Page 17
Story: April (New Orleans #4)
A ssuming it wasn’t actually Stephania who’d messaged her but someone else who was hiding behind a real woman’s identity, Asher was tempted to ignore the message altogether, but she kept glancing at her phone as she sat at her desk at work. She knew she was right; she knew it. Someone was just trying to get her to meet up with a model, but it would end up being a fifty-year-old man who did this for fun because he lived with his aging, sick mother and had no friends. It had to be that, right?
Asher Hahn : This is a joke, right? A trick? If you’re not Stephania, can you just tell me now so that I don’t waste my time? It’s not like anything would happen if we met in person and you turned out to be someone else. I’m not sure many people would want anything to do with a liar who’s pretending to be a famous person.
She hit send on the message before she could talk herself out of it, set the phone back down, and opened her work email on her computer. Seconds later, she received a notification. Great, someone was confessing, and she would no longer have to wonder if she was being lied to. Asher opened the app again and noticed that there was a request to receive a video message. The app did that when someone received a video from someone else for the first time. Asher didn’t click on it, but as she was trying to figure out what to do, a regular message came in right below the file.
Stephania : I promise, it’s not a dick pic. It’s just a video of me proving to you who I am. I get this a lot. Yes, it’s me. Yes, I’m on this app. I’ve been on it for years. I travel a lot, so it’s hard to date and meet people sometimes, and every so often, I scroll through profiles. I rarely reach out, but I saw yours, and I wanted to. If you don’t believe me, that’s fine. Watch the video. Hopefully, that helps. If you want to chat here for a while, that’s cool. I’m in New Orleans for the next three weeks, but I’m actually buying a house here, too, soon, I hope, so I’ll be back.
The message ended with a smiling face emoji.
Asher couldn’t resist. She clicked on the video message and prayed she wasn’t about to get an unsolicited video of a guy getting himself off or a woman doing the same. She also prayed that she wasn’t about to get some malware or virus installed on her phone.
“Hi, Asher,” Stephania said in the video. “It’s Stephania.” She pointed to herself. “Really me. I’m in New Orleans at the studio today, doing a shoot for a magazine.” She moved the phone a bit so that the camera showed one of the local film studios behind her. “And I’d love to talk to you on the app or meet for coffee. Public place; I know. I’ll wear a hat or something.” She laughed. “Anyway, if you’re interested, let me know. If not, I get it, but it really is me.”
The woman smiled again, and the video ended.
“Shit,” Asher said in disbelief.
She’d said her name. Stephania had said Asher’s name, so it wasn’t an old video that someone was using to trick her. Stephania, the sexy supermodel with the husky voice, wanted to talk to her.
Asher Hahn : So… It’s you, huh?
She didn’t expect to get a message right back, but within a few seconds, there was Stephania’s reply.
Stephania : Yes, it’s me. Told you so.
While Asher chuckled at that, another message came in.
Stephania : I joined this app about seven years ago now, I think. I’d been doing some local stuff in LA at the time, and I had just come out. I was twenty-three and thought the best place to meet eligible women would be an app. I got scouted by my now-agent a few years later, but I never deleted the thing. Now, I’m a little more well-known but still single, and I come on here usually when I’m bored to see if there’s anyone wherever I’m going who I might want to talk to. I have rarely met the women in person, but one time when I did, I met my girlfriend of seven months. That ended amicably, but I keep the app because, I guess, sometimes it works. So, now, I’m messaging you. Hi!
Asher laughed at that last little word. ‘Hi!’ It was so cute that she had to smile, blushing at the same time.
“Hi,” Linden said.
Asher looked up, still smiling.
“What’s going on? Why do you look like a giddy schoolgirl?” She walked into Asher’s office.
“It’s her.”
“What is her? Who is her, technically?”
“Stephania. It’s really her.”
“What? How do you–”
“Hey, we’re here,” Sophie announced from behind Linden as she walked into the office hand in hand with Bryce, looking very much in love.
“Hey, Asher.” Bryce smiled.
“Hey. How are you?” Linden asked as she pulled Bryce into a one-armed hug because Bryce wasn’t going to let go of Sophie’s hand.
“I’m good. You?”
