Adrienne gazed down at her own outfit. Though the Valentino cocktail dress was perfect for the evening, it felt like a hand-me-down compared with the clothes that the girls around her were wearing. Actually, it was a hand-me-down: one of Cameron’s discards. She also appeared to be the only female on the premises who wore absolutely no jewelry. For the first time in a long time, Adrienne felt like a high school student playing dress-up.
Graydon grinned at her from across the table.
Adrienne blushed, feeling his unwavering, direct gaze. She ducked her head. “What?” she asked.
“I have something for you,” he said. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a tiny red leather box. Adrienne’s eyes widened. She recognized the logo on the box—she’d seen similar ones in Mrs. Warner’s jewelry collection. It was from the very expensive store Cartier.
I can’t accept this, Adrienne’s brain shouted. It’s too much. “Graydon—” she began.
“I—I hope you like it,” Graydon said, suddenly seeming nervous. “You might think it’s kind of corny.”
She couldn’t imagine anything from Cartier being “corny.” Curious, she took the box from him, opened it slowly, and gasped.
Nestled into the white satin fabric was a charm bracelet—but instead of the diamonds, rubies, and sapphires she had expected, the charms were made of chocolate!
“It’s so cute!” Adrienne said, pulling the bracelet from the box. Each chocolate charm was wrapped in shiny colored tinfoil. She held and twisted the bracelet around so she could examine each adorable confection.
“Oh, good!” Graydon said with relief. “I saw them making the bracelets at this place over on Madison and thought you’d like one. But then I wasn’t so sure…”
“I love it,” Adrienne declared. “I just don’t know if I want to eat it or keep it!”
Graydon suddenly looked worried. “You’re not disappointed that it isn’t from Cartier, are you? I just used a box I found at home.”
Adrienne smiled. “This is so much better than some superexpensive rock.”
“I’m really glad you like it.” Graydon smiled shyly. “I—I want to get things right with you, Adrienne. You’re different from the other girls I’ve known. So I—I just don’t—”
“Menu?” interrupted the waiter. “Tonight we have…”
Graydon snapped back up. “Four ounces of beluga to start,” he ordered in the pompous and familiar voice Adrienne recognized as the “old” Graydon.
“And for the young lady?” the waiter said.
“I’ll have a hamburger,” Adrienne said.
“A what?” the waiter replied, incredulous.
Graydon grinned. “Can the fish eggs,” he said. “Make that two hamburgers.”
“Medium rare,” Adrienne said.
“With onions,” Graydon added.
“And pickles…”
“And ketchup…”
“And fries…”
“And would you like shakes with that?” the waiter asked, his voice dripping with sarcasm. “Monsieur Warner, this is Bilboquet, not McDonald’s.” He shuddered.
“Can you make a hamburger or not?” Graydon asked.
“The best in New York, sir,” the waiter replied, “but…”
“Then two hamburgers, please,” Graydon said. “And cancel the champagne. I want a Coke.”
“Me, too!” Adrienne called as the waiter quickly left, exasperated.
Graydon looked at Adrienne, shook his head, and grinned. “You really are too much,” he said.
“You know, Graydon, I really thought I knew you,” Adrienne said. “That you were the biggest player around. But you know what? I think underneath all the loud game, there’s a really nice guy who just wants to be normal.”
“What’s normal?” Graydon asked, laughing.
“Well, Gray, if you don’t know, it’s too late for you,” Adrienne teased. “But I can tell you this: normal isn’t a three-hundred-dollar bottle of champagne on a date with a girl who works as a nanny and goes to a public school.”
“You’re more than that, Adrienne,” Graydon said.
“Am I?” Adrienne asked. “I need you to be straight with me.” She looked him in the eye. “What are we doing? Where is this going?”
Graydon reached across the table and took both of Adrienne’s hands in his. His hands felt strong and warm.
“I’d like it to go further,” he said.
“I’m not sure your idea of further is where I want to go,” Adrienne said quietly.
