Chapter 10
Carina had a scene where Maya wasn’t involved, leaving Andrea and Maya alone for a moment. They both lingered by the food cart, watching the commotion on the lot. Andrea leaned back against the wall, eyes still focused on where Carina had disappeared to. He looked over at Maya, his expression softening a bit.
"Look," Andrea started, his voice quieter now, "you need to be braver with Carina."
Maya raised an eyebrow, surprised to say the least. "Braver? What do you mean?"
Andrea looked at her seriously, "Carina's not the person you think she is. She acts all tough, all confident, but behind all that bravado… she’s scared. She’s unsure of herself."
Maya frowned, not quite sure how to process that. "Wait—what? You’re telling me that Carina is scared?"
Andrea nodded, taking a step closer to her. "Yeah, it sounds crazy, right? But trust me. She’s been through a lot. And she’s better at hiding it than anyone I know." He gave a small, almost wistful smile. "But underneath all that… the tough exterior, the sarcasm, the bossiness—she’s just trying to protect herself. She’s afraid of getting hurt again. She’s afraid of opening up."
Maya stood silent for a moment, her mind turning. She couldn't quite wrap her head around it. "But Carina’s so confident. She has this presence—like she’s got everything figured out."
Andrea shrugged slightly. "That’s the thing. People who act like they’ve got it all together usually don’t. They’ve been through enough to build walls, so high that nobody can get close. And it’s not just a defense mechanism for her—she genuinely doesn’t know if she can trust anyone. You’ve seen it, right? How she pushes people away when they get too close."
Maya’s brows furrowed, a frown crossing her face. "Yeah, I guess I have. I don’t know. It’s hard for me to believe that… I’ve never seen her show any kind of weakness."
Andrea let out a sigh, a slight chuckle escaping. "Of course you haven’t. Carina’s an expert at hiding it. But you need to be patient with her. Don’t let her push you away." He paused, his voice lowering slightly, as if he was speaking from experience. "She needs someone who won’t give up on her."
Maya looked at Andrea, studying him. She wasn’t sure if she believed everything he was saying, but there was a sincerity in his eyes that made her hesitate.
"You really think she’s like that?" Maya asked, still a bit skeptical.
Andrea nodded firmly. "Yeah, I do. And I think if you’re going to be around her, you need to know that. If you want to get close, if you want to help her, you’ve got to be brave enough to see beyond that mask she wears. And if she starts trusting you, she will open up..."
He gave a small smile, almost like he was letting out a breath he’d been holding. "Please, just don’t back off, okay? If you think there’s something between you two, don’t be afraid to push. She might need someone to make the first move, though."
Maya still wasn’t sure what was going to happen, but one thing was clear: Carina was a lot more complicated than she had initially thought.
With a long sigh, she nodded, still thinking it all over. "I’ll think about it."
Andrea gave her an encouraging smile, "Just don’t be afraid to be real with her, Maya. Because the longer you wait, the longer she’s going to keep that wall up and it will be harder to tear it down."
-----------------
It was a rare moment of calm on set as the lunch break rolled around. Carina found herself sitting alone, her mind wandering in a thousand directions. The set was bustling with activity, but she didn’t mind the quiet. She always preferred moments of solitude.
She wasn’t expecting Maya to approach, but there she was, sitting down beside her with a tray of food. She slid a salad in Carina`s line of vision.
Carina looked up and raised an eyebrow, but didn’t say anything—just let Maya settle in next to her.
After a brief silence, Maya broke it, nudging Carina with her elbow. "I’ve been thinking," Maya started, voice a little quieter than usual. "Maybe it’s time we start being a little more real with each other."
Carina looked at her, not entirely sure what Maya meant. "What do you mean?" she asked, slightly guarded, though the softness in Maya’s voice made her want to listen.
Maya gave her a half-smile, "I figure, we work together every day. But I don’t really know much about you, Carina. I mean, we barely know anything about each other outside of the show, right?"
