gathered in tight-knit cliques. Drinking had given her something to do.
Oh, well. No one would even notice if she tiptoed out the door right now. She could just put down the champagne flute and sneak out the back. Eliza would understand. It wasn't like she needed Jacqui to be there anymore for moral---or model---support. Almost everything in the store had already sold out. And besides, Jacqui had a big day with the kids planned for tomorrow. The twins needed to be at their gifted seminar in Wainscott by eight, and Wyatt had his practice session for his upcoming KRTs (the Kindergarten Readiness Tests, which was to preschoolers what the SATs were to their high school counterparts) shortly afterward. So it would probably be best if she just left now. . . .
"Don't I know you from somewhere?" A voice startled her from behind.
Finally. Someone she knew. Jacqui turned and began to smile until she realized who it was. Some smarmy-looking thirty-year-old-guy trying too hard to look cool with his slicked-back hair and his vintage Rolex, jangling his Bentley car keys. Why did he look so familiar? Then it hit her. The Hollywood hotshot. The chicks-gone-crazy party. That first memorable summer in the Hamptons. Rupert Thorne. Otherwise known as a Thorne in her side. Raising his smug head again.
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"I think you're confusing me with someone else," she said, pushing past him and trying to get as far away from him as possible.
"Whoa, don't be that way, beautiful!" he called after her.
As she stormed away, she bumped into Eliza, who had just finished giving another interview. "You all right?" Eliza asked. "You look tense."
Jacqui shrugged. "Listen, chica, it's late. ..."
"Don't say you're leaving too! I can't believe Mara's already gone!" Eliza wailed, running her fingers through her hair in dismay.
Jacqui was about to apologize, but just then there was a communal buzz from the party as two gorgeous guys appeared in the doorway. She and Eliza turned to look. Jacqui smiled. It was the two cute Aussies she'd met that afternoon! She was glad to see some familiar--not to mention handsome--faces. Midas looked a bit scruffy and tired. He was still wearing the same worn T-shirt and pants that he'd had on earlier, but Marcus looked freshly shaven and had changed into a dashing white linen suit.
She began to wave, but Eliza tugged on her arm. "Oh. My. God. Do you know who those guys are?" Eliza whispered fiercely, pulling Jacqui close. "That's Midas and Marcus Easton--they're the hottest photographers in fashion right now!"
"Really?" Jacqui asked. So they hadn't been lying or pretending to be something they weren't. That was good to know. So many guys called themselves "photographers" when really all they did was run up-skirt websites. Not that Jacqui had ever been on one, thank you very much. But she'd seen the Chauncey Raven shots.
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"Don't tell me you haven't heard of the 'Saucy Aussies'?" Eliza asked, forever shocked that other people could be so ignorant of the fashion industry.
"The what?" Jacqui raised an eyebrow, amused.
"That's what they're called because they do these really cool, almost risque fashion shoots. Vogue can't get enough of them. Midas is known for his 'touch of gold.' He's really the genius behind it all. A lot of
people say Marcus is just along for the ride. That he doesn't do anything but hold up a reflector. But you know, the 'twin' thing works to their advantage. I mean, they're both great-looking, so why not have two beautiful guys on a shoot instead of one? Oh my God. Oh my God. I can't believe they're here!" Eliza squealed, unable to conceal her excitement. She was speaking so loudly that several guests turned to look.
"Why? You've got almost everyone here," Jacqui said, pointing to a famous actress who was leaving the party with four goody bags stuffed under her arm. "It looks pretty A-list to me."
"You don't understand--every year Midas and Marcus pick one model and one designer to follow--they do this thing called 'reality fashion,' where instead of doing formal shoots and stuff, they just follow a model wearing the designer's clothes the way a normal person would--you know, everywhere from the bedroom to grocery shopping--and then they do a big spread in Vogue showing all the designs. If they pick my line, it could launch my career!" Eliza explained, anxiously smoothing the lapels on her satin tuxedo and giving her hair a good shake.
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"That's so funny, I bumped into them earlier with the--," Jacqui began, but her words died as the two boys walked right up to them.
"There she is," Marcus said, putting a friendly arm around Jacqui. "The girl of the moment."
"Thanks for the invite," Midas added, fiddling with the zoom lens on his camera and pointing it at the Marilyn mannequin. "This is a great store. Love the high-concept thing."
Eliza looked confused and turned to Jacqui. "You know these guys?"
"Sure. We're all best pals here. I'm Marcus. That's Midas. Cheers, big ears," Marcus said merrily, taking a champagne flute from a waiter's tray, his hand still draped casually around Jacqui's neck. "Brilliant! Pink and white! Like being in a big cotton candy machine."
"That's the idea," Eliza replied smoothly, not quite sure if she'd just been complimented or insulted.
"Guys, this is my friend Eliza Thompson that I told you about," Jacqui said, making introductions all around.
Midas shook Eliza's hand with a firm grip while Marcus was content to wave lazily, still attached to Jacqui's side.
Jacqui felt his hand trail from her neck to her waist, giving her a light squeeze. Maybe all the bubbles had gone to her head--she usually didn't like a guy to be so forward--but she leaned comfortably into his embrace. After all, who could resist a Saucy Aussie?
