Yesterday I got to dreamin', about a recipe for my love

Sylvia paced back and forth in her room and tried to resist temptation. She could just take a look. Just a quick peek, to see what was happening.

But she couldn’t bring herself to do it.

Her little girl might be having sex. It was crazy that she was so worried about something like that; after all, that was the whole reason Mimi was brought on the show. To have sex with Nick. But that didn’t mean she had to LIKE it!

She didn’t want to imagine all the filthy things that Nick and Mimi might be doing together. To try and block out those thoughts, she went to check out the chat logs and see what the audience was saying about the recent developments.

She winced when she saw what people were talking about.

“L. Terrible transformation for the master.”

“I know lol, I wanted Idle Thoughts.”

“I like Skeleton Key! Dawn shouldn’t need to hurt to have sex. #DawnPosse”

“That’s shallow thinking. Nick coulda just made Dawn easier to have sex with if he had Idle Thoughts.”

“Classic #DawnPosse, what would you expect if they’re stupid enough to support Dawn?”

“Says the Dakota stan.”

“Yeah, well, #CultOfDakota is only rising in popularity.”

“Nah, #ChurchOfMary gonna win it.”

“#GetMaryPreggers”

“Every time…”

“I’m really scared of this next challenge I don’t want any of the girls to go!”

“Nah get rid of Rose.”

“Rose is hot, keep her. We don’t need boring Kim.”

“Kim is just getting good!”

“Yeah I like the slow burn.”

“This is less a slow burn and more of a gradual ice age.”

“I guarantee that this challenge is going to come down to Carly choosing between Dani and Mimi. #CarlyFans”

“NO! #TeamGamerGirls can’t break up!”

“We don’t need lesbians in the harem, the time of the slime is upon us #SlimeTime #Twins”

“I want all three of them to be together somehow. #TripleTeam”

“Dani sandwich lol #TripleTeam”

“I’m just here for Gina. #GinaParty”

“Gina got boring after she got her alt look back.”

“True”

“Gina kinda mid lol”

“Dakota really carrying hard”

“Gina is great! Leave her alone! #GinaParty #AltGirls”

“I wonder what the challenge is gonna be”

“Hopefully it won’t be another physical one Dani has too much of an edge”

“We need more sexy challenges like the other seasons”

“We need more sex in general”

“Idk this season is a’ight.”

“Any guesses about the next Auditionee? I’m hoping we get a bimbo.”

“We already have Rose tho?”

“LMAO”

“Savage”

“#RoseGarden in the mud”

“I’m still #DaniCrew, Carly follow your heart!”

Sylvia sighed and rubbed her temples. This was getting her nowhere. Well, tomorrow would be the challenge, and hopefully things could take a turn for the better.

She just hoped that Mimi had endeared herself to enough of her fellow competitors so that she would be chosen by someone.

Like any mom, she just wanted her baby to make new friends.

Nick woke up with Mimi’s arms wrapped tightly around him. He was practically buried in her chest. He struggled to get free, but her grip was like a vice.

“M-Mimi…” He coughed, trying to push the girl off him. All he ended up doing was pushing against her chest.

Master Touched Her Boobs! +2 VP

It took him a second to process that.

“Wait, what?!” His jaw dropped in shock. After all the stuff they did together yesterday, THAT was the trigger for the “touching her boobs” bonus?

Apparently, it only counted if it was actually touching them with his hands. The rules for this show were so stupid sometimes.

“Hmng… uh… good morning…” Mimi finally woke up, rubbing her eyes blearily. She rolled off of Nick and went splat into a puddle on the floor, before reforming her body, fully dressed.

“Shall we go?” She asked innocently. “Or do you need to take a shower first?”

She had the faintest hint of a smirk on her face, relishing the fact that, unlike Nick, she had no need to clean herself off.

Nick rolled his eyes and got ready for the day, and yes, that included a shower. Then he glanced over at Holly’s cage and saw she was gone.

“Wait, where’s Holly?” He asked, turning to Mimi. He’d gotten so used to her presence he hadn’t even checked to see if she was there when he woke up.

Mimi shrugged. She didn’t know either.

Nick had a sinking suspicion that Sylvia was plotting something. She probably planned to use Holly like some sort of prop in the next challenge. Not able to do anything about it, though, he headed for the banquet hall with Mimi to get breakfast before going to the beach, where they’d probably be meeting for today’s challenge.

