Chapter 40: Staff's Everyday Stuff and Overdramatic Overdrama.

February 7, 9:00 AM, road through the Mansion and Estate District of Dreamside.
A silver robotaxi glides along the smooth asphalt road. Inside sits a girl a little over twenty, fair skin, slim figure, East Asian features. She is on a video call with her agent—a middle-aged European man with a slightly weathered face and tired but focused eyes.
“Ayzhamal, just don’t get too nervous. Dreamside… it’s much better than LA for getting started,” the man says from the phone screen. “When producers and investors don’t risk getting embarrassed on social media because of paparazzi lenses—they turn into real sweethearts. These mansions are like art colonies, only way bigger. Housing plus unions. This Château des Rêves is basically a kindergarten—almost everyone there is roughly your age. They’re under the wing of the pornocrats from Sogni Nudi, and the owner, that Kate Norwin—you probably know her from that Netflix series… Wildenfire or something. Still, I think. And yes, quiet and scandal-free little Kate works at Swag&Pop, which means she has connections with the gallery owner herself—Dara Liva. Make friends with the main matriarchy of this place—and consider your acting and modeling career will basically build itself without you even lifting a finger.”
“I understand, Tom,” Ayzhamal replies in a soft but firm tone. She wears a light blue blouse with short sleeves, dark jeans, and low-heeled shoes—a practical but put-together outfit. Her long dark hair is pulled back into a simple ponytail, her face clean and fresh, makeup minimal. She glances out the window at the passing outlines of mansions and estates, each grander than the last.
“I know how to be professional. And I’m not afraid of hard work.” Her voice carries quiet strength. “Thank you, Tom,” she says, fingers gently tracing the outline of her phone.
Tom chuckles. “That’s my girl. Just remember—everyone in that place is looking to make connections. And you? You’re exotic. Fresh. Under 25. Perfect.” He winks. “Don’t waste that advantage.”
On the screen Tom sits in a chair by the window of his house in Holmby Hills and yawns. He adjusts the collar of his green shirt.
“You’ll be met by their house manager, Amy. I spoke with her on a video call yesterday evening. She seems like a very nice girl. And don’t worry about that audition. That fucking showrunner was a complete idiot. Honestly, judging by all his previous projects, this one will also get cancelled after the first season anyway.”
A glass with yellow liquid appears on the screen as Tom takes a sip of his cocktail. He continues.
“The most important thing is to go to parties as often as possible. That’s their main networking tool. Your maid position is purely formal—it’s part of the social cosplay. They have separate hired staff for the actual dirty work. And I’m sorry about your car—if DHOA continues making a fuss, it’s easier to just buy a new one right in Dreamside. I’ll pay for it.”
The robotaxi slows smoothly as it approaches a tall stone fence that stretches endlessly along the road, its surface covered in neatly trimmed ivy. The automatic gates slide open without a sound. Ayzhamal leans forward slightly, eyes widening just a fraction at the sight unfolding before her.
“Tom, I think we’re here,” she says quietly into the phone, voice steady but with a hint of quiet awe.
The car glides through the entrance and onto a wide, perfectly paved driveway lined with ancient-looking oaks and flowering bushes. Château des Rêves rises ahead like something out of a dream—three stories of pale stone and dark slate roofs in classic French style, windows gleaming in the morning sun, balconies adorned with white railings. Service annexes peek out behind the main building, connected by covered walkways, and somewhere in the distance she catches glimpses of smaller residential wings where, apparently, hundreds of people live and work.
The robotaxi comes to a gentle stop. A young woman walks up to the car. She wears a white T-shirt, blue jeans, and white sneakers. She has a pretty European-looking face, fair skin, brown eyes, and long black hair.
Ayzhamal ends the call with a quick “I’ll call you later,” grabs her small suitcase from the seat beside her, and steps out into the fresh morning air.
“Miss Osmonova? Welcome to Château des Rêves,” Amy says with a friendly nod, voice light and genuine. “I’m Amy, the house manager.”
Ayzhamal’s eyes flicker with interest as she studies Amy’s face. There is an effortless charm about her, a relaxed confidence that makes her seem approachable despite the grandeur of the mansion behind her.
“Thank you,” Ayzhamal says in her smooth, accented English. She glances past Amy at the sprawling grounds. “This is… much more than I expected.”
Amy laughs, the sound warm and unguarded. “Yeah, it’s a lot. But don’t worry, you’ll get used to it.” She pulls her phone out of the back pocket of her jeans and quickly taps the screen with her thumb. “And yes, let’s just use first names with each other. We don’t have titles or uniforms here…”
“No titles, no uniforms…” Kae echoes as she approaches them, “…no shame, no conscience.”
This morning she wears white thongs and a bra with purple Black Sabbath prints—the band’s name and stylized portraits of its members. On her feet are pink sneakers.
