Page 13 of October (New Orleans #10)

M olly glared at her. She shouldn’t have, but she had.

The new hire was sitting at Juliet’s old desk.

It wasn’t even technically her old desk yet.

Juliet’s stuff was in boxes, waiting for her to decorate her new office, but the desk was already occupied by the new trainer they had hired to replace that idiot Andrew.

Soon, they would hire Juliet’s replacement, too, and they would sit next to this person who now had Juliet’s desk. Molly hated her already.

“I don’t have access to the HR system yet, but I’m supposed to log in and verify my access, according to my new-hire checklist.”

Molly realized that the woman was talking to her one second too late.

“Oh, I can help you with that,” Finley offered.

Molly looked over and saw Finley laughing at her. Then, she got a ping on their internal messaging system.

Finley Storm : Will you chill out? It’s her first day.

Molly leaned over her computer and typed.

Molly Jewel : She’s in Juliet’s chair.

Finley Storm : Juliet has a new chair, Molls.

Molly looked over at her, and Finley gave her a playful glare.

“I sent you an email for your access. Just click the link in there, and you should be good to go,” Finley told the newbie.

Molly had already forgotten her name, which was bad because she was in human resources, and she should be nice to the woman who’d been a roaster in one of the stores prior to joining the corporate team.

At least, this new occupant of Juliet’s chair wouldn’t be here every day to start.

Since she’d already worked in one of the stores, she’d be able to skip the store training, so she would just spend a month with the real roasters in the local roastery, learning about how the coffee was made.

They called all the baristas ‘roasters’ here at Southern Roastery because the company’s leadership wanted to differentiate themselves from the other coffee places, but it did make things a little confusing when they were talking about the people who actually roasted the coffee, so they had to deal with that regularly.

“Thanks,” the newbie replied.

Molly wished she were looking across her desk at her best friend. She was sure this new woman was fine, but she wasn’t Juliet, and Molly hadn’t ever been great with change. She’d just have to keep telling herself that Juliet had gotten a promotion, and that was a good thing.

“Hey, Fin.”

Molly looked over when she heard the voice and saw India standing there, looking almost hopeful. Well, at least this was old. Molly wasn’t good with change, but it seemed nothing would ever really change between Finley and India.

She had had such a good day yesterday. The Ava thing was awkward, but other than that, it had been perfect with Finley; so perfect that Molly had thought Finley might actually ask her out on a date.

She hadn’t, of course, and that was disappointing, but something had changed between them.

Yes, Molly was still totally into her and still very much nervous around her, but she’d gotten past some of that, at least, and that was a good feeling.

“Hey. What’s up?” Finley asked India, turning around in her chair to face her.

“I’m going to lunch.”

“Okay,” Finley said.

“Want to go with me?”

Molly quickly turned away, feeling like she was eavesdropping on a private conversation, even though India had started it in the middle of the cubicles.

“Not really, no,” Finley replied.

“To the store?” India suggested, referring to how they called the café’s stores to, again, appear to be different. “I’m just grabbing one of the wraps and a chai tea. Twenty minutes, at most.”

“India…” Finley said.

“Finley, it’s lunch. It’s not a big deal. Just walk with me, please.”

Molly turned her head toward Finley, who was looking at her and not at India.

“I called ahead to make sure they have that panini you like in stock,” India added. “I’m buying.”

“Fine. Let’s just go,” Finley said and stood quickly. “I’ll be right back,” she added to Molly, which seemed odd.

Molly nodded, not knowing what to say, and watched as they walked off.

“Do you have a meeting with her or something?” She heard India ask.

“What?”

“With Molly?”

“No,” Finley said.

Then, they were too far gone for Molly to hear.

“What was that about?” the newbie asked.

“Just two people going to lunch at work,” she lied because their relationship wasn’t anyone’s business but their own.

And she kept telling herself that as she walked to her next meeting.

After reviewing the new changes to the performance review process, Molly returned to her desk.

The newbie had on headphones and appeared to be taking one of her required online trainings.

Finley wasn’t at her desk. Molly didn’t have another meeting for the rest of the day, but did have to review some payroll information in the system that she wasn’t allowed to access from home because the company didn’t supply a VPN, and it was only available on the server.

