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Siblings - The Series

Episode Sixteen

© 2016 Carlos Penguin

"I'm so nervous!" Marie said as she paced around the kitchen and living room in the apartment, topless, holding a tee shirt in one hand and a long sleeved blouse in the other. "Which should I wear?"

"It's your first day, so the blouse." Elsie replied, sitting at the table sipping her morning coffee. "Polished exteriors are easier to forgive with all the mistakes you'll make." She grinned.

"Oh, geez, thanks for the vote of confidence." Marie said sarcastically. She draped the tee over the back of a chair and put on the blouse.

She tugged this way and that at it, looking in the full length mirror on the washroom door. "But I'm likely to spill something on it and ruin it." She took off the blouse and put on the tee shirt. Despite the black material, her nipples were visible and looked as if they were going to poke holes in the tight material.

"I'll get good tips." She giggled.

Elise face-palmed. "It's a family restaurant, not a pub!" Noticing her tight, black stretch pants she wore that was popular among young ladies these days, she added, "That camel-toe will get you all the tips you want, anyway." She smirked.

"Humph!" Marie grunted, sticking her nose up and removed the tee, tossing it on the table and putting the blouse on once again.

Elise picked up the tee shirt and examined it. "Hey, this is mine!" She squeaked.

Marie looked at her friend with confusion. "Oh... It was on my bed. Sorry."

Elise shook her head with a smile, "No worries. Probably got mixed in the laundry and Ethan did them last week. He has a habit of "It doesn't fit me, so I'll just fling it anywhere" when it comes to those type of shirts." She removed her nightgown and rolled up the shirt and prepared to put her head through.

"OH MY GODS!" Marie said in amazement.

Elise looked around, "What?"

"Those!" Marie pointed to Elise's breasts. "They're HUGE!"

Elise smiled with pride, "Thank you."

Marie couldn't take her eyes off them. She felt her usual envy, but also curiosity. "Are they hard? Are they sore? Do your nipples tingle and feel tight, like I read some humans get? I guess Ethan's happy!"

"Geez, Marie!" Elise rolled her eyes. Yes, yes, no and very much, yes!" Both ladies laughed.

"C.. can I..." Marie stuttered.

Elise gave a bit of a gasp, but then her poor friend has had to deal with owning a pair of B-cups. "Uh-huh." Elise said and stuck her chest out.

Marie ran her hand around the side of Elise's curvaceous mammary and underneath, gently lifting it. "They're heavier than they look."

"Tell me about it." Elise frowned.

She ran her finger tips over Elise's nipple, immediately it erected. Her normally barely-visible areolas under her lighter fur had darkened during her pregnancy and tightened at Marie's touch, getting bumpy. "Odd, they're not annoyingly over-sensitive when you do it." Elise remarked.

"Maybe Ethan's too rough on you?" Marie winked. She placed a hand under each and lifted them. "I am so jealous. But, these are so beautiful on you."

"Aww, you're being too sweet." Elise said and put her hand on Marie's cheek.

"I have died and gone to HEVEAN!" Ethan said, having woken up and came out of his bedroom to see his sister standing naked in front of Marie, whose breasts were being held by the wolfess.

Both gasped and turned in wide-eyed surprise.

"Don't stop on my account." Ethan said and motioned with his hand, "Please, continue!"

Marie covered her mouth and giggled. She scurried to her room to continue getting ready for her first day of work. Elise just stood there, mouth open and blushing enough to be seen though her fur.

"I... we... she was just curious...." Elise explained in her whiny tone of defensiveness.

Ethan went over and gently put his hand on her arms and kissed her. "Honey, hush." He kissed her again. "It was what it was and it was beautiful."

He had a beaming smile as he kissed her a third time, got his morning coffee and went into the washroom.

Elise still stood there, an expression of, 'What just happened?' on her face. "But...." She whispered, as if anyone was there to hear it.

--

"..... So, that's the situation here." Tonya said to her friend Gary on their Saturday morning video conference, having explained her frustration with her dorm mate.

"Sounds to me like you two have similar goals, just completely incompatible personalities." He replied.

