Chapter 2

"Okay, you better spill all the beans!"

The bouncing ball of energy, or in other words Nancy Cooper, opens the entrance door before I can even get the keys out of my bag. Whether she heard me parking the car or she was waiting for me at the door like a dog.

"Jesus, Nancy! You scared the shit out of me!" I shout, then throw my bag at the small table next to the door and unstrap my heels.

"Come on! Tell me! Did you meet any hotties on your way to work?"

"Yes, Nancy. I met all the hotties in this town. And I got their numbers for my annoying best friend." I roll my eyes and walk past her and to the kitchen. I haven't had any breakfast yet, as nervousness turned my stomach in a knot this morning, but now I'm hungry as a wolf.

"Come on! Tell me! Speak!"

"Nancy, can I get 10 minutes of silence?" I complain, rubbing my temples, then I open the fridge to find some snacks before I faint.

"Booo! You're seriously no fun, Veronika! I'm bored!" Nancy plops on the barstool next to me and lies on the kitchen island, obviously frustrated with me ignoring her.

"What did you do today?" I close the fridge with one leg and throw the butter, ham and cheese in front of Nancy, the thumping startling her.

"If you plan to make sandwiches, I'll disappoint you. There's no bread."

"Ugh, seriously, Nancy?! You ate the whole bread?" I scoff and cross my arms in annoyance. I'm hungry, for God's sake!

"What? I told you I'm bored! She shrugs and gives me the puppy look. "Can we go shopping?"

"I was out for literally three hours and you emptied the fridge! I swear Nancy if you ate my chocolate..."

"Now, now. That would be so devastating, wouldn't it? Let's go shopping!" Nancy jumps out the stool and pretends to clean the space for me to make something to eat, only to avoid my gaze. She unwraps the ham and the cheese and grabs a knife to cut them. 

"You ate it, didn't you?" I arch an eyebrow and narrow my eyes in a pretended angry pose. I'm not really mad at her for eating my chocolate, a few fats and carbs less on my thighs. In fact, I should thank her, but I won't. Instead, I'll just tease her a little more.

"I... did. But we can go buy you a new one! Come on! Pleaseeeee." Nancy glues her hands in a praying pose and looks me directly in the eyes with a look so wet and begging, she can make anyone do anything when she looks like that.

"Fine. Let's go shopping. But let me change first." I sigh, shaking my head defeated then get up to go to my bedroom under the loud joyful squeaking of Nancy's. I drag myself upstairs and slowly change to something more comfortable for grocery shopping.

                    ***

Don't get me wrong, I love Nancy to bits, but she can be really exhausting... at least. She's a 130 pounds jumping ball of gushing out energy and is like a little kid in a candy store. Every damn day. 

She wakes up at no late than 7 AM, goes for a quick jogging training, takes a shower and then torments me to do something together. And she doesn't stop until I agree. 

"Can we get this?" Nancy shoves a bag of marshmallows in my face and wiggles it, all the people around us turning their heads at us.

"Yes, Nancy. We can." I sigh and push the cart towards the Pasta and sauces sector.

"And how about this?" Another pair of fats is shoved in my face, this time being a bag of chips.

"Nancy, take whatever you want."

She's like a tornado, a whirlwind of pink fabric, brunette curls and strong perfume, running around the stalls and grabbing everything that catches her eye. Sometimes I'm envious of her childish enthusiasm.

"Heey, aren't you the new occupants on Elmond street?"

A nice lady around her 30s holding a little boy in her hands grins at me so wide, I can see her muscles twitching in pain. Her dark skin is underlined by the milky-white silk tank top she's wearing, combined with denim shorts and sneakers. She's beautiful, at least. 

I can't help but stare at the little boy she's holding in her arms. He's no more than two years old and has the same charming smile as his mom. The curly black hair it has makes my hand itching to caress it.

"It must be us." I awkwardly answer scratching the back of my neck and offer a smile. I can't say I hate meeting new people, but I feel at unease by doing so.

"You should totally come to our bistro tonight! We're just shopping for the occasion! Do you have any preferences or allergies?"

"Uhh... you mean at Grace's?" I shyly scratch my forehead now, remembering Jason inviting me too.

"That's the place! And I'm Grace."

"Roni can we... Oh, hi! And aren't you one little cute boy?" Nancy stops in her steps, almost kicking me off with her frantic running towards me from the other side of the market and beams at Grace and her kid.  Then she shoves her long fingers in the poor kid's belly and starts tickling it, at which it answers with a loud giggle.

"Nancy!" I scold her but she seems to not hear me, still playing with the boy.

"So, are you coming tonight?" Grace asks again and I curse Nancy for coming. Hearing we're invited to a party or any gathering at all, she'll eat my soul to go.

"Coming where?" Nancy straightens her shoulders and asks, shifting her eyes from me to Grace and back. I can feel the curiosity rushing in her body.

"We're throwing a party at Grace's bistro and--"

"And we'll think about it. Thank you for the kind offer! Now, if you excuse us, we're going back shopping."

"Huh, okay... Have a nice day!"

I hurry to interrupt Grace and drag Nancy away from her. It's really nice of her to invite us, but I still don't know if we're staying, I don't feel like bonding.

"What was that?"

