Confessions of a Teen Nanny 02 - Rich Girls (14 page)

at the Plaza

A drienne and Liz slowly climbed the plush, red-carpeted stairs of the Plaza Hotel. They shivered in the winter air, but the heating lamps under the stained-glass and bronze canopy were warm and inviting.

People swept aside to let them pass, smiling and nod- ding. One man even asked to take their picture.

It's working, Liz thought. They actually think we belong here.

The doormen held open the wide doors on either side of the revolving door, to prevent their long gowns from getting stuck in the spinning central door. Entering the lavishly gilded lobby, with its ornate mosaic floor cov- ered by heavy plush carpets, Liz inhaled the warm air scented with the pleasant combination of furniture polish and fresh roses. In the Palm Court, dozens of couples dined at little tables, listening to the swirling music of violins and harps.

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"Do you know where we're going?" Liz asked Adrienne.

"Nope," Adrienne replied. "Look for signs for the Grand Ballroom." Suddenly, Adrienne gasped and turned, holding a hand up to hide her face.

"What is it?" Liz asked, panicked.

"It's Debi LaDeux!" Adrienne whispered."She's totally going to recognize me!"

"Girls!" Debi said, furious, her petticoats aflutter as she approached. "What aw you doing he-uh?"

Adrienne's grip on Liz's arm tightened. She kept her back to Debi and stared at Liz with an expression like a deer caught in headlights.

"Uh, we uh, we were just going . . ." Liz sputtered.

"To the Grand Ballroom, I hope!" Debi said. "The presentation is about ten minutes away! RUN!" she shrieked, waving her clipboard down the hall.

"I guess we'd better hurry," Liz said. "Come on!"

The girls hurried toward the back of the hotel. Now that Debi had pointed them in the right direction, it was easy to follow the gilded signs to the Grand Ballroom.

Adrienne and Liz scurried up the long, wide flight of marble steps to the second floor and then found their way into a marble vestibule that glittered with crystal and gilt bronze.

"Not this way, girls," a woman behind a linen-swathed

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table instructed. "I'm checking in the guests. The debu- tantes are meeting in the Baroque Room. You have to check in there." She frowned."They won't let you in with- out your escorts, though. I trust they'll be here soon?"

"Of course!" Liz bluffed. She grabbed Adrienne's hand. "We don't want to be late." She practically dragged Adrienne down the carpeted corridor.

"Where are we going now?" Adrienne hissed.

"To the Baroque Room, of course," Liz said, turning the corner. "Because if that's where the debs are, that's where we'll find Parker and Brian."

"We won't be able to get in," Adrienne said, coming to a complete stop."That woman just said we need escorts. We'll have to figure out something else to do."

Suddenly,Adrienne felt a hand on the small of her back.

"So, you followed me here?" she heard a deep voice say. "I knew you couldn't resist me."

Adrienne turned around. Graydon. "What are you doing here?" she asked, shaking off his hand.

"My pal and I decided to check out the debs. Oh, and to support my sister, of course."

"Of course," Adrienne said.

Graydon's friend smirked at the girls."Why aren't you introducing me, Gray?" Liz thought both guys seemed pretty tipsy.

"Soooooooo sorry," Graydon said. "Girls, please meet

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Albright N. Smiley the third. His mother is Lady Anabelle Browne-Fowlkes. She's related to Prince Charles." He slung his arm across Adrienne's shoulder and leaned heavily on her. "Impressed?"

"Back off, you creep," Adrienne said, trying to pull away from Graydon.

Graydon grinned at Albright, who was staring at Liz as if she were candy. "She just loves to play hard-to-get. That really turns me on."

"I'm not playing," Adrienne said, slipping out from under his arm. He stumbled, but caught himself before he spilled his champagne. That would be perfect, Adrienne thought. Graydon splashing this hundred-thousand-dollar dress with booze! She stepped farther away from him.

Liz clutched Adrienne's arm. "I have an idea," she whispered. "They can get us back there!"

"What?" Adrienne asked.

"They can pretend to be our escorts," Liz explained. "The woman at the door is sure to know them and will let them in."

She's right, Adrienne realized. She turned to Graydon. As much as she hated to do it, she had to ask him for the favor. "Can you take Liz and me back to see Cam?"

"We want to wish her luck," Liz added.

