My dinner with Anna

Never finish all the food! : Something I learned at a really young age. Never finish all the food, in a situation where you are visiting and can serve the food yourself, or someone goes around to see if you want more. If you finish all the food a host provides, you unknowingly imply that they haven't served enough. Even if the host comes around pushing food on you. Just apologize and say you have had enough, when you notice they are almost running out of food. If you don't heed this advice, next time they will push even more food onto you!

Chapter 23: My dinner with Anna

Only Ms Lyst, Emma and I remained in the apartment. I would have to cook for Ms Lyst. I started feeling nervous. A lot more nervous than I felt during my date yesterday. I had cooked plenty of times for other people so why was I feeling this nervous?

“Ms. Lyst, can I leave Emma in your care while I cook?”

“Are you really gonna keep calling me that? We are close colleagues now. It would be a bit weird for you to keep calling me Ms. Lyst, wouldn't it? I already feel weird that everyone keeps calling me Ms.. I'm only 22, you know.”

Well she had a point. I would be acting way too distant calling someone that was staying over for dinner by her second name. I felt in a light mood because Emma was here acting all happy so I gave in, even if it was too that woman.

“Okay, then I will call you Anna. If that is alright with you, Anna?”

Both of us blushed at me calling her Anna. What was that about? I called everyone the whole time by their first names, so why was I acting like an idiot now?

“That’s way better Claire. I still have to discuss some FBY matters with you. I noticed something while I was talking to your mother.”

Hearing her start about my mother I got a bit on alert.

“What? Is something wrong with mom?”

“No, no nothing like that. Before I came up here, I talked a bit with her, and for some reason your brother's love life came up.”

Oh no, I hope mom wasn't trying to pawn her son again. Keep him out of relationships! Nothing good comes from it. EVER!

“She told me that all the girls he ever dated, afterward all started dating girls.”

Now that I think about it. That was right for all the ones I knew of... I never looked at it that way. Poor Frank, that must be quite the blow to his ego...

“So I would like you to help me convince your brother to let Ms Odes do some tests on him.”

“Tests? Tests for what”

“Well this is for something the yuriology department is working on. In Frank's case there are two possibilities I would like to have checked out. The first would be that Frank is activating the yuri capabilities of regular girls.”

“So you are saying he is turning them into lesbians?”

She nodded. “He could be a yurificator so to speak. If so, I would like to do some scientific yuriology research on the subject.”

Well I had to agree, if we had a yurificator our job would become quite easy. On the other hand would that not be quite dangerous if it fell into the wrong hands?

She continued “The other and more likely option is of course that your brother falls for girls who like other girls. In that case he could be a yuri-detector. Something I would also like to do some yuriology research on.”

A yuri detector would come in handy. I had never thought of such possibilities. Again that woman was ahead of me. I needed to up my game. I never faced such a strong opponent. Everytime I think I'm on the road to being in control, she comes at me from a completely unexpected angle. It would be best to help her. That way I could keep a closer eye on her.

“Sure I 'll help you.” Emma became a bit rowdy because the grown-ups were ignoring her so she ran to Anna and said “I'm Emma. I have decided that you will be my friend because you like auntie too!”

Anna flushed completely red at that statement but quickly regained her composure. “Well hi there Emma! I am Anna. Would you like to play something with me?”

Emma screamed “Auntie Anna! Let's play hide and seek. Emma will find you. Go hide!”

Emma did not wait for Anna's response and started counting. I could see that Anna became a bit shy, and she asked me: “Are there places I should not enter?”

“No go ahead, as long as you stay in the apartment you're good.” I answered.

For some reason Anna seemed really happy with that answer.

While they were off to play I started making dinner.

Since Emma was also eating with us I decided to make one of her favorites: Chicken with applesauce and potatoes out of the oven. We had not seen her for a week after all. and she most likely wouldn't get to spend time with her dad today, as it was really busy downstairs. She would've gone to bed by the time he got a break to eat dinner, so I decided it would be okay to spoil her for a bit. Let’s be fair here, when isn’t it a good moment to spoil your cute godchild?

I decided to make a whole chicken in the oven, that way, there weren't any real intense steps and I could refrain from going into my cutting mode. It would scare little Emma, and I did not want that. Leftovers could be used by mom and Frank, or used tomorrow to make some salads to put on our sandwiches. By making an entire chicken I was certain we would have plenty of food for the three of us.

I prepared a filling with lemons, garlic, onion and parsley and I packed the potatoes in tin foil. I made sure the mat side of the tin foil was on the outside so that it would absorb the heat and not repel it. They needed to cook just as long as the chicken at the same temperature so I could put everything together into the oven.