Carina gave a half-hearted chuckle. "There’s not much to know." She picked at the salad Maya had brought her, clearly uncomfortable with the idea of sharing anything too personal.
Maya was looking up thoughtfully, "I’ll start. Maybe that’ll help break the ice."
Carina raised an eyebrow but said nothing, waiting for Maya to continue.
Maya let out a breath, "Okay, so here it goes. When I was younger, I was an Olympic-level runner. I used to be really fast, you know? I’d go on these long runs, feel like I could outrun the world." She smiled wistfully, remembering the days of training. "But after a while, my dreams shifted. I thought maybe I could become a firefighter instead. I don’t know why—I guess the idea of helping people, of doing something bigger, always appealed to me. But, well, I never followed through. Things didn’t work out. I got scared, I guess." She looked down at her hands, fingers tracing the edges of her lunch tray. "I was too afraid of failing, so I just... stopped. And now I don`t have a real career. It was just luck to be promoted from an extra."
Carina took it all in, her eyes softening as she watched Maya talk so openly, so vulnerably.
After a long beat, Maya turned to her, her eyes a little more serious now. "Now it’s your turn, Carina. Tell me about you—about your life outside the show. Even just something small..."
Carina froze for a moment. She didn’t know how to answer. She had spent so many years keeping her private life locked away. It was easier that way. Safer.
But something about the way Maya had shared with her—the vulnerability, the quiet openness—made Carina feel like maybe it was okay to open up, even if just a little.
She took a deep breath, trying to steady the nervous energy that had suddenly taken over. "Well..." she began slowly, her voice a little quieter than usual, "I always wanted to be a doctor. But that didn`t turn out well in the long run, did it? Now I am an actress."
Maya’s eyes watched Carina closely.
Carina continued, her voice a little more hesitant. "When I was younger, I was... I don’t know. I always had this love for medicine, but now I am quite unsure. I think I thought I’d be a doctor who helps people and is making a difference." She laughed quietly, shaking her head. "I wanted to help... but then I got a lawsuit for malpractice. It did turn out, that I didn`t make a mistake that time, but my ego was already crushed. And then I lost so many mamas and bambinos during Covid and then- I guess, I just stopped thinking I could make a difference at all. Ben Warren, a former colleague of mine talked his wife Miranda Bailey into calling me for a medical consulting job. So that`s what got me on the show. Eventually it turned into this acting job… "
Maya was quiet, still watching her. It was clear that Carina was still working through her own feelings about it. Maya tilted her head slightly, leaning forward just a bit, but saying nothing. She gave Carina the space to keep going at her own pace.
Carina sighed, rubbing her temples, then adding, almost under her breath, "And I guess... it’s just easier to hide behind the scrubs and the show now instead of being back in the hospital. But I am still debating whether it was right to stop working there. Andrea wants me to go back to being a doctor. And I am starting to question whether he is right. It has been nearly three years.”
Maya nodded, her voice gentle but firm. "Carina, it’s okay to not have it all figured out." She reached over, placing a hand lightly on Carina’s arm. "You’re not the only one who feels like that. We all get lost sometimes."
Carina looked down, the vulnerability still there but slowly easing.
Maya gave her a warm smile. "See? That wasn’t so hard, right?"
Carina smiled back, a little less guarded now. "No, I guess not." She took a deep breath, allowing herself to relax just a little. "Thanks for... I guess making me tell you something personal." She let out a quiet laugh. "I’m just not used to it."
Maya’s smile widened, and there was a sense of understanding between them now. "I get it. And don’t worry."
Maya sat back, eyes scanning the set before landing back on Carina. After a long silence, she turned to her, her lips quirking into a playful smile.
“So… what’s your favorite flower?” Maya asked, her voice casual but with a spark of curiosity.
Carina didn’t even hesitate. “Peonies, La peonia.” she said, a soft smile gracing her lips. “I’ve always loved them.”