Kae strokes her septum piercing while looking Ayzhamal over. “I am the great Kae Asano, 500,000 OnlyFans followers. Professional whore, and I work as a butler here… for the soul.”
Amy facepalms. “Oh my God…”
The house manager knows that Kae loves to act provocatively, especially in front of guests and newcomers.
Kae looks at Amy, raising an eyebrow and brushing her long black hair aside. “What? The party is only on Friday, and Aria hasn’t shown up since last Saturday—and I need something to entertain myself so I don’t go insane in this teeth-grindingly cozy artistic commune for cosplaying pensioner nepo-kids.”
Ayzhamal raises an eyebrow, her gaze flickering between Amy and Kae, absorbing the dynamic.
Kae’s bold introduction doesn’t faze her. Instead she tilts her head slightly, considering. “So… you are the resident provocateur, I take it?”
Kae grins, expression bright with amusement. “The one and only.” She turns to Amy. “You look like shit this morning, Amy. Strange, because you told me the interview with Ava went great yesterday evening.”
Kae looks cheerfully at Ayzhamal. “So, Amy here is our mommy, I’m in the know about everything, Madi is our perpetually busy doctor, Kate is the goddess of the entire mansion, Alex is her pet-slash-boyfriend, Lila is my pathetic knockoff, and Becky has gone off to beat the shit out of her business rival in Malibu. Everyone else is just… minor characters…”
She turns her gaze back to Amy. “Wow, you look pissed. Alright, I won’t bother you two.”
Kae says and walks away from them. Amy exhales sharply through her nose, rubbing her temples before turning back to Ayzhamal with a sheepish smile. “I’m so sorry about that. She means well, mostly, but sometimes her filter’s a little… broken.” She gestures toward the main entrance. “Shall we? I’ll show you to your room first, then give you a quick tour of the common areas.”
As they walk toward the grand oak doors of the mansion, Amy continues. “Kae’s right about one thing—we don’t have set schedules or uniforms here. You’re free to dress however you want, go wherever you want, as long as you respect everyone’s privacy.”
The room assigned to Ayzhamal is no different in general layout from the others: lots of space, a bed, refrigerator, TV, shower, the usual.
“We decided to place you on the first floor,” Amy says. “The main building has only three floors, even though it’s huge. The floors don’t really mean anything. I mean, we don’t have any caste system or anything like that here. Don’t let the French château exterior and all those fancy details fool you—this is pure America. The mansion itself was built in the late 1990s by some media mogul. Then, when Dreamside started turning from a gated community into a full gated town, it was taken over by Sogni Nudi and expanded with dozens of additional residential and utility buildings… And four years ago it became one of the creative communes of Dreamside. The main people here are Alex and Kate. You already know about Kate Norwin—pretty much everyone does—and Alex…” Amy adjusts her hair. “Well… he’s her boyfriend and works for Sogni Nudi. He’s an erotic writer, writes under pseudonyms and doesn’t like publicity.” Amy leans against the doorframe as Ayzhamal unpacks. “So, yeah, it’s a cool place. Not just any job. It’s a place where you can make connections, learn stuff, and, uh… get involved if you want to. Some people here are pretty high up in the entertainment industry, even if they don’t advertise it.” Amy pauses, then adds with a smirk, “And some of them are just really, really rich.”
Ayzhamal folds a shirt with practiced hands. “Sounds… complicated,” she says neutrally.
Amy laughs. “Oh, honey, you have no idea. But don’t worry, you’ll catch on quick enough.” She sighs and continues. “You didn’t bring very many things with you… I hope DHOA didn’t give you too much trouble? Our town has around 10,000 people…” Amy pauses, thinking. “Well, roughly. And geographically we’re right in the middle of ‘regular’ LA, but the security here is like Alcatraz… back when it was still a prison.” Amy smirks. “It’s actually funny how this whole hippie idea eventually turned into all this. But it makes sense: without this kind of isolation, the ‘town of flower children’ would have died long ago from conservatives and crime.” Amy crosses her arms and leans against the doorframe. “Anyway, you’re here now. The rules are simple: don’t steal, don’t spy, and don’t be a creep to anyone who doesn’t want it. Oh, and don’t go into Kate’s room unless she invites you in.”
She chuckles. “She’s actually really chill, but that’s her space. Alex has been staying there too, but he’s moving to the guest house soon. It’s nothing personal—just… an arrangement.” Amy’s tone carries a subtle weight. “If you ever feel uncomfortable or if someone’s crossing lines, you can always come to me. I’ll handle it.”
Ayzhamal nods, her fingers still moving deftly through her clothes as she sorts them. “Understood,” she says simply, folding a dark blue sweater with practiced precision. Her gaze flicks up to Amy. “And Kae? Should I… watch out for her?”
Amy laughs again, but this time it’s warm. “Kae’s harmless. Mostly.” She pushes off the doorframe and gestures toward the hallway. “Come on, I’ll show you around properly. Don’t worry about her—she’s just trying to get a reaction out of you.”
