Page 35 of October
“Let’s split it.”
“I’ve got it,” Finley said. “I asked you here, so it’s only fair.”
After she paid, they walked out with their bags in hand, and Molly drove Finley home. It was relatively quiet in the car again, and Finley didn’t want to say anything, but she also had to know, so she cleared her throat and decided to risk it.
“So, the Ava thing… You’re really okay?”
“Ava thing? What thing?”
“Your date was on a date with–”
“It wasonedate, Finley,” Molly told her through light laughter. “And maybe a second one.”
“Maybe?” she asked, grasping onto that word.
“Well, I don’t think she’s going out with Michelle again, but she’s on an app for however much longer, so it’s not like she’s just sitting at home waiting for us to have date number two.”
“Wereyoudoing that?” Finley asked.
“No,Iwas at a football game with my friends.”
Finley smiled over at her and replied, “The jersey looks good on you. Did I tell you that?”
“I’ll give it back to you when we park, unless you want me to wash it first and give it to you at work.”
“I told you to keep it,” Finley replied.
“It’s India’s. I don’t really want to keep it,” Molly said.
“It’s not India’s, Molls.” She sighed. “Not sure if there’s any bad energy attached to it or anything, but I didn’t want to give you hers. It’s still at home in the back of a drawer. This is a new one.”
Molly smirked as if she’d known that all along.
“You saw me yank the tag off, didn’t you?”
“Yes. Very smooth.” Molly laughed.
“Yeah, I forgot.”
“Why did you buy it for me?” Molly asked as she pulled into the parking lot for Finley’s apartment building after listening to the GPS on her phone tell her where to turn.
“I wanted you to have it,” she said.
“But I told you I’m not even a football fan.”
“Maybe so, but you sat there with me and paid attention. You also, apparently, got Juliet to teach you some stuff for today. Hell, you showed up at all. It’s not like India ever did any of those things.”
Molly pulled up to the door and said, “This was expensive. I should pay you for it.”
“It’s a gift, Molls. That’s not how gifts work.” Finley turned to her. “Iwantyou to have it, okay? If we ever go to another game together, you’ll have something to wear.”
“Fine, but let’s make a deal.”
“Deal?”
“If we go to another game together, I’m buying us the tickets. Don’t think I didn’t notice that you collected money from everyone but me today. I know Jules paid you for her and Gwen’s tickets, and I saw Rusty handing you cash for his and Emily’s.”
“Deal,” Finley said, avoiding the topic of her not asking Molly to pay for her own ticket. “I’ll see you at work tomorrow?”
