Kept woman

"You... You..."

Ulla was having trouble forming a full sentence. She was too busy overdosing on anger.

"Oh, hey, Ulla. Did you have a nice shower?" I said smugly, while enjoying both sipping the freshly-brewed lovely macchiato and the near-nakedness of her dripping-wet, voluptuous body.

"How... fucking... dare..."

"Krhm! Ulla!" Henrika was desperately trying to clear her throat to get Ulla's attention. When Ulla finally realized what she was signaling, it didn't take long for her to be embarrassed about wearing nothing but a towel.

She quickly ran back to the bathroom, and closed the door behind her. Me and Henrika just stared at each other for a while, not sure how to react to all that.

"So... uh... why don't you sit down, while we wait?"

"Don't mind if I do."

I took a seat on their nice, comfy sofa. Henrika sat her cute, little butt right next to me.

"Sorry about that, sometimes... well, she can be a little scatterbrained," Henrika said while smiling playfully.

"Please. If you think I'm offended... well, you don't know Jack."

"Oh... Was that a pun?"

"Yeah, kinda, but it had more levels to it than that. Anyway, I love this house! Lots of rooms, very prestige area. Must be quite expensive."

"It is. The rent is pure extortion. We can barely hold on to it. That's why this Remington thing really came at a bad time."

Ulla finally burst out of the bathroom, wearing actual clothes this time. Didn't matter, all I could still see with my mind's eye was what was underneath. Her pure, glistening, taut skin. Oh, and she seemed to be hopping mad too.

"Get out. Get the fuck out. Get-"

I got up. "Whoa! Whoa! Ulla! Please! I really think you should think about your words carefully! I mean, you probably wouldn't want me to leave here... unhappy with you, right?"

She got quiet, but was still breathing like she was about to explode.

"What's... going on here?", Henrika got up, looking a little scared now.

I turned to her. "Well, you saw it. She's just a little angry, because I came in while she was showering and, well, you know, saw things I shouldn't see. Isn't that right, Ulla?"

She was still puffing, trying to reign in her anger. "Why... are... you here? I told you I needed time."

"We need to talk about our project, Ulla. But I'll get to that. Now, let's all just sit down peacefully, okay? I'm sorry I came in while you were showering. It was very rude of me."

I carefully planted myself back on the couch. Henrika and Ulla were eyeing each other, not sure what either of them were supposed to do now.

"I was just discussing this lovely apartment with Henrika here. You know, how expensive it is. And how you can barely hold on to it. Please sit, Henrika."

Henrika didn't have enough reason to refuse, so she sat down. (HENRIKA: +1SP) (-9SP) She tried looking at Ulla for answers, but Ulla was lost in her own thoughts. Probably trying think a way out of this situation.

"Um, yes... We both love this place. It's perfect for my painting."

"Oh, wow! You paint? That's so cool!"

"Yeah! It is. It's the only thing I'm good at, actually! So, which one here is your favorite?"

I started looking around the room. Honestly, I barely even noticed them until now, because my eyes kept landing on the activist posters that Ulla had plastered all over the walls. Her paintings were... How to put it... Post-modern art at its most boring. Absolutely nothing special. This house was probably the only place she could hang these unimaginative pieces of nothing.

While trying to decide which one I would arbitrarily choose as "the best", I couldn't escape the burning in my neck. It was the heat ray shooting right out of Ulla's eyes, trying to kill me. Or at least that's how it felt.

"I think... this one." I pointed at one randomly.

"Oh that one! That's an excellent choice! I thought of it while we were travelling in Prague couple of years ago, it was the kind of true expression of-"

"So," I interrupted her before her most-likely hour-long monologue, "Are you a well-established artist or something? I mean I could see you raking in quite the piles of cash with these."

She blushed a little bit. "No... Sadly no. I'm, well..." she searched for Ulla's eyes. "You could say I'm sort of a 'kept woman'"

"Don't say that, Henrika. I've told you not to say that. That's a bullshit male-invented term." Well, that got Ulla speaking finally.

"I'm sorry but it's true. She brings in the money while I'm sort of a starving artist here."

"Oh man. Then this sellout really came at a bad time, right?", I asked while trying to sound concerned.

"Yeah. But I've got no worries."

"Henrika. We don't need to talk about this", Ulla interjected.

"Oh come on! You're a great writer, you shouldn't be ashamed, honey!"

"What are you guys talking about?", I asked. Ulla looked away.

"Well I'm sure Ulla gets another job at another magazine, if the Remington thing ends up badly. I mean, we're both certain of it! That's why she just got me this!"

Henrika opened a drawer next to her, and whipped out a huge diamond necklace. It was shiny and expensive looking enough that even I had to go a little slack-jawed.

"I mean, can you believe it? We were just walking by a jewelry store yesterday, this thing caught my eye, and she really thought I should have it! I mean isn't she the most beautiful and awesome wife in the whole world!" Henrika got up giddily, and ran to Ulla, giving her a huge, wet smooch on the cheek. It practically made Ulla's angry mood melt away in a second.

I see. That's how it was.

Henrika was a bit of a ditz. Anyone could understand that was an awful economic choice to make for someone who was about to be fired and only worked on writer's salary.

So that's the deal with their relationship. Ulla was the sugarmommy. She bought her hot little pet some nice things to keep her addicted to her.

She most likely wanted to keep it that way. Everything was clear now.

"So, Ulla, it's time we start our project now, isn't it?" I asked, with a slightly darker tone.

Ulla's smile went away fast. "I told you. Very clearly. I need time to think."

"No time. It's either now or it's going to be too late."

She was still hesitating.

"Henrika," I asked, "if Remington fires us and Ulla has trouble finding a job, you can still cope, right? You can work too, right? What's your degree?"

"Me? Just some liberal arts... but I didn't finish it. But seriously, with Ulla, I don't have to worry about anything like that."

She hugged Ulla tighter. I guess that sealed the deal.

"Fine, Jack. Let's... do your stupid project." (ULLA: +10SP) (-15SP)

I got up. "Great! Let's get started right away."

"What!? Right away?"

"Yeah. We can use your bedroom for privacy, right?"

Ulla was beyond shocked. "But Henrika is here....!"

"Oh don't worry Henrika, we promise not to make a peep."

Henrika smiled happily.