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I chuckled. “You just startled me. I’ll take care of it. Just have a seat and I’ll be out in a second.”
I hobbled back to the bathroom. Instead of assessing the damage, I just took a tissue and wiped off the whole eye. I redid it quickly. Then with a dab of lip gloss, I threw the tube in my purse along with my phone and charger. Looking around, I saw my notebook sitting there. Couldn’t leave that behind, so I shoved that in my purse too. I tossed on my sweater and grabbed my ankle boots.
Kiley smiled warmly when I entered the room. “I got a call while you were getting ready. Do you mind if we go to the salon? I have a client in crisis.”
I felt my eyes widen. “Oh. Of course. I don’t have to come with you. You can just drop me somewhere in town.”
Molly shook her head. “No, silly. What she means is that we get to have a salon day! Come with us. We’ll order lunch, get massages, and when she’s done fixing whatever stupid TikTok thing Francesca did to her hair, we can get our nails done too.”
A smile spread across my face. “Really?”
Kiley nodded. “You’re welcome to come if you’d like.”
Molly’s face lit up. “Ooh, and let’s call Joy too. If it’s a slow day there, maybe she could come for lunch or leave work early.”
Kiley pushed some hair from Molly’s shoulder to her back. “That’s a wonderful idea, sweetie. Why don’t you text her while I drive?”
“Are you guys going to the game tonight?” I asked, biting on my lip. “I need to get there, but I don’t have a car of my own.”
Molly’s laughter was infectious. “Oh, we’ll be there. Ilya forgot to do his part for the Thanksgiving decorations, so Mom had to do it herself. She’s ready to see him get his ass handed to him tonight.”
Kiley shook her head. “Not exactly. I don’t want him to get hurt. But a few shoves to the glass would be tolerable. I asked him to do just one thing.”
I huffed. “It never bothers me to see Ransom get shoved around either. Especially today.”
Molly took a step closer examining my face. “Aw, fudge.”
I burst out laughing. “Fudge?”
She nodded, hooking her thumb over her shoulder and whispering. “I try not to swear in front of my mom when she’s right here and it’s not hockey-related.”
I bit my lower lip. “Oh, that’s a thing, huh? Okay, then let’s make a game of finding alternative words when we’re in need of a good curse.”
A wicked smile crept across Molly’s face. “Oh, now you’re my fizzing favorite person.”
“Fizz? I like it,” I said grabbing my coat. “Let’s go!”
As we drove, an awkward silence descended. Kiley and Molly shared a few glances in the rearview mirror. Finally, Kiley just said what was on everyone’s mind. “Do you want to talk about it?”
I shrugged and looked out the window. “Talking about something is a double-edged sword. Sometimes it can help, but then the overthinking kicks in and I get lost down a slippery slope.”
Kiley nodded thoughtfully. “I have a friend who has that problem. Molly texted her, so we’ll see if she can come.”
Molly piped up. “Joy. You met her at the dinner party.”
I nodded. “Yeah, she was cool.”
Molly sighed and rested her head on the seat. “She’s the best. But she never stops moving and overthinks more than anyone else I’ve ever met, out loud anyway.”
Kiley’s smile faded. “So, what happened with Ransom?”
Molly popped up beside me. “Things were fine this morning at the rink.”
I turned to look at Molly. “We had a good time, didn’t we? Nothing like pelting ice at your best friend.”
Kiley glanced over at me for a second. “Is that all he is, sweetie?”
I gulped. “Yes, of course.”