"I concur." She nodded and gave a sigh. "Any wisdom?"

"Yeah, take the rat guy up on his advice. The solitude will give you the focus you need to work things out personally, as well as with your studies."

Tonya paused, then ran her hand through her hair, over her ears, making one flutter as she did. "Very well. I have to override my pride and side with logic."

Gary adjusted himself and waved his hand, looking like a stereotypical psychologist about to share a diagnosis. "This normally wouldn't be an issue with you. But your infatuation, separation and awareness of your loneliness has caused some errors in your traditionally excellent judgement. That should subside."

Tonya appeared to scowl for a moment at him. "Do you think it's infatuation?"

Gary smiled, "Whether it's love or just a dopamine fuelled friend with benefits episode, the first stage is always infatuation." He pointed to her through the screen camera, "You know this more than I, Bachelor of Social Studies gal. Goes to show how impaired your acumen is at this time."

She let out a growl, "You're frustratingly right! Geez!"

"We make a helluva team, Ton." He smiled encouragingly.

"Speaking of that, have you worked out a plan to reconnect intimately with Marie? Those medications Kiana told me she's on should begin working their magic soon. Though they have the same side effects in canine species as humans."

"Well, I figure that we can date, persé, by going out on outings with Delia. We'll either get closer, or just be friends." He said, rubbing his beard. "The fact she kissed me was encouraging."

"Until then, you'll just have to hang in there, I guess." She shrugged with a smile.

Gary laughed, "About as well as you are having to!"

Tonya growled again in frustration, grabbing her hair with both hands. "That's another thing I cant do enough of with a room mate around! Going to explode, sometimes!"

Still chuckling, Gary reminded her, "Well, spring break is just around the corner. You can be in each other's arms again, soon."

After the encouraging advice from Gary earlier that day, Tonya went to the address Sean gave her.

She looked at the card, then at the building. "What a dive!" She commented. The building to her appeared like retirement apartments. A finish in sparkle stucco and wood balconies that was in serious need of refinishing. She wondered if privacy was worth it.

But then she remembered returning from the library, tired, mentally exhausted, in desperate need of sleep and while her dorm room had been returned to its previous state, was filled with the scent of a wild afternoon of sex between her room mate and her boyfriend. But worse than being repulsed, it aroused her beyond imagination.

As she approached the building, several tenants looked out their windows at her. She felt eyes peering from behind curtains, making her uncomfortable.

It was sunny, but cold, with a biting late-winter breeze coming off the river. She had worn her long, leather coat and scarf, which broke the wind and her fur kept her comfortable. She wore dark sunglasses that wrapped her brow slightly and her favourite pair of black leather boots for the patches of snow that remained.

She slowly walked up the concrete path with a "click, click, click" of her heels echoing off the building in the cold, dense air.

101

Manager

She buzzed the intercom.

"Hello?" A New Jersey accented human replied.

"Hello. My name's Tonya and I was told there was a suite available." She replied.

"Be right there." The human said and the intercom went silent.

A short, stocky old man opened the door with a scowl. "Are you the one to just ring me?" He growled.

"I am." She said evenly.

"We don't let to your kind." He said abruptly and went to close the door.

Tonya's karate-trained reflexes caught the door before it moved more than a few centimetres. "To furs, you mean? Isn't that illegal?"

Startled, the old man took two steps back and looked at her as annoyed as she was indignant.

"A fur in here would scare the shit out of my tenants, but that's not why. You Princeton hoity-toity types and your fancy parties nearly destroyed this place a year ago. Never again will I rent to you!" He said and held his finger out, pointing for her to leave.

"Humph!" Tonya scoffed. "It's because of a 'hoity-toity' that I want my own place."

He looked unmoved.

She figured she would take Sean up on his suggestion, "The Rat sent me, anyway."

The manager looked surprised, then waved her in out of the entrance, "Come in."

Tonya entered the lobby and the door closed behind her. The old man was now smiling.

"Where the hell did you meet Sean? He asked.