“Yeah. Good,” Linden said, but not in the same excited tone she had used when she’d just seen Bryce. “Are we doing lunch?”
“Yeah, let’s go. Are you ready?” Sophie asked Asher.
“Uh…” Asher really wanted to say no and skip lunch, but she’d promised Linden that she would be there to act as the distraction for whatever she and Bryce were up to. “Yeah. Just give me one sec.”
“Sure,” Bryce replied, nodding. “So, we’re going somewhere I’ve never been, right?”
“Yes. It’s a greasy spoon that locals know, and we hide it from tourists, so I need to know that you can keep a secret,” Linden teased.
Asher Hahn : I’m about to go to a working lunch, but I’ll message you later.
She hit send on the message and locked her phone, deciding to put it on silent because she’d be too tempted to be glued to it over lunch. Not only did she not want to be rude to her friends, but she also didn’t want to reply to Stephania’s messages instantly like a person who was desperate to meet a supermodel.
“I’m ready,” Asher said then. “And I’m getting a salad, Linden. Be supportive or say nothing.”
Linden laughed and asked, “Will that salad have a fatty dressing on it, at least?”
“No,” Asher stated as she stood.
Linden laughed again and replied, “I eat enough greasy shit for the both of us, I guess.”
“Did I miss something?” Bryce asked.
“Nah. Just Ash being a health nut because she hasn’t worked out this week, so she’s worried that she won’t look perfect like she always does.”
Asher looked at Linden and gave her a smile. She hadn’t been expecting a compliment like that. Sophie just looked between the two of them and smiled at Asher.
“Is Jill coming?” Linden asked Bryce.
“No, she’s doing back-to-back tours today. I’ll see her later, though.”
“Jill was invited?” Asher asked.
“Jill’s the reason Soph and I found each other again, so I owe her about a hundred free lunches.”
“That’s all I’m worth to you? Only a hundred lunches?” Sophie joked.
“Hey, Jill can really eat. That’s already a lot,” Bryce replied, kissing the top of Sophie’s head.
“Come on. Let’s go.” Sophie laughed.
◆◆◆
“It’s been crazy. I was supposed to be home, and Soph was going to visit and work from there for a while. I have some things I’m doing for my aunt, so I can’t just move here, but I want to figure that all out with Soph because I really do like it here. Then, I’m getting this call from a producer who wants to make our story into a movie. That would be crazy enough, but they thought I could write, so they asked me to take the first run at the script. When I did, they said it was what they were looking for, so they asked me to finish it, too. I get paid to write my own love story,” Bryce shared as she took the last sip of her iced tea.
“And you won’t let me read it,” Sophie noted.
“I will, babe. But I’ve still got a lot more to write on it before it will be at a place where I’d want you to see it.”
“Couldn’t Sophie help?” Asher suggested with a smile as she set her fork down on her empty salad plate. “She was sort of involved.”
“I want her to help me with her dialogue, yeah, but I’m getting the story structure part down first. The studio told me they liked my pacing and what I’ve got so far, so I’m going to keep at it and then let Soph tell me how wrong I am about what I remember.”
“That’s really cool,” Linden said as she slung an arm over the back of the booth. “When is it going to film?”
“Apparently, later this year.” Bryce took a deep breath. “So, no pressure. They just want it made as soon as possible, if they can, while we’re still getting some press. It’s died down a bit, but people were really interested in our story and my blog.”
“It’s a good story,” Asher pointed out before she looked down at her purse, where she’d left her phone.
She thought about picking it up and checking to see if Stephania had replied, but she returned her attention to her friends instead.
“I think so,” Sophie said.
“Linden, didn’t you say you wanted to run and do that thing?” Bryce asked.
“Yeah, that thing,” Linden echoed. “Do you want to go now since we’re done eating?” She nodded toward the door.
Asher turned to her with a lifted eyebrow, knowing her part in all of this but still wondering how they’d expected to get away with a bad lie like that.
“Go where?” Sophie asked.
“Linden and I are just going to run a quick errand. She asked me for my help,” Bryce said.
“Errand doing what?” Sophie asked.
“Soph, let’s just stay here and let them do their thing,” Asher spoke, trying to help.
