“Someone only got a couple of hours sleep on the tiny sofa in the staff room,” I reply tiredly.
“Danny,” she sighs. “You don’t have to try so hard. You’ve been here six months already and have the highest closed case stats. Trust me, your work ethic more than speaks for itself. You’re allowed to have a life outside of this place. I know we’re short-handed but that’s nothing unusual, and it’s not going to change anytime soon. Don’t run yourself into the ground. You’ll burn out and then Tris will end up looking after you as well as his dad.”
“I’m fine, honest.” I yawn again, my jaw cracking loudly.
“Really?” She rolls her eyes and hands me her own coffee mug, which is mercifully hot and full to the brim.
“Thanks.” I take a grateful sip.
“So, did you ask him?” she prompts again.
“Who?”
“Tristan.” She snorts. “God, you really aren’t with it this morning, are you? You said you were thinking about asking Tristan to move in with you.”
I take a slow sip of coffee as Maddie watches me suspiciously.
“You haven’t asked him yet, have you?”
I shake my head.
“Why not?” she whines. “Sonia is messaging me every five minutes and asking.”
“I don’t know why you and your wife are so invested in my love life.”
“Because we love you and Tristan, and we want you to be happy.”
“No, I haven’t asked him yet.” I blow out a tired breath and set the mug down on the desk. “There hasn’t been a good time to bring up the subject.”
“Pft,” she snorts. “Never a good time. Danny, it’s really not that hard. Just send him a text saying, ‘Tris, I know your lease is almost up and your flat’s falling apart, wanna move in together?’”
“Very romantic,” I say flatly.
“Then send him a bunch of flowers from the shop around the corner with a card saying, ‘Wanna be my roomie?’”
I shake my head incredulously. “How the hell did you ever convince Sonia to marry you?”
“I didn’t.” She smiles widely. “She asked me. She’s the romantic in our relationship. I get too caught up in work and forget all the little things.”
“And you say I’m a workaholic,” I reply pointedly.
“That’s why we get on so well, you’re like the male version of me.” She grins. “And Tris… he’s the Sonia in this equation. That’s how we know you two are perfect for each other, so can you step up the timetable on your happily ever after? Because Sonia says she has the perfect hat to wear to your wedding.”
“Wedding? Hang on a minute. I haven’t even worked up the courage to ask him to move in with me yet, marriage is a ways off.”
Her eyes narrow. “Are you seriously telling me you don’t want to marry him?”
“Are you kidding? I’d march him down to the registry office and marry him tomorrow if I could.”
“Then what’s holding you back? You two love each other, you’ve already exchanged the L-word, I don’t see what the problem is.”
“The problem is he’s too important to me to mess this up,” I admit. “I mean, we’ve only been together six months. Isn’t it a bit soon to be thinking about cohabitating and marriage?”
“Oh, I’m sorry,” she replies. “I wasn’t aware there was an official timetable.”
“You know what I mean.” I roll my eyes. “I don’t want him to think I’m pressuring him or being… I don’t know… too demanding.”
“Oh my god, Danny Hayes, you are the least demanding person I know.” Maddie releases an exasperated breath. “You need to get out of your head. You’re overthinking this, and I know that for a fact because it’s exactly what I’d do. So, I’m going to tell you what my wife told me: stop being an idiot. You love him, right?”
