摘录

When in Rome . . . At home, Kelly had spent hours looking at Rome websites (or the cute Roman guys on them, anyway), and now, from the bus, she recognized the jagged ruins of the Colosseum, Rome's ancient stadium. She hoped it would be as impressive in real life as it looked online. The bus turned through a set of iron gates with a brass sign posted on them: PROGRAMMA INTERNAZIONALE DI ROMA. The building wasn't enormous, but it was impressive: four stories high, in reddish stucco with lighter-colored details around the tall, arched windows framed with green shutters. "It's even prettier than the pictures in the brochure," Kelly said. "Check out that terrace over there. That'll be the perfect place for sunbathing and soaking up the scenery." "Or reading," Sheela said. Kelly sighed. "You can't tell me we've just flown four thousand miles so you can stick your head in a book and ignore a view like this." "Okay, okay. For once, I'm totally with you," Sheela answered. "This is absolutely beautiful." Spontaneously, the girls reached out and squeezed each other's hands. They had arrived. Excerpted from Getting the Boot by Peggy Guthart Strauss All rights reserved by the original copyright owners. Excerpts are provided for display purposes only and may not be reproduced, reprinted or distributed without the written permission of the publisher.