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‘Sorry to piss on your me-time,’ Robin said smoothly, completely unbothered. She sauntered over to where Sienna sat on the centre island and placed her coffee down, dropping her heavy tote onto a barstool with a thud. ‘Thought it would be good to do a quick weigh-in before the big fight.’

‘Oh. That,’ Sienna said.

Through the glass panel of the breakroom door, Sienna spotted Pip pushing the handle to enter, caught sight of the two of them, and instantly turned on her heel to retreat down the hall.

‘Not looking forward to it?’ Robin asked, leaning one hip against the island and invading Sienna’s personal space. ‘Because I can’t wait.’

‘I’m sure,’ Sienna replied coolly.

Robin tilted her head, blue eyes glinting with unabashed curiosity. ‘You know, you’re somehow even more intense in person than you are on the posters. I can tell if it’s the fancy blazer or you.’

Sienna smoothed the lapels of the item in question, refusing to lean back or look flustered. ‘It’s called dressing professionally. Though I suppose that might feel like a foreign concept if you’re used to running a show from a beanbag.’

Robin rested her elbows on the high island table, leaning in just an inch closer, grinning. ‘This is good. I like this. I want you to bring this exact vibe to the panel.’

She thinks this is a game, Sienna thought, annoyed. She has no idea how seriously I take my job.

Sienna gently lifted her teabag from its cup and put it on a saucer. ‘What I’ll be bringing is facts,’ Sienna said, taking a measured sip of her tea. ‘So, I hope you’ll be prepared. I fully plan to debunk the myths you sell.’

Sienna knew she was making an error in letting Robin know that she was planning to take her apart on that stage. But she couldn’t help it. Robin was pissing her off. The way she was pretending it was all such fun to play with people’s lives.

‘Myths?’ Robin asked.

‘Yes. The myth of spark, in particular. And its importance in life choices.’

‘Sienna. The spark isn’t a myth. It’s the entire point.’

‘The ‘spark’ is a surge of dopamine and adrenaline triggered by novelty,’ Sienna shot back flatly. ‘It tells you someone is interesting, not that they’re compatible. Building a life on a spark is like buying a house because you liked the paint colour in the hallway.’

Robin stared at her for a long beat, utterly fascinated.

‘God,’ Robin murmured, that husky voice dropping into a quieter register. ‘You really try to quantify everything, don’t you? It’s almost impressive.’

‘I prefer clarity over guesswork,’ Sienna told her, realising that the battle between them was already in full swing, and irritatingly ahead of schedule.

Four

Robin had encountered plenty of guarded people in her time, but Sienna Vance wasn’t just guarded. She was a fully fortified medieval castle complete with a moat and boiling oil.

And Robin was having the absolute time of her life.

‘Actually, I happen to think it’s pretty bonkers that you sell the idea that such a complicated part of the human experience is a calculation it’s possible to make,’ Robin said, her eyes sparkling with amusement. ‘If we all lived your way, no one would ever fall in love.’

‘First of all,’ Sienna said, her voice dropping into a tight, clipped tone, ‘The grand romantic gestures you so often encourage aren’t love.’

‘Aww, you listen to my show!’ Robin said, delighted.

Sienna’s jaw tightened, but she carried on. ‘Love is loyalty, mutual respect. Consistency. Expecting someone to drop their entire life to perform a cinematic moment isn’t romance. It’s self-indulgent fantasy.’

‘Self-indulgence?’ Robin repeated, less amused now. ‘Sienna, it’s passion. It’s showing someone that they matter enough to break the routine.’

Sienna’s dark eyes locked onto Robin’s with a new, slightly scary focus. ‘It’s a shortcut. People use dramatic flair to bypass the slow, necessary work of actually getting to know a person.’

‘Or,’ Robin pointed out, ‘people do it because life shouldn’t just be one slow trudge to the finish line.’

Sienna didn’t raise her voice, but Robin heard real anger, just the same. ‘Impulse creates collateral damage. Your show does nothing but encourage women to throw away stability the second they feel a momentary thrill.’

‘I encourage them to feel something real,’ Robin corrected, maybe a little het-up herself now. She held Sienna’s intense gaze, which was no easy thing. ‘Safety is great for a house insurance policy. It’s a terrible way to build a life with someone. If you never take an uncalculated risk, you never give anyone the chance to surprise you.’