Page 25 of November

“Um… I might not be able to afford that. The restaurant, I mean. I don’t know how expensive the play would be.”

“My treat,” India said. “If it’s a first date, I don’t want to sit at some picnic table, possibly on bird poop, while I eat seafood. I don’t think me getting sick from bad shrimp is a great way to end the night.”

“Why would you get sick?” Maisie asked.

“It’s a dive, you said.”

“It’s a locally-owned restaurant that could use a little TLC, yes, but the food is good. They have that sign hanging up outside from the board of health. They have an A. It’s safe to eat there, and I’ve never gotten sick. Neither has Lainey nor Paige, for that matter.”

“Sorry, I didn’t mean to insult the place. I just thought it would be nice to go to a great restaurant where we could sit and talk, have a waiter bring us the food, and have some music playing in the background.”

“We could sit and talk at the other place, too. That was kind of the idea.”

“I’m not much of a hole-in-the-wall person, Maisie. It’s not really my thing. Sorry.”

“Fancy restaurants aren’t reallymything,” Maisie said and motioned to her clothes. “You’ve seen how I’m dressed. This is how I dress pretty much all the time. I wouldn’t even fit in wherever you want to go.”

“I wouldn’t exactly fit in whereyouwant to go,” India argued. “I don’t like my heels to go into the grass or mud, and I’m guessing those picnic tables are–”

“You know what? You’re right.” Maisie shook her head. “Just forget about it.”

“Maisie, if you want to go out, we can. I promise, the restaurant will be fine. I’ll even skip the tasting menu. We can order whatever you want.”

“A dive; that’s what I wanted. It’s fine, though. Forget I asked.” She waved India off. “Thank you for the coffee and the cookies. It really was very nice of you. I’ll give this one to Lainey.” She pointed to Lainey’s iced coffee. “But I think I’ll keep both cookies. I could really use them.”

“Hey, what just happened here?” India asked her. “You asked me out, but now, you don’t want to go because I wanted to take you to a nice restaurant? That’s abadthing?”

“I think we’re just really different, and this conversation made that clear. I mean, my family isn’t formal. Yours is. Not sure where we go from here.”

“We cantalkabout it, at least,” India suggested.

The door opened, and a man and a woman walked in.

“Bathroom?” Maisie guessed.

“Yes, please,” the woman replied.

“Back, on the left.” Maisie pointed. “I should get back to work,” she told India.

“Yeah, okay. Sure, I guess,” India replied, looking confused, but she left the shop all the same.

CHAPTER 8

India let out a deep sigh.

“Is the coffee maker not working again?”

India turned around to see Molly standing behind her.

“Oh. I don’t know. I’m not making coffee; just standing here.”

“Why, exactly?” Molly asked.

“Because I’m an idiot,” she replied.

Molly walked farther into the kitchen, picked up an apple from the fruit bowl, and leaned back against the counter next to India.

“Why are you an idiot?”