Page 15 of Treat

“Babe, that’sgreat.”

“Yeah.”

There was a delicate pause, then Amy said, “And yet, you sound like your dog just died.”

“I don’t have a dog.”

“Is this about your crush on him?”

“I object to the term crush,” Brynn said with all the dignity she could muster. “I’m a grown woman, not a twelve-year-old girl.”

“Fine, I’ll use grown-up words. Is this about you being in love with your boss?”

“On second thought, let’s go back to crush. I’m not in love with him.”

“Close enough.”

“Close only counts in hand grenades and horseshoes.”

“As far as your career is concerned, being romantically and sexually obsessed with your bossisa hand grenade.”

“Obsessed is a strong word,” Brynn objected.

“Who do you think about when you masturbate?” Amy asked.

“None of your business.”

“Yeah, I’m sticking with obsessed.”

Brynn scowled into the phone. “You’re one to talk. You’ve been in love with Isaac since the tenth grade.”

“Yes, but I’m not trying to blow up my life over it.”

“Maybe you should,” Brynn muttered.

“What?”

“Never mind.” The topic of Amy’s unrequited love for Brynn’s older brother had been declared off-limits years ago, and she could tell by her friend’s tone that wasn’t about to change. “I don’t know why I talk to you about this stuff.”

“Because I’m your best friend, and you love me.”

Brynn nestled deeper into the bean bag. Tilly snuffled, shifted, and settled back down with a rumbling snore. “I’m getting new friends.”

“Okay. Until you do, do you want to stay with me? Just until your paycheck gets straightened out and you can get your own place?”

“I can’t do my job in Detroit if I’m living with you in Adrian,” Brynn pointed out.

“You never heard of remote work?”

“I can’t,” she said, ignoring the little voice in the back of her head sayingyou can, you just don’t want to.“But thank you.”

“Well, you can’t stay there now that Jude’s back,” Amy said. “Do you need me to get you a hotel?”

“No, Jude offered to cover it,” Brynn said and told herself that, technically, it was the truth.

“Least he could do,” was Amy’s opinion of that. “When are you supposed to hear about your paycheck?”

“I don’t know. They’re working on it.”

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