Page 38 of October (New Orleans #10)

“Y ou know, I’m thinking I might give up on dating for a while,” Ava said.

“You will?” Logan asked.

“To be honest, I thought I was over her, but I’m not.”

“She means Bonnie,” Rory explained to India, Finley, and Molly, who were the newest additions to this large group. “Her ex,” she added for Finley and India’s benefit, mainly, since Molly would have known that already.

“Sorry, Molly,” Ava said.

“No need,” Molly replied.

Finley glanced over at her and watched Molly casually sip on the beer they were sharing.

India looked at Finley and just rolled her eyes.

Finley thought about how India seemed to be genuine in her request for a friendship between them; she just wasn’t sure if she was ready to dive right into that.

That was especially true because, even though Molly seemed okay with India being here, that didn’t mean she’d be okay with Finley pursuing a friendship with her right now.

“So, I think I’m deleting the app.”

“I tried an app once,” India said.

“Yeah? Didn’t work?” Ava asked.

“No. I ended up with zero dates, but that was more about me than anyone else.”

“You tried a dating app? When?” Finley asked.

“Oh. I think it was during our second or third breakup.” India shrugged a shoulder. “I created a profile and scrolled through it, but that was about it.”

“You know, Asher met Stephania through an app,” Linden said as she and Asher sat down on a patio lounge next to them.

“Stephania? The model Stephania?” Molly asked.

“Yes. She went on a date with her,” Linden said.

“We weren’t together yet,” Asher explained, placing her hand on Linden’s thigh. “And I just came out as bi. I couldn’t believe it myself, but we’re friends now.”

“You’re friends with a supermodel?” Finley asked.

“Sort of. She’s been to town once since we met, so it’s not like I see her all the time. We all went to coffee one afternoon.”

“I’m confident that Ash loves me, so I’m cool with it,” Linden said. “But the woman is just as gorgeous up close as she is on all those billboards.”

Asher laughed a little.

“Is she single?” India asked. “I’m looking now that Finley over here has found Molly.”

Finley looked over at Molly, who looked back at her in surprise.

“On second thought, maybe I should just be single for a while. It’s been a long time since I’ve put myself back out there. I might need to warm up to it,” India added.

“And I think I need to maybe just call Bonnie and talk to her,” Ava said.

“What? Why?” Logan asked.

“Because I need some closure. Things were left unsaid, and I think if we say them, I’ll be able to move on.”

“Are you sure?” Logan checked. “That could open up a can of worms.”

“No, I’m not, which is why I’m not doing it right now, Logan.”

“Fine. Fine,” Logan replied and wrapped an arm around Rory’s shoulders.

Rory rested her head there, and Finley looked down at her own hand joined with Molly’s.

She thought about wrapping her arm around her, but Molly’s head went to her shoulder without her having to move, and they stayed like that as the group continued to chat and get caught up on people’s lives.

Myra and Elisa sat down to join them, and Finley found out that Elisa had twins in college, a boy and a girl, and her daughter was in love with a girl named Wendy.

They were already planning on moving into an off-campus apartment for the semester next fall, even though they attended different schools.

“They’re an hour away from each other now, so they’re thinking about getting a place in the middle and just commuting,” Elisa explained.

“I can’t believe my little girl already wants to live with someone she’s dating.

She’s eighteen.” She shook her head. “And Archie plays soccer. He’s starting as a freshman, which is amazing.

His coach thinks he has a shot at transferring to a D-I school with how well he’s playing right now.

He’s a defender, but he’s scored three goals this season and has five assists.

He told me that’s a pretty high number for someone in his position. ”

“That’s awesome.”

Myra smiled at Elisa, and Finley could tell that the two women were in love. She hadn’t hung out with this many lesbians in a long time, maybe ever, but it was nice.

“So, how long have you two been together?” Asher asked, looking at Finley.

“Oh, we’re not–”

“Not long,” Molly said. “We started dating recently.”

“And you two used to date?” Asher asked India.

“We did,” India replied.

“Ava and Logan used to date, too,” Linden said.

“Don’t forget about how Enid and Jill dated briefly,” Melinda added, walking over with Kyle, Jill, and Willa.

“Hey, I’d like to forget that. Thank you,” Willa noted.

“Me too,” Caroline said as she and Enid joined the group around a firepit that Myra and Logan had constructed when the sun started to set. “No offense, Jill.”

“None taken,” Jill replied. “I like to think that I got her ready for you.”