"What's in it for me?" Graydon asked, leering at Adrienne.

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"I'll dance with you," Adrienne replied.

He laughed."Not good enough," he said, swigging his champagne. "I want a date."

A DATE? Just thinking about it made her skin crawl. "No way," Adrienne said.

"Hang on a sec," Liz said to Graydon. She dragged Adrienne a few feet away from the guys. "It's just one date!" she begged.

Adrienne stared at her. "Liz, he's a complete and total pig!" she said. "You don't know what you're asking."

"It's our only shot at getting in," Liz pleaded. "How bad could one date be?"

Adrienne looked at Liz's pleading expression and sighed. One date, she thought. I can live through that. Probably.

"Okay," she said. "But don't leave me alone with him tonight. And you owe me big."

"Thank you," Liz said, relief flooding her face. She hadn't come this far to be stopped by her lack of an escort.

Adrienne, Graydon, Albright, and Liz headed to the Baroque Room. Another woman with a clipboard stood outside the door. "And you are?" she asked, gazing at Adrienne and Liz and then back down at her notes.

"Mrs. Smithon!" Graydon greeted the gray-haired woman. "We missed you in Palm Beach!"

"Why, Graydon, darling," the woman gushed, holding her powdered cheek toward Graydon, who obligingly

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kissed it."I hadn't realized you were one of the escorts this evening."

"What's a Manhattan Cotillion without a few sur- prises?" Gradyon said, his expression completely sweet while he slid his hand toward Adrienne's rear.

She stepped forward quickly and out of his reach."We don't want to be late!" she said, and charged through the door. Liz followed right behind her.

"We made it in," Liz whispered to Adrienne. She gazed around the gold and white room. Seven beautifully dressed girls and their escorts frantically checked mirrors, powdered their noses, and whispered nervously. She noticed Mimi's escort, but no Mimi--or Parker.

As Liz and Adrienne moved deeper into the room, Adrienne noticed that all the girls and several of their escorts were staring at her. Do they know we're crashing the party? she wondered. Some of them had seen her at Cameron's tea and probably knew she was the nanny.

"Why are they staring?" she asked Liz anxiously.

"Oh, I don't know, Adrienne," Liz replied, laughing. "Like, maybe it is the TENS OF THOUSANDS of dollars' worth of pearls sewn to your dress and around your neck?"

"Oh, right," Adrienne said, glancing down at her dress. "I forgot."

A slim, older woman with ash-blond hair clapped her hands."Ladies, ladies.And gentlemen, of course," she added

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with a smile. "I'm Mrs. Heusen and I going to put you in order and go over your introduction cards. Then I'll give your cards to our host, who will make your announce- ments." She glanced down at her cards and looked around the room. "We seem to missing some of our debutantes."

"Maybe we should try to make ourselves invisible," Liz whispered to Adrienne, slinking behind Graydon and Albright."We don't want to get thrown out before we see Brian and Parker."

Just then, Cameron, Mimi, and Isabelle breezed in. Cameron's eyes landed on Adrienne. Her gray eyes traveled up and down the peach Valentino dress and then narrowed.

"Uh-oh," Adrienne said, ducking behind Albright to stand beside Liz. "Cam just spotted me."

"So what?" Liz said, scanning the room for Parker.

"So this is officially war, Liz," Adrienne said. "I hope you know what you are doing."

Liz hoped she did too.

"Okay, let's go through your introduction cards," Mrs. Heusen said. "Please stand with your escorts."

"Showtime!" Cameron said as Parker and Brian came in through the door.

Liz's heart clutched a little when she spotted Parker. She ducked behind Adrienne, suddenly not wanting him to see her. Now that she was here, she was less certain about what she should do.

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The debs and their escorts paired up, and Mrs. Heusen circulated through the room, reading the cards and putting everyone in order.

"We're just here to give our support," Graydon told the woman as she flipped through the cards, trying to find his name."As you know, Cameron Warner is my half sister."

"Oh, yes, of course," Mrs. Heusen said. "You really shouldn't be back here, but since your stepmother is the ball chairwoman, I'll make an exception. Now, speaking of Miss Cameron?"

Cameron stepped forward, pulling Brian with her. Mrs. Heusen looked down at Cameron's card. "Is this cor- rect?" she asked, sounding puzzled."All it says here for your escort's introduction is `Brian Grady.'"

