Confessions of a Teen Nanny 02 - Rich Girls (6 page)

totally Cinderella

S aturday night, Liz stood in the small maid's room of the Markham-Collinses' apartment, fighting back butterflies while thinking about her date with Parker.

She slipped on the Vera Wang dress that Adrienne loaned her for the evening. Liz decided not to ask any questions about where Adrienne had gotten the dress. She had "borrowed" some of Mrs.Warner's clothes in the past.

The deep ivory velvet dress fit her like a glove, cling- ing in all the right places and skimming her slim hips.The dress fell into a pool of fabric down by her feet. Her dark hair was a perfect contrast to the pale velvet, which was nearly the same color as her complexion, giving her an almost naked look.The effect was extremely sexy but very subtle.

I am so totally Cinderella, Liz thought, grinning at her reflection. She picked up the beaded Christian Louboutin shoes that Cameron had cast aside and that Adrienne had

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

the sense to retrieve before they got tossed. Right down to the glass slippers.

Finally Liz positioned the diamond necklace that Parker had given her so that the stone nestled in the hollow of her neck, where it glittered softly.

Parker won't be able to resist me, Liz decided. I look just as hot, and just as sophisticated, as any of the babes he hangs out with in Palm Beach.

Her confidence high, she left the maid's room. She nearly banged into David, who was tearing down the hall- way top speed.

"Wow!" David exclaimed, skidding to a stop to stare at her. "Grumpus and I think you look beautiful."

"Gee," Liz said, smiling, "thanks . . . guys." She ruffled David's hair and went into the living room, where Dr. M-C was poring over Psychology Today. Liz cleared her throat.

Dr. M-C looked up, and when she saw Liz, her expression changed completely, from irritation at being interrupted to pure shock.

"Liz!" she exclaimed."You look, well, just wonderful !"

"Th-thanks, Dr. Markham-Collins." Dr. M-C had never complimented Liz before. It took getting used to. "And thanks for letting me get dressed here."

"Not at all," Dr. M-C said. "Oh, and Elizabeth," she added as Liz headed for the elevator, "since you're going

70 T O TA L LY C I N D E R E L L A

down, can you take out that last bag of garbage? That will free up Rosita for some other tasks."

Cinderella, indeed, Liz thought. I'm wearing twenty-five thousand dollars' worth of evening gown and shoes and I'm haul- ing the trash.

Liz grabbed the garbage bag and called for the service elevator. Danny, the operator, gave her a long, low whistle. "You look like a princess, Lizzie!" he said.

"Thanks!" Liz flushed with pleasure. I hope Parker will think so, too!

He shook his head. "Can't believe she sent you down with the trash.That's just terrible." He stopped the elevator. "I'll take it down. Now, you scoot into the regular eleva- tor. Hurry."

"Thanks, Danny," Liz said. "You're the best."

"If I were fifty years younger . . . ," Danny joked. He winked at her as the door closed.

Liz arrived in the beautiful lobby and walked across the carefully polished marble floors, past the tinkling foun- tain and orchids, and toward the door, where a familiar figure waited. "Parker!" Liz called.

He turned and smiled at her.

Liz's breath caught. His smile was so dazzling, his blue eyes so vivid against his dark hair and long eyelashes, she had a hard time believing he was real. Not just real--her real date! In his black tie, with his broad shoulders and clean

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

good looks, he seemed more like a hero from a movie or a fairy tale. Stay cool, she told herself.

"Hey there, Mr. Mysterious," she said, walking up to him. "What's the plan for tonight?"

"Nothing unusual," he said, kissing her lightly on the cheek. "Just a movie and dinner."

Liz shut her eyes and let herself take in the scent of his cologne, his nearness. Then she realized what he had just said. She stepped away from him."A movie?" she said."You wear a tux to a movie?"

Parker laughed. "To this movie, you do," he said. "My parents couldn't go, so they gave me the tickets. I think you'll enjoy it."

He took Liz's hand, and they walked outside. The whole city seemed to shimmer in the crisp December air.

"Your ride," he said as a chauffeur opened the door of a vintage Bentley waiting at the curb.

The car had the lines of an ocean liner--huge and luxurious, painted midnight blue and silver. It was a reminder of a time when cars weren't just cars, they were ballrooms on wheels.

