Page 14 of October (New Orleans #10)

T hey stopped at a different Southern Roastery, where Finley bought Molly another cookie.

It was only fair. She had eaten over half of the first one.

It had also given them more time to talk.

Molly had explained her disdain for the new girl in the office, having admitted that it was totally irrational and ridiculous, but she missed her friend.

Finley recognized that things appeared to be changing for Molly, and the woman was struggling with it a little.

“I used to watch Carly for her sometimes, you know?” Molly said of Juliet’s dog.

“Not often, but sometimes, when Jules would be gone for the whole day, back before the crazy overnight travel started. I’d grab Carly at lunch and take her for a walk.

She’s such a good dog. When Jules was driving back late, I would take her for a few hours after work. Now, there’s Gwen.”

“And Gwen is a professional dog walker and pet sitter?”

“And also the girlfriend,” Molly added. “I can’t compete with that, so it means I get less time with Jules and even less time with Carly, and I miss both of them. Sometimes, I miss Carly more than Jules, though. Carly doesn’t talk back.”

Finley laughed as they turned the corner and headed back toward the office.

“Dogs are the best.”

“Do you have one?” Molly asked. “Can I borrow them for snuggle time?”

Finley wanted to tell this adorable woman that she could borrow her for snuggle time, but she resisted.

“I don’t, no. I couldn’t exactly have computer parts all over the floor if I did, right?”

“True.”

“Why don’t you get a dog yourself?” Finley asked.

“It’s a big commitment. I liked borrowing Juliet’s commitment instead.”

Finley laughed again.

“Besides, I didn’t want to get a dog before I met someone, you know?” Molly added. “Like, what if I have a dog or even a cat, and the woman I fall in love with is allergic and can’t deal? I couldn’t just stay at her place all the time and not be with my dog or cat.”

“So, you’re both a dog and a cat person?”

“I lean more toward dogs, but I’m a lesbian, so I have to keep the cat door open, if you know what–” Molly then stopped walking. “Wait. That came out wrong. I meant that I need to be open to cats because… lesbians, but not that my cat door is open. Oh, God.” Her cheeks turned a bright shade of red.

Finley couldn’t laugh, though. She just smiled at her and thought about how cute Molly was right now.

She wasn’t sure how she had missed it for so long, how beautiful Molly was.

She’d been too involved in her own crazy relationship with India to see it, but she should have noticed because Molly was gorgeous, kind, funny, and very cute when she was worried that she’d just embarrassed herself, even though she hadn’t.

“Your cat door is closed. Got it,” she teased.

“What? No, it’s not closed. It’s just…”

Finley smiled again and reached for Molly’s lower back but quickly diverted her hand because they were two work colleagues walking down the street and not two women on a date. She squeezed her upper arm instead. That felt more like something a friend would do in this situation.

“So, not closed? Got it.”

“Not closed at all,” Molly replied and shook her head. “But not like… wide open, either?” She shook her head again, even faster this time. “What am I even saying?”

“I have no idea,” Finley managed through her laughter.

“I guess I’m just saying that I’d prefer a dog to a cat, but if I date someone who’s a cat person, that’s fine, too. The other part of the cat door is that I’m open to dating. I haven’t been for a while. Ava was my first date in a long time.”

“When are you two going out again?”

“I don’t know,” Molly replied and shrugged a shoulder. “Maybe never. I haven’t called or texted her, and she hasn’t reached out, either.”

“What do you think that means?”

“Maybe she gave Michelle another shot,” Molly joked.

Finley laughed and said, “I hope not.”

“Me too. She was a little crazy.”

“But you’re still open to dating? Even if it’s not Ava?”

“What? Oh. Yeah. Ava was just someone Logan knew. It was good, actually, to get a test date out of the way since I’m so out of practice. That way, if she never calls again and I have a first date with someone else, I won’t be so awkward.”

“You could go out with me,” Finley suggested without thinking.

But she didn’t take it back, either. She just let it sit there between them, with Molly staring at her in confusion. Finley decided in that moment not only to let it sit there, but to add to it. If she was going to do this, she would do it right, damn it.

“Go out with me, Molls,” she added and smiled softly. “On a date.”

Molly didn’t say anything. She looked about as stiff as a board, and her hand had clenched tightly around the to-go cup she still held.

“Okay. Let me take that. I think you’re about to squeeze the coffee out of it, and that will make a mess.”