"He's dating my hoity-toity room mate that I want to get away from." She said, curious as to the story between them.

"Whoa! He finally got his 'schoolgirl'?" The manager laughed and shook his head. "When we worked the docks, he was always admiring the Japanese girlie calendars we had hanging in the office, wondering what one would be like."

Tonya gave a chuckle, it was all falling into place. "Well, she's Korean, not Japanese. We're shoved two to a broom closet. I need space and peace."

He held out his hand, "Bob Dirks. Retired longshoreman."

"Tonya Sackworth." She shook his hand. "Psychology undergrad."

The manager looked surprised again, "As in Larry Sackworth's daughter Tonya?"

"Yes, why?" She raised her eyebrow.

To her instinct and training, Bob's body language said he was cooking up a nice lie to tell her. "I... I know of your dad's real estate expertise." He pulled out a large ring of keys and changed the subject. "The room is on the first floor, down here." He turned and walked down a hallway.

Opening a door and giving it a shove, Bob turned the lights on. The stale smell of a room unoccupied for a long time caught Tonya's senses, causing her nose to scrunch.

They entered the smallish suite. A small, dated kitchen painted a ghastly mustard-yellow was to her left. He brought her in there first.

"With some paint, it would be nice." Bob said.

Tonya looked at him, silent, hoping he was making a joke.

"Okay, paint, appliances, sink, fixture, counter tops..." He went to open a lower cupboard door and it came off in his hand. "Well, it's cheap."

Through the kitchen was the living area. Moss green curtains covered a patio door and the carpet was shag.

A short hallway that wrapped around to the entry had two more rooms off of it. Going straight from the living room led to a washroom with facilities as green and dated as the curtains and shag carpet. To the left was a bedroom almost as large as the living room.

"Well, there it is." Bob said. "$1800 a month."

The price seemed a tad on the high side, especially since he was talking American currency.

Tonya tried her skills at bargaining. "Back home, something like this would go for $700/mo., Canadian dollars."

"Good for you!" Bob nodded and stayed firm. "This neck of the woods, $1800. Any less and we'd be overrun with Princeton students."

"Thought you didn't rent to them?" Tonya tried a tactic of cornering him. But, he had been down that road.

"Look, you're in here now for the sole reason Rattie and I worked together and I owe him one. But don't test me, young lady." Bob snapped.

She tried to keep an even temperament. "I'll have to make a call, then. University is expensive. I'll give you my decision tomorrow."

"Fine." Bob smiled and they exited the room.

Despite her fur, the cold was getting to her. She stopped in at a cafe and ordered a large medium roast coffee and sat down at a table, across from a gas fireplace.

"Must be a lull in customers?" She thought to herself, given there was five staff on, scurrying about, cleaning, yet she was one of three people in there.

She pulled her phone out of her purse and was going to email her dad. But there were some questions eating at her, so she called him instead.

"Hello, Princess!" Her dad answered. "Excuse me a moment...." She heard him say to a noisy group in the background. Given the time difference, she probably caught him in a meeting.

"Hello daddy, sorry to bother you at this time of day." She said, apologetically. "But I need to know a couple of things."

"I figured it was important, given you called at this time." He said, sounding relieved to have been interrupted.

"I'm checking out the possibility of my own apartment and the manager knew of me and seemed to know you. Do you have any holdings in Kingston, near the University?"

He thought for a moment. "No... no honey, I don't. The only US holdings I have are on the west coast, mainly in California." He paused again, "Maybe one of my partners in the US have some out east, but I have no involvement with those. What did you find?"

"Well, I found the only place available to students and that was through a contact. But it's $1800 a month." She said.

"Scheiss!" He said, surprised. "Did you try and negotiate a student rate?"

"Uh-huh, it was a solid no for students and he wouldn't even let me in the door until I dropped the name of the guy who sent me. Seems they worked together and the manager owes my contact a favour." She explained.

"Hrm, one of those deals..." Her dad said contemplative. "Tell you what, call him back and see if the apartment is for sale, rather than rent. If they go for that much, we might have an investment after you graduate."

"Okay, but I get a commission." She chided.

