I Unintentionally Became Her Kitten

Chapter 34: Call From Mother

There was chattering on the other side. It was a slow chatter, and too quiet for me to make out until I leaned closer to rest my head partially on Alisha’s shoulder.

“I haven't even heard from my daughter for months and the first news I hear of you is that you got yourself a girl?” Her mother’s voice had a familiar cadence I recognized from Alisha.

“My business is my business,” Alisha told her. “And I don't know why you would care.” Her hand pulled through my hair as it usually did when we got this close.

“I care about you,” her mom continued. “And your reputation. Not only did you pick up a girl, you picked up a low class girl.”

I picked my head up, shocked that this was what people were saying about me.

Alisha’s fingers tensed against my scalp. “Who said such a thing?” she asked the pitch of her voice dropping.

“I know better than to tell you that,” her mom said.

Alisha sighed. “What do you want?” she asked. “Money? Or a new car or what?”

“No. I want to have a nice dinner with my daughter and her new girl.”

“Okay,” Alisha agreed. “I don't know if she'll be available though.”

“That's why you get to decide when we go,” her mom said cheerily. “Whatever time works for both of you. Just let me know and I'll meet you at Kanagawa’s, okay?”

Alisha tensed next to me and I put my head down again and did my best to pull her closer.

“Fine,” Alisha agreed. “I’ll see you tomorrow night.”

“Very well. I love you, darling,” her mother hung up without letting Alisha say anything more.

Alisha clicked her tongue and dropped her phone to the table with a clunk.

“...I’m so sorry I’ve been bringing you down.”

She shook her head and pulled mine close against her chest. “You, Tye and I are the only people that know where we met. Which means that someone is bad-mouthing you for the sake of bad-mouthing you. Probably Sergei.”

I nodded. “Still, I’m sorry. And I’m sorry your mom is so… manipulative,” I managed.

“Always has been. Didn’t always used to be so controlling with me.” Her shoulders slouched. 

“Kanagawa’s, is that a Japanese restaurant?” I asked. I hadn’t had much Japanese food before but it was always on my bucket list.

She nodded. “It was my father’s favorite restaurant,” she explained. There was a real scowl on her face, now. Not just a plastered mask she used to keep people away.

The best I could do was be there for her. I didn’t understand the message her mother was trying to send, other than she disapproved of me. 

Alisha gave me a gentle push and I pulled away so she could stand. “Anyway, let me get settled and then I’ll get some dinner together.”

“I’ll take care of dinner,” I told her. “Don’t worry about it.”

She patted my head a few times. “That would be very sweet of you.”

We went our separate ways for a few minutes as she put her things away upstairs. I rummaged in the fridge, finding more salad ingredients, but there was a lack of blue cheese so I used some feta and instead of cranberries, decided to try dried apricots which I cut into some smaller pieces.

She came back down as I was finishing up distributing the fruit and ran her hand across my back as she went to a cabinet.

“Would you like a glass of wine… or a half a glass?” she asked.

“Sure,” I said and she selected an almost black colored red wine to pull out and then grabbed a couple wine glasses from where they hung under the cabinet.

It poured in a dark purple stream and returned to being that almost-black in the glass. The smell was strong. It was definitely a red wine.

She held a glass out to me and I traded her a bowl of salad for it.

And then we sat together at the table again.

The salad was tasty, though different from her default. 

The wine though was the driest I'd ever had, with a tartness I wasn’t used to. Alisha was unphased by its… wine-y-ness but I found it a little more difficult to take down at first.

She laughed quietly as I made a face the first few times I sipped it.

“What?” I asked.

“You don't have to drink it if it's gross,” she said.

“It's not gross. It’s just… a lot,” I explained, and took another sip. The flavor was growing on me over time.

She continued to smile amusedly as I finished my salad and then sat for a while, sipping at wine. 

Alisha poured herself a second glass and offered me one as well.

I turned her down, not wanting a repeat of the other night.

Tye returned then and stood in the doorway, looking just a bit lost.

Alisha stood and grabbed another wine glass from the kitchen to offer to him.

“That's not–” he started.

“I want to have a friendly chat for once,” she cut him off.

I took another sip of wine, holding the glass to my lips after.

Tye was frozen for a moment and then sighed and pulled one of the dining chairs out. He didn't sit right next to us but rather a seat down.

Alisha poured him a glass and gently slid it across the table.

“What's up?” he asked.

“I have to go to Kanagawa's tomorrow,” she explained. “I know it's usually your day off but–”

Tye nodded. “I'll go,” he agreed without hesitation.

