Page 84 of A Perfect Match
“Be real with me,” I say.“How many hours did you put into this barn today?”
"I ran a bunch of errands," she says quickly, climbing the ladder again."I was in and out.So like, eight hours.Nine, maybe.Well, more like ten."
"Ten hours?Piper, this is supposed to be your day off.”
She looks down at me with confusion."Huh.I guess you’re right."
That's when I know she's hit the wall.I've been there myself—so focused on a project, so driven by adrenaline and caffeine, that you lose track of time entirely.It's not sustainable, and it usually ends badly.
"Let's call it a night," I say gently.
"I can't," she says, already turning back to her painting."I have so much to do.Jerrica’s going to open the shop tomorrow, so I can work a late night.Now’s my time.The whole space needs to be painted before I can move on to flooring, and then there's the electrical work and the plumbing and—"
“And you think you’re going to be able to do all that?”I ask with a laugh.
Her face hardens.“Excuse me?”
I need to reconfigure my approach."Just come down.Please."
"I'm fine!"she insists, but her voice has a manic edge to it."I can handle this.I can do it all."
"I know you can.But not in one night."
She finally looks down at me, and I can see the exhaustion beneath the frenetic energy.Dark circles under her eyes, a slight tremor in her hands that could be from cold or fatigue or both.
"Actually," I say, struck by sudden inspiration, "Maverick's coming over to my place tonight to celebrate the restaurant's first two weeks down.You should join us, especially if you don’t have an early morning tomorrow.Take a break, have a drink, relax for real."
She considers this, setting down her paint roller and climbing down the ladder with careful, deliberate movements.I can see she's trying to hide how unsteady she is.
"That sounds nice," she says when she reaches the bottom."But I should finish this beam first.I'm on such a roll, and if I stop now—"
"The beam will still be here tomorrow," I interrupt.
"But I'm in the zone!This is when the best work happens!"
"The best work happens when you're well-rested and thinking clearly," I counter."What you're doing right now is dangerous.You're exhausted, you're alone, and you've been using power tools."
"I'm not using power tools right now," she argues, gesturing to the paint roller.
"Even a paint roller is dangerous when you’re sleep deprived.Look, why don't you just come have one drink with us?Then you can get some actual rest."
Her expression shifts, and I can see something defensive creeping in."I don't need you to manage my schedule, Kru.I'm perfectly capable of deciding when I need rest."
"I'm not trying to manage anything.I'm worried about you."
"Why?"She crosses her arms."Because I'm working hard?Because I'm dedicated to my project?You do the exact same thing!How many times have you worked until closing and then gone home just to get up again at dawn?"
She has a point, but this feels different somehow.More desperate.More manic.
"That's different," I say."I'm launching a new business.It's expected that the first few months will be crazy."
"And I'm launching a new business too!"she exclaims, gesturing around the barn."So why is it okay for you to work yourself into the ground but not me?"
"Because you're—" I stop myself before I can say something I'll regret.
"Because I'm what?"Her voice has a sharp edge now."Because I'm a woman?Because I'm smaller than you?Because you think I can't handle it?"
"That's not what I was going to say."
