Dinner with Amélie

Amélie sat in silence as Nikki tried to think of something to say to her. Sombra had pushed a lot of her buttons when she was in the penthouse, and Nikki knew from the app that she both loved him innately and had a higher tolerance for the things he might do with her. It was still intimidating to be sat beside her dressed to the nines though. A lifetime of social anxieties were not going to be wiped away by an assured word from a mysterious magical phone application.

“So, Amélie, what do you do for fun?”

Amélie didn’t seem outwardly annoyed by him yet, which was about as good as things could get in his mind. “My free time is composed of conditioning, training, equipment maintenance and medical evaluations. Any time not spent on those duties are reserved for food and sleep.”

“And?”

“And what?”

Okay, that hadn’t worked out the way he hoped.

“I am dispatched to dispose of Talon’s enemies. However, since Talon no longer exists in this world – I now exist to destroy your enemies, and nothing more.”

Nikki sighed, “No. I was just asking if you have anything you’d like to do. Like… a hobby – an instrument, art, reading…”

Amélie seemed confused by Nikki’s prying words, “Why would I need any of those things? I have no room for foolish wastes of time like ballet now.”

“See? You used to like ballet.”

“That was a long time ago,” she commented dismissively, “My primary role is to protect you.”

It was clear to Nikki now that getting Amélie into a new headspace would require intervention from the app, and not just some questions on a fancy date. He had the ability to add and remove the perks that defined her personality, for an extremely extortionate price – given his incredible ill-gotten wealth. It would take a few weeks to save up for one such purchase, even when stealing millions of dollars every day.

Nikki couldn’t align the information on the app and how Amélie was acting with him. According to the harem app, Amélie was in love with him from the moment she stepped foot in his world. The extent of the brainwashing that had made her act this way was more than he expected. Even knowing that she had a deep, obsessive fixation on him – she didn’t show it, not one bit.

A waiter approached the table, “Would you two like to order a drink?” he asked politely. Amélie named a French wine from the menu without delay; he had to admit that hearing the purr of her natural language made him feel something downstairs. Nikki picked out a random cider from the list and handed the menu back.

“Right away sir, thank you.”

“How long have you been living with Olivia?” Amélie queried.

“A couple of weeks, that woman works fast…”

“She does. Sombra was an invaluable member of Talon, however she did not always align with our goals and objectives. Everything must be for her benefit in some way.”

“Well, she’s working for our benefit now. Everything we order tonight is on her tab.”

“How do you intend to move forwards? Surrounding yourself with dangerous women like us.”

Nikki leant back in his plush seat and smiled, “I’m going to have fun. Because at the end of the day, that’s the only thing worth living for. Not just you and Olivia, I’m going to claim everyone from those organizations of yours, Overwatch and Talon.”

Amélie showed no reaction to the boastful claim, “I see. As long as you find time for me.” For me. The words rattled in Nikki’s ears. Finally, a crack in her armour. “With this ‘app’ of yours, you can control them?”

“Yeah. There isn’t going to be any trouble, hopefully. And if there is, I’m trusting you to take care of it.”

Amélie scooted up towards Nikki and planted a cool hand on his upper thigh, “Of course sir.” Nikki, feeling emboldened, wrapped his arm around her wide, fertile hips and pulled her closer into an intimate embrace.

“You ever need anything, you tell me, okay?”

Amélie planted a chaste kiss on his cheek, “Yes.” The two lovers separated before the waiter returned with their drinks. The rest of the evening passed in a blur until the early hours of the morning.