Amy starts showing Ayzhamal around the main building in more detail. It turns out there are far more corridors, rooms, and everything else than it seemed at first glance.
“There… are so many kitchens, showers, living rooms, bedrooms…” Ayzhamal asks while walking behind Amy. “Was the mansion originally designed for… um… parties?” She continues, “You said it was built by some media mogul, and then Sogni Nudi bought it?”
Amy nods as they walk down a wide hallway lined with oil paintings of nude women in various poses. “Yep, the place was originally built as a private residence for some TV producer back in the late ’90s. He was into the whole European castle fantasy thing—hence the French château style. But the inside was all modern luxury.”
“And did Sogni Nudi use the mansion for public events? I heard this erotic publishing house is very influential in California,” Ayzhamal asks. “And what will my formal duties be? As far as I understand, the positions of those who live here are either some kind of legal formality, or… just a tradition?”
Amy gestures around at the grand space. “It’s where the creators and staff of Sogni Nudi live and work. Like, if you see a writer working at the pool, or an artist sketching in the garden—those are our people.” She pauses at a tall window overlooking the back lawn. “Your formal duties are simple: keep the house running smoothly, help with events when needed, and be ready for anything. Unofficially? You just have to fit in.” Amy grins. “And don’t be shocked by much.”
They turn down another corridor lined with framed erotic photographs. Amy points to a door with a brass plaque: “Kate Norwin’s art studio. She’s here sometimes.” Amy’s grin widens. “Oh, she’s more than just a resident—she’s the heart of this place. If you want to make friends fast, Kate’s your best bet.” She gestures to the opposite end of the hall. “Alex’s room is down there—well, was his room. He’s moving to the guest house soon. Brian’s taking over his space.” Amy watches Ayzhamal carefully, gauging her reaction. “How much do you know about… the situation?”
Ayzhamal follows Amy’s gaze down the hallway. “Not much. Just that it seems complicated.” She adjusts the strap of her bag on her shoulder. “But I’m used to complicated arrangements.”
Amy nods. “You got it. Sogni Nudi bought the place in the early 2000s and turned it into a sort of… place for public events. But now it’s our home. And about ‘formal duties’…” Amy smirks, leaning against the wall as she gestures vaguely. “Well, officially, you’re here to make sure everything runs smoothly. Keep the place clean, help with parties when they happen, maybe even lend a hand with some events. But let’s be real, sweetheart, most of your job is just being here and fitting in.”
She watches Ayzhamal carefully, gauging her reaction. “You’ll get to know the residents of this elite art community house, figure out who needs what, and basically be a happy migrant model who’s lucky enough to live here.” Amy chuckles. “And that’s really all you need to know. Mostly.” She pauses. “Well, except for one thing.”
Ayzhamal looks at Amy, waiting for her to continue. Amy shifts her weight from one foot to the other, her expression becoming more serious. “Don’t go into Alex and Kate’s room without permission. And don’t—under any circumstances—ever call him ‘Baby Boy’.”
Amy crosses her arms, her tone turning more direct. “Kate’s possessive as hell about that name, and she doesn’t play games when it comes to her relationship. Call him that, and you’ll have problems.”
Ayzhamal nods slowly, committing the warning to memory. “Understood,” she says simply. “I’ll remember that.”
Amy smiles again, relief flickering across her face. “Good. That’s the biggest rule around here.”
February 7, 10:00 AM. Château des Rêves. Alex and Kate’s room.
Kate opens her eyes and finds Alex’s face right in front of her. He speaks in a pompous theatrical tone.
“Oh, Kate! I cheated on you! Just like you cheated on me with Brian! How could I! How could you!” he exclaims, barely holding back laughter.
Kate laughs and grabs his hands, pulling him onto the couch-bed—their huge Sexodrome. She’s in pink Pokémon pajamas. Alex is still in the loose black shorts and white t-shirt he wore yesterday when he left for tutoring with Sarah. He has just returned from her place.
“Oh, what decadence! What depravity!” Alex keeps playing the soap-opera character. “Nothing but cheating! Cheating everywhere!” He chokes on laughter. “THE SACRED MONOGAMY HAS BEEN VIOLATED!”
Kate smacks him in the face with a pillow, still laughing.
“No, seriously,” he continues. “I fed our entire story to Gemini. By the twentieth message it completely forgets we’re not married and thinks you first fucked Brian and then… anyway, I’m cancelling my subscription to that shit.”
Kate snorts and tosses the pillow aside. “Aww, did your little A.I. friend get confused? Poor Alex.” She stretches luxuriously on the mattress. “But really—you’ve been talking to Sarah again? How’s that going?” Her fingers idly trace the hem of his shirt. “You seemed pretty stressed yesterday morning.”
Alex shifts uncomfortably, easing away from her touch. “Yeah, we had tutoring. She’s… really good at explaining things.” His gaze darts away for a second, then returns. “She’s actually pretty amazing, you know? Smart as hell. Patient. Helps me through stuff that drives me insane.”
