The Jewels of Tessa Kent Read Online Free Page B

to be a long night at the country club.
    “You’re absolutely wrong. We’re divine. You look like a dark, more beautiful, much more classy Jean Shrimpton, combined with Vivien Leigh at her best,” Mimi said assessingly. “I could pass for Verushka if she weren’t a giant.”
    “And the reality is that I’m still not allowed to go out on dates, not till I’m sixteen, my father says, not that anyone’s ever asked me,” Teresa said gloomily, flinging herself down on Mimi’s bed.
    “I have an idea,” Mimi said, inspired.
    “Spare me,” Teresa sighed.
    “No, listen, for heaven’s sake! We’re going to Mark O’Malley’s party! It was meant to be, don’t you see? It’s tonight, we’re dressed, and my parents will never know if we’re back in time. Oh, Teresa, I triple dare you!”
    “Absolutely not.”
    “Come on, it’s only going to a party, not another of your dreary mortal sins.”
    “Correction, it’s
crashing
a party, and not even you, silver-tongued one, can convince me that’s the same thing as ‘going’ to a party.”
    “What’s the worst thing that can happen?” Mimi demanded. “We’d be asked to leave? Oh, I don’t think so, my lovely one. There’s no question in my mind that when Mark O’Malley lays eyes on us he’s going to be very glad that we’ve favored him with our presence. He’d have asked us himself if he knew we existed.”
    “Maybe,” Teresa said with a shrug. “Sure, maybe the captain of the football team at Greenwich High would be so overwhelmed by our charm and beauty that he’d have begged two convent girls to be his guests, that’s not impossible, but somehow we’ve escaped his eye, eventhough we’ve never missed a game he’s played in. So forget about it, and stop bugging me.”
    “Teresa, pay attention. I’m
going
to that party and so are you. You’ve got a crush on Mark O’Malley that’s as obvious as a big red wart on the end of your nose! You’ve had it for years and I’m sick of listening to you carry on about him. You’re just playing hard to convince so this is going to seem like my fault when I’m actually doing you a huge favor. Do you think I don’t know you well enough to understand that much, you hypocrite?” Mimi drawled. “All we have to do is put on panty hose instead of these fishnet stockings. They’re too old for even the seniors’ dress code. After that, it’s simply a matter of projecting the right attitude. We’ve trained for this for years, dope!”
    “Even if I agreed to this crazy idea, there’s no way we could get there and back.”
    “Have you forgotten the uses of a taxi so quickly, my little confirmation girl?”
    “You are such a pure, true-blue, honest-to-God bitch!”
    “Isn’t that why you love me?”
    “It must be. I can’t think of a single other reason.”
    A careful hour and a quarter after the party had started, Teresa and Mimi slipped casually into the large crowd at Mark O’Malley’s house. They were more quickly absorbed than they had imagined in their most optimistic moments, blending perfectly with all the other girls. Their hem lengths, their shoes, their hair and makeup worked to add years to their true ages. Anyone who didn’t recognize them would assume that they were dates from another school.
    “Let’s have a drink for courage,” Mimi murmured.
    “Darn it, Mimi, we decided we wouldn’t drink so we’d keep our wits about us. Remember we have to phone for a taxi home.”
    “Oh, for Pete’s sake, all they have is some kind offruit punch, and you’re an experienced Wild Turkey girl. At least carry a cup so you’ll have something to do with your hands.” Mimi sipped in a ladylike way. “It’s mostly pineapple juice, Teresa, try it at least.”
    “All right, but we can’t just stand here, we have to mingle … but don’t go so far away that I don’t know where you are.”
    “I’ll keep my eye on you—oh, Mark, hi! This is a great party! You invited the