CHAPTER 28
“Sorry, what happened?” Ava asked.
“I actually have no idea,” India replied. “We had a great night and an amazing morning, and we were supposed to have lunch, but she showed up for that and started talking about my idiot brother and what he did this time.”
“What did he do?”
“He promised he’d get her on an agenda for something important. Then, he showed up today and took that back. It’s worse because he used a favor to get something for me, but I didn’t ask him to do that.”
“What the hell did he get for you?”
“We’re expanding the parking garage behind the Southern Roastery office.
Well, we’re going to expand the parking garage.
I met with vendors this morning. That’s how far we’ve gotten on planning this thing.
One of them got a little ahead of himself, though, and called someone on the council.
I’m not sure what happened, exactly, but Colter found out and thought he could get my permits put through faster by sacrificing Maisie’s shop. ”
“Did she think you did that?” Ava asked and then took a drink.
“No, she knew it wasn’t me. But when I offered to call my brother to get him to take back whatever he had done or help me get in touch with some people who could help her, she wasn’t super happy about that and left.
She said she had baggage, too, but I don’t–” India paused. “I mean, what did I do wrong, Ava?”
Ava nodded knowingly and replied, “You’re like me, I think.”
“And how’s that, exactly?”
“You’re a fixer.”
“Oh. Well, yeah, obviously. I work in–”
“Work is one thing, India, but personal stuff is different. You went into fixer mode with her, like I tried with Logan a few times.” Ava nodded toward her ex, who was behind the bar, laughing at something Rory, who was sitting on a stool in front of her, had said.
“Not that I want her back or anything, but Rory didn’t try to fix her.
I did. Repeatedly. Logan didn’t want to or wasn’t ready to be fixed.
And the reality is, I couldn’t have fixed her even if I’d tried.
She had to do that herself. ‘Fix’ might be a strong word to use, but you get the idea.
I loved her once, and I thought we would spend the rest of our lives together, but she had things she needed to work through, and I couldn’t just snap my fingers and make things better for her.
Rory didn’t even try. She just showed up and loved her, and Logan loves her back. ”
“When I first found out that Maisie was running against him, I stepped in because I thought it could get her what she wanted. It didn’t, so I stayed out of it, but then, Colter called me when he won, and I swear, all I did was give him a hard time and make suggestions for him; nothing to do with Maisie.
Colter involved her, not me. Then, today, he’s showing up and doing the wrong thing again, and somehow, pulling me back into it. ”
“But you offered to call him and fix it for her.”
“Yes, because I could,” India replied. “I know growing up with money affords me certain privileges, and one of them is being able to take care of this for her. My father, as well as his father, and so on, are legacies in this city. One call from me or him could get her that status, but I’ve never said that to her.
I’ve never tried to take the work she put in away from her when I could’ve made that call just to make it happen.
I only offered to help her like that today, and I still didn’t even tell her that I could just make this happen directly. ”
“You have that kind of power? Really? Can you get my landlord to stop raising my rent every year?” Ava joked.
“It’s not exactly ethical and probably not a hundred percent legal, but yes, I could.
I’m sure my dad could make a call to the mayor or even the governor or a senator and get Maisie’s store the status she wants so badly, but I resisted all those urges.
Then, I make one comment today, and suddenly, she’s walking away. ”
“She’s not from money. It’s different for her.”
“She is, technically. It was just all gone before she was born,” India noted. “I could call Colter right now and yell at him or tell him to just fix this, but I haven’t because she asked me not to.”
“Does he know that you two are dating?”
India rolled her eyes and replied, “He thought she was a woman I was sleeping with before. I told him she wasn’t.”
“But she is.”
“Not yet. Or, maybe, not ever now. We haven’t slept together.”
“You said you had a great night and an amazing morning.”
“I slept over there for the first time. We just slept, but I loved it,” she replied.
“Hi.”
India looked up and saw Stephania standing next to their booth.
“Hi, Stephania,” she greeted.
Stephania shrugged a shoulder and said, “Just Steph is fine. That’s a stage name thing.” She sat down next to Ava and gave her a quick kiss. “Sorry, I’m late. I had an interview go over.”
“That’s okay,” Ava said.
“So, what did I miss?” Stephania asked. “Did you order?”
“No, we were waiting for you,” Ava replied as Stephania wrapped her arm around the back of the booth, which made India miss Maisie.
“What’s good here? I didn’t eat last time.”
“Pretty much everything. Let me get Logan.”
Ava waved for Logan to walk over.
“So, Ava tells me you’re in business development at a coffee company?”
“Yes. Southern Roastery.”
“Oh, I had coffee from there this morning. It’s really good,” Stephania said and grabbed for a menu with her free hand, not moving the arm around Ava’s shoulders. “You’re not expanding west anytime soon, are you? More locations? In LA, for example?”
India laughed and replied, “Not yet. We’re expanding in the South for now.”
“Miami? I’m going there next.”
“I don’t think we’ll have a store ready for you by then.” India smiled. “But I do get a ton of free coffee, so if you want some, I can give it to Ava, and she can make sure you get it.”
“That would be great. She’s coming with me.”
“She mentioned that.”
“I need to buy a new bikini,” Ava said. “We’ll be on the beach, and my suit is old.”
“Or, you could just be naked,” Stephania suggested. “I really wouldn’t mind.”
“On a public beach?” Ava laughed and turned to her. “You want me to be naked in front of all those people?”
“I’m a model, so I forget some people have a thing with public nudity.”
Ava laughed again and asked, “So, you’d be okay with me being naked in front of everyone?”
