CHAPTER 22
“You look awful,” Finley noted.
“Thanks, Fin,” India replied and ate a candy bar from the bowl she’d placed on her desk when she had gotten to work that morning.
“She’s right. Sorry,” Juliet added as Finley and she both walked into India’s office.
“You too, Jules?”
“Well, you don’t look like yourself,” Juliet noted. “And I’ve gotten the whole training schedule worked out for downstairs, along with the signs you wanted. They’re at the printers. I’m going to swing by and pick them up later. I got eight. I hope that’s enough.”
“What about the name one that says, ‘Southern Roastery Test Café?’”
“Oh, I went with Southern Testery instead,” Juliet replied.
“What?”
“I’m kidding,” Juliet said and laughed. “You should see your face.”
“It is pretty funny,” Finley pointed out. “Testery? That sounds like testicles or something.”
“Yes, which is why I didn’t actually go with that. I also thought about Tescafé, like a play on Nescafé, but that didn’t seem right, either. We can always change it later,” Juliet said.
“So, we’re all good to open to customers?” India asked.
“Whenever you’re ready. Are we waiting until the door thing between the buildings is done?” Juliet asked.
India shook her head and replied, “No. Maisie isn’t even sure she wants to do that, so let’s move forward without it. We can always add that in later.”
“Have you talked to her yet?” Finley asked, sitting down in a chair.
“No, not yet. I’ve been here.”
“She’s right next door,” Finley argued.
“I know that, Finley.” India ran her tongue along her teeth. “Didn’t you just point out how awful I look? Do you really think I should just walk over there to talk to her now?”
“Why not?” Finley said, shrugging a shoulder. “If she likes you, the fact that you look like you downed a bottle of wine and got no sleep shouldn’t be a problem.”
“Do not use your insider knowledge of me right now.”
“Did you really drink a whole bottle?”
“Yes, it’s my favorite. I don’t like leaving it out even if I cork it properly.”
“With that vacuum thing?” Finley asked, shaking her head. “I never did get the hang of that.”
“There’s nothing to get the hang of. You put the thing in and use the pump to pull out the air. It’s not that hard.”
“Well, the thing kept popping out whenever I tried.”
“Do you two need me here for this conversation?” Juliet asked. “I have a lunch date with my gorgeous girlfriend.”
“No, you’re good,” India said. “Thank you for all your help on this.”
“No problem,” Juliet replied as she checked her phone. “She’s here. I’ll be back in about an hour.”
“Have fun,” Finley said in a teasing tone.
Juliet rolled her eyes and said, “Bye.”
“What was that about?” India asked.
“Oh, Gwen has the grooming van now, and I happen to know that they’ve had sex in that thing before. Jules told me she’s picking her up in it, so…”
“Sex in a dog grooming van? That’s disgusting,” India said.
“It gets cleaned, India,” Finley replied.
“But it’s a van, and there are animals in it all the time.”
Finley laughed and said, “Go. Talk to her. Apologize or tell her you want to start over or something. Then, go home and get some damn sleep, India. You look like you did after we broke up the first time.” Finley stood.
“When we really broke up and thought it was the end, before we started breaking up almost as a national pastime.”
“I remember,” she said, wondering if she really did look that bad.
“I’ll see you later,” Finley replied and left the office.
India opted to grab another candy bar and ate it before she closed her laptop, deciding that she needed a change of scenery.
She carried her laptop downstairs with her and set it at one of the few tables they had for employees, making a mental note to buy several more before they opened to customers.
Then, she went to the counter, ordered a regular coffee, dressed it at the condiment station, and returned to her table, surprised to see Maisie standing there, looking at her.
“Oh. Hi,” India said.
“Hi. I was going to text you that I was down here, but I saw you get your coffee.”
Maisie motioned to the counter.
“Yeah. I just got down here, actually. I didn’t have any meetings, so I thought I’d work from here. More planning to do on this place, and it’s easier to do while actually here,” she rambled.
“I’m interrupting,” Maisie said, nodding.
“No,” she replied quickly. “Do you want a coffee? I can get it for you.”
“No, I’m okay. Thanks, though.”
India didn’t know whether she should keep standing or sit down, so she just motioned to the table to see what Maisie would do. When Maisie sat in the chair on the other side of the table, India sat as well and closed her computer, setting her coffee down next to it.