"What was what?" I push the cart further and stop right where the tomato sauces are, looking carefully at which one to take for the spaghetti I have planned for tonight.

"That party and that woman? It sounded like she has invited us!" Nancy towers over me with hands on her hips, blocking the artificial light for me to read the ingredients of the sauce.

"Nancy, you block the light."

"Were we or were we not invited to a party?"

"What party? And when did this turn into an interrogation?" I get up and throw the can of tomatoes in the cart and reach to push it further, but Nancy blocks it. We've been in this store for over an hour now and my growling stomach makes me hurry up.

"Nancy, come on. I want to go home. I'm hungry."

"We're not moving from here until you tell me are we invited to that party." She crosses her arms and stomps with her foot. Just like a little kid who was rejected to buy more candies.

"Nancy, don't make me walk through you. Come on, let's go home."

"You won't dare."

I only arch an eyebrow to her challenge and push the cart, letting it bump into her legs.

"Hey! This will leave me a bruise!"

"Can we go home now?"

Nancy sighs and steps left, clearing the way from me and instead she chooses another tactic to make me admit we're, in fact, invited.

"Come on, tell me! Please! I'll pay for the groceries!"

"Well, you didn't think I'll pay for all the junk you took, did you?"

"Come on, I'll pay for everything! And will give you a massage! And will fill the tub for you! I'll do your laundry for a month! Whatever you say, please!"

"Are you trying to buy me?"

"Mmm, maybe. Is it working?"

Nancy takes the box of spaghetti and the loaf of bread from my hands and put them on the line of the pay desk, then bumps me with her butt and starts unloading the cart.

"Come on! I'm dying to meet some new people and loose up a bit! We can even meet some single cuties! Please!"

"Nancy, look around and tell me do you see any hot boys."

"Well, we're at the store! Why do you expect them to be shopping?"

"Why are we shopping?"

"Fine, fine. But let's go, please! Pleaseeeee!"

"That will be 97 dollars."

"Holy shit. What did we buy?!"

"Well, you said you'll pay so..." I nudge Nancy and chuckle.

"Does this mean we'll go?!"

"You know for yourself we'll go. As if you would've left me in peace if I said no."

"You little sneaky bitch."

I laugh and wink at Nancy for playing herself this time. From the beginning, I knew she'll make me go. And I bet she knew it too. But at least, I won a massage and free dinner.

"Thank you and have a great day!" The cashier greets us goodbye and we leave. Nancy is cursing something only she's able to hear and I can't help but laugh. I know she's angry.

                        ***

"How do I look?"

"Flawless as always." I roll my eyes in pretended irritation and then giggle as Nancy has her moment of 'Pretty woman'. The straight loose plum dress whirls around her hips as my best friend does a 360 degrees spin on her heels.

"Oh, come on. You can at least make it sound as you're interested in going."

"And why should I? I don't even know if we'll be staying, what's the point of going to this gathering and meeting the people? After all, in possible two days no one will remember we were here."

Nancy grabs my comb and starts brushing my hair, sighing and shaking her head in denial.

"And why wouldn't we be here in two days?"

"Because first, nothing ever happens here and I don't see what potentially can inspire me to work on my thesis. And second, the inspector I'm assigned to work with is a bag of grump who refuses to partner with me. I can't stay where I'm not wanted."

"I'm sure your tutor sent you here on purpose. She wouldn't pick this one as a destination if nothing was happening around here. But to be honest, you picked one quite weird topic of your thesis and where do the weird stuff happen in movies? In the small old-style towns. And this town, my dear overthinking friend, has a population less than some of the malls I've been to."

"Way to cheer me up. But even so, how am I supposed to work on my thesis with such an unfriendly coworker? If not anything else, he'll distract me with his rudeness."

I strike a challenging look at Nancy's reflection in the mirror and my eyes meet hers. For a moment she hesitates, thinking what to say, then opens her mouth and closes it again, like a fish out of water.

"How old is he?"

"Uhh, I don't know. But definitely before his 30s."

"Is he hot?" Nancy wiggles the thin eyebrows on her smug face, sheepishly grinning at me. I know what she thinks and I don't like it already.

"Why does it matter?" I ask, trying to sound as neutral as I can, but remembering that freshly shaved smooth chiselled chin, clenched in annoyance makes me shift in my place.

"Well, it does. Tell me, is he hot? Rate him! From 'meh' to 'impregnate me', how sexy is he?"

"He's... good, I guess."

"Good?! Just good doesn't make my friend blush." Nancy pinches my burning cheeks and I slap her hands off my face. 

"Okay, I admit. He's... alluring. Yet, I don't see what's the point? If he doesn't want to work with me, I can't do much." I shake my head and sigh. I don't know how to feel about the fact someone doesn't like me just because I'm a woman.

"I mean, if he's hot and single maybe that's why he's grumpy. A blowjob works with such moods. Actually, a blowjob works with all kinds of moods." Nancy clicks hers fingers and a devious smile forms on her lips.

"Nancy!" I scold her and my cheeks turn a darker shade of red. But to be honest, I wouldn't mind having a one-on-one time with Mr. Grumpy pants. 

"Okay, okay. I'm just saying. Now, if you want to have some hair left, stop brushing it and let's go!" Nancy winks at me and I sigh. God help me to survive this evening.