But the next day, it was Yuri who ended up close to pleading.
" No, Kathy. " - Yuri, said.
He had never thought they would get into their first argument this early, but he was beginning to appreciate that with Kathy. Everything was unpredictable.
" But why not? " - Kathy, asked.
" Isn't it enough that I'm asking not to? " - Yuri, said.
Touché, Yuri thought. And so they were back at square one. He stared at his fianceé broodingly. She was another lovely feminine dress, this time with an asymmetrical skirt that was long at the back and knee-length in front, and she had put up her hair in a loose, elegant twist on top of her head. She looked breathtakingly beautiful that if she had asked for anything else, he would have given it to her in a heartbeat. But instead, she was asking for the one thing that was forbidden.
" I just don't think it's time yet. " - Yuri, said.
Kathy struggled with guilt and confusion at the heavy note in Yuri's voice.
" I only want to be normal, Yuri. I want everything to be normal. And here, in your home, I have learned that it's not normal for everyone to eat together. " - Kathy, said.
And whoever told her about it, Yuri thought grimly, had him to answer too.
Looking back at Kathy, he tried one more time to reason with her.
" I know and understand why you want to do this, sweetheart. But believe me, it's too soon. " - Yuri, paused. He raked a hand through his hair.
" You see, we're not quite normal here either. " - Yuri, added.
She stilled.
" You're... also not sure if you're crazy? " - Kathy, asked.
" Ah, no. But we're... somewhat different from other people, and so the way we live is difficult too. The way we enjoy our meals... " - Yuri, paused.
" It's different from what I see on TV? " - Kathy, interrupted him.
" Yes. " - Yuri, said.
She crossed her arms in front of her chest.
" How is it different? " - Kathy, asked.
He took a deep breathe.
" First of all, here in Alcolyte Triad, we have what we call... Volunteers. " - Yuri, said.
" Oh, you mean, those who do good works for a living? " - Kathy, asked.
He shook his head.
" Not, quite. You know what college organization are? " - Yuri, said.
Kathy nodded.
" Alcolyte Triad is a college organization and because we're one, we need to allow a certain number of students to join our...group every year. " - Yuri, said.
" And they're the volunteers? " - Kathy, asked.
" The women are. " - Yuri, said.
" And this is what you makes different? " - Kathy, asked bewildered.
" I still don't understand. " - Kathy, said.
" I'm not finished yet, " - Yuri, said.
" This volunteers, like the male members of the club, are given responsibilities. Mostly, it has to do with cleaning and cooking, but that's not what makes them... Us... Different. What makes this whole situation was not...normal is why those women joined. " - Yuri, said.
She thought about this hard, but no answer came to her.
" Why did they join? " - Kathy, asked.
" Because they want to... " - Yuri, paused.
Yuri thought about telling the truth, that the volunteers only wanted to have bragging rights about getting in bed with a member of the Alcolyte Triad, even if just for a one night. Kathy looked at him hopefully.
" Because they want to... What? " - Kathy, asked.
" Have one of us as their boyfriends. " - Yuri, said.
And that, he told himself, wasn't strictly a lie. Kathy just blinked.
" Oh. " - Kathy, said.
" Now, do you understand? " - Yuri, asked.
'Please have her say yes', he thought.
" No. " - Kathy, said.
'Damn it!', he thought.
" Is it okay with you if one of them flirts with me? " - Yuri, asked.
" Oh. " - Kathy, said.
She said again, but it was weaker this time, sadder.
" That's why, " - Yuri said gently, he paused.
" I think it's better we continue having our meals here. " - Yuri, added.
" Oh. " - Kathy, said again.
When she didn't say anything else after it, Yuri started to relax, thinking that Kathy had finally seen in his way. But Kathy lifted her chin.
" I still want to eat with everyone. " - Kathy, said.
" Kathy, " - Yuri paused.
Kathy shook her head.
