The Castaways by Elin Hilderbrand Read Free Book Online

Delilah need to point out here that Phoebe had been an Alpha Kappa Delta at the University of Wisconsin?) Phoebe had been in charge of organizing their first trip together, to Las Vegas. She was having hats made, baseball caps in denim blue with electric green embroidery.
Las Vegas 2000
for the front, and over the vent in the back, Phoebe wanted a group name. In her life before meeting Addison, Phoebe had facilitated trips for Elderhostel USA . The Elderhostel groups had hats for each trip.
    We need a name!
Phoebe implored, clapping her hands.
    They came up with a bunch of ideas, the most appealing of which was the Porn Stars, suggested by Greg—but then he let it slip that this had been the name of his first garage band. They dismissed it immediately on the grounds that they did
not
want to name themselves after any of Greg’s failed musical endeavors.
    They tried to incorporate Nantucket, the island, the beach, the first letters of all their names, GATEPADJ , JEDAGATP . Nothing worked.
    Delilah came up with the Castaways as she was falling asleep, which was when she had all of her brilliant ideas. She had always meant to keep a notepad on her nightstand so she could write her thoughts down, or words that would cue her thoughts. Even in this instance, she woke up not remembering her idea for the perfect name. But then it surfaced: the Castaways.
    The Castaways: Because Delilah had run away from her parents and found Nantucket, because Jeffrey had inherited a farm from an uncle he barely knew, because Greg had played in a (different) band with a guy whose parents owned a house in Sconset, because Andrea had been recruited to be the head lifeguard in the summer of 1988 and where Andrea went, Tess was sure to follow. Because Addison had scoped out the community with the most valuable real estate on the East Coast, and he had brought his new bride, Phoebe. Because the Chief had been transferred from Swampscott to shape up the police department. They had all washed up on the shores of Nantucket, and they had stayed and made it their home. They had found each other.
    Everyone agreed it was the right name. It was embroidered on the hats, and Phoebe was happy.
    Back then, they had all been happy.
    Las Vegas! Vegas, baby! What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas!
    January 2000: They had been talking about traveling together for months, but it took forever to decide where to go, and when. They chose Vegas because it was the place in the world that was the most unlike Nantucket Island. Nantucket was historic, pristinely preserved and maintained, it was quiet, it was gray and staid and safe, it was an island surrounded by chilly waters, it was a Quaker woman wearing a dress with fifty eye-hook buttons and a wide lace collar. Vegas was flashing lights and cigarette smoke, it was overchlorinated swimming pools, bulimic slot machines binging and spitting up change, it was point spreads and neon signs and cleavage, marble floors, fountains, bourbon on the rocks, it was an island of electricity surrounded by orange dust, it was a nineteen-year-old showgirl wearing red fringe, five-inch stilettos, and pasties.
    Nantucket was an authentic place, a place largely unchanged since 1845, with its cobblestone streets, whaling captains’ homes with widow’s walks and cedar shingles, leaded transom windows, back staircases with rope banisters, brick fireplaces with cooking pots hanging from iron hooks. The storefronts, the churches, the banks, the Pacific Club at the bottom of Main Street, were all as they had been a hundred and fifty years ago.
    Vegas was a studied mimic, it was three miles of trompe l’oeil. It mocked the rest of the world—Paris, New York, Venice. It tried to out-authenticate the authentic. What did Addison say as they strolled through the Aladdin?
This place looks more like Morocco than Morocco itself.
    All the cliches about Vegas were true, and they loved it!
    They stayed at Caesars Palace, in the newly renovated tower. They had