Page 17 of October
“You have two jerseys?” Molly asked.
“Technically, I have three,” she said and sat back in her chair, giving up on packing her stuff. “I bought a used one at a thrift store when I first got here. Then, I bought two new ones.”
“Why two? Two favorite players?”
Finley shook her head and said, “One for me. One for India, but she didn’t want it. It was a stupid gift idea I had. I thought I’d get the jersey for her for her birthday, and we’d both have one and could wear them to a game. I got us decent tickets, too. It was dumb. I knew she wasn’t a football fan. I just thought it could be something to do together. She got us tickets to the ballet, and I went.”
“No jersey wearing at the ballet, I take it?”
“No,” Finley said and laughed a little. “Never been?”
“To the ballet? No,” Molly replied. “I’d feel really out of place there. I assume wearing jeans and a T-shirt is frowned upon?”
Finley laughed harder and said, “Yes, she made me dress up. I don’t mind dressing up when it’s my choice, but I had to wear these uncomfortable pants, and my shoes were new and hadn’t been broken in yet, so my feet hurt at the end of the night. Anyway, I shouldn’t have given her the jersey. She didn’t want it. It’s still in my apartment.”
“You don’t think she’ll take it when she gets her stuff from your place eventually?”
“The jersey? No,” she replied. “That thing is in a drawer. She doesn’t even remember that I bought it for her.”
“I’m sorry,” Molly said.
“For what?”
“That she didn’t appreciate the gesture.”
Finley swallowed and said, “It wasn’t a good idea to give it to her forherbirthday when it was somethingIliked.”
“You did it because you wanted to share something you love with her. I think that’s a good idea.” Molly shrugged hershoulders and looked at her computer. “My monitor has been behaving all week, by the way.”
“Yeah?” Finley smiled. “That’s good. Did you get a survey?”
Molly laughed and said, “Yes. I gave you a perfect ten for your service.”
Finley tipped a fake hat to her and, in her best Southern accent, said, “Why, thank you kindly, Madam. Much obliged.”
Molly laughed again and said, “No, thank you for fixing it. I’ve enjoyed the fact that it stays on all the time and doesn’t drive me crazy.”
“So, no other plans this weekend? Just the game?” Finley asked, trying to return them to her original question.
“No. Why?”
“Nothing. I just… Well, I overheard you. Sorry, I didn’t mean to eavesdrop.”
“Overheard wha–” Molly nodded in realization. “On the phone just now?”
“Yeah, sorry.”
“No, it’s my fault for taking the call here. I just got out of a meeting when my phone rang, and it rarelyrings. It’s usually a text. But she was driving home and thought it was easier to call.”
“She?”
“Ava,” Molly replied.
“She’s your… girlfriend?”
“What? No,” Molly said with a laugh. “We just met. It was a blind date. A friend of a friend set us up.”
“I didn’t know you were dating anyone,” Finley replied. “Not that Ineedto know or anything. We were just talking about the tickets a few weeks ago, and you said you didn’t need one of the extras because–”
