The Wrong Woman

The summer heat in Phoenicia was scorching, leaving the streets almost deserted. A figure dressed in a giant frog costume hurried to the café entrance.

She set down her pile of little frogs in a corner and removed her heavy frog head, revealing her sweat-drenched but beautiful features.

Glazing up at the signboard, she blinked and anxiously muttered, "This must be the place."

Hugging the frog's head, she walked in and looked around.

There was only one young man in the entire café. From a distance, he appeared strikingly handsome with an air of elegance and sophistication.

"The quality of this setup was high," she thought. No wonder her mother warned her not to come back home if she still couldn't get married this time.

Breathless, she walked over, sat down in front of the man, and apologized politely, "I'm sorry, I was chased by the city officials because of my job. I got lost and ended up being half an hour late. I'm so sorry."

At the sound of her voice, Jasper looked up and was momentarily stunned to see a half-human, half-frog figure before him. A flicker of surprise crossed his eyes.

Jasper, dressed in a suit, exuded an elegant and noble demeanor. He looked at her quietly, his handsome face was devoid of any emotion.

She nervously swallowed and forced a smile, explaining, "Oh, I forgot to introduce myself. My name is—"

Jasper interrupted in a calm tone. "Imogen Kingsley."

Imogen was taken aback but quickly recovered, "Yes, I'm Imogen. It seems Aunt Eloise has already told you about me, but out of respect, I should introduce myself properly."

Jasper nodded, a faint smile playing on his lips.

Imogen began confidently, "I'm the blind date Aunt Eloise introduced to you. I have a degree and I'm 26 years old. I'm a freelance entrepreneur with zero dating history, zero savings, no bad habits, and no hobbies. But I have dreams."

Jasper raised an eyebrow, his smile widening. "So what are your dreams?"

Imogen clenched her frog fist and declared passionately. "My dream is to become an astronaut and travel to the moon."

Jasper was momentarily at a loss for words. "A lady with big dreams," he pondered.

At that moment, a waiter brought a glass of iced water.

Imogen, thinking it was for her, quickly reached out. "Thanks."

But as her frog hand reached for the glass, she realized she was still in costume and felt a bit embarrassed. She awkwardly smiled, stood up, and turned her back to Jasper. "I'm sorry, but can you help me with my zipper?" 

Jasper hesitated for a moment, then stood up to assist her.

Suddenly, Imogen saw an elderly lady at the door, swiftly running off with her group of little frogs.

"What are you doing? Put down my little frogs! Those are mine!"

Just as Jasper raised his hand, the woman in front of him disappeared in a flash.

"Hey, your frog head!" Jasper called out, watching her in her cumbersome outfit darting out, leaving the frog head behind. He quickly picked it up and chased after her.

The scene on the street was comical.

An old lady in her 60s was sprinting with a bunch of little frogs, followed by a disheveled, pretty girl in a frog costume, and trailing behind was a handsome man in a suit, carrying the frog head. 

The spectacle made people stop and watch.This text is property of Nô/velD/rama.Org.

The old lady darted into an alley. When Imogen followed suit, she could no longer see her.

Leaning against a wall with one hand, Imogen rested the other on her waist, drenched in sweat.

Gasping for breath, she muttered angrily, "Bad people do get old. What a bad day! Not only did I sell nothing, but I also got chased by city officials and then had my little frogs stolen by an old lady. How unlucky can I get?" 

Looking back at the alley, she sighed, "My blind date probably thinks I’m crazy. Oh gosh, another one blown."

Thinking about Jasper's handsome features, Imogen couldn't help but feel a pang of regret. He was the most attractive guy she had ever met on a blind date.

With a long sigh, she dragged her weary steps out of the alley.