CHAPTER 2 NORA #4
The party is still going in the ballroom, though the doors are propped open and the lights are brighter and the crowd has thinned.
We check our phones, mine barely fitting in my tiny clutch purse, his fished out of his cavernous back pocket, and there is a text in the group chat from Bea, a Happy New Year wish with an abundance of exclamation points, and one in our private chat, a simple but concerned you ok? ??
All good, I type back.
“I think they’re still here,” I say, peering back into the ballroom. Bea would have told me if she was leaving.
“Do you want to find them?” he asks.
What I want, inexplicably—or at least that’s what I’m telling myself—is to go back to my apartment with Finn. But I can’t say that. I can’t just tell him what I want and hope against hope he’ll give it to me. Sure, he’s done that once already tonight, but that was off pattern for him.
“I think I want to go home now,” I say instead.
Finn walks with me to the escalator that takes us down to the lobby. He stands not far from me, but not close enough to touch, as I wait in line at the coat check. He pulls out his phone to request a rideshare, waving me off when I try to insist I’ll do it myself.
We stand just inside the lobby doors in silence. The car pulls up and even though Finn has not collected his coat from coat check, a silly part of me still hopes he’ll follow me out to the car.
Which he does.
He opens the door, and I stand there, both of us shivering, squinting into the bright golden lights of the porte cochere. “Well,” he says, and he leans down, hair falling from behind his ear and kisses my forehead. A different kind of New Year’s Eve kiss. A consolation prize.
“Happy New Year, Nora,” he says.
And I get into the car, leaving space for him to follow, but Finn closes the door, definitively, behind me.
FINN COLLINS, APRIL 2, 2023
9:23 a.m.: Finn: what’s your address?
9:30 a.m.: Nora: who is this?
9:41 a.m.: Finn: Nora
9:52 a.m.: Nora: you’ve been here before!
9:59 a.m.: Finn: just give me your postal code
10:01 a.m.: Nora: have you heard of Google???
10:03 a.m.: Finn: ok never mind
10:05 a.m.: Nora: M5M 5M5
10:11 a.m.: Finn: was that so hard?
FINN COLLINS, APRIL 18, 2023
6:34 p.m.: Nora: did you…send me a postcard…from Germany?
6:45 p.m.: Finn: it says “Finn” doesn’t it?
6:49 p.m.: Nora: why?
6:55 p.m.: Finn: just being nice
6:57 p.m.: Finn: do you like it?
7:01 p.m.: Nora: yes.
7:03 p.m.: Finn: Good.
7:35 p.m.: Nora: are you going to come to Josh’s half-birthday thing?
7:44 p.m.: Finn: hopefully, but idk, have a lot of travel over the next few months.
7:45 p.m.: Finn: but you’re coming to the Collins’ Family Cottage for Canada Day right?
8:01 p.m.: Nora: you got it ;)
THE DREAM TEAM, OCTOBER 13, 2023
12:17 p.m.: Bea: Ok. I know I was unilaterally removed from making unilateral decisions for the group…
12:18 p.m.: Nora: Oh no.
12:18 p.m.: Deepti: remember that time she made us all do a half-marathon?
12:19 p.m.: Bea: First of all, it was a 5k! Second, it was for a GOOD CAUSE.
12:19 p.m.: Josh: Wasn’t it one of those Thanksgiving things? What are those called? A turkey jerk?
12:19 p.m.: Faraz: yes that is what it’s called. yes.
12:19 p.m.: Nora: Joshua pls
12:19 p.m.: Deepti: Mom, can you come pick me up I’m scared
12:20 p.m.: Bea: ok people let’s get back on track!!!
12:20 p.m.: Bea:
12:20 p.m.: Bea: All of these places were already booked and the only reason I got this one was because I charmed the owner.
12:21 p.m.: Nora: (she flirted with the owner)
12:21 p.m.: Bea: I used my womanly wiles so sue me
12:21 p.m.: Bea: now we have a 9 bedroom, 6 bathroom chalet at Blue Mountain for NYE!!!!!!!!!!!!!
12:22 p.m.: Faraz: Ok Bea, that place is pretty sick
12:22 p.m.: Josh: how much is this gonna cost me…I got my brother’s bachelor party this summer and we’re going to Vegas…
12:23 p.m.: Faraz: VEGAS BABY
12:23 p.m.: Brendan: dude there’s a hot tub
12:24 p.m.: Josh: I’m there. I don’t care what it costs. I’m there.
12:25 p.m.: Nora: LOL ok Bea, I guess we can lift the unilateral decisions ban this once.
12:26 p.m.: Judith: it looks awesome
12:27 p.m.: Bea: and obviously, since we have all this space you should bring your plus ones
12:28 p.m.: Nora: Bea…do you have a plus one this year?
12:30 p.m.: Bea: …maybe
12:30 p.m.: Josh: wait. Is Bea dating the Airbnb lady?
12:31 p.m.: Deepti: *pets you*
2:59 p.m.: Finn: Can’t wait! Thanks Queen Bea!
BBF (BEST BEA FRIEND), OCTOBER 15, 2023
7:01 p.m.: Bea: hey
7:07 p.m.: Nora: hey
7:09 p.m.: Bea: still doing dinner on Thursday?
7:12 p.m.: Nora: I am going to eat so many dumplings that you are going to have to refer to me as dumpling from now on
7:13 p.m.: Bea:
7:13 p.m.: Bea: so…
7:17 p.m.: Nora: ???
7:18 p.m.: Bea: Finn?
7:20 p.m.: Nora: are you asking me a question?
7:21 p.m.: Bea: is he coming?
7:22 p.m.: Nora: I mean…probably? He’s always come before?
7:22 p.m.: Nora: do we get a choice?
7:25 p.m.: Bea: of course you do! You get the choice to always come
7:28 p.m.: Bea: stop changing the subject
7:31 p.m.: Nora: I’m still not sure what exactly we’re talking about!!!
7:33 p.m.: Bea: do you think anything will happen with Finn????
7:41 p.m.: Nora: I’m sure I have no idea what you’re talking about
7:45 p.m.: Bea: you’re the worst
FINN COLLINS, DECEMBER 30, 2023
12:21 a.m.: Finn: Happy birthday, Nora
8:46 a.m.: Nora: thank you
6:59 p.m.: Finn: see you tomorrow?
9:11 p.m.: Nora: wouldn’t miss it
11:23 p.m.: Finn: Good.
11:26 p.m.: Finn: my favorite time of year