Set the table, dim the lights, fill your plate up, but don’t take a bite

Nick wanted to die of shame.

Mary’s question had come completely out of nowhere- it wasn’t even relevant! Why would she even say such a crazy thing!? It had nothing to do with the course or tone of the conversation up until this point, it was like Mary had picked up an anvil and dropped it on the table with a loud “thud” right out of nowhere!

Holly couldn’t believe her best friend had said that, either. For once, she wasn’t cracking dirty jokes or looking skeevy. Her mouth hung open in shock as she stared at the three of them, and Rose nearly dropped her pot of soup.

Even Mary looked a little stunned, like she hadn’t meant for her words to come out quite like that. Her face burned crimson as Amelia stared at her, the icy veneer she normally wore having melted away.

“I… I’m sorry,” the redhead stammered, sinking into her seat. “That question was so rude of me, it’s just… I couldn’t help myself!”

“Why would you ask such a thing?” Amelia narrowed her eyes and scrutinized Mary closely as the girl squirmed awkwardly in front of her.

“It… I just…” Mary fumbled with her spoon as she tried to express her thoughts in a way that wouldn’t just make everything worse. Her eyes quickly leapt to Nick, her face morphing into a **** plea for help, but he didn’t know what he could possibly say to make things better.

He still gave it his best try.

“Mary… Mary can be a really blunt person,” he managed to say. Each word came out as a massive strain on his chest. “I’m sure she was just really curious, and didn’t know how to ask that question tactfully.”

Amelia could sympathize with that… to an extent. But this was still beyond the pale. She cleared her throat and washed down the bit of soup stuck in her throat with a tall glass of water before responding to her stepson’s clumsy attempt at rectifying the situation.

“…I understand that,” she said calmly, not taking her eyes off the couple. “But certain things are personal. Private. My marriage to my husband is in the past. Focusing on him will change nothing about the present.”

Nick winced.

That was what she always said.

Several times, Nick had tried to talk to his stepmother about his dad. The two of them weren’t close, and he’d hoped that their mutual loss was something they could bond over, as he was practically the only family they had left.

Amelia had icily shut him down, making it clear that while she cared for Nick and saw him as a son, she had no intention of discussing his father ever again.

“Let the past remain in the past,” she had told him, and it was clear she still felt that way even now.

Maybe Nick should have mentioned that to his wife, to avoid something like this happening. But how was he supposed to know Mary would ask something that rude!? He was just as blindsided as Amelia was by that question!

And besides… isn’t that her right, not to have the past dug up like this? He thought, glancing at Amelia out of the corner of his eye. With what he knew about his stepmother, it made sense that she wouldn’t talk about her grief. Even though she didn’t show it, even at the funeral, he understood that was just the kind of person she was. She didn’t share her emotional vulnerabilities even with the people closest to her. Maybe it was some “uptight British upper-class” thing, or maybe it was an Amelia thing, but whatever the reason he knew that his stepmother wasn’t the type of woman to talk about her painful history over the dinner table- especially not with a woman she barely knew, even if that woman was his wife.

She thinks of Mary like her own daughter thanks to the transformation, but she still won’t talk about my dad with her. Those memories must be painful.

Nick saw Mary was having a rough time herself out of the corner of his eye. She looked like she was about to pass out from the anxiety! He squeezed Mary’s hand under the table to reassure her, and she started breathing normally again.

“I… I’m terribly sorry for asking such a personal question…” Mary moaned, lowering her head contritely. “It just came out of me… I don’t know what happened. But with everything going on, all this focus on marriage and parenthood, I just… I couldn’t help myself! I’m so, so sorry.”

Amelia gazed at her with an appraising stare that made the redhead squirm in discomfort. Finally she relented with a nod.

“…I can see how you would be curious about that,” she finally said, sharing a bit of sympathy with Mary for the first time. “After all, you’re a newly-married woman… and you’re pregnant.”

She could understand how that question would be on the forefront of Mary’s mind.

