Then there she was: her distinct blond hair was unmistakable. It was full and wavy and fell over her tan freckled shoulders, one of which was bare where her peach-colored top had slipped off. Kaliq had to admit it was pretty sexy. He saw that she was grinding with Jaylen, who’d unzipped his shirt and was gyrating bare-chested to a dance remix of that Ciara song. Ew.
Kaliq felt a tug on the leg of his khakis and looked down to see Chanel smiling up at him. “Whatcha looking for?” she asked, hoisting herself up onto the countertop beside him.
“Hey,” Kaliq said, helping her up. He was grateful for the company of an old friend.
Chanel scanned the room and looked in the direction in which Kaliq was staring intently, watching the almost-obscene display of Jaylen and Tawny dancing.
“You know,” Chanel whispered into Kaliq’s ear. Her breath was sweet and tickled him pleasantly. It was a nice familiar sensation. “You don’t have anything to worry about. Jaylen is just a horny harmless jerk-off, and we love him for it.”
“I’m not worried,” Kaliq told her. “It’s not like that.”
“It’s not?” asked Chanel. She knew Kaliq, and she definitely knew better than to believe him when it came to girls. He basically always got it wrong.
She’s an actress, remember? She only plays stupid.
“I thought it was, but I was wrong,” Kaliq admitted. “Hey, where are they going?” Tawny had taken Jaylen by the hand and the two slipped behind a nearby door.
“That’s the bathroom,” Chanel observed.
Double ew.
“Whatever.” Kaliq shrugged. He’d passed the point in his life where he was interested in girls who slipped into the bathroom at parties with guys they barely knew. He didn’t care what was going on behind that door right now. Then, on the dance floor, barefoot and beaming, he spotted Porsha, firmly in the embrace of a much-taller guy in a conservative gray suit. Their lips met and Kaliq had to shut his eyes.
“I’m taking off,” he muttered. He’d had enough of this party. He shot his familiar, disarming, lopsided grin in Chanel’s direction. Then he hopped off the countertop and disappeared into the crowd.
46
Chanel remained on the counter and pulled out the cigarette she’d wisely tucked behind her left ear. She smoothed out the wrinkles in her “borrowed” black Bailey Winter dress, turned on one of the stove’s burners, and bent to light her cigarette in the flame. She took a long drag, turned the stove off, and turned her attention back to the still-pulsating dance floor.
“Where did Kaliq go?” Porsha stormed into the kitchen.
“Who knows?” laughed Chanel, helping Porsha up onto the counter next to her. She handed Porsha her lit Merit Ultra Light and surveyed the scene with a satisfied smile on her perfect lips. “Where’s Trey?”
“He’s going down to his apartment,” Porsha explained. “He’s got some leftover fried chicken in the fridge and I’m starving.”
“You’re so lucky,” Chanel cooed, taking her cigarette back from Porsha.
Yeah, Porsha’s the one with all the luck.
Chanel slipped her hand into Porsha’s. She leaned over and whispered into her friend’s ear, which was adorned that evening with one of those famous Gucci Ps, “This summer is going to be amazing.”
Porsha set her head on Chanel’s shoulder. “I hope the Hamptons is big enough for all of us.”
Chanel squeezed Porsha’s knee in response. There was something so exclusive about parties in the city during the summer. So intimate, with no unwanted guests.
Well, almost.
But summer and the beach went hand in hand, and she could never completely forsake the shore. Thaddeus apparently had done just that, abandoning his lavish spread on the North Shore to spend a steaming-hot summer in sticky New York City.
Now that’s dedication.
Porsha surveyed the living room. If she blinked, it looked exactly like the party scene in Breakfast at Tiffany’s. She’d dreamed of this moment so many times, she’d lived this moment, in the movie in her head, so many times over that it felt familiar. It felt wonderful.
There were Alexis and Imani, wearing matching black dresses and trying to hide the fact that they were whispering about Porsha and Chanel by smiling and waving excitedly. Porsha could practically imagine what the two of them were saying about her. There was Jaylen, spinning that Tawny girl around, his bare chest slicked with sweat. Every other person was looking in their direction. Was it Chanel or was it Porsha who had caught their attention? Did it really matter?
Nope.
The DJ—a frantically sweating guy whom Bailey Winter couldn’t stop ogling—switched the records, and he must have been reading Porsha’s mind. The apartment filled with a taut staccato beat, and then a sexy voice sang some very familiar words:
Moon River, wider than a mile...
I’ll be crossing you in style, someday.
Dream maker, you heartbreaker...
“It’s me!” Chanel cried.
“You sound incredible,” Porsha told her honestly, clutching Chanel’s hand.
In the movie inside her head, this was the perfect closing scene. The music was just right, and the crowd was going wild dancing. An adorable guy was preparing a plate of cold fried chicken for her in his downstairs apartment. Even though it was just an unfurnished dump, the apartment felt totally glamorous. Porsha was thrilled. This was her place. This was her party. Sure, the movie might be ending, but really, summer was just beginning.
Author's Note
Will Porsha break another heart? She’s already cast aside two suitors, and it’s not even July!
Will Chanel be able to adjust to life without the cameras rolling? Will she share the limelight with Porsha in the Hamptons, or will she go Hollywood and spend the rest of her days with her new BFF Thaddeus?
Will Kaliq make nice with Porsha? Will he go crawling back to Chanel? Or has he finally given up on chasing girls and decided to grow up? And have we heard the last from his little summer fling? Me thinks not. After all, he still has lots of work to do on his lax coach’s house...
What about the Hamptons? Will this vacation playland for the rich and famous be big enough for Porsha, Chanel, and Kaliq? What about the rest of Manhattan’s elite? The location might be changing, but the stars are character actors—they never really change.
And seriously: what the hell is going on with Yasmine and Mekhi? Odds are they re–hook up by July Fourth. Any gamblers out there?
Find out in the 10th book of the Upper East Side series, which is out now! If you'd like more updates and interaction with me you can contact me at the following:
Email: [email protected]
Twitter: AshValentine__
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Did you love Upper East Side 9? Then you should read Upper East Side 10 by Ashley Valentine!
Book #10 in the bestselling series about the provocative lives of New York City's most prestigious teens. Sharp wit, intriguing characters, and high stakes melodrama drive the action of this addictive series!
Welcome to New York City's Upper East Side where my friends and I live, and go to school, and play, and sleep—sometimes with each other. We all live in huge apartments with our own bedrooms and bathrooms and phone lines. We're smart, we've inherited classic good looks, we have designer clothes, and we know how to party.
Thank goodness summer is here, and we’re finally getting down to the hard work of taking it easy. After a busy June in the city, July has arrived with a gentle breeze off the ocean and standing reservations at all of the Hamptons’ best re
staurants. Hot and humid Manhattan is close by, but we’d rather stroll around barefoot in our bikinis, or steer our Mercedes convertibles up and down Main Street. We’re the boys with sun-kissed skin, driving back from Montauk with our surfboards strapped to our roof racks. We’re the girls giggling from our beach towels, or partaking in some after-sun pampering at the Aveda Salon in East Hampton. We’re the princes and princesses of the Upper East Side, and now we rule the beach. It seems the season is already in full swing, especially if you're one of us.
Also by Ashley Valentine
Bridgeport Academy
Bridgeport Academy #1
Upper East Side
Upper East Side 1
Upper East Side 2
Upper East Side 3
Upper East Side 4
Upper East Side 5
Upper East Side 6
Upper East Side 7
Upper East Side 8
Upper East Side 9
Upper East Side 10
Upper East Side 11
Upper East Side #9 Page 18