He chuckled. "Oh, you'll get more than that! You can manage the investment, start your own portfolio and we'll split the take."

She was excited about the prospect. It would be like going partners with her dad and having an income something besides just relying on psychology doctorate she was working toward. "Diversification" he called it and encouraged her to be able to do more than one thing, ever since she was little.

She had the barista put her coffee in a travel cup and she went right back to the building.

"Buy the apartment?" Bob said in bewilderment. "No one has ever asked that. I'd have to contact the building's owners and they're in Europe."

"Well, you do that." Tonya said confidently. She wrote down her cell phone number. "Call me as soon as you hear anything."

Mindful of the amount of studies she had to do, she made haste back to her dorm. True to his word, Sean had said the bus did go past and there was no need to transfer between the apartment and university.

"Where you been?" Hye, who was sitting cross-legged on her bed, working with a tablet asked. "Finally taking some time? You study too much."

Tonya smiled, "Checking out a lead on my own place, courtesy of your boyfriend." She turned her computer on and plugged in her phone to charge. "What does he do anyway? Real estate like my dad?"

"Oh, no." Hye laughed. "He's a longshoreman union boss. Used to work on the docks."

"Union boss?" Tonya said with astonishment. "Didn't strike me as the type. My dad rents warehouses and those guys are... intimidating. Sean acts like he's going to piss himself at a loud noise."

Hye shook her head. "Preconceptions, shame on you. Sean can't be bought or corrupted and is diplomatic first before getting tough."

Tonya looked at her annoyed, "Do you get off on the psychological misses I do?"

"Oh, not at all!" Hye said conciliatory. "Remember I said I had a thing for older men? I just learn quick from their experiences."

Tonya, beside her. "And furry guys to boot."

Hye looked at her and put the tablet down. "I feel safer with them. Most fifty-something career guys don't want marriage or kids, just sex and a pretty girl to be beside them. As for them being furry, I'm as attracted to a human male as much as you're to guys."

"Orientation is just that. Can't make a compass point where it doesn't want to, right?"

Hye looked at her with a grin, "So what about the compasses that don't have a particular orientation?"

"They have all the fun, right?" Tonya replied and they both laughed.

--

"Everyone!" Kiana gave a happy chitter as her and Marie entered the break room at the restaurant. "This is my friend, Marie! This is who I was filling in for."

"Um, hi everyone." Marie said shyly as the day shift waitresses greeted her and introduced themselves. Selena however, stared with a smile like she had gone dotty, then gave a quick finger wave.

Richard, the manager entered the room. "Ah! Here you are, Marie. A great pleasure to finally meet you. Kiana had good things to say about you." He said with a smile to Marie. "After your introductions, come see me in my office. We need to get you all signed up, i's dotted, tee's crossed and all that before getting you on the floor." He left the room with a polite nod to everyone.

Marie shook hands with her new co-workers and already knew Luci, whom had told her about the job in the first place. But when she shook Selena's hand, Selena had a starstruck expression.

"Do... I know you?" Marie asked cautiously.

Selena shook her head, "No. I think... just... well... like Kiana, you're living works of art." She covered her mouth, not realizing she said that until she did. "Sorry." She squeaked and sat down at the little table.

Marie's puzzled expression grew into a smile. "Thank you." She said, sincerely. "We're often called a lot of things, but this one was the nicest. Thank you."

"I told you she was sweet." Kiana whispered, but everyone heard and chuckled.

After an hour into her training, Marie had picked up the routine quicker than Kiana had. She also stayed calm and relaxed when faced with errors and two owly customers who insisted she had shed fur onto their hash browns, despite the hairs being long and brown of the cook and not short and black of hers.

"You're doing great!" Luci complimented her. "Keep it up and you'll be hostess." She winked.

"Thank you!" Marie replied, elated with the encouraging comment.

Truth was, Marie was having a great time. She thrived on crowds. Spending time with her friends or at the mall gave her comfort. Feeling part of a group helped her handle the difficulties at home. Her medications helped her deal with the anxious situations that normally would have bothered her, or she would take as personal.