Kate tilts her head, studying his face with a small, knowing smile. “Mmm-hmm. That so?”
“She says she really likes teaching me,” Alex continues, rubbing the back of his neck.
“And you? Do you like learning from her?” Kate scoots closer, fingers trailing up his arm. “I mean, I get it—she’s fun, she’s cute, she’s—“
“Smart,” Alex cuts in quickly. “She’s smart. That’s what I like about her.”
Kate’s smile widens. Her fingers pause at his wrist. “Oh, just smart? That’s all?” She gives him a teasing look.
Alex stares at her in silence for a few seconds, then answers with a completely deadpan expression, imitating her.
“Vacuum cleaner. Her mouth is a vacuum cleaner. She turned on such a powerful mode I thought my little buddy was going to get ripped off…”
Kate’s face freezes theatrically. Her hand drops from his wrist as if burned. “Oh my god, that’s terrible!” She blinks twice, then bursts into genuine laughter, shaking her head. “And that’s actually kinda hot!”
Alex whispers, barely holding it together. “Sarah is not only an excellent English tutor and a cheerful administrative assistant in the art class at Dreamside High—she’s also a professional blowjobber. We’ve known her for four years, and it turns out she’s liked me the whole time. After you started your ‘boundary expansion’ with Brian, she decided not to miss the chance. With Lila’s help… yeah, our Lila who set up the tutoring… Sarah… Fuck, how good she sucks…”
Kate slaps her hands over her ears. “Stop! I can’t handle this information this early in the morning!” She throws her head back against the pillow, laughing so hard tears gather at the corners of her eyes. “You absolute Baby Pervy. Sarah Cote! The quiet Canadian girl who bakes cupcakes and plays the ukulele! I can’t believe it.” She wipes her eyes, still giggling.
“And I also came on her face!” Alex whispers. “Fucked her in the pussy and ass… Basically it was great payback for what you did with Brian in Topanga. ‘Integrating golf with basketball,’ right? I already forgot all your metaphors… Well, anyway, I played Canadian lacrosse. And I scored both my balls into her goal. And she has really wide goals—both English and Canadian… You know what I mean… Fuck, seriously—she showed some weird technique…” He makes a vague gesture. “I don’t remember if you ever did that… Basically she took my whole ballsack into her mouth along with my cock and simulated some kind of boiling pot or something… Like she was ‘cooking’ my balls and dick in her mouth.”
Kate refuses to let him win this round. She answers with a deadpan face.
“Mmm, sounds like our little Canadian friend developed some advanced culinary techniques,” she says, voice dripping with faux seriousness as she leans forward. “Though I must say, boiling your balls like that seems rather… aggressive for someone who usually bakes such delicate cupcakes. Did she use honey or maple syrup as a seasoning? Or was it more of a straight heat application?”
Alex giggles. “Oh, Goddess… I guess you’re jealous? I mean, that giant chocolate bar with chocolate balls from Brian didn’t fit in your mouth so you could melt them nicely, right? You couldn’t deepthroat his entire fifteen-inch cock, right? The cock the Guinness Book of Records is crying for. So it’s fifteen inches when erect… And how big is it when soft? And what does it look like during the so-called… rising process? Kate… Why didn’t you take any good photos for me there in Topanga… You probably completely forgot about me, didn’t you? And I wanted to jerk off so bad to photos of your first joint performance with Brian…”
He fights hard to keep a straight face. “So, Kate Norwin… Have you already picked yourself a rapper nickname? Blackton? You know—a black ton of flesh in your mouth and not only in your mouth…”
Kate tilts her head, studying him with an unreadable expression. She speaks with exaggerated nonchalance.
“Blackton,” she repeats, voice full of amusement. “I like it. Very poetic for someone who got themselves a… what was it? A ‘terrifyingly big’ anything.” She props her head up with one hand. “And for your information, I did take photos. But not to tease you. Because frankly, Alex, there’s nothing to tease. He’s just big. Big doesn’t mean good. Big doesn’t mean anything special. It’s just… size. Like a car. A big car looks impressive from the outside, but if it handles like shit, nobody cares.”
She pauses, then adds with a smirk, “And his…”
Kate drops into a rap, voice shifting deeper and more rhythmic as she leans forward. She rides an imaginary beat, hands moving to punctuate the lines.
“Brian thinks he’s got the game on lock,
With that dick big enough to make a girl choke,
But I’m no amateur, I know my way around,
Been riding dick since I was sixteen underground.”
Alex freezes. “Holy shit…”
He adjusts the collar of his loose white t-shirt and continues speaking slowly. “This is the first time I’ve ever seen you freestyle. Did Brian’s cum give you that talent or something?”
Kate smirks, tilting her head. “Maybe,” she says with a shrug. “But mostly I guess it’s just that I’ve spent enough time with Brian to get how to do it.”
