Page 37 of Happily Ever After

“Hi,” Gigi said. “I’m so glad you invited me to meet you. I love this place.”

“Me, too,” Maude said. “Coffee’s good, and the music is just loud enough that no one can eavesdrop.”

Gigi laughed. “True. And I’m a sucker for those ’80s tunes.”

They sat. Gigi set her purse carefully on the chair beside her, then glanced toward the counter. “I should order. That muffin looks good. Or is that a cupcake?”

“I keep asking myself the same thing,” Maude said. She’d been trying not to eat too much before Gigi got here. “You’re welcome to half if you want it.”

Gigi’s eyes widened. “Don’t tempt me. I’ve been trying to behave.”

Maude smiled. “It’s Sunday. Isn’t that the universal cheat day?”

Gigi laughed. “Maybe.” She went to the counter and ordered, then came back with a hot latte and a small lemon Danish on a plate. “You talked me into it.”

“Lemon is a good choice.”

Gigi slid into her chair, shoulders relaxing as if she’d finally accepted this wasn’t an ambush. “This is nice,” she said, looking around. “It’s been…a week.”

Maude nodded. She was happy to let Gigi talk if she wanted to. Maybe she’d even let something slip about Darcy. “How so?”

Gigi took a sip of her latte, then exhaled. “I feel like everyone’s on edge lately. The whole community center thing with the book club stuff…all the talk.”

Maude kept her expression neutral. “There’s been a lot of that.”

Gigi glanced at her. “I’m not trying to gossip. I just—” She stopped and gave a small shrug. “It’s hard not to notice. I’m not blind.”

“I think most people have noticed, not just you,” Maude said.

Gigi looked relieved by that, like Maude’s agreement was her permission to keep going. “Darcy says things are going to change,” she continued. “That people have been getting away with doing whatever they want and it’s time someone fixed it.”

Maude listened, hands wrapped around her iced coffee. The condensation cooled her fingers, but inside, her ire was rising.

“What do you think about all of that?” Maude asked.

Gigi hesitated. “I think…some things could be more fair,” she said carefully. “But I also think people are making it personal.”

Maude nodded once. “You mean people like Darcy.”

It wasn’t a question, but Maude was curious how Gigi would respond.

“Yes,” Gigi said quietly. She looked down at her pastry and picked at the flaky edge of it. “I don’t like conflict,” she admitted. “And I don’t like what Darcy’s been doing to Paige. I just want to feel like I fit somewhere. That’s all I’ve ever wanted.”

There it was. Plain and simple. Essie had been right about Gigi. At least partially.

Maude kept her voice steady. “That makes sense. So you know about Darcy then? How she’s been going after Paige?”

Gigi glanced up, searching Maude’s face for judgment. Maude didn’t give her any. Gigi nodded. “I just recently found out. And I don’t blame Paige for going on Cece’s podcast and telling the truth.” She took a breath. “It was a brilliant move. Done with class.”

Maude’s brows lifted, but she held her tongue. She was ready to invite Gigi, but she wanted to be sure Gigi wasn’t suddenly going to make excuses for Darcy.

They sat for a moment while the noise of the café crowded in. The music, the spoons clinking against cups, someone laughing too loudly at the table nearby, the steady hiss of the espresso machine.

Maude took a sip of her iced coffee then set it down. She wanted this to go well and since it seemed liked Gigi wasn’t about to defend Darcy, it also seemed like the right time.

She looked at Gigi. “I asked you here because I like you,” she said. “And because I wanted to talk to you without the possibility of someone interrupting us. Or adding their own two cents.”

“You mean Darcy.”