The Affection Multiplier - Capter 140: Gathering. (Patreon)

It happens again in the early morning, but this time there are two women staring at you as you start your daily exercise routine. They’re both laying on their stomachs with their pajama shirts on.

Oh god, and they’re whispering, too! You don’t know if they think you can’t hear them or they’re doing it on purpose!

“He did this yesterday as well?” Emma asks.

“Yes. He looks good, doesn’t he?” Mia says with a sultry smile.

“He does!” Emma nods. “I want to see him do it shirtless.”

“Oh, that sounds nice!”

“Doesn’t it!?” Then Emma speaks louder, calling to you. “Hey love! Could you take your shirt off?”

“I-I… I’m sorry?” You stammer.

“We want to see you working out shirtless. That’s not too much to ask, I hope?” Mia asks with a tone that’s in equal parts authoritative and lustful, almost daring you to say no. You kind of wonder what would happen if you said no. On her part, Emma is giving you a puppy look that should not be used for requests of this nature.

You succumb to the pressure and take off your shirt before you start working out again, and you could swear you heard them swoon over you. It’s incredibly embarrassing, but if they like it, you can certainly oblige.

At 10:00 am, when Sophia, Megan and Emily confirm that they’re on their way here, Mia asks what you’ll do for lunch, to which Emma raises the question of where you’ll even eat.

…

You’ve never had this many people stay for lunch and you usually just eat at your desk. In the end you make a run to a nearby hardware store and buy a foldable table big enough for six people and enough foldable chairs. They’re all of very durable plastic that should resist being kept outside to avoid using even more of your already little space.

Of course, it’s too much to carry by yourself in one trip. By the third and one, all the girls are at your place. You give Emily and Megan a congratulations kiss for their win yesterday and the two start telling the story of how the match went.

When you greet Sophia, she grins and whispers in your ear. “Tell me later how things went yesterday, okay?” She winks before turning back to listen to the story.

After that, Emma tells the younger girls how a guy hit on her yesterday. Not a story you like hearing again, but whatever.

When they’re done, it’s Megan who bring up the main reason for your gathering.

“You said you needed to tell us something. Can it be now or should we wait?” She asks.

You sigh. “I don’t know, but I really don’t think waiting will do any good. I’ve withhold this for long enough as it is.”

“What do you mean?” Mia asks with a frown.

“I found out something on the day I went to meet your mother, Emily.” You tell her directly.

“Oh?” She raises her eyebrows and straightens her back, feeling that this has something to do with her.

“I don’t want to beat around the bush.” You say. “Remember the Affection Multiplier?” You ask, showing everyone your phone. “Emily’s mom has it too.”

There’s a small delay on everyone’s reactions. Everyone is processing your words, what they are, what they mean and what they imply. Emily herself seems to slowly come to a realization.

“No fucking wonder…!” She groans and holds her forehead with her hand, pacing around the room. Then she frowns, looking confused as she thinks about it further. “But then… why would she… Urgh! I HAVE SO MANY QUESTIONS!”

“How do you know this?” Sophia asks, trying to look at things rationally.

“That day, Emily asked me to check if her mother liked me. When I did, I got a message saying that the Affection Multiplier doesn’t work on other users.” You tell them. “She got the same message, so she knows I have it too.”

That somehow makes everyone flinch. You don’t think they truly understand why either, but it’s as if they have a feeling that’s not a good thing. In response, Emily immediately interrupts.

“I’m not letting her mess with what we have! I won’t!” She says, stomping her feet. “Argh! Why am I angry!? I don’t care what she does! But… if she had that thing, then…” She sighs, forcing herself to calm down. “Why has she been playing with so many people all these years?”

Emily has seen her mother bring man after man to her house and then dump them because she felt like it. She’s seen men devastated because of it, seen them thinking they would become family… only to soon be discarded as yesterday trash.

“You’re telling me THAT’S how she used the thing?” She asks, dropping to the mattress and laying there looking at the ceiling.

Seeing her reaction, you don’t want to tell her about the things she said, about not caring about what you did with her and her sister.

“Em…” Megan sits beside her best friend, brushing her blonde hair off her face.

