CHAPTER 9
“You’re making me go with you?” Lainey asked.
“I need someone there,” she said, putting the guidebooks on the front table. “Please. You can bring Paige.”
“Paige is at a family dinner tonight.”
“Why aren’t you there, too, then?”
“She saved me from it by telling them that I had work to do,” Lainey replied. “They’re good people; they’re just also a lot sometimes when they all get together. She’s got four brothers and two sisters. They all have kids, except for Paige. I needed a break since we’ll be there for Thanksgiving.”
“That sounds like a lot of people.”
“Her parents have tables, plural, for everyone. The kids eat in the living room, and the adults are in the kitchen and the dining room.”
“Damn,” Maisie said. “But that means you’re free.”
“Maisie, you asked her out. She said yes. Then, you got upset that she suggested some other place.”
“It wasn’t that she suggested we go somewhere else and I got upset. It was more like what you said before made sense, and I realized it wouldn’t work. So, why bother?”
“The dress thing? The fact that she’s clearly making good money at that job of hers, and you come to work in jeans?”
“Yes, that.”
“But, Maisie, you own this place, so you can wear whatever you want. That’s one of the reasons why you dress comfortably.
It’s also a bookstore, so no one is expecting someone to be dressed up working here.
And I think that would be weird, anyway.
I wouldn’t want to buy a book from someone wearing a fancy dress. ”
“It’s not just the dress thing. It was the expression she had on her face when I suggested a hole-in-the-wall restaurant.
Before I mentioned that, when I asked if she had plans tonight, she looked sexy as hell just drinking that an iced tea through a damn straw.
Then, I mentioned the place, and you should have seen the transformation, Lainey.
It was like she couldn’t be bothered, and she started talking about where she wanted to go. I can’t afford that.”
“Did she expect you to pay?”
“No, she said she would, but that’s this time. What happens if we go out again, and she wants to go someplace that’s pricey? I’m doing okay here, but it’s not like I can afford to take a woman to five-star restaurants a few times a week.”
“Did she ask you to do that?”
“No.” Maisie sighed. “But I got the vibe that she would want that, Lainey. I can’t explain it.”
“Then, why did you agree to go to this bar thing?”
“Her friends asked me. It was the peer pressure. What was I supposed to do? Say no? That would’ve been rude. Oh, wait. They weren’t just her friends. One of them was her ex-girlfriend, whom she, apparently, was with for a long time up until very recently.”
“Her ex was here?” Lainey asked. “You didn’t tell me that. What did she look like?”
“She looked casual and dressed a lot like me, so there’s another example of why it wouldn’t work. Just come with me. We’ll have a drink, talk to them for a while, and I’ll give you the signal. You’ll pretend to get sick or something. I’ll have to take you home, and we’ll go.”
“Maisie, this is a whole lot of effort for a woman you don’t want to go out with.”
“Well, obviously, I want to go out with her. She’s gorgeous. She’s also funny, I think, and she bought me coffee twice. I’m just tired of being made to feel like I don’t matter because I run a small bookstore and don’t have millions of dollars to contribute to my campaign.”
“India isn’t that Colter asshole,” Lainey told her.
“I know. The timing is still off, though. He riled me up, and there’s the election. I need to focus on that right now.”
“Whatever you say, but I think you like her and need to just talk to her about the whole date confusion thing. A fancy dinner for a first date isn’t necessarily such a bad thing, Maise. Maybe she wanted it to be special. I wish I could afford to take Paige to a nice place. She deserves it.”
“Yeah. Yeah. You love your girlfriend.” Maisie winked at her. “I get it.”
“When are you supposed to meet them there?”
“Seven,” she replied.
“Okay. I have practice until six. Want me to swing by and pick you up? That way, you can use the fact that it’s my car as an excuse to leave later, if you want.”
“I’ll meet you there. I really do have inventory to finish. I’ll just take a Lyft or something.”
“All right. Well, I’ll see you there, then.”
Lainey grabbed her jacket off the counter.
“See you there,” Maisie replied.
◆◆◆
“Okay. Remember the plan,” she said when she stopped Lainey at the door to the bar.
“The plan? This isn’t a spy movie, Maisie. Just get inside.”