Maya’s eyes widened slightly, but she didn’t react at first. She took a moment to process the sound of the word. “Wait, wait, hold on...” Maya’s brain caught up and a mischievous grin started creeping onto her face. “What`s a peonies? It almost sounded like you just said penis?”
Carina froze, her eyes wide with disbelief. “What? No, I said peonies,” she stammered, clearly confused. "What are you talking about?"
Maya, unable to contain herself, burst into laughter, clutching her stomach as she tried to breathe. “Peonies and penis—oh my God, Carina!” She shook her head, still laughing, tears of amusement already forming in her eyes.
Carina’s face turned crimson as realization hit her. She immediately put her face in her hands, her voice muffled as she muttered, “I cannot believe this.”
“No, no,” Maya said between giggles, trying to catch her breath. “I’m sorry, it’s just—peonies and penis are practically the same word! I swear I thought you were just—” Maya paused to laugh again, “—just casually telling me about flowers and… well, that.”
Carina groaned. She really hadn’t expected this kind of conversation during lunch. “Non ci posso credere,” she muttered, her hand pressed against her face in frustration. “What a disaster.”
Maya, still laughing softly, wiped her eyes, feeling a little bad for teasing Carina but still unable to help herself. “Okay, okay,” Maya said, trying to steady herself. “I’m sorry. But I swear, it was so close.”
Carina looked up, “How did you even—how did you hear that?”
Maya just shrugged, wiping her cheek. “I have a very particular set of ears. Apparently.” She grinned at Carina, still shaking her head.
Carina buried her face in her hands again, still mortified. "I can’t even... Peonies, Maya. Peonies."
Maya raised an eyebrow, unable to suppress a grin. “I’m just saying, maybe I need to start rethinking how I hear your words from now on."
“Please don’t," Carina muttered, still hiding her face.
After a beat, Maya`s grin fading into a warmer smile. "No, seriously. I'm sorry. You just have to admit, the timing was… well, you know."
Carina sighed deeply but finally lifted her head, still blushing but also trying to embrace the absurdity of it all. “I... I’m not ever saying that word in front of you again. Ever."
Maya chuckled, leaning forward. “Don’t worry. I promise not to make it worse. Though, now that I know your favorite flower, I’m gonna remember it forever.”
Carina couldn’t resist the urge to keep the playful energy going after their little flower fiasco. She leaned back in her chair, watching Maya, who was still smiling.
"So," Carina said with a mischievous grin, "since we're on the topic of flowers now... what's your favorite?"
Maya raised an eyebrow, clearly caught off guard by the question, but then her face softened into a fond smile. "Peace lilies," she answered, her voice warm as she thought about the plant. "They're the only thing I can keep alive."
Carina blinked in surprise. "Really?"
Maya shrugged, giving a small, self-deprecating laugh. "Yeah, plants usually don’t last long in my care. But peace lilies... they're easy." She paused, looking at Carina with a grin. "They let you know when they’re thirsty because they just... flop."
Carina blinked again, her mind slowly catching up with Maya’s words. "Flop?" She raised an eyebrow, trying to keep her face neutral.
Maya demonstrated with a quick gesture, hands dropping limply in the air to show how the leaves drop when the plant needs water. “Like this. You can just tell they’re thirsty because they just flop.”
Carina’s eyes widened, and a smirk tugged at the corner of her lips. "So... your plant flops when it’s thirsty?"
Maya shot her a puzzled look. "What are you getting at?"
Carina leaned in slightly, her voice dropping to a teasing whisper. “Well, the way you’re demonstrating it, with those flopping hand gestures...” She gave Maya a pointed look. “Kind of like a... I don’t know... a penis?”
Maya froze for a split second, before her eyes widened, realization hitting her. "Oh my god, Carina—no!" she protested.
Carina leaned back in her chair, clearly enjoying herself. "Hey, you brought it up. I’m just connecting the dots here."