The lunch rush was beginning. A crowd of usual patrons, mostly seniors, came in and introduced themselves to the new waitress. All but one had happy smiles and were willing to tell stories that they told to all the waitresses when they arrived.

"Hey Charlie, what's up?" Luci asked the one old man who looked nervously at Marie.

He leaned over and whispered to her, "Is she a werewolf?"

Lucimaladroitly handled the question by laughing, making Charlie extremely insulted. He turned and left.

Roger, who was chatting with the regular crowd and expediting the rush, saw Charlie's expression as he left. He approached Luci, "What's up with Charlie? He's not put off by Marie, is he?"

Luci sighed, "My bad. He asked if Marie was a werewolf and I laughed at him."

Roger chuckled himself. "He asked, what?" But rather than waiting for the answer, he went out the door to see if he could appease his regular.

"Hey Charlie, wait up! What happened?"

The old man stopped, turned and pointed toward the restaurant. "That rude little girl laughed at me!"

"Did you ask if the waitress was a werewolf?" Roger asked with some disbelief.

Charlie paused, "Yes. Yes I did."

Roger blinked a couple of times. "You're eighty, right?"

"Eighty one. My birthday was last week." Charlie replied, still scowling.

"And of those eighty one years of wisdom, how many of them did you think there was werewolves running around." Roger countered.

Not missing a beat, Charlie replied, "About as many as I thought I'd ever see walking, talking, dogs and cats in my lifetime."

"Okay, point made." Roger agreed. "But no, she isn't. She's a wolf, but not a werewolf."

Charlie just stared.

"I'll talk to Luci and how about lunch on me, hrm?" Roger offered.

Charlie smiled, "Now you're talking!" And returned to the restaurant with Roger.

Seeing the two head back to the restaurant, Marie asked Kiana, "Is Luci going to be in trouble for that?"

Selena, Luci's little sister was passing by with a tray of drinks and said to Marie, "Oh, she is SO going to be in shit!" She giggled and continued on.

As they entered, Roger offered Charlie his choice of sections. "Would you like to be served by Kiana, Selena or Andrea?"

Charlie thought for a moment, then saw Marie glance over at his, then quickly turn away. "I think... I need to get used to that new one. Marie you called her?"

Roger grabbed a menu and seated him.

After a few minutes, Marie came with a glass of water. "Are you ready to order yet, Charlie?"

He looked surprised, "How do you know my name?"

Marie pointed to her ears, "We can hear like canines."

"Oh." He looked embarrassed.

Flipping clumsily through the menu he knew off by heart, "I, uh, will have the senior's club. Whole wheat and soup."

Marie made the note and said with a smile, "Comin' right up!"

She spun and began to trot off when Charlie called her back. "Sorry, I didn't mean to hurt your feelings."

Marie smiled, "I've SO heard worse. Anyways, it isn't the full moon, so you're all safe."

Charlie chuckled and Marie went to put in the order.

--

Eugenia parked the van almost in front of the address where they were to meet Dale Rozen of Magnificent MILF magazine. "At least you don't have far to walk." She said feeling lucky at finding the spot. "How do you feel?"

Elise sighed. "Nervous, excited, sexy, shy, nervous...." She said looking out the window at the door to the building. "I have to pee."

Eugenia chuckled, "Well, let's get you inside and hope he has a washroom."

As they entered the building, there were several permanent offices and a sign on the directory:

107 - MM Interviews

They headed down the hallway to the end where 107 was located and entered.

Not a typical waiting room, there was comfortable sofas on either side, a bench on the wall with the door and facing them a small desk on wheels with a fastidiously dressed kit fox fellow behind it.

He stood up and was the size of a fennec, but had markings similar to a coyote... a four-and-a-half-foot tall version of their friend Al, only in a three piece suit with slicked hair and enough bling on his fingers to probably buy a small house.

He stood and with his hands together over his chest and spoke in the manner of a salesman in an overpriced department store, "Welcome, ladies! You're here to see Dale, I presume?"

