CHAPTER 16
“You said no?” Juliet asked.
“I said it wasn’t really my thing. Besides, she’s got a lot going on. It’s her friends’ big day, I think,” India replied.
“It’s a high school soccer game,” Juliet replied.
“Her friends are the coaches. Maisie is going to show her support.”
“Shouldn’t you go to support Maisie?”
“Support her watching a game?” India asked.
It was the end of the workday, and she’d gone down in the elevator with Juliet.
She’d mentioned as they were working on the café earlier that she had been invited to the game with Maisie, but now, she was regretting it.
She should have expected Juliet to give her a hard time about not being there if she was free and invited.
“India… She invited you somewhere. That means she wants to spend time with you. It’s not about watching some game. And isn’t she running for city council, too? That election is right around the corner. If she’s asking you to hang out, it means she’s taking time away from that, right?”
“I suppose. But she’s going to a soccer game, so she’s putting that before the election, too.”
Juliet chuckled and said, “I think she’s putting her friends before the election, which makes sense to me.”
They left the elevator, and when Juliet pushed open the door that led outside, India watched her smile instantly.
“Hey, babe,” Juliet said to Gwen, who stood there with Juliet’s dog, Carly, on her leash.
“Hey. We were just out walking nearby, and I thought maybe you could drive us home.” Gwen moved to Juliet and kissed her before she added, “Hey, India.”
“Hi, Gwen,” she replied. “You just happened to be over here?”
“Honestly, yes. I have two clients who live over here, so I brought Carly with me. I also just dropped off Echo and Wells at Molly’s,” Gwen explained and turned back to Juliet. “So, any chance you’d give us a ride back to your place?”
Not only had Finley and Molly gotten together, but they had also managed to adopt their pets at the same time, treating them like the dogs belonged to them as a couple, as opposed to Wells being Molly’s new puppy and Echo being Finley’s new dog.
It would have been adorable if it hadn’t also made India a little jealous.
She hadn’t even been aware that Finley wanted a dog.
“I don’t mind that at all,” Juliet replied, bending down to pet Carly, who was jumping at her legs, excited to see her. “India, I’ll see you later?”
“Yeah. Have a good night,” India said and watched the two women walk off hand in hand.
That made her think of Maisie and the fact that they’d held hands as well a few times the previous night.
Yes, there had been the whole espresso machine milk explosion issue, but she’d been having such a good time with Maisie right up until Maisie’s face had fallen the moment India had declined the invitation to the soccer game.
Maisie hadn’t been dramatic about it or anything, and by the time they’d gotten to the bar, it had appeared she’d forgotten all about it.
They’d resumed having a good time, and India had even gotten Maisie to try a few drinks.
She had ordered three different martinis from the bartender and had Maisie sip all of them, which she had done.
Maisie had liked the cucumber one the best, followed by the chocolate one, and when India had revealed to her the price of each, Maisie’s eyes had gone wide.
India had ordered top-shelf alcohol and had laughed when Maisie had told her that she now understood why people paid more for certain drinks, because they had been delicious.
When they’d gotten back to India’s, Maisie had let Justin park her car this time, and they had walked up holding hands. At the door, Maisie had kissed her on the cheek, which had been a little disappointing, but India had tried her best not to read anything into it.
She checked the time on her watch and noticed that she had thirty minutes.
If she was actually going to do this, she had to hurry.
Driving home took less time than she had expected, and her first step there had been finding Maisie’s clean shirt that India’s housekeeper had washed, dried, and folded neatly for her.
India put it in a bag and set it on the counter so that she wouldn’t forget it.
Then, trying not to think about Maisie’s breasts in that cute bra from the night before, she rushed into her bedroom and changed into a new blouse.
Her pants were fine, and her heels were only two inches, so they were appropriate enough for evening wear.
She redid a little of her makeup, checked her hair in the mirror, used a little hairspray to tame a flyaway, and headed downstairs to have Justin bring her car around before she hit the road.
◆◆◆
She couldn’t find a parking spot in the lot by the school, but there were several cars parked in the grass right next to it.
The game had already started, and India had missed at least the first fifteen minutes of it, so she decided to have the Jag detailed if the mud and grass got into the tires.
Stepping out of the car was a chore because she’d worn heels to a soccer game.
What had she been thinking? As her heel disappeared into the soft grass, it took all her leg strength from running and exercise to get herself onto the concrete.
She tried not to let herself get into a bad mood and kept walking toward the cheers from the people in the stands.
India bought a ticket at the booth and looked around at the packed bleachers.
“Excuse me?” she asked the woman in the booth. “Is there a special section for friends of the coaches or team? I’m meeting someone here.”
The woman looked at India like something was wrong with her and replied, “No.”
“Oh, okay. Well, thank you,” she said and reached for her phone in her purse to text Maisie.
Then, she realized how ridiculous that idea was. It was loud here. Maisie probably wouldn’t even hear the notification. India walked down the center path that separated two sets of bleachers, got to the end of it, and started looking around, choosing to focus on the lower levels first.
“Down in front,” some guy said and glared at her.
“Oh, sorry,” she replied.
“India?”
India turned and smiled when she saw Maisie standing there, holding a white bag of popcorn and a bottle of water.
“Hi,” she said. “I was looking for you.”
“You said you didn’t want to come.”
“I know. I changed my mind. Is that okay?”
Maisie looked her up and down and laughed.
“You’re wearing a business suit and heels.”
“I changed my mind at the last minute,” she said, lying through her teeth because yes, she had gone home, and yes, she could have changed, but she had no idea what spectators wore to a high school soccer game, and she thought that if she had to do this, she should at least be comfortable in her own skin.
Maisie laughed again and said, “I just went to the concession stand. There was an injury, so I had a few minutes, and I was starving. Want to sit?”