Maya covered her face, shaking her head. "You are terrible," she laughed, the blush on her cheeks only deepening. "This is not how I intended to talk about my favorite flower."
Carina grinned wider. "Oh, it’s too good. You can’t just say 'flop' with that hand motion and expect me not to react accordingly."
---------------
Later that afternoon, Maya found herself in Miranda Bailey’s office, sitting across from the show’s no-nonsense producer. The room was tidy but full of personality—scripts stacked neatly on the desk, a framed photo of Miranda’s family beside a coffee mug that said I run this ship.
Maya had come in to discuss her contract, but somewhere in the conversation, Miranda’s sharp eyes settled on her in that knowing way that made Maya feel like she was being studied.
“So, Bishop,” Miranda said, leaning back in her chair, “you’re getting along with Carina DeLuca?”
Maya blinked at the sudden shift. “Carina?” she asked, feigning casualness. “Yeah, we work well together. She’s—” Maya hesitated, then smirked. “She’s...uh...nice.”
Miranda let out a small chuckle. “That she is.” She tapped her fingers on the desk, observing Maya for a moment before adding, “She’s been through a lot, you know.”
Something about the way she said it made Maya sit up a little straighter. “Oh?” she asked, trying to sound neutral.
Miranda gave her a pointed look, the kind that suggested she was debating whether to say more. “I don’t believe in gossip,” she finally said, “but let’s just say Carina’s had a lot to overcome. You wouldn’t know it just by looking at her, but she’s carrying more weight than most.”
Maya frowned slightly, curiosity flaring. “Andrea already said something similar. But it`s just, Carina seems so… so put together,” she said.
Miranda nodded, as if she expected that response. “People like her? They get real good at wearing armor. And the thing about armor is, it gets heavy after a while.”
Maya swallowed, feeling an odd twist in her stomach. She wanted to ask more, but something told her Miranda wouldn’t just hand over Carina’s history.
Miranda studied her reaction, then smirked slightly. “You seem quite interested.”
Maya scoffed, leaning back in her chair. “I just like knowing who I’m working with.”
Miranda gave her a look that said she wasn’t fooled. “Right,” she said, amused. Then, with a knowing glance, she added, “Just don’t be surprised if Carina runs before she lets anyone get too close.”
Maya let out a small laugh. “I guess she already did that, multiple times.”
Miranda stood, effectively ending the conversation. “Alright, that’s enough heart-to-heart for today. You’ve got work to do.”
Maya took the cue and stood as well, but as she walked out of the office, she couldn’t shake the feeling that she’d just been handed a new piece to a puzzle she suddenly really wanted to solve.
------------
Maya was minding her own business, flipping through the script for her next scene, when she overheard him talking.
Robert Sullivan.
The guy, who had been circling Carina like a lost puppy for the last couple of days, despite the fact that Carina had made it painfully clear she wasn’t interested. Maya didn’t know if it was arrogance, ignorance, or a tragic mix of both, but the man just did not get the hint.
And now, he was standing a few feet away, chatting loudly with another actor while Maya listened in, pretending to be deeply invested in her script.
“I’m just saying,” Robert scoffed, “Carina acts like she’s too good for people. She barely has any real friends here.”
Maya’s fingers tightened around the pages.
The other actor made a noncommittal noise, but Robert wasn’t done. “She’s impossible when it comes to dating, too. No one’s ever good enough. And she’s not getting any younger, you know?” He let out a dramatic sigh. “At some point, she’s gotta stop being so picky.”
Maya didn’t even realize she had stood up until she was right there, her presence cutting into their conversation like a knife.
“I’m sorry, what was that?” she asked, tilting her head.
Robert turned, blinking in surprise. “Oh, hey, Bishop. Didn’t see you there.”
“Yeah, obviously,” Maya said, voice smooth but sharp. “So, let’s rewind a second. You were saying Carina doesn’t have real friends?” She crossed her arms, staring him down.
