Meeting Monika
Three Wishes
chapter 34
by
Anderson
and
novar
"So how did you wanna... troduc...our sister? Does she..."
Left alone on the coffee table, you can make out most of what your sister says over the clash of dishes in the kitchen.
Sammy's voice is loud with laughter, on the other hand, and you hear everything she says just fine: "No, I didn't tell her anything except with you, babe! I didn't even tell her Joe would be here but she's probably guessed, though. I just said he was one of a kind, and if she met him once and still didn't want t-"
"You'd introduce her to your hot ex roommate Cindy, yeah, yeah I remember." Lena raises her voice, interrupting impatiently. "So how do we...?"
At this point the dishes suddenly go silent, and so you can hear clearly even as Sammy whispers - as if forgetting how that was supposed to work: "I was thinking we could use..."
"What! Come on Sammy, that's not funny!" Your sister sounds indignant... if not entirely convincing, for some reason.
"I am! Look, you know she likes a sense of humor! AND it'll be a great icebreaker. And-" you hear smooching and murmuring - "c'mon it's Monika, you know she'll think it's cute!"
"I know she'll think it's ho- mmph!" Lena's cut off by another kiss, not that you hear any struggling. Actually, you're not sure you like hearing any of this at all. Being home alone with Sammy during the day is almost preferable to living through her and your sister's domestic life.
"Well, don't we want her to be interested? We can't keep him with us, right babe?"
"...no, you're right."
There's a last couple of kisses, and then "are you still using the wine? Pour me some..."
...and then, finally, the moment you've been dreading arrives, and you find out what the two's mysterious plans were about as Lena comes out of the kitchen towards you carrying an empty butter dish. To your relief, it turns out all the to-do was about wanting you to curl up and hide under the lid, so that Lena could introduce you by opening it and surprising Sammy's sister. Ta-daa!
"...what, that's it?" You feel relieved. Knowing Sammy, you'd been expecting worse. Until you realize - wait a second, did she just convince Lena to hand you to her sister on a literal platter? "Actually, hold on. Are you sure about how that'll come across? I mean, Sammy said her sister's kind of kinky..."
"Oh, really?" Lena stares down at you dismissively. "Between the two of you, you think you get to be the one to judge? Lil' bro, you literally kinked yourself into this whole business. I'm your sister and I want to help you, but for you to keep staying with me I'll have to start bringing you to work - which I'm not even sure is legal, or-"
"Okay, I get it!"
Well, whatever she's like, you've put up with being Sammy' toy for days now and the other alternatives were even worse, so in the end you agree to do as Lena says. You also promise to let her and Sammy do the talking, with Lena stressing, for some reason, it was important you don't interrupt. Probably a pet peeve of Monika's, being interrupted... you assume?
Well, whatever.
...
At any rate, you're thankfully only waiting on the kitchen carousel, in your porcelain coffin of a butter dish, for a few minutes before the knocker sounds, and Sammy goes off to welcome in her sister.
"Okay, this is it! Don't be nervous, okay lil' bro? Just follow my lead and keep it cool!" Lena seems to be reassuring herself more than you, really, and you know she's had at least one refill of wine since bringing you to the table.
Sammy, on the other hand, reenters the room sounding cheeky. "Ohh, you got me. Yes, it's about the guy. No sight of him right now. I'm sure he'll turn up!" She's clearly enjoying herself.
"Yeah, uh-huh. I'm sure that's very clever." An unfamiliar woman's voice, with all the patient exasperation of someone who knows they're putting up with other people's inside jokes. "Well, you've set three spots. I guess that means we go ahead and eat then? Hi, Lena!"
"Hi, Monika!"
"Ooh, shrimp scampi!"
The girls are quickly served and sit down, so your heart is racing as Lena asks: By the way babe, could you spin that for me so I can get the butter?"
"What, this? Sure!" (Hey, nobody told you about that!) You weren't expecting to be spun around all of a sudden, but you've gotten used to sudden movement by now and manage to hold quiet. "But it's not butter, though!" Sammy adds cheekily, as you come to a stop and feel yourself picked up.
"Not butter? What do you mean?" Lena dramatically cups her hand around the back of the lid, so Monika can't see, and peeks under the lid. "Oh, wow! I can't believe it! Monika, can you believe this isn't butter?" She asks in awe, holding the dish out towards her.
The woman who lifts the lid off your dish at long last, prompting you to stand up and take a bow, lets out a gasp and recoils slightly at the unexpected sight.
She looks to be in her mid to early twenties and has shoulder-length hair, shaved on both sides, and died blood red. Her lips and fingernails are painted to match, and she wears a low-cut white v-top that reveals generous cleavage underneath a form-fitting black leather jacket. A punk-girl vibe, complete with a tongue stud that you see quite clearly as she gapes momentarily, and then, surprisingly quickly, switches to a coy smile.
"Okay, I admit it. He's 'one of a kind'. You win." Monika rolls her eyes at Sammy, while you wait nervously with the smile frozen to your face. Is this... a good reaction?
"Annnd another dollar goes to Sammy! That makes five." She jabs back. You glance desperately back at Lena. You see she's looking slightly uncertain, but just opening her mouth to speak when Monika casually turns her gaze back to you and says-
What?
- "Don't mind if I do." She goes off script and claims you on the spot, not even pretending to need convincing. But does Lena decide to just call it a win, or does Monika take things too far in front of her before she leaves?
- "So has he always been this small?" You're set down in front of Monika and given food; dinner continues with Lena and Sammy telling her the whole humiliating story. Nobody's talking to you. Do you try to interject?
- "Hi, I'm Monika. You must be Joe."
- ...?