“What?” they both said at once.
“We need you in Arkansas. The people we’re laying off are all there. We’re closing the business there, and we need your help in shutting it down smoothly.”
“But what about Sarah? She lives there, and that’s part of her region. Why isn’t she taking care of it?” Megan asked.
“Sarah is one of the people being laid off,” Brian said.
Jessa sat back, dumbfounded. Arkansas? They weren’t even done with their trip in Wintervale, and she had a date with Noah that night.
“When are we expected to go?” she asked.
Brian clicked around on his computer. “There’s a flight that leaves that little town you’re in at noon. Then you’ll have a layover in Minneapolis.”
“Is there a possibility we can delay it a few days? Or even a day?” Jessa asked.
Brian shook his head. “No. Look, I know this is last minute, but I need you to do this. You can return to Montana after you’re done there.”
“How long will we be there?” Megan asked.
“About a week. You’ll be pulling the employees into rooms one-by-one so you can offer them each a severance package that suits the position they had. I’m shooting you an email with all the details and the employee files. Please review it on the plane and be ready to hit the ground running when you land.”
Jessa sighed and looked at Megan. An entire conversation passed between them with that one look. Both of their faces mirrored sadness, but for entirely different reasons. Megan set a hand on Jessa’s and gave it a small squeeze before standing up and moving across the room to grab her suitcase, hefting it up onto the bed.
For the first time since she was a child, Jessa was sad about leaving a place… about leaving a person.