Graydon released her hands and leaned back in his chair. He cocked his head as if he were studying her. “Sounds like my reputation has preceded me,” he said.
Adrienne shrugged. “People talk.”
“People lie!” Graydon said, suddenly angry.
“Hey, hey!” Adrienne said, startled by his reaction. “I didn’t mean to hurt your feelings, I just heard—”
“I know what you heard,” Graydon said bitterly. “You heard that I cheated on every girl I ever dated. You heard that Serena Bedford tried to kill herself after we broke up. You heard that I flew Lydia Stetson to Bermuda to be with me but then got her out of the way by shipping her off to Hilton Head so I could sleep with Jane Tauber….” His voice trailed off, and he glared down at the table.
“It was Santa Fe,” Adrienne said. “I heard you shipped Lydia to Santa Fe. You really need to keep better track of your scandals.”
Graydon’s eyes flicked up and searched her face. When he realized that she was joking, his eyes crinkled and the two of them burst into outrageous laughter.
“Your hamburgers,” the waiter announced with disgust.
“Thank you,” Graydon said, choking as he tried to catch his breath.
Adrienne delicately touched the napkin to her eye. She laughed so hard, her eyes actually welled up with tears. She hoped she hadn’t smeared her mascara.
When the waiter left the table, Graydon grew serious again. “Adrienne, I’m not going to lie to you. I—I haven’t always been a stand-up guy, but I don’t want to be that way with you. And yes, I’ve been with my share of girls. Maybe more than my share. But a lot of what you hear is just gossip—and seriously exaggerated.”
“Okay,” Adrienne said, wanting to believe him. She’d seen firsthand how gossip could spin out of control.
“And one of the reasons I acted like a player was that I never really cared enough about any of those girls to do it any different. With the right girl…” His voice trailed off again and Graydon looked down at his plate.
Adrienne’s green eyes widened, and she could feel her heart thump a little harder. Wow, she thought, he really does seem to want to make this work.
“Let’s just keep seeing how things go,” Adrienne said, hoping she sounded mature and cool. She was pleased by how relieved Graydon looked.
“I don’t know about you,” she added, “but I’m starving. Let’s eat these burgers before they get cold.”
“Good idea,” Graydon said. “If we sent them back, I think the waiter would personally pay to have us executed.”
CHAPTER NINE
Parker’s big secret
When Adrienne arrived at the Warners’ apartment Monday after school, she found Emma in the huge kitchen, the round table in front of her a mess of wires and switches.
“What are you doing?” Adrienne asked.
“I’m convinced that Kane is stealing from Cameron,” the little girl replied. “So I am laying a trap in her room.”
Adrienne raised her eyebrows. What would Kane swipe from Cam? she thought. Size 0 Prada pants?
“She is make me crazy,” said Tania. “All with this fiddle-fiddle. I find camera in closet, microphone in refrigerator.”
“Tania talks to the food in Russian,” Emma said, giggling.
“I talk to self!” Tania exclaimed, throwing her hands up. “I talk about dinner! I talk about crazy little girl should be playing with dolls and not playing KGB agent! Gospodi pomilui!” She left t
he kitchen, muttering a long stream of Russian that Adrienne assumed was about Emma.
“I thought I told you no more video,” Adrienne scolded Emma.
Emma looked up at her with a completely innocent expression. “I thought you meant I couldn’t have the camera in front of the hallway powder room.”
“Emma—” Adrienne began.
Cameron strode in. “Hello, freakling,” she greeted Emma, dropping her miniature Hermés Kelly bag on the table right on top of Emma’s technical manual. She grabbed a bottle of designer water from the Sub-Zero fridge.
“Cameron,” Emma said, tossing the Hermés bag to the floor, “if you existed—which you don’t—I’d still ignore you.”
“Isn’t she darling?” Cameron yanked a wire out of place as she crossed the room. She pointed the pale blue bottle of water at Adrienne. “You, however, are a gift from heaven.” Cameron fixed her dazzling approximation of a smile on Adrienne. “Follow me!” Cameron turned and went back out to the living room, swooping up her bag on the way out.