“What?” Enid asked through laughter. “That’s not what happened.” She turned to Caroline.

“I know, babe,” Caroline said. “We were about to take off, if that’s okay. I’m setting up in the Square tonight.”

“Setting up what?” Finley asked.

“She’s an artist. She sells her sketches and paintings there a few times a week now,” Enid explained, sounding like a very proud girlfriend. “And I’m her ride, so I’m going to take her, but if anyone wants to hang out with me at Café Du Monde for a couple of hours while she works, feel free.”

“Want to go?” Jill asked her girlfriend.

“I could go for a beignet,” Willa replied.

“We made them in Asher’s kitchen,” Linden shared. “They were good, but not the same.”

“There’s so much sugar,” Asher said, shaking her head.

“She’s still eating healthy, despite my terrible influence,” Linden teased.

“Anyway, we’re taking off. Thanks for having us, Elisa and Myra,” Enid said.

“Thanks for coming. Take any of the extra food. We can’t eat it all.”

“Okay. Have a great night, everyone,” Caroline said and took Enid’s hand.

Finley watched them walk toward the back gate, and then, Asher and Linden both stood up.

“I think we’re going to go, too.”

“Café Du Monde?” Jill asked.

“No, home,” Linden replied with a smile. “We’ve been busy with work, and we haven’t…”

“Linden!” Asher slapped her playfully on the shoulder.

“What? We’re all friends here. They get it. I miss my girlfriend. We’ve been too busy and haven’t–”

“Cleaned the house recently,” Asher interrupted. “And we need to do that tonight, so we’ll see everyone later, okay?”

Molly laughed against her body, and it made Finley smile.

“I think we’ll catch up to Enid and Caroline to get some beignets for ourselves,” Jill said and turned to Willa. “Want to grab some extras and run them over to Mom and Juni?” she asked of her little sister.

“Sure,” Willa replied. “Maybe Juni will want to watch a movie or something.”

“Let’s not get carried away,” Jill told her. “Dropping off beignets is one thing. Giving up a Saturday night with my girl to watch a cartoon is quite another.”

Willa laughed and said, “We’ll be cleaning the house later, too, I guess.”

“Lots and lots of cleaning .” Jill pulled on Willa’s hand. “Thanks, everyone.”

They left, and Asher and Linden followed them out.

One by one, or rather two by two, people left the party until it was just Gwen and Juliet, Molly and Finley, India, Logan, Rory, and Ava helping Myra and Elisa clean up and put things away.

They talked, laughed, and divvied up the leftover food and drinks that Elisa insisted they take.

Finley caught Rory and Logan making out in the backyard more than once until they finally left, claiming they’d be cleaning their apartment , too, tonight.

When Finley looked over at Molly after the last time she caught Logan with her hand moving under Rory’s shirt, Molly appeared to be in deep thought, sitting in a lounge chair, staring at the two dogs who were asleep on the deck.

“Penny for your thoughts?” she asked as she approached. “Actually, no; your thoughts would be worth way more than a penny.”

Molly smiled up at her and patted the open space behind her, encouraging Finley to sit.

“Fine. But you’re leaning back against me so that I can hold you. Best I can do,” she joked.

Molly did lean back into her, and Finley wrapped her arms around her as Molly’s back rested against her front.

“Everything okay?” she checked, kissing Molly’s neck.

“Does it bother you that I’m like this?”

“Like what?”

“I don’t know; anxious about those steps. Cleaning the house .”

Finley laughed a little and said, “I think you’re anxious because it matters, and that’s a good thing.”

“ You ’re not anxious about it,” Molly pointed out.

“Not in the same way you are, no, but I’m still anxious.

” She kissed Molly’s neck. “Part of me is glad it happened because it got us to talk like this, but the other part of me wishes we hadn’t taken that step until you were ready for it.

I want to live up to your expectations, Molls.

I know I can’t be the fantasy, but I want to get as close to that as I can.

I’m nervous I won’t be able to do that.”

“You shouldn’t be, though.”

Molly leaned her head back on Finley’s shoulder.

“Well, you shouldn’t worry about not being enough for me. I don’t want you to ever have to worry about that. I think you worry you’re not enough for me, but I worry that there’s not enough of you for me. I want to have everything with you, Molls.”

“Everything? We just started going out,” Molly said.

“I didn’t say I wanted it right now. I just know I feel it.