“You just–”

“Asked you out on a date, yes,” she said and unclenched Molly’s hand enough to get the coffee cup from her. “And I’m sensing that was a bad idea. I know you’re in HR, but please don’t fire me.”

“What?” Molly asked, and some of the tension left her body. “I wouldn’t–” She cleared her throat. “You want to go out on a date with me?”

“Yes,” Finley replied.

“With me?” Molly repeated.

Finley laughed and said, “Yes, Molly; I’d like to go on a date with you .”

“But why?”

“What?” Finley laughed. “Why wouldn’t I?”

“Because I’m me, and you’ve…” Molly stopped herself and looked off. “You’ve been with India.”

“So? I’m not anymore. She’s my ex now, Molls.”

“But she and I are so different. Like, really, really different. If she’s your type, you’d only be disappointed in–”

“Molly, did you ever think that maybe I want someone different? Maybe the reason India and I never seem to work out is that she’s actually not my type? You pretty much just said the same right before I bought you a cookie.”

“Because you stole the first one.” Molly chuckled.

“Is that a yes, though? It’s okay if it’s not. I know we work together, and like I mentioned before, you’re in HR, so you might not be able to–”

“It’s a yes.”

Finley’s smile widened, and she checked, “Yes?”

“Yeah. Um… When?”

“Tonight,” Finley said.

“Tonight? What?”

“Yeah, tonight. Let me take you out tonight.”

“But it’s already, like, three in the afternoon,” Molly said.

“It is, yeah. I was thinking of picking you up around six.”

“Six? No way. Seven at the earliest. I have to go home and get ready. Shower and everything.”

Finley laughed and replied, “Molly, just be casual. You don’t have to shower before we go out.

Just maybe change out of your work clothes and into something comfortable.

” She looked Molly up and down, taking in the just-tight-enough-without-being-too-tight slacks and the button-down Molly had tucked into them.

“Actually, don’t change at all. Just wear that. ”

“This?” Molly looked down at herself. “This?” she repeated. “This is my boring work stuff.”

“It works for you.”

“I’m wearing flats.”

Finley laughed and said, “And you’re about my height in flats. I like that. Heels can be sexy, too, though. I’ve liked you in those, too.”

“You’ve liked me in heels? Since when?”

“I’ve liked you in heels, flats, and even in no shoes that one time I walked up to your desk, and you had them kicked off and pushed to the side. Not that I have a weird foot thing. That makes it sound like I have a foot thing. I’m just trying to say that I like you in anything.”

“Me?” Molly pointed at herself.

“Molly, yes,” she replied, laughing a little. “So, seven?”

“Seven what?”

Finley shook her head and said, “Seven tonight? That’s what you wanted, right?”

“Oh, yeah. Maybe seven-thirty?”

“No. You said seven, so it’s seven.”

“But the shower… It takes a minute to dry my hair.”

“Leave it wet.”

“Are you crazy?” Molly asked, but seemed entirely serious, which made Finley laugh.

“Let’s walk back to the office now before you tell me eight and then eight-thirty or cancel entirely.”

“I–” Molly seemed to hesitate. “I’d never cancel.”

“Good,” Finley replied, and they walked back toward the office.

◆◆◆

Finley stood in front of her bathroom mirror and tried to figure out if she had dressed appropriately.

Yes, she had told Molly to be casual, but she wasn’t sure if Molly had even heard her.

Maybe she should cancel the thing she’d booked and book something else instead.

She could dress up then. As it was, she had decided on a pair of decent-looking jeans and a T-shirt.

She had a hooded sweatshirt to put over if she got cold or to give to Molly if she got cold, but it seemed too casual for a first date.

Then again, it made sense for the event she had researched online for over an hour and then booked at the last second.

She hoped Molly would be okay with it and wouldn’t think that Finley hadn’t put in any effort.

She’d showered and had put a little product in her hair for once.

India had always liked her hair with product in it.

She had told Finley she preferred it slicked back, but Finley had natural waves bordering on curls, and she thought it actually looked better with nothing in it or just a little bit of something to keep it from going crazy on top of her head.

Deciding that her outfit was right for the occasion after all, she checked the clock and noticed that it was only six-fifteen.

She would be way too early if she left now, so she sat on the sofa and stared at the blank TV.

If she started working on her computer, she’d get too focused and wouldn’t leave on time, so she forced herself to just sit there and wait until the clock hit six-thirty.

She’d still be a few minutes early, but she couldn’t wait any longer.