SVH11-Too Good To Be True Read Online Free PDF Page A

her most winning smile.
    "I know. Suzy told me you'd be visiting."
    "You're a friend of Suzanne's?" she asked in surprise. He had to be at least twenty. Her mother would have an absolute fit if she went out with anyone that old! Of course Jessica had sneaked around with older guys a couple of times, but she'd never let her parents find out.
    Pete stepped into the Devlins' apartment as if he were perfectly at home doing so, asking as an afterthought, "Mind if I come in?"
    "Certainly--I mean, no, of course not," Jessica stammered, feeling unsure of herself--a rare occurrence for her. Normally she knew exactly what she was doing when it came to boys, and it usually wound up with her leading them around by the nose. But Pete seemed so much more mature and sophisticated than the boys she'd known. "If you're looking for Mr. and Mrs. Devlin, they're not home right now."
    "Too bad." He cast her a sleepily seductive smile, then crossed the room, sinking into a huge, thronelike leather chair by the fireplace.
    Jessica's heart picked up speed, the way it always did when she found herself teetering on the brink of some potentially delicious adventure.
    She'd been in New York only two days, but so far it had been such a whirlwind of strange
    .
    and exotic things that she wouldn't have been a bit surprised if this handsome stranger had introduced himself by saying, "Hi, I'm Prince. Prince Charming, that is."
    When she'd arrived at the airport, both the Devlins had been there to greet her. Jessica immediately liked Mr. Devlin. He reminded her of her father, even though they didn't look anything alike. Mr. Devlin was short and roundish, with thinning blond hair and a bushy mustache. But his gray-blue eyes held the same fun-loving twinkle of mischief as her father's. Mrs. Devlin was much more elegant. She was tall and gloriously thin, with the kind of cheekbones Jessica could achieve only by sucking her cheeks in as far as they would go. She wore her black hair in a skintight bun from which hot a single stray strand dared to escape. When Mrs. Devlin hugged her, Jessica's only impression was of a cool draft of perfumed air.
    They rode home in a hired limousine. Mrs. Devlin explained that they avoided taxicabs whenever possible. According to her, they were all "dreadful contraptions" driven by "dreadful little men." Jessica scarcely paid attention to what Mrs. Devlin was saying. She was too engrossed in staring out at the Manhattan skyline, lit up like a carnival, as they crossed the Queens-borough Bridge. She was so excited she could hardly sit still.
    On Saturday Mrs. Devlin was going shopping on Fifth Avenue, and took Jessica along. Jessica had brought some spending money, but she was shocked when she saw some of the prices. In Saks Fifth Avenue she picked up a pretty scarf she was thinking of buying as a souvenir for Elizabeth. When she saw the price tag, she dropped it as though her fingers had been scorched. Seventy-five dollars for that! She wouldn't even spend that much on herself!
    Finally she decided that Elizabeth would just have to be satisfied with the free sample vials of perfume they were passing out in the cosmetics department--Jessica could always pretend she'd paid for them. For herself, she splurged on a pretty necklace made of twisted strands of colored beads that was on sale. It didn't compare, of course, to the fabulous gems that winked at her from under the display cases in Tiffany's and Carrier's, but she tried not to look too impressed so Mrs. Devlin wouldn't think she was hopelessly unsophisticated.
    They had had lunch at the Russian Tea Room, which Jessica had read about in People magazine. Mrs. Devlin spent the whole time smoking skinny brown cigarettes. She hardly even touched her food, Jessica noticed. No wonder she was so slim!
    Jessica was hoping for a glimpse of someone
    famous--according to People, a lot of celebrities lunched there--but the closest she got was a waiter who vaguely resembled Paul Newman. Still,