When he got to the banquet hall, though, he found that things were different.

For one, there was no food to be seen. The long tables were all bare, and were pushed off to the corner. Instead, a single fancy table sat in the center of the room, propped up before a stage, with places set for two. The other girls all hovered around the table, looking a little confused.

“What’s going on?” Gina complained. “I’m starving! Are we going to get some food or not?”

“I need my morning tea…” Dawn rubbed her eyes, looking rather drowsy. Her tail swayed listlessly behind her.

No one seemed to be in a good mood. Everyone seemed to be in different stages of hungry and frustrated. Nick noticed Carly and Dani seemed to be the exception. Rather than hungry, they looked a little… flustered.

Mimi rushed over and hugged both of them.

“How was it?” Carly asked, cracking a grin. “Did you follow my instructions?”

“Yes,” Mimi nodded. “We didn’t have sex though. Wasn’t ready.”

“I see, well that’s okay,” Carly grinned.

“Yeah, you’ll get him next time!” Dani encouraged her, nodding.

Nick smiled. Seeing Mimi get along with the others like this warmed his heart. But he also felt a little awkward. Carly’s costumes were usually pretty skimpy, but this was probably the skimpiest one she’d worn since the swimsuit challenge. Heck, her top WAS a swimsuit, a white bikini with a red flames on each of the cups. She wore tight jean shorts even skimpier than the ones Mary had on, with the button unbuttoned to show off even more of her midriff. She wore tall brown boots like Mary as well, but instead of red hair, her hair this time was one of the brightest blondes he’d ever seen, cut short like how she usually wore it.

In the meantime, though, he was still starving. He’d gotten so used to Holly cooking him breakfast over the last week that her absence was notable.

“Did any of you see Holly this morning?” He asked, approaching the others.

“No, isn’t she always with you?” Kim asked.

Nick shook his head. “She was gone when I woke up.”

“Oh no!” Mary gasped, her face going white. “Is she okay?!”

“Hey, hey, I’m sure she’ll be fine,” Kim assured her, patting her on the shoulder. She wanted to calm Mary down before the poor girl had a panic attack.

“O-Okay,” she mumbled, nodding.

“Sylvia’s probably the one behind this,” Rose scowled. “Knowing her, she’s going to use Holly in the next challenge somehow.”

Nick nodded. He’d had the same worry.

“So what do we do? Head out to the beach for the challenge?” He asked.

“No.” Dakota shook her head. “Today’s challenge is going to be in here, apparently. That’s the message on our door said.”

Nick had exactly one second to process that before the curtains on the stage drew open and Sylvia stepped forward with a chorus of fanfare echoing through the room.

“Good morning my girls!” She declared. Nick had to do a double-take when he saw what she was wearing. Compared to her normal outfit, she looked downright conservative dressed up as a chef. He top hat was replaced by a chef’s hat, and a long apron covered her waist. She grinned down at them, standing in front of a large counter loaded with food.

“I suppose you’re wondering why I called you all here…” Sylvia mused. “The reason is simple! Today is your third challenge: Recipe of Love!”

“Recipe of Love?” Nick tried that out. Judging by the title of the challenge and the way Sylvia was dressed, the best guess would be-

“It’s a cooking challenge!” She declared.

“A cooking challenge?!” Dani exclaimed.

“Yes. Please stop interrupting.” Sylvia shot a glare Dani’s way. “Now, as I was saying, today we’re going to be cooking! But this isn’t some sort of ‘who can make the best dish’ sort of competition, no. Each of you will be cooking for a very special someone.”

She turned to Nick.

“Wait… so they’re going to be cooking for me?” Nick asked.

“That’s right,” Sylvia nodded. “After all, as a member of your harem, it’s important to know how to make a meal fit for a master, wouldn’t you agree? Each of you will work on preparing-”

“But I can’t cook worth shit!” Gina blurted out. “This is so fucking bogus!”

“I can’t cook either!” Dani shouted. “Come on, really?”

Mary, on the other hand, seemed excited.

“A cooking challenge!” She gasped, holding her hands in front of her mouth. She practically jumped for joy. “Finally! Something I’m good at!”

Sylvia’s eye twitched. More interruptions. Why couldn’t they all be good girls, like Mimi? Who was patiently waiting for her to continue?

