Chapter Text
Monika opens the door to her penthouse apartment and immediately takes off her heels. There are many reasons that she dislikes her job and today managed to touch on practically every one. First of them are those damn heels. Monika enjoys being well-dressed. She enjoys feeling confident because of her fashion and even more than that she likes the attention that it brings her. But she loathes the expectation of having to wear these damn heels everyday in the office.
The reason she has to do it relates to the next part of the job that bothers her, the coworkers. Sure being the Chief Marketing Officer for the very successful business that her parents started has its perks, she is paid extremely well, is in charge of her own schedule as long as her responsibilities are fulfilled, and the job stability granted through nepotism is always great. But managing a decent sized group of people and being largely responsible for maintaining group morale, there’s few things she hates more.
She quit the debate club in high school to avoid things like this and now she has found herself in the same position in her career. Her coworkers are chatty, nosy, and prone to engaging in any form of workplace drama they can. They also are great at their jobs so she can’t afford to lose them despite the constant headaches they bring.
Being the boss of these fine folks means that expectations are constantly high, Monika must dress impeccably every day or it’s a display of weakness, she must maintain her formality and demeanor of leadership or her authority is called into question. It’s a constant game that she can’t afford to lose. She hates it.
The part of this game she hates the most though is that her coworkers love to go drinking after work. She doesn’t mind bars, she enjoys alcohol, but the constant drunk prying into Monika’s personal life is something she’s had enough of.
She’s been asked about her love life, or lack thereof, more times then she can count. She’s run out of excuses to give them. She’s just too busy to date. She just hasn’t found anyone that’s caught her interest. Her priority is her career, not finding a fitting suitor. All true, but seemingly not good enough answers for them.
Monika collapses on the couch and undoes the top buttons of her blouse before pulling out her laptop. See, the thing that Monika dislikes the most about her coworkers, is that they are really good at giving advice on the things that she doesn’t want to receive any advice for. If only this talent could be used on the things that actively concern her.
Today’s advice however, somehow has piqued Monika’s intrigue. She replays the conversation in her head.
“If you don’t think you have time to go through all the courtship and expectations of dating you can just hire someone to keep you company,” one of her coworkers says while taking another sip of their cocktail.
“Wait– What do you mean?” Monika responds, the novelty of the suggestion unfortunately capturing her interest.
The coworker begins to drunkenly ramble, “Yeah, apparently one of my girlfriends back home uses this website to hire ‘boyfriend services’ because she’s way too busy to hit the dating scene. You go online, register, find a cute guy that fits your type and they can come over and keep you company whenever you want for a fee. They also offer other services like maid cleaning and shit, basically whatever you pay them to do.”
“Interesting. Do they just have guys on there or can you also hire girls?” Monika inquiries.
“Ohhhh… I forgot you leaned that way. Yeah no totally they also have girls that you can hire. I didn’t expect you to be this interested,” the coworker responds.
Monika also didn’t expect herself to be this interested by the idea, now finding herself entering the company's URL into the internet browser against her better judgement.
She clicks around the homepage, reading about the business model of the company. The company is called Red Roses and offers the ability to hire several different individuals, fittingly called Roses, for several different service packages. The most popular of which is a combined maid/entertainment package where the Rose will not only clean your place of living but also keep you company and help ‘cure your potential loneliness’. It seems similar to compensated dating the more that she reads into it, just with actual structure and support for the workers via the company behind it.
Monika can’t deny that this does sound somewhat appealing… She looks around the penthouse and sees the stack of dirty dishes in the sink, the chair being used as a coat rack, the dust building on the TV stand. The place could use some cleaning and she definitely has lacked the time and energy to do it herself, perhaps hired help could be useful…
Monika also acknowledges that she honestly has been getting lonely recently. Yeah she spends time with people at work but her social life outside of that is extremely limited, perhaps being ‘entertained by a Rose’ could be fun even if just as a one-off experiment. Just a mild curiosity that might become a good story eventually. That’s all.
