Sweet Valley Confidential: Ten Years Later Read Online Free PDF

them through the magnificent two-story entrance foyer into the living room, a stunningly decorated room with good antiques, all done in monochromatic beige with occasional blasts of black lacquer.
    And there they were, sitting and standing, Sweet Valley at its most successful. Lila’s almost ex-husband, Ken Matthews, was playing host. Still the NFL star, as handsome as any football quarterback should be, he was truly happy to see them and not because of any gossip thing, just because he really liked his old friends whom he, like the rest of Sweet Valley, saw little of lately.
    Caroline Pearce, Sweet Valley’s most successful real estate broker, a cancer survivor, and still gossip supreme, looked at Jessica like a ravenous raccoon with the good luck to spot a newborn kitten. She wasn’t drooling, but she did lick her lips a couple of times before she charged in for the big hug. She was the Perez Hilton of Sweet Valley.
    “Jess! I’ve missed you. I call, but you’re never home.”
    Jessica manufactured enough enthusiasm to return a limp hug. “Miss you, too.” And, pulling away, went on to greet the others, starting with the easier ones like Jeffrey French, who had moved back to Sweet Valley after leaving for the East Coast with his family in the middle of high school, and who now had a thriving dental practice; his wife, whose name Jessica never remembered; and A. J. Morgan, who was her competitor for status as the hottest gossip item.
    Enid Rollins had known A. J. Morgan since high school, when he was Jessica’s boyfriend. She was secretly crazy about him then, but, of course, she didn’t stand a chance against Jessica.
    A.J. had made some changes since high school—unfortunately none for the better—but happily, he now seemed to be as wild about Enid as she was about him. If she had actually been his girlfriend in school, she probably would have dumped him by now, and if she met him today she wouldn’t look twice, but those unrequited desires of school years tend to hang on well after maturity should have used them up. Unfortunately, A.J. wasn’t the best thing for Enid’s image as a serious doctor, hard enough with being a recovered alcoholic, so she kept their relationship very private. Thanks to Caroline, though, not that private. In fact, Enid and A.J. had made gossip headlines for months, though everyone pretended for Enid’s sake not to know about their affair.
    Enid wasn’t really Jessica’s competitor anymore, since her best friend relationship with Elizabeth had ended long ago when the “Wuss of the World” turned into Doctor Arrogant.
    Jessica felt she had been right about Enid all along. Underneath that humble, self-effacing, best-friend disguise, there was a pretentious, egotistical shit who wanted only to steal Elizabeth from her. Well, they didn’t have to compete anymore. They’d both lost her.
    “Hey, how’re you doing?” Jessica took the initiative since they were equal gossipees and she knew she was on safe ground. Enid was not likely to ask her any personal questions.
    Jessica looked around for Bruce Patman, but fortunately, he wasn’t there. She dreaded seeing Bruce. Not only did he know too much, but he was still Elizabeth’s best friend.
    She was surprised and actually happy to see Robin Wilson there. She looked terrific, having gained back only a tiny bit of that lost weight from her high school years, which was amazing since now she was a successful food caterer and restaurant critic, chin-deep in delicious food every day. She was with her new husband, Dan Kane, a lawyer from Jessica’s brother Steven’s office. It was a wedding Jessica and Todd, armed with some elaborate excuse, had managed to miss.
    “Congratulations,” Jessica said. “You look great.”
    “Thanks,” Robin said. “I feel great. How are you—” She cut herself off. “You look terrific, too.”
    “How about a drink? A Bellini?” Ken offered.
    Jessica said, yes, and Todd asked for a beer.
    The