Amber moves in

Amber

"Good morning. We're here from M. Emm's Emporium & Workshop. You are Amber correct? This is the address James provided."

"Yes, you know where I'll move?"

"One house next to him, yeah."

"Good."

I spent the next hour or so telling all the employees to which truck what item belonged to, while helping out a bit myself. It was weird seeing this apartment getting so empty all of a sudden. But I'm happy to live with Klara. Wait, Klara? Not next to James? James? Since when could I call him that in my own thoughts? Something was going on... Had he found a way to...? I checked my phone and indeed, the app was gone. I didn't know what to think. Had he uninstalled the app somehow? Did his phone die? Or could he remove me after all? We... hadn't talked that much ever since Klara and I got together. So either he still felt guilty over having the app at all or he somehow got me exempted. I didn't know how to feel about either option.

I hate to admit it, but I asked James about Klara and his desires for her because I noticed that the two of us had been less close lately... I am afraid that my relationship with Klara might have alienated him from me. But weirdly, I had this... clarity. I didn't feel like there was a pressure there to consider his feelings more than other peoples' feelings. I could clearly decide whether I prefer Klara or James. And with how things have been recently, I am tending towards Klara. Which is shocking me. A week ago I would have ditched her in a heartbeat even without the app if James told me to, but now...

I suppose it's my own fault, isn't it? I hadn't talked to him about when I could move in, I had said yes to Klara without considering his opinion. But I think it was also partially his fault. He didn't seem interested. We talked once after the whole Laura thing and it showed me how distant he had become. He didn't tell me about what he did with Christine and now there was certainly more. I just feel so left out of his life. But maybe he needs that freedom? A week ago I would have never dared to ask for more attention, but now...

Fuck, all of this shit is such a mess, I need to stop worrying about it. I'll talk to him about this later. I got him out of his shell once before, I'll do it again. And if he wants to, I guess I can get back to +100SP for him if he actually wants to.

"Miss, we're going now. Want to come with me?" The moving lady ripped me out of my thoughts back into reality.

"Sure, thank you. You can call me Amber, by the way", I say, as I enter her truck.

"I'm Emily, nice to meet you." Emily? Like in the app? I guess it makes sense for James to call her and organize my move, then. "So how are you involved with James, if I may ask?"

"We're... colleagues."

"You can tell me the truth. There's a reason James asked me to move several women into his home. I'm curious why you're only moving in with his neighbor."

"Well, it's supposed to be an open relationship, I like his neighbor as well and she asked first."

"I see. Wait, supposed to be?"

"My... feelings are complicated towards James right now. I feel a bit like we haven't spent much time lately."

"That makes two of us with confused feelings about him, in all honesty. And I'm probably the reason he had no time. By the end of the year things should be normal again. Sorry if you can't wait this long."

Hmmm... If James is still too self-conscious about using the app, I doubt he'd spend time with her voluntarily. Was he somehow **** into this? "Could you tell me more about you taking his time?"

"I... don't want to."

"Fine. Sorry for asking. What about the complicated feelings, though? I've known him since college, I probably know him better than anyone, maybe I can help you."

"Haha, college? Amber, I went to high school with him. I know him quite well. The issue is more with my own feelings."

Shouldn't I feel challenged? Feel, like I need to prove that I'm better for James? But no, I just don't care at the moment. Has he played around with the sliders? I doubt it, he would've told me. And there seems to be no emergency either. "What about your feelings?" I ask her.

"W-Well, due to factors outside of my - or James' - control, I'm in a predicament and he's helping me out a lot, even though it seems to strain the relationship between you two. I am essentially in a position where I have to entrust James with my life. And well, I'm confused because... I don't seem to mind. This could very well be my business one day, I've always been a very independent woman and now James... I do this to save my skin, but I remain eerily calm about all of this."

"Hm. Why do you think are you so calm? If James had a lot of power over my life, I don't know that I would be that happy about it." Did I really just say that? Did he give me a new personality or something? He can't do that, right?

"I genuinely don't know, that's why I was asking you."

Hm, there are multiple answers I could give. I could be brutally honest and barely hide the truth. Emily was in the high 70s, if that still meant anything, so it's clear that at this point, she should be used to James calling the shots and should've developed a positive attitude towards it. I could also just lie and try to make him happy and convince her she just likes it when he takes charge. I don't quite know what to do, especially because I'm not sure what he'd like me to do. It's hard making decisions without master. Wait, master? What happened to me? I'm confused. I still feel lukewarm towards him, but this is back? What's going on? I think he'd want me to be a bit more honest but not totally truthful. Maybe there is an option outside the app? Maybe she just trusts James? Oh I'm back again. But yeah, her trusting James would make sense. He's very dependable, charitable, and charming. He paid for her services too. My feelings seem to be on a roller coaster right now, aaaaaaa.

