A Fox's Maid (29 page)

“
That’s right,” Andrew nodded in agreement, “first you hide Lilian from us, and then we find out that you’ve got some goth girl pining after you, and don’t even get me started on Kotohime. I don’t understand how you could get a woman like that.”

“
He can’t.” All eyes turned to Kotohime, whose ferocious glare made them back up and caused Kevin to shiver. “I would never lower myself to even think of dating a perverted little cretin like Kevin-san. He is very lucky that Lilian-sama is so infatuated with him, or I would have castrated him by now.”

Kevin audibly gulped.

“
Stop threatening my ma―I mean, stop threatening Kevin, Kotohime,” Lilian’s voice echoed from the kitchen. Multiple heads turned to see the red-haired vixen standing in the entryway, foot tapping agitatedly on the floor. “And get back in here. I need help preparing the salad. I can’t remember how to make the dressing.”

Kotohime sighed, but acquiesced to her ward’s command. “Very well, I shall be there in just a second, Lilian-sama.” She tossed one last glare at Kevin, who broke out into a cold sweat, then made for the kitchen.

“
Holy shit, Swift,” Alex muttered in shock. “I thought she was going to slice your head off or something. What the hell did you do to piss that woman off so much?”

Kevin shook himself out of his fright. “You don’t wanna know.”

Alex and Andrew took one look at the shivering Kevin, and then both wisely decided that, yes, they were probably better off not knowing.

***

Eric stood in front of the door to his best friend’s apartment. He checked himself over in the window, from which he could just barely make out his reflection. Smoothed back hair? Check. Sparkling teeth? Check. Packet of condoms in the chest pocket of his shirt? Double check. A grin spread across his face.

Today was the day. Oh, yes. This was his day to shine. Today, he would show his Tit Maiden why he was so much better than Kevin Swift. Today, he would prove to his Goth Hottie that he was the only man for her. Today, he would convince Kotohime to let him motorboat her boobie bombs.

It was all in the plan. And it was an ingenious plan, if he did say so himself.

Spraying some breath freshener into his mouth, Eric coughed several times, took a deep breath, and then knocked on the door.

The door slowly opened.

Kotohime stood in the doorway.

Eric damn near shit his pants.

Her eyes glowered with terrible lethality. They were like blades; sharp enough to cut through even steel. They sliced through Eric’s soul, piercing him in ways he had never imagined being pierced. He could feel something horrible and awful and terrifying as he stared into those eyes. It pushed down on him, made him feel worthless, like dirt―no, like he was lower than dirt. He tried to look away, to turn his head, to do
something, but her eyes, powerful and horrifying, held him in place. He felt like a pervert who’d been tossed into a women-only hot spring during the female
kenjutsu
practitioners bi-monthly anti-pervert meeting.

Kotohime gazed at him for several more seconds.

And then slammed the door in his face.

Eric stared at the door, his legs shaking.

“…
I think I just pissed myself.”

***

“
Who was at the door, Kotohime?”

“
No one, Lilian-sama. Just some perverted beast who doesn’t know when he’s not wanted.”

***

Okay. You can do this, Christine. You can. All you have to do is walk up to the door and ring the doorbell. Remember to be polite, don’t say anything bad, and don’t let your temper get the better of you. Kevin’s mom is behind those doors. You need to make a good sec—first impression on her. Don’t screw this up.

Christine stood in front of the door, staring at the doorbell. Her index finger hovered over it, yet she couldn’t seem to move it the rest of the way. Every time she tried closing the distance between it and her finger, her hand would freeze.

She eventually retracted her finger, and took to glaring at the doorbell. She didn’t know why, but Christine almost felt like it was taunting her. Stupid doorbell.

“
Christine?”

Christine nearly shrieked. She clamped her mouth shut to keep the scream from tearing its way out of her throat, and ended up biting her tongue in the process. The stinging pain seared her mind and made her curse the two newcomers.

Standing directly behind her were Kevin’s friends; the boy with the funny manner of speech and the tomboyish blond. Justin and Lindsay, if she was not mistaken.

“
Ah, it really is Christine. Hello.” Lindsay’s sunny look made Christine twitch.

“…
Familiar…”

“
She’s the girl who became friends with Kevin recently, remember?”

“…
Right…” the kid with the freaky speech impediment looked at Christine with strange eyes, “… cold…”

“
Damn it, you two! Don’t surprise me like that,” she shouted, clutching a hand to her chest as she tried to calm her rapidly beating heart.

“
Sorry.” Lindsay offered the girl an apologetic and slightly chagrined grin. “I didn’t mean to frighten you or anything. I was just surprised to see someone standing in front of the door. That’s all.”

“
W-whatever,” Christine turned her head and tried to ignore the uncomfortable chill spreading across her cheeks.

“
So what were you doing just standing there?”

“
I was… uh… I, um, that is to say… I wanted to…” Her inability to speak, coupled with the strange looks that Lindsay―and even Justin―were giving her, caused the young woman’s tsundere protocols to activate. “That’s none of your damn business! It’s not like I even wanted to come here! I only decided to come because that idiot asked me to and I was bored!”

Lindsay looked positively flummoxed. “Uh, that wasn’t really what I was asking, but okay.”

Christine’s blush grew brighter, spreading from her cheeks to the rest of her face, and then beginning to crawl down her neck. She could practically feel herself turning into a glacier. If something didn’t happen soon, her powers would undoubtedly spiral out of control, causing the entire complex to freeze over.

Just then, the door opened.

“
Christine, Lindsay, Justin, hey.”

The Snow Maiden froze when she heard Kevin’s voice. She turned her head ever so slowly, her ponderous movements like a rust-stained robot.

