Page 79 of April

“Yes. But if this is something that’s important to you, we can talk and work on a plan. It just can’t happen right now. If Asher says no, I was going to go outside, but if you’re interested in running the office, we can talk about that. I’d need to know thatyou really want to do that, though, and it would mean giving up most of what you’re doing now.”

“But Asher would be here,” she said mostly to herself.

“Yes. It would only be if she declines.”

“Right.”

“Linden, you’d make really good money this year if you handle Asher’s accounts and end up getting referrals for next year. You’d easily be my top earner, and there are bonuses and things like that as well that Asher’s been winning every year for which you’d be eligible with her gone. I viewed this as a step up for both of you.”

“Yeah, thanks,” she said as she stood. “I’ll give everything you said some thought.”

The truth was that she hadn’t thought about Dallas at all before walking into her boss’s office. She’d heard Asher say that she was going to leave, and Linden had waited only until Asher was back in her own office before she’d marched into Carolyn’s and asked about it. She hadn’t ever wanted to leave New Orleans or run her own office. She liked what she did. As she headed back to her office, she realized that part of what she liked about her job was thatAsherwas there every day. Linden had joined the company after her, and she had sat across from Asher for years before they got their own offices. Eventhatchange was hard. Linden had spent more time in Asher’s office than her own most days of the week, like she had separation anxiety, until finally, she got used to working next door instead of across desks. If Asher wasn’t here on the days when they weren’t out visiting venues, meeting with vendors, or at the weddings they’d planned, this job wouldn’t be as much fun for her.

Linden sat back down at her desk and thought about what she wanted. She had been to Dallas a handful of times, and it was a city like most others, she thought, but it wasn’t home. She’d grown up here and had gone to school in Baton Rouge, but shehad returned to New Orleans after, planning on living the rest of her days in her hometown. Nowhere else felt as special as this place did to her, so while she knew shecouldmake it work somewhere else, it wouldn’t feel like home to her.

As Asher walked by her open door, someone stopped her to talk. Linden watched the exchange and took in Asher’s perfect auburn hair that was falling in waves today and the pencil skirt and tucked-in silk blouse she was wearing with her heels that matched, accentuating her long legs that were toned from all that healthy eating and time in the gym. She was beautiful.

“She’s leaving,” she said to herself.

Linden knew then, the real reason she wasn’t happy. It had nothing to do with herbest friendpossibly moving. That would be hard enough, but it wasmorethan that. She watched Asher laugh at whatever their co-worker was talking about, and she smiled because she loved Asher’s laugh. It was always genuine, even when it didn’t need to be because someone at work was telling her something that probably wasn’t all that funny.

“She’s dating a supermodel now,” Linden told herself. “She’s leaving and dating someone who can offer her way more thanyoucan.”

Asher turned then, as if she’d heard her, and she gave her an inquisitive smile. Linden gave her a forced one back and watched Asher finish her conversation and head toward Carolyn’s office. This was it. Asher was about to tell Carolyn that she wanted to move to Dallas. Everything in Linden’s life was about to change, and none of it was in a good way. She picked up her phone.

“Hey,” Bryce said, answering her call.

“Hey. I know you’re here for Sophie, but any chance you can grab lunch with me?”

“Sure. Soph is working anyway. I was just working on the script. When?”

“Whenever,” she replied.

“Hour?”

“Yeah. Meet me here?”

“Okay. Is everything all right, Linden?”

“Not really, no,” she answered honestly.

“Do you want to talk about it now or at lunch?”

“Lunch. I can’t really talk about it now anyway.”

“Okay. I’ll swing by in an hour.”

“Just you, right?”

“Just me,” Bryce promised.

“Thanks, Bryce.”

Linden hung up and got back to work, but it was difficult to focus on anything, knowing what she knew now.

“Do you want to grab lunch?” Asher asked her minutes later.

Linden looked up and replied, “Can’t. I have plans.”

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