Page 119 of Is Anyone Listening?
After we said our goodbyes, I couldn't drum up enough energy to change into pajamas. I just crawled under the covers and fell asleep, For the first time in almost a week, I wasn't worried about surviving the night or tomorrow…
Epilogue
Four weeks later…
I looked around my new one-bedroom apartment with enormous pleasure. I had so much more space than I'd had in the studio, and my windows now overlooked the river instead of an alley.
Since we'd returned from Stonecross, Tessa had also moved into a new apartment of her own and had no roommates for the first time in a decade. Morgan had actually broken up with Steven and had gotten her own place, too, so there had been a lot of changes in our lives.
The past four weeks had also seen Mysteries Uncorked climb to incredible heights, charting in the top five almost every week, and twice we had hit the number one spot in our genre. We'd done a series of podcasts on Stonecross, featuring different aspects of the case, including the underground railroad, which my grandmother had allowed us to talk about on the show, since it was no longer operational. She still had plans to help troubled women in the future, but she would have to find a different way to do that.
With our success, we'd signed up six sponsors, which had put enough money into our pockets to change our immediate living circumstances and given us a launchpad for the future.
My doorbell rang, interrupting my thoughts. Walking over to the intercom, I said, "Hello”, expecting to hear Tessa's voice as she and Morgan were due any minute.
But it was Finn's voice that came across the intercom, and it sent a shiver down my spine that had nothing to do with fear but only with anticipation. We'd texted and chatted by phone in the past month, and he'd told me he hoped to visit soon, but he hadn't told me when. Now, he was here, and I was so shocked and excited, all I could do was stare at the intercom.
"Cassidy? Are you going to let me in?" he asked.
"Of course. Sorry. I'm on the eighth floor."
"I've got it."
I buzzed him in, then moved quickly to the mirror over the table in the entry to check my hair and makeup. It was lucky he'd decided to come now since I'd just gotten ready for our final podcast on Stonecross.
A knock came at my door, and I ran a hand through my hair as I went to open it.
Finn gave me a smile that took my breath away. For weeks, I'd told myself he wasn't that handsome, wasn't that great, but all those thoughts went out the window now.
"Hi," he said simply.
"Hi," I echoed. "Come in. It's great to see you."
"You too."
"Why didn't you tell me you were coming to New York?"
"I wanted to surprise you. Is it okay?"
"More than okay." As we gazed at each other a little too long, I cleared my throat and said, "Do you want something to drink?"
"No. I'm going to meet Sophie and Cole in a half hour. I just couldn't wait another minute to see you, Cassidy."
We'd been dancing around the subject of us being more than allies, maybe more than friends. It had been easier to leave everything undefined and up in the air while I was in New York and he was in Stonecross. But now we were face-to-face. And the air felt like it was sizzling between us.
"How long will you be in town?"
"I'll be here for about a week. And then I'll be back…permanently."
"What?" I asked, shocked again. "You're going to move to New York? What about Kelly's Pub? What about your parents?"
"My father and I have had some long talks. He's going to promote my assistant manager to manager, and he'll supervise. He's feeling good now, and he has been itching to get back into the bar more often; he just didn't want to get in my way."
"Which means what for you?"
"I'm going to open my own place, maybe in Manhattan, possibly Brooklyn, I'm not sure. I have some leads to check out this week."
"That's amazing, Finn. This is what you want?"
