“Actually, I’m going to give you a glass, Ash. You need it,” Remmi said as she poured a healthy second glass and put it next to her spot at the table. “Terri, you want something? I’m not gonna pour for her and not offer you.”
“Sure, I’ll have the same,” Terri said as she emerged from the kitchen with her own plate of food.
We were all sitting around eating then.
“You cooked this?” I asked.
“Would it surprise you?” Remmi grinned as she took another bite.
“Yeah?” I said. “I don’t remember you cooking at home.”
“I took a class at the university. It’s a lot easier to cook yourself something healthy than try to go out and find someone to do it for you,” Remmi said. “Why? Don’t like it? Need me to crush up some potato chips in it to make it palatable?”
“No, it’s actually really good,” I said honestly.
“Oh yeah,” Terri nodded with a mouthful of food.
“Well, I’m glad you like it. I hope it makes up for me dropping your burger the other day. Sorry about that, by the way.”
“Don’t worry about it,” I said as I took another bite. “But, you think you might be able to come over and give Dad some lessons?”
Remmi grinned, “I’ll see what I can do.”
We finished eating and were sitting around the table finishing our drinks.
“So, did she tell you?” Remmi asked me and pointed at Terri.
“About the little crush fest, the two of you have been having? Yeah,” I said.
“I guess that’s what you could call it,” Remmi asked, looking at Terri. “I always figured you’d been teasing and not really interested.”
“I sent you a free account to watch me!” Terri said in a quiet voice, blushing furiously.
“Well sure, more teasing. But I still never got a phone call,” Remmi grinned.
It was so weird watching Terri be the quiet one for a change.
“How do you do that?” I asked Remmi.
“Do what?”
“Get her to act all shy and demur?” I asked. “She’s not the same girl I know when she’s around you.”
Remmi examined me for a long moment before sighing. “We all act differently around people we like. We sort of slip into the persona we think they’ll like back.”
“Wait,” I said, looking at Terri. “So, you’re not my slut puppet? That’s just an act for me?”
Remmi snorted.
Terri rolled her eyes. “Take what your sister tells you with a grain of salt, Ash. We both know how much of an expert manipulator she is.” Terri eyed Remmi, who eyed her back.
“Who me?” Remmi said in mock innocence. Then, she dropped the act. “You’ve grown up,” she said to Terri.
“Had to,” Terri said with confidence.
“I like it,” Remmi nodded before standing up and taking her dishes to the kitchen.
We all helped clean up before refilling our glasses and camping out on the floor in front of the couch.
“Terri tells me you make bike girl videos?” I asked.
“Yup, that’s part of how I pay the bills around here,” Remmi said.
“How’d you get into that?” I asked.
“When I started at university, I discovered the bike club. At first, I was expecting the stereotypical hairy bikers with leather jackets and such. While they have a few of those, they were actually about 60% women, something which I wasn’t expecting. So, I started hanging out with them and they got me into it. Now, we all help each other out making vids.”
“That’s pretty cool,” I said.
“And lucrative by the looks of this place,” Terri said, looking around.
“I do all right. Trust me, at the beginning, I couldn’t even pay for gas,” Remmi laughed. Then she turned to Terri. “And how are your ventures going?”
“As if you don’t know,” Terri spat.
“I do, but I wanted to hear it from you,” Remmi’s expression was unreadable.
The two women eyed each other a moment before Terri spoke.
“I’m doing pretty good. Solid subscribers. I’m making enough to keep it running and then some,” Terri said.
“I’ll say!” I blurted out.
“Ash!” Terri hissed.
“What? You showed me your bank account. It’s pretty fat,” I laughed.
“Oh really?” Remmi said.
“I have a nest egg set up for when I move out,” Terri said, giving me the evil eye.
“You planning on moving out soon?” Remmi asked over the top of her glass.
“No, not really. Just trying to prepare… you know?” Terri said.
“I do know. That’s straight-up adulting there,” Remmi smiled approvingly.
“Don’t be condescending,” Terri said.
“I’m not,” Remmi retorted. “I’m rather impressed you’ve had the forethought to set aside money for the future. I figured you’d be blowing it at the mall or something.”