This is going to be bad, Adrienne thought. “I’ll be right back,” she told Emma.
Adrienne stepped into the huge living room, where Cameron was lounging on the suede-covered sofa. Cameron patted the seat next to her. “Come sit by me, Adrienne. Time for a little girl-talk.”
Adrienne crossed the Italian-tiled floor and sat down hesitantly. Cameron was a snake, but now that she was seeing Graydon, Adrienne felt she should try to get along with her a little better. Cameron not only was Graydon’s half sister, she was an expert at making trouble—something Adrienne really wanted to avoid.
Cameron took a swig of her water, then faced Adrienne. “So, as you know, it is my current mission to have Mimi deposed from her position as chair of the Young Lions Committee of the Library.”
Adrienne nodded. She didn’t understand why it was such an obsession with Cam, just that it was a major one. Probably because Cam can’t stand losing, Adrienne realized.
“Well, this week we had our history essay contest, and we all had to hand in our disks with the essays today.”
Adrienne nodded, wondering where Cam was going with this and what any of it had to do with the library. Or with her.
“It’s a pity that Mimi didn’t hand hers in.”
“She didn’t submit her disk?” Adrienne asked, surprised. From what she had seen, Mimi was no airhead.
Cameron giggled. “Not exactly. She submitted a disk all right. A disk with a really lousy essay that begins ‘Kings are good. My grandfather was a king. I think kings are really cool with their awesome castles and everything….’”
Adrienne’s mouth dropped open. Cam had switched essays on Mimi? So this was the reason Cameron had developed a sudden interest in homework.
“Pretty brilliant, yes?” Cameron smiled.
“I don’t see what any of this has to do with me,” Adrienne said.
“I’m getting to that,” Cameron said.
Adrienne braced herself.
“I want you to make an anonymous call to the library.”
“Saying?” Now Adrienne was even more confused. This was getting weirder by the minute.
“Saying that it is a scandal that Princess Mimi von Fallschirm is the chair of the Young Lions Committee of the Library when she is barely literate. And you have the failing essay to prove it!”
Adrienne stared at Cameron. Unbelievable. She knew Cameron was a shallow, duplicitous bitch. But to go this far? Just to be head of some stupid committee?
“No way,” Adrienne said.
“What did you say?” Cameron said, tilting her head and gazing at Adrienne. “Sorry, darling, that almost actually sounded like ‘no.’”
“I won’t do it.”
“Oh yes, you will,” Cameron said, her voice hard. “And then you will follow up that phone call with another one to Page Six of the New York Post.”
This is just so mean! Adrienne thought. And Mimi is supposedly one of Cam’s best friends.
Adrienne stood. “Sorry, Cam.”
“You will be sorry,” Cameron warned. She stretched her long, slim legs, then stood. “I will make very certain that you’re sorry. Gee, I wonder what your pal Liz will think when she finds out that you had the chance to help her but you didn’t?”
“What are you talking about?” Adrienne demanded.
“I have info on Parker. Shocking info, if I must say so myself.” Cameron smiled secretly. “You help me. I help Liz.”
Adrienne stared at Cameron. She knew all too well how skilled Cameron was at twisting things. She didn’t think Liz would actually believe anything Cam said, but still….
And if Cam was the key to helping Liz with Parker, then how could Adrienne say no?
But how could she say yes?
“Do your own dirty work, Cameron,” Adrienne said.
She thought she saw a flicker of shock appear and quickly vanish as Cameron kept her icy eyes fixed on her. Adrienne held her breath, wondering what Cameron might do. After what seemed like forever, Cameron shrugged. “Do what you like, Adrienne, that’s fine.”
Adrienne tried not to show her incredible surprise that Cameron was actually backing down.
“But there is something you can do, if it doesn’t offend your sensibilities,” Cameron said.
Okay, here it comes, Adrienne thought.
“Lend me your cell,” Cameron said.
Adrienne stared at Cameron, confused. “Why? Isn’t yours working?”