“I’m sorry about the election,” she began. “I wanted to call you, but–”
“It’s okay. I understand,” Maisie interrupted her. “And thanks. I’m sorry, too, of course, but I think we both knew that this would happen. My campaign consisted of posters, buttons, phone calls for dollar donations, and well, a commercial that you paid for.”
“I didn’t–”
“You know what I mean,” Maisie said.
India nodded and said, “I’m still sorry. I wish you had kicked his ass. I mean that, too. He deserves it.”
Maisie laughed softly and said, “Speaking of Colter. Did you happen to talk to him last night?”
“He called me after he knew he’d won.” She shrugged a shoulder. “I think he intended to brag.”
“And you didn’t congratulate him?”
“No. Wait. How did you know that?”
“He called me a little while ago,” Maisie revealed.
“Colter called you? Why? What did he do? I’ll kill him.”
Maisie laughed and replied, “It was a good thing, I think. Well, it was his attempt at a good thing, at least.”
“A good thing?”
“He offered to get me on the next meeting agenda to talk about the historical landmark status for the shop.”
“He did?” India asked, confused.
“I assume you told him to.”
“No, I didn’t. I mean, I suggested he do that during the campaign, but you knew that. I didn’t tell him to do that last night. I sort of considered him a lost cause.”
“He didn’t promise me anything, but it’s something, at least.”
India smiled at her and replied, “I’m really glad, Maise. And if you don’t mind me being there, I’d love to show my support. The Stone name is good in this town, but the Sheridan name is even better. You can feel free to throw it around all you want.”
Maisie smiled back at her, and India tried to memorize it because she expected it to fall from Maisie’s face soon, when she inevitably told India that this thing, whatever it had been and however brief, was over between them.
“He also suggested that I join his staff.”
“He did what?”
“He mentioned that you thought it might be good for him to have someone on his team who didn’t just agree with him all the time.”
“I did. But I didn’t say that it should be you. You said no, right?”
“I told him I’d think about it, actually.”
“Maisie, my half-brother is an asshole. He’s a total dick. I think he gets that from the half that’s not related to me. Of course, I have the asshole part in me, too, I suppose. I didn’t tell you he was my brother.”
“He said it would help if I decided to run again.”
“You might run again?”
“I want to make a difference. And I love my shop, but I think I can do more. This could be a good chance for me to get some experience and make a few connections.”
“It could be, yes. But he’s still Colter.”
“He said he’d be paying me to disagree with him, and I could always quit if I don’t like it.”
“That’s true.”
“I wanted to thank you for giving him the idea. I know it might be terrible, but it could also be really good for me.”
“Honestly, I didn’t think he listened to a word I said, so maybe he’s not a lost cause, after all.”
“Maybe not,” Maisie said. “And maybe we aren’t a lost cause, either.”
“We’re not?” India asked.
“I don’t know. Are we?”
“I thought you’d hate me.”
“I don’t hate you,” Maisie replied. “Do I wish you had told me about him being your brother instead of me finding it out because of some ad? Yes, of course, I do. But you left yesterday before we could really talk about it.”
“It was election day. It wasn’t about us. It was–”
“I know. And I understand why you left. I just wish you hadn’t.”
“I should’ve told you, Maisie. I just… I was in the shop that day he threatened you.
I ran into the bathroom to hide, like an idiot, but I heard how he talked to you, and I wanted to kill him.
I didn’t want you to know we were related.
I didn’t want you to think I could ever be like him.
Yes, I’m wealthy. I was born with money, and I know how that makes people feel sometimes.
I was with Finley for years, and I don’t know that I ever even tried to give her what she needed. That was wrong, and–”
“Hey, it’s okay,” Maisie replied. “I know why you did it. And I don’t think I helped the situation at all.”
“What do you mean?”
“I haven’t made it easy on you to be who you are.”
India looked at her in confusion, hoping Maisie would continue and explain what she’d meant because from India’s perspective, she had been the one to mess this thing up between them.
“I said no to a date I had asked you out to when you suggested someplace else. I know we’ve kind of turned it into something funny now, but I think you didn’t tell me about your brother because you might have been worried that you couldn’t actually be that part of yourself, at least.”
“Yeah,” India said.
“And that’s my fault. You don’t own that, India. I do. And I’m sorry.”
“It’s still my fault. If I had just told you, maybe I would have been there last night when you found out that you’d lost. You have no idea how much I wanted to be there, Maisie. I had the whole thing planned out.”
“You did?”
