Page 38 of Getting Lucky

He plucked at the napkin a little more, depositing the little shreds into a neat pile.

“Keep doing that and there won’t be anything left,” Maisie said.

He glanced up at her and smiled in the way of someone who felt seen. “I haven’t told Iris yet, but Mom doesn’t want her to come back to Chicago for Christmas. She’s going on a cruise with a new…friend. Iris isn’t going to like that.”

“We’ll cheer her up,” she said, reaching out and putting her hand over his. She hadn’t meant to, but there was something in his eyes. That sweet sadness for his sister, for himself.

“What about you?” Jack said. “Are you going to be here?”

“I am.” The words came out before she remembered she was supposed to be getting out of this quagmire, not worming her way into it. But Molly was going to follow up the successful Datesgiving piece with the Twelve Dates of Christmas (Maisie had argued it was a blatant rip-off of the holiday movie, which Molly had openly admitted—“…but hey, free publicity!”), and Mary had invited Maisie to come stay with her family in Virginia. Maisie couldn’t travel on the holidays, or at least not on a big one like Christmas. She usually gave everyone the day off and took care of the dogs herself. Although Mary would give her a sad look if she said so, it was fun. She liked the traditions she’d established with the dogs. Taking pictures with Santa Paws (okay, it was always just River or Finn in the suit with a tacked-on beard) and giving the dogs turkey and stockings full of chew toys and treats. So, yeah, she was staying.

“Then the important people are all available,” he said. He meant the whole wedding party was available, because Georgie had picked Adalia, Dottie, Victoria, and Iris, and Maisie, Finn, Jack, and Lee were standing up with River.

Still, there’d almost been a sensual purr to his words, and if that didn’t send tingles straight to her—

“Oh, good, you’re still here,” Blue said, bustling up to the table. With glossy, curly black hair and high cheekbones, Blue was a striking woman, and Maisie found herself glancing at Jack to see how he reacted.

But when she looked at him, he met her gaze. He hadn’t looked away.

Something about the moment sent a stab of vulnerability through her, and Maisie turned from him, flagging down a server.

“Sangria,” Blue said without glancing at the menu.

“So,” Adalia said as soon as the server walked away. “Tell us everything about this support group-slash-cult you’ve joined. Although if it’s a pyramid scheme, please don’t ask us to host parties. I love you, but I refuse to sell crappy Tupperware for you.”

“I’ll keep that in mind,” Blue said with a smile. But her gaze shot to Jack, and it was clear she didn’t feel comfortable talking about her personal business in front of someone she didn’t know. The realization that Jack and Blue were strangers to each other came as a bit of a shock. But just a few weeks ago she hadn’t known Jack either, other than having seen him a couple of times in his role as Adalia’s brother.

“I’m going to order an Uber,” he said, slapping some cash down on the table. “I’d like to think some more about what we were discussing.” He had to be talking about the party, and the possibility of holding it on or in the vicinity of Christmas, but for some reason he looked at Maisie as he said it. And she couldn’t look away.

“I didn’t mean to chase you off,” Blue said, which was kind of funny, really, because Blue was the one they’d planned to meet in the first place. Leave it to Blue to apologize for attending her own girls’ night. She was too damn nice, that was her problem.

“I’ll see you ladies later,” Jack said, and then they all said their goodbyes, and he left. His absence was so marked, it felt like his empty seat had turned into a black hole.

“What in the world is happening between the two of you?” Blue asked, fanning herself to mime the heat that had been passing between them.

“Nice try, Deflector,” Maisie said. “You were telling us about your support group.”

Blue looked to Adalia for help, but Addy shook her head. “We’ll get to Maisie later.Afterwe put your new group through the cult test.”

“Sorry to disappoint,” Blue said, “but it’s not a cult.” The server delivered her drink, and she took a long gulp. “You guys know I’ve gone on a lot of awful dates lately.”

Maisie huffed a laugh. “That’s an understatement.”

Blue had reentered the dating world after some experience (heretofore unmentioned) had soured her from it, and every man she met seemed to be awful in a unique way. There’d been Leo, with his recycled tinfoil fashion creations, Rupert, who had a fake English accent but was from New Jersey, and David, who’d seemed normal and cute until half an hour into their drinks date when he’d revealed he was—shudder—a professional clown…and offered to dress up for her in the bedroom.

Blue nodded. “Well, I was on Craiglist…”

Adalia groaned out loud. “Don’t tell me you went on a Craigslist date. That’s how half the people in Lifetime movies get murdered.”

Blue made a face. “No, I was looking for some affordable bolsters for my yoga classes, but I stumbled on this ad for the Bad Luck Club. It said it was for people who’ve had a bad run in life. With dating, or I guess work, or relationships or whatever.”

“And you’re telling us this now?” Adalia asked. “I would one hundred percent have wanted to come with you.”

“I know,” Blue said, looking down into her drink. “But you don’t exactly have bad luck right now, do you?”

It was true. Adalia and Finn were gooey over each other in a way that would have been absolutely annoying if Maisie weren’t so happy for them, plus Adalia had returned to her art and was preparing for a big show in February.

“What about me?” Maisie said. Although it was kind of funny to be hurt that your friend didn’t think your luck was bad enough to warrant an invitation to a group of sad sacks.

---