No, they had to be like Gina, throwing a fit.

“I can’t cook!” Gina shook her head. “Why would you have a shitty challenge like this!?”

“Gina, calm down,” Dakota said, placing her hand on her buddy’s shoulder. “There’s no way she would make a challenge that was impossible to win. I doubt we’ll be judged exclusively on our cooking skills.”

“You’re absolutely correct!” Sylvia nodded. “There is indeed more to this challenge than just one’s cooking ability! Hence why we have our master Nick here as the judge, instead of a celebrity chef! You won’t just be satisfying his appetite, but… his appetite.”

She wiggled her eyebrows to make it clear just what she was implying.

In a stunning reversal, Mary went from excited to petrified and Gina went from upset to calm.

“Oh. I getcha.”

“…But cooking will still play a part. You do need to make something edible, of course, as your master will still be eating it,” Sylvia clarified. “As will I.”

With a flourish of her cane Sylvia’s chef outfit transformed back to her usual garments. She waved her cane and Nick floated up to the stage.

“Hey, what the hell?!” Nick floundered in the air as he tried to regain his footing. Eventually, Sylvia dropped him, and managed to land on his feet. She grabbed onto his hand.

“Nick, won’t you please share a romantic meal with me?” She crooned. Nick just rolled his eyes.

“Continue with your explanation,” he said, ripping his hand free. Sylvia pouted.

“Fine, fine. As I was saying, Nick and I are going to be sharing a romantic meal together! In that spirit, it is up to each of you girls to prepare that meal!”

“Wait, so we’re working together?” Dani sighed in relief. It wasn’t as bad as she’d expected.

Sylvia frowned. “Weren’t you listening? No! Each of you will be preparing your own dish! You’ll be making a nine-course meal for Nick and I!”

“N-Nine courses?” Kim’s jaw dropped in shock. She couldn’t even imagine something like that. Back home, a “meal” consisted of fast food for her.

“Yes,” Sylvia nodded. “A nine-course meal. Each of you girls will prepare one of the courses. You will cook it yourselves, and then present it for your master! Which reminds me…”

She tapped her cane and Holly popped into existence on the stage, startled.

“Wh-wh-whaaaa?!” She stammered, confused by what was happening.

“If you wish to use Holly here as a prop for your presentation, go right ahead! She can also help carry out the dishes for you,” Sylvia encouraged the girls.

“Wait, what do you mean by a presentation?” Carly asked. “I’m still not getting that part.”

Sylvia rolled her eyes. “And here I thought a content creator like yourself would have a better idea of how this sort of thing works. When you go to a fancy restaurant you’re not just going for the food! You’re going for the atmosphere! And that’s something you just can’t replicate at home! So each of you girls will be doing your best to not only make the meal as delicious as possible, but present it to your master in the most tantalizing way possible.”

“And Nick’s going to be the one to rank them?” Dawn clarified.

“…More or less,” Sylvia nodded. “The goal of this challenge is to prepare a course that pleases your master. But knowing Nick, he’s such a nice guy that he might lie and rank you girls off of things other than what objectively pleased him most. Which is why Nick here won’t be giving us a verbal confirmation of his pick.”

She smiled slyly. “We’ll be taking a little peak into that heart of his, and have his subconscious provide the ranking.” She tapped her cane against his chest and he felt a jolt shoot up from his heart and into his brain.

“S-Sylvia!” Nick clutched his chest and stumbled back. “What the hell?!”

“Just a little precaution,” Sylvia assured him. “This way, you won’t be able to lie. So when given your description of which girl’s course you liked most, you’ll have to be honest! Which brings me to the rankings.”

Sylvia raised her cane, and a screen appeared beside her on the stage.

“Like last time, you’ll receive points, or lose points, based on how much Nick liked your course,” she explained.

1st: 10 Points

2nd: 8 Points

3rd: 6 Points

4th: 4 Points

5th: 2 Points

6th: 0 Points

7th: -2 Points

8th: -4 Points

9th: -6 Points

“It’s another chance for you lovely ladies to get ahead, so long as you can please your master’s stomach,” she giggled. “Oh, and one more thing. We’ll be providing you with all manner of recipes, and all the ingredients necessary to prepare them. So if you don’t have a clue, there’s no need to worry! All you need to be a great chef will be right at your fingertips.”

