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Her hair was cut into a dark bob, and she wore black framed glasses. Her eyes were smokey, and her lips were a cherry red. She wore a pair of low-rise jeans and a sweater that fell just above her belly button. She reached out and tapped Meagan's arm. "Hey, the chips are running out. Where do I find the backups?"
"Top shelf of the pantry. Hey, Ariel, do you remember my brother? Guy?"
Her eyes shifted to mine, and her lips curled into a beautiful smile. She wiped her palm on her pant leg and put out her hand. As soon as I took it, I could feel the heat erupt.
"Guy, yes. Wow, you have grown up. No weird face handlebar mustache anymore?”
I chuckled, almost forgetting about my facial hair experimentation in college. "No, I left that one to the bikers. It's nice to see you. I heard you were back in town."
She was still holding onto my hand, her eyes sparkling as she looked at me. "What can I say? San Diego definitely has its appeal, and that appeal seems to grow every time I turn around.”
I wasn't sure if she was flirting with me or not. I was pretty good at talking with people, but nothing came out. So instead, I tried to hide the deepening rose of my cheeks and cleared my throat. My sister stood there staring back and forth at us.
"Uh, gross," Meagan finally said. "No flirting with my brother. And you…" she poked me in the chest. "No googly eyes on my best friend. Weirdos.”
I put my hands up. "I'm innocent."
"Me too," Ariel replied, chuckling. "Okay, I'm going to go refill the chips. Oh, and by the way, Meagan, Alex is here."
I watched Ariel wiggle her brows while my sister gasped, fixing her hair. Then, as Ariel turned, she glanced at me and smiled, walking back into the kitchen.
"Oh man," my sister said nervously. "Alex came."
I shook my entranced state away and narrowed my eyes at Meagan. "And who is Alex?"
She rolled her eyes. "Oh please, don't pull that big brother protection thing. He's a guy I met at work, and he's really cute, and flirts with me all the time."
I could hear the defensiveness in her tone. If I knew anything about my sister, she would immediately do whatever I tried to prevent. That wasn't how I wanted her to make decisions. "I'm not like that. I just want you to be careful. You know, with the whole thing happening to the guys and me. Just make sure you really know this person."
She leaned up and kissed my cheek. "Promise I'll be careful. Now, grab a beer, some snacks, and freaking talk to people. Be a human."
As my sister walked away, I shook my head, turning and heading into the kitchen. As the door opened, Ariel jumped, gasping. The chips in her hands flew up in the air, raining down all around her. I lifted both brows and forced my impending smile away. "You okay? I'm sorry. I didn't mean to scare you."
She shook her head, catching her breath. "It's not your fault. I'm working on a murder mystery novel, and I have been doing this research lately for it. The stuff is wild and scary as hell. I'm literally just freaking myself out, thinking everyone who walks through the door is wielding a chainsaw and a plastic tarp."
I grimaced. "Yeah, that can't be healthy. And I thought I'd be the one freaked out all night."
I walked over to the fridge and grabbed a beer. She stepped through the chips toward the broom and dustpan when I turned back around. "I heard about that. I'm sorry you have to go through that. It's tough, I'm sure. I can't even begin to understand."
I had heard the apologies a thousand times, but from her, it felt like she meant it, not just saying it because she didn't know what else to say. I looked down at my beer and smiled, leaning against the counter. "So, how do you really like being back? Did you miss all your friends?"
Ariel paused, sweeping for a moment, and nodded at the door. "Who? Them? I'll be honest. I know about five people in that room right now. But it's been a couple of months, and I'm starting to get into the groove of things."
"I don't know why you would leave London and come here," I chuckled.
She shrugged, emptying the tray in the trash. "I needed a change and I missed Meagan."
The words were a good answer, but I could tell there might be more to it than that. I wasn't going to pry, though. So instead, I put my beer up and smiled. "Well, here's to having you back…in San Diego. Meagan will be a whole person again, and maybe I don't have to worry about her so much anymore."
Ariel chuckled, putting the broom back. "I don't know if I'd say all that. I've been best friends with her for years and years, and she has never actually listened to my heeds of warning. But that's part of her charm. She's very headstrong."
I laughed, shaking my head. "That's a mild way of putting it."
Ariel picked up the bowl of chips, and we stared at each other for several moments with me trying not to fix my gaze on her pillowy lips. Finally, she scuffed her foot against the floor and nodded toward the party. "I should probably get these pita chips out there before the crowd loses their minds and starts eating hummus with their fingers."
"A hippy revolution," I said, smiling and watching as she walked toward the door.
She put her back to it, pausing before pushing. "It was nice seeing you again. I hope we run into each other more often."
