Send Me No Flowers by Kristin Gabriel Read Free Book Online Page A

hypothermia.”
    “That’s not true,” Drew countered. “The winner receives a gift certificate to Victoria’s Secret...among other things.” He cleared his throat. “Miss Valentine is also the grand marshall of the Cupid Parade. A parade your boycott is threatening to ruin. Float entries are down twenty-five percent this year.”
    “My boycott is about choices, Mayor,” Rachel declared. “If you have to strong-arm people to participate in your parade, maybe that’s a hint.”
    “What kind of hint?” he asked, edging closer to her.
    “A hint that Valentine’s Day is more popular with the city’s merchants than with its citizens. Maybe people are sick and tired of all the hoopla surrounding this holiday.”
    To Drew’s dismay, her remark provoked a spattering of applause from the studio audience. But before he could respond to her barb, Candi Conrad stepped between them as if she were a referee at a professional wrestling match.
    “The sparks are flying, folks, and Dr. Grant is holding her ground. Do you think a date with our handsome mayor will make her have a change of heart?”
    The audience responded with hoots and wolf whistles. Drew saw Rachel visibly pale at the prospect.
    “I don’t need a date,” she said firmly.
    Drew smiled at the camera, fearing their appearance on “A Look at Love” had done more harm than good. He had to hand it to Rachel, she’d actually defended this crazy boycott with style and substance. Unfortunately she still didn’t realize all the possible repercussions. He needed another opportunity to point them out to her. “Since I know Dr. Grant is both fair and open-minded, I’m sure she’ll agree to just one little date. Unless she’s afraid I’ll make her change her mind about the boycott.”
    Candi Conrad turned her megawatt smile on Rachel. “How about it, Dr. Grant? This is your chance to prove you’re not a man-hater. That this boycott isn’t some personal vendetta against romance. Do you accept Mayor Lavery’s proposal?”
    He realized Rachel found herself trapped in a very tight corner. But he was trapped, too. This Valentine’s Day boycott meant big trouble for the city’s economy. He knew he could prove that to her if they just had a chance to talk one-on-one. No studio audience. No patient eavesdropping in the closet. No overcaffeinated hostess.
    He wanted Rachel all to himself.
    The audience grew fidgety as the silence stretched between them. Drew held his breath as he awaited her answer.
    “It sounds like an offer I can’t refuse,” she said at last.
    He smiled, knowing by the gleam in her eye that the battle had just begun.
     
    “I CAN’T BELIEVE YOU ambushed me!” Rachel cried, as she strode across the snowpacked parking lot of the television station, trying to lengthen the distance between herself and her nemesis.
    His long strides easily caught up with her. “Look, I already apologized after the show. But I think you’re overreacting just a bit.”
    She whirled on him, her breath coming in fast puffs of white. “Overreacting? Just because you staged an attack on me on live television? Just because you coerced me into accepting a date with you? If you’re that desperate for a date, maybe you should consider an escort service.”
    “Hey, I don’t have any trouble finding a date,” Drew said, standing toe-to-toe with her. “And just for your information, I don’t have any of that other kind of trouble, either.”
    She arched a brow, perfectly aware of what he was referring to, but willing to play the dumb blonde just to see him squirm. “What other kind of trouble?”
    He tugged at his shirt collar and cleared his throat. “You know. That thing we talked about in your office.”
    He was squirming beautifully. A crowd gathered behind him, watching and listening to their heated conversation. She recognized the girl with the bleached blond hair and several other audience members. Rachel tapped her chin with one finger. “Let’s