Free Smokeless Fire by Samantha Young Page B

Stop?”
    Taking pity on her friend, Ari nodded. “Sorry.”
    They were quiet a moment, each assessing the other. Finally Rachel shook her head. “I don’t know what’s happened between ten minutes ago and now but it can’t be good.”
    “Charlie’s screwing some girl in my dad’s bed.”
    Rachel blanched. “You saw?”
    “Oh yeah.”
    “I’m sorry.”
    Ari shrugged numbly.
    Sighing, Rachel slumped down next to her. She nudged her with her elbow. “You know you’re not in love with him, right?”
    “What?” Ari snapped, shifting away from her.
    “Oh come on, Ari. You’re not in love with that guy!” she gestured towards the door. “You’re in love with Charlie Creagh, sixteen year old cutie and all-around good guy. He’s not there anymore. I’m sorry but he’s gone. And you have too much going for you to pine over a ghost. So will you please, please , get over him?”
    The words tumbling out of Rachel’s mouth infuriated her for so many reasons but mostly because Ari knew she loved Charlie. It wouldn’t hurt so much if she didn’t love him. Right? She shook her head. “You’re wrong.”
    Rachel’s delicate jaw clenched but she was silent. After a few seconds she finally stood up, holding out her hand. “We’ll agree to disagree. But for now… you’re coming with me because your birthday surprise awaits you.”
    Ari found herself smiling despite it all. “What did you do?” she asked warily, taking her friend’s hand.
    Rachel grinned. “You’ll see.”
     
    “Uh…why is there a half-naked hot guy in my living room?”
    Sitting on top of a table that had been covered with a vibrant blue silk tablecloth with gold tassels on the end was some buff guy dressed as a… genie??
    “Strike that. Why is there a genie in my living room?” Ari turned wide-eyed to Rachel who was grinning at their surprise guest; their surprise guest who at present was holding Staci’s palm and murmuring something to her.  Behind Staci was a line of girls. The guys were scattered around the room, looking a little doubtful and pissed that someone had turned the PS3 off.
    “He’s here to grant us all a wish.” Rachel clapped her hands together. “Isn’t it cool? We thought we’d get, like, a psychic or something but instead we came across this guy. I tried to convince him that he was really a stripper trapped in a genie’s body but he wasn’t having any of that so what’s left of his clothes will unfortunately be staying on.”
    Thank God , Ari blushed at the mere thought of having this super tall, buff, exotic man with the bald head and gold hoop earrings, naked in her house. Her father would kill her. “Question,” she murmured, her eyes washing over his bright red harem pants and Arabic curly-toed slippers. “Since when does a genie do palm readings?”
    Rachel shrugged. “Oh he’s like a psychic too.”
    “I see.”
    “Birthday girl is here!” Rachel suddenly announced, grabbing her by the arm. “Make way, make way.” She pulled her to a stop, shoving Staci none-too-gently out of the way. “Here,” she said to the genie guy. “This is Ari. The birthday girl.”
    When Ari finally stopped glaring at Rachel for shoving Staci, she turned to look up at the guy perched crossed-legged on the table. His deep, dark eyes immediately sucked her in and Ari lost her breath at how intense his expression was. His beautiful features tightened and he reached out to her, taking her hand without permission.
    “I am Rabir. What wish may I grant beautiful Ari on this special day?”
    She heard giggling from beside her and all around but Ari didn’t find it so funny with his abnormally hot hand clasped around hers. His energy seemed to flow into her, holding tight, begging her to make a wish as if it were somehow life or death to him that she did so.
    “What do you wish for, Ari? Wish it inside, no words necessary, and I will make it a reality.”
    Her conscience told her it was a lot of crap but her heart…