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She replied within seconds.
Jenny: Oh, thank God!I’m so excited!Pretty much the only place in Redwing Falls is Molly’s.It’s a bar, pool hall and diner all in one.It’s nicer than it sounds.I’ll knock for you around 7?
I shoved my hand through my hair.It really needed to be washed before I saw any other people.It was so oily, sometimes it felt like an animal on my head.
Me: Make it 7:15.
Jenny replied with three happy face emojis and two partying ones and I smiled again, surprised she didn’t have a slew of girlfriends to call on.I guessed it was tough to keep up regular relationships with a small child to look after by herself.
I made myself shower thoroughly, and then I investigated the clothes I’d brought with me to see what was suitable for drinks with a girlfriend.
I hadn’t packed much aside from the basics, being too preoccupied with alternating between crying hysterically and fantasizing about ripping off Seb’s balls.
I checked the time in the UK, and video-called my best friend Emma, a night owl who would still be awake.
True to form, she picked up on the second ring.“Hey!”Her sunshine-smile face, framed with chestnut brown hair, filled the screen, and I felt a pang at missing her, even though it hadn’t been that long.“How’s America?Are you drowning in sweet tea?How’s the bakery?Did you find the Chris farm?Or any of the hot actor Chrises?”
“It’s fine - it’s pretty warm.Mad because I know it’s practically Baltic there.I can currently still breathe, although I have been offered alotof sweet tea.No hot Chrises yet, sorry.And the bakery’s good, but it’s shut now.It’s five o’clock here.”
“Only five!How’s the past?”The screen shifted as Emma set her phone up on something, and then more of her appeared on the screen, her top half clad in a cute, thickly woven cardigan and an autumnal leaf-print blouse.Her free hand held a cup of tea.
“It’s fine, but past me needs an outfit for drinks.I’ve been asked out by the woman next door.She apparently wants to be my friend.”
Emmatsked.“And why wouldn’t she want to be?Okay, what are the options?Do any of Jess’ clothes fit you?”
“No, and even if they did, I’d feel kinda weird about raiding her wardrobe.At least without asking first.Here you go.”I flipped the camera direction so she could see the clothes displayed on hangers hooked on the edge of the bedroom door.“Option one is thisdeeplyunsexy blue dress with a huge snowflake across the boobs, which I somehow decided to pack even though it’s Spring.”
Emma winced.“You were heartbroken.It happens.”
“Option two.This plain black top with maybe one of my two pairs of jeans?It’s a bit boring but it doesn’t have any flour stains, so for me, it’s fancy.And it has a scoop neck.”
“Uh huh.”
“Option three is this stunning cheongsam which is also inexplicably here, butwaytoo much for this one-bar-town.And option four is this t-shirt, which I really like because it has tiny sky-blue beads woven into the black, but it’s also kind of dressy.”
Emmahmmmed.“But you left it ‘til last which means you like it best.”
Damn her, knowing my brain.She gave me some suggestions and we decided on the snowflake dress under the t-shirt.Our call ended when her takeaway arrived.
I squeezed in a return declaration of love before she disconnected, and the room felt big and lonely for a moment.
The bejeweled shirt made the hideous snowflake dress look like a plain blue miniskirt.Emma’s suggestion was genius.
I twisted my hair up at the back of my neck, swiped on some eyeliner and blush, and finished a minute before Jenny rapped at the door.
“Hey, neighbo—wow.I did not get the dressing up memo!”She fanned herself.“You look amazing.The guys here won’t know what’s hit ‘em.”
“Doubtful, but thanks.It’s the only dressy thing I have, aside from averyfancy cheongsam, and it’s a bit much for a Wednesday, but….Whatever.”
“Yeah!YOLO!Isn’t that what the kids say?”Jenny asked, voice shaking with laughter.She looked cute in red trainers, black jeans and a nautical print boat neck top.Red earrings dangled from her earlobes.“Take me to the bar now before I embarrass myself.I haven’t even had a drink.How do people behave on nights out these days?I haven’t seen anyone aside from my kid, my parents, and my brother forsolong.What if we don’t know what to do?”
I locked up the house and then took the arm she offered, feeling like a teen on a girls’ night out, and it waslovely.
“You don’t have to worry about anything,” I assured her.“I know how to order drinks.We have bars in England.”
“Oh, yeah.”She patted my hand.“Woot!I’m out!I’m out!I might have to be up at six tomorrow, but I amout!”
“You’ll have to show me the way.”
