Queen of Babble in the Big City by Meg Cabot

her.”
    Jennifer narrows her eyes and scissors a glance in her mother’s direction. “See?” she hisses. “I told you.”
    “Er, uh,” Monsieur Henri blusters uncomfortably, still looking as if he wants to kill me. “In point of fact, Mademoiselle Elizabeth is not, er, technically speaking, an employee of—”
    “But this gown could easily be altered to flatter someone of Jennifer’s proportions,” I say, pointing to the high neckline, “merely by opening up this area here, giving it more of a sweetheart neckline, and maybe getting rid of the sleeves—”
    “Absolutely not,” Mrs. Harris says. “It’s a Catholic ceremony.”
    “Then tightening the sleeves,” I go on smoothly, “so that they don’t bell. A girl with a figure as good as Jennifer’s shouldn’t hide it. Especially on a day when she wants to look her best.”
    Jennifer has been listening to all of this intently. I can tell because she’s stopped fiddling with her hair.
    “Yeah,” she says. “See, Mom? That’s what I told you.”
    “I don’t know,” Mrs. Harris murmurs, chewing her lower lip. “Your sisters—”
    “Are you the youngest?” I asked Jennifer, who nodded. “Yeah, I thought so. Me, too. It’s hard being the youngest, always getting your big sisters’ hand-me-downs. You get to a point where you’d just die to have something— any thing—new, something all your own.”
    “Exactly!” Jennifer explodes.
    “But in the case of your mother’s wedding gown, you can have that,” I say, “and still observe family tradition by wearing it…you just have to give it a few tweaks to make it uniquely your own. And we can easily do that here—”
    “I want that,” Jennifer says, turning to her mother. “What she said. That’s what I want.”
    Mrs. Harris looks from the gown to her daughter and then back again. Then she lets out a little laugh and says, “Fine! Whatever you want! If it’s cheaper than a new gown—”
    “Oh,” Madame Henri steps forward to say, “it will be, of course. If the young lady would like to come with me to change, we can begin measuring for the alterations right away…”
    Jennifer flicks her blowout back and, without another word, follows Madame Henri to the dressing room.
    “Oh,” Mrs. Harris cries, after glancing at her watch. “I have to go put money in the meter if we’re staying. Excuse me—”
    She hurries out of the shop. As soon as the door eases shut behind her, Monsieur Henri turns to me and, indicating the yellowed dress he’s still holding, says hesitantly, “You are quite adept with the, er, customer.”
    “Oh,” I say modestly. “Well, that one was easy. I know exactly how she felt. I have older sisters myself.”
    “I see.” Monsieur Henri’s gaze is shrewd as he looks down at me. “Well, I will be interested to see if you can work a needle as well as you work your mouth.”
    “Watch me,” I say, plucking the gown from his hands. “Just watch.”

Lizzie Nichols’s Wedding Gown Guide
    If you are top-heavy, or have an hourglass figure, I have one word for you: strapless!
     
    I know what you are thinking…strapless, at a wedding? But strapless is no longer considered immodest in most churches!
     
    And with the right support in the bodice, this look can be extremely flattering on a top-heavy bride, especially when paired with an A-line skirt. V-necklines are also terrific on large-on-the-top women, as are off-the-shoulder and scoop-neck designs.
     
    Just remember that the higher the neckline, the bigger the boobs look!

    L IZZIE N ICHOLS D ESIGNS ™

Chapter 9
    Nothing travels faster than light, with the possible exception of bad news, which follows its own rules.
    —Douglas Adams (1952–2001), British author and radio dramatist
    A receptionist?”
    That’s what Luke says when I tell him the news. For once, he’s gotten home before I have, and is making dinner—coq au vin. One of the many advantages of having a boyfriend who is half French is