Lainey shoved her playfully toward the bar.
Maisie turned around and walked inside, looking for the group that had invited her but also taking in the place, hoping it really was just a regular bar where she and Lainey would be able to afford drinks.
India had offered to buy her one, but she didn’t plan on taking her up on that.
Surprisingly, the bar looked like a regular pub she could find just about anywhere.
There was a jukebox in the corner, those video game things on the end of the U-shaped bar, and tables and booths with little napkin holders and menus stowed behind them.
It felt like a place she would have gone to on her own, which was a good thing.
It was also busy, but not in an unapproachable way, which was nice.
“Maisie, over here.”
Maisie turned to see Finley waving her down from a six-seater booth along the side wall.
Finley was sitting next to Molly and had her arm around her shoulders.
India was sitting opposite them, looking totally uncomfortable.
In fact, she had what looked like a napkin in her hand and was wiping off the table in front of her.
Maisie wanted to roll her eyes, but India looked up at her just then, so she kept that reaction to herself.
“Hey,” she said. “This is my friend, Lainey.”
She motioned to Lainey standing at her right.
“Nice to meet you,” Finley said. “This is my girlfriend, Molly, and… my friend, India.”
Maisie caught the pause and India’s reaction to it. India looked a little surprised, but she didn’t say anything. She just pushed the napkin aside toward the wall and spoke to Maisie, “Hi. I’m glad you could join us.”
“Yeah, no problem,” Maisie replied. “Should I order at the bar?”
“No, someone will be over in a minute,” Finley said. “Have a seat.”
“Lainey,” Maisie said and then motioned for Lainey to go in first.
Lainey must have realized that Maisie wanted her to sit by India, so instead, she sat next to Molly on the other side of the booth, leaving Maisie with only one place to sit.
Not wanting to draw attention to her annoyance at her friend, she sat down next to India, leaving a little space between them.
“So, Lainey, you and Maisie are friends?” Molly asked.
“Yeah, for a while now. Technically, we were girlfriends first. Then, friends.”
“You two dated?” Finley asked.
“We did, yeah. For about six months, many years ago now. Then, I met Paige. She’s my girlfriend.” Lainey looked at Molly, who nodded. “She’s at a family dinner, or she’d be here.”
“What can I get for you?” a woman asked them as she approached the booth.
“Hey, Logan.”
“Hey, Fin. What’s up?”
“Nothing. Just here for a drink.”
“Beer?”
“Yeah. You know my usual,” Finley said.
“Same for me,” Molly added.
“Vodka soda?” Lainey ordered.
“Sure,” the woman named Logan replied and turned to Maisie.
“I’m not picky. Just any light beer,” she said.
“Tap?”
“Bottle is fine,” Maisie said.
“Is Candace here?” India asked.
“She’s in the back, yeah.”
“Could she maybe make me something?”
“I’m sure she can. Any requests?”
“I know it’s fall and almost winter, but I’m feeling like something citrusy. Maybe something light and vodka or ginbased?”
“I’ll see what she can put together for you,” Logan said. “Are you guys eating?”
“I am starving,” Molly said and pulled the menu from behind the napkin holder. “Can you give us a sec?”
“Sure,” Logan replied and walked away.
“Something citrusy?” Finley asked.
“What?” India spoke. “You said she’s a world-renowned mixologist. I wanted to see what she could come up with.”
“You’ve never been here?” Maisie asked.
“I have, technically, but I ordered wine previously, and it wasn’t that good.”
“Oh,” Maisie said.
“I’m not trying to be rude. It was just a basic red.”
“This is a pretty basic bar,” Maisie replied. “Did you expect it to have the world’s greatest wine selection?”
“No, I’m only saying that I tried the wine, and I didn’t enjoy it, so I’m asking the woman who is a trained, professional drink maker to mix me up something that will probably be delicious and properly balanced.”
“Balanced?”
“Yes, like all alcoholic drinks, including that beer you ordered, should be.”
“Don’t get her started,” Finley said.
“What? It’s true,” India replied. “If it’s balanced, it tastes good.
Too much gin or not enough throws off the flavors.
Too much juice or otherwise fruity flavors creates an imbalance.
The same is true with wine. It’s about how the grapes balance with everything else.
