South beach by Aimee Friedman Read Free Book Online Page B

rose-colored dress.
    "I can't afford to stay anywhere expensive," Holly protested. She'd brought along some of her babysitting money, but she wasn't expecting to spend most of it. She had assumed that food and board would be taken care of by her grandmother, but the game plan was rapidly changing.
    "And a lot of those places might not have vacancies,
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    either," Holly added, seeing the sour look on Alexa's face. "Most schools have their spring break this week."
    Alexa folded her arms across her chest and narrowed her eyes at Holly. "So what do you suggest we do?"
    "I have an idea," Ida cut in. "I don't know if you girls will go for this, but..." She stood up, scurried over to a desk in the corner of the room, and returned with a thick leather address book. Holly looked on with trepidation as her grandmother flipped through it.
    "Aha," Ida said, her finger resting on one page. "The Flamingo. My dear friends, Blanche and Seymour Gold, run this darling motel in South Beach, right on Ocean Drive. It's very affordable. Lots of young people stay there. And it's smack dab in the center of everything. What do you girls say?" She looked right at Alexa. "Should I give them a buzz and see if they have any free rooms?"
    Alexa hesitated. The Flamingo? She couldn't remember reading about it in any of her fashion magazines or travel guides. But Ida was essentially handing them their getaway on a platter. Better to grab this chance while they could.
    "The Flamingo it is!" Alexa said, flinging down her guide book and grinning at Holly. "Right, Holly?"
    "I -- I guess," Holly said. She couldn't believe
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    Alexa had basically convinced her grandmother to kick them out.
    "Okay, darlings." Ida stood up. "Let me check in with Seymour. I think you girls will have much more fun staying there. But be sure to call me during the week if you need anything -- a ride, or extra beach towels, or some advice from an old lady'' She smiled mischievously. "And we can make a date for a girls' night out!" she added before heading into the kitchen.
    Alexa clapped her hands together and started gathering up her bags, ready to go. She loved Ida, but she could love her even more from a distance.
    Holly watched as Grandma Ida reached for the phone. Suddenly a terrible thought struck her: If they left her grandmother's place now, she'd never get to see Diego.
    There was still time to act. Maybe she could get Grandma Ida to check in with the Mendietas. If Diego was in this very- building, why would Holly want to be anyplace else?
    Casting all caution aside, Holly sprinted into the kitchen and took her grandmother's hand.
    "Grandma Ida, can I ask you something?" she said breathlessly.
    "Anything, muffin."
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    "Do you, um, ever speak to the Mendietas? You know, the Mendieta family on the third floor?" Holly willed herself not to blush and hoped her grandmother wouldn't guess at the truth behind her question.
    "Oh, the Mendietas!" Grandma Ida said. "Such nice people. I remember, they had a girl and a boy. Very attractive family."
    Holly nodded, every muscle in her body tensed as she waited for her grandmother's response.
    "I do miss them," Grandma Ida went on.
    "Why?" Holly asked, her voice tinged with worry. "Where did they go?"
    "They moved down to South Beach, sugar." Ida winked at Holly. "A lot of people are heading there nowadays. It seems that's where all the action is."
    Holly stared back at her grandmother as the words sunk in. So Diego was in the mythical South Beach -- the very place she and Alexa were heading. It seemed this trip was moving in a direction Holly had never imagined. And she didn't know what to expect next.
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    CHAPTER FOUR
    The Flamingo
    Alexa fell in love with Ocean Drive at first sight. After Miles and Ida dropped them off, she and Holly paused on the corner in front of the Flamingo, taking everything in. There were funky hotels and hopping restaurants on one side and an endless stretch of beach on the other. People bustled past them,