Veronica Young feigned surprise. "Nina, you’re actually wearing makeup? Your skills must be a bit basic, then. I couldn’t even tell."
"The reason you can’t tell is because she’s a natural beauty," Emil Redmond interjected again.
Veronica Young shot him a dissatisfied glare. "Why are you butting in when I’m talking to my bestie?"
"Alright, alright, I’ll shut up." Emil Redmond made a zipping motion across his lips with his hand.
Veronica Young looked back at Nancy Yules, a gentle smile on her face. "Nina, how about I do your makeup for you? I guarantee it’ll make you look like a whole new person."
"Your makeup skills are definitely better than mine," Nancy Yules said with a shy smile. "But wouldn’t that take up too much of your time?"
"Not at all." Veronica Young waved her hand and said proudly, "I’m very fast with makeup. Everyone says I’m a makeup artist who got sidetracked by entertainment broadcasting."
"Then... okay." Nancy Yules was a little pleased. "I won’t stand on ceremony, then."
"What are friends for?" Veronica Young’s lips curled into a satisfied smile. "You don’t have to be so polite with me."
Emil Redmond made an exaggerated expression, wiggling his eyebrows alternately.
"What are you doing?" Veronica Young asked.
Emil Redmond: "Am I allowed to speak now?"
"Speak."
"I’m going to the fridge to get drinks. What do you guys want?"
"Coconut milk, I guess."
"I don’t need any, I’ll just drink my mineral water." Nancy Yules pointed to the bottle of mineral water she had brought.
Veronica Young: "What’s so good about mineral water? Just have coconut milk like me."
Emil Redmond got up and took two cans of coconut milk and a can of Cola from the fridge. "I’ll take these to the kitchen to rinse them."
He took the drinks into the kitchen.
Seeing this, Fanny immediately flapped its wings and followed.
Veronica Young glanced over and frowned. "What a crappy place. A bird flew in?"
"It probably smelled the crabs," Nancy Yules joked.
Fanny followed Emil Redmond to the kitchen.
He placed the drinks on the counter and turned on the tap. The sound of gushing water, SPLASH, instantly drowned out all other noises.
He glanced toward the living room, opened one of the coconut milk cans, added something to it, and stirred it a few times with a red-striped straw.
A crafty smile appeared on Emil Redmond’s face. He turned off the tap, then opened the other can and put a blue-striped straw in it.
After doing all this, he returned to the living room with the three cans. "Drinks are here!"
The can of coconut milk with the red-striped straw was placed in front of Nancy Yules.
Veronica Young raised her coconut milk, her smile radiant. "Nina, cheers! To our reunion as old friends! We must keep in touch and see each other more often from now on!"
"Okay!" Nancy Yules picked up her coconut milk and clinked cans with her, her shy smile filled with sincerity. "Thank you, Joy and Mike, for having me. Next time you’re in Lynfell, come find me, and I’ll treat you to some great food!"