IS IT REALLY WORTH IT?

WORTH 6

"Can you put that off?"

Niki stopped tapping her fingers on the steering wheel, grin turning into a frown. She sighed and switched the radio off. Lou was in an absolutely horrific mood, the one specific mood Niki couldn't stand. They'd gone to sleep separately, Lou in the bed and Niki on the couch, and when they'd woken Lou had looked like death. Niki didn't know if it was from the migraine or the fact that they were going to counselling, or what, but Lou looked ready to kill. Right now her hit list had one name: Niki's.

"You seem peachy today," she couldn't help but comment.

Louise shot her an angry look. "Shut up, Niki. I'm not in the mood."

"Shut up?" She gripped onto the wheel a little tighter. "I'm not one of your little minions that you can just order around."

"Not. In. The. Mood."

Niki opened her mouth to shoot back with something sarcastic, but Lou's cold round eyes cut right through her and she thought better of it. She returned her attention to the road and focused on quietly counting to ten, heart rate slowly going down. Just when she felt that she wasn't about to explode, Lou's phone started ringing. It was shrill and annoying, and just hearing it made Niki's mood crash even more.

"Louise Donovan, speaking." she said firmly into her phone. She paused and listened, but Niki could just sense the anger and frustration mounting and emanating off of her. It filled the car, so Niki opened her window and cooled off slightly with the breeze hitting her skin. "Are you so incompetent that you couldn't handle this yourself?" Louise growled. "No, I know, and I don't care. I gave this position to you because I thought you could handle it." She released a frustrated noise. "Fine! Give me twenty minutes. Do not f**k up even more before I get there."

Niki's heart dropped. "Oh f**k no," she said. "You're not skipping out on this."

Lou started tapping away at her phone. "I don't care. We can reschedule. Turn around and take me to Aguirre Corp."

Niki pressed down on the gas. "f**k no. We're going."

"Niki, I swear to god." She turned her body to fully face Niki. "Turn this car around! I need to head in to work."

Niki refused to look at her. "No."

"Niki! You have no idea what it's like being CEO of a huge company like Aguirre Corp. You think it's all fun and games because my father is there? Well guess what, he isn't. Most of the time he's out with his buddies playing golf, or taking my mother to Hawaii. He assigns all of his work to me. I need to go to work. Now."

Niki wasn't deterred. "And I don't care either. You can call Kiara and tell her how to handle the situation." She stopped at a red light and finally turned to Lou. She looked absolutely livid. "You need to decide right now. Me or work."

"I can't believe you!" Her cheeks and ears went pink with anger. "I do so f*****g much, only to have you treat me like-"

"I have the f*****g divorce papers, Louise!" Lisa yelled. She slammed her fists against the wheel and inhaled deeply. Lou went silent. When she chanced a look, Lou had gone pale. "Yeah, that's right. I have them. And I'll go right to work and sign them if you insist."

"Niki... you can't... you can't blackmail me like this!"

"Oh yes I f*****g can, Louise. This is our f*****g marriage. Decide. Now."

The light turned green and Niki sped forward. She ground her teeth together, stomach roiling. She was ready. If Lou decided her work was worth more, Niki would completely give up and move on. She was not ready for Jennie to constantly reschedule on her.

"Fine." It was so soft that Niki nearly missed it. "I'll make a plan."

Niki exhaled slowly and eased up on her speed. Louise started making calls, voice now soft and defeated. Niki wondered still if this was even worth it.

***

Rachel was as wild looking as Niki remembered, but this time she sported a mighty smug grin. She stared at them from her seat in front of them, so silent and still that Niki felt very uncomfortable. She started second guessing herself. Had this really been a good idea? Should she have maybe just dropped Louise off at work and gone to sign those papers?

"I'm very glad to see you here today," Rachel finally spoke. "Not glad that you've reached the point that you need me, but glad that it was me you came to." She crossed a leg over the other and fully rested back in her seat. Niki felt slightly more comfortable. "I see you both definitely need my help."

Louise immediately went pink. "Excuse me?"

Niki rolled her eyes. "Don't take your anger out on other people. It's rude."

Louise turned to her, glaring, but she didn't say anything else because she knew Niki was right. She crossed her arms over her chest and huffed like a child. Niki wanted to delicately caress Louise throat with her fingertips, then throttle the life out of her. She resisted-barely. Rachel must have sensed the aggression coming off of her, because she narrowed her eyes slightly and nodded to herself.

"Right. Before we begin, I would like you to please fill in these forms. They include a contract and an easy to read guide on what I will be doing to help save your marriage."

She leaned over and handed two stacks of papers over. Niki wanted to groan-she f*****g hated contracts and guides, but Louise seemed interested. She immediately started going through the papers, so Niki decided not to even bother and simply grabbed for a pen to start filling in. If Louise found anything unsavoury in the contract, she would say so immediately.

