Reunion Girls by J. J. Salem Page A

princess. I'm not good enough for you." Lara was more than that, though. He just didn't take the time to find out.
    "Come on!" Babe taunted. "Don't just stand there!"
    "You'll love it!" Gabrielle assured her.
    Lara sprinted to the edge of the pool. She stopped. She held her nose. She jumped. And it was exhilarating . . .
    "Just a little bit more," Privi was saying.
    The bouillon was already history. Now Lara finished the milk.
    Privi smiled and took the empty glass. "That was much easier than I anticipated."
    Lara put a hand to her stomach. "I can't believe that I got it all down. And I think I'm starting to feel better."
    Privi smiled. "Yari swears by it. Carlos put away much more liquor than you did. It worked for him every time."
    Lara glanced at the clock on the bedside table and felt a flash of guilt. "You're missing Days of Our Lives, Privi. This is awful. I'm fine. Really. No more tending to me."
    The telephone jangled.
    Lara grimaced as the shrill sound arrowed straight between her temples.
    Privi noticed this and picked up the receiver. "Hello? I'm fine, Mr. Robards. And you? That's good. Lara's feeling under the weather. I'll let her know that you called . . . It's urgent?" Privi glanced at Lara.
    She felt a tremor of alarm and took the phone. "Finn? What's wrong?"
    "I thought you would've called me by now."
    Lara's brow furrowed. "About what?"
    "Dean Paul."
    Lara rolled her eyes to assure Privi that no real crisis was afoot. She waved the sweet lady back to her soap opera. Then she sighed into the mouthpiece. "A recap of yesterday is hardly urgent, Finn."
    "I'm not talking about his wedding. That's old news. I'm talking about his new job."
    Lara's heart lurched. Her interest was piqued to the maximum. "What job?"
    "He's joined Hollywood Live as a New York correspondent. It's all over the columns. Haven't you read the papers yet?"
    "I've been too sick," Lara explained. "I'm in bed, half dead." She glanced at the clock again, even though she knew what time it was. The appointment with the Kometani twins loomed like a torture sentence.
    "So what do you think?" Finn pressed.
    "I'm surprised," Lara admitted, still processing the news. "I thought his parents would ultimately get their way."
    "Meaning?"
    "That he would finish law school and run for a congressional seat." Lara's mind began to drift to Jennifer Goldblum, her producer contact at Hollywood Live. The show routinely covered Regrets Only events, which thrilled her clients and all the boldface names in attendance. Jennifer always seemed to be way ahead on delicious gossip. How had this development slipped past her radar?
    "His parents need to get over it," Finn was saying. "Their son has slept with too many women to run for office, and his new wife is no consultant's idea of a political asset. That's for sure."
    "I know," Lara agreed. But she was barely listening. "Finn, I'm going to be late. Can we deconstruct this later?"
    "I'll call you when I get back to the city."
    Lara sat up, bracing herself for her body's revolt. None came. With a hint of confidence, she moved to stand up. "You're still in the Hamptons?"
    "Yes," Finn grumbled. "I ended up going home with a bartender. He calls it an apartment, but it's actually someone's garage. There's a microwave and a little refrigerator. Does that count for a kitchen these days?"
    "Finn, don't be mean. What if he hears you?"
    "He's already at work. Jerry Seinfeld's wife is having a luncheon. That's the great thing about one-night stands with service people. They always have someplace to go."
    "You're terrible," Lara scolded, laughing in spite of her disapproval. "Call me later."
    She hung up and ventured toward the master bath, surprised to find herself opening the shower door and turning on the hot water without having suffered an attack of the dry heaves. Privi's little recipe was amazing.
    As she stepped under the steaming jets, the realization of Dean Paul's new career began to sink in. It was one thing to read