Needing to get a good cup of coffee first to get through that, she decided that going to the store was in order.

It didn’t have anything to do with Finley and India, since they would have been back by now.

Molly just needed a brisk walk in fresh air and a caramel apple latte that tasted of fall.

Molly Jewel : Someone is sitting at your desk. I’m being immature, and I don’t like it.

Juliet’s reply came a few minutes into her walk.

Juliet Francis : It’s her desk now, Molls.

Molly Jewel : Want to share your office with me? We’d still get to hang out at work, and I wouldn’t have to watch it live when Finley and India get back together.

Juliet Francis : Wait. What?

Molly would have called her, but she knew Juliet was teaching. She was probably only able to respond to text messages because the class was doing an activity or something.

Molly Jewel : Nothing. I’m just being dramatic. They went to lunch today. Maybe it was to exchange keys or something.

Juliet Francis : You could ask Finley. You did say you had a great time with her last night.

Molly pulled open the door to the café and read Juliet’s message.

Molly Jewel : Too direct. I’d rather just have her tell me tomorrow that they’re back in love, and I’ll cry in the shower after, like always.

She slid her phone into her back pocket and joined the short after-lunch hours line.

After ordering, she walked over to the bar and waited for her drink and the cookie she had ordered, treating herself in preparation for the heartbreak, but she didn’t even have a chance to take a bite of it before she saw India and Finley sitting at a small table in a cozy corner, talking.

They were both leaning over and appeared to be engaged and focused.

Neither seemed upset or annoyed, which disappointed her because she hoped Finley wouldn’t want to be here, still talking to India after an hour when she had been promised it would only take a few minutes.

“Molly?” the roaster said, holding out her order. “Here you go.”

“Thanks,” she replied.

She turned and was prepared to make a quick exit, but the yelling of her name, despite her standing right there, had alerted India and Finley to her presence.

India then shook her head, stood up, grabbed her purse, and walked out the door.

Now, Molly didn’t know what to do. If she followed, she’d be right behind India the whole way back, and it would be awkward, but she didn’t want to just stand there, either, waiting for Finley to leave because Finley was still staring at her.

“Molls?”

“Hey,” she said and walked over because now, she had no choice. “Sorry if I interrupted. I just grabbed this to-go.”

She held up her small brown bag and to-go cup.

“It’s okay. We were long past done,” Finley said as she leaned back in the chair.

“It looked like it went okay, from the thirty seconds I saw.” Molly pretended to laugh a little to try to make this feel less awkward.

“It didn’t,” Finley said on a sigh. “She just doesn’t get it. Maybe she does now. I don’t know.”

“I should just go, leave you to… do whatever.”

“Do you want to take a walk?” Finley asked. “I could use a walk now.”

“A walk? Um… Sure,” she replied. “Don’t you have to get back to the office, though?”

“Yes, but I won’t be very productive. I need some air. Do you have a meeting or anything?”

“No,” Molly replied. “I can walk with you.”

Finley smiled up at her before she stood and peered into the bag Molly was holding.

“The oatmeal chocolate chip?”

“Chocolate chunk, Finley. You work here. You should know what our menu items are called,” she teased.

“Sorry, they don’t train IT the same way they do everyone else,” Finley replied before she leaned forward, lowered the sides of the paper bag, and, without asking, took a bite of Molly’s cookie. “Delicious,” she added when she looked up at Molly and smiled.

“You did not just do that.”

“You ate all my garlic fries,” Finley replied and nodded toward the door.

Molly laughed and broke a piece of the cookie off.

“I think you need this more than I do,” she said, handing it over to Finley.

Finley took the piece and pulled open the door, letting Molly walk through first.

“I could use a beer, actually.”

“That bad?”

“That redundant ,” Finley replied and took a bite of the cookie.

“Redundant?”

“We’ve had this talk so many times before,” Finley said as they trekked down the sidewalk side by side.

“We’ve broken up six times. I counted in my head while she was talking to me about this most recent time.

Did you know that? Officially, it was six times.

Unofficial breaks take us up to nine, at least.”

“Wow! No, I didn’t know it was that many,” she said.

And she hadn’t. She knew of at least three official breakups, but she’d clearly missed something.

