BooksBarbecue
Back Gilt Save as PDF
Chapters (82)
  1. Cover
  2. ALSO BY JAMIE BRENNER
  3. PART ONE
  4. 1
  5. 2
  6. 3
  7. 4
  8. 5
  9. 6
  10. 7
  11. 8
  12. 9
  13. 10
  14. 11
  15. 12
  16. 13
  17. 14
  18. 15
  19. 16
  20. 17
  21. 18
  22. 19
  23. 20
  24. 21
  25. 22
  26. 23
  27. 24
  28. 25
  29. 26
  30. 27
  31. 28
  32. 29
  33. 30
  34. 31
  35. 32
  36. 33
  37. 34
  38. 35
  39. 36
  40. 37
  41. 38
  42. 39
  43. 40
  44. 41
  45. 42
  46. 43
  47. PART TWO
  48. 44
  49. 45
  50. 46
  51. 47
  52. 48
  53. 49
  54. 50
  55. 51
  56. 52
  57. 53
  58. 54
  59. 55
  60. 56
  61. 57
  62. 58
  63. PART THREE
  64. 59
  65. 60
  66. 61
  67. 62
  68. 63
  69. 64
  70. 65
  71. 66
  72. 67
  73. 68
  74. 69
  75. 70
  76. 71
  77. 72
  78. 73
  79. 74
  80. Acknowledgments
  81. About the Author
  82. What’s next onyour reading list?

She didn’t have any of that available. Her studio was packed up in her storage space. She didn’t want to admit to The New York Times that she got kicked out of her apartment and couldn’t afford a new one. Not exactly the image of success.

She’d figure it out. She always figured things out.

Alvie looked at her expectantly.

“Sorry about that,” she said. She took another big gulp of her margarita, the citrus and salt a little rough going down this time.

“You know what, Gemma? This is going to be your summer of love. I’ll be your support system—like AA. Or Weight Watchers.”

Alvie raised her glass again. She raised hers, too.

“I’m all for support. But I can guarantee that what I need has nothing to do with love.”

30

Elodie, 1993

Two days after the extravagant launch of the Electric Rose, the family decamped for East Hampton. Elodie invited Liam along for the weekend.

Celeste had already rushed back to Philadelphia, and Elodie assumed that Paulina would jet back to Italy or France or wherever their parents had summoned her from. But Paulina decided to stay.

“I’ve missed you guys!” she said in that deep-throated purr of hers.

Their first morning at the house, Elodie and her father and Liam gathered around the poolside table, the ocean rumbling at high tide just a few yards away. It was late October but unseasonably warm. Liam sat across from her, so handsome it took her breath away. It was an effort not to break into a smile every time he spoke, but she maintained a professional neutrality while her father brought up plans for spring advertising.

At first, she’d protested the shoptalk, reminding her father that Liam had joined them for the trip as her boyfriend, not as the Pavlin & Co advertising account executive. But Liam was more than happy to toss around some ideas.

Paulina climbed out of the heated pool wearing a skimpy black bikini and a solitaire diamond on a platinum chain dangling between her breasts. Uninvited, she joined them at the table, water beading across her glistening skin. Her eyes were so blue-green they matched the sea, her face as obscenely perfect as the film star Bo Derek.

Elodie felt like she was holding her breath, resisting the urge to glance at Liam to see if he was looking at her sister.

“I’m heading to the beach,” Paulina said, leaning over and kissing their father on the cheek. She reached for a piece of watermelon. She wore a canary diamond the size of her knuckle on her middle finger.

“You look like a walking jewelry advertisement, my dear,” their father said.

“I’ll take that as a compliment,” Paulina said.

“Actually, that’s not a bad idea,” Liam said.

Elodie shifted uncomfortably in her seat. “What do you mean?”