12 – New Member

"What are you doing here?" I asked Pari, gasping for breath. "Damn. I was scared out of my life." Cad remained silent as I told her not to disturb me until I crossed the road.

"Beta?" Pari asked me back, looking confused.

"Yes. Why are you here so late?" I asked, getting up from my position.

"I have a favour to ask you. Can we go somewhere else to talk? It's night, and I don't feel well."

"Yeah. I was going to a restaurant. Mind coming with me?" I casually asked her and started to dust off my clothes.

"How about we go to a grocery and buy some ingredients?" She said to me and smiled like she wanted to hide something.

"Yes, there's a shop on the next road. Shall we head there?" She nodded and followed me. We bought some vegetables, rice, and spices, but the real question came to my mind when we were in front of the shop. "Where are we going to cook it?" I started to think. Is she going to take me to her place? Or does she just want to buy some grocery and head back home? But I paid for them. And she even knows why I was out this night? What the heck is going on?

<If I guess correctly, then you have to obey my command. You in?>

'Now you're butting in?'

<Well, I can't be quiet when things go on like this, can I?>

'You just want to use me, don't you?'

<What's the holdup? We both want things from each other. It's mutual, isn't it? This is the last chance for the deal. You in or out?>

"Fine. You have it your way." When I think about it, only a woman can understand other women's feelings. I have to understand what is going on.

In the middle of our conversation, Pari was standing near me and I didn't even notice her. "Sorry, I was just thinking about something..." I began.

"It's ok, you don't have to tell me. Can we go?" Pari replied, composed but with something off in her demeanor. Her smile seemed forced, and she avoided making eye contact.

<She must be really into you. So much that she will ask you to come to her room and cook for you, and afterwards, you know she'll be...>

"Stop," I called out loud, startling Pari. I wondered, 'What the hell is wrong with her? Is Pari really going to ask me out? Come to think of it, when I found her on the road, she was searching for me.' I don't know why, but I'm getting excited.

We started walking again after I told Pari that it was nothing. Even after I apologized, she looked more uncertain than before. By the time I realized it, I was in front of my apartment.

"I have something to tell you. Can we talk inside your room?" Pari said, changing her opinion.

<She wants to cook for you in your home and wants to seduce you, afterwards 'you know what,' and when the snake's out, in the morning she will be gone.>

At first, I was shocked by Pari's reply, then annoyed by Cad's change of opinion. But when I finally thought about it, the situation might be more serious than I initially thought. I nodded and led her to my room.

She wanted to talk to me about something serious, and she wanted nobody to listen in on our conversation. Going public may be dangerous, and her place must have already been bugged with microphones. She couldn't talk about this matter elsewhere, so after the process of elimination, my home was the perfect place for an urgent meeting.

I unlocked the door and saw the disaster of "living alone without a care for tomorrow." I got embarrassed and quickly closed the door. She was standing beside me and probably didn't notice.

"Wait a minute, I have some things I have to take care of inside. It won't be long."

"No, wait, you don't have to," Pari replied.

I ignored her and quickly went inside to clean up.

After what seemed like my room was somewhat 'clean', I let her in. I also arranged a small round table and a couple of sitting mats on the floor in the middle of my room. My room was small and my bed was in the hall. I didn't want to talk about something serious when both of us were sitting on the same bed where I sleep. I wouldn't be able to focus on the conversation.

<You're just a pussy cat, aren't you? Just accept that you'll be way more self-conscious.>

'Shut up, it's not the time for us to be talking.' I crossed my legs and sat on one side of the table, whereas Pari sat on the opposite side, still holding some of the bags from the store. When I was about to ask what was going on, Cad interrupted me.

<Get your ass up and take those bags, and also ask her if she wants something to drink. It's best to offer something like biscuits or cookies in this situation. Next time, save some of them for the guests. Do you understand? Now get up.>

For once in my time with her, it truly felt like she was doing her job. I got up and told her to put those things on the table. When I asked Pari if she needed something, she just shook her head. Cad didn't listen to me and insisted on bringing a glass of water over to her. When I placed the glass on the table and sat, she took it and drank some of it. 'Yeah, girls only understand girls.' And now, it's time for our serious conversation to begin.

"So, what happened?" I asked.

"Beta, the thing is…. I'm broke and kicked out from my hotel room," she replied.

If I had been drinking something, I was sure I would have splattered it all over my body and maybe even choked on it. But since I wasn't, I just jerked back in surprise.

She started to speak again. "The thing is, when I came to this planet, I had enough savings for a month to live in a hotel. After I got my first salary, I planned to move to an apartment. But my brother's note told me not to trust anyone besides you. So to talk to you in complete privacy, I asked some of my research teammates."

"Stop!" I interrupted her.

"Let me guess."

<You're in for it, boy, huhuhu.> I don't know why, but she started to cheer me up.

"Your friend told you that Café Cake was the best place to arrange a private meeting and he probably booked it without asking you. So you had to spend all of your month's money on that meeting, and now you don't have any place to go?"

She looked somewhat surprised when I finished. 'I really do hope that my guess was wrong.'

"Your guess was half right and half wrong," she said. I was somewhat glad that I was half wrong, but also furious for being half right.

"When I asked for help, she advised me to use an app that reserves seats for meetings. I downloaded that app and chose the best place I could find and reserved it for us. But after booking, I got a message that told me I had reserved an already booked place. They offered me another place with the same rating for the same price, but I got confused by the interface and booked another place instead. I didn't get a refund for the first booking, and the Café Cake was also a done deal. Now, I don't have enough coins to pay for where I was staying, and I also have to pay for my remaining time at the hotel."

I stayed silent after listening to her story. She saw my face and quickly looked down. Even though she continued, "So I was wondering, if- if you would let me stay at your place until I got my salary?"

<There you go. Welcome new member.>

Now, when looking at her face, I could see why she was like this before. She was actually embarrassed about the whole thing. 'But how can't she be?' I wouldn't bring myself to ask her. She was intelligent, elegant, brilliant, beautiful - I can't find words to describe her - 'but... but, was she this clumsy beyond the point?'

When I looked at her, her face was now visibly red. She looked at me and then again looked down and started to fidget. 'It isn't like you said.' I let my sharp thoughts reach Cad. She was silent. 'You're fucking wrong!' I couldn't control my feelings. After all, my idol was 'NOT WHAT SHE WAS'. I wouldn't scream on the outside; she may think I'm crazy. I shouted at someone inside my head instead.

<I may be wrong, but also, I am somewhat correct. You get to see the cute side of someone who is always serious and get to spend a whole month together. Isn't that good? I mean, 'ISN'T THAT GOOD?' >

She also screamed at the end. But her point made some sense. I get to live with the beautiful girl from work and also see all her new sides, get to know more about her, and maybe, maybe somewhere in the far, far future, I can hear my son calling her "mama."