Nina handed half the stack to Kia and half to Sullivan.
Sullivan looked at the picture on top. It was a nighttime photo, taken at a distance, of someone sitting in an RV, the window a bright square of light against the darkness. A person with an Afro bent over a table.
“Is this the inconvenience?” Sullivan’s voice squeaked. “Wait, is someone stalking you?” She looked at Kia.
Kia was an influencer. Someone’s parasocial relationship with the online Kia could have gotten out of hand. It happened. Kia might be in the process of ruining Sullivan’s life, but Sullivan didn’t want anyone to hurt her!
“Trade,” Nina said mildly.
The next stack of photos showed Sullivan silhouetted in her bedroom alone.
“Mega Eats hired an investigator to prove you’re not living together, hence it’s a fake marriage, and they should get everything they want.”
“You said it didn’t matter if we loved each other,” Sullivan said.
“Yes. And if living together equaled love, I’d be out of a job. The judge will take one look at the claim and throw it out. Don’t worry. But why give them any ammunition? Plus”—Nina turned to Kia—“Sullivan is lonely, and she could use the company.”
“I am not.” She often felt lonely sitting in her living room listening to an audiobook in the evening or crawling between cold sheets at night, but that wasn’t the kind of lonely living with Kia Jackson was going to fix.
“She doesn’t get out.” Nina continued as though Sullivan hadn’t spoken. “Maybe you can get her to go to a bar, chat someone up. Discreetly. Because you are married. And you’re in a bit of a situationship.”
“I do not—”
“Maybe just get her tipsy. Opal and I try, but she’s allI go out. I go to the Oakwood Neighborhood Association Meetings.”
“I am righthere. And I do not need to get tipsy.”
She thought about Kia and her Rice Krispies treat. Kia wasnothing if not optimistic. How could she possibly have thought that ridiculous marriage proposal would work? And yet, here Sullivan was, getting sued for marrying Point Six Percent Kia Jackson. Oddly, a tiny part of her wished they could have fun the way they used to. At the time, Sullivan had always focused on Kia as competition, but Kia had been fun too. Sullivan had missed Kia’s energy when Sullivan moved to Osaka, with its serious-minded, hierarchical kitchens.
“Kia, Sullivan’s house is gorgeous. Plus living together could look good if we sue Mega Eats for emotional distress.” Nina eyed Kia and Sullivan. “How distressed are you feeling?”
“Sullivan?” Kia said, ignoring Nina the way Nina had ignored Sullivan (which was satisfying). “Can I move in with you?”
chapter 13
The next day,tired from a sleepless night, Sullivan stood on her porch watching a massive pickup tow an orange and brown RV down her driveway. Sullivan had lived alone since Aubrey left. The house was her safe space. Now she’d be living with an influencer again. Sullivan would be innocently gardening or talking to a melon she was carving into a swan because… what else did she have to do when she wasn’t working? And there’d be Kia live streaming herself. At least Kia wouldn’t be filming Sullivan. It’d be like living on a movie set. There’d be cameras, lighting, lamenting about angles, but she wouldn’t be in the shot. And she knew that if Kia did want to get her in the picture and Sullivan said no, Kia would respect that.
For all that Kia was destroying her life like a kitchen fire, Kia hadn’tknowinglydone anything to hurt her. She’d been honest and—from her pleading expression, Sullivan guessed—extremely sorry about all of it. Aubrey had been sorry that Sullivan broke up with her. She’d never really been sorry that she put their life on display.
The truck stopped. Kia leaned out the window and pointed to a strip of grass near the house.
“I’ll pull in there.” Kia still looked shell-shocked.
Sullivan felt sorry for her. Kia had gone from the top of the world, to losing everything, to getting it back, to getting sued, and now she was moving in with a woman who wished Kia hadn’t come back into her life. (Although it was getting harder not to appreciate Kia’s sincerity… and her golden-brown eyes.) Sullivan saw the wistful expression on Kia’s face when she’d said,I’d love to be them. Maybe Kia had her own sadnesses she’d rather not put on display for Sullivan. It made Sullivan want to call out,I really don’t hate you.
The thought died as Kia began backing her RV toward the vegetable garden.
“The garden!”
Kia was going to drive over the vegetable garden and back into a tree. It’d fall on the house. Maybe the tree would hit Sullivan. How poetic. Kia swiveled her whole body around and put the truck in reverse, pointing the RV in the general direction of the house.
“I’m really good at this.” Kia hung out the window, one hand on the steering wheel.
“Could you at least measure?” Sullivan called out.
Kia stopped the truck. She flipped up the lenses of her turquoise sunglasses.
“Yes, of course. Sure. Anything you want.” She sounded desperately eager to please and like it had never occurred to her to measure a parking spot before wedging her RV into it.
