Page 29 of November

“After India mentioned she’d been here earlier, yeah. I haven’t been here since before Finley and I started dating, so I suggested we all come over and she could see this great place for herself. Isn’t it great, babe?”

Molly was really putting in effort, which made India smile. Finley’s new girlfriend was a great person, and if Finley was going to be with someone else, India supposed she could do a whole lot worse than Molly Jewel.

“You three all work together?” Maisie asked.

“Yeah. IT, HR, and business development at Southern Roastery,” Finley replied as she pointed to herself, Molly, and India.

That was when India realized that Maisie had put it all together because her expression had gone from overwhelmed to one of realization, and not necessarily a good realization.

“I see,” Maisie said, nodding. “Well, I’ve got some inventory to do right now. Is there anything I can get for you, though?”

“I’dlike to get another book,” India said, moving over next to Finley, but leaving plenty of space between them.

“Go for it. I’ll have Lainey ring you up.”

“Hey, what are you doing tonight?” Molly asked Maisie.

“Sorry?”

“Tonight. Do you have any plans?”

India looked over at Molly with wide eyes and then back at Maisie, thinking about taking back her earlier thought about Molly being great for Finley right about now.

“No, I don’t.”

“Well, we’re all going to this bar a friend of a friend owns to have a few drinks. Want to join us?”

“Weare?” Finley asked before receiving an elbow to her side. “Right. We are. You should come.”

Maisie looked at India and asked, “You’re going?”

India glanced at Finley and Molly and then nodded because she didn’t know what else to do.

“Yes. They asked me on the way over here, and I said yes,” she lied.

“What kind of bar is it?” Maisie asked.

“A good one,” Molly replied. “Chill. Super chill.”

India cleared her throat.

“Chill? Andyou’regoing?” Maisie asked India again.

“I can do chill.”

When Finley laughed at that, Molly elbowed her again. India shook her head at her ex-girlfriend, but also at herself for putting Molly – and now everyone else – in this very awkward situation.

“Super chill,” Finley added.

“I’ve been there before. It’s a local place. Indoors. No bird poop,” India joked.

“That was just a–” Maisie stopped herself. “Nothing. I don’t know. Maybe. I might need to stay late for inventory.”

“Earlier, you asked me–” India stopped, too, because now wasn’t the time to point out that Maisie had been free before when she had asked her out for that night. “Yeah, if you can make it, it could be fun.”

“Candace, the owner, is a professional mixologist,” Finley added as if a selling point was needed to convince Maisieto go. “She makes amazing drinks.”

“Mixologist?”