“Do you know what it’s like to meet someone, feel like they’re the one, and it works for a while? Long enough that you’re putting a lot of effort into making it work, even when it doesn’t.”

“Not really, no,” she replied honestly.

“Well, it’s exhausting. It’s also something you get used to.

It’s familiar. You’re with someone who knows you so well.

You’ve invested all this time in the relationship, spent years with the person, and you don’t want to waste that time.

I’m thirty-four. I’m not old, but I’m not exactly twenty anymore, either, and I want to be happy. ”

“I think that makes sense,” Molly said and took a bite of her cookie. “Drink?” she asked, holding out the caramel apple latte she’d yet to drink herself.

“Yeah, thanks,” Finley replied and took a sip. “Sweet.” She coughed a little. “What did you order? We sell coffee here, right?”

Molly laughed and took it back from her.

“It’s the caramel apple latte, and it’s delicious.”

“Is there even coffee in it?”

“Yes.” She laughed and handed Finley the bag with the cookie. “Here.”

Finley took the bag as if they had done this a hundred times and said, “Thanks.”

“So, you’re not back together, I take it?”

“No. We just talked about the same things over and over again. She wants to give it another shot but go all-in this time.”

“All-in?”

“Move in together.”

“Oh,” Molly uttered and took a sip of her drink.

“We’re not,” Finley said, handing her back the cookie. “Doing that, I mean.”

“She thought the right call after you two broke up was to move in?”

“Well, it would’ve been me moving into her place because she can’t really stand mine. She more or less tolerates it.”

Molly made a sound, which made Finley look over at her.

“Problem, Molly?” she asked with a little laugh.

“What? No. Sorry. Just ignore me.”

She then took a way-too-big bite of the cookie, forcing her to break off the piece that hadn’t made it into her mouth.

Finley took the piece from her and ate it, smiling at her as she chewed.

Molly laughed at her antics and thought she was the most beautiful woman in the world when she looked happy.

Did she look happy now ? Was she happy now?

Had Finley taking a walk with her turned her mood around? God, Molly hoped so.

“So, you made a sound. You were thinking something, Molls.”

“It’s nothing.”

“Molly, I’m asking. It’s okay.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yes, I’m sure.”

“Well, you said she just tolerates your place. What’s that about?

It’s your place. You were her girlfriend.

You said she knows you better than you know yourself, but she doesn’t, Finley.

She can’t. She wouldn’t go to the games with you.

You mentioned something yesterday about how she didn’t like your computer stuff being on the floor all the time.

You told me you have exactly two hobbies.

One is computer and techy stuff. The other is football, and she couldn’t even wear the jersey you bought for her or go to the games with you when you got tickets.

I don’t know that India knows you at all .

Maybe it’s not that she doesn’t know you, but it’s that she hopes you’ll change, or she thinks that she can change you.

She asks you to move in because it’s her place, then, and she won’t have to go to yours anymore.

You go to the ballet and opera for her, but she’s not pulling her own weight.

It’s fine not to love the same things, but at least make a damn effort when the person you’re in a relationship with is reaching out and asking you to, you know? ”

“Wow!” Finley replied, smiling at her. “You’ve really thought about this a lot, huh?”

‘Shit,’ Molly thought to herself.

She’d given it all away. She’d just revealed that she had given way too much thought to India and Finley’s on-again, off-again relationship.

“What? No.” She shook her head. “Just right now. You said some stuff that made me think.”

“I’m not getting back together with her, Molly,” Finley told her. “And I think she might have actually gotten it this time; that I’m done.”

“How are you so sure?”

Finley shrugged a shoulder and said, “The look on her face; hard to describe.”

“I just think you deserve to be happy, Finley. If India makes you happy, you should be with her.”

“She doesn’t,” Finley said. “You know what does make me happy, though?”

“What?” Molly asked, swallowing hard.

“This cookie,” Finley replied before she took the bag from Molly’s hand and walked a little faster.

“That’s mine,” Molly said, following her and laughing.

“I’ll buy you another one.”

“In that case, you’re going the wrong way. The store is behind us.”

“There’s another one, like, five blocks from here,” Finley said, laughing still.