Mistress-of-the-Game - By Tilly Bagshawe Sidney Sheldon Page 0,55
By ninth grade, she had her phony damsel-in-distress shtick down to a fine art.
"Rachel? Would you ask Johnny to help me with my books? I'm so tired this morning, I really couldn't walk another step."
"I'm sorry, Mr. Thomas, but I'm afraid I couldn't finish my assignment this week. I've been having terrible nightmares. Flashbacks about my ordeal."
Lexi's big gray eyes welled with tears. Rachel thought: She's a fine little actress, this one. She's got them all fooled.
Christian liked ditzy? Lexi would give him ditzy.
Right along with this stupid-ass virginity burning a hole in my panties.
Lexi was convinced she must be the oldest virgin at Exeter, if not in the whole of America. It was conceivable she was the oldest virgin in the world. Apart from nuns, obviously. And really ugly people like her aunt Eve.
Deep down she was afraid that what happened to her as a child might have spoiled her for sex. She still had nightmares about the pig. Is that the real reason I've been saving myself for Christian? Did I pick someone I knew was unobtainable because I was too scared to "do it"?
Whatever her true motivations, the wait was now officially over. Tonight was the night.
As the party drew nearer, Lexi's nerves started to get the better of her.
What if he only likes girls with experience? I guess I'll have to fake that, too.
Sometimes Lexi worried that she pretended so much she'd forgotten who she really was inside.
Max Webster looked down at the girl writhing beneath him and felt ineffably bored. Her name was Sasha Harvey-Newton. Her father owned shipyards. Her mother's father owned oil fields. She was eighteen years old, stunningly beautiful and sickeningly rich. She was widely considered to be one of New York's most eligible young heiresses.
She was also a nymphomaniac.
"Harder, baby! Harder!"
Sasha Harvey-Newton arched her eligible, $20-million back for Max's benefit and let out a whoop of ecstasy.
"Shut up." Max put his hand over her mouth. She started sucking his fingers, and he fought back a powerful urge to ram them down her stupid, vacuous throat. Instead he forced her head down onto the pillow, muting her moans.
"Hey. What'd you do that for?"
Sasha looked up at him, her face flushed an unattractive strawberry red.
"You were making too much noise. What if your mom heard us?"
"What if she did? You know how many times I've had to listen to her and the tennis coach going at it? My mom's a whore."
Max watched Sasha get dressed, pulling on a pair of skintight jeans with no panties, and without bothering to wash first.
Like mother, like daughter.
Sasha smiled. "So. Does this mean I'm your date for your birthday party next weekend? I've always wanted to see Cedar Hill House."
Max wrinkled his nose in distaste.
"No."
"What do you mean, no?" The smile was gone.
"I mean no. I realize it's probably not a word you hear very often. But we're already at maximum capacity for the party, I'm afraid. Our security people have insisted, no more guests."
"Your security people?" Sasha snarled. "Who do you think you are? The president? It's a sixteenth birthday party, not a U.N. Security Council meeting. Uninvite someone if you have to."
"Ah, but I don't have to," said Max. "You got what you wanted, Sasha. I'll see myself out."
Walking back to Park Avenue, Max reflected on his afternoon's activities. He had not enjoyed the sex with Sasha Harvey-Newton, and he wondered why he'd agreed to go to bed with her in the first place. So he could boast about it? She was considered a good catch, after all. But to whom would he boast? It wasn't as if he had a bunch of male buddies whom he tried to impress. Max Webster needed approval from one person and one person only. His mother wouldn't give a damn that he'd wasted half a day balling some half-witted rich bitch who didn't even turn him on.
That's the problem. None of them turn me on. None of them can hold a candle to Eve.
Max loathed parties. He had only agreed to the joint birthday with Lexi because his mother asked him.
"Keep your friends close and your enemies closer, my darling." That was Eve's motto, at least where Lexi was concerned. She was always pushing the two of them together. "There will be a lot of important people at Cedar Hill House that weekend. Kruger-Brent board members, all the major shareholders and business heads. You can't