Page 59 of April

“Yeah. You have those clothes that have swagger.”

“My clothes have swagger?” Linden asked with a laugh while she forked a pancake and placed it on Asher’s plate.

“You have swagger when you wear them. I wouldn’t be able to pull that off.”

“No one is asking you to have swagger. It’s just a pair of pants and a shirt.”

“But you always look so good in them. People will think I look weird.” Asher shook her head.

“No one is going to think you look weird, but if you want to go to your place, we can. Just don’t take ten years to put on your makeup.”

“When have I ever taken ten years to put it on? And I only really wear makeup when I’m at a wedding. Usually, it’s a little concealer, mascara, and some lipstick. Ten minutes, tops. I’ll just have to pull my hair back today and not do the whole thing.”

“Bacon?” Linden offered.

“One,” Asher said, holding up her finger.

Linden put a piece of bacon on Asher’s plate and passed her the syrup.

“You warmed this up?”

“You like it warm,” Linden said.

“I do, yeah,” Asher replied with a smile.

Linden cleared her throat and put two pancakes and a few pieces of bacon on her plate.

“So, what are you doing tonight?” she asked.

“No way. I cannotgo out again,” Asher told her. “I’m staying home with a book or something and going to sleep by nine, like a reasonable person.”

“I didn’t mean go out. I was just curious.”

“Areyougoing out?”

Linden shook her head and replied, “I don’t have any plans. That’s why I was asking you.”

“Oh. Well, you should do whatever you want. I’m ready to be boring tonight.”

“Want company? I can be boring,” Linden offered.

“Isn’t Bryce here?”

“Yeah, she got in last night. Why?”

“You two got close, I thought.”

“Yeah, she’s cool. We’ve texted a bunch.”

Linden took a sip of her coffee.

“You’re not hanging out with her?”

“I think she and Sophie will be doing a lot of hanging outalone,” she replied before she took a bite of the crunchy bacon. “They are coming to lunch, though. Bryce wants me to run an errand with her. Some surprise for Sophie. We’re going to Mac’s to eat. I told her I’d see if you’d come, too, so you can stay with Sophie and distract her.”

“I’m the distraction?”

“Only if you can. If not, we’ll just ask Jill to come or something.”

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