“I…” Mary’s blush intensified, and she rubbed her belly subconsciously. While she still couldn’t feel any tangible sign of the child she knew was growing inside her, she could still feel her connection to her precious baby.

It was something she treasured more than anything.

That feeling had been the driver behind her incredibly rude question. It had been what compelled her to ask Amelia why, if she had been married to Nick’s father for so many years, while being so young and so in love, had they not had any more children? Why did they not share in the purest form of love by creating a life together?

She had meant it as a harmless question spurred on by her burning curiosity, but it was only now, sitting here, that she realized just how rude such a question would be.

Mary’s face burned with guilt as she apologized over and over. She’d completely ruined tonight, and this was supposed to be her opportunity to show Amelia more about herself, to get to know her stepmother-in-law, and make a good impression on her- hopefully overwriting the humiliating first impression Amelia had gotten, when she had a front row seat to their wedding of debaucherous public consummation.

“Amelia…” Nick managed to croak out. “Go easy on Mary, alright? She’s had a pretty rough couple of days, getting eliminated, you know?”

Amelia nodded slowly. She understood that, but she didn’t believe the redhead should get a pass just because she’d been having a rough week. Especially considering how Mary seemed to carry herself as the de facto harem queen.

“Mary,” she said, addressing the farmgirl directly, “look at me.”

It sounded a lot more like a command than she’d intended it to, and Mary definitely reacted like it was. She jumped in her seat and her head snapped up, and she stared at Amelia with wide eyes.

“Y-yes?” She stammered shakily.

“How are you finding married life with Nicholas?” Amelia’s question was a blunt, unsubtle attempt on her part to change the subject. That was obvious to everyone present. But no matter how obvious the attempt was, they went along with it anyway, because Nick and Mary were just as **** as she was to move the conversation along to something less stressful.

“I… it’s wonderful,” Mary stammered, shyly smiling and glancing over to her husband. She squirmed with delight in her seat, and her face practically glowed.

Rose silently muttered something and rolled her eyes in disgust. She’d stayed because of the tension, but she wasn’t about to watch Mary fawn about her relationship to the adoring eyes of Nick and his stepmom. She made a hasty retreat back to the kitchen to get the next course ready, even though they’d barely touched the soup she’d toiled over.

This was going to be a long night.

Half the reason I agreed to this plan was to get permission to stay up here past curfew while Amelia was here! Rose thought, gnawing furiously at her lip. Since the clock had turned, she was stuck in the Master’s Suite with the other women for the rest of the night, something she’d normally be grateful for. But not if it meant having her cooking go unappreciated, and her presence unacknowledged.

Instead of being perceived as another guest, Rose felt like she was the help!

Although, looking back at her schedule for tonight…

She’d cooked.

She’d cleaned.

She’d served the meals.

What, was she going to wash the dishes, too? Rose looked at the pile of used cookware stacked up in the sink, and her stomach sank.

Maybe that was why Mary had been so ready to have her stay over. She’d been planning this all along, the sneaky minx!

The door to the kitchen opened, and Rose jumped.

“O-oh, Holly, hey,” she stammered, quickly rushing over to the stove. “How… how are things going? Are Nick and Mary still fawning over each other like a couple of sweethearts and showing off how in love they are to Amelia?”

She didn’t mean to sound so bitter, but right now, she couldn’t help herself. Hell- she’d gone and dressed up in a naked apron tonight, just for him! And what did she get for her troubles? He’d checked her out for all of two seconds, and then the attention had gone right back to his wife.

How was Rose supposed to compete with that, huh?

“Uh… not Holly, sorry.”

The nearly-naked blonde froze in place.

Trembling, she turned towards Nick with wide eyes and nearly dropped the tray of steaks.

“N-Nick?” She stammered, nearly walking backwards into the stove out of shock. Lucky thing her hair was still short, if she’d grown it out the way she had earlier this afternoon it might have gotten caught in the simmering burners! Rose hastily turned the dials to power it down as she tried to process what was happening.