“I’m sorry, but can we get some context?” Mia asks respectfully and Sophia nods. Emily tells them the story of how, ever since her dad died, her mother has been with man after man, never settling down and her relationships not lasting more than a few months.

“When David told us he had this multiplier thing, I wasn’t mad. I wasn’t, because I SAW who he was, and how he always was with us. But now you tell me my mom has it too and everything makes too much god dammed sense!”

You all keep quiet, letting Emily vent her frustrations.

“I mean, look at us! David has it and we’re all about to start preparing lunch to eat together while my mom probably uses it to leech money off her boyfriends!” She covers her face with her hands.

Silence fills the room. Both Emma and Mia grimace as they look at Emily, sympathizing with her feelings. Sophia bites her lip, her mind racing to understand everything this implies. Megan looks over her girlfriend, gently rubbing her shoulders.

Her reaction makes you wonder once again if the reason they were okay with you having this power was because their scores were really high. However, you find some comfort in Emily’s words. She was okay with it because she believed in the honesty of your actions, and you can’t help but feel sad that she can’t have the same trust in her own mother.

The blonde sits up, looks around the room to every girl before her eyes settle on yours.

“Can she… get between us? What we have? Will she?” She asks with a hint of fear in her voice.

You confidently shake your head. “She said she won’t, and I know she can’t.” You tell her. “She’s just as unnerved as I was to find another person that has it, so she said that as long as I stay out of her business, she’ll stay out of mine.”

You see Emily sigh in relief as well as some of the tension leaving the bodies of everyone else.

“What’s more, I’d be very willing to bet that she doesn’t have as much control of the app as I do.” You tell them.

“Why’s that?” Emma asks.

“We talked alone, and from that talk I could gather that there are functions of the app she’s completely unaware of. She can’t buy traits, for example, and even admitted to never taking a score above 50.”

Silence hits once again as everyone contemplates your words.

“I might be too optimistic about it, but doesn’t that mean we have nothing to worry about?” Megan asks. “Regarding her getting involved with us, I mean.” She clarifies.

“Basically, but…” You look at Emily with a worried expression. She seems deep in thought.

“I don’t know what to think.” The blonde athlete mutters. “No matter what, she’s my mother. Magical power or not, stupid decisions or not… I still love her.”

You smile at that, feeling relieved. Even if her mother is eager to be done with her daughters, them reciprocating that feeling would be way too sad.

“Did… did she say anything else?”

You definitely don’t want to tell her she doesn’t care what you do with her. Even if you don’t like that woman, Emily is right in saying she’s still her mother. So you’ll just…embellish her words a little bit.

“She… she said that she trusts her daughters to make their own decisions. She truly accepts that you’re with me in this group of ours.” You give her the best reassuring smile you can manage.

That makes her smile, and the rest seem to be happy for her as well.

“Do you guys think I should bring it up to her? Tell her I know?” She asks to the group.

“Personally, I think the least we talk about the app, the better.” Sophia offers. “I’ve been thinking about it, and something like that becoming public knowledge might be dangerous.”

“I agree, but I’ll support you if you think it’s best to tell her you know.” Mia says. “I’d hate for you to have a falling out with your mother.”

Emma nods, agreeing with Mia’s words. “We’re here for you, alright? Remember that.”

“I think you should have a serious talk with your mom,” Megan says. “Don’t mention the app, just… tell her how you feel, what bothers you.”

“Took the words right out of my mouth.” You chuckle. “You know what I think. So long as everyone’s honest about their feelings, you can come to an understanding.”

You only hope Mrs. Miller can be honest with her daughter.

“Thanks guys. I’ll… I’ll talk to her when I get back.” She nods, giving everyone a smile.

And so, the mood in the room lightens up. You and Mia start getting lunch ready while Sophia watches, wanting to learn a bit more about cooking. Meanwhile, Emma, Emily and Megan fix the room, folding the bed sheets, lifting the mattress up against a wall and setting up the new table and chairs.

It’s fun, and doing these simple tasks seems to help Emily think as she works. Again, this feels like a small taste of what a life with them would (will?) be like.

Yet when you’re eating and asking questions about the soccer match in an attempt to distract Emily from thoughts of her mother, a sound echoes inside the room. Like a thunder strike, it freezes the hearts of everyone in this little shed.

There’s a knock on the door.