" I really thought about this, Yuri. " - Kathy said. Her voice was quiet and absolute.
" And I've decided that this is a matter of trust. Because I love you. I must trust in your love and your faithfulness. I must believe that you will not...flirt back. " - Kathy, added.
But her voice wavered in the end, and Yuri knew then that even though she was putting up a strong front, she was not without doubts. He sigh.
" You are incredibly stubborn, sweetheart. " - Yuri, said.
But he couldn't fault her for it because he knew that people who were stubborn were also often strong willed, and if Kathy hadn't been the latter, she would have long died under Madame Antonia's care.
" So be it then. " - Yuri, added. His voice was grim.
" I'll tell the others we'll be dining with all of the Alcolyte Triad. " - Yuri, said.
" Thank you. " - Kathy, said.
" Don't thank me just yet. I still think this is a huge mistake. " - Yuri, said.
Thirty minutes later, and Kathy was starting to believe Yuri was right. This was a huge mistake. This being the choice to join everyone at the common room, which also gave everyone the chance to stare and whisper about her. This being the choice to see so many volunteers flaunt their bodies in front of the man she loved, even if Yuri never looked their way. This being the choice to know that these girls wanted him, and knowing that unlike her, they were normal.
" Amaranth, arugula, beet, bokchoy, borage, broccoli, brussels sprout... " - Kathy, said.
According to her therapist, focusing on the things one loved was a good way to numb negative emotions like pain and anger, and for Kathy there was nothing she loved more than food...and Yuri. Beside her, Hallie leaned close and whispered.
" Am I imagining things, or did you just start talking to yourself about...vegetables? " - Hallie, asked.
" Cabbage, catsear, celery, chaya.. " - Kathy, just nodded and said.
Wait! She had forgotten something. Chewing on her lip, she went back through her list and came to the missing item a few seconds later.
" Celtuce! " - Kathy, said.
She said this a little too loud, and everyone in the common room turned to look at her in surprise. Without missing a beat.
" That's exactly what I want you to prepare for me, sweetheart. It's my favorite vegetable. " - Yuri, said.
He kept his gaze steady on hers as he spoke. Kathy was shocked.
" It is? " - Kathy, asked.
" It's my favorite. " - Yuri, said. He nodded firmly.
Hallie coughed daintily into her hand. Considering how much Yuri hated greens even when they were still kids, she was pretty sure her brother wouldn't know what celtuce was even if it hit him in the face.
Yuri told himself not to feel guilty about lying. It was a small one, and it had been necessary. It didn't mean he would keep doing it now that he knew the secret to making Kathy believe in every word he uttered.
Kathy's pleasure dimmed when she saw one of the volunteers heading their way. 'The girl was like a shark', she thought uneasily, with the way she gazed at Yuri like a predator sizing its prey.
" Good morning, sir. " - Lily, said.
A thrill ran through Lily Anne Smith as she finally had the chance to serve a club's vice president. She liked challenges and because of that, Yuri Daniel Athanas was her number one target. It was said that Yuri had never touched any of the volunteers, but Lily planned to change all that, and she didn't give a damn if the girl seated next to him turned out to be his girlfriend.
The other girl may be startlingly beautiful, but she was also too thin, her body like a boy's. 'It had nothing,' Lily thought smugly, when compared to her voluptuous curves. After placing a piece of roll on Yuri's plate.
" Do you want some more, sir? " - Lily asked invitingly.
Lily offered the bread basket towards the blue eyed biker, making sure to place the basket exactly at breast level so that the Alcolyte Triad's Vice President would have to look straight at her barely covered cleavage.
" No, thank you. " - Yuri, said politely before turning his back on the volunteer.
" Are you sure, sir? " - Lily said while move closer to Yuri.
As she spoke, she made sure to brush the tips of her breasts against the back of his head, wanting him to know that she was hot, ready, and willing anytime he wanted her. She started do it again.
" No! " - Kathy, shout.