Robert shifted uncomfortably. “I just meant she keeps to herself. It’s kind of... weird.”
Maya raised an eyebrow. “Oh, right. Because a woman who knows what she wants and doesn’t feel the need to fake friendships with people she doesn’t like is weird.”
Robert chuckled awkwardly. “Come on, don’t get all worked up. I’m just saying, she turns down every guy who asks her out. What’s the deal with that?”
Maya’s jaw clenched. God, this guy is insufferable.
“The deal,” she said slowly, “is that she’s not interested. And she doesn’t owe you or anyone else an explanation for that.”
Robert held up his hands. “Relax, Bishop. It’s just a joke.”
Maya’s eyes narrowed. “A joke?” She took a step closer. “Because it kinda just sounded like you were bitter that she doesn’t want to date you.”
Robert’s expression flickered, like she had struck a nerve. “That’s not—”
“You know what I think is really weird?” Maya cut him off, voice dripping with faux curiosity. “A grown man whining about rejection and calling a woman ‘picky’ just because she has standards.”
Robert’s face darkened, but Maya wasn’t done.
“Oh, and the whole not getting any younger thing?” She gave him a sweet, insincere smile. “That’s rich, coming from you. Maybe you should worry about running out of time. Because your face looks at least ten years older than Carina`s!”
A few people nearby snickered. Robert’s jaw tensed, and Maya could see the moment he realized he wasn’t winning this one.
“Whatever,” he muttered, before turning and walking off.
Maya watched him go, shaking her head. Unbelievable.
---------------
Carina hadn’t meant to eavesdrop.
She had only been passing through when she caught the tail end of the conversation—Robert’s arrogant voice, Maya’s sharp, unwavering retorts slicing through his nonsense.
Carina had frozen just out of sight, listening as Maya shut him down without hesitation, without doubt. She was used to handling men like Robert on her own, brushing off their egos with polite disinterest or, when necessary, cutting words. But hearing someone else—Maya—step in so fiercely on her behalf sent an unfamiliar warmth through her chest.
She had been alone in so many situations before. Always the one pretending not to care, always swallowing the frustration. But Maya? Maya had cared. Without hesitation, without expecting anything in return.
And Carina hated feeling like she owed anyone.
She straightened her shoulders and stepped forward, her voice light but deliberate.
“So,” she said, crossing her arms. “Defending my honor now, are we?”
Maya turned to her, smirking. “Someone had to. He’s an idiot.”
Carina hummed, watching her a little too closely. Maya looked entirely too smug, like she had enjoyed shutting Robert down just a little too much.
“You didn’t have to do that,” Carina said after a beat.
Maya shrugged, all casual confidence. “I know.”
And that should have made it easier for Carina to walk away. But instead, it only made her resolve tighten. She hated feeling like she owed people—but maybe she could shift this into something more comfortable. Something on her terms.
She exhaled through her nose, pretending to consider something before saying, “I know a good coffee shop a few blocks from here.”
Maya’s brows lifted slightly. “Okay, and?”
Carina nodded, nonchalant. “You should come. Coffee’s on me.”
Maya’s smirk deepened, eyes flickering with amusement. “Wait… is this a thank you?”
Carina rolled her eyes, already regretting this. “It’s an acknowledgment.”
Maya chuckled, shaking her head. “I’ll take it.”
Carina turned to walk away before Maya could say anything else.
But as she left, she heard Maya call out behind her, voice teasing, smug.
“You so owe me.”
Carina didn’t turn around.
------------------
The coffee shop was tucked away on a quiet corner, a small Italian café with warm lighting and the rich scent of espresso filling the air. Maya followed Carina inside, immediately noticing the way the barista switched to Italian the moment he saw Carina.
Great. She was officially out of her depth.
Maya eyed the menu, trying very hard to make sense of the words. But apart from "espresso," it might as well have been in ancient Latin. She squinted at a few unfamiliar options—macchiato, marocchino, ristretto—and, honestly, she had no clue what she was looking at.
