Page 35 of April

“She means well,” Monica added, rubbing the back of Bridgette’s neck.

“She went home,” Asher said.

“Ash, what happened?” Linden asked.

“It was fine. Just kind of fizzled into more of a friendship thing, maybe.”

“That happens,” Sophie replied.

“Why, though?” Jill asked.

“Well, she has a daughter that I didn’t know about. No big deal in general, but I don’t want to date someone with a kid. It’s the first woman I’d be dating, and I guess I’m selfish. I want to be a priority in a relationship, and I couldn’t ask that of a mom, you know? Your kids are number one. It’s my fault for realizing this very important thing about myself just now because a lot of women I might end up meeting could have kids, but I just don’t want to go there.”

“I don’t think that’s selfish. I think you know what you want. That’s important,” Sophie replied.

“She’s very smart, has a great job, and she’s beautiful, too. I just wasn’t feeling it. There wasn’t a spark.”

“She made you laugh,” Kyle noted.

“She did?” Asher seemed to ask herself. “Oh, no. I just spilled sauce on myself.” She pointed to her blouse, which had a wet spot on it. “I was able to get it out with water, but I was laughing because, of course, I spilled something on a date.”

“Are you okay?” Linden checked.

“I’m okay,” Asher replied, looking down and smiling at her. “But I was thinking about maybe getting out of here and drowning my sorrows in a real drink. Anyone interested in paying the bill and joining me across the street?”

“I’m in,” Jill said.

“Me too. I can’t stay too long, though. I need to call Bryce,” Sophie said.

“I need to get home,” Bridgette replied. “Early meeting with someone who wants to pick up our cards in a chain of stores they own in San Francisco.”

“I’m with her,” Monica said. “But I’m sorry it didn’t work out, Asher.”

“I’m picking my sister up at the airport at seven tomorrow morning, so I’m going to call it a night,” Kyle said.

“And I’m with her,” Melinda added, pointing at her girlfriend.

“Let’s go,” Linden replied. “I just need a minute to pay, and I’ll buy your drinks tonight.”

“You will?” Asher asked.

“Yes. And we shouldn’t be drowning sorrows tonight. We should be celebrating because you just did something brave, Ash. You learned something about yourself and went for it. That’s great. Let’s celebrate, okay?”

Asher nodded but didn’t say anything else. Minutes later, they’d all paid their respective bills and were outside, saying goodbye to Melinda and Kyle, along with Bridgette and Monica. Sophie, Jill, Asher, and Linden walked across the street to a bar where they knew they would be able to dance if they wanted to, get a decent drink, and find a place to sit if they were lucky. It was only a little after nine, so the place wasn’t crowded yet. Linden went to the bar and ordered drinks for everyone, including a strong one for Asher, who hadn’t driven, so she could really enjoy herself tonight if she wanted. When she returned to the group, they’d found a round table with four chairs, which would be impossible to find in another hour.

“So, no spark?” Sophie asked Asher.

“Thank you,” Asher said to Linden when she placed her drink in front of her.

“You’re welcome,” Linden replied with a smile.

“And yes, no spark,” Asher replied to Sophie. “Why is that, though? I mean, I think she’s my type. Not that I have any experience with types when it comes to women, but she’s all the things I said before: smart, pretty, well put-together.”

“What did you talk about besides the fact that she has a kid?” Jill asked.

“Work, mostly. She’s a curator. I’ve been to that museum a few times. I did a wedding there once, actually. It was really sweet. This older couple had been married for decades and wanted to renew their vows. They met during the war, when she was a nurse and he was in the hospital. They’re both NOLA locals, so they wanted to make it special and do it there.”

“Thatissweet,” Sophie said. “All those years together. Crazy.”

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