After I put the chicken and potatoes in the oven, I started on the apple sauce. I peeled some apples and sprinkled them with lemon juice. I didn't add sugar because it was a really sweet kind of apples, but I did add a cinnamon stick. I put it on a low fire.

Now I had some time on hands so I could go play with Emma and Anna.

I saw that Emma was having trouble finding Anna, and I told her I would help her look.

We went from room to room. Emma was starting to look in the most impossible places. When we came to my room I spotted Anna immediately. She was just laying on top of my bed but had used the blanket and pillows to make it look like the bed just wasn't made. Good enough to fool a 3 years old but anyone else would notice immediately.

“Not here either!” Emma shouted.

“Are you sure? I think you should take a better look?”

Emma went around and I started helping her by giving warm and cold directions until she finally found Anna.

“Good job!” I hugged Emma and looked thankful at Anna. It was clear Emma was having a really good time. Anna looked happy but a bit shy, completely different from the confident assertive Ms. Lyst I knew from school. She smiled at me and said “I'm sorry for using your bed.”

“Why, I thought it was a brilliant hiding place? Don't you Emma?”

“Auntie Anna is really good at hide and seek!”

We got ready to go back to the living room, and I thought I saw Anna take a deep sniff from my pillow. But when I looked to be sure it seemed like she was just putting the bedding back like she found it. My mind must be playing tricks on me, and feeding me those typical yuri manga situations.

We played a couple more games and then the alarm on my phone went off, telling me to return to my kitchen. I was having a really good time entertaining Emma together with Anna. I liked her a lot more like this, than when she was the machiavellian plotter like she was at school. Huh, was I letting my guard down? Maybe she was still scheming something… Get it together Claire. Don’t forget who it is that you are dealing with!

I looked over at her and Emma, and she was reading a story doing all sorts of crazy voices, and Emma was having a blast. No she wasn't scheming now. There seemed to be two distinct personalities there. Ms. Lyst the one we saw at school, and Anna the sweet caring girl that was playing with Emma right now.

It was time to get the chicken out of the oven and I portioned it and prepared a plate for everyone. For Emma I cut everything in little pieces so she could eat with a spoon.

I served Anna and me a glass of strong brown beer, that would add to the taste of the apple sauce.

We had fun talking and laughing during dinner and Anna told me a bit about her family. She was an only child and the heir of some big-shot industrialist and her mother was in politics. She had disappointed the family by studying psychology, and she had left home during her studies. Even though she avoided asking for help, her family still pulled strings behind her back to be sure her career would not bring shame to the family, and that is how she got to work for the police.

Even though she came from a rich family, it seemed like she didn't have the easiest family situation.

After dinner it was time to put Emma to bed. So I helped her wash up and brush her teeth and put her into her bed. Then she said “Auntie I want a story!”

“Which story?” I asked

“Not you, auntie Anna” Seemed like I was replaced as bedtime storyteller.

Anna looked a bit shy but took the book from earlier and started telling the story. I stayed with them, and I must say, Anna really had a talent for this. I even laughed together with Emma at the jokes and the funny voices she added.

After that Anna and I talked for a bit and we put on an anime movie she suggested. She really knows a lot of anime. It felt really cozy to watch a movie with Anna.

It had been a really busy week and this was the first time I got to relax in a while. It must be because of that, that somewhere during the movie I dozed off .

I woke up from hearing Mom and Frank talking. Mom said “Seems like your sister moved faster than you. I told you Anna most likely swung that way.” I felt cozy and very warm. I looked up and saw Anna's face. She was giving me a lap pillow and was caressing my hair.

“Oh, are you awake?”

I was 100% awake in the blink of an eye. How did this happen? Did I let my guard down too much?

I shot up.

“S-sorry for that. I had not realized I fell asleep on you. How did we even get into that situation?”

“You fell asleep and in your sleep nestled yourself onto me, I could not move anymore, you reminded me a bit of Pussyni, my cat.”

“You have a cat?” Wait, why was my mind catching on to that part?

Seeing my confusion Anna said “Let's call it night. We'll see each other tomorrow at school.”

“Yes, tomorrow we have a busy day at the bureau!” I answered by getting myself back into my dramatic detective Claire role and putting my guard back up. But I felt how nervous I was, and felt that my voice was wavering.

Anna just gave me a kiss on my cheek in response. A little softer and slower than one would for a greeting and said “Thanks for dinner, nobody ever showed me such a great time Claire.” After that she left.

The way she said that, was as if we just had had a date. I felt anxiety but some sort of happiness at the same time. I did not know what this feeling was but I knew who was responsible. I had been played again by that woman!