Carina, of course, noticed immediately.
With an almost dangerous smirk, she leaned in slightly, voice dripping with amusement. "You have no idea what to order, do you?"
Maya straightened, refusing to back down. "Of course, I do."
Carina just arched an eyebrow, waiting.
Maya hesitated for a second before gesturing vaguely at the menu. "I'll, uh… I'll have a marocchino."
Carina tsked, shaking her head. "You just picked a random word, didn’t you?"
Maya crossed her arms. "No."
Carina gave her a knowing look. "You did."
Maya groaned, running a hand through her hair. "Fine. Yes. I have no idea what a marocchino is."
Carina’s smirk widened as she leaned against the counter. "You adorable little Americano."
Maya scowled. "Don't patronize me, DeLuca."
Carina chuckled, turning slightly toward the waiter—a sharply dressed, ridiculously attractive Italian man who was watching them with open amusement.
"Marcello, la mia amica americana non sa niente di caffè." (Marcello, my American friend knows nothing about coffee.)
Marcello gasped dramatically. "Che peccato!" (What a shame!)
Maya narrowed her eyes. "I know you're making fun of me."
Carina just gave her an innocent smile. "Would I do that?"
Marcello leaned over the counter, grinning at Maya. "Bellissima, you are in good hands. Carina is a coffee snob."
Carina gasped, placing a hand over her chest. "Marcello!"
Marcello just winked. "It’s true, amore."
Maya smirked. "Oh, I like him."
Carina rolled her eyes before turning back to the menu. "Alright, dummy, let me explain. A marocchino is espresso with a little cocoa powder and foamed milk. A macchiato is an espresso with just a drop of milk. A ristretto is a very, very strong espresso shot." She eyed Maya with mischief. "Which would be too much for you, I think."
Maya scoffed. "You don’t know my coffee tolerance."
Carina smirked. "Oh, I know."
Maya sighed. "Fine. What would you recommend, then?"
Carina hummed, tapping her finger against her lips. "You? You are not quite ready for the real thing yet. A cappuccino for you."
Maya narrowed her eyes. "That feels insulting."
Carina shrugged. "It is simply a gentle suggestion."
Maya sighed. "Fine. I'll take the cappuccino."
Marcello clapped his hands together. "Good choice, darling. And for you, bella?"
Carina smiled. "Espresso, as always."
Marcello nodded approvingly before looking between them, eyes twinkling with mischief. "And you must have something sweet, sì? A cannolo?"
Maya frowned. "A what now?"
Carina sighed like she was dealing with a lost child. "Cannolo, bella. The singular of cannoli."
Maya stared at her blankly. "…That doesn’t help me at all."
Marcello laughed. "Oh, she is fun!"
Carina turned back to Maya, gesturing with her hands in that very Italian way. "It is a sicilian pastry filled with sweet ricotta cream. You will love it."
Maya smirked. "Oh, so now you're trying to woo me with sweets?"
Carina rolled her eyes. "Please, I don’t need to woo you."
Maya’s smirk grew. "That so?"
Carina ignored her, turning back to Marcello. "Two cannoli."
Marcello winked. "Coming right up, bella."
As he walked away, Maya leaned against the counter, watching Carina with a smug expression. "So, does this mean I'm part of your inner circle now?"
Carina gave her a slow, amused once-over. "No."
---------------------
Maya stirred her cappuccino absentmindedly, watching Carina take a slow sip of her espresso—no sugar, no milk, just pure, bold coffee. It fit her.
“So,” Maya said, leaning forward, a mischievous glint in her eyes. “What’s your biggest fear?”
Carina arched an eyebrow over her cup. “That is what you open with?”
Maya grinned. “Why not?”
Carina huffed a small laugh, setting her cup down. “Losing control.”
Maya blinked. She hadn’t expected Caria to actually answer truthfully. She tilted her head, intrigued. “Control of what?”
