Men Are Frogs (Fairy Godmothers, Inc. #2) - Saranna DeWylde Page 0,4
out this place to pay your bills so you get to keep it no matter what happens.”
“I know you’re right; it’s just scary. What if I go on this interview and they don’t hire me?”
Zeva rolled her eyes. “Obviously, you’ll live with me. But I have a feeling about Fairy Godmothers, Inc. I think this is going to be just what you need.”
Zuri wished she had the same confidence that Zeva did, but she had to do something, and this was the only path available at the moment.
“I still can’t quite believe that Jenn lit her wedding dress on fire,” Zuri whispered. “In the church.”
“What a woman,” Zeva whispered with awe.
“Indeed. Alec didn’t deserve her.” Zuri crossed her hands over her chest. She didn’t want to admit it, but she missed him. Or, at least, she missed the guy she’d thought he was. The one who wanted to hear all her wedding stories, the one who told her that he believed in Happily Ever After, too.
“Or you,” Zeva reminded her gently.
“Wasn’t there a rom-com where this happened, but the ending was much better?” Zuri flopped back into the mess of packing boxes, tissue paper, and bubble wrap.
“Yes, but we’re not at the end part of the story. This is your beginning.”
Zuri raised up on her elbows to look at her sister. “Are you sure?”
“More sure than I am you’re going to be able to survive in Ever After with just two suitcases and a train case.” Zeva glanced over to where Zuri had stacked her luggage.
“I’ll have my briefcase with my laptop, too.” Zuri grinned.
“You know what I mean.”
“I do. Which is why I think I’m putting off finishing packing. All we have left are the dishes. When that’s done, this part of my life is officially over.”
“Honey, you haven’t left the house in two weeks. I’d say it’s been officially over. This is just cleaning up what’s left. It’s all going to be okay. I promise.”
“You’re going to come visit me, right?”
“As soon as I can. Have you looked up this place online? It’s ridiculous in the best way.” Zeva snatched Zuri’s laptop and pulled up the Ever After website. “Those three actually look like what I’d want my fairy godmothers to look like. I mean, aside from the fact they’re white. Otherwise, all they’re missing are wings.”
When she turned the laptop around, on the screen was an image of three kindly old ladies. One wore pink, one wore blue, and the other yellow. They each wore their hair up in buns on top of their heads. One of them wore tiny spectacles on the end of her nose. The three of them had round, rosy cheeks and happy crinkles around warm eyes.
Zuri’s gaze was drawn to something in the background she hadn’t noticed before. There was more than one castle. One of them—the one she remembered—was white, with blue-tiled roofing, and waving blue banners, and whitewashed walls. It was every inch a fairy-tale castle.
The other one, the new one, was black as night. It rose up out of the forest like jagged obsidian.
“Look at the dark castle!” Zuri whispered. “That’s perfect. I hope they do weddings there, too. Not every girl wants to be a princess.”
Zeva turned the laptop back around to study the image. “Oh, wow. How did I miss this the first time around? Can you imagine getting married there at midnight with red rose petals and moonlight? I wonder who lives there.”
“Me too. How exciting.”
“Oh, look. The proprietor of the princess castle’s name is Phillip Charming. Are they serious? I need a picture of this guy.” She clicked on the trackpad before rolling her eyes. “Of course this is Phillip Charming. He’s a Ken doll.”
Zuri looked at his picture, and something unfamiliar twisted in her gut like dancing snakes.
First, he was beautiful. She hadn’t expected otherwise. His hair was an impossible shade of golden blond, like wheat fields but with streaks of sunlight. A strong jaw, ridiculously long lashes, and eyes that were the kind of green that had to have been photoshopped. Or contacts.
“Zuri! The castle offers long-term rentals for people moving to Ever After for work!”
“No.” She could see where her sister was going before she got there. The answer was absolutely not. “I don’t even have the job, yet.”
“Yet. You know how sometimes I just know things? You will get the job. You’re going to move to Ever After. And Phillip Charming is in your future.”