Confessions of a Teen Nanny 02 - Rich Girls (4 page)

BOOK: Confessions of a Teen Nanny 02 - Rich Girls
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"All right," Dr. M-C said."Anything to accommodate the Devlins."

"And Dr. Markham-Collins," Liz continued, figuring she was on a roll, "would it be okay if I changed for the evening here and had him pick me up downstairs?"

"I don't think it will be a problem," Dr. M-C said.

"Thank you," Liz said.

"Just give me notes on David's behavior before you go."With that, Dr. M-C turned and left Liz in the kitchen to prepare a healthy serving of soy milk and cookies for a child who didn't exist.

41

CHAPTER FOUR

those people

are twisted

T hat morning Adrienne knew she'd be seeing Brian in French class again, so she got up early to try to look her best.

It had been hopeless.

The Warners were all exfoliated, moisturized, Botoxed, and lightly tanned within an inch of their lives. How can a normal person compete with that? Next to Cameron, Adrienne felt like she needed to become a con- testant on Extreme Makeover.

When Adrienne arrived at French class, her heart flut- tered seeing Brian already slumped in his seat.

He can't be gone for good, she thought. I have to try again.

She stood and straightened her Marc Jacobs jacket. My clothes are classier than I am, she thought, picking a wisp of lint from her Versace skirt. Not too long ago Liz had to advise Adrienne on what to wear to fit in with the Fifth

42 T H O S E P E O P L E A R E T W I S T E D

Avenue crowd. Now, thanks to her high wages and Cameron's castoffs, Adrienne could out-wardrobe anyone at Van Rensselaer. Not that anyone at Rensselaer particularly cared.

This time, I'll make him talk to me right now, right here, Adrienne decided, instead of trying to get him to meet me later.

"Bri," Adrienne said, her voice calm despite her flip- flopping stomach. "What is going on with us? What hap- pened?"

There. She sounded completely reasonable. Just a wonderful girlfriend trying to understand her boyfriend's completely insane behavior.

"Adrienne," Brian said, meeting her gaze for the first time in a week. "I just think this is the right thing to do. You know, see other people for a while."

"Oh, come on,"Adrienne scoffed."You can't really be serious about Cameron!" Okay, so much for cool and calm. But, really! How dense is he?

"Why not?" Brian looked offended. "You don't think I'm good enough for her?"

Adrienne shook her head."No, Brian.You're too good for her. Can't you see she's using you? You know she's not the kind of girl for you. So maybe you two had a fling or whatever.We can still work it out." She looked up at him, her eyes huge with hope.

Brian sighed."We were getting too intense,Adrienne. Let's just take some time off to explore and see what we

43 C O N F E S S I O N S O F A T E E N N A N N Y

really want. I'm sorry if this isn't what you want to hear, but I really think it's for the best."

Adrienne didn't know how to respond. How can he be so cruel? For the first time, she wasn't so sure about getting Brian back.

"I wonder where the teacher is . . ." Brian said, glanc- ing at his watch. Its diamond face glittered and sparkled in the light.

Adrienne knew there was no way Brian could afford a watch by Jacob the Jeweler. He was always scrambling for cash. He lived with his parents and three brothers up in Washington Heights, and money was seriously tight.

Cameron sure is doling out the gifts. Adrienne bit her lip. Brian had never been impressed by this kind of thing before. But now, Cameron's goodies seemed to entice him.

All of her goodies.

"So, where did you get the watch?" Adrienne asked, pretending she didn't know.

"Cam gave it to me," Brian said, admiring the shiny watch. "She got it for free. It's killer, right?"

Adrienne put on the disinterested expression she had learned from Cameron."Watch out for girls who give you expensive gifts in the beginning," she warned, quoting Liz's friend Jane, hoping she sounded cool and wordly. "They'll make you pay for them in the end."

Brian looked confused, then shrugged. "Whatever."

44 T H O S E P E O P L E A R E T W I S T E D

Adrienne walked back to her seat between Tamara and Lily. Obviously they had watched the whole scene.

"I'm sorry, Adrienne," Tamara said quietly. "Trust me. He'll come crawling back to you when that rich girl tosses him aside for next season's man."

Lily frowned. "It stinks, Adrienne," she agreed. "You know, I really thought you could do it. But he's seriously gone on Cameron."

Tamara studied Brian with dark, narrowed eyes. "It's hard to compete with those gifts. That diamond watch looks like it's going to dislocate his shoulder."

Adrienne fought back waves of disappointment. She took in a deep breath. "I do have a way to compete with Cameron," she announced.

