Massie Read Online Free PDF Page A

the champagne pink chandelier overhead. The adjoining dining room contained a couple hundred tote bags, refurbished from Colombian coffee sacks. Massie couldn’t help but peek inside at the swag-bag goodies:
    • Bobbi Brown beach-scented candle
    • Tan baby tee that read USE ME on the front and REUSE ME on the back
    • Jonathan Product Dirt Texturizing Paste
    • L’Occitane Lavender Harvest Foaming Bath
    • Juice Beauty Blemish Clearing Serum
    • Philosophy Hope in a Jar Moisturizer
    • Fresh Brown Sugar Body Polish
    • A card good for ten free classes at Om Yoga in Southampton
    • A raffle ticket for a trip to an eco-resort in Costa Rica (courtesy of Leo D!)
    “Hullo?” she called toward the winding
Gone with the Wind
staircase. “I’m
baah-aaack
.”
    Suddenly, the sound of acrylic nails speed-tapping on a keyboard echoed through the foyer.
    “Bean!” Massie dropped to a squat and stretched out her arms. The black pug leapt into her embrace. She smelled like a mix of Massie’s dad’s coconut suntan oil and her mom’s sweet Cartier perfume. “I missed you soooo much!” Massie kissed the dog’s forehead.
    “Don’t worry—we won’t be bored or lonely this summer. I know a ton of people out here. And we’ll probably be so busy suing Galwaugh for wrongful termination of an alpha rider we won’t have time to miss anyone . . . except Brownie.”
    Bean hyper-licked Chanel No. 19 off Massie’s neck.
    Massie tossed her mint green quilted Marc Jacobs bag at the foot of the stairs, then quickly yanked off her dusty riding boots before any stable dirt could dislodge onto the cream-colored runner. Then she took a deep breath and headed up to greet her mother.
    “Heyyyy.” Massie beamed as she entered the airy master suite, poised to reassure her probably concerned parents that she’d bounce back from the morning’s upsetting incident.
    She padded past the lit gas fireplace and the gold silk duvet–covered canopy bed toward the open French doors.
    Kendra, dressed in a tan Burberry tracksuit, was standing outside on her terrace. Like a queen overlooking her kingdom, she monitored the staff on the back lawn with intense concentration. “I am absolutely thrilled beyond thrilled.” She petted the back of her dark brown bob.
    Massie playfully rolled her eyes, knowing she was seconds away from being mother-smothered. “I thought you would be.” She deposited Bean on the warm stone.
    “Of course.” Kendra triple-snapped her fingers at someone on the lawn and motioned for them to move whatever it was they were holding a touch more to the right. “There’s nothing worse than a dripping ice sculpture. A gigantic portable freezer truck sounds perfect.
Gracias
.”
    “Huh?” Massie muttered before Kendra turned toward her, revealing a tiny clear headset. She lifted the mouthpiece and fixed her hazel eyes on her daughter.
    Massie, not wanting to spend one more velvet-wearing second in the sun, stopped at the grapefruit pink chaise by the open French doors. “Mom, I’m okay. Please don’t make a big deal about this. I’ll get over it. I was thinking a lawsuit or maybe—”
    “Your feelings are the
least
of my concerns right now.” Kendra glared at Massie, then flip-flopped closer, her freshly pedicured toes separated by slabs of peach foam.
    Gawd, what is wrong with everyone?
    Kendra placed her hands on her narrow hips and sighed.
    “What you did was awful. Do you realize how upset Selma’s parents are?”
    Massie opened her glossless mouth to respond but was instantly cut off.
    “And today of all days.” Kendra looked back over the balcony, then sighed angrily. “Ugh! To the left, Ronald. The
left
!”
    Bean jumped down off the bed and bolted out of the room.
    Kendra exhaled slowly, then continued. “Haven’t you ever heard of
healthy
competition?”
    “Puh-lease.” Massie flopped down on the pink chaise. “
Healthy competition
is like those magazines that promise flat abs in two weeks. It