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“Yes, please. And then you can tell me all about your bad day.”
“Ugh. It was a menagerie of unfortunate events. Two of the boxes of the tiles we special-ordered from Italy arrived damaged. They’re rushing us a replacement, but it’s still going to put us at least a week behind. And there’s some sort of electrical wiring issue I don’t fully understand that has to be redone.” Hadley poured the drink and passed it to her, drawing in a long, cleansing breath. “But it’s the weekend now, and I don’t have to think about all that mess again until Monday morning.”
Molly accepted the drink. “Plus we’re on the beach, which makes everything better.” The rhythmic sound of the waves rolling into shore seemed to back up her claim.
“Exactly.” She held up her cup. “To girls’ night.”
“Cheers.” Molly tapped her cup against Hadley’s and took a sip of the frozen concoction. Yep, she was right. The combination of mango, coconut, and lime, combined with a hint of spice, definitely needed a little paper umbrella sticking out of it. It was one of the best drinks she’d had in a long time. “Mmm. This is delicious.”
“Thanks. I got the recipe from a friend who used to call it summer in a cup.”
“That’s exactly what it tastes like. It’s the perfect complement to a night like tonight.” She took a second sip and savored the frosty drink and the spectacular view. She and Hadley chatted for several more minutes before Ellyn’s voice interrupted them.
“I’m not late yet,” she called from behind them. “I have to be more than fifteen minutes past the meetup time to be considered late.”
Hadley and Molly exchanged a look. “She’s never less than fifteen minutes late,” Hadley joked.
“I heard that!” Ellyn said from halfway up the beach. It took another minute for her to reach them. She handed the tray of sandwiches to Molly before dropping her bag and chair in the sand. With her arms now free, she looked out over the water and let out a loud exhale. “I made it.”
“Mango Passion?” Hadley offered.
“Please.” She accepted it and took a sip before opening her chair and collapsing in it. “Now, this is much more relaxing.”
“Rough day at the gallery?” Molly asked.
“Just busy. We’re a couple of weeks away from opening the biggest show we’ve done in a long time with the biggest artist I’ve ever worked with, and there are a lot more loose ends to tie up than I was anticipating.” She made her eyes wide before she took another sip.
“First of all, it’s going to be great, and we believe in you. But if you need any help, let us know,” Hadley said. Molly nodded in agreement.
“Thanks. Y’all are going to be at the opening, right? Two weeks from tonight?”
Molly grinned. “Wouldn’t miss it. I already have a dress picked out especially for the occasion.”
“Me too,” Hadley added. “Not the dress-picked-out part. I’m not nearly that well planned. But I’ll be there.”
“Speaking of timelines, let’s focus on a much more pressing decision.” She leaned forward and paused for dramatic effect. “Should we eat first or snorkel first?”
“Eat first,” Hadley said without so much as a second thought. “I missed lunch and I’m starving.” She reached over and snagged a sandwich from the tray of mini sandwiches and fruit kabobs Ellyn brought.
“I’m not going to argue with that. These look amazing.” Molly considered all the yummy choices before selecting a chicken salad on croissant.
“Eating first it is.” Ellyn selected her own sandwich then re-covered the tray and set it on the beach blanket laid out in front of them. “Plus that’ll give us plenty of energy for our little snorkeling adventure.”
Molly nibbled on the buttery croissant as she looked out at the Gulf, considering their next activity. “I know fear has played a factor in preventing me from doing this before now, but I’m thirty. I feel like snorkeling is a skill I should’ve already acquired.”
“Why?” Ellyn licked her fingers. “I hope I’m still acquiring new skills at ninety.”
Hadley nodded. “Breaking out of your comfort zone is brave no matter what age.”
Molly examined her sandwich, considering that. “I guess so. But right now, I don’t feel brave. Right now, I feel like a wimp.”
“That’s because you haven’t gotten in the water yet. You’ll be singing a different tune after our lesson.” Ellyn took a bite of her mini turkey wrap.
“You know what I want to do that’s outside of my comfort zone?” Hadley asked, pulling out her famous hummus dip and a container of cut veggies. “Climb Mt. Kilimanjaro.”
“That sounds fun. I’ve always wanted to go on an African safari, where you get to see lions and elephants roaming around in their natural habitat.” Ellyn scooped up dip with a carrot stick. “How far up are we climbing?”
“To the top, of course.” Hadley flashed them a look that said even considering anything less would be ridiculous. “I’m not flying all the way to Tanzania to stare at the peak from halfway up.”
