CHAPTER 34 #2
“None taken.” Finley laughed a little. “We were happy once, India. It wasn’t all bad. I like to hang on to the good memories.”
“Yeah, me too,” she said. “Is this how it feels with you and Molly?”
“Depends. How does it feel?”
India watched Maisie laugh at something Bridgette said.
“Like I could tell her I love her right now, and it’s been weeks. I’m not going to yet, but I could. I could just yell it in this bar, and it would feel totally right.”
“Yeah, that sounds about right to me.”
“But that’s crazy, isn’t it?” she asked, looking over at Finley.
“Probably. But who cares? I love Molls. And I know she felt things for me before I wised up, but ever since I did, it’s like…
It’s just there, and I know it like it’s in my bones.
I feel so much happier now going into work knowing I sit next to her.
I feel like I’ve never understood the whole falling in love at first sight thing. No offense.”
“None taken,” she said with a smile.
“Just that people talk about it, and I know it didn’t happen with me and Molly exactly, but it feels that way to me.
Like, once you and I were finally over, and I saw her – like, really saw her – I was in love with her.
People who haven’t experienced that might not understand, but it’s real.
I know she’s right over there, but I miss her being next to me.
Then, at night, it’s the same, even though she’s right next to me, but it’s because we’re falling asleep, so I can’t talk to her until we wake up. I can’t explain it, but it’s–”
“It’s better,” India said. “Because you feel like you’ve met your match.”
“Is that how it feels with Maisie?”
India nodded slowly and said, “I’m taking her skiing.”
“You are?”
“Yes,” she said. “For Christmas.”
“Then, I hope she doesn’t ruin your plans by spraining her ankle.”
“She can’t ruin them. If she did that, we would just stay home, and I’d be okay with that, too.”
“Damn. She really is the one, huh?” Finley joked.
India turned to her and said, “I’m sorry, Fin.”
“Hey, I didn’t mean it like that.”
“No, I know. I just needed to say that I’m sorry about that whole thing.”
“It’s okay. It’s in the past.”
“I was going to ask you to marry me, Finley. That’s why I was so upset that we had to cancel the trip.”
“What?” Finley had been about to put the bottle to her lips, but she lowered it.
“I had a ring and everything. I planned the perfect proposal for me, not for you.”
“I didn’t know that.”
“It’s taken me years to figure this all out, but that would have been a mistake.”
“Us getting married? Yeah, it would’ve been a mistake, for sure.” Finley turned a little to look at Molly. “I think we were both meant for other people.”
“I agree.”
“And my person is ordering food right now, so I think I’m going to go over there and eat with her. I need to make sure she doesn’t put extra ketchup on my fries. We’re okay, though, yeah?”
“Yes, we’re good, Fin.”
“Hey, what did you do with that ring?”
“Oh, burned it in effigy,” she joked.
Finley laughed and said, “Got it. Talk later?”
“Sure,” India said.
She watched Finley arrive at the table with Molly, Myra, and Elisa, and she walked over to Maisie, sitting down next to her.
“Hey, babe,” Maisie said.
India just smiled at her and waited, knowing what would happen next. Then, sure enough, Maisie’s hand went to her thigh, and India clasped it in her own.
“We’re making plans here,” Maisie told her.
“Should I leave you to it?” she asked.
“What? No. Stay,” Maisie said, squeezing India’s hand under the table. “I am hungry, though. Want to order some food?”
“Yes. I’m thinking about a beer and a burger?”
“For me?” Maisie asked.
“No, for me,” she replied. “I’m asking Candace to bring me the best beer they have in this place.”
Maisie laughed and said, “All right, then. I’ll order the fanciest food item on the menu and the most expensive drink in the place. That way, when you hate the beer, we can trade.”
India kissed her.
◆◆◆
“When I was young, my parents didn’t want me to learn any non-classical songs,” India shared as she sat at the piano with Maisie to her right. “They told me it would interfere with my learning.”
“Why am I not surprised?”
“I was also dancing, and there was classical music there, too, so I was a little burned out on it, and I started teaching myself songs that were on the radio or weren’t classics.”
“Yeah? How old were you?”
“Maybe nine or ten. They’d already split up by then, so whenever I’d get caught by my mom, I would tell her my dad said it was okay, or vice versa. They didn’t talk much, so I got away with it.”
“Smart and tricky,” Maisie replied. “I knew there was a reason I liked you.”
India laughed and said, “I have a few favorites I learned over the years. I was thinking I could impress you by playing some classical songs, but maybe something non-classical is more your speed.”
“Play whatever you want. I’ll listen,” Maisie replied.
“Okay. Well, why don’t we start with this one?” she said and began playing.
“Why do I know this?” Maisie asked, seemingly trying to figure out what the song was.
“It’s Can’t Help Falling in Love by Elvis,” she replied and turned to look at Maisie as she continued to play the slow song.
Maisie swallowed, and after a moment, she said, “Yeah, sounds about right.”