Sushi (gxg)

Chapter 43

We found ourselves at a place called L'AngeVin, a very nice restaurant that had pleasant outdoor seating, on the way back towards the Olympic Village. They had some amazing Mediterranean dishes that smelled great and had our bellies rumbling as we sat down to eat a fine meal. It had been a while since I had lamb, so Kit and I each ordered some lamb shank, while others had a variety of dishes as well. Overall, it was shaping up to be a fine evening, with Kit being the toast of the dinner.

Or, it was until her grandmother showed up, with the same two gentlemen that had been with her yesterday alongside her.

The waitstaff had been kind enough to push several smaller tables together for us, with me sitting between Kit and my mother, and Kit's parents on the opposite side next to Janine. We didn't even understand what was happening when another table was pushed up next to Kit, and then a place setting was put on the table at the opposite end between my mother and Janine, until Yuria showed up with her mouth in a thin line, sitting at the new place near my mom as one of the men pulled her chair out before they went down to sit next to Kit, who was looking livid.

"Mother, what is the meaning of this?" Keika spat at her mother. "You agreed to leave Kit alone!"

Yuria just gave us all a fake smile. "I changed my mind of course," she explained, her hands clutched in her lap. "How could I not come to congratulate my only granddaughter on her performance today? She was truly magnificent!"

"And yet you tried to keep her from it," I pointed out stiffly. "More than once."

"Grandmother, please leave. I don't want you near me if you're just going to berate me or tell me about these awful boys that you brought along with you," Kit growled angrily. "I don't need a negative influence like you in my life!"

"As I said, I'm just offering you my congratulations. As such, I'm offering you the choice of these two fine young suitors to choose from. You've had your chance to dive, and now it is time to bring honor to the family. So, choose a husband, Kita." 

I opened my mouth to protest, to yell, and just couldn't. Yuria's voice seemed so reasonable and everything suddenly seemed so fuzzy in my brain. Everyone else was quiet, and Kit's parents were nodding in agreement, and I turned to look at Kit who just looked confused. "I need to pick one of these two?" she pointed over at the men at the end of the table who just looked back at her with leering smiles.

"Yes, they can contribute greatly to the company in a way that this girl can't." She waved at me dismissively, and I could only nod in agreement along with the rest. She made sense after all, I knew nothing about the company. What could I possibly contribute?

"She's right, Kit. They're much better than I am," I found myself saying. What was happening? My brain was screaming for my mouth to shut up, and here I was telling Kit that these two strangers were better for her than me?

"See, of course I'm right dear." Yuria was simpering now and nodded at the two boys. "They're both well heeled boys, and either will be a perfect husband to give you strong babies."

"Do I get to know their names, or should I just say left or right?" Kit asked politely.

"Just point at one, and then you can get to know him," Yuria assured her. I was thinking she would pick the one on the left, he was slightly less creepy looking, but Kit was studying them both intently and scratching her chin while thinking.

"I have a question," my mother interjected. "My daughter performed very well in her events too. Does she get a reward?"

Yuria looked at her in confusion, glancing down at her own lap, then back at my mother, as though surprised that she spoke. "I'm sorry?"