I feel like I’m with someone; I’m not single.

I know you called me your date earlier, and I let the girlfriend thing slip out, but that’s how it already feels to me.

We’re shopping for puppy stuff together, and I’m planning on being part of your puppy’s life. That’s a big commitment.”

Molly laughed and said, “That is a big commitment, but you’re not moving in, Fin.”

“I was thinking we could talk about that in about a year or something,” she replied and kissed Molly’s neck again.

“That’s a long way off.”

“I know,” she said confidently. “And I feel it; I told you. Why do you think I knew for sure that it was done with India?”

“I know. I just… I worry that I keep getting in our way, and there are only so many times you’re going to be okay with that.

I used to have a therapist. I went for a while, but it was a once-every-couple-of-weeks thing, mostly a check-in, and I had an app that I could use if I needed something immediate.

I signed back up for it, and I was thinking about going back to therapy for my anxiety, but this morning, Juliet suggested that maybe the anxiety I’ve been dealing with recently, all the thoughts that swarm my brain, are because of you. ”

“Just what a girl wants to hear; that she’s the cause of her date’s anxiety,” Finley joked.

“I don’t mean that it’s your fault. I mean it’s because I wished for this for so long, and now, my brain doesn’t know how to believe that it’s happening.”

Finley got an idea and suggested, “Let’s go back to your place.”

“I thought that was the plan.”

“No, I mean right now. We’ve done our part in cleaning up. India is talking to Logan, Rory, and Ava inside, and I don’t feel like I need to babysit her, so let’s just go.”

“You don’t want to see what everyone else is doing after this? It’s only seven.”

“Molls?”

“Yes?”

“Are you asking me that because your brain is telling you to stall because you don’t know what I’m going to want to do when we get to your apartment?”

“Yes,” Molly admitted.

Finley ran a hand up over Molly’s knee and onto her thigh and said, “Here’s what I’m thinking.

We’ll go to your place and get the stuff for Wells out of my car because we forgot to last night.

We’ll spend a few minutes putting it away because I know you want to make it a home for her the moment she walks in, or probably saunters, because she seems like she’s the kind of dog that just does what she wants.

Honestly, your new dog has real cat vibes. ”

Molly laughed.

“After that, I’m going to take you to bed, but we’ll change first, and I’ll borrow some of your clothes.

We’ll lie in bed, and I’ll spend the rest of the night touching you to make you feel like this is real.

” She pressed her lips to Molly’s jaw. “We will stick to some above-the-waist action tonight, but I promise you, by the end of it, you’ll know that I’m here, I’m with you, and I mean it when I say that you’re who I want, Molls.

” She kissed her neck again. “Only you. And we’ll have nights like tonight as many times as you need to know that for sure. ”

“Hey, lovebirds? I think I’m going to take off,” Ava said as she walked outside.

“Okay. It was good to see you,” Molly replied.

“You too. And thanks for trying with India. She’s great, but not my type.”

“What is your type?” Molly asked.

“I’m thinking Stephania,” Ava teased with a wink.

“What? Really?” Molly laughed.

“Asher gave her my info.”

“What?” Finley asked, laughing.

“Yeah. I just decided to put myself out there, you know? She’s hot, and Asher said that she’s nice. She’s also coming to New Orleans around Halloween for some job, and I need to get over Bonnie already, so why not meet up with a sexy supermodel?”

“Good for you,” Finley said.

“I’m still going to call Bonnie to lay it all out there, but yeah, good for me.” Ava smiled. “I mean, I know it won’t go anywhere; she’s freaking Stephania. But maybe she’ll agree to coffee or something.”

“That’s awesome,” Molly replied. “Good luck.”

“Thanks. And hey, if you want to grab coffee, let me know.”

“Hey!” Finley said with mock jealousy.

“I mean just coffee. I get what’s happening here,” Ava said, pointing at them.

“What’s happening here, exactly?” Molly asked.

“From what I can tell, it’s two people falling in love.” Ava winked again, turned, and walked toward the gate without another word, leaving Finley there to worry that it might be too much for Molly to handle.

“So, Stephania,” Finley said, changing the subject.

“Yeah,” Molly replied, turning a little in Finley’s arms. “Are you still ready to go?”

“To your place?”

“Yes.”

“Yeah, I’m ready. Just need to say goodnight to everyone.”

“Then, let’s say goodnight because I want to go home and spend some time alone with my girlfriend,” Molly replied.