ｂｏｏｎｅｙ，　ｂａｂｙ！

“oh... glad you could join us.”

“something funny?”

“i don't think you really know what that is.”

“what's your name?”

“do you need a quarter?”

“are you afraid to give me a straight answer?”

“hey, can we get two more?”

“what is this anyway, some kind of job interview?”

“you still haven't answered my question.”

“this doesn't mean you get the job.”

“you mean we're not in love?”

“ain't no jail cell can hold me.”

“look, i had one too many drinks. it got away from me.”

“you still have a job?”

“what i know is that you need to be at work in four hours.”

“you're drunk, so the best thing you could do right now is to shut up.”

“you sound pretty sure about that.”

“i couldn't agree with you more.”

“maybe i'm a guy who's done doing business like that.”

“it ain't sexy, but it sure as hell makes us some serious money.”

“and what is this? what am i looking at?”

“well, we're married.”

“we'll take my car, it's closer.”

“i don't think there is such a thing.”

“well, they had me fooled.”

“what a fearful way to do business.”

“you've made just enough safe choices to stay alive, but not enough to matter.”

“you can be more. you want to be more, don't you?”

“the window of opportunity is closing. this is your chance.”

“this is about you finally having the confidence to walk out on the ledge and know that you're not going to fall.”

“i'm not going to apologize for caring about your business, even if the people who work for you don't.”

“i'll think about it.”

“look, it's better than a flat-out no.”

“are you gonna fix it?”

“i don't care who broke it.”

“you want to take a look and see what's wrong with that?”

“okay, [name], do you want to maybe get me the salt? maybe you could reach into the cabinet about seven inches from your head, take out the salt and put it in my hand so i can finish cooking this. do you think you could at least get me the salt?”

“i'm not in the mood, all right?”

“why don't you go blow-dry your hair some more or something?”

“don't you realize what you wrote?”

“if you see him around, i wanna meet that guy.”

“what are you doing? why are you doing this?”

“we're headed out the door to a movie.”

“he wanted to know if you thought about what he said.”

“oh, yeah? what kind of ideas?”

“we spoke on the phone earlier.”

“what? why? what would be the point?”

“wow, you're serious.”

“look, that's a terrible idea.”

“i'm sorry, but you missed it.”

“are you out of your mind?”

“how are you gonna force their hand?”

“do you have a family, [name]?”

“could you please acknowledge how crazy that is?”

“he's just keyed up about something.”

“[name], we can't do this again. you know we can't.”

“it's just literally a mistake that we can't afford to make again.”

“do you have any idea how expensive this thing was?”

“i faked a fever, so... let's turn this thing inside out.”

“the good news is there's a way around that, sort of.”

“i am a little rusty at this.”

“wait, wait, wait, what am i doing here?”

“how are you getting this from that?”

“you found a needle in a haystack.”

“we still have a lot to do.”

“i-i thought you weren't gonna be back till monday.”

“would you please tell me that you didn't buy all this?”

“why would you lie to me?”

“no, i did not lie to you.”

“this right here, this is what i want to do with my life!”

“well, it's not enough. okay? i'm sorry, it's not enough.”

“come on, [name], don't be like that.”

“i'm sorry, but i think you'll wanna take this.”

“i guess i can say it's good to know he's alive.”

“i wish i could've warned you, but now it might be too late.”

“we've got a problem.”

“i told them.”

“[name], look at me. i'm not like you, okay?”

“oh, go to hell, [name].”

“there is no "we," [name].”

“i figured you needed a break.”

“look, i've been awful. i'm sorry.”

“whatever it is you're dreaming of, build it. i know you can make it great.”

“you son of a bitch.”

“now, why didn't you tell me about this yesterday?”

“i admire your tenacity, but i draw the line at you claiming that you did me a favor.”

“don't screw this up.”

“later, spooky bitch.”

“you know i screwed him, right?”

“let's be adult about this.”

“you love talking down to me, don't you?”

“who are you again?”

“you need me, otherwise you wouldn't be here.”

“i wanted to see what i was so wrong about the first time.”

“i'm sorry you feel bad for hurting my feelings, but don't worry, you didn't.”

“it wasn't supposed to be personal.”

“this is too important to get wrong.”

“i don't need you.”

“how much money would you give me?”

“i'm never... i'm never gonna forget that.”

“holy shit.”

ㅤㅤㅤㅤthe heat don't bother him nearly as much as the idea of being cooped up inside a motel room while there's still daylight to burn, even if their chasing prospects were slim to none for the day. so he's set up shop outside as a compromise, staked a claim on a corner of one of lily’s pop up tables and poitioned it under the awning in a half-assed attempt at hiding from the worst of the sun's rays. he hadn’t been working for very long when a voice sounds by his side and he’s smiling before he even tears his eyes away from the computer screen. ❝ hey'a kate. take a seat, ❞ blinking up at her against the heat, the smile only grows wider once his heat- and tech-addled brain processes her words.