Alex hums. “So all these months since September 2, at the parties you weren’t just casually chatting with him about art and other things, but also…”
He pauses, running his eyes over Kate, who lies in front of him in her pink Pokémon pajamas, looking even more like a teenager.
“So when Dana sends me to Cambria for the whole Erodreamarts period—you’ll be his ‘white bitch who’s crazy about rap’?”
Kate tilts her head back with a burst of laughter. “Oh my god, where do you even come up with this stuff? I think if I’m anyone’s ‘white bitch,’ it would be yours, wouldn’t it?” She reaches out to ruffle his hair affectionately.
“But yes,” she continues, stretching her arms above her head before letting them flop dramatically across the bed. “Brian’s pretty possessive.”
She rolls her eyes at his dramatics, then shifts her attention to the ceiling, where a few Pokémon characters from her pajamas are printed. “Oh, come on, Alex. You know I could never leave you for anyone. You’re my Alex, my partner, my friend.” She turns to face him, her expression more serious. “But I do think Brian might try to make a move on me, and I don’t want to hurt him or ruin our friendship with Aria.”
She sighs, running a hand through her hair. “Look, I know it sounds crazy, but I’ve always been the type to follow my heart and desires, even if it means taking risks.”
“That’s exactly the reason why Lila, Amy, and Madi are worried,” Alex says. “And the one that worried me a bit too. And still does. Not that you’ll actually leave me, but… Brian might do something stupid and decide to… um… annex you.”
Kate rolls onto her side, propping her head up with one hand. “Annex me?” She lets out a small laugh. “That’s a dramatic way of putting it. But I get what you mean.”
She studies his face. “You’re really worried about this, huh?”
Alex chuckles. “Well, I’ve already told you multiple times how shocked I was when Aria showed up on the morning of February 3 to tell me about Brian and this whole idea. It would’ve been much better if you had done it yourself. I still don’t understand—how did she convince you to let her be the one to tell me? Did you really think I’d get mad at you? I can’t get mad at you.”
Kate exhales slowly, rolling onto her back and staring up at the ceiling. “I know,” she murmurs. “But I wasn’t sure how you’d react. And I didn’t want you to feel blindsided. I know you get… overwhelmed sometimes.”
She lifts her gaze to meet his. “I was going to tell you myself eventually, but then Aria said she’d handle it. She wanted to make sure you understood everything clearly before I got into it with you.”
Kate moves closer, resting her head on his shoulder. “Yeah, she’s always been like that. Pushes boundaries, sees how far she can go before someone stops her.” She traces patterns on Alex’s arm with her fingers. “And I guess I like that about her. She makes life interesting.”
She glances up at him, her brown eyes reflecting the late afternoon light filtering through the curtains. “But you’re right. She’s… I don’t know, sometimes I think she enjoys the chaos she creates. Like, I know she genuinely wants me to be happy, but she also gets off on watching the drama unfold.”
Alex runs a hand through his hair, then shifts closer and says slowly, “Alright. Before we started our relationship, you had your own life. A whole world. Just like I did. And you were already friends with Aria back then. Since college. Aria is such a crazy troublemaker. Kind, but crazy. And that’s very convenient. I say that because in my previous life I had something similar. Though on a smaller scale.”
Kate laughs. “You’re right,” she says, her voice quieter now. “I guess I’ve always been drawn to people like that—people who aren’t afraid to push boundaries, who make things happen instead of just… waiting for life to happen to them.” She sighs, shifting slightly so she can look up at him properly. “But I don’t think Aria manipulates me. I think she’s just… really good at reading people and situations, and she’s not afraid to act on what she sees.” She pauses, then says, “By the way, yesterday around 11 PM I had a video call with Aria. She suddenly called and suggested a contest for February 14.”
Alex chuckles, rolling his eyes. “Oh… And what kind of contest?”
Kate’s lips curl into a mischievous grin. “Well, she suggested a competition between you and Brian to see who I like more.” She studies his face. “I know it sounds fucking insane, but Aria’s always been… unpredictable like that. It’s kind of a ‘Valentine’s Day Main Man Contest.’”
Alex sighs. “And? What does she want? For Brian to beat me in the contest or something? She’s probably going to pull some dirty trick on me…”
Kate giggles, rolling onto her stomach and propping her chin on her hands. “Oh, I don’t think it’s that deep. She just likes the idea of us doing weird little things to compete for me.” She taps her fingers against the mattress. “Like, maybe she wants you to cook me dinner and Brian to give me a lap dance or something ridiculous.”
Alex groans, dropping his head back onto the pillow. “That sounds like Aria, alright. Manipulative and fucking chaotic.” He turns his head to look at her. “And what do you think? Are you going to play along with this stupid contest?”