"This is amazing," Liz said, allowing Parker to help her into the backseat.The interior glowed softly with recessed lights, wine-colored velvet upholstery, and gleaming mahogany trim with shining chrome accents.

"My dad collects old cars," Parker said, sliding in next

72 T O TA L LY C I N D E R E L L A

to her. "This one is from nineteen fifty-two. It used to belong to Prince Rainier of Monaco."

"Grace Kelly sat in this car?" Liz said. She ran her hand along the seat. "Wow."

"Champagne?" Parker asked.

Liz shook her head. "No, thanks." She knew the champagne would totally go to her head and she wanted to savor every detail of this night.

"What are those lights?" Liz asked, pointing to the broad beams flashing back and forth a few blocks away.

"Looks like a movie premiere," Parker said.

"Oh, right!" Liz said, remembering. "That new Lindsay Lohan movie is opening."

Parker hit the intercom."Cut across to Seventh Avenue and turn onto Fifty-Third, Davis," Parker instructed the chauffeur.

Liz stared at him.That address was the location of the klieg lights! "You are NOT serious."

"Center seats on the aisle, right behind Lindsay and her entourage," he said."My dad has a stake in the studio."

Liz blinked and worked hard to keep her mouth from dropping open in shock. Stay cool, she ordered herself. "That sounds like fun," she said.

As the car pulled closer to the flashing lights, Liz began to feel queasy. How am I supposed to act at an event like this? she wondered, panic starting to rush through her.

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

"You okay?" Parker asked.

"I, uh, well, I'm feeling a little out of my element," Liz confessed.

"Looking like that?" Parker said, raising an eyebrow. "Little Miss Lohan better watch out."

Liz smiled at him weakly. "Right," she said, her voice shaky.

Parker laughed."It's really easy.When the car pulls up, the chauffeur will let me out. I'll scoot around the back, and when he opens the door, I'll reach in and give you my hand.You come out, legs first, and I'll help you stand. Keep your hand on my arm, look really bored, and follow me. People will shout out questions and stick cameras in your face, but just ignore them."

The car rolled up to the curb.

"Ready?" he asked.

She stared at the huge crowds, the flashing lights. "I guess."

The car stopped, the door opened, and suddenly, Liz was alone in the Bentley.

So this is what Cinderella felt like, she thought. I bet she threw up in that pumpkin before she made her entrance.

The door opened. Liz was hit by a wave of sound. Parker didn't warn me about the noise! The shouting of the crowd was deafening.

"This way!"

74 T O TA L LY C I N D E R E L L A

"Look here!"

"Parker Devlin!" a photographer screamed. "WHO'S YOUR DATE?"

"You don't have to say anything to them," Parker told Liz. "Hold on to me and keep walking." He slipped her arm through his.

Please don't let me trip, Liz thought.

They walked slowly along the red carpet, flashes flash- ing, digital cameras clicking, video cameras shoved at them.

"WHOSE DRESS IS THAT?" shouted a woman with a microphone.

Oh, my God, Liz thought. They know I'm wearing bor- rowed clothes.

For a moment she froze. Parker patted her hand and smiled. She took in a breath and remembered that "Whose dress is that?" actually translates as "Who designed that?"

Of course, by the time Liz figured this out, she and Parker had made their way farther down the carpet and the paparazzi were hurling questions at the next well-dressed victims.

Inside the lobby, Liz couldn't stop blinking, trying to get the spots out of her eyes from all the flashes.

"How do celebrities handle it?" Liz asked. "It's insane out there."

"You did great," Parker assured her. "And you looked great, too."

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

Liz gave him a slow, sexy smile. "You, too."

"Yeah?" Parker stepped in closer to her. He slid his hand around her waist. "So you like the formal me? And I thought you were such a down-to-earth kind of girl."

"Oh, I am," Liz said, fingering the lapels of his Armani tux."But that doesn't mean I can't enjoy the high life, too."

Parker pressed himself against her. "And I've been trained all my life to know quality when I see it." He leaned his face toward her for a kiss, when his eyes sud- denly flicked away and over her head.

"Is something wrong?" Liz asked.

"Nah," Parker said. "Just spotted some people I know from Palm Beach." He took her hand and led her toward the door. "Let's go find our seats."