"Yes, but..." Elise began when the fox fellow motioned to a door on his left.

"The washroom is there." He offered, having seen that facial expression on pregnant ladies many times.

Elise made hast through the door and closed it.

"You must be Eugenia, the aunt?" He asked and motioned for her to take a seat.

"Yes! How did you know?" Eugenia asked as she unbuttoned her jacket and sat down.

"Dale spoke very highly of you. Said it was a stroke of luck to have met you with young Mrs. Redd."

"Ohhh..." Eugenia put her hand on her mouth, flattered and not wanting to correct him about her nieces marital status. "It was my niece that applied. I can't for the life of me see what I may have done?"

"Well, I can see why. You're a lovely creature, deserving your own spotlight, if you ask me." He said with upper-class inveigler charm, making Eugenia blush and giggle.

Elise exited the washroom with a sigh and sat down beside her aunt.

"I will let Dale know you are here." And with a polite nod, entered a room on his right.

"I heard that smooth talking Romeo from the washroom." Elise said with some surprise at her aunt.

"If it's his job to make a lady feel beautiful, he did it well." She said, feeling a youthful glow she hadn't felt for some time.

The kit fox opened the door again and stood in the doorway with his arm extended for them to enter. "Come on in!" He said with a smile.

As the ladies entered, the fox closed the door and offered them a seat on a similar sofa against the wall with the entry.

There was no desk, just a stool in the middle of the small room where Dale sat. A large window behind him with open vertical blinds to the street. To the side, a green videography background, which wrapped around behind the sofa in which they sat. In the corner, a professional camera on a split-leg tripod. Artificial plants and flowers adorned the room.

Almost contrary to the well dressed fox, Dale looked like a farmer; jeans, plaid shirt and western boots.

"Welcome! I'm glad you could both make it." Dale began and slipped off the stool, coming over and shaking their hands. "This well dressed fellow is Jamison, one of our photographers."

Jamison gave a slight bow at being introduced.

"I thought you were the photographer?" Eugenia asked.

"Oh, I take some comp-card photos of prospects to send to the office, but mostly I direct." He explained. "I have a reasonable eye for backgrounds, poses and accessorizing, but I'm fairly useless with a camera." He chuckled.

"So, what we're going to do today basically, is take some of those sample photos. I also want to try some poses as well. Are you comfortable with that?"

Elise and her aunt looked at each other, then to Dale and nodded with a smile.

"Okay, great!" Dale said and Jamison took the camera off the tripod and checked some settings. "Since these are not to be viewed publicly, we don't need a release form, today. They will just be viewed by our review panel and we'll chose our model or models for a future photo shoot."

Elise looked downhearted. "I thought... we were accepted?"

"You have!" Dale said encouragingly. "You're two of nineteen furs shortlisted out of six hundred, worldwide. We will chose only eight in the end with two from North America. That makes your chances very high of final acceptance and a shoot."

The ladies gasped and smiled at each other, "This is so exciting!"

Dale called Jamison over. "Let's start with a pose that popped in my head when I first saw these two."

The fox nodded.

"Eugenia, if I could get you to sit on the end cushion..." Dale asked and she moved over.

"If it's not too much trouble Elise, can you recline, head on your aunt's lap and facing toward us." With some effort, Elise manoeuvred into the position.

Dale rubbed his chin, pondering, then gave a grin. "Elise, relax your arm, letting your hand lay on the floor, the other resting on your baby-bump. Eugenia, put one hand over hers and maybe the other.... on your knee."

As the ladies did, Jamison let out an excited yip and the camera motor drive could be heard.

Unable to help themselves, Elise and Eugenia looked at each other and giggled, excited. As they did, Jamison moved about, camera clicking the entire time.

The two fellows whispered to each other with their backs turned. Dale turned around, "And a few more shots of you, Elise, standing against the green wall, side to us, hand on the belly, head to us, chin up and a proud momma-to-be!"

After the shots, Dale thanked them for attending and said they would be in touch, either way, by the end of the week.

Jamison saw the ladies out and losing his posh demeanour, hopped excitedly over to Dale. "Boss, that casual shot on the couch was cover-worthy."