“Yes,” she replied. “But I’m starving, too. Any chance you’ll share that popcorn?”
“Let’s just get back in line and get you your own because I really am starving,” Maisie replied.
“You won’t miss the game?”
“It’s zero-zero, and I’ve heard Paige yell that the other team is parking the bus, so I think I’ve got some time.”
“Sorry? There’s a bus?” India asked as they started walking toward a building that looked similar to the blue shack, except it was painted green and yellow.
“Parking the bus,” Maisie said, chuckling.
“It’s when a team basically focuses on defense and doesn’t make any attempt to score.
They line up most of the players and just try to repel the offense as much as they can, like parking a bus in front of the goal.
Lainey and Paige have some goal-scoring machines on their team. ”
“But how does one team win if neither scores?”
“They’ll go to penalty shots if it stays this way,” Maisie explained as they joined the line. “What made you decide to come here?”
“I don’t know. I felt bad about last night. I thought we were having a good time, and then you asked about this, and I saw it disappointed you that I wasn’t willing to come.”
“That was more about me than you,” Maisie said before she took a handful of popcorn and ate it.
“How so?”
“Well, your house is amazing, but while my family used to have money, I didn’t grow up with it, so I have this tiny studio apartment and a coffee maker.
I don’t have a valet or concierge service at my building.
Then, I invited you here, and you said no because it wasn’t your thing.
I worried that might be true about a lot of my things. ”
“Like we have nothing in common, so what is even the point?” India asked.
“Yes,” Maisie said. “Basically.”
“Do you still feel that way?”
“Not exactly. We had fun at the bar once I got out of my own head a little.”
“I thought so,” India said before they moved up in line and were now next.
“I’m trying not to read too much into things, but if I’m being honest, having that asshole Colter walking into my bookshop every few days, tossing out mentions of money, power, control, connections, and everything else, has me on edge a bit.”
India bit her lower lip, not knowing what to say.
“Can I help you?” a man asked from behind the counter.
“Oh,” she uttered, realizing that she hadn’t looked at a menu. “I’m sorry. What are the options?”
Maisie laughed and said, “Can you get her popcorn and a bottle of water?”
“Popcorn?” India asked her.
“You don’t want the hot dogs here; trust me. And the nachos are just stale chips and fake cheese.”
“No, thank you,” India said.
“Candy?” Maisie asked.
“Oh, candy.” India looked behind the man and saw a rack of candy bars and chips. “That one, please.”
She pointed to the one in the blue-and-white wrapper that she had come to love after eating way too many of them from the leftover Halloween candy bowls at work.
“Sure,” he replied.
“The popcorn is safe?” she asked Maisie.
Maisie pulled out her wallet and said, “It’s popular, so they have to make it fresh. It doesn’t get stale that way, and yeah, I’ve never had an issue with it.”
Maisie then pulled out some cash and handed it to the guy.
“No, I’m getting this,” India said.
“Credit card?”
“Yeah.”
“They don’t take credit cards here,” Maisie told her.
“Oh. Really?”
The man handed India her food, and they turned to go.
“Thank you,” India added.
“No problem,” Maisie said and paused for a moment. “Thank you for coming, India.”
“No problem,” she replied with a soft smile.
They sat down in the third row of crowded bleachers, and India kept her bag in her lap, not wanting to set it on the dirty metal below or next to her, and also not feeling like she could set it down without it getting stolen.
That made eating the popcorn very difficult, though.
She balanced everything as she put the water bottle in the bag and allowed herself a few handfuls.
“So, what’s going on out there?”
“Soccer,” Maisie replied with a laugh. “You don’t know the rules, do you?”
“I know they score goals, and the team with the most wins. Is that good?”
“Yes, that’s good,” Maisie said. “Hey, after this, Paige, Lainey, and I are going to grab a drink and some real food. You should join us.”
“Oh, sure,” India said, excited by the invitation. “I also have your shirt in my car. It’s been washed, so it no longer smells like milk.”
“Thanks,” Maisie replied and ate a handful of popcorn.
“So, no one is winning right now?”
Maisie pointed and said, “We’re the team in white and green. The enemy is in blue and red.”
“The enemy?”
“This is the state tournament. If you lose, you’re done for the year. Besides, Lainey and Paige get a small incentive bonus if the team wins the state, so we want them to make a little extra cash, too.”
“Yes, extra cash. Got it.”
“Lainey has been picking up a lot of extra shifts at the shop lately. I think she might be saving up for a ring.”
India turned to her and asked, “Yeah?”
“They’ve been together for years, and I know they’re in love.
” Maisie smiled. “It’s a guess, but I think it’s a good one.
When Lainey first started working at the shop, it was only during the off-season.
She’s been working this whole season, though, and she has another part-time job, too.
I think she wants to make sure she’s planning for the future. ”
“What do you want for your future?” India asked.
“Mine?” Maisie laughed a little. “Well, I don’t want to be the family member who ruined the legacy by losing the shop.”
“That’s the shop, though. I meant you, Maise.”
Maisie turned her face to her and said, “Well, I’d like to get married one day and maybe have kids. I’m not entirely sold on that part yet, though. They’re a lot of work, and I’m not getting any younger.”
India laughed and replied, “Tell me about it. I’m almost forty.”
“What about you? What do you want?” Maisie asked.
“Same,” she said. “And maybe travel.”
“Travel? Where?”
“I like warm, sandy beaches,” she said. “But I also like the trips where I explore museums and cities.”
“I haven’t really been anywhere,” Maisie shared. “Well, a few places, I guess, but my life has always revolved around New Orleans.”
“Who knows? Maybe we’ll go somewhere one day.”
“Yeah, maybe,” Maisie said with a smile.