Page 69 of November

“I’ll get it. Do you want to pour the wine and sit?”

Maisie motioned to the table.

“Sure.”

“Sorry, my junk mail is there. You can just push it aside. I tried to clean up a little, but my place isn’t–”

“You. Your place is you,” India said, looking around. “I like it.”

“But I don’t even have a hall closet for you to convert into a wine room,” she joked.

India laughed and poured the wine.

CHAPTER 18

“Can I ask you something?”

“Uh… Sure,” Finley said, reaching for the two cups of coffee on the bar.

“Is one of those for me?”

“No, one is for Molly,” Finley replied. “Was Isupposedto get you coffee?”

“No, I’m just giving you a hard time and trying to delay asking my actual question.”

“Why?” Finley asked.

“Because I feel like I keep bugging you about our relationship, and you’re already in a new one, so that’s not fair.”

“You’re not bugging me, India. What’s up?”

“Did I make a face when I didn’t want to do something you asked about?”

“What?”

“When you asked me to watch football with you or go to some bar I didn’t want to go to, did I make a face like I was, I don’t know, weighing all my options?”

Finley took a step back to let someone else grab their coffee and said, “I don’t know that I ever noticed that, no. Why?”

“Maisie mentioned it.”

“That you make a face?”

“That it felt like I was weighing my options and deciding not to spend time with her.”

“Oh. Weird. No, I don’t think I noticed that. But I got used to you turning me down after a while, so maybe it was there, and I didn’t see.”

“I’m sorry, Fin. I–”

“No, you don’t have to apologize. I didn’t mean to make you feel bad. I just don’t remember you making a face or anything.”

“Maisie noticed it. What does that mean?”

“Probably that she likes you,” Finley said, smiling at her.

“Youdidn’t like me?” India laughed.

“I loved you once,” Finley replied. “But I didn’t see it. I think it’s interesting, you know? Sometimes, you can love someone, but it’s not right with you two, and then you meet someone else, and they pick up on things the other person didn’t. Maybe that’s Maisie for you.”