"That's my name," Brian said.

"Yes, darling, and a very nice one it is, too, but there's nothing here about your progenitors, your family."

"Like what?" Brian asked.

Now the woman looked even more confused. "The usual: titles, family origins, genealogy . . ."

Cameron's forehead wrinkled. The questions were obviously making her even more uncomfortable than they were making Brian. "Uh, Brian's family prefers to stay out of the limelight. Discretion, and all that.You know . . . " she trailed off.

"Well, all right," Mrs. Heusen said uncertainly. She

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moved on to Mimi and her archduke. "Mimi, could you just read this through and make sure I haven't left out any of the royal or imperial titles belonging to you or your charming escort?"

Once Mimi had given Mrs. Heusen her nod of approval, the woman dashed out to the stage with the cards. Suddenly, the waltz that had been playing stopped, and Mrs.Warner's voice rang out over the sound system.

"Thank you, everyone.Thank you so, so, so much for coming," Mrs.Warner said, adjusting the microphone with a minimum of feedback.

"I would like to introduce you to the man who has covered New York society for so many years for the New York Times, Mr. John Addison, who will announce this year's class of debutantes at the Manhattan Cotillion."

"Girls!" Mrs. Heusen said. "Quickly, we're starting. Mimi, you're first!"

Now Mr. Addison's voice could be heard over the loudspeaker.

"Get out of my way!" said Mimi, pushing past her friends. "He's calling my name!"

"Her Serene Highness, Princess Maria Augusta Victoria Ludmila Gertrude von Fallschirm, with her escort, His Royal and Imperial Highness Archduke Rudolph-Heinz von Habsburg, Prince of Hungary, of Teplitz . . . "

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Adrienne tuned out the announcement and focused on Cameron. With every title of Mimi's or Rudolph's the reporter announced, the more miserable Cameron looked.

"I should have listened to my stepmother," Cameron said to Brian. "This is horrible. A reporter from the Times is here, and I'm with you! Mimi has an archduke, Isabelle has Parker, and I have you. A nobody!"

"Cam, that's so rude!" Isabelle said, shocked.

"Now, Isabelle and Parker," Mrs. Heusen ordered."Go!"

Isabelle squealed and rushed to the doorway. "Parker, come on!" she said.

Liz glanced to the back of the room and saw Parker on his cell. I guess he takes calls when he's with Isabelle, too, she thought.

Parker clicked off and headed toward Isabelle, who was standing near the door.

I'm so confused about him, Liz thought, watching him approach. Why does he have to be so cute?

As he passed Liz, he suddenly caught sight of her. His mouth dropped open, and then he smiled at her."You look beautiful," he said.

"Parker!" Isabelle whined. "Hurry up."

"I've missed you," he told Liz. "See you out there, okay?" He joined Isabelle at the door, and Mr. Addison announced them--and all of their family connections--as they stepped onto the stage.The crowd burst into applause

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as Isabelle dropped into her curtsy.

Liz turned to Adrienne. "I'm going out to the ball- room. I'm going to grab Parker when he comes off the stage with Isabelle," she said. She thought it was a really good sign that he had stopped to speak to her in front of everybody while Isabelle stood and waited for him.

"Go get him!" Adrienne said. "I need to stay here." She glanced over at Brian, who looked miserable. Cameron didn't look so happy herself.

"Good luck," Liz said, and then vanished.

Debi LaDeux pushed her way in. "Cameron?" she called, peering anxiously around the room. "Ah, there you are!" She rushed to Cameron's side. "I just wanted to give you a few little reminders before you went out there! After all, as your consultant, your performance reflects on me."

Mr. Addision announced another couple with a long list of impressive titles.

"Do you hear those announcements?" Cameron said. She gestured toward Brian. "All his card has on it is his stupid name!"

"Cameron!" Debi scolded."They might hear you out in the ballroom!"

"But--" Brian said.

Cameron put her gloved hands on her hips."Debi, I'm Cameron Warner," she whispered,"and I am not going out there with a nobody!"

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"It's a little late to come to your senses now, de-ah," Debi clucked.

Now Brian stared at Debi. "But--" he began.

Cameron and Debi both continued to ignore him. Cam gazed around the room, completely panicked. She spotted Albright N. Smiley III. "You!" she called to him. "You're a friend of Graydon's?"