She browses the available options for hire, turning on several filters to find results that might better suit her interest.
Close in Location? Check.
Similar in Age? Check.
Female? Check.
Interested in Women? Check.
Appearance filters? That feels kinda objectifying, Monika decides not to use those.
She hits search and begins to look at the results. Several profiles fill her screen, each with a headshot photo, rates and offered services, as well as a brief description of their personality. She scrolls, and scrolls. Nobody catches her eye immediately.
That changes when at the bottom of page two, a woman with brown eyes and slightly past shoulder-length coral hair grabs her attention. She’s really pretty.
Monika reads the girl's name, Sarah Suzuki . She can’t help but notice the general similarities in appearance to a friend she used to have in high school, even if they don’t share the same eye color. It’s a weird coincidence but Monika can’t resist learning more about the mystery girl on her laptop screen.
Monika clicks on the profile. The girl’s rates seem reasonable and in addition to the standard maid services she seems flexible in what she’s willing to offer. Her availability also seems compatible with Monika’s schedule and she appears to be located nearby which is convenient. She even is currently open to taking new applicants, Score!
She begins to read the biography that Sarah has written on the profile:
Hi! I’m Sarah, and I would love to be your Rose. I’m 26 and have been a Rose for a year now. My hobbies include reading, shopping and hopefully spending time with you ;).
Monika feels her heartbeat skip a jump, is she really this excited by the prospect of hiring a ‘fake girlfriend?’ This girl seems almost too good to be true, Sarah is not only the same age as her but also enjoys reading? It’s kinda pathetic but Monika can’t resist herself from immediately signing up for an account to try and hire the woman on her screen.
– – –
It’s been an hour and a half since Monika sent Sarah the application request for the girl’s services. Before doing so she had to submit some forms of identification, several photos, and an initial payment to continue using the site but that all got approved rather quickly.
Monika didn’t expect to get a response within five minutes from Sarah after submitting the request however.
After messaging back and forth for a bit on the built-in client on the website, Sarah agrees to do a trial period with Monika. Unexpectedly, she offers to come and start it tonight. Monika is definitely thrown off guard by this, Sarah’s availability suggested that she is a night owl but being able to come visit on such a short notice was not what Monika expected.
Monika checks the clock on the wall, she’s been pacing around the apartment for god knows how long and is curious how long it will take for Sarah to arrive. She reads the time, according to what Sarah said earlier she will be here in just a couple minutes.
Monika rushes over to the bathroom in a panic. She checks her reflection in the mirror, making sure that her makeup is to her satisfaction and that she looks attractive. Monika is a firm believer in the importance of first impressions.
If you told her this morning that she would anxiously be preparing like this to meet a girl, Monika would have said that you were joking. If you added in the information that she is paying this girl to meet her, she’d laugh you out of the building. This is totally out of character for her, but somehow this is the situation she has found herself in.
*BZZZT*
The buzzer to be let into the building interrupts Monika’s anxious train of thought.
A voice comes in through the intercom system, “Hey It’s Sarah. Can I come in?”
“Yeah! I’ll let you in,” Monika responds before pushing the button to allow the girl to enter.
Monika waits by the door, the elevator takes a minute to reach the penthouse so she has a moment to quickly compose herself before meeting Sarah.
After a brief pause, Monika hears a knock on the door. She quickly opens it to see the figure standing on the other side. Monika’s thoughts immediately notice the girl's appearance, Wow, she’s pretty.
Sarah appears to be roughly 5’2”. She’s wearing a nice cardigan and leggings that seem to indicate a priority in dressing for comfort without a disregard for fashion. Her choice of footwear being sneakers contradicts the put-together image that the rest of her manner of dress portrays but Monika can’t help but find it kinda charming. Sarah’s photos on the website don’t do her justice however, it’s almost like Monika is being reverse catfished.
