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pulled up in front of Malibu mansions every day. He popped
the trunk, a sure sign that he was ready to say farewell and
get back on the road. Maybe I ll see you girls again
sometime if you ll ever want to leave here, that is.
Neither Alexa nor Holly was able to reply.
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The gate opened, and out stepped an attractive, shapely
young woman in her mid-twenties, with dark copper skin
and black hair up in a tight bun. She was in all white, from
her trim suit to the tiny cell in her hand to her razor-thin
heels. As the woman made her way purposefully toward the
convertible, Holly sat up straighter, clearing her throat. Had
they come to the right place?
Urn, hi, we re looking for she began, her voice
squeaky, but the woman cut her off.
Mr. Eklundstrom was expecting you to arrive today, she
announced in a soft, modulated tone. I m his assistant,
Esperanza. Please follow me.
Her heart drumming, Holly turned in her seat to regard
Alexa, whose lips were parted and eyes shining. For the
first time since getting in the car, the two girls held each
other s gazes for a long moment, and slowly, despite any
bickering that had gone on before, their faces broke into
simultaneous smiles. Holly knew they were thinking the
exact same thing.
They were, in fact, lucky bitches.
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CHAPTER FOUR
Starry-Eyed Surprise
El Sueño, Esperanza said in crisp, flawless Spanish as
the white-jacketed butler (who may or may not have been
faking his British accent) set the girls bags down in the
entrance hall of the guesthouse. Esperanza nodded at him,
and he noiselessly departed.
Perdón? Holly asked shyly. She d been gawking out the
window at their white-and-silver sundeck, but now she
turned around, intending to put her limited Spanish to some
use. But Esperanza shot her a look that indicated she
shouldn t even try.
The Dream, Esperanza translated coolly, flipping open
her cell phone to check something on the screen. It s what
Mr. Eklundstrom named this his estate she gestured
out the huge windows when he bought it last year.
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The Dream, Alexa echoed, walking in a slow circle around
the sun-drenched entrance hall, her suede platforms silent
on the cool marble floors. High luxury was nothing new to
Alexa she d stayed at the starriest of five-star hotels on
research trips with her architect dad but this was
absolutely unreal.
There were sheet-glass walls that looked out onto the
shimmering Pacific, red-spotted koi swimming inside a
bubble tank, an Xbox 360, and squishy lemon-yellow sofas
the size of beds. On every free surface there were vases
overflowing with fresh-cut irises, framed snapshots of
Jonah laughing oceanside with Scarlett Johansson and
Kristen Bell, and porcelain bowls piled high with fat, shiny
Greek olives, which, Alexa had once read on a gossip blog,
were Jonah s favorite snack.
One glance at Holly s incredulous expression told Alexa
that her friend was also wondering if an alarm clock was
going to brring at any moment, bursting the bubble of her
sueño. The two girls grinned at each other, both trying to
contain themselves in front of Esperanza. In the space of
saying goodbye to Seamus and walking from the car to the
guesthouse, Alexa and Holly had managed to put their long,
grumpy road trip behind them. It was hard to hold a grudge
in a place that felt like an episode of Cribs.
You will find two bedroom suites, one in each
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wing of the house, Esperanza was explaining, pointing left
and right like a flight attendant while Alexa wondered in
which bedroom Scarlett had stayed. There are a host of
other amenities for you to enjoy, Esperanza added
formally. And you can reach the main house at any time.
She tapped one French-manicured nail against a white
intercom beside the door. With any request.
Seriously? Holly leaned against a wall to fight off a sudden
dizzy spell, but that only made her feel as if she might fall
through the glass and straight to the azure ocean below.
Back home, Holly was constantly expected to scrub the
dishes while her brother dried, straighten up her room on
weekends, and even prepare dinner if her parents were
staying late at work. She d certainly never been pampered
like this. Holly tried to breathe evenly. I so don t belong
here.
So, Alexa was saying to Esperanza, her blue eyes
dancing. You re saying that if we want, like, foie gras, hot
stone massages, and a live Click Five show at three in the
morning, we should press that button?
Holly glanced at her friend in awe. Clearly, Alexa was
having no trouble adjusting at all.
Esperanza, who, Alexa suspected, had left her sense of
humor back in Assistant to Celebrities Training School,
gave a brisk nod. Then the white cell phone in her hand
vibrated, and she lifted it to
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her ear. Yes, Oreri, he s already at The Standard, she
snapped into the phone. It s Jonah s agent, she told the
girls, covering the mouthpiece. I ll let you settle in. Then,
with a quick, dismissive wave, she turned and headed out
onto the gorgeous grounds of El Sueño.
Alexa watched Esperanza go, wondering if Jonah s anal-
retentive assistant ever loosened up. Then, realizing it was
her time to let loose, she whirled around to face Holly,
grinning. Okay, where should we start exploring? she
squealed and then her heart stopped.
Holly was sitting on the floor, her back against the wall, with
her head in her hands.
Hoi! Alexa cried, dashing over. What s wrong? Do you
feel sick? Alexa couldn t stand to see anyone throw up, but
she d make an effort to be strong for Holly.
Holly looked up, her freckled cheeks splotchy and her gray-
green eyes enormous. It s just she whispered. I m not
this house and Esperanza and when we meet Jonah
tonight She shook her head, her light-brown ponytail
swishing from side to side.
Alexa patted her friend s back. Holly was an East Coast girl
if there ever was one practical, levelheaded, a fan of zip-
up fleeces and duck boots so it made sense that she d
be overwhelmed by LA s sunny
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excesses and excitements. Look, I m sure Jonah will
barely say hi to us tonight, Alexa said reassuringly, taking
Holly s hands and helping her to her feet.
Holly blew her bangs up, feeling slightly calmer. Alexa, for
all her histrionics, could be surprisingly soothing when she
wanted to be. Then Holly remembered the one other person
who could always ground her back in reality: Tyler. Though
she d briefly talked to her parents from the road (they d
gotten cut off thanks to awful reception at their campsite),
she hadn t had a chance to speak to her sweet, reassuring
boyfriend yet.
Holly was reaching down to retrieve her phone from her
Vans tote when her stomach let out a noisy grumble. She
and Alexa burst into giggles as Holly straightened up and
clutched her belly. That s why I m freaking out, Holly
laughed. I m starved. Like any respectable athlete, Holly
had a hearty appetite, and that Coke she d bought on the
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