If Only She Knew

22. Surprise

Monday 22nd of August came around. Ariana's 25th birthday.

Her usually empty house was going to be full today, and she was relishing that idea as she was in her room with her not from work best friends, Julia, Dominique and Sarah.

Sarah was a professional hairdresser and she was doing Ariana's long, golden hair up into a vintage bumped half up hairstyle, adorned with silver flower pins. Prior to that the girls helped her curl the almost uncanny straight hair.

The women were cheerful as they had a girl's talk although Dominique had something on her mind.

"When was the last time he called you?" Ariana quizzed Dominique, almost as if she was investigating, after the other girl expressed her worry about her husband who was a professional mountain climber.

"One week ago. I don't really know if I should be worried or I'm irrational since his signal dies frequently up there on the Himalayas," Dominique shrugged with a half hearted, careless laugh.

"Hmmm," Sarah murmured. "Well, Ari's not a detective for nothing."

"I somehow doubt this has anything to do with a crime," Ariana interrupted. She was only thinking of how she had yet unfinished business and she couldn't be giving herself to something else.

She was wistful about it, though.

That evening the house was in full party mode. The kitchen was full of goodies made all by chefs that Ariana employed, and it didn't stop at the huge topped cake.

"So today I'm going to finally meet all of your friends huh? Damn I'm excited," Joseph said as he leaned by an arch decorated with roses and multi colored balloons, with a drink in hand.

"Oh, Ari has a goddamn ass long list of friends. Don't think you can achieve that in a lifetime, buddy," Julia, an African-American woman and a close friend to Ariana ever since freshman year in highschool, laughed as she sat on a high stool with Sarah and Dominique.

Soon people would start pouring through the almost bridal arches, coming to Ariana's birthday.

The first one to do so was Simon 'Tatman' Taylor. Tatman was his nickname among his friends because almost his entire body was covered in tattoos. He even tattooed the names of all his girlfriends and exes on the backs of his biceps. Hell, he tattoed everyone's names.

Simon was a blue eyed guy with full lips, dark hair that was almost black and a generally cute face. He looked a lot more younger than his age of twenty-seven. He came in with two other guys, Gabriel and Momo, his friends, looking kind of confused.

"You look nice, Ari. This is for you... Wasn't sure exactly what to get you this year." Simon's eyes shone at Ariana as he came around and gave Ariana a little red velvety box which she thought must be jewelry. Opening it up though, she found a very tiny mechanical blonde haired doll with blue eyes with skis and a skying costume.

Ariana smiled. "Is that supposed to be me? You know I haven't skied in years."

"No matter. Happy 25th birthday."

"Oh, I think you haven't met my boyfriend, Joseph, yet." Ariana thus introduced Joseph to Simon and Simon to Joseph, proudly.

She had such a nice community, didn't she?

"How'd you two meet?" Simon asked conversationally, gesturing to the couple. Ariana made a pained smile face and Joseph bit his lip.

"She was drunk," Joseph said simply fighting a laugh at first, but then laughing openly with his hands in his pockets.

"You son of a-" Ariana was glowering at her boyfriend.

"Typical." Simon laughed at Ariana along with Joseph, putting the girl to shame on her birthday.