One moment, Yuri had another girl trying to comb his hair with her nipples and then the next moment Kathy had wrapped her arms protectively around his head and was squashing his face against her breasts in the process.
" No! Stop doing that to him! He's mine! " - Kathy, shouted to Lily.
Her arms tightened, and Yuri's face sank deeper in the valley of her breasts.
" Lucky bastard. " - Junior Biker
He heard one of the junior bikers mutter under his breath. He agreed privately, but the volunteer hadn't anything to do with it. Rather, Kathy's silk covered breasts were the sole reason why he was thanking all his lucky stars.
'So close,' he thought with a silent groan. Her fragrance teased his senses and made it harder to resist taking a bite of her nipples, which were only a few centimeters away from his mouth. Would anyone notice if he started eating it? After all, Kathy was still speaking to the volunteer. As a supportive fianceé, he owed it to Kathy to stay right here and from what seemed like a great distance.
" I think Yuri's stopped breathing. " - Kellion, said.
A gasp, and then Kathy released him and pushed his head away.
" Are you all right, Yuri? " - Kathy, asked.
His cocked aching painfully at the terrible sense of loss of being parted from Kathy's lovely pair of breasts, he managed a strained smile.
" Yes, of course. " - Yuri, said.
He heard Kellion laugh behind him, and Yuri, for once, did something improper. He flipped his president the finger behind his back. 'Damn you, Kellion Mico Argyros'. He had been drowning happily, but the bastard just had to cut his pleasure short.
" Are you alright? " - Kathy said while still gazing at him worriedly.
He started to answer yes but then he had another idea.
" No, actually. Perhaps if we go up... " - Yuri, said.
Kathy would be as far away as possible from the volunteers, and she would be alone with him. 'win win' as far as he was concerned.
" He's sly. I'll give him that. " - Helios murmured.
" And singularly focused. Notice where his eyes still are. Hahaha" - Kellion, murmured back.
Yuri ignored all mutterings from his so called friends but did managed to wrestle his gaze away from Kathy's breasts. 'It would have been nice if her nipples had reacted', he thought with a mental sigh, but they would get there eventually. Kathy chewed on her lip.
" I want to go with you, It's my duty to take care of you. But what about her? " - Kathy, said.
Lily's smile disappeared when the vice president turned to her as he had forgotten she was even there. 'Bastard!', Lily thought in furious humiliation.
" She won't do it again, sweetheart. " - Yuri, said.
The vice president's blue eyes suddenly lanced Lily, and despite her anger, she felt herself whitening at the cold deadly warning in the vice president's gaze.
" I've learned my lesson, " - Lily, said sullenly, knowing that the biker was waiting for an answer.
" Just as I thought. " - Yuri, said.
The Vice President's voice was coldly polite, and she knew then that whatever chances she had with Yuri Daniel Athanas had been blown out of the water because of the bitch by his side.
Resentment burned hot and viciously as Lily watched the Vice President pull the greek girl towards him and hush her with murmured words. Even so, she kept glancing at Lily from over her shoulder, as if wanting to say something. Lily wanted to scratch her eyes out.
'Prissy little bitch', she thought. Did she think she could fool Lily with her butter-wont-melt-in-her-mouth sweetness? 'Fuck her!', Lily thought.
Another volunteer bumped into her from behind, growling.
" Get your butt moving, bitch! " - Girl Volunteer.
Although there were less catfights between the girls since MJ's days as the former president's girl, none of the volunteers like Lily, who acted like she was only a twerk away from hooking up with one of the officers.
Teeth gnashing, Lily forced herself to move and place rolls on the biker's plates, conscious all the while of how the other volunteers were snickering behind her back. She thought of the Vice President and the Greek bitch, and of course it was no huge puzzle what the two were doing now, alone in the private kitchen at the executive floor.
Lily's resentment turned into an obsessive desire for revenge.
'I'll make you pay, bitch! One of these days, I'll make you pay!', Lily thought.