“It sounds great.” She’d said the words he wanted to hear, but her voice was flat. “I love spending time with you.” “As long as it’s doing something you want to do.” Finn bit the inside of his cheek. One of the many tells that he was annoyed. “Okay, well, you can go to a spa or something and I’ll meet you after the games,” he said. “So you watch a game, and I get a massage, and we meet up for a hot dog and beer? That’s a romantic getaway? Why don’t you go to Chicago for the games, and I’ll go to Mackinac Island and stay at the Grand Hotel. That way you won’t have to spend any time with me at all.” The food arrived and the pair fell into silence, each taking their own piece of naan instead of tearing off the same piece as they usually did. “I thought that would make you happy,” Finn muttered. “I know.” She took a breath, and answered in a half whisper, “That’s the problem.” Finn stabbed at his chicken, taking a large piece on his fork and into his mouth. “Spicier than usual,” he said. He drank his water in one gulp, so Hollis moved her water glass toward him while she looked to get the waiter’s attention. “Thanks,” Finn said, finishing her glass just as the waiter came over with refills. “Of course.” Then they returned to silence for a while before Hollis remembered that a colleague’s retirement party was at the end of the week and they needed to decide on a gift. It wasn’t much, but it was, at least, the kind of comfortable, if somewhat dull, conversation that could carry them through dinner. This is the life I wanted, she thought when the waiter brought over mango kulfi with two spoons. She dug in, and let the ice cream soothe
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