Page 101 of October
“Babe, let’s go inside. Maybe they were talking or something.” Juliet turned her head. “Is that India?” she asked and turned back to look at Molly with a concerned expression on her face.
“She’s here as Finley’s friend,” Molly shared. “I didn’t know.”
“You invited India?” Juliet asked.
“Can we do this whole ‘scold Finley for being an idiot’ thing later, maybe? There’s a party or something we’re supposed to be attending. Besides, my girlfriend is the only one, really, who can be mad at me for inviting my ex, anyway.”
“Girlfriend?” Juliet asked.
Finley closed her eyes. She hadn’t meant to say that.
“Let’s just get inside,” Molly suggested. “India is waiting patiently, and by patiently, I mean she’s glaring at us.”
She pulled her hand away from Finley’s, and they all walked toward the back gate together. Molly joined Juliet and Gwen, leaving Finley back with India, who still held on to her fruit tray.
“You’re in trouble,” India said. “I should just go. You can take the fruit tray.”
“If I’m already in trouble, you should just stay. I can’t get into any more trouble, right?”
“I don’t know, Finley. Did you invite any of your other exes to this party without telling your current?”
“I’m an idiot,” she said.
“Here, have a strawberry,” India said, removing the bit of cellophane from her tray and shoving a berry into Finley’s mouth. “Feel better?”
“What? No,” she said as she chewed.
Molly had, of course, chosen that moment to turn around and saw the exchange between them.
“Can you walk, like, far ahead of me and maybe let Jules introduce you around?” Finley asked.
“Sure. I’ll stay out of your way.”
“Thank you,” she said.
India walked through the gate right after Gwen and Juliet, which left Molly and Finley standing outside. Music was playing, and Finley could see two dogs running around.
“Gwen brought Carly over earlier and left her to play with Buster. I guess they’re boyfriend and girlfriend,” Molly said as she looked out at the women in the yard. “I don’t even really know these people. What am I doing here?”
“It’s a party. You cangetto know them.”
“It’s a lot of people, though,” Molly said. “And they’re all coupled off. That makes it harder.”
Finley placed her free hand on Molly’s back and rubbed it.
“You’re here with me, Molls.”
“AmI?” she asked.
“You said Ava might be here.”
“She’s over there,” Molly replied, pointing to Ava, who was standing next to Rory and Candace. “Why?”
“I thought she and India might hit it off.”
“You set your ex up with Ava?” Molly turned to her.
“I knew she’d at least have one single woman to talk to, and I thought maybe they would like each other enough to hang out. You’re not interested in–”
