Free Camp Confidential 06 - RSVP by Melissa J. Morgan

added, “I mean, do you need reservations?”
    “Not if you’re Tad Maxwell’s daughter,” Hannah’s mother replied, her eyes twinkling. “You should take your friends, sweetie. It’s just wonderful.”
    “That’s a great idea!” Natalie said, thrilled. A cool new New York restaurant. Her friends would be able to brag about it when they got home.
    “Ambassador, we’ll be bringing you some tea and mango slices in your private room,” Skye said. Just as she spoke, the same spiky-haired young woman appeared with the same stone tray, one teacup, and some familiar-looking orange discs.
    “This way, ma’am,” the woman said.
    The ambassador began to follow her. She said over her shoulder, “Good-bye, Natalie. I’ll tell Hannah I saw you.”
    She disappeared behind the water wall.
    “Thanks,” Natalie called to her.
    “I hope we didn’t, like, freak her out,” Grace said.
    “We look like space aliens!” Jenna wailed. “I was a freak in front of a woman who has her own limo!”
    “No way,” Natalie said lightly. “After all, this is a spa.”
    “In New York City,” Alyssa added.
    “Well, let’s go wash our faces before someone else Natalie knows shows up,” Jenna said. “Like Jesse McCartney or Hayden Christensen or somebody!”
    The two scurried away. Alyssa stayed while Natalie went over the gi-normous bill with Skye. It was all good. Her mom had told her how much they could spend and they had stayed well under the limit.
    “Do you need us to chip in?” Alyssa asked, sounding anxious.
    “No, it’s fine,” Natalie told her. “It’s on my mom.”
    “That’s really generous of her,” Alyssa said. “You know I could never afford in a million years to come to a place like this.”
    “Don’t even say that, Lyss,” Natalie chided her. “Someday you’re going to be a rich and famous artist. You’ll be the one taking us to fancy places!”
    “Yeah, in my private jet,” Alyssa drawled, but Natalie could tell she was catching fire a little bit.
    “Why not? My dad was dirt-poor when he was our age.” Natalie decided to skip over the fact that now he did actually own a private jet.
    “Well, it’s nice to dream.” Alyssa gave Natalie’s a hand a squeeze. “And to have a friend who has faith in me.”
    “Of course I do! What are friends for?” Natalie replied.
    About a minute later, Jenna and Grace returned with freshly scrubbed faces.
    “Oh, I am so totally exfoliated!” Grace quipped, patting her cheeks. “I look younger, right?”
    “Yeah, you’re ten again!” Jenna said. The two started cracking up.
    Skye returned with four mango-colored paper sacks with straw handles. Natalie opened hers to find samples of the spa’s line of products—a tiny bar of peach-colored soap, a little bottle of hand lotion, and a vial of body mist. Everyone started opening the bottles and spraying themselves with body mist.
    “Mango-scented body spray! Yum!” Grace said, sniffing the air like a rabbit.
    Natalie had an idea. “Skye, may I buy some more of these?” She turned to the other girls. “We can put them on our table. We need ten more for the bunk, including Marissa and Julie.”
    “Cool!” said Grace.
    “Is this for the big party you’re attending?” Skye asked. “Your mother mentioned it when she booked your spa time.”
    “Yes,” Natalie told her.
    “We’d be happy to make a gift of them, then,” Skye told her. “It was such a pleasure having all of you here.”
    Soon the girls were carrying a large spa bag containing the extra gift sacks. As Natalie thanked her again, Skye replied. “We hope you’ll come again soon.”
    Was it Natalie’s imagination, or did she sound relieved that they were leaving?

chapter EIGHT

    The four girls took the elevator to the street level. The doorman nodded at them as they pushed through the revolving glass door.
    Outside, the day had warmed, and the snow was melting. Sunshine glistened on the high-rises. The eight-lane street before