Ariel was definitely a glass half full type of woman. She liked seeing the positive side of things. For instance, she had a roof over her head, her own business. Plus, after weeks of worrying her sick, her brother was back, and she was glad that he was unharmed.
She was also glad that she had gotten the chance to actually know why he had made such a dumb decision in the first place.
"I was going to use the money to buy you a bigger food truck," Peter had said, and that had made Ariel feel like her heart was breaking in two.
Peter was such a big hearted fool, but she was so glad that he was back.
But despite her joy at her brother's return, Ariel had actual real people problems. Things like running her food truck, and somehow making enough money to pay a very vicious loan shark.
That should have been more than enough to keep her mind occupied. But her brain had other ideas. Instead of focusing on her problems as she went about her days. Ariel was focusing on something else...someone else really.
Tristan Asher.
The fact that he was consuming most of her thoughts was not even her fault. Tristan was everywhere. She saw his face in ads on the TV. She saw him on billboards. She even saw him when she happened to catch sight of young men in custom-made suits at a certain angle. She'd look down to serve a customer, see strong, elegant fingers, and she'd instantly think of Tristan.
Which made absolutely no sense...she had never even paid that much attention to his hands(honest!). To make matters worse, it was not just random hands that often reminded her of him.
A man with dark hair would pass by and she would think of Tristan's own dark hair. She'd hear a smooth yet commanding voice and she would turn expecting to find him there.
Whatever it was that was making her constantly think about the man, Ariel was so over it.
Things were even worse because thoughts of him were not just restricted to her waking hours. He even followed her to dreamland.
Just the previous night, Ariel had been flying on a ladle and talking to a very friendly pair of avocados. Then out of nowhere, some dates had begun to sing at top volume.
"Ariel and Tristan under a tree. K-I-S-S-I-N-G!" She had woken up feeling ridiculous, and more than a little embarrassed. Food dreams were not new to her, but for her to dream about her food singing about her kissing a man she barely knew, that was a whole new level of low.
She had no reason, let alone any right to be thinking of Tristan Asher in such a way. But again, the billboards, and other ads would not let her forget him.
Logically, Ariel knew that the images of him had always been there. But now for some weird reason, they just jumped out at her. Demanding all of her attention and making her oblivious to everything.
It would have been nice for her to lose herself in the impossible fantasy for a bit.
But she and Tristan Asher were of different worlds.
Not to mention he was getting married. There was a princess out there, or an heiress who was already signing her name as Mrs Asher in official documents. Practicing for when they would get married. Ariel's sudden interest in him was nothing. It was probably just her mind confusing gratitude with affection.
He had saved her from his creepy cousin, and he had let her go without punishment after she had asked him( within seconds of meeting him) for a ridiculous amount of cash.
It was only natural that she be a bit confused. But she could not let herself linger on such emotions. They were not meant to, nor would they ever be.
Something that she was reminded of when madam Mo's goons came for her and Peter just after she had closed the food truck for the night.
As she followed the muscled men, her brother walking right next to her. His presence bringing comfort. Ariel decided to channel all of her energy into what was to come rather than wasting time on confusing feelings that had come from nowhere.