“Discretion, sweetie,” Cameron explained. “I can’t have my personal number turning up in any caller IDs.”
“And it’s all right if my number shows up?” Adrienne asked.
“Hate to break this to you, but no one knows who you are. Your number is on no one’s radar.” Cameron held out her hand, waiting for Adrienne to cough up the phone.
“I’ll give it to you,” Adrienne said, “but only if you tell me what you know about Parker.”
Cameron cocked her head and looked at Adrienne. “I guess fair’s fair,” she said. “I did promise to tell you the juicy little secret. I just hope you and your goody-two-shoes friend can handle it.”
“Just spill it.” Adrienne was getting impatient. “What is going on with Parker?”
“Come on, Adrienne,” Cameron said, exasperated. “You and your friend Liz can’t tell what Parker is doing?”
Adrienne shook her head.
Cameron rolled her eyes and sighed. “Adrienne,” she said as if Adrienne were a small child. “Parker Devlin is dealing.”
“Dealing? You mean, dealing drugs?” Adrienne was stunned.
Cameron nodded and smiled.
“You’re not serious?” she asked.
“Serious as a felony,” Cameron said.
“Who is he dealing drugs to? The kids at his school? Your school?” Adrienne demanded, trying to process this revelation.
“Who do you think the private school kids get their drugs from?” Cameron smirked. “Your friend Liz should dump him and fast if she wants to keep that squeaky clean rep of hers. Though I suppose just hanging out with him this long has already done some damage. Guilt by association, you know. And you can tell her that I said that as a friend.”
There is nothing friendly about you, Cameron, Adrienne thought.
Cameron snapped her fingers. “Phone. Now.”
Adrienne stared at Cameron, a sick feeling welling up inside her as she fumbled in her purse for her phone.
How am I going to tell Liz? Adrienne wondered.
CHAPTER TEN
I know the truth
Liz’s hand shook as she clicked off her cell phone. All through the conversation with Adrienne, Liz’s mind had been spinning. Now she was having trouble breathing.
Is it really true? she wondered.
She perched on the edge of her bed, elbows on her knees, head in her hands. She kept hearing Adrienne’s voice repeating the terrible sentence: “He’s selling drugs.”
“No!” Liz stood and pac
ed the room. She refused to believe it. Sure, Parker got high now and then, but to actually be selling the stuff? That would make him really low.
But still… She sat down hard on her desk chair. It explained so much. The constant phone calls, the disappearing acts, the erratic behavior.
She felt herself grow cold as Adrienne’s revelation about Parker made more and more sense. Now that she thought about it, it had been totally obvious from day one. No wonder Cameron thought she and Adrienne were naive little girls. All the signs were right there, but she had been too starry-eyed to see them.
She smacked herself on the forehead. “I am such an idiot! How could I have not seen it?”
“Liz?”
Liz froze at her mother’s knock on her door.
“I can hear you talking,” her mom said. “Tell whoever you’re on the phone with good night and get ready for bed.”
“O-okay, Mom,” Liz said, hoping her voice didn’t betray her emotional state. There was no way she could talk to her mom about this. She’d forbid me to ever see Parker again.
But isn’t that exactly what I should do? Liz thought. How can I keep going out with him knowing this?
She stretched out on her bed and stared at the ceiling. She knew there’d be no way she’d be getting any sleep tonight.
The next day Liz covered the dark circles under her eyes the best she could and then forced herself through the heavy scarlet door of the Pheasant-Berkeley School for Girls.
Liz assumed the day would be complete hell. Cameron had probably already spread it around that Liz was such an unsophisticated twerp, she didn’t even know her own boyfriend was dealing.
As Liz walked through the halls, she tried to put a brave face on, smiling at friends and acquaintances and holding her head high as she passed a knowing-looking Cameron and a smug Isabelle Schuyler.
“Have a nice night, Liz?” Cameron cooed. “Learn anything new?”
“Only to mind my own business, Cameron,” she said. She turned to walk away.
“But did you hear the news?” Cameron asked, her voice ripe with suggestion.
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