he said, and something in his voice pleased me. He wasnât whining, exactly, but he hadnât been happy about my exit. I liked that.
âMiss Naomi,â Jacinta said, âdo you want to ride the Ferris wheel with me?â Jeff looked at her, startled, taking in the unusual getup and those Cleopatra eyes.
âIâm Jacinta,â she offered, opening her arms for a hug. âAnd youâre Jeffrey Byron. Iâm such a fan of Byron Records. Iâm so glad you could make it!â
Jeff looked bewildered as Jacinta enfolded him in her arms. When she stepped back, he said, âYouâre Jacinta Trimalchio?â
âI am,â she said. âAre you enjoying yourself? Did you like the appetizers? If youâre still hungry, thereâs lots of food in the backyard. The grilled lobster is really, really great. And how do you know Naomi?â
âWe just met yesterday,â I said. âWe have aâfriend, I guess, in common.â
âReally?â Jacinta said, her eyes lighting up. âWhat friend?â
âDelilah Fairweather,â Jeff said. âDo you know her?â
Jacintaâs eyes widened, and she smiled so energetically I thought she might break her own face.
âWe were just talking about her upstairs,â she said. âShe is my favorite up-and-coming model. I think sheâs just absolutely amazing. Jeff, youâre friends with her boyfriend, Teddy Barrington, arenât you?â
âYeah,â Jeff said, looking a little surprised.
âI see you together in photos on Facebook all the time,â Jacinta said by way of explanation. Then she let out another sweet laugh. âOh God, that sounds a bit stalker-ish, doesnât it? Itâs just that Iâve got to go through all the party photos to pick the best ones for my blog.â
âTrust me, I know,â Jeff said reassuringly. âAll the girls at Trumbo are obsessed with The Wanted .â
âI was hoping Delilah and Teddy would come tonight,â Jacinta said. âI was too shy to send them invitations, but I figured if their friends were here . . .â Her voice trailed off.
âIâm sure they were just busy,â I said. âNext time you should send them invitations.â
âIâve really been wanting to meet Delilah,â Jacinta said, looking out at the Ferris wheel. âI think sheâs the next big supermodel. In a couple years, everyone will know her name.â
âAnd her father may be president,â Jeff interjected.
âOh, but sheâll be famous on her own,â Jacinta said wistfully. âSheâs too good to stay unknown.â
She turned her big green eyes on me, and I watched her hesitate. Finally, she said, âWould you ever have her over to the house, and invite me over, too?â
I was surprised by the timidity with which Jacinta issued the request. Youâd think a girl who could summon two hundred strangers to a party wouldnât be too worried about meeting a new person, especially not a person sheâd already praised several times in public on the internet. I was beginning to think Jacinta was something of a Delilah Fairweather fangirl.
âOf course I will,â I said. âAny time you want.â
âOh, Naomi!â Jacinta exclaimed, wrapping me up in another tight hug. âI would be soooo grateful! Iâm so glad weâre friends!â
âMe too,â I said, my voice muffled against her armpit. She was much taller than me.
A horde of excited girls descended on Jacinta then, asking if they could take photos with her, and she graciously obliged them. As they jabbered at her like hyperactive geese, Jeff leaned over.
âItâs the Jacinta Trimalchio?â he whispered without a trace of sarcasm. âI mean, itâs really, really her?â
âItâs really, really her,â I whispered back.
âWow,â he said in wonder.
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