Carina gave her a pointed look. “Everything.”
Maya let that settle before switching gears. “Okay. Favorite place in the world?”
Carina exhaled, thinking. “The Amalfi Coast. There’s a little town there, Atrani, where Gabri-...my family used to go in the summer. It is quiet, beautiful. It smells like the sea and lemon trees.” She paused, a small, almost private smile flickering across her lips. “And they have the best gelato.”
Maya smiled, resting her chin in her hand. “Sounds nice.”
Carina hummed. “It is.”
Maya decided to test the waters further. “Weirdest thing you’ve ever eaten?”
Carina wrinkled her nose. “Babbaluci. Tiny snails cooked in garlic and parsley.”
Maya gagged dramatically. “But why, why why why?”
“My father insisted it was a delicacy.” Carina made a face. “It is not.”
Maya laughed. “Okay, no offense, but that’s disgusting.”
Carina chuckled. “Agreed.”
Maya smirked, enjoying this more than she had expected. “Alright, if you could have dinner with one person, dead or alive, who would it be?”
Carina hesitated. Something flickered across her face—brief, but noticeable. When she spoke, her voice was quieter. “My mama.”
Maya’s grin faded slightly. She softened. “Yeah?”
Carina nodded, looking down at her espresso. “There are things I wish I could ask her. Things I never got the chance to say.”
Maya wanted to say something comforting, but she wasn’t sure what. So instead, she just nodded, offering Carina a small, understanding smile.
Carina ran her finger along the rim of her espresso cup, her gaze now distant, lost somewhere.
“My mother died when I was sixteen,” Carina finally said, her voice even but soft. “Breast cancer. She… she didn’t tell us how bad it was. Not until it was too late.”
Maya’s fingers tightened around her cappuccino cup. “I’m sorry.”
Carina gave a small, almost dismissive nod, as if she had heard that phrase a million times before. “Andrea was only nine.” A faint smile tugged at her lips, but it was laced with something sad. “He was always following me around back then. I think he was scared that if he let me out of his sight, I’d disappear too.”
Maya swallowed. She could picture it—the young, grieving Carina forced to be stronger than she should have had to be, a little brother clinging to her like she was the only thing keeping him grounded.
“My father…” Carina continued, then hesitated. “Vincenzo is… brilliant. A genius, really. A surgeon, like me. But he is also—” she stopped, searching for the right words.
Maya tilted her head. “Difficult?” she offered.
Carina let out a breathy chuckle, but there was no real amusement in it. “That is one word for it.” She tapped her fingers against her cup. “He has bipolar disorder. Just like Andrea.”
Maya sat up a little straighter. “Oh.”
Carina gave a small shrug. “He was undiagnosed for a long time. And even when he was, he… resisted help. Said it made him less of a man, less of a doctor.” Her jaw tightened slightly. “And he could be wonderful. He could be so kind, so full of ideas and energy. But then the lows would come. And when my mother died… the lows won.”
Maya’s chest ached at the weight behind those words.
Carina took another sip of her espresso, her expression unreadable. “Andrea… he struggles too. But he is not my father. He lets people in. He lets me in.” She looked at Maya then, really looked at her, like she was debating saying something else. But instead, she just sighed. “It is exhausting sometimes, always being the one holding things together.”
Maya didn’t know what it was like to take care of someone else. But she did know what it was like to feel like you always had to be strong, to feel like the moment you let go, everything around you would crumble.
So instead of offering empty words, she just nodded and said, “That sounds really hard.”
Carina let out a slow breath, like she hadn’t realized how much she had been holding in.
They sat there in comfortable silence for a moment, the noise of the café humming softly around them. Then, Carina lifted her cup, her lips twitching into something that wasn’t quite a smile, but wasn’t not one either.
“My turn.”
Maya blinked. “Wait, what?”
Carina smirked. “You asked, I answered. Now I ask.”
