just beginning to search for job offers when she heard her name called.
“Ari, it’s me! Michelle!” A blonde with a sensational figure jumped up from a bench and hugged Ari. Michelle Hathaway had been in most of Ari’s childhood education classes at Bucknell. She’d never been a super-close friend, but they’d gone shopping together and gossiped at parties. Michelle was always fun, and Ari was delighted to see her.
“What are you doing here?” Ari asked.
“We’ve rented a house on Nantucket for a couple of weeks every summer for years. This year, the parents bought a house here so we can stay as long as we want. How cool is that?” Michelle linked her arm through Ari’s and pulled her along. “Let’s get some coffee and I’ll tell you all about it.”
They went across the cobblestone street, up past the Bartlett’s Farm truck with its bushels of tomatoes and lettuce, and into the pharmacy. A few stools with red vinyl seats were empty at the counter, so they sat and ordered.
“Doesn’t it feel the best to have all that structure behind us?” Michelle asked, spinning her stool this way and that like a kid. “I feel like I’ve been let out of prison.”
“I don’t know…” Ari began, but Michelle chatted on.
“I’m glad I have the entire summer to be free, because you know my wedding is in September.”
Ari pretended to twirl a Hercule Poirot mustache. “And, ma’mzelle, what do you mean by ‘free,’ eh?”
Michelle laughed. “Well, I’m not going to have sex with another guy, but I’m certainly going to…flirt.”
Next to Michelle, a portly gentleman drinking coffee and doing the New York Times crossword puzzle cleared his throat meaningfully.
Michelle rolled her eyes. “You and Peter are tying the knot this summer, right?”
“No,” Ari replied, with what she hoped looked like a wry smile. “I broke up with him. I truly don’t love him and I told him so.”
“Oh, honey, how sad! I’m so sorry! I was hoping you and I could do silly wedding stuff together.”
“Don’t be. I’m fine. Peter’s fine,” Ari said impatiently, uncomfortable with other shoppers staring at her. She caught the attention of the soda clerk. “Can we have our drinks to go, please?”
“When did you break up? Was it terrible? Where’s your ring?” Michelle snatched up Ari’s hand. “Did you give him back his ring?” Without waiting for an answer, Michelle continued, “I guess you had to.” She extended her hand in front of Ari’s face. “I’d rather kill Josh than give back this beauty.”
“Our drinks are here,” Ari said. She put down enough cash to leave a good tip and slid from her stool. “I need to go back to check out the job postings.”
As they strolled along the sidewalk, Michelle asked, “Do you have a place to live this summer?”
“I’m living with my grandmother, out in ’Sconset. She’s got a huge house, and it’s right on the bluff.”
“Wow. Perfect.”
“I know. Plus my grandmother is wonderful, fun to be with.”
Once again, Ari wandered over to the Hub, looking at the bulletin board with its sheets of flyers, Michelle following in her wake. On a yellow piece of paper was an ad for someone wanting a counselor at a kids’ summer camp.
Ari took out her phone and snapped a shot of the ad. She turned to Michelle. “Do you know Cal Marshall?”
“No,” Michelle answered vaguely. She was busy jumping up and down and waving at a guy in a car trying to turn from Main onto Federal. Just when the car would start to go, another clutch of people would stroll slowly out onto the crosswalk.
The car was a convertible, Ari thought enviously. And the guy in the car!
He was blond, with a profile off a Roman coin. Classically handsome.
“Beckett!” Michelle called, her hands on either side of her mouth to channel her voice. “Becky-Beck! Whoo-hoo!”
Becky-Beck? Ari snorted. “Michelle, is that your fiancé?”
“Oh, God, no,” Michelle answered. “He’s my brother.”
The crosswalk emptied and Michelle’s brother steered his car around the corner. As he did, he swept his eyes over his sister and Ari. When he saw Ari, he smiled.
She smiled back. For a moment, time stopped, as their eyes met. A kind of dazzle swept through her. Beck felt it, too, Ari thought, because he didn’t take his gaze from hers, he didn’t stop smiling, and he didn’t drive away until the car behind him honked its horn.
“He smiled at you!” Michelle yelled. “Did you see that? He likes you!”