"How?" Lily asked.

"Mrs. Warner offered to pay me to get Brian away from Cameron,"Adrienne said, settling back into her chair. "She'll help me in any way she can."

"What?" Tamara and Lily chimed together. Adrienne could see they were both floored.

"That's right," Adrienne said, ignoring their shocked expressions and pulling her books out of her book bag."If I steal Brian away from Cameron before her debutante ball, I collect a bonus from the very grateful Mr. and Mrs. Warner. They will even give me spending money to put the plan into action."

45 C O N F E S S I O N S O F A T E E N N A N N Y

"Damn," Tamara said quietly, shaking her head."Those people are twisted, you know?"

"I know," Adrienne said. "Believe me, I know."

Adrienne arrived at the Warners' that afternoon to discover Cameron walking back and forth across the mar- ble foyer with a heavy book balanced on her head. Debi, the Texan cotillion consultant, observed Cameron's every move, while one of her helmet-haired assistants took notes.

"Shoulders back, Cameron," Debi ordered. "Smile! Judges hate a grumpy girl!"

"I'm not a contestant, and there are no judges!" Cameron retorted.The book slipped from her head to the floor with a crash.

An assistant scurried to retrieve the book. She held it out to Cameron, who glared at her and crossed her arms, refusing to take it.The assistant turned to Debi, looking for backup.

Debi crossed her arms too, and raised a plucked eye- brow at Cameron. Neither blond blinked.

Adrienne grinned. Interesting. Immovable object meeting an irresistible force. I wonder who's going to win this battle of wills.

"Cameron, New York will be your judge," Debi said, smoothing her perfectly coiffed hair. "You are a beautiful girl.You have every advantage. But if you want to be Deb of the Year, you have much to learn."

46 T H O S E P E O P L E A R E T W I S T E D

Cameron rolled her eyes.

"That Princess Mimi has something you don't have. Something that is required of any debutante who hopes to truly make her mark in society."

A flicker of interest--or was it worry?--crossed Cameron's face. She uncrossed her arms and placed a hand on a jutting hip. "And that is . . . ?"

Debi smiled.

Score one for the Texas Dipper, Adrienne thought. She just won this round.

"That is an easy, graceful confidence that comes with having a secure social position."

Cameron opened her mouth as if she was about to protest, but Debi kept speaking. "Models don't have it. And, my de-ah, you walk like a fashion model. And that simply won't do.You must walk like a queen!"

Adrienne watched Cameron take the book from Debi's assistant and place it back on her head. She tottered a bit on her mile-high Jimmy Choos.

"No, no, no," Debi clucked. Cameron cringed.

Amazing, Adrienne thought. Someone is actually being paid to criticize Cameron.There's a job I'd like to have!

"Think position.Think status," Debi ordered.

"You're saying you want me to walk with confi- dence?" Cameron said, trying to figure out what Debi was asking of her. She was obviously stunned that there was

47 C O N F E S S I O N S O F A T E E N N A N N Y

someone in the world who didn't think she was perfect.

"No, honey," Debi corrected. "Right now, you walk like you have confidence in your daddy's bank account. You need to walk as if you have confidence in your family heritage. More like Princess Mimi."

Cameron flinched at being unfavorably compared with her friend. But she sucked in her breath and tried again.This time, Adrienne could see Cameron add a bit of Mimi's regal posture to her usual loping stride.

"That's it!" Debi said. "That's the you we're looking for! Now do it again!"

I guess I can't just stand here being entertained by Debi humiliating Cameron, Adrienne realized. She went looking for Emma. The first place she checked was the library--a favorite room for the precocious little girl--and spotted the tip of a blond head poking over the top of the sofa. She heard a tiny, muffled sob.

"What's wrong, Emma?" Adrienne asked, concerned. She walked around the sofa. "Did Oprah retire?"

Adrienne was shocked to see Mrs.Warner rising from the sofa. "No," Mrs. Warner said, her voice shaky. "I saw Oprah in Montecito three weeks ago. Her contract runs until 2012." She dabbed at her eyes with a lace-trimmed Belgian linen handkerchief from La Perla.

"Mrs.Warner, are you okay?" Adrienne asked.

"Not really," Mrs.Warner admitted, twisting the hankie.

48 T H O S E P E O P L E A R E T W I S T E D

"I'm sorry you had to see me have the come-aparts." She sighed and drifted back down on the sofa again, evidently too weak to stand.

Adrienne wasn't sure what to do. The woman had always seemed so in charge. Insane, but in charge. What could be bothering her?