"Well, thinking about it... Maybe you just trust him? After our four years of college I know him quite well and I would trust him with a lot of things, probably even my life, if the situation needs that. Maybe it's similar to you? I spent every day with James in college, so maybe you're less certain because you spent less time with him."

"You know... that seems reasonable. He certainly hasn't misused the trust I have to put in him. Worst thing he did was needing my services at 5:30 in the morning... yawn..."

"Haha, what did he need you for?"

"Ask him, it's a bigger thing. Different from my predicament, too."

"A-Alright. Do I understand you correctly in the sense that he hasn't gone after you?"

"Hm? No. I was kind of relieved when he told me was dating multiple women, because if he ever wanted anything sexual from me, I could have told him to find a different woman."

"You wouldn't like it if he tried?"

"No, I don't think so. He's a nice friend, but I don't want a partner."

"Is he not your type of guy? Or do you just not swing that way?"

"Sigh... You know what, you sounded bi from what you said earlier, I'm sure you understand it well enough. I don't swing at all, I'm asexual."

"Oh..." Could this be the reason James felt down? The fact that Emily here doesn't like him? But even when we discussed the women he liked, he never even mentioned her. "I don't think James likes you in this kind of way either. We've been... uh... strategizing sometimes. Don't think I heard your name, ever."

"I'm glad to hear that. I'm surprised he never told you about my predicament."

"Did you ask him to keep it secret?"

"Yeah, I did."

"Well then, that answers your question. He is the kind of guy to respect your boundaries. Part of why I liked him in the first place."

"Sorry to interrupt our conversation, but we arrived."

Emily, Klara, and I unpacked everything and stowed them away. Klara told me that James asked her to take care of a woman while he's at work. We tried to stay quiet when moving furniture and my clothes into the bedroom, but she woke up a few times. She wasn't mad, but obviously not very happy about things either. Eventually, we were done.

Emily: "Phew, this took longer than expected. Sorry, normally I work faster."

Klara: "It's fine, do you want to eat lunch with us?"

Emily: "Uhm..."

Amber: "Huh? Why did you invite her?"

Klara: "James asked me to..."

Emily: "Oh alright I'll stay."

Klara: "Amber, could you please bring the woman downstairs? And give her a glass of water if she needs her painkillers."

As I trotted up the stairs, I wondered what was going on here. How could master demand something of Klara and get through with it, when even I seemed to be able to break free of his control so easily this morning? Why was Klara not telling me about what James asked her to do? Is that maybe why he abandoned me? Couldn't resist Klara and felt weird about it? Or does he want me to be cuckolded one day? Or does he want a competition for Klara? No idea... I woke up the woman in our new bed and guided her downstairs. She clearly needed the railing and was a bit slow, but she could get to the table. The table was quiet. Nobody was talking. Emily nervously broke the silence.

Emily: "I feel bad for asking this, but could you... give me some food to bring home? I'll return the containers on Wednesday."

Jane: "Are you sure I shouldn't get involved in this? If you need food that badly, it's not..."

Emily glared at the woman and she quieted down.

Klara: "Ugh fine... I made a lot anyway, you might as well have some."

Emily: "Thank you so much, Miss. I know I'm rude, but..."

Klara: "Whatever. Thanks for your help today. And since James paid for this, a couple extra meals are still cheaper than your services."

Emily: "Sorry for being such a burden, I have to go now."

Jane: "Uhm, I'd like to go to James' house if any of you have the keys. I don't want to be a nuisance and I don't think I need much help anymore."

I gave her the keys for master's home and Klara and I talked. Master? What's going on inside my head...

"So what happened?"

"He just showed up and demanded I take care of her. And offer the moving truck lady some food."

"Seems like she enjoyed it a lot, I guess?"

"Maybe. I didn't want to, so I asked him for the bell again. He reluctantly agreed and we had a deal." A deal? Darling, you're near +80. You shouldn't be willing or able to 'make a deal' at all. I had to talk with him later.

"I'll grab the keys later, okay honey?"

"Yeah sure. Could you help me clean up the table? I'll go back to the farm then and tonight..." she smiled.

"Alright, sweetie. Tonight will be our first night together, as a couple. We'll have to celebrate that."