Kevin stood in the doorway wearing a welcoming smile. He wore simple clothes, blue jeans and a T-shirt with the words “Darth Vader was Framed” on the front. He looked so happy to see them, to see her, that Christine thought her face might freeze over.

“
I’m glad you three could make it. Come on in. Lilian’s made snacks for us. They’re really good.”

At the mention of her somewhat-rival, Christine felt her embarrassment turn into chilling anger. “Why the hell would I want to go in there and eat that fox-whore’s food? Huh? Huh?!”

Kevin looked confused―and surprised, but mostly confused. “You don’t have to eat her food if you don’t want to. You could just come in and hang out with the rest of us. We’re watching
White Out
right now.”

“…
Good series…”

“
What makes you think I even want to go in there when I know that
she’s here? I don’t wanna see that disgusting udder woman!”

“
Udder woman?” Kevin and Lindsay said in unison.

“
She thinks she’s so hot because she’s got big boobs, as if having gigantic knockers makes her more attractive than me.”

“
What do her boobs have to do with anything?” Kevin asked.

“
I have no desire to even look at that stupid bitch!”

“
You’re not even listening to me, are you?”

“
I have no intention of joining you people in your little ‘get-together!’ Have fun by yourselves! I’m outta here! Hmph!”

With one last huff, Christine walked down the stairs.

Kevin, Justin and Lindsay watched her leave.

“
Um, what just happened?” asked the downright baffled Kevin.

“…
Weird…”

“
You of all people have no right to call someone else weird,” Kevin deadpanned at Justin.

“
I think I know what happened.” Lindsay turned to look at the two boys. “Why don’t you two head on inside? I’ll talk to her.”

The two boys looked at each other, then nodded. They turned back to Lindsay.

“
Alright. We’ll be waiting inside.”

“…
Luck…”

“
Thanks.”

***

Christine stomped down the road, making quite a bit of noise despite wearing flats, a testament to how much force she was putting into her steps.

A wall stood on her right, tall and imposing—at least when compared to her short stature. To her left, the many apartment buildings were interrupted by patches of grass and rock formations, with the occasional shrub decorating the landscape in a smattering of green. Several cardinals flitted through the large maple trees, while a number of finches sat on palos verdes and pecked at each other. A small family of quails ran out into the street just as a car passed by, almost as if they wanted to get hit.

She paid attention to none of this, however, her mind looking within, locked in a battle that she couldn’t win. How could she, when the argument she was having was with herself?

Are you an idiot, Christine? Why did you do that?
Nyaow
Kevin’s going to think you’re a total bitch, if he didn’t already.

B-but, he deserved it! That jerk knows the fox-whore and I don’t get along! He shouldn’t be talking about her in front of me!

It’s only
nyatural
that he would mention Lilian, since they live together.

Don’t remind me! The last thing I want to think about is how those are two living together!

But it’s true, isn’t it? Lilian lives with Kevin. Just because you don’t want to think about it doesn’t mean it’s
nyo
longer true.

I know that…

Then you should
knyow
not to let it bother you. What’s Kevin going to think after you stormed out on him like that? Weren’t you going to show him that you’re a better choice than Lilian? I thought that was the whole point of coming out here.
Nyow
he’s going to think you’re just a weirdo with a temper,
nya
.

U-ugh.

Christine felt like someone had punched her in the gut.

“
Hey, Christine! Wait up!”

Christine turned to see Lindsay running after her. As the girl caught up, she gave the tomboy a flat, annoyed look.

“
What do you want?”

Lindsay stopped and frowned at Christine’s rude tone.

“
I want to know why you walked out on us. Kevin was kind enough to extend an invitation for you to come over, and believe me when I tell you that he doesn’t invite people to his place often. Why would you come all the way here, just to tell him off like that?”

“
It’s none of your business!”

“
Is it because you’re jealous of Lilian?”

“
J-j-jeal—who’s jealous?! I’m not jealous of anyone, especially not some stupid, skanky little fox who thinks she’s prettier than me!”

“
It’s okay to feel jealous when someone else is close to the person you like,” Lindsay said softly. “Believe me, I know exactly how it feels to like someone, only to find out that they no longer like you.”

“
R-really?” Christine asked, suddenly feeling bashful for reasons she didn’t fully understand.

“
Of course. You probably don’t know this, but I used to have a really big crush on Kevin.”

“
You did?” Christine blinked, then her eyes widened. “B-but wait! If you like Kevin, then why did you turn him down when he confessed to you?”

“
Turn him… were you spying on us at the mall?”

“
N-no.” In the face of Lindsay’s flat stare, Christine could only do her best not to squirm. “W-well, maybe, but I just wanted to know what you two were talking about. I-it’s not like I cared if you turned him down or not,” she mumbled at the end.

“
I suppose I can’t blame you for being curious,” Lindsay sighed, “and I also won’t blame you for thinking I’m an idiot. The truth is, I was really happy when Kevin confessed to me, but I was also sad.”

Christine felt nothing but confusion and a cat’s curiosity. “Sad? Why?”

“
Because I knew that Kevin didn’t really mean it anymore. If there is one thing that I have come to understand about Kevin, it’s that he has a hard time expressing his feelings, and when he does express them, he always wears his heart on his sleeve. When Kevin confessed to me, his speech felt forced, rehearsed, like he was an actor quoting lines from a script.” Lindsay paused, her lips curling bitterly. “To be honest, I’m pretty sure the only reason Kevin confessed to me was because he had convinced himself that he liked me, when in truth, his feelings for me had disappeared awhile ago.”