“I thought if you were up for it, we would go out for ice cream, just to take your mind off of things. There’s this great place outside of the city. I was going to take the long way, so that we could talk, and we’d eat outside.”
“I thought you wanted to do dinner.”
“That would’ve been tonight, probably. A nice restaurant, with good local beer and a wine list for me, after we’d fallen asleep at your place last night.”
“I wish we had done that,” Maisie replied with a soft smile.
“Me too,” India said.
“What would you say to going out with me tonight?”
“I’d say yes.”
“And would you maybe let me plan it? I promise, it’s not a test or anything like that. I just know the best place for ice cream in the city, and it happens to be somewhere I’d like to take you,” Maisie said.
“You don’t want me to make a reservation somewhere?”
“I do, but not tonight. I feel like we could use a little fun; something chill and relaxed.”
“What, exactly, do you think will be chill and relaxed?”
“Just trust me, okay?”
“And this isn’t a test?”
“No, no more tests,” Maisie replied. “I promise.”
India nodded and said, “Okay. Then, I trust you. What time should I pick you up?”
“I’ll pick you up, and I’ll even let Justin park my car this time,” Maisie said.
“Oh, I’d pay good money to see that,” India teased.
“You can always just meet me in the parking garage and watch him do it.”
“I think I’d rather you come upstairs and try to make yourself a latte again. It was so funny the first time,” she replied.
Maisie laughed and asked, “Are you trying to get me out of my shirt again?”
“Is that an option tonight?” she asked back with a lifted eyebrow.
“God, that’s sexy.”
“What is?”
“When you do that,” Maisie replied, pointing at India. “The eyebrow.”
“Oh,” India said, raising it a little higher.
Maisie laughed and replied, “And I’d love to say yes to that, but I think tonight, we should keep things PG. We’ve had a couple of starts and stops, and I want to do that when we both feel like there might not be any more stops.”
“So, when we get married?” India joked.
Maisie laughed and said, “Hell, no. No way I could wait that long.”
“Thank God,” India replied.
“Yeah?” Maisie asked.
“Yes,” she said and leaned forward over the table. “Not tonight, but maybe soon?”
Maisie nodded this time and said, “Maybe soon.”
“I’ll take it,” she replied with a smile. “And since you’re here, do you have a few minutes to talk about the door?”
“What door?”
“The one I suggested we put between the buildings.”
“Oh,” Maisie said. “Actually, can we talk about that a bit later? I have to run. I need to get to NOLA Guides to talk to Melinda about some kind of partnership.”
“Partnership? Melinda’s engaged, and I’m sitting right here, Maisie.” India winked at her.
“For the store,” Maisie said, shaking her head. “And I keep forgetting you know everyone, don’t you?”
“Not everyone. I just met you, after all.”
“How long have you known Melinda?”
“Maybe a few weeks. I’ve met her once. It’s a long story, but Finley is with Molly, who is friends with Juliet, who is dating Gwen.
Gwen is sort of like a sister to Elisa, I think, who used to be married to Gwen’s brother but is now dating Myra, who is friends with Melinda and her fiancée, Kyle.
And there are more of them, too, but I gave you the condensed version since you’ve got to run. ”
“Jesus,” Maisie said.
“It’s the lesbian way.” India shrugged her shoulders.
“Hey, India?”
“Yeah?”
“You look really pretty today,” Maisie said with a smile.
“No, I look awful. Everyone’s said so.”
“Who told you that? I’ll kick all their asses. You look beautiful.”
“I had a whole bottle of wine by myself last night and didn’t sleep much,” she confessed.
“Well, that works for you, then,” Maisie said. “Must be the expensive wine.”
“It was,” India said. “Five hundred a bottle.”
“Good Lord!” Maisie laughed. “I could buy so many books for the shop with that.”
India laughed as well and replied, “That’s not even my most expensive bottle.”
“Don’t tell me. I don’t want to know.” Maisie waved her off. “Hey, you’re out at work, right? I assumed so because of Finley, but wanted to check.”
“Yes, I’m out. Why?”
Maisie stood and moved to India’s side of the table.
“I’ll pick you up at six. Dress casually,” she said before she leaned down and pecked India on the lips. “Like, casual for a normal person, babe; not casual for you.”
India was so taken aback by the term of endearment and the sweet kiss that all she could do was nod in response. Then, she watched Maisie walk out the front door and back toward her shop, waving as she passed India, who was still sitting at the table.