The sugar content and the fermentation time; it all matters. ”
“Are you one of those wine people or something?” Lainey asked.
“A sommelier? No, I’m not. But I did take a class in it a few years ago. Not to get certified or anything; just to learn.”
“That’s cool. Right, Maise?” Lainey asked, nodding toward her in a pretty obvious manner to get her to say something.
“Sure,” she said.
“So, I’m thinking about getting a burger,” Molly said.
“A burger? Here?” India asked.
“They’re really good,” Finley noted, glaring at India.
“They have a kitchen back there?” India asked, turning her head toward the doors that led to the back.
“They do. And their food is good,” Molly replied. “Fin, want to share my fries?”
“No, I’ll get my own,” Finley said. “Without the ketchup soup all over them.”
“Ketchup soup?” India asked.
“Molly loves condiments more than the food she eats them with,” Finley explained.
“Oh,” India replied and reached for that napkin again, using it to wipe at the table that had nothing on it.
“So, Lainey, what do you do?” Finley asked.
“I’m a high school girls’ soccer coach, and I work part-time at Chapter thank you.”
“You don’t like bar food, either?” Maisie asked her.
“I don’t usually eat at bars, no. Drinks, yes. Dinner elsewhere.”
“You don’t want to try it, even though we all are?”
“I’m okay,” India insisted.
“Do you only eat at super fancy places?”
“No,” India replied, turning a little toward her. “Why are you so concerned about where I eat?”
“Because I suggested a place and told you that the food was good, and you looked down at me.”
“I didn’t look down at you.”
“You lifted your nose up. That’s literally looking down at me,” Maisie argued.
“I didn’t lift my nose up. If I did, it wasn’t because of that.”
“Then, why would you lift your nose up at me?”
“I don’t know. Maybe I just wanted to lift my damn nose, Maisie,” India said a little louder. “Do I really have to apologize for not wanting to sit on some picnic table and eat whatever that place sells for my first date with a woman?”
“Did you really have to make it sound like the world would end if you did?” she asked back.
“What is so wrong with wanting to take you to a nice place for dinner?”
“Nothing. It’s not what you suggested. It was how you suggested it.”
“I was drinking peach iced tea that I brought for your employee to be nice, after I got you and Lainey here both coffee… to be nice.”
“You’re right,” Maisie said.
“About what? Why are we even fighting about this?”
“You’ve been wiping the table off with that napkin since before I got here. You had to order something fancy to drink. You won’t order food, even though you’re probably hungry.”
“Hey, Maise,” Lainey said. “Maybe she just doesn’t want to eat right now. She could’ve had a late lunch or something. No big deal.”
“For your information, Maisie Lincoln, I was wiping the table off repeatedly to have something to do with my hands because I’ve been a little anxious tonight.
My ex and her new girlfriend are sitting right across from me, and they’re clearly in love.
It’s awkward, and not because I still want to be with her. I don’t. Sorry, Fin.”
“No need to apologize for that,” Finley said.
“And I was nervous about you being here, too, because I realized that I should’ve just said yes to your suggestion for a date.
I’ve been called inflexible in the past, mainly by Finley and other ex-girlfriends.
I do not like beer. And I’ve tried their wine already, but I didn’t like it, either.
So, excuse me for wanting a decent drink.
I have no idea how expensive or cheap it might be, but that wasn’t why I ordered it.
And no, I don’t usually eat food at bars, but tonight, I didn’t want to eat here because I wanted to be able to make a quick exit if I felt like I needed to get out of here for any reason.
” India then looked over at Lainey and added, “I’m sorry if I was rude.
I think I’ll just let the four of you have your night, and I’ll head home. ”
Maisie swallowed and said, “You know what? Come on.”
“What?” India asked.
Maisie stood and asked, “Lainey, are you good?”
“I’m good.”
“Come on. We’re going somewhere,” Maisie said and held out her hand for India to take.
“You ordered food. I have a drink–”
Maisie pulled her wallet out of her pocket and dropped two twenties on the table.
“There. Let’s go.”
India looked at Finley and Molly. Finley nodded at her. India took Maisie’s hand and stood.
“Where, exactly, are we going?”
“We’re going to eat seafood at a picnic table, damn it.”