"Adrienne, I have been a chairwoman for the Manhattan Cotillion for . . . years, but suddenly there are rumors that I am to be replaced!"

"But why?" Adrienne asked, perplexed. "You're, like, the most important woman in the city."

"Thank you, dear." Mrs.Warner sniffed daintily."I cer- tainly think so. But it seems that people are really opposed to Cameron as a debutante." Mrs. Warner heaved a huge sigh. "If Cameron fails at this, it will be a disgrace to the family."

"Isn't there some way to get them to come around?" Adrienne asked."Remind them, I don't know, of how they all like you, want to be around you?"

A spark of hope flickered in Mrs. Warner's eyes. "Yes . . . ," she said slowly, nodding. "Yes, of course."

"Well, I'm sorry you're having such a hard time," Adrienne said.

She started to turn to go back to her search for Emma, but Mrs. Warner reached up and grabbed Adrienne's hand.

49 C O N F E S S I O N S O F A T E E N N A N N Y

"You must help me," Mrs.Warner begged. "Help us!"

"But how?" Adrienne asked. "What can I do?"

Mrs. Warner stood and paced, her Manolo Blahniks clicking on the hardwood floor."We'll host a tea for all the debutantes here. Make it the event before the event."

"That sounds like fun," Adrienne said.

"Fun?" Mrs. Warner sounded shocked. "My dear, this isn't fun--this is strategy. Now, with Gloria gone, there's no time to hire anyone else. So I will be relying on you. But your MOST important job is to make sure that Cameron does NOT take that Brian to the ball."

"I'm working on it, Mrs.Warner."Adrienne didn't add that it didn't look so promising.

"Thank God," Mrs. Warner said, giving Adrienne as affectionate a glance as she was able, given the fact that her forehead was frozen by Botox."Now, about getting organ- ized for the tea. Quick. Come with me to my office."

Mrs.Warner hurried Adrienne into her private office, crossed to the Louis XVI desk, and rolled open the top. She pulled out one of her gray, monogrammed notepads and a Cartier pen. "Let's see. The ball is given for charity. The proceeds go to the Foundation for Children Who Need."

"The children who need what?" Adrienne asked.

"Oh Lord, Adriana, don't tire me. They need every- thing, one supposes." Mrs. Warner had returned to her old self. "We'll invite someone from the charity to the tea as

50 T H O S E P E O P L E A R E T W I S T E D

well. Create goodwill and all that." She smiled at Adrienne with a conspiratorial glint in her eyes. "And everyone will be afraid they'll look un-charitable if they don't come to the tea, so we are assured of attendance."

Flipping pages in her leather-bound calendar she murmured softly to herself. "No, that's the Museum of Modern Art dinner. No, that's the nineteenth-century drawings auction.Yes!" She turned to face Adrienne."Two weeks from today!"

"Isn't that kind of soon?" Adrienne asked. "It's pretty short notice to invite such important people."

Mrs. Warner swiveled around and tapped her pen on her calendar. "Good point." She spun around again. "I know! We'll just tell everyone that the stationer screwed up."

Adrienne stared at her. "But won't that ruin the sta- tioner's reputation?"

Mrs. Warner stared back. Then, finally, she shook her head. "You're right. We don't want to alienate Mrs. Fine. We'll need her for Emma's next birthday." Her eyes nar- rowed as she thought hard."So what can we do? What can we do?"

She stood and paced.

"Yes!" Mrs.Warner said. "When you hand deliver the invitations, you'll explain that the original courier lost the invitations and that these are a rush second stamping!"

51 C O N F E S S I O N S O F A T E E N N A N N Y

Mrs.Warner scribbled furiously on the notepad while Adrienne wondered how many invitations she was sup- posed to be delivering, and how she was supposed to add that chore to her usual responsibilities--including little things like homework, studying, and her life?

"Here's a list of things to do," Mrs.Warner ordered.

"What about Emma?" Adrienne asked.

"What about her?" Mrs. Warner shrugged. "Take her with you. Children should get out now and then, shouldn't they?"

Adrienne stared down at the list."Isn't this the kind of stuff a professional party planner should do?"

"Adriana," Mrs.Warner said patiently, "we are all part of this family. And this tea is very important to this family."

This tea that you dreamed up this minute, Adrienne thought as she left the office.

"Emma!" Adrienne called down the hall.

"Yes?" the little girl said, sticking her head out the kitchen door.

"Grab your coat!" Adrienne said. "We're going shop- ping!"

52

BOOK: Confessions of a Teen Nanny 02 - Rich Girls
12.75Mb size Format: txt, pdf, ePub
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