Page 98 of April

“Doyou?”

“Do I what? Have powers?”

“No,thatI already know. Do you have women messaging you every day?” Linden asked.

“Yes,” Asher said. “Not as many as you, though. And what do you mean you already know that one?”

“You have powers, Ash. I keep telling you that you have no clue how amazing you are. You got a–” Linden stopped and diverted, “Stephanie Galetti to message you on the app when, apparently, she doesn’t do that very often.”

“We’re going to call her by her real name from now on?”

“Did she let you call her by her real name, or did she insist you call her Stephania?”

“I didn’t ask,” she said.

“I bet she’d tell you that you could call her Steph or some cool nickname she has with her friends.”

“Want me to text her right now and ask?” she teased.

“What? No,” Linden said.

“I’ll delete the app when I get home,” Asher said. “I don’t want it, Linden. I never really did. I just didn’t know what to do.”

Linden didn’t say anything. She appeared to be looking over Asher’s shoulder at something or someone, so Asher turned just in time to see an older woman at a folding table. When the woman winked, Asher didn’t know whether she was winking at Linden or at her.

“Isn’t that the woman from the other night? The one you were talking to?”

“Yeah, I guess,” Linden said, returning her attention to Asher. “Let’s go.”

“Why did she wink at us?”

“No idea,” Linden replied. “Want to make beignets at your place?”

“I’ve only got the mix. We’ve been over this.” Asher laughed as they started walking again.

“Fine. We’re buying the other stuff, taking it to your place so that you have everything there, and we’re making beignets tonight, Asher.”

Asher continued to laugh as they walked around Jackson Square.

???

An hour later, she was unlocking her front door, with Linden behind her, carrying their grocery bag and the to-go bags from the restaurant. Asher pushed the door open for her, dropped her purse and keys, and went to help Linden with the food.

“Can I put these in the fridge?” Linden asked.

“Yeah, there should be space. I haven’t shopped this week, and tonight, I only bought oil, powdered sugar, and your potato chips.”

“I got you a candy bar, too,” Linden said, walking by her and moving into her kitchen.

“I don’t eat candy bars, Linden.”

“It’s a healthy one.”

“There’s no such thing!” she yelled after Linden as she kicked off her shoes.

“It’s called Justin’s or something, and it’s supposedly all natural and better for you than the stuff the rest of us like. Just eat the damn thing and tell me if you like it so that I know.”

Asher made her way into the kitchen and watched as Linden moved around it like she knew it as well as her own, and Asher knew that she did. She smiled at the thought that things were still so normal between them even though they had expressed feelings of more than friendship just a couple of hours ago.

---