Page 7 of Masquerade Mistake

“The mysterious Finn maker,” she says dramatically. “Man, that kid is going to be so messed up when he eventually asks about his father, and you can’t even tell him his name.”

I throw a piece of croissant at her, and it lands in her hair before she can duck.

“Not funny.” But really, it’s something that’s worried me, especially as Finn gets older. It’s only a matter of time before he starts wondering why he doesn’t have a dad like all the other kids, and I have no idea how to explain this. My fingers automatically reach for the opal starfish necklace at my neck, just like I do whenever I feel out of place. Maren gave it to me the day Finn was born, though she told me it was from Finn. I’d kept it on since then. It reminds me of my two favorite people in the world, and the truest family I have.

“You are not your mother,” Maren says, naming the thing I’m really afraid of as I clutch the starfish. “You slept with one guy your whole entire life, and it just so happened he had really ambitious sperm. Besides, if you hadn’t, you wouldn’t have this amazing kid named Finn.”

“You’re right,” I say, releasing the charm so I can squeeze her arm.

“I’m also right that you need to get out there and start dating.” She shushes me when I open my mouth to protest. “I’m serious, Claire. While you’re still young and hot. Otherwise gravity is going to take its toll, and, well…” She raises an eyebrow and then glances at my chest.

“Shut up!” I laugh, but I also feel flustered by her insistence. “I know you’re just trying to help, but I won’t put Finn through that.”

Maren gives me a pointed look. “First off, what your mom was doing was not dating. It was bringing home every guy she met and staying out for days at a time. I know you, and there’s no way you’d be that kind of mom. But aren’t you lonely?”

“Why would I be lonely? I have Finn. And I have you. And on brief occasions, I have my mom. That’s all the humans I need in my life, thank you very much.” I finish my croissant and clear both of our plates from the table. Maren looks at the time on her phone before she stands, slipping her messenger bag over her head and across her body.

“So, you’re not even going to consider this guy? What if I told you he has abs for days and a happy trail that leads to his…”

“Where did you see him? At the strip club?”

“Nah, it wasn’t Tuesday,” Maren jokes. “He came into the coffee shop.”

“He came in without his shirt on?” I raise an eyebrow at her. “What kind of place are you working at?”

“He ordered his coffee black, and you know I can assess a man by his coffee order.”

If I hadn’t seen it with my own eyes, I would have thought she was lying. But she’d proven it with the guys she’d dated in the past. Elias had been all about the triple shot mochas, and he’d cheated on her within the first few weeks. Shane liked his cappuccinos with extra foam, and well, he swung for the other team now. And then there was Lance…

“Remember the tea drinker from Britain?”

“Oh God, do I.” She pretends to faint. Until Lance, Maren thought tea drinkers were a step above cat hoarders. Then he showed her his talents.

“I didn’t see you for three full weeks,” I say, laughing.

“He was my first tea drinker, and he won’t be my last,” she promises. Lance had only been in the States for a short time, and Maren didn’t have the patience for long distance. Honestly, I don’t think Maren has the patience for relationships at all, since she’s never stuck with the same man for more than a few months.

“Why can’t you date your co-worker’s cousin if he’s so hot.”

“You know I don’t have time for dating right now. That’s what fuck buddies are for.”

I roll my eyes. Maren has been seeing this loser named Brock for the past few months, but I’ve never met the guy. She doesn’t even know what kind of coffee he drinks, which shows how little she cares for him. Still, I wish she’s settle down with someone who was worth it rather than these loser guys taking up space in her bed.

“Besides, I have a gig almost every night,” Maren continues. “Which reminds me, I have one tonight at Hillside in the Marina District. It’s early and family friendly, so you could totally come with Finn.” A few years ago, Maren got serious about her music, never turning down a gig no matter how awful the pay was. Now she’s like the Joan Jett of the local scene and has amassed a small gathering of fans. But I know Maren has bigger ideas for her music career, one that will get her out of coffee for good and into huge stadiums. “So, can you come?” she asks.

“Hmm, let’s see. I have a standing date with Outlander tonight, but I suppose I could cancel.”

“Girl, it’s early enough that you could go, eat dinner, totally fangirl on me, and make it home in time to see Jamie’s butt on your tiny phone screen. Speaking of butts, you should see Nina’s cousin.”

I glare at her as she walks out the door laughing.

Chapter 3

I use the time before Finn comes home to get some of my errands done. I start with the post office, lugging a dolly full of packages up the ramp. The carriers here know me by name. Sometimes this feels like my version of a social life as I make small talk with the clerk stamping my packages.

When I head for the store, the street I usually drive to get home is blocked with traffic, so I turn down a side street that will take me miles out of my way—and right near my old neighborhood.

I haven’t seen my mom in months. The last time I came by this guy, Duke, answered the door, then he disappeared in a back bedroom as if he didn’t want anything to do with her, either. She was lying on the couch surrounded by coffee cups filled with ashes and cigarette butts, and a few empty bottles next to a plate of food with something unrecognizable rotting on it. Across from her, some talk show blared on the TV. Between the noise, the stench of smoke and grease, and the sight of my mom’s obvious deterioration, I couldn’t stay longer than ten minutes.

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