Dani swallowed. Somehow, she didn’t think that a recipe book would make up for how bad she was at cooking. And if my food is awful, then the only way to make up for that in Nick’s mind… would be to put on some sort of show that gets him excited while I present the food?

Somehow, that sounded even less appealing.

“We really have to make this stuff by ourselves?” Carly asked weakly. She may not have been as bad of a cook as Dani, but she’d never made anything more complicated than a TV dinner. She wasn’t looking forward to her foray into cooking.

“Don’t worry,” Sylvia assured her. “Each of you will have one kitchen assistant to help you prepare your dishes. You may rely on them as much as you like.”

“Wait, but I thought you said that these dishes would be made by us only?” Kim asked, frowning.

“…That’s right. I did, didn’t I?” Sylvia murmured. A mysterious smile crossed her lips that made everyone shiver.

Then it was gone, and she brightened right up.

“Now then! Before we get you girls sent off to your kitchens, let me show you who will be responsible for each course!” Sylvia raised her cane and the screen shifted to show the nine courses for the meal.

Hors d’oeuvres – Gina

Soup Course – Dakota

Appetizers – Carly

Salad Course – Mimi

Fish Course – Kim

Main Course – Dani

Palate Cleanser – Dawn

Dessert – Mary

Mignardise – Rose

“I have to make the main course?!” Dani exploded. “Are you insane?! I’ve never cooked a meal before in my life, and you want me to prepare the main course?!”

Sylvia shrugged. “You’ll need to rely on your assistant quite a lot then, my girl.”

“The mignardise?!” Rose squealed with glee. “I get to prepare the mignardise?! Très bien! …Err, that is… that’s great!” She blushed, having accidentally lapsed into French from excitement.

“I get to make the dessert!” Mary cheered. They seemed to be the only two people excited about this challenge.

“What’s a mignardise?” Kim asked, confused.

“Simple!” Rose tittered. “A mignardise is a bite-sized sweet, such a truffle or a mini tart, served at the end of a meal to be enjoyed with coffee. For the mignardise, presentation is just as important as flavor, if not moreso. It can’t just taste delicious, but it must also look gorgeous and delicate.”

Everyone stared at her.

“Wh-What?” She stammered, turning red. “I like pastries, what’s the big deal?”

“We, uh… we just didn’t expect something like that,” Carly said. She was currently trying to wrack her brain to figure out what she could do for an appetizer. She doubted crackers would cut it.

Meanwhile, Dawn was trying to figure out what even counted as a “palate cleanser” but she was drawing a blank. She hoped that with her attention to detail and her skill with following instructions that she could prepare something simple if she stuck perfectly to the recipe, but first she’d have to have a sense of what even counted as a palate cleanser.

“I’ll remind you girls again that each of your kitchens will have all manner of potential recipes for you to follow,” Sylvia assured them. “So don’t fret just yet.”

That was reassuring. Save for the “yet” part. Dawn sighed in relief.

“At least you guys know what you’re making,” Gina griped. “I can’t even pronounce my fucking category!” She tried to sound it out. “Whores… dee-oovers?”

“Hor d’oeuvres,” Rose corrected her. “They’re tiny finger foods, served at cocktail parties and at the beginning of a fancy meal.”

“Oh!” Gina brightened. “I’ve heard of those. THAT’S how you spell that? Weird.”

“Now then my girls!” Sylvia clapped her hands together. “I know you’re all hungry, but you must remember, the master always eats first. So channel that hunger into creating the most scrumptious meal possible for him! Consider this your first real test of eligibility to serve the master!”

“How long is this going to take though?” Nick asked. He didn’t want to think about how much trial and error it would take Gina to prepare something edible for him. “I’m kind of hungry here…”

Sylvia waved off his concerns. “No need to worry my boy. Each girl has been assigned to a special time-dilated kitchen. They will have all the time in the world to prepare their course for you, and each course will be ready by the time you finish the last one.”

She gave him a wink. “Our service here at Harem Hotel is top-notch, after all!”

Nick wasn’t so sure of that. But he didn’t have it in him to question her.

Sylvia turned out to the stage and raised her cane, banishing the girls to their respective kitchens. Then she led Nick to the table and they sat down across from each other. Holly presented a bottle of wine for them to share, and they waited for the first course to begin.