Alisha nodded. “I appreciate you,” she said.

“Is your mother going?” he asked.

“Yes,” Alisha explained.

He nodded and stared at his glass of wine.

I didn't understand this dynamic. I wanted to ask why this was so significant, but it wasn't a proper question.

I took another sip of wine.

“I guess I should let Stella know I need her to come by tomorrow.” She looked at me. “Would you like to go shopping for any dress or anything?”

I nodded. “I don't know what kind you would like me in, though.”

“Something you're comfortable with,” she said. “My mother will have a problem no matter what we do so you might as well be you.”

I nodded, but still felt like I should make an effort to get dressed up properly. “You should have Stella do my hair, too,” I said.

“If you wish,” Alisha agreed. “Tye, do you want a free haircut?”

“I … could…” he reached up to run his fingers through his hair, which had grown out a bit in the time I'd been here.

“Come by in the morning. I'll pay you overtime and you can have another day off. You'll just have to play driver for the day too.”

He nodded his agreement and finally took a sip of wine, making a face not unlike mine.

“I know it was a bold choice,” Alisha commented.

“You just have strange tastes,” Tye mumbled and took another sip.

“What was that?” Alisha asked.

“You have strange tastes,” he repeated, a bit louder. “I don't know anybody else who wants to live in a triangle.”

I made a confused face.

He saw this and explained, “this house, from above, is a triangle with the corners snipped off.”

“It wasn't my choice,” Alisha defended. “I asked for there to be the longest sight lines possible from the front door. I didn't ask them to make weird angles.”

That was a thing I noticed. A few of the rooms weren't really square, particularly in the corners of the house. But I'd never walked around the property to take in the house’s shape from outside.

Tye shrugged and took a long draft of wine this time. 

It was nice to see the two of them engaging like human beings for once. Sometimes it felt like Tye could be more open with me than he could her, but if he really knew her since they were little kids, it made more sense for him to be her emotional support than me. At the same time, there was a lot of history I just didn't know. Things Alisha had done I was sure were horrifying. And then things that Tye had done that were equally so. I saw them as human beings since I spent so much time with them where those factors didn't come into play but people looking in from outside probably thought I was insane for staying here.

There was a chill that ran down my spine.

I'd meet Alisha’s mother tomorrow, and there was going to be ill feelings one way or another. I didn't know what history made the rift but I couldn't imagine the wife of a mob boss would feel particularly disgusted by a few missing fingers. Probably not even a few corpses would chase a woman like that away. Yet somehow Alisha had done something that enraged her.

There was also the question of why Alisha offered her money to leave her alone. That sounded like a toxic dynamic.

“Are you worried, Kitten?” Alisha asked. She was now leaning against the table with her empty glass in front of her.

“To be honest, a little,” I admitted. “I don't know what your mother is like.”

Tye looked at me over his glass as Alisha thought for a long moment.

“She's not a bad person,” Alisha decided. “Not like these other people I have to deal with every day but I definitely hurt her when I took this position. She didn't really want this for me either.”

“Oh. So she's kinda like my parents,” I said. Forcing their ideals onto me without regard to my feelings.

“It’s… complicated,” Alisha said. “She’s never had a problem with me taking girls on as sexual partners but she has a problem with it in long term relationships.”

“...huh?” I managed.

Alisha patted my knee under the table, which didn't exactly hide the motion.

“It'll be okay, Kitten,” she reassured. “Unpleasant but okay.”

I nodded.

Tye finished his glass of wine and stood, collecting the empty glasses and even the empty bottle before slipping into the kitchen and getting himself a glass of water.

I could feel the wine in me, making me a bit warm, but it wasn't like the last time. I was still in control of my body.

“Feel free to chill for a while,” Alisha told Tye as she got up and beckoned me to follow.

He nodded as we passed by, still drinking water. I gave him my own friendly farewell nod and followed Alisha out to the stairs and then up them.

We got ready for bed, brushed our teeth together, changed into pajamas, and she refilled her water pitcher.

She was tired, I saw, but when we got to the bed she pulled me on it with her and then sat me between her legs from behind. Her body was warm from the alcohol.

I was confused as her arms circled my waist and her head rested on my shoulder.

“Mm?” I mumbled. She was being touchy again and I quickly realized what she wanted as her hands pressed lower.

“May I?” she asked softly.

I nodded my consent and she slid them into my pants.

I was quiet this time. She didn't complain. I didn't think Tye was still in the house but I didn't want him to hear anything if I was wrong.