"Bennett, Cherie - Sunset Island 005 - Sunset Reunion (b)" - читать интересную книгу автора (Bennett Cherie)

"Hey, the red light is flashing on the phone," Carrie said,
"It means we have a message at the front desk," Emma explained. "Call down and see."
While Carrie called the front desk, Emma held a cute red shorts outfit up to her as she looked in the mirror. She still had a hard time deciding what to wear. Before her summer at Sunset Island, all she'd ever worn were designer originals. Since she'd
wanted to fit in with the other kids on the island, one of the first things she'd done when she'd arrived was to shop for a more normal-looking wardrobe at the local trendy boutique. Now she had started to mix and match some of her more expensive items with the newer, funkier ones, trying to create her very own look. Still, she didn't feel nearly as secure about standing out from the crowd as Sam did. For too many years Emma's mother had harped at her about how "those who matter" dress. To Kat Cresswell, "those who matter" were simply those with enough old money. Emma despised her mother's attitude, but it was difficult to escape the years and years of conditioning.
"Really?" Carrie said excitedly into the phone. She grabbed a notepad and a pen and started to scribble something down. At that moment Sam turned the shower on in the bathroom and started singing a song from her revue.
"What's the number again?" Carrie said, trying to hear over the cacophony from the bathroom.
Emma held up a short stonewashed denim
skirt. Too ordinary, she decided, and hung it back in the closet.
"My roommate from college called," Carrie told Emma, hanging up the phone. "She left a message that I got a call from Rick Gerabaldi at Rock On magazine. He left his home number and said I should call right away."
"Rock On is the magazine you sold those photos of Graham Perry to, isn't it?" Emma asked.
Carrie nodded. It was incredible, but true, that Carrie had been fortunate enough to be hired as an au pair for rock superstar Graham Perry's two children. Graham (who was known as Graham Templeton in his private life) and his wife, Claudia, had been very supportive of Carrie's burgeoning career as a photographer, and had suggested that she take some backstage shots at a concert Graham gave on Sunset Island. Because of Graham's support, Carrie had had access to shots that much more experienced photographers would have killed for. She'd sold some to Rock On, and they had even sent her to New York to cover a Graham Perry concert at Madison Square Garden.
"I wonder why he left his home number," Carrie mused as she picked up the phone and dialed eight for a long-distance line.
"Maybe it's something wonderful that just couldn't wait until tomorrow," Emma said.
"What couldn't wait until tomorrow?" Sam asked as she opened the bathroom door. She was dripping wet and wrapped in a towel.
"Hello? Is Rick Gerabaldi in?" Carrie asked, holding up a hand to Sam to shush her.
"Rick Gerabaldi, the guy from Rock On magazine?" Sam asked.
"The same," Emma confirmed.
"Hello, Rick?" Carrie said. "This is Carrie Alden, returning your call. I hope I'm not calling too late."
Sam grabbed another towel to dry her hair, and both she and Emma listened to Carrie's half of the conversation.
"Yes . . . uh-huh . . . uh-huh . . ." Carrie said. A shocked expression came over her face, and she sat down on the bed. "Really?" she said. Emma and Sam were both watching her avidly. "I ... well, I'd love to!" Carrie said. "I just need to talk it over with some people first . . . yes, I'll call you right back," Carrie promised. "Oh,
and Rick? Thank you!" she said fervently. Rick must have said something to that, because Carrie laughed. "Yes, I'll have to thank him, too!"
Carrie hung up the phone and turned to her two friends, her eyes shining. "You guys are not going to believe this," she said slowly.
"He wants you to be his love slave?" Sam guessed.
"Better," Carrie said. "There's a big Graham Perry concert in Miami tomorrow night. Faith O'ConnorЧshe does the major celebrity interviews for Rock OnЧis supposed to go down and spend the day interviewing Graham for a big lead article for the magazine. The photographer who was supposed to fly down to Miami with Faith broke his leg on his motorcycle this afternoon, so Rick needs to book a new photographer right away. He said that he was on the phone with Graham confirming Faith's interview for tomorrow when he got word about the photographer, so he told Graham. And Graham said to call me becauseЧand I quoteЧ'she's the greatest.' So Rick did!"
"Oh, Carrie, I'm so happy for you!" Emma
said. "And it's just coincidence that you're already in Florida?"
Carrie nodded. "Rick had no idea. He was ready to book me a flight from New Haven." Carrie hugged herself, as if she couldn't quite believe her good luck, and stared off into the distance. "It's going to be a big, major feature. It would be by far the biggest thing I've had a chance to do!" She looked over at Sam and Emma. "The only thing is, I'd have to get on a plane to Miami tomorrow morning, and I really don't want to ruin our plans," Carrie said.
"Oh, come on," Emma said. "You can't possibly pass up this opportunity!"
Carrie looked over at Sam. "Sam?" she asked.
"Carrie, babe, sometimes I worry that that high IQ of yours has made you stupid. There is a very simple solution to all this. Emma and I will go with you!"
"You would?" Carrie asked eagerly. "But what about your job? Do you have an understudy?"
"I only have one more day before I would have been on vacation, anyway," Sam said. "Ill just get sick! Simple!"
"Maybe you shouldn't do that," Emma said. "You could get in trouble."
"Emma, Emma, Emma," Sam chided. "Isn't it a pain in the butt to be perfect all the time?"
Emma blushed. "It's your life," she mumbled.
"Rightamundo!" Sam agreed. "And I'm starting to feel ever so peaked. I might even be unwell upon the morrow," she said dramatically, holding the back of one wrist to her forehead.
Emma laughed. "You, my dear, are the one who is a pain in the butt."
"I know, but at least I'm amusing," Sam said. "And I do come up with the occasional brilliant idea."
"So it's a go?" Carrie asked eagerly. "Emma?"
"It's a great idea," Emma agreed.
"God, this is going to be awesome!" Sam screamed. "Miami at Christmas! Do you know the number of college guys that'll be there on break? I think my love life is about to pick up."
"I have to call Rick back," Carrie said, reaching for the phone. "I'll ask him to phone me with the number of the flight he
books me on, and then you can get tickets for the same one."
"Okay, we're going to celebrate tonight," Sam decided, looking through Emma's clothes while Carrie placed her call. "What do you have that will make guys drop to the floor and worship at my feet?"
"I'm afraid my wardrobe will be completely tame to you," Emma said.
Sam held up the denim skirt that Emma had rejected as too ordinary. "Except you forgot one thing," Sam said. "If this skirt is short on you, it will be just about indecent on me. Can I wear it?"
"Be my guest," Emma said.
"Okay, we're all set," Carrie said happily, hanging up the phone.
"Cool," Sam said, zipping herself into Emma's skirt. "How does this look?" she asked, twirling around in a circle.
"Short," Carrie said.