was glad to see her friend.
Kelsey came up short, a hesitant expression on her face. She hadn’t taken off her big sunglasses even though she was now inside the gym. She was carrying her gym bag and was still in street clothes.
Danica went up to Kelsey, wishing she could see her eyes so that perhaps she could tell what her friend was thinking. “Can we talk?” Danica asked.
Kelsey bit her lower lip then shrugged. “All right.”
“Let’s go in the locker room.” Danica gave a nod in that direction.
They walked toward the women’s side of the locker rooms and Danica dabbed her damp forehead with the workout towel. The clanging of weights, the whir of exercise machines and pulsing music surrounded them. It was a small, older health club with more male members than female, and it smelled of sweat and testosterone.
When they reached the women’s locker room, Danica sat on one of the benches near the lockers and looked up at Kelsey who was still standing. She hesitated then sat at the opposite side of the bench and set her gym bag by her feet.
“We need to talk about last week,” Danica said. “I felt I needed to tell you those things because you’re my closest friend. I don’t want to see you hurt.”
Kelsey said nothing and looked at a wall. She wore light pink lipstick and her long blonde hair hung in soft curls around her face, but the sunglasses she still wore hid her pretty gray eyes. For some reason she looked petite and vulnerable.
“Can you take those off?” Danica tilted her head slightly. “It’s hard to talk to you when I can’t see your eyes.”
Again Kelsey hesitated but then she reached up and slowly took off the sunglasses.
Danica sucked in her breath. One side of Kelsey’s face was bruised and swollen, and she had a black eye. She’d tried to cover it up with makeup but there was no disguising the fact that she’d been hit.
“Did Darryl do that to you?” Danica could barely get the words out as fury began to make her hands shake.
Kelsey shook her head. “I ran into a door.” The response sounded planned, not natural, not to mention unbelievable.
“Some door,” Danica said and she could hear the disbelief in her own tone. “If Darryl touched you, I’m going to rip him apart.”
“Darryl is a good man. He wouldn’t do anything to hurt me.” Kelsey’s lower lip trembled but she sat up straighter. “I love him.”
Trying to control herself, Danica looked down at the hand towel she was gripping in her fist then met Kelsey’s gaze again.
“I don’t want anything to happen to you.” Danica reached out and put her hand on Kelsey’s. “You are my closest friend and you’re like a sister to me. Please understand that and know that you can talk to me about anything.”
Kelsey pulled her hand away and her expression hardened. “There’s nothing wrong between Darryl and me.” Kelsey got to her feet and picked up her sunglasses. “I need to work out now.”
Danica straightened, her heart aching at the same time her blood boiled. She stood. “Will you be here at our usual time on Wednesday?”
With a shrug, Kelsey said, “I’m not sure. Work has been rough lately.”
“Okay.” Anger at Darryl still burned inside Danica but she forced a smile. “I’ve missed you, Kels.”
The hard look that had been on Kelsey’s face melted a little. “I’ve missed you, too.”
Danica reached for Kelsey, hugged her, then drew away. “Why don’t we go out for lunch on Friday?”
“All right.” Kelsey smiled but it looked like it hurt a bit because she winced.
Inwardly, Danica winced, too. “I’ll call you Thursday.”
Kelsey nodded. “Okay.” She picked up her gym bag and went to one of the lockers. Without looking back at Danica, she started changing out of her street clothes and into her workout shorts and T-shirt.
Danica went to her own locker and unlocked the combination lock, her hands shaking from the strength of her anger. She grabbed her bag with
Kelsey came up short, a hesitant expression on her face. She hadn’t taken off her big sunglasses even though she was now inside the gym. She was carrying her gym bag and was still in street clothes.
Danica went up to Kelsey, wishing she could see her eyes so that perhaps she could tell what her friend was thinking. “Can we talk?” Danica asked.
Kelsey bit her lower lip then shrugged. “All right.”
“Let’s go in the locker room.” Danica gave a nod in that direction.
They walked toward the women’s side of the locker rooms and Danica dabbed her damp forehead with the workout towel. The clanging of weights, the whir of exercise machines and pulsing music surrounded them. It was a small, older health club with more male members than female, and it smelled of sweat and testosterone.
When they reached the women’s locker room, Danica sat on one of the benches near the lockers and looked up at Kelsey who was still standing. She hesitated then sat at the opposite side of the bench and set her gym bag by her feet.
“We need to talk about last week,” Danica said. “I felt I needed to tell you those things because you’re my closest friend. I don’t want to see you hurt.”
Kelsey said nothing and looked at a wall. She wore light pink lipstick and her long blonde hair hung in soft curls around her face, but the sunglasses she still wore hid her pretty gray eyes. For some reason she looked petite and vulnerable.
“Can you take those off?” Danica tilted her head slightly. “It’s hard to talk to you when I can’t see your eyes.”
Again Kelsey hesitated but then she reached up and slowly took off the sunglasses.
Danica sucked in her breath. One side of Kelsey’s face was bruised and swollen, and she had a black eye. She’d tried to cover it up with makeup but there was no disguising the fact that she’d been hit.
“Did Darryl do that to you?” Danica could barely get the words out as fury began to make her hands shake.
Kelsey shook her head. “I ran into a door.” The response sounded planned, not natural, not to mention unbelievable.
“Some door,” Danica said and she could hear the disbelief in her own tone. “If Darryl touched you, I’m going to rip him apart.”
“Darryl is a good man. He wouldn’t do anything to hurt me.” Kelsey’s lower lip trembled but she sat up straighter. “I love him.”
Trying to control herself, Danica looked down at the hand towel she was gripping in her fist then met Kelsey’s gaze again.
“I don’t want anything to happen to you.” Danica reached out and put her hand on Kelsey’s. “You are my closest friend and you’re like a sister to me. Please understand that and know that you can talk to me about anything.”
Kelsey pulled her hand away and her expression hardened. “There’s nothing wrong between Darryl and me.” Kelsey got to her feet and picked up her sunglasses. “I need to work out now.”
Danica straightened, her heart aching at the same time her blood boiled. She stood. “Will you be here at our usual time on Wednesday?”
With a shrug, Kelsey said, “I’m not sure. Work has been rough lately.”
“Okay.” Anger at Darryl still burned inside Danica but she forced a smile. “I’ve missed you, Kels.”
The hard look that had been on Kelsey’s face melted a little. “I’ve missed you, too.”
Danica reached for Kelsey, hugged her, then drew away. “Why don’t we go out for lunch on Friday?”
“All right.” Kelsey smiled but it looked like it hurt a bit because she winced.
Inwardly, Danica winced, too. “I’ll call you Thursday.”
Kelsey nodded. “Okay.” She picked up her gym bag and went to one of the lockers. Without looking back at Danica, she started changing out of her street clothes and into her workout shorts and T-shirt.
Danica went to her own locker and unlocked the combination lock, her hands shaking from the strength of her anger. She grabbed her bag with
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