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And that’s why I believed God was a woman.
We lay down together, our limbs intertwined. I could have fallen asleep again. I used to feel energized by sex, but now it lulled me into oblivion. It wasn’t the worst drug but an unpredictable one for sure.
Maeve’s cheek lay on my chest. “I talked to Hunter yesterday.”
“Yeah?”
“I told him if he didn’t get a date in the next couple weeks, I wouldn’t give him the evidence.”
I chuckled, and her head bopped up and down. “So what’s the plan? You take over the case or it’s just a bluff?”
“Doesn’t matter.” She traced a finger along my abs.
“Why’s that?”
“He got the date in already.”
At that, we both shuffled up to sit against the headboard.
“Why hasn’t he told me?” I asked.
“He probably did text you, but we’ve been fucking. I only just got it through myself before I knocked on your door but, you know, first things first.”
“Fucking love you, Fairy. Priorities are always straight.” I kissed her head. “It’s everything having someone in your corner. When’s showtime?”
“Monday. Five days, and they’re coming to RI offices.”
“Shit. That’s a relief.”
She took a deep breath. Uh-oh. Usually that meant prepare for the worst.
“There’s one other thing. I know I might have overstepped my boundaries and what’s my business here. But I warned you I can be fierce…”
“Go on…”
She pursed her lips. And took another deep breath. “I told Hunter that you didn’t want to counter.”
I stiffened. “Hang on. There are a few things wrong with that. One, yeah, it was my decision to make. Two, I want to do right by RI. If we can win a countercase…”
“I looked into it today, Drake. This funhouse production company Jay is with hasn’t really had him playing. There’s not much in it…”
“But still…”
“But still…” she said, slowing my pace, our pace. Maeve gazed at me deeply.
She ran the back of her finger across my cheek and furrowed her eyebrows tightly. The manic beat of my heart found a smoother tempo.
Maeve moved in and kissed me softly. “Drake… this can’t happen. There’s very little to win but an extra slice of integrity. A countercase could go on for weeks and… I’m worried about you. I hate to come across like a total nag, but it’s just… please. You can obviously do what you want. Hunter isn’t going to take my word for it. He and Jacinta will talk to you about it no matter what I said but please, please don’t.”
I shook my head.
“Please, Drake. Don’t make me beg. I can’t handle a countersuit any more than you can.”
“I can handle it.”
“Stop. You don’t have to be a hero all the time. Drake, look at you. You’re tired all the time. You have dark circles under your eyes even after a half day of sleep, and I’ve noticed other stuff, too. Are you eating?”
In many ways, I was a modern man. But in this way, I was old-fashioned and what a woman might call typical. I didn’t like to fuss about my health or worry about a bruise here and there or dark circles or bullshit like that. The fatigue? Yeah, it felt like I’d been hit by a semi then had to wade through a marathon of peanut butter. But everyone felt shit sometimes. “I’ll think about it.”
