Michael felt solid against her arm. Comforting and protective.Brotherly.“How was it I ever thought I could date you?” she asked Michael cheerfully, tilting her head back to look up at him. “It would have been a huge mistake.”“Definitely. But you’re beautiful and I’m beautiful, so it seemed to make sense at the time,” Michael joked.Isabel sat up on the thick plastic pad she’d brought with her. “Beautiful! Beautiful? You’re so conceited!” she squealed.“Men are not beautiful,” Maria jumped in. “Only women can be beautiful.”“I am beautiful, and you both know it,” Michael replied with a smile.“God!” Isabel exclaimed. “You’re more arrogant than I am.”“Nah, it’s not arrogance,” Michael said. “It’s just a basic understanding of reality.”“See?” Isabel said to the others. “Total arrogance.”“He’s self-centered, too,” Maria piped up.Isabel grinned. Maria deserved to get in a few jabs of her own.“Hey!” Michael protested. “Don’t hate me because I’m beautiful, all right?”“We don’t,”