Dale patted him on the shoulder, "I know it. Never mind videoconferencing, I'm flying back to New York with these tonight and I'll press the committee, personally."

Eugenia and Elise exited the building with excitement. But, Eugenia knew she had to say something rational. "We better not get our hopes up. Like he said, there are others."

Elise stopped, "Auntie, we're probably going to be in an international magazine!" She gave a bounce of excitement.

Eugenia blinked, then smiled, "Yeah!" Unable to contain her own excitement, Eugenia joined Elise in a loud squeal, sounding like two teenagers that just won concert tickets.

"I'm hungry again. Let's go tell Ethan, then Kiana and Marie." Elise suggested and they both hopped in the van and went to the store.

"Honey, that's awesome!" Ethan hugged and kissed his sister.

He looked a little apprehensive, but congratulated his aunt as well.

"You are nots proud of ze beautiful mephits ze auntie is? I think ees wonderful!" Cerise asked Ethan, then kissed Eugenia on the cheeks in congratulations.

"I am happy for her!" Ethan said. "Just the thought of seeing my aunt nude is... weird."

"From the guy who knocked up his sister." Al patted Ethan's shoulder.

"Ooooo, BURN!" Elise giggled and got an annoyed look from Ethan.

"Well, I wonder what Uncle Rick will think about seeing his niece in the pages." Ethan deflected his friends zinger.

Eugenia's eyes went wide.

"Auntie?" Elise said, quizzically.

"I may have neglected to mention that I was going to be... possibly... partaking..." She trailed off and shuffled her foot and tapped her fingers nervously.

"Ooopsie!" Cerise covered her mouth.

Elise face-palmed.

Al and Ethan chuckled, "Oh, there gonna be some echoes on the river, tonight." Al said and went back into the warehouse.

"Where did everyone go?" Mark came into the front with his arms up in a shrug. He saw Elise, "Oh, hi Princess!" He said happily and kissed her cheek. "What brings you by? Can't stay away? Doctor's orders, now." He wagged his finger.

"Speaking of telling someone!" Ethan gave his sister an evil grin. "Welp, gotta get back to work!" He said and went back into the warehouse.

Elise shot him a look that could have blown a hole in a brick wall and stamped her foot paw.

"Tell me what?" Her dad looked innocently. "Good news, I hope?"

Elise looked like a bunny cornered by a fox. Eugenia something similar.

Cerise decided to run interference. "Zey are two, beautiful goddesses of beauty, non?" She held her arms out toward them as if presenting.

"Of course!" Mark said as if only a fool would question that.

"And zey are confident and strong, non?" Cerise added.

"Uh, oui." He glowered at Cerise, "What's this about?"

"Um, daddy?" Elise said sweetly. "I... um... I'm going to be in a girlie magazine."

Mark's mouth dropped open in disbelief. "Huh?"

"I... WELLLL... kinda... probably am going to be as well." Eugenia admitted.

Mark blinked a few more times. He looked at each of them with a crooked, goofy grin of shock. Taking off his leather gloves and putting them on the counter, he said to Cerise, "Clock me out. I'm going to my brother's place for a drink."

Both Eugenia and Elise looked despairing as he walked past them to the front door.

He turned back and gave a laugh, shaking his head, "Rick has just GOT to hear this! My angel is gonna be a centrefold! And probably his, too!" He left the store laughing.

"Heh." Elise said simply, unsure.

"Oy vey!" It was Eugenia's turn to face-palm.

"I will buys ten copies." Cerise whispered. "And I wants them autographed." She patted Eugenia's hand, then went back to work.

Though they had lost their appetites, they went to the restaurant anyway, not wanting to deprive the kits of needed nutrients. However, the moment they stepped in, the smell of the food whetted their appetites again.

"For two?" A young human lady asked.

Eugenia nodded and they were led to a booth.

"Um, could we have a table, please? My kits don't like being squeezed in." Elise said, patting her belly.

"Oh, of course!" The lady looked embarrassed and led them to a table.

