“Fine, but Wren?”
“Yeah?”
“Always choose kindness,” I say in my sweetest voice.
She hangs up on me.
Despite my initial reluctance, I do feel a little better once I’m showered. And after putting on my favorite dress and a touch of makeup, I’m actually looking forward to a night out. There have been few of them since I moved to Moonshot.
As soon as I step into the bar, I spot Kinsley and Skylar. They’re sitting side by side at a corner table. Kinsley’s head pops up and a huge smile takes over her face when she sees me walking their way. It’s impossible to feel bad when she’s around. Damn her. Sometimes a girl just wants to throw a pity party. Though I question if that’s really what I wanted as my pulse picks up walking toward them. Maybe what I needed instead wasthis. Not that I’ll admit that to Kinsley. Like any good bestie, she’d use it against me the next time I want to stay home.
“You actually came!” Kinsley stands as I approach their table.
“Was there another option?” I ask with a small laugh as she pulls me into a quick but tight hug.
“We were betting on whether or not you were bluffing and not really coming,” Skylar says when her girlfriend releases me. She doesn’t get up to hug me, which I don’t take personally, seeing as how I know she’s not a hugger. It’s one of the first things Kinsley told me about her. “My girlfriend is amazing. So smart and gorgeous but do not invade her personal bubble. She lets like three people touch her and the other two are her parents.”
“I was waiting for the ‘I’m not up for it’ text in about an hour once we were too happy and tipsy to make good on our threat to come get you.” Kinsley takes her seat beside Skylar.
There’s one lone chair opposite of them. A quick glance around the bar tells me they likely had to fight to keep this one. It’s packed in here.
“Good idea. I wish I’d thought of it fifteen minutes ago.”
They both laugh good-naturedly.
“Do you want something to drink?” Skylar asks. “I was just about to brave the bar for another round.”
“Is there a fight on tonight?” The last time I came to MVP for happy hour with some of the girls from the gym, we inadvertently walked into a big UFC fight night that had a similarly packed vibe.
“There’s a hockey game tonight.” Kinsley tips her head to the TV closest to us.
It’s at that moment it clicks for me that the little men skating on the TVs hung up all around this place are the main attraction. Groups of people are standing or sitting where they can glance up occasionally to see what’s happening in the game.
“The arena is close by. People hang here to watch in hopes the players will come by after.”
“Seriously?” I arch a brow in question. That feels…not stalkerish exactly but maybe a little pathetic.
Kinsley nods. “Oh yeah. If you think it’s chaotic in here now, just wait.”
“Or we could go somewhere else,” I suggest.
“No way. Moonshot is up by one with two minutes left,” Skylar says.
“You’re a hockey fan?”
“My family was into it.” She gives me a sheepish smile like she’s embarrassed to admit that she likes the sport.
“And this place is crawling with hot guys,” Kinsley says. Which is precisely when I realize she’s picked this place for my benefit.
“I’m not picking up a guy at a bar.”
“Why not? Where else are you supposed to meet them?” she asks.
“I’m not. I’m very happily single.”
She does that thing where she coughs and tries to say “bullshit” at the same time, but it comes out sounding more like a foghorn than anything else.
“I am,” I insist, rolling my eyes but unable to hold back a grin. I love her for thinking a cute guy is the answer to all my problems. “The last thing I need right now is a man. I have enough troubles.”