Her coral hair is being held back by a headband, reaching just past shoulders with bangs covering her forehead. Her makeup seems to be focused on drawing attention to her eyes, heavy mascara is used paired with a soft eyeshadow and striking red eyeliner. It’s a bold choice but Monika is simply captivated by it.
“Mind if I come in?” Sarah asks.
“Yeah, of course! Sit down anywhere you like,” Monika says, praying that she seems somewhat normal.
After getting situated on the living-room couch and exchanging some brief introductions, the girls begin talking.
“Wow, you have a really impressive place!” Sarah says, surveying her new surroundings.
“Thanks, it’s honestly kinda a mess, I feel like my bad habits don’t do the property justice” Monika responds, she knows she can be kind of a slob at times and is only slightly ashamed of that fact.
“That’s ok! You hired a maid for a reason right?” Sarah responds with a smile. It’s a really nice smile.
“Y-yeah, about that… We should probably start talking about the details of this arrangement right?” Monika asks, she’s not exactly sure what she should be doing in this conversation.
“We can if you want! Normally on first ‘dates’ like this I just try to get to know each other and see if the compatibility is there for the client” Sarah says.
“O-oh… This is a date?” Monika asks, she’s thrown off guard by Sarah’s sudden usage of the word.
“It can be if you want.” Sarah reaches out to grab Monika’s hand as she says this, making strong eye contact while continuing to smile.
Oh my god , Monika thinks. Somehow Sarah is exactly pushing all of Monika’s buttons correctly without realizing. A simple act of handholding has gotten her completely flustered. Has she really been wanting affection this badly?
“T-that w-would be n-nice!” Monika stutters, “But only if you are comfortable with that of course, I don’t want you to be uncomfortable with the arrangement or anything. I know that there is a power dynamic at play and everything…”
“Of course I’m comfortable with it honey ! This is my job after all, I’m willing to do anything you’d want me to do…” Sarah says, the implications causing Monika’s mind to race.
Monika tries to compose herself before continuing. “Yeah– I do have some questions though if you don’t mind… Uhm. How many other people are hiring you at the moment? And what exactly do you mean by everything?”
Sarah begins to answer Monika’s questions. “I am currently being hired by two other people at this time. And I genuinely could provide most services that you could ask of me. Obviously you have signed up for the maid package so I can help with the cleaning. But if you want companionship in addition to that I am more than willing to provide that! Basically, I am both your maid and a girlfriend-for-hire if you want me to be. We can work out the specifics later.”
“That all makes sense,” Monika says, “I didn’t know if Red Roses also offered, like, escort services?”
“Legally no. We can’t accept payment in exchange for those types of favors, But… If we get along well, I eventually might be willing to throw some of those in” Sarah responds with a wink, causing Monika’s face to go beet red.
Sarah is definitely good at the marketing aspect of the job, given that’s her own career field Monika is quite impressed.
“Anyways! I just want to get to know you better right now. What do you do for work?” Sarah continues.
“Uhm! I work in marketing and advertisement for a software company. It’s not really flashy or anything” Monika says.
“Woah, that’s so cool! What exactly do you do?” Sarah begins to further inquire.
“Well… I’m the chief marketing officer so a lot of the job is management and leadership of my team in addition to actually doing the marketing work…” Monika doesn’t want to talk more about her job than she has to, she hired Sarah to distract from all of this after all.
“Ohhh, that explains how you can afford this place then…” Sarah says, completely ignorant by the potential social faux pas she is committing by bringing up finances so quickly.
“Yeah… It’s a good gig” Monika sheepishly continues.
Sarah tilts her head, taking a brief pause that seems like she is trying to formulate the words that she is about to say. Monika braces for whatever question that she is about to be asked.
“So. Why did you decide to hire me?” Sarah asks, her eyes look at Monika as she is trying to read the deepest darkest parts of her soul.
Monika breaks eye contact, looking down into her lap as she tries to decide how honest she will be in her response. She knows that Sarah does this for a living and probably won’t judge, but it still is kind of embarrassing.
