THE MOMENT
“Everything okay?” Nikki wasn't concerned until she saw Vester's serious face. They were roommates and close friends, and had a lot of deep discussions. It wasn't automatically a bad sign, but he obviously had something on his mind.
Nikki was curled up on the couch, buried in her favorite book, when Vester came home. He'd been gone a few days on business, which was nothing new. Except, usually he arrived with a hot meal and gossip about the latest in underworld affairs. This time, he arrived and immediately sat down to ask for her time. When she pointed out the missing dinner she was expecting, he promised her they would go out after; if she still wanted to. That was the phrase that really worried her.
“Why wouldn't I want dinner?” Nikki asked. “Did something happen during the session?”
“A major vote was held…,” he sighed. “It was forced earlier than expected.” He'd been looking at the maroon carpet, but then he looked up to meet her concerned green eyes.
“I've been lying to you, through omission!” he was quick to clarify his reasoning as her eyes widened. She physically pulled back, but seemed to catch herself.
“Start from the beginning…,” she said while holding his stare. They'd lived together for over a decade, and were good friends for a time before that. She knew his tendencies, and he was probably overreacting, but it wasn't a guarantee. He'd made real mistakes in their friendship, and so had she. And she was very interested in not making another by reacting to his reaction.
“Okay…,” he nodded and took a breath for courage. “So… you know I'm a vampire obviously, and you've totally kept my secret. Thank you, by the way,” he nodded.
“You know all about the underground world and the Fae society, and you're just fantastic at keeping secrets,” he smiled nervously.
“And the thing is, it's all about to be unnecessary. We voted to break the veil and reveal ourselves to humanity,” he said. He stopped there to let Nikki process it, and she smiled.
“WHAT? That’s great!” she reached over and patted his shoulder. “Why long face?”
“There's more to it…,” he said.” It's not just saying, ‘Hey, we're Fae!’. We're also revealing the existence of the multiverse.”
“Huh wha-?” She voiced the clearest question she had.
“So, alternate universes exist…,” Vester said. “... and there’s a multiversal corporation named ‘Chroma Corp.’ that’s bringing their products and services to this Earth, because we voted on it.”
“Okay, we’ll have that conversation in a little bit, but we need to stay on topic,” Nikki said. “What exactly have you been lying to me about?”
“I’m from a different universe…,” he said. “Chroma Corp. actually helped me move to this Earth, and I chose this Earth because the Fae community seemed welcoming. I met you shortly after arriving, and the rest is history.”
“You’re from a different Earth?” Nikki asked. She gave him a thorough appraisal, but he still looked like the same goofy pal she’d known for over a decade. He always wore a suit to his sessions, and that was the only time. His sleeves were too short, and his tie was too long, and he didn’t look ‘put together’ so much as ‘some effort was taken’. He enjoyed being part of the community and making a difference, but he wasn’t a fan of suits. He nodded as she studied him, and she smiled.
“Does that change anything?” she asked.
“I lied to you…,” he said.
“Pffft,” she laughed. “I don’t recall ever once asking you if you’re from a different universe. So, what’s next? You said Chroma Corp. is bringing... trade? Like… alternate universe restaurants?” she was still hungry. “How long does that take?”
“Months still, maybe a year. But, you were going to find out, and I wanted to make sure I was upfront about it.”
“I appreciate it…,” Nikki smiled with genuine warmth. “But, couldn’t you have been honest with me over dinner?”
“Well,... there’s a reason,” Vester chuckled and stood from the couch, encouraging her to do the same. “Assuming you were still talking to me, I thought we could try out one of my favorite multiversal restaurants. We don’t have to wait for Chroma Corp. to come here,” he grinned.
“Really?” Nikki was surprised. “It’s that easy.. To just .. go?”
“Really,” Vester nodded. He made a swift motion with his hand that Nikki didn’t quite see. It looked like he threw something against the wall, and then a tall black portal opened in front of them. “It’s this easy to just go,” he said. He was smiling, but Nikki’s expression darkened as she stared at him again.
“WHAT!??” she raised her voice.”It’s this easy to travel between universes... And you didn’t tell me FOR TEN YEARS!??”
“I’m sorry…,” Vester hung his head and Nikki giggled.
“You’re going to give me a hell of a tour to make it up to me,” she said as she grabbed on to his arm and nodded forward through the hole.