Page 103 of April

“Yup.” Jill nodded. “Kyle couldn’t get it out of you, and Sophie, apparently, failed miserably. Mel and Bryce would be too obvious. Bridgette and Monica just said they’d wait for you to tell them, so I was sent in. You two made it really easy on me, though, so thanks for that.”

Asher laughed and asked, “How did you even know we’d be here?”

“I didn’t. I went to the office first. Mel told me to take the afternoon if I had to. We’re all very invested in this now. I tried the pizza place you said you went to sometimes first and then here.”

“My God!” Asher laughed as she lowered her head to Linden’s shoulder.

Linden looked at Jill and smiled at her.

“You two look really happy,” Jill noted. “And now that I’ve confirmed what we’d all hoped, I will leave you two alone to talkabout those boring napkin folds.” Jill winked at them and rose, not waiting for a reply.

When she was gone, Asher lifted her head, turned to Linden, and said, “They all know.”

“Is that okay? We didn’t have to–”

“It was either that or keep listening to you try to discuss how boring napkin folding is. I was really interested in what other excuses you were going to come up with to try to get rid of her.”

“Oh, next up would’ve been seating charts. I had a few fake-aunt names to mention in there that the also-fake-bride needed to find seats for. These aunts all hate each other, so they need to be sat far apart, but the logistics of that is a nightmare,” Linden joked.

Asher smiled at her.

“Hey, want to go out with me again?” Linden asked.

“Name the time and place.”

“Tonight. We’ll grab dinner somewhere. I’ll see if Mel can get us a reservation. She owes us.”

“Has Bryce paid you for our dinnerlastnight yet?”

“Surprisingly, yes,” Linden replied, but she didn’t want to talk anymore.

She leaned in and kissed Asher again, slowly moving her lips against hers, wanting to only dothisfor the rest of their lunch.

CHAPTER 27

“You’re going out again, so why are you mad at me?” Sophie asked.

“I’m not mad,” Asher said into the phone.

“Yousoundmad.”

“No, I’m busy. I’m looking for something to wear on my second date with my best friend, and I can’t find anything.”

“Asher, you have a closet of designer clothes,” Sophie reminded her.

“Yes, but none of them will work for a date with Linden.”

She pushed coat hangers aside, stared at one dress, and then moved it away to glance at another.

“All of them will work. She’s probably seen you in all of them anyway, right?”

“Yes.” Asher stopped moving. “That’s the problem.”

“Problem?”

“She’s seen me in everything I own. I should’ve gone shopping after work and bought something. Why didn’t I think of that?”

Sophie laughed and replied, “Asher, she doesn’t care what you wear. She just wants to be your date, okay?”

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