Kate shrugs, a playful smirk at her lips. “I don’t know. Maybe.” She props herself up on her elbows. “It could be fun. Or it could be a disaster. Either way, Aria will enjoy watching it all play out.” She moves closer, her face inches from his. “But if you’re really worried about it, I could just tell her to go fuck herself and end the whole thing before it starts.”
Alex chuckles. “Oh, fuuuck… And what exactly is she suggesting? How is this going to work?”
Kate shifts closer, propping her chin on her hand. Her fingers tap rhythmically against the mattress as she speaks. “Well, she said we should make it a proper competition—rules, judges, the whole shebang. She’s got this whole elaborate plan worked out already.” She grins at his expression. “Brian and you do something for me on Valentine’s Day—something romantic, something sexy, whatever you want. The judges score you both on technique, creativity, and ‘balls-to-the-wall’ effort. I guess.”
Alex sighs, then chuckles. “I don’t know, I need to think about it. You know I’m not against this kind of thing, but… the main thing is that there aren’t too many people. And that it isn’t too public. And…”
Kate laughs. “Oh my God,” she interrupts, “I can see your brain working already. You’re calculating every possible scenario, aren’t you?” She pokes his side playfully. “Just imagine—Brian probably already has some ridiculous plan to win. Probably thinks he can just… seduce me with his dick or something.”
Alex groans, rubbing his temples. “I hate that he probably does think that.” He turns to her, resting his hand on her hip. “I mean, I know you wouldn’t just choose him because he’s got a big dick. But still. It’s annoying.”
Kate grins, pushing him playfully. “Oh, come on. You know I think size doesn’t matter.”
Alex chuckles. “Fifteen inches at maximum erection is some kind of pathological anomaly, not a normal size. I asked ChatGPT about it—it thought I was exaggerating. But I saw those photos myself. At least you survived that night in Topanga, so…”
He narrows his eyes. “And how does Aria, at her five-foot-two height, even handle being his girlfriend? I mean, everything down there on her must be… um… tiny, right?”
Kate snorts loudly, covering her mouth with both hands as she laughs. “Oh my God,” she wheezes, wiping at her face. “Are you seriously asking me about Aria’s pussy right now?” She shakes her head, still grinning. “I mean, I don’t know what you expect me to say. You know I’ve never seen it.”
Alex smirks, rolling onto his side to face her. “I mean, she’s tiny. I’m just trying to imagine how it works. Like, how does she even ride him? Doesn’t she just… bounce right off?”
Kate groans, hiding her face in her hands again. She tries to calm down, still giggling. Then she replies sarcastically, putting on her signature deadpan expression. “…I think you just answered your own question,” she says, managing to sound almost bored despite the glint in her eye. “She bounces right off. That’s why they keep the bed extra low.”
Alex laughs. “I hope she doesn’t get too traumatized from sex like that. Even though she arranged this ‘fun life’ for me by talking you into ‘boundary expansion,’ I wouldn’t want your bestie to suffer.” He stretches. “Honestly, my cock is better. It fits easily in both you and Sarah.” He says it smugly. “And it doesn’t crush internal organs in the process. I have the ‘golden standard’ of ancient statues, by the way!”
Kate bursts out laughing again, doubling over as she smacks the mattress with one hand. “Oh my God, Alex,” she gasps between giggles, “you sound so fucking pretentious right now. Like some ancient Greek philosopher giving a lecture on the perfect cock size!” She wipes at her face, still grinning. “I mean, I do appreciate that you’re… proportionate. But you don’t need to act like your dick is the pinnacle of human achievement.”
Alex puffs up his chest dramatically. “Well, I wouldn’t go that far,” he says with mock solemnity, “but I do think I hit the sweet spot between size and functionality.”
Kate shakes her head, still smiling as she props herself up on one elbow. “Sweet spot,” she echoes, rolling her eyes playfully. “You sound like a product description.”
Alex laughs. “Maybe so.” He adjusts the collar of his loose white t-shirt. “Well, I need to keep at least some remnants of coolness as a powerful erotic writer, now that I’ve been made a cuckold.” He pauses. “Although if I’m now fucking Sarah… then maybe I’m not a cuckold anymore? And is this term even used for unmarried couples like us? And is it even a thing in the neo-hippie environment of SACZ? It sounds like some political term from the 1990s.”
Kate hums thoughtfully, rolling onto her back to stare up at the ceiling. “Hmm. I think ‘cuckold’ is a term for married men, yeah. But like… I dunno. It doesn’t really apply to us anyway, since we aren’t married and we’ve always been open-ish with each other.” She taps her fingers against her stomach. “And I guess if you’re fucking Sarah, then… no, you’re not a cuckold? I think? But honestly, I don’t really care what people call it.” She turns her head to look at him, grinning. “I just like knowing you’re not getting left out of anything fun.”
Alex snorts. “Yeah, right after you and our doctor Caradori helped calm my panic attacks, the ‘polyamory adventure’ started and…” He makes a vague gesture with his hand. “…Goodbye to four relatively calm years of being in a relationship with you and living in this Château. By the way, Becky—your personal assistant and a pain in my ass—she’s finally gone off to Malibu to ‘hang out’ with Marisol, right? At least that’s some good news. Daria will clearly be calmer. She’s replacing Becky now, yeah?”
