"The thing about love.... it's a lot like espionage. You're never quite sure who's winning"
Toni Topaz ( pov )
I never thought I'd end up in a place like this. A fucking therapist office. Feels like we want to even admit there's a problem in our relationship.
But here I am sitting in a chair next to my dear wife Cheryl.
I glanced at Cheryl. She sitting there cool as fucking ice, in that damn red dress she always wears to remind everyone she's the queen of Riverdale. She looks perfect, as usual.
The therapist, some old ass man looked between us, waiting for one of us to break the silence.
THERAPIST
so, how long have you two been married
I didn't even wait to answer
TONI
Six years
But here comes Cheryl, chiming in
CHERYL
Five years
I glanced at her for a moment, we're having that silent argument again. And it wasn't about the number of years. It's about the control.
The therapist picked up on that, jotting something down in his notepad. I don't like it. I hate being analyzed. But I just sit back and let Cheryl take the lead, like she always does.
THERAPIST
So on a scale from 1 to 10 how happy are yall as a couple
CHERYL
Eight
TONI
Wait. So ten is being happy and one being miserable
The therapist wrote something down before answering
THERAPIST
Just answer with whatever comes first
TONI
Ok ready
CHERYL
ready
TONI & CHERYL
Eight
The therapist looks between us again, his eyes trying to pick apart what those numbers mean. But those numbers don't mean anything. Not really. They're just placeholders for everything we don't say.
THERAPIST
Why not ten
I see Cheryl's jaw tighten. I know she hates this : being questioned, being pushed into a corner. But so do I. There's no simple answer to why we're not a ten. Hell, I'm not even sure what a ten looks like anymore.
I speak up, before Cheryl can deflect.
TONI
You can't put a number on something like this. We're not like other couples. Never have been. We're... different.
Cheryl glances at me, and there's a moment where I think she might agree with me, might drop the act for a second and be real. But instead, she nods, keeping that cool, composed mask in place.
CHERYL
We've always been different.
The therapist writes something down again, probably something about us avoiding the question.
THERAPIST
How did you two meet?
I think back to that night. Cops were surrounded the place and all I wanted was a drink until I laid my eyes on here. She stood out in the room and her eyes meet mine. I've always had a thing for challenges.
TONI
It was in South America.
Cheryl, of course, adds her own spin.
CHERYL
Columbia he means.
I smirk, remembering how crazy it was but more so how I couldn't take my eyes off her.
TONI
Yeah, and police were surrounding our hotel. I was at the bar trying to get a drink until I turned around and saw Cheryl. And to get the cops to stop harassing her I told them she was with me.
She gives me a look—half annoyed, half amused. Even then, she knew how to push my buttons.
CHERYL
I was there for business, Toni. I don't know about you, but we did go out that night together, made a toast and then we went dancing.
I laugh under my breath. Remember the way she was dancing on me. But that laughed stop quickly after realizing how much our love has faded.
And I was there for business too, just of a different kind.
TONI
That same night we kissed and spent it in each other's arms. You could just say it was love at first sight.
CHERYL
It was honey.... it was.
The therapist wrote his notes down
THERAPIST
Ok last question because we're running out of time. How often do y'all have sex
The question hangs in the air, and for a second, I almost laugh. Of course, he'd ask that. I glance at Cheryl, but she's unreadable, her expression perfectly neutral.
I answer first, my voice casual, but there's an edge to it.
TONI
I don't understand the question.
Cheryl, always one to have the last word, chimes in, her tone just as even.
CHERYL
I think we're done here.
I can feel the shift in the room. Cheryl's ready to bolt, and I'm not far behind her. We've been playing along, but we both know this is going nowhere. There are things we're not ready to admit, not here, not now.
The therapist looks at us, clearly sensing the resistance, but he doesn't push. He doesn't need to. We've said more in our silence than we ever could with words.
TONI
Thanks for your time.
We stand up together, a united front despite everything. We may be walking out of here with more questions than answers, but one thing's clear—we're in this together, whatever "this" is.
