Free Confessions of a Teen Nanny 02 - Rich Girls by Victoria. Ashton Page B

lot of physical activity is a big responsibility.You have to be on your toes when little kids ski or skate or even walk down a crowded street in a town you don't know as well as you know New York."

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    Liz perked up.This was beginning to sound promising.

    "You can go, Liz, as long as Dr. Markham-Collins agrees to get you home for Christmas. But remember--you are there to take care of Heather and David, not to have a romantic vacation with Parker. I want you to promise me that you will act responsibly."

    Liz shrieked and ran around the table, throwing her arms around her mother's neck. "Thank you!" she said, "Thank you, thank you, thank you! You are the coolest!"

    "You got that right!" Her mom laughed.

    I've got to tell Adrienne! Liz grabbed her phone and texted:

    GOING 2 ASPEN

    Adrienne texted back:

    SNOWED YR MOM?

    Liz smiled and texted:

    AVALANCHE!

    The next day at school, Liz thought she'd burst by lunchtime when she could finally tell Belinda and Jane her fantastic news.

    Liz plunked down her tray and declared: "Guess who is going to Aspen over Christmas break?"

    Jane looked up at her. "The coven?" she asked, nod- ding toward Isabelle, Mimi, and Cameron, who sat at the next table, poring over a Town and Country magazine.

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    "No," Liz declared, taking her seat as if she were a queen. "I am."

    Belinda's mouth dropped open. "You are so lucky! I have four generations of relatives descending for the holi- days."

    "Your media magnate taking you?" Jane asked with a grin.

    "No!" Liz smiled and tossed a French fry at her friend. Jane ducked and laughed."I'm going to take care of David and Heather."

    "I hear Grumpus is a real klutz on the slopes," Jane teased."You'll need to keep an especially close eye on him."

    "You should be on Comedy Central," Liz said.

    "You're going to Aspen for break?" Isabelle called from the next table.

    "Yes," Liz answered, not really wanting to get into it with the Terrible Trio.

    "When will you be there?" Cameron asked.

    "Just the first week," she said. "I'll be home for Christmas."

    "Oh, you'll miss the Red and White Ball," Mimi said.

    "What's the Red and White Ball?" Liz asked.

    "The most exclusive event in Aspen," Mimi explained. "It's always the Saturday after Christmas."

    "It's a blast--everyone wears red and white. It is so Santa," Cameron said.

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    "Don't you think Parker will look totally adorable in red and white?" Isabelle said.

    "I have an idea," Cameron told Isabelle. "You should wear all red, and he should wear all white. Much more chic."

    "Parker?" Liz blinked. "Parker Devlin?"

    Isabelle smiled at Liz."Of course. He's my date. Didn't he tell you?"

    Liz smiled back. "Right. Of course he is."

    And of course I'm a complete idiot.

    94

CHAPTER NINE

    viva Valentino!

    A fter school, Liz walked quickly through Central Park, her mind whirling.

    I never should have assumed that Parker would be going out only with me, she thought. I knew his reputation before we started seeing each other. Besides, that whole crowd mixes and matches with the abandon of a Vogue stylist on an unlimited budget.

    She shoved her hands deeper into the pockets of her parka and shivered, as much from frustration as from the cold December air.

    All those calls during the after-party the night of the movie premiere, she thought. They must have been from Isabelle!

    Liz walked across the back of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, along the paths that led to Cleopatra's Needle, an Egyptian obelisk dropped onto a green hill in Central Park. Whenever she passed it, it reminded her of their incredible first date at the Metropolitan when Parker kissed her in front of the Egyptian Temple of Dendur.

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    Did he kiss Isabelle there too? she wondered miserably. He probably did it with her, she realized.

    She looked up to see Parker loping