After they sat and took the menus, Elise looked around for Marie and Kiana. She saw Marie carrying a bus tray of dirty dishes toward the kitchen and Kiana was just exiting with a bowl of coffee creamers.

The aisle they had to pass each other was reasonably narrow and they turned sideways to pass each other. As they did, they bumped their rumps and giggled, "Butter-bump!"

Elise and Eugenia looked at each other and smiled, wordlessly mouthing, "Butter.... bump?" And chuckled.

Richard the manager, came with their water glasses. "Good afternoon, Eugenia!" He welcomed her. Eugenia and Rick being regulars for the brunch.

He pointed to Elise, squinted one eye and smiled, "Elsie, was it?"

Elise smiled, "Close! Right letters, wrong order. Elise."

He nodded, corrected. "Good to see you two again. Have you two decided on something yet?"

"I'll have my usual, that is my usual when Rick isn't with me." Eugenia said, mischievously.

Richard pulled a pen and pad out of his shirt pocket, "One all day super duper breakfast. Got it!" He looked at Elise.

"Fries?" She said hesitantly.

"Oh, come on!" Eugenia squeaked. "You'll make me look like a pig!"

Elise looked up at Richard again, "Double cheeseburger and fries."

"Okey dokey! I'll get that right in." He smiled.

"So, why are you serving today?" Eugenia asked.

"We had a nutter of a lunch." He explained. "I had a dishwasher quit, Selena and Jaylee are on a break, Luci went home because of a split-shift, Andrea is getting practise as hostess, Kiana and I are switching between cleaning tables and serving. I have your nieces room mate bussing."

He sighed from the mouthful of an explanation to his regular customer, then gave a grateful expression, "Marie has been amazing. Quick learner, bubbly personality and that canine strength to lift eighty pounds of dirty cutlery soaking in buckets as easily as a ten pound bus tray."

"I thought I heard your voice!" Marie came around from behind Richard, looking at her friends with a smile.

"Your boss was just saying how well you were doing, too!" Eugenia said, making Marie give a proud bounce.

Richard looked at his watch. "The others will be out in a few minutes. Then you and Kiana can go on a break and visit!"

After an exciting visit with Kiana and Marie, catching them up on every detail of their interview, Eugenia dropped off Elise outside her apartment building.

"Are you sure auntie? I'll happily come to your place for a few hours. Uncle Rick and dad won't bother you too much if I'm around." Elise said before closing the van door.

"I'm sure, sweetie. I'd rather 'face the music' now than delay it." Eugenia said, grateful for her niece's offer.

Though unsure, Elise closed the door and went into the building.

Eugenia's mind was playing through scenarios as to what might be awaiting her. She pulled into the driveway to see Mark's truck still there. "Oh great, two on one." She moaned. She parked the van and made no haste to get out.

As she stepped up to the porch, Chloe, their cat was meowing her complaints loudly that her Zen was being disturbed inside.

"Oh now, it's not as bad for you as it will be for me, I'm sure" Eugenia said and bent over to give her some petting.

She then heard the stereo come on loudly. The music was an old classic from 1962 by David Rose and his Orchestra - The Stripper.

The front door flung open and Rick was before her wearing only his underwear and his old cap. "Welcome home, my little *hic* porn shtar!" He laughed so hard he fell over and Mark caught him, laughing equally as hard, they both tumbled onto the floor.

Of all the scenarios Eugenia played in her head as she drove home, this was not one of them.

The day shift came to an end at the restaurant. The staff congratulated Marie on a spectacular first day and looked forward to seeing her tomorrow. Each of the waitresses gave Marie a hug while Richard the manager, Matt and Kyle, the day cooks shook her hand.

"How was it for you, really?" Kiana asked Marie on the bus to the town exchange.

"I... think I'll like it there." She smiled. She was tired, but felt good. Accomplished. Like she did something useful that mattered. "How about you? I mean, I'm so grateful you did that, holding down the job for me. But, I know how you feel about being around humans."

Kiana's eyebrows raised, then she smiled. "They aren't as bad as I thought they would be, after all."