"I'll leave you two to it, then," Rachel told them, smiling. "Merely tell me when you're done." Then she pulled a novel out of her coat and began reading. Niki blinked.

"Are we... are we just supposed to fill this in?"

Rachel nodded, flipped a page. "Yup. Just for now."

She sighed. Alright then. Niki started on the questionnaire, but frowned at some of the questions.

What was the location of your very first meeting?

At what point in your acquaintanceship/friendshipelationship did you feel you were in love?

What was the first thing that struck you about your spouse(s)?

Niki frowned deeply. These were awfully personal questions, but she supposed Rachel wanted to know the intimate details of their failing marriage. So with a reluctant sigh, she started scrawling in her answers. Lou was still reading over the contract and hadn't even looked at the questionnaire yet. When Niki reached about halfway, Lou sat up straighter and cleared her throat.

"Excuse me, Miss Lee?"

Rachel lifted her eyes. "Please, just call me Rachel."

"It says here that no funds are required until the completion of step ten, and that if completion is not reached, no payment is expected. Is there any catch?"

Rachel adjusted her glasses and Niki merely watched their exchange in-between writing in her answers. "Well, my belief is that if my ten step system does not fix what has fissured between the two of you, then even if we have gone through the previous nine steps, I have failed in my job. You are here for my assistance, and I am here to give it in full seriousness. If I fail you, how can I expect to take your money and your marriage?"

Niki stopped writing and watched Lou's reaction. She looked a little perplexed. "May I see your licence for this?"

Rachel barked out a long laugh. "Yes, of course!" She pointed over her shoulder to a bunch of frames hanging on the walls, all containing various certificates. Louise studied them intently. "I'm fully qualified to help you here, I promise. I'm surprised that you haven't heard of me before."

Niki went back to writing. "Sounds fun," she muttered to herself.

"And what are these ten steps exactly?" Lou asked. Apparently she had completed her thorough examination of the contract, but she wasn't signing or tossing it away just yet.

"I'm afraid one guideline is that I cannot reveal these steps to you until we reach them. Once you have gone through and signed the contract, and answered the questionnaire, we can proceed to step one."

"I see."

Niki snorted. That was totally code for 'I think you're an i***t but I'll humour you'. Lou had used it enough times on her for Niki to know. She finally reached the end of her questions and handed the papers, contract signed, back to Rachel. "Just do it, Louise," Lisa told her. "If we fail at least we don't have to pay."

Lou looked like she wanted to argue, but Rachel's next words interrupted her.

"Oh, I really don't think you know me very well." She grinned, all teeth. "I have never had a failed marriage on my watch."

Niki sat back, an eyebrow lifted. "No s**t, really? How many couples have you counselled?"

Rachel took a moment. "Two-hundred-and-thirty-six. You two are the thirty seventh." She smiled like that was both an impressive feat and another mundane fact. Niki was sure her eyebrows were comically high.

"How many do you council at a time?" Lou asked. Even she seemed a little in awe.

"Only one."

Lou went quiet. Niki glanced at her watch and noted they'd been there for an hour already. She had thing she needed to do, but the appointment was two hours long. She hoped they finished soon. Eventually Lou quietly paged through the questionnaire, and then she started answering and finally she signed the contract. When she handed both over to Rachel, she looked a little less angry.

"So what now?" Niki asked.

"Now," Rachel started, "we begin with step one!"

Rachel slipped all the papers into a file and set them aside. She then pulled out two small pamphlets and handed them over. "A short explanation of what is expected of you during step one, and all rules and guidelines. Take a moment to read it, then hit me with any questions you have."

Niki opened the pamphlet and started reading. Her brows furrowed as she did.

Step 1: Separation is for the best

One individual is to move out of the shared house, taking with them each and every personal belonging. For the full duration of a month, both individuals are to remain completely separate from each other. Avoid all locations both might frequent, and do not contact each other. A time and place will be given over, set for the last day of the month.

Niki felt confused. "You want us to completely separate?"

"For a full month?" Louise tacked on.

Rachel nodded. "Yes. Now that you've signed the contract, you are expected to follow my rules. By tonight one of you needs to be moved out. I will also be contacting you towards the end of the month, providing a specific location and a time."

"For what?" Niki asked.

Rcahel grinned. "Now that, Niki, is for step two." She clapped her hands together and stood from her chair. "Keep in touch with me if you have any questions at all. For now, use that pamphlet and get started on step one. Remember, for this month the two of you are strangers. You are single and free. Live like it, act like it. If you break any of the rules, I will instantly know, and there will be consequences."

Niki studied Rachel very carefully, but she seemed very serious. Niki swallowed. What the f**k had they just gotten themselves into?