There was nothing that Maya Fey— law student and assistant to a certain famous defense attorney— found more distressing than a hamburger without a happy home.
In the dining room of Wilma's Burgers, birthplace of the greatest seasoned patty she had ever tasted, Maya looked around for the owner of the quarter pounder with cheese, sitting tantalizingly untouched on the table beside her.
Well-versed in the rules of patty snatching, Maya counted to thirty before she grabbed the burger and innocently slid it onto her tray.
It was, after all, abandoned.
"So…much…work.." she muttered in between oversized bites. Her mustard-stained fingers clawed through her briefcase until they found the pink slip of paper they were looking for.
Trial Date: August 30, 2024
Judge: The Honorable Winston Payne.
Defendant: Innis Scent.
Defense Attorney: …
(This was the best part…)
Phoenix Wright.
The name, in black and white, made Maya feel almost giddy with glee. Phoenix Wright— her spiky-haired prince in shining armor. The one man she had obsessed over since she was sixteen years old, doodling his name in her notebooks, blushing bright red when he said her name.
And they were finally dating!
Sure, he'd waited until she was twenty-four to ask her out. But they were together now. And nothing could tear them apart. Not even….
Her eyes drifted reluctantly to the bottom of the page.
Lead Detective: Diego Armando
Lead Detective?
Pfft.
Some liar he was. Maya knew that Diego Armando, formerly the enigmatic Godot, was scarcely in good standing with the local police force.
And, if it was up to her, she would never, ever go anywhere near him again…
Two weeks ago.
In retrospect, she really shouldn't have had that second dessert.
"Come on, Maya!" Nick called from the door of the restaurant, his toes tapping noisily on the linoleum. "We've got to get home. It's almost 10 o'clock."
Was it really? Maya couldn't keep track of the time, not when she was dining at her favorite restaurant, Tres Bien. Eagerly, she shoved another forkful of cake into her mouth and groaned with delight.
"Another five minutes! Please!" Maya pleaded with doe eyes.
"I can drive her home, if you like." Like a ghost, Diego Armando materialized a few paces away and stood to shake Phoenix's hand.
"It's good to see you again, Trite."
"And you, Mr. Armando."
"How is business these days?"
Maya frowned as she watched them converse. Considering the fact that Diego Armando had become something of a friend, she had no reason to refuse his offer. And yet…
"Maya, do you mind?" Nick addressed her with a hint of impatience, which she pretended to ignore.
"You go ahead! I'll be fine." Her voice was too bright, too high-pitched. And yet she would be fine, so long as that smirking, over-confident, coffee drinking maniac learned how to keep his distance and not stick his head in places where it didn't belong.
"So how are the lovebirds these days?" Diego asked once Nick had gone, his voice dripping with sarcasm.
"We're just fine. Thank you."
"Well if everything's fine in your world, kitten, then let me tell you about mine…"
Two hours later, and against her better judgment, Maya was smiling so wide her face hurt.
"You're kidding me!"
"I swear I'm not."
Diego leaned back in his chair and let his head fall to one side.
"It's easy, kitten. All you have to do is make it look like you're reading. Then you can just fall asleep..."
He emitted a few snores, causing Maya to dissolve in a fit of giggles.
"And the police chief never suspects a thing?"
"Not a thing," said Diego smoothly, eyes twinkling behind his visor. "Why do you think I drink so much coffee? It's hard to wake up after all those naps!"
There was no doubt about it. Diego Armando was the Devil himself.
So it's really no surprise what happened next. After he drove her home, hands draped languidly over the steering wheel, he leaned in and he actually kissed her.
It was maddening.
It was infuriating.
It was…..nice.
Maya gulped hard, grabbed her purse and leaped from the rusted old Volvo like a bat out of hell.
She didn't pause to think. Not once. Not until she was safely upstairs, in her apartment, hunkered down in bed and wrapped up in her pink silk pajamas.
That's when she noticed the taste of coffee was still on her lips…
Stop it, Maya! A voice screamed in her head. What was she doing, sitting here daydreaming about Diego Armando?
Well, she thought resolutely, if one thing's clear, it's that I need to establish some firm, professional boundaries.
With a determined look on her face, Maya fished out her laptop and composed a new email message.
Dear Mr. Armando, she typed rapidly.
I would like to inform you that there will be no more physical contact between us.
There. Perfectly impartial.
Additionally, I would like to request a meeting to discuss the defense of Ms. Innis Scent. Would 2pm today be convenient? I await your response.
Sincerely,
Maya Fey
Maya took a minute to double-check the email for any hints of emotion. Then she hit send, blushing slightly as she imagined Diego opening his laptop, checking his email, smirking handsomely when he saw her name…
Ouch! What was that?
Maya's hands flew to her neck. As they had so often before, her fingertips found the smooth green jewel on her breastbone, pulsing softly in tune with her heartbeat.
Her Magatama. Except it wasn't just pulsing. Carefully, Maya unlatched the necklace and turned it over in her hands. It was hot, so warm she could barely stand to touch it, and the surface shimmered with an iridescent light.
The Magatama was glowing. But she hadn't seen that since….
The realization hit her like a ton of bricks. The last time this happened was five whole years ago, the last time she talked to Mia, the day after their mother died.
And if Mia wanted to get a hold of her now? She could think of only one good reason.
Her pulse quickening, Maya replaced the worn metal chain around her neck and squeezed her eyes shut.
Don't worry, Sis, she vowed silently, Diego Armando is all yours.
There was a sudden commotion as a group of teenagers, shouting to be heard over the restaurant speakers, settled into a booth nearby.
"I've got to stop doing this," she said wearily to no one in particular. Surveying the empty fast food wrappers around her- representing four burgers in total- Maya suddenly decided she would pass on dinner.
That way, she would have more time to talk to Nick, maybe take in a movie.
It's what she wanted, of course, to feel as close to him as she did before. But as she packed up her briefcase and tossed her garbage away, Maya realized that something had changed- perhaps irreversibly- on the night that Diego Armando had kissed her.
And now the Magatama knew it too.
Author's Note: So this is...different :) And definitely not my regular pairing! Not sure whether I'll even continue but thought I'd post it anyway. Reviews are appreciated!