“Now that you mention it… Not really, no. But I don’t know that I can say that because I am sometimes half-naked on billboards, so…”
“I’ve seen them. You’re even better in person,” Ava said with a smirk.
“Are you two just going to have sex right here?” Logan asked as she joined them.
“No,” Ava replied.
“Thank God,” India said.
Logan took their order then, and within minutes, they had refills for India and Ava, a drink for Stephania, and Rory had joined their table, taking the seat that India would have loved for Maisie to take instead.
India hadn’t planned on going out tonight.
She’d wanted to go to Chapter & Verse to see if they could talk, but knowing Maisie might not want that, she had avoided the bookshop and had spent the rest of her day in meetings and in her office, trying to push Maisie out of her mind.
When Ava had texted asking her if she wanted to go to Candace’s bar to hang out with her and Stephania, she had almost said no, but Ava had really wanted her to get to know the woman, and Stephania wasn’t in town for long.
Thinking it might also help take her mind off Maisie, India had agreed, but she’d been silly to think that these two could distract her because it was clear that Ava and Stephania were already crazy about each other.
Still, they talked for a while longer, and Logan brought their food, joining them as well when her shift ended.
India had moved over to allow her some space to sit down next to Rory, but by the time dinner was over, she was done being surrounded by couples.
Needing to get out of there, she politely excused herself and went home.
When she sat on her sofa, contemplating opening a bottle of red, her phone rang. India checked the screen and saw that it was her brother. Deciding she’d deal with him later, she clicked to ignore the call, but a text came in immediately after.
Colter Stone: Hey. Can you call me?
Seconds later, another text came in.
Colter Stone: I got you the permits you need. Or, I will get them for you once they file for them. You’re good to build whenever.
India wanted to throw her phone across the room, but that wouldn’t solve her problems. Then, another text came in.
Colter Stone: India? I’m trying here.
And yet, he still didn’t get it. He thought trying meant helping himself, so that was what he was doing.
He believed that helping his sister would make things better between the two of them, and she would leave him alone about being a better person.
She didn’t have the energy to explain it to him again, though.
Instead, she picked up her phone and opened her messages with Maisie.
The most recent ones were all the photos India had sent her from the game, and that made her smile.
She scrolled up, finding one where Maisie had been standing on the field, laughing because one of the Low Expectations players had pretended to do a striptease on second base. India had laughed at that, too.
India Sheridan: If you need space, just tell me, and I’ll leave you alone, but I wanted to apologize for earlier today. I shouldn’t have just tried to step in and fix something for you. I didn’t mean it to come across that way, but I can understand how it probably felt to you. I’m sorry, Maise.
She hit send before she could talk herself out of it and tossed the phone on the sofa.
It wasn’t a wine kind of night, after all, but she could make herself a decaf cappuccino and sip it in the bathtub with her nice mild lemon bubble bath.
She wasn’t sure she would ever be able to use the machine now without thinking about Maisie, which made her sad, but she made her coffee and took it back to the sofa to grab her phone, which needed to be charged. That was when she saw Maisie’s reply.
Maisie Lincoln: It’s not your fault. It’s mine. I’m sorry I walked away today. I didn’t want to take my mood out on you.
India sat down on the sofa and started typing.
India Sheridan: But that’s part of it, right? When you’re dating someone, you take your mood out on them. Obviously, I don’t mean it like that. I meant that I should’ve let you vent and talk to me without trying to make it all better.
The three dots popped up, and a few seconds later, she had a reply.
Maisie Lincoln: I should confess something to you. I saw you at the bar tonight.
India typed back instantly.
India Sheridan: Candace’s?
Maisie Lincoln: Yes, with Ava.
India Sheridan: Ava and her girlfriend. Or, at least, the supermodel she’s dating.
Maisie Lincoln: Yes, I saw her, too. I didn’t mean it like I thought you two were on a date or something. Just that I saw you, and I didn’t say anything.
India Sheridan: Why not?
Maisie Lincoln: Lainey wanted to go out to dinner to tell me something, and she suggested Candace’s because she likes their burgers. I didn’t think you’d be there.
India Sheridan: But that doesn’t explain why you didn’t come over, Maise.
Maisie Lincoln: I know. I should have. I should’ve just invited you. Lainey told me to, but I’m not great at this.
India Sheridan: At what?
Then, her phone rang.
“Hi,” she said softly.
“At relationships,” Maisie said. “I’m not great at relationships.”
“Why do you think that?”
“Because I have a hard time asking for help. I have a hard time telling someone that I need something, and I think you like to help people.”
“I do.” India chuckled. “I have been told recently that I am a fixer.”
“I don’t need a fixer, India.”
“I know. I didn’t mean to suggest that you do. It’s just my first impulse to help when I can, and today, I felt like it was my fault.”
“It’s not, though. They are Colter’s actions.”
“I know. But he’s my brother, and it’s my stupid parking garage.”
“Did you really stop them from trying to buy Chapter & Verse before you even met me?”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“A few reasons. Most of them are business or PR-related, so it wasn’t as romantic as you might think it is.”
“Most of them?”
“Yes,” she said. “I love New Orleans, too, Maisie. I love it for its history and culture, and I don’t want to see it disappear any more than you do.”
“I just needed to think today.”
“I know. I get it now.”
“But I should’ve invited you to dinner with us.”
“And I could’ve invited you to meet Stephania.”
“Maybe,” Maisie said.
“Maise, are we still…”
“Yes, if you–”
“Yes,” India interjected. “Yeah. I still want–”
“Then, yes.” Maisie laughed. “We’re still… whatever we were.”