Why is he here?!

“Sh-shouldn’t…” Her voice caught in her throat and she swallowed, looking tensely back at him. “Shouldn’t you still be having dinner? W-with your mom? Err, I mean, your stepmom?”

Was she always this much of a mess?! How could she be getting this flustered now, of all times?! After spending all night working up the courage to dress like this for him, Rose felt utterly terrified by the idea of Nick even looking at her.

She glanced warily towards him, and saw that he was just as flustered as she was. It was beginning to sink in, the fact that they were the only two people here.

We’re alone. We’re alone in the kitchen together, and I’m practically naked!

Hell, no practically about it- the apron clung to her figure in such a way that everything might as well be revealed. There was no denying that it would be poor coverage if anything untoward were to happen between the two of them.

Not that anything was going to happen… right? After all, his wife and his stepmother were in the next fricking room!

But Rose’s imagination was going wild, imagining possible scenarios that could be playing out right now. The strongest one that she gave the most prominence to was the idea of the loving family man skipping out on dinner with the wife and kids so he could be with his French mistress, because he wanted her so badly that he couldn’t stand to be apart from her for even a minute!

Oh, yes, Rose liked that fantasy quite a bit.

But the lack of guilt on Nick’s face told her that probably wasn’t what was going on here.

So what was?

Rose couldn’t help feeling curious, so she approached him, and cleared her throat. It seemed like he hadn’t heard her question.

Nick flinched. Like waking up from a dream, his eyes shot up and the glassiness that had glazed over them disappeared.

It was then that Rose realized he hadn’t heard her because he’d been too busy checking out her body.

That made her heart skip a beat.

“Oh, uh…” Nick tried not to seem like the clumsy fool he was, but he needn’t have bothered. That clumsiness was one of the things Rose loved most about him! (And she had no idea that the feeling was mutual.)

“I asked you a question,” she said, putting some throatiness into her voice as she sauntered towards him, wiggling her eyebrows and shaking her hips as she did. Now that she knew he was checking her out, there wasn’t any harm in being a little playful, right? “Shouldn’t you be enjoying a nice family dinner? Mr. Loyal Husband?”

She set down the tray of food and approached him with a purr in her voice. She reached out to caress his cheek. For a moment, she felt him sink into her touch, but he quickly regained his senses and pulled back.

“It-it’s not what you think!” He finally managed to verbalize a coherent though. “Amelia… she said she wanted to speak to Mary alone, so…”

Oh. So it wasn’t about her, it was about the two of them. That was disappointing.

…Still, Rose could work with that. As a bonus, apparently Amelia had completely disregarded Holly in her request, so it really was the two of them!

The blonde was just starting to work out how she could turn this to her advantage when Nick took the initiative and spoke up again.

“And also, um… I realized that I’ve been kind of neglecting you tonight, too.”

Rose blinked. It took a second for his words to register, but when they did, her face turned as red as the juicy steaks she’d cooked up.

“H-huh!? You… neglecting? N-no, no, it’s not like… I mean-!” Rose started falling all over herself trying to find her voice. Nick had derailed her train of thought like a penny on the railroad tracks, and the smoldering wreckage of her composure was all that remained of the crash.

“Tonight was just supposed to be about Amelia getting to know me again, and getting to spend time with Mary and I,” Nick explained, scratching his head. “But then you were here, helping out. Cooking dinner for us so Mary didn’t have to.”

“W-well, that wasn’t the only reason…” Rose beamed at him as she felt her face burning at a thousand degrees. Why did he always see the best in everyone!? Didn’t he know how unfair it was, praising her for things that she didn’t deserve!? Why did he have to make it so easy to fall for him, damn it?! That’s what pissed her off the most about the stupid boy!

I’m in a naked apron! I’m supposed to be doing the seducing here! You’re making me look bad, you stupid charming jerkface!

Of course, Rose’s inner turmoil didn’t show on her face at all- no other expression had a prayer of overwhelming the dopey grin stretching from ear to ear.

