Magnetic

NINETEEN

DANAI

The next few weeks were unusually busy for Danai. Understandably so, seeing as On The Nai Side was getting a complete makeover. After bringing her and Patrick's ideas up to production, along with some of Dennis' comments, she and the executive producers decided to bring all their best and most actionable ideas together for the next season. As exciting as that was, it unfortunately meant that she had been part of several discussions on a daily basis about scripts, music, guests, lighting, themes, changes being made, new staff, and other menial things that Nai didn't think she needed to worry about.

Everitt made sure to point out that, as the face and host of her show, she did not need to think about all these 'little' things. Nai had a vision, though, not just for the show but her career. She could win a Nano soon enough, and that would just be the beginning. Owning her own production company, or maybe taking over Visionary, felt increasingly possible as the days went by, and she wanted to cement her legacy in broadcasting and the world. Taking charge of her show, and being involved in every part of what made it great, was something she wanted to do for herself.

All this work, however, made it so that she and her boyfriend only saw each other some mornings before she went about her ridiculously jam-packed day. He'd started bringing her fruit for breakfast as well, and Nai listened to him talk about his family over her bowl of cubed honeydew melon.

"They're already talking about seeing you again," He told her with a smile, popping the last bite of his bacon, egg, and cheese bagel sandwich into his mouth.

Nai wiped away fake tears, "I think they're gonna make it official soon, don't you?"

The alpha rolled his eyes, "You joke, but they're falling in love with you. It's a little sickening, honestly."

The urge to ask if Everitt felt the same way about Nai came up, but she pushed it to the side. He was just talking about his family, not her. Getting ahead of herself would be a mistake. So, she smiled at his little joke instead.

A few minutes of silent eating later, Nai opened her mouth to change the subject when the sound of an irritating, old-fashioned alarm clock blared from the far corner of her desk, vibrating the glass it sat on. She reached over to stop it.

"Well, I have to get back to work," Nai told Ev, disappointed, but not enough to have to stay in the building for even a few minutes longer when she finished work at the end of the day because she spent those few minutes with him earlier.

Everitt stared at her, apparently bewildered. He pointed at Nai, then at her phone, before he shook his head in disbelief. "You set an alarm for breakfast?"

One of the things that had made it so much easier for Danai to keep going at this brutal pace with her work schedule was Everitt's support. He'd been so understanding, so patient, that she wondered how he managed to deal with everything. In the months since they'd become a couple, even before that, they'd been nearly inseparable. Their time away from each other was planned, because it was a given that they'd spend the rest together. They had a rhythm that worked, and Nai loved it. But, she couldn't give up her career aspirations for it, and Everitt respected that. He understood it, which Nai remained forever grateful for.

It seemed like his patience was running thin, though, with the way he groaned and sighed.

"Every minute counts," Nai told him, getting up to throw away the things they were finished with. She wiped her hands against each other as she looked up at her boyfriend. "Just a little longer, then I'm all yours."

He stared at her hands for a while before finally meeting her gaze. Everitt's jaw was set, and his green eyes looked worn. He opened his mouth to say something, then closed it. Ev shook his head, sighed again, before finally collecting his drink and keys.