Frogs & French Kisses #2 Read Online Free PDF Page B

Florida Man’s single brother-in-law (no ring). Much better. “I live in Jersey City,” he’s saying. Oh well, no tan for me, but being nearby will make their courtship easier. Fewer flights.
    “I’m a travel agent,” she’s saying.
    “One of the best in the city!” I pitch.
    The apples of her cheeks redden.
    “Isn’t she cute when she blushes?” I add, and she inserts her thumbnail into her mouth and is about to take a nibble when I gently yank her hand away. Must she gross them out?
    “Very cute,” Lex says, startling me. Enough, old man! Stop stalking my mom!
    “I was thinking of planning a trip down to visit Jimmy, my sister, and the kids,” Adam says, sidling up closer to her. “Do you think you could give me advice?”
    “Actually,” she says as she picks at her fingers behind her back, thinking I won’t notice, “I specialize in honeymoons. . . .”
    I quickly step on her foot. Is she that clueless? “Mo-ther, I’m sure you could help him out. Why don’t you give him your business card. And then he could call you.” I try to use my nonexistent telepathy to help her get it. Card . . . phone call . . . date . . .
    She nods and then stops picking long enough to reach into her purse and pull out a card.
    Adam smiles as he reads it. “Thanks.”
    “I need to book some trips too,” pipes up Lex. “Is there one for me?”
    Sigh. How transparent can you get, old man? I thought cowboys were supposed to be suave.
    Smiling, my mom starts handing cards out like candy canes at a mall in December.
    “Where do you recommend this time of year?” Lex asks, once again hogging the conversation.
    “France is beautiful in the spring. . . .”
    Where you should go, Lex, so you can leave my mother alone! Just as I’m about to interrupt, a new hottie, a blond hottie with big green eyes, butts in for me. “Are you a travel agent? I could use some help with my miles. . . .”
    Wink, wink. Sure he can.
    Twenty minutes later, we’re back in the car and Operation HM 3 (Help Mom Meet Men) was a smashing success. What can I say? I’m brilliant.
    “I can’t believe that worked,” Mom says giddily. “I gave out eleven business cards!”
    “You took forever,” Miri moans. “It’s freezing in here. Can you start the car already and turn on the heat? I’m going to catch a cold.”
    I turn on the heat and then the radio and do a little seat groove to the beat. Maybe I’ll become a matchmaker. I’m like a puppeteer, commandeering the emotions of unsuspecting innocents. Who needs magic? All I need are clever strategies. Fine, we needed the magic to stop the bus, but otherwise it was all me. I can do anything I set my mind to, just like my mother always told me! Well, not anything. There’s nothing I can do about school tomorrow. If only I could conjure up a cancel-school spell. Or at least a freak snowstorm.
    I cannot face going to school tomorrow. Is it possible the JFK kids have forgotten about the fashion show fiasco? It’s been an entire week.
    Yeah, right.
    Even if the masses have forgotten, there’s no way the fashion show horribles have. London has probably spent the entire week preparing ways to torture me. After all, I did knock her off the stage and thus break her leg. Oh God. I need to go into hiding. Maybe my bruised chin will act as a disguise? No, I’m pretty sure it will be gone by tomorrow. The red has already started to fade.
    But Miri had the right idea. If I catch a cold, I can stay in bed the entire day.
    I turn off the heat.
    “Are you crazy?” Miri asks. “It’s freezing in here. Do you want to get sick?”
    “Yup.” I roll down the window and inhale.

4
     
    Not Quite Gone, Not Quite Forgotten
     
    Beep! Beep! Beep! Beep!
    Nononononononononooooo. It’s seven a.m. Monday morning and my throat doesn’t hurt at all. How is that possible? I inhaled bitterly cold air. I showered last night and walked around the block—without blow-drying! I purposely didn’t take a vitamin before