They took the elevators up to the main floor and walked through the velvet-walled theater with its crystal chandeliers.The usher showed them to their seats.

Well, tried to. Every few feet they had to stop so Parker could say hello to people whose faces Liz knew from fashion pages, gossip columns, and Teen People.

"Oh, hi, Parker," a glamorous blond girl said as Liz and Parker tried to get around her.The girl gave Parker a quick kiss on the cheek, but her voice was frosty. Liz tried to stop staring: She recognized the girl from the tabloids. She was a socialite who made Cameron look tame.

76 T O TA L LY C I N D E R E L L A

"Bella," Parker said. "Beautiful as always." He didn't sound very friendly.

Bella looked at Liz. "I wish you luck," she said, then walked back up the aisle.

"Don't pay any attention to her," Parker said. "We used to go out, and let's just say it wasn't an amiable breakup."

Parker and Bella? He runs in even faster crowds than I realized.

Two guys wearing super baggy pants and backward baseball caps suddenly appeared and pounded Parker on the back. Liz knew them as on-the-rise hip-hop stars. I guess if you're rich and famous enough you can wear denim to even the most formal events.

"Parker!" they hollered.They gave Liz very approving looks.

"What up, son! Who's your girl?" the tall one asked.

Liz blushed as Parker introduced her. "You take good care of her," the shorter one said. "She's choice."

"I know," Parker said, putting his hand around her waist and guiding her down the aisle again. This time, a skinny, dark-haired beauty blocked their path.

"Parker," she said, her eyes completely unfocused. "You having fun? I'm having fun."

She's on something, Liz realized.

"I think you're having a little too much fun, Cynthia,"

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

Parker said, trying to guide Liz past her.

Cynthia laughed. "Don't be that way," she said, gig- gling. "You weren't that way in Palm Beach. See you in Aspen, sweetie." She stumbled, and Parker smoothly maneuvered around her.

Finally, they made it to their seats, where they were surrounded by movie, music, and TV stars. Parker intro- duced Liz to Drew Barrymore, two actors from The O.C., a couple of older actors Liz recognized from the soaps, and some of Parker's parents' friends. They all greeted Liz warmly--probably because of how proud Parker seemed to be having her as his date. Liz felt like a fairy-tale princess.

"Another?" Parker gestured to Liz's empty apple mar- tini glass.

Liz shook her head no. The hors d'oeuvres being passed around by black-clad waiters were delicious but not very substantial. Another drink would make her completely giddy.

The after-party for the movie premiere was being held at an astonishing Asian restaurant, complete with a two-story statue of Buddha sitting placidly in front of an equally impressive waterfall. What thrilled Liz the most was that, instead of intimidating her, the black lacquer interior, the low lighting, and the beautiful people all around her made Liz feel

78 T O TA L LY C I N D E R E L L A

elegant and sophisticated. As if she fit in. She owed a lot of her ease to Parker. Parker was charming and attentive.

Well, mostly.

Parker grimaced as he pulled his cell from his pocket for the third time since they arrived."Sorry, gotta take this," he said. He left the table and disappeared into the crowd.

A waiter came by and cleared Liz's empty glass. "You know," she said, "I think I'll have another one."

The waiter nodded, and a pale green drink appeared in front of her moments later. Still no Parker.

Where is he? Liz wondered.Who keeps calling him? She took a sip of her icy cold apple martini. Stay cool, she told herself. Guys hate clingy, possessive, jealous girls.

"Hey, sorry." Parker slid back into his seat beside her. "I hate these phone calls."

"Who's bugging you?" Liz asked, snagging a sushi roll from a passing waiter.

"No one," he said, reaching for her hand. "No one who matters."

Liz quickly dropped the sushi onto a napkin. It would be hard to be romantic with raw fish in her hands.

Parker brushed her hand with his lips."Have you had enough here? The party is winding down."

"I should probably be heading home," Liz admitted.

"Okay," Parker said, "but there's one last surprise planned."

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

"Parker," Liz protested. "What else could you do?"

"You'll see," he said with a mischievous grin.

They left the restaurant, and walked a few blocks to the edge of Central Park. Parker led Liz to a glossy black carriage, drawn by a white horse. "Your chariot awaits," Parker announced.