“I’m at a club.” He yawned again. “Met a cute librarian. We’re drinking wine and voguing.”

“Translation: You’re already in bed and wearing your cooling eye mask.”

“These eyes need daily de-puffing,” he insisted.

“I won’t judge if you don’t,” she said with affection. This complete acceptance of each other was why they worked. At least now. “What dragged you from your beauty sleep?”

“You mean besides nightmares of being saddled with a monstrosity that will devour every dollar in your account and still not be marketable?”

“Yeah, besides that.”

“Just my monthly plea for more bodies.”

Maggie rolled her eyes ceilingward. “You have this scheduled in your calendar, don’t you?”

“You’re damn right I do. Every month on the twenty-third, I plead my case for one more production person.”

“And what do I say every twenty-third?” she asked.

“Ask me next month.” His impression of her was not the most flattering. “It’s next month, and I’m asking. Nay, pleading! We need someone else, Magpie. We can’t keep up as it is.”

“We’re doing just fine,” she said dryly.

“Maybe you can work around the clock like some robot overlord with no need for things like sleep and food and sex—”

“Excuse me, I’m having food right now.”

“But I can’t,” Dean continued, ignoring her. “A production assistant. Someone to shoot footage, schedule social media, bring me coffee.”

“You just want the coffee,” she joked. But on the inside, she wasn’t feeling so funny. More help meant another person to be responsible for. She worked her ass off for Dean. For everyone else who depended on her. How much ass did she have left for someone else?

“Just think about it, robot overlord,” he said on a weary sigh. “If someone else can handle more of the day-to-day, I’d have more time to focus on editing, to schmooze more advertisers. And it’s not like we can’t afford it.”

“Another person is another expense,” Maggie pointed out.

“Seriously, when’s the last time you looked at the numbers?” he asked.

“I look at numbers all day every day.”

“I don’t mean tape measures and follower counts. I mean the income reports.”

Oh. Those.

“I look at them,” she hedged.

“Look at the specially prepared reports that our very nice accountant prepares for you every month, Maggie. Look at them and consider adding another person.”

“I’ll think about it,” she promised.

“Just so you know, I’m upping my scheduled request to bimonthly.”

“Doesn’t that mean every two months?”

He groaned. “Yes, but in this case, it means twice a month, smarty-pants. I honestly don’t know how you would survive without me.”

“I don’t either,” she admitted. Not only was Dean the numbers guy behind their partnership, but he also handled most of the filming and editing.