“Well, honestly I’ve gotten a little lonely… work is really busy and I haven’t been able to have that much of a social life so I think I’ve just been missing human connection and…” Monika trails off, looking for whatever word that fits the feelings that she has apparently been ignoring. She didn’t expect to be this forthcoming in her response but it’s what feels natural to her.
“Romance?” Sarah asks, filling in the gap in Monika’s speech.
“I-I guess. Honestly I haven’t had much experience with it so maybe that’s what I need.” Monika says with an awkward laugh.
Monika feels a similar sensation for the second time tonight, the grasp of someone’s hand on her own. She looks over and sees that Sarah is once again holding her hand, interlocking her fingers with Monika’s. Her hands are so soft…
“If that’s what you need I’d be happy to provide that for you.”
Monika’s head continues to race, this chick is really good at selling herself and she’s starting to buy into it. Yes, this is a career for Sarah and money is absolutely a guiding factor in play here. But Monika can’t deny that she does feel some form of connection starting here. It’s probably completely delusional thinking that has resulted from spending the last 8 years solely devoting herself to advancing her education and career in spite of her other needs, but what’s the harm in a little company at the end of the night?
“Yeah… that could be nice…” Monika responds, still wrapping her head around the situation currently unfolding in front of her.
She has the rest of the night to decide, she should just focus on getting to know each other and testing compatibility like Sarah suggested earlier.
Sarah interrupts the building tension to ask a question: “Hey, sorry to interrupt. Would you mind if I used your bathroom for a quick second?”
“Of course!”
– – –
Sayori finds herself clutching the edge of the sink in front of Monika’s bathroom mirror as she collects herself.
I can’t believe it. She thinks. It really is her…
Sayori has been working for Red Roses for a little over a year now at this point. It’s a good way to make some decent cash when she’s not helping her childhood friend with the bakery that he helped his girlfriend start.
Being a maid has been really satisfying for her in all honesty, being able to build a routine where she can get used to cleaning and housework has helped battle some of her laziness when her depression acts up.
She’s used a fake identity for her own protection, just in case someone ever decided to start being some sort of weirdo stalker but she never figured it would help out in a situation like this.
Monika totally doesn’t seem to recognize her. The decision to wear colored contacts and use makeup to accentuate the eyes seem to have paid off, besides they haven't even really spoken since they graduated high school.
Monika went straight off to some big fancy college and they naturally drifted apart. Seems to work out well for her though, she seems to be making serious bank.
Sayori stares at her reflection and replays the events of the night back in her mind. She needs to assess how exactly she is going to continue this conversation before heading back out there.
She’s only had two clients before Monika, and both of them have been more interested in the maid part of the service then the “entertainment” portion. Sure one of them is an older man that likes to watch Sayori clean his place while she wears fancy underwear, but that’s different. There’s no emotional labor involved in that.
This however, has been emotionally exhausting.
When Sayori got the message request from a familiar name she couldn’t help but respond. The opportunity to speak to her old highschool crush probably wouldn’t come again, so if she had to use a fake identity and clean her apartment to do so, she happily would.
But now that she is actually face to face she can’t believe the things she’s been saying.
“But… If we get along well, I eventually might be willing to throw some of those in”
What was she even thinking when she said this? How is she able to be so bold? Is it the ‘Sarah’ persona?
There’s no way that Sayori could be a hired romantic partner for Monika, there’s no way that she could do those things with her. Especially when Monika has no idea who it actually is that she is receiving those services from.
Or is there?
The idea is certainly appealing to Sayori. Her friends have been giving her shit about not being able to find a girlfriend. Maybe they just haven’t realized that being paid serious cash to spend time being emotionally close and potentially intimate with the crush she has never been able to move past is a much more tantalizing idea for her.
Fuck it, Why not . Sayori thinks to herself as she opens the door of the bathroom to rejoin Monika.
Time to go and get your girl, you got this Sayo.