Page 122 of April

“Jesus. It’s no wonder she said yes,” Linden said. “But I can’t go to Dallas.”

“Why not?” her boss asked, sighing loudly. “How do you go from asking me to go to Dallas and me turning you down to me offering you the job and you turning me down, all within the same week?”

“I never wanted Dallas specifically, Carolyn. Asher is my best friend,” she said without offering further explanation. “She’s always been in this office with me. I was trying to figure out a way for us to still see each other all the time, and I impulsively went into your office to ask about Dallas because I thought that if she was there, I wanted to be there, too. But even if Asher was going, I don’t think I want to leave New Orleans.”

“Well, you don’t have to worry about that now.” Carolyn picked up the piece of paper. “Damn it.”

“I’m sorry.”

“It’s not your fault. I’ll just have to open an external search now, and I wasn’t prepared for that. I don’t have anyone else I can or want to offer it to who’s here, and I never pictured both of you saying no to me.”

“What do you mean? Asher said yes to you.”

“She did, yes.” Carolyn sighed and leaned back in her chair again. “Well, you two are best friends… She’s going to tell you anyway, right?”

“Tell me what?”

“I saw her a little while ago, and she rescinded her acceptance. She wants to stay here and continue being a planner out of this office,” Carolyn said.

“She didwhat?” Linden asked, surprised.

“Just about an hour ago, actually. Took me by surprise, too. All she had to do was sign the offer letter tomorrow, and it would’ve been all wrapped up with a nice red bow. Now, you’re turning me down, too.” Carolyn looked skeptically at her. “She really didn’t tell you?”

“No,” Linden replied. “Last I talked to her, she was still moving in a few months.”

“She’s, apparently, changed her mind. I would’ve taken another run at her or given her more time to consider everything, but she seemed sure, and I need to get someone hired in this role to help me get the office ready to launch.”

Asher’s mysterious errand today, it turned out, had been to talk to Carolyn in person about not going to Dallas. Asher wasn’t moving. Not only that, but Linden had expected her boss to tell her that she’d been the one to change her mind about asking Asher to run the office, and that was why this offer was now in her lap. She hadn’t expected Carolyn to tell her thatAsherhad changed her mind. It was Asher’s choice.Shewanted to stay. Linden smiled.

“Why are you smiling? Are you changing your mind?”

“Oh, no. Sorry, no. I’m staying here.”

“Well, I guess it’s good that I still have my top two planners here to keep things going because I’m going to be spending a lot of time on this other office,” Carolyn said. “You can go, obviously. I’d just ask that you keep this between you and me for now. I don’t want the rest of the staff to know that I’m going external until I’m ready to announce it later this week.”

“Of course,” Linden said and stood. “Sorry, again.”

“You don’t have to apologize. If you see Asher, can you maybe not tell her that I told you?”

“Sure,” she replied, knowing that wouldn’t be an issue.

She left Carolyn sitting behind her desk, with her laptop back open, and walked over to Asher’s office. Linden smiled atit, knowing that Asher would be occupying it beyond the next few months and wondering why Asher hadn’t just told her about what she’d been planning to do. Linden would’ve been so happy. They probably would’ve made love again to celebrate the fact that they could really be together now with no threat of distance and new, busy jobs to keep them apart. When she got to her car, she pulled her phone back out and smiled again when she saw a text from Asher.

Asher Hahn: Hey, I’m home. Is everything okay? Your message was ambiguous, at best. I have Henry’s for you, and I got those chips you love. Two bags. I might even steal some since I burned a lot of calories last night. Can you message me and let me know when you’ll be back?

Linden’s smile widened, and she typed a response.

Linden Washington: Like you weren’t ambiguous this morning with your little errand.

The three dots appeared immediately.

Asher Hahn: Please tell me that you didn’t run out to buy a sex toy. I see you’ve arranged the ones I have on the bed. Does that mean you thought my collection was lacking, and you wanted to get a different one for us to try?

Linden laughed and typed.

Linden Washington: I’ll tell you when I get home. I’m on my way now. I only laid those out because I was looking at them. They’re in no particular order. Feel free to let your mild OCD put them back in the bin just like you had them before.

Then, she messaged again.

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