“Um…” Sophie glared at Bryce playfully. “You’re being weird, but okay.”
“I love you.” Bryce smiled and leaned over to kiss her.
Asher turned to Linden as if expecting the same, and she couldn’t believe she’d nearly leaned over to kiss her, too.
“I’ll see you back at the office,” Linden said with a smile.
Her arm was still over the back of the booth, though, and her hand moved to Asher’s shoulder. Linden squeezed it, which felt nice, but it was also strange because they didn’t do things like that with each other. Then, Linden stood and dropped cash onto the table. Asher stared down at the bills for a few seconds, which was way too much money to cover just Linden’s burger.
“I’ve got yours, too,” Linden told her, answering her unspoken question. “Your small side salad, with nothing on it, was about two dollars, even in this economy, so it won’t break the bank.”
“You’re so very funny,” Asher replied sarcastically.
Linden smiled at her again, and shortly after, she and Bryce were gone.
“What are they up to? And why are you helping?” Sophie asked her the moment they were gone.
Asher laughed and said, “I actually don’t know. I was just told to distract you. How am I doing?”
“You don’t know, but you agreed?”
“It’s Linden.” Asher shrugged a shoulder. “She asked. I said yes.”
“You really like her, huh?” Sophie asked.
“I think so,” she admitted. “I just don’t know what to do about it. Every time I turn around, she or someone else is mentioning Jill, and I picture them on the dance floor, with Jill’s tongue down her throat, thinking that maybe they’re just waiting to finally go on a date for some reason.”
“What?” Sophie laughed. “You know Jill wouldn’t do that to you.”
“I know. I’m not saying it’s logical. And she’s also Linden: she’s getting messages every day from women who are asking for sex, or drinks and then sex. What do I have to offer her? I’ve never even kissed another woman. I’m also her best friend, and we work together. Talk about complications.”
“You’d have a lot to offer her. Being her best friend is a positive: you two know each other so well already. Besides, I watched that little back-and-forth in your office.” Sophie winked.
“It might be a good thing if Linden was looking for a relationship, but it’s a negative if she’s looking to date as many women as possible.”
“Is that still what she wants?” Sophie asked.
“I don’t know. She was acting weird about it the other night, so maybe she’s moving out of that phase. She’s hard to read sometimes. She never used to be, though. It’s as if now that I’ve figured out that I have feelings for her, the way I used to just know what she was thinking is gone, and I can’t figure her out.”
“Are you going to tell her?”
“Not right now, no. Maybe never; I don’t know.” Asher covered her face with both hands. “I have no idea what I’m doing. I’ve been on one date with a woman I wasn’t interested in, got stood up by another because she decided to get back with her ex, and just when I’m about to throw in the towel, a supermodel DMs me and wants to get together.”
“I’m sorry. What?” Sophie asked.
“Yeah…”
“Supermodel?”
“Stephania.”
“Stephania? The woman who has a billboard up on Canal Street right now? That Stephania?”
“Yes, no-last-name Stephania.”
“She’s on a dating app?”
“She is. I have video evidence to prove it,” Asher said.
“What?” Sophie laughed. “You’re serious?”
“We’re exchanging messages.”
“You’re messaging with Stephania?” Sophie asked.
Asher laughed then and replied, “Yes. But it’s not going to go anywhere. She’s in town for work.”
“Does she want to meet you?”
“I think so.”
“Holy shit, Asher!”
“Weren’t you just on Team Linden a minute ago? Now, you want me to meet a stranger?”
“She’s Stephania,” Sophie offered in explanation. “ I’d meet with her.”
“You already have your soulmate. Leave some women for the rest of us,” Asher teased.
“What does Linden think?”
“About what?”
“The supermodel, Asher.”
“Oh. I don’t know. I thought I was being catfished when I told her initially, and I found out that I wasn’t right before you walked into my office. Her face was weird, though, when I told her that it was really Stephania.”
“Weird, how?” Sophie asked.
“I don’t know. Like I told you, I can’t seem to read her anymore, and I hate it. I miss being able to tell what she’s thinking.”
“So, what are you going to do?”
“I haven’t figured that part out yet,” she answered honestly.