Kate nods, stretching her arms above her head before rolling onto her side to face Alex fully. “Yeah, Becky’s gone. I mean, I don’t know what she’s really doing in Malibu—probably more of that ‘revenge’ stuff about that situation with janitor Jonas and the security system sabotage. But at least she’s not here to be… well, Becky.” She smirks slightly. “Daria’s nice so far. Quiet, professional. Doesn’t barge into this room at random.”
Alex rolls his eyes. “Jonas… I think we should either sue him or… Though yeah, Madi said there are no objective reasons, and she knows this stuff better than I do… Well, in any case, either Becky’s vendetta against Marisol will amount to nothing, or we’ll have to bail her out of the Malibu police station. Jonas Torres is an idiot—at forty-two years old, he let himself get talked into trying to intimidate Becky in this house. He imagined himself some kind of spy-hacker breaking into our security system? We only have weekly parties-slash-auditions from producers who come here, orgies, weed, and cosplay of a glamorous version of Tendres Cousines, only instead of kids and old people—a bunch of young rich artists of all kinds. He must have really fallen for that Marisol, but it’s both funny and sad.”
Kate chuckles. “Yeah, Becky’s… intense. I wouldn’t put it past her to do something stupid out there.” She props herself up on one elbow, tracing circles on Alex’s chest with her finger. “But honestly, I’m kinda glad she’s gone. Not that I don’t love her—she’s crazy, but she’s family. But having her around would just make all this stuff with Brian and Aria even more… dramatic.”
Alex chuckles. “Come on. She’ll definitely return right in the middle of this Erodreamarts, damn it. By that time I’ll probably have already settled into Cambria, and Brian will be convinced that he’s completely replaced me.” He pauses. “And what did you say yesterday afternoon about me having sex with you after this Erodreamarts and my return from Cambria? ‘I don’t think you should expect anything.’ Something like that.”
Kate exhales through her nose, her fingers still tracing slow circles on Alex’s chest. “Yeah, I said that,” she admits, voice neutral. She shifts slightly, pulling the sheets up higher around her waist as she adjusts her position. “I didn’t want you to expect something just because you came back from Cambria and we were alone again. That wouldn’t be fair to you.”
Alex raises his eyebrows. “What do you mean?”
Kate sighs, her fingers stilling against Alex’s chest. She doesn’t immediately answer, her gaze flickering away for a moment before returning to him. When she finally speaks, her words come measured and careful.
“I mean that I don’t want to lead you on,” she says quietly. “I don’t know what’s going to happen when Brian moves in. I don’t know how I’m going to feel or what I’m going to want after… after we try this out.” She inhales slowly, steadying herself. “I love you, Baby Boy. I really do. But I need to see where this goes with Brian first.”
Alex sighs. “Yeah, I get it. After all, we’re not some married puritans or anything. Thank God this isn’t Texas.” He looks at her and chuckles. “And yet… those four years of monoamory were pretty great, weren’t they? We were like those couples from idyllic 1950s comedies. By the way, you would’ve looked fucking amazing in Golden Age Hollywood. You kind of remind me of a young Dolores Moran.”
Kate smiles at the comparison. “That’s sweet, Baby Boy. You always know how to make me feel good.” She pauses. “I do miss the simplicity sometimes. Just us, no complications. But I don’t want to give up what we have for a different kind of love. I just… need to explore this with Brian too.”
Alex hums and sighs. “I wonder how everything would have turned out if I wasn’t such an introvert with a history of panic attacks and had been with you at the parties all the time… Although maybe then Aria wouldn’t have started ‘advertising’ Brian to you.”
Kate smirks, shaking her head slightly. Aria’s always gonna be Aria. Even if you were at all those parties, she’d find a way to shake things up. She thrives on chaos.” She rolls onto her back and stares up at the ceiling. “But honestly? I don’t think it would’ve made much of a difference. Brian’s… Brian. And I’ve never really been one for boring stability.”
Alex smirks, tracing the contours of her face with his eyes. “And I’ve always been a strange erotic writer. Even before I lived in the USA. Honestly, I have nothing to complain about: I don’t just live in America, I live in one of the SACZ towns, my girlfriend is a beautiful artist and golfer, a Netflix star… And I’m quite successful as a writer. Even if it’s under creative pseudonyms.” He whispers, “It adds mystery. People outside Dreamside probably imagine the authors of my books as some refined tall blond guys or playful sexy lesbians.”
Kate laughs, nudging him playfully. “I’m sure you’re right. I bet they think the author of The Queen of Puddles is some hot bisexual artist type. Definitely not a short, awkward Slavic guy who panics at parties and gets turned on by thinking his girlfriend fucks another guy.”