Maya narrowed her eyes. “That’s not how this works.”
Carina tilted her head. “Oh? Are you scared?”
Maya scoffed. “Of you? Never.”
Carina leaned in slightly, her smirk widening. “Good. Then tell me, Maya Bishop—what is your biggest fear?”
Maya opened her mouth to deflect, but something about Carina’s expression made her pause. She exhaled, dropping her gaze to her cappuccino.
“Being stuck,” she admitted, voice quieter than before.
Carina studied her, curiosity flickering in her eyes. “In what way?”
Maya hesitated, then shrugged. “In life. In my own head. In a place I don’t want to be.”
Carina nodded, as if she understood exactly what Maya meant. “Sounds familiar.”
“So,” Carina continued. “What other ridiculous questions do you have for me, Maya Bishop?”
Maya grinned. “Oh, don’t worry, I have plenty.”
Maya tapped her fingers on the table, her eyes glinting with mischief, as she took another sip of her cappuccino. “Alright, since we’re being all open and honest now…”
Carina eyed her suspiciously. “Oh no.”
Maya leaned in, her voice lowering to something teasing. “What’s the weirdest place you’ve ever—” she paused for dramatic effect, a wicked grin spreading across her face, “—had an orgasm?”
Carina immediately froze, the mug halfway to her lips. She blinked, trying to process what Maya had just asked, before she let out a groan of disbelief. “You’re serious.”
Maya raised an eyebrow, leaning back in her seat like she was ready for a show. “Come on, Carina, we’re sharing embarrassing things now, right? It’s only fair!”
Carina set her mug down with exaggerated care, shaking her head. “I regret everything.”
Maya wasn’t letting it go. “Oh, I know you’ve got a story. Come on, I’m waiting.”
Carina exhaled slowly, her fingers drumming against the table for a beat. Then, she leaned in slightly, her voice quieter but still with that trademark Carina smirk. “An MRI machine.”
Maya blinked, then stared. “Wait, WHAT?!”
Carina shrugged, completely unbothered. “Well, the person who conducts a study should always participate in said study, no? So I simply tested my neurological response to pleasure as text subject zero.”
Maya’s jaw dropped. “You had an orgasm in an MRI machine?!”
Carina nodded, unfazed. “Yes. It wasn’t… exactly how I imagined my day would go.” She raised an eyebrow. “But it was for science.”
Maya leaned forward, her grin only widening. “Hold up. You—Doctor Carina DeLuca—got into an MRI, and for science purposes, had an orgasm?”
Carina’s lips twitched. “Technically, I didn’t just experience the orgasm. I was also studying my own response by documenting the neurological activity while it happened. It was all very clinical.”
Maya sputtered; eyes wide. “So what? You, like, watched your own brain light up? Carina!”
Carina chuckled, “I was just really committed to my study.”
Maya couldn’t stop laughing, practically snorting. “Oh my god, this is the most ridiculous thing I’ve ever heard. And the best thing I’ve ever heard about you!”
Carina rolled her eyes, but her lips twitched. “You’re never going to let me live this down, are you?”
Maya was practically crying from laughter, “Never. This is too good. So, like, was it awkward? Did someone… watch?”
Carina raised a finger, cutting her off. “That’s enough. We don’t need any more details.”
Maya grinned. “Too late. You can’t just drop a bomb like that and expect me to forget!”
Carina sighed dramatically but couldn’t quite hide her smile. “I really wish I could take it back.”
Maya’s grin was far too smug for her own good. “Oh, absolutely not. This is gold.”
Carina smirked, shaking her head. “Well, you must have realized by now, that I am an overachiever.”
Maya chuckled and sat back in her chair. “Yeah, but this is next-level. You had an orgasm in an MRI maschine.”
Carina gave her a dry look. “It was a clinical trial, Maya. I wasn’t just experimenting for fun. Even though that would have been great, too, while I am thinking about it.”