“Today, Amelia made a point of helping me see that I need to be more attentive to the needs of the women in my harem,” Nick said, taking Rose by the hand. “It’s not really right that you just stay cooped up in here cooking for us, don’t you think?”

“W-well, cooking… I-I like cooking just fine!” Rose babbled. She didn’t even know why she was talking in the first place! But she just didn’t feel right if she couldn’t hear the sound of her own voice.

Besides, if she stayed silent, her heart definitely wouldn’t do the same, and the last thing she needed was to focus on how much it was racing right now.

“Yeah, I know, but that’s not what I mean,” Nick said, smiling awkwardly at the equally awkward woman in front of him. “I just mean… Rose, you’re a wonderful woman. And I know this night is supposed to be about Amelia, but for you to come here and help out, and serve us food? And not even eat dinner with us? That doesn’t seem right.”

“You… you want me to come eat dinner with you guys?” Rose was nearly in the clouds hearing an offer like that. Getting to sit at the table with Mary, and converse with Nick’s stepmother, that…

That was practically the same as declaring that she was his second wife, right!? After all, that was the reason for this dinner in the first place, wasn’t it? So Amelia could see Nick’s family situation with Mary? And inviting her to the table, that would be like saying she was part of that whole situation! Oh gosh, what an idea!

Could… could this really be it? Is this really it? Nick wants me to join him, and-

“Oh, no, uh… not, that’s not what I meant,” Nick said quickly, dropping her hands.

Rose? Eating dinner with Mary and Amelia in the current climate? That sounded like a nightmare.

“…Oh.”

The disappointment on Rose’s face was obvious. And for obvious reasons, Nick felt overwhelmed with guilt immediately. He knew that was the worst thing to say, so he quickly took it back, and clarified his meaning.

“I’m sorry, that came out wrong… I’m just like Amelia, aren’t I?” He sighed, scratching his head sheepishly.

“No, no, I get it, I get it, you don’t want me there, you want your perfect little family dinner with your blushing bride, it’s fine.” Rose couldn’t keep the venom out of her voice as she turned to grab the steaks. Her face burned with shame. She felt like such a fool, actually believing for a second that she could measure up.

“Rose, that’s not what I meant!” Nick took her by the hand and pulled her back, spinning her around and holding her close.

Her face turned red as she stared up into his eyes, and he blushed himself as he felt her boobs press against his chest.

Somehow, his hand had found her ass, and he wasn’t sure why. Had he put it there? Or was Rose so sneaky she’d maneuvered it into place without him even knowing?

She looked up at him, and those big, blue eyes of hers filled up with wonder and faint hope. She hadn’t expected him to be so forward, but her racing heart certainly wasn’t complaining.

“I’m sorry, I should have been more considerate,” he apologized. “I only said that because tonight is already a huge mess, and I didn’t want it to get any more confusing. That’s all it is, I swear. I’d love if you’d want to join us for dinner.”

“You mean it?” Rose asked, her eyes watering.

Nick nodded. Yeah, Rose joining them would run the risk of a lot of things going wrong. He could imagine a thousand issues right off the bat.

But if it brought a smile to her face, he would risk it.

“You cooked dinner, Rose, you deserve to eat it with us,” he pointed out. “I’ll explain something to Mary and Amelia to make them understand.”

She smirked. That was a conversation she couldn’t wait to see.

As for Nick, a smirk was close enough to a smile in his book, especially for Rose. But he still needed to make things clear.

“What I said before, about making things up to you, I meant it,” he said. “And I’m not just talking about dinner. Rose, you mean a lot to me, and I don’t always do a good job of showing it. So if there’s anything I can do to show you how grateful I am for tonight, just let me know, okay? I owe you one.”

“Oh, you do, do you?” She said, smiling slyly. She quite liked the sound of that in fact. Almost as much as she liked the feeling of his hand feeling her ass up.

Tonight was quickly turning around for Rose Beausoleil.