Alex pretends to be offended, pursing his lips while barely holding back laughter. “I don’t get turned on… I just get a little inspired. And not ‘another guy’ but a tall black guy with an incredibly big black cock… And you—a blue-eyed blonde with snow-white skin and a perfect figure and facial features… It’s like one of those Blacked Raw plots, only with a bigger budget and runtime.”
Kate lets out a full-bodied laugh, rolling onto her side to face him. “God, you’re ridiculous,” she says, shaking her head but still smiling. “But I get it. I mean, I did pick a type, didn’t I?” She bites her lip slightly. “Aria was always into big dicks, and I guess… I’ve never been one to say no to something new. I think that’s what drew me to Brian at first. That, and the fact that he was so…” She searches for the word, humming softly. “Different. From you. Not better, just… different. You know, he doesn’t really do all the cute little things you do. No inside jokes, no secret pet names, no…” She gestures vaguely. “Domestic stuff. He’s all energy and power and confidence. It’s kind of… intoxicating.”
Alex squints, chuckling. “But you like our pet names, Goddess… And I’m quite confident in myself too. I’m actually a charismatic guy and the dark ruler of the writer’s office on the third floor of the main building of Château des Rêves… Even though your besties Becky and Aria periodically try to test my limits.”
Kate rolls her eyes with an amused smirk. “You are confident, Baby Boy,” she concedes, reaching out to play with a strand of his hair. “But Brian’s confidence is different. It’s… immediate. He doesn’t need to build up to it like you do. He just is.”
Alex pauses, thinking. “By the way… When Erodreamarts starts and journalists from various outlets are here… You’ll need to somehow disguise my office. Otherwise they’ll definitely have questions.”
Kate smiles. “Oh, I’ve already taken care of that,” she says smoothly. “Your office is officially Daria’s now.”
Alex hums, surprise obvious. “Well, damn… While I was fucking Sarah, they already took my office… Becky, when she was your assistant, only used her own room. Why does Daria need two rooms?”
Kate laughs, stretching her arms above her head before rolling onto her back again. “Daria doesn’t need two rooms,” she admits. “But it’s a good cover. And honestly, I like having her closer to me.” She glances at him with a playful smirk. “I mean, while Becky will be in Malibu, Daria is my assistant, and I wouldn’t mind if Daria got to know Brian a little better.”
Alex chuckles. “You’re joking! Holy shit, are you joking?” He shifts on the Sexodrome and looks at her. “That you’ll obviously be having threesomes with Brian and Aria on our Sexodrome while I’m in Cambria because of Erodreamarts, I kind of guessed… but Daria?!”
Kate grins, rolling onto her side to face him fully, propping her head up on her hand. “What, you don’t trust Daria?” she teases. “She’s cute, she’s sweet, she works hard—why wouldn’t I want her around more?”
Alex chuckles. “What? She ‘works hard’? Kate, she’s just your caddie who loves drawing manga and watching anime. And she only became your assistant because of all that bullshit with Jonas and Marisol, since Becky decided to go on her little ‘vendetta trip’ to Malibu…”
Kate raises an eyebrow, a slow smirk forming. “Oh, so now you’re an expert on my assistants? You barely talk to Daria.” She nudges him playfully with her foot. “She’s actually been really helpful. Smart, observant, good at organizing things. And she’s got this quiet confidence that I like.” She tilts her head, studying his face. “Plus, she’s got that whole ‘cute anime girl’ thing going on. You know, the kind of girl that makes guys go ‘aww’ and want to protect her.”
At that moment, Kate’s phone rings. Alex smirks. “Well, there goes our conversation. The workday begins, huh, Miss Norwin?”
Kate picks up the phone with an apologetic smile, rolling onto her back and stretching lazily as she answers. Alex watches her, tracing the curve of her profile, the way her fingers absently play with a strand of her hair as she listens.
After listening, Kate speaks into the receiver. “Yeah, yeah, I know. I’m getting ready to head out. Chill, Daria. It’s only about 10 AM right now. I just needed a little extra time this morning.” She pauses, biting her lip as she glances at Alex. Daria’s words are muffled, but he can hear her urgency. Kate nods. “Okay, fine, I get it. Yeah, I’ll be there soon. Stop freaking out.” She ends the call with a sigh.
Kate groans, rolling onto her side to face him again. “She’s worried about logistics,” she says.
Alex laughs. “Alright. Good luck.” He kisses her on the lips, gets up from the giant fold-out couch-bed, and leaves the room.
Kate watches him go, a smirk tugging at her lips as she listens to the door click shut. The Sexodrome is still warm from their bodies, the sheets tangled where he had been lying. She stretches again, her muscles loose and relaxed from sleep and conversation. A new day, a new reality.
She rolls out of bed and pads barefoot across the floor, grabbing her phone again as she moves toward the en-suite shower room. Her reflection in the mirror shows sleepy blue eyes. She looks… happy.