"Well B...it isn't really the end of the world..." Miriam slurred.
"This is just so unlike Olga. I'm worried about her." Big Bob Pataki paced up and down. "Where could she possibly be?"
"Heh heh heh." Helga snickered, reading a book on the recliner and generally not taking up much space. "Gee dad, I recall Louis urging her to go out with him. Maybe she just decided to go do something with him and forget all about us, her poor, loving family." Helga said innocently.
"I don't like it Miriam." Bob frowned after he looked at his youngest daughter.
"Maybe she just...had to do something B, it's nothing to worry too much about..." Miriam again slurred.
Helga loved it. Big Bob's nervousness and Miriam's slurring due to her obvious helplessness to the situation. Served them right. Let them stand around wondering what was going on with their perfect little Olga.
"Maybe I should get started on the food..." Miriam trailed.
"Why would I want you to do that Miriam?! You always overcook everything!" Bob growled.
"But I was..." Miriam responded weakly.
"Aw gee, I'm gonna be starving all night!" Bob wailed. "This is horrible!"
Oh this was so worth it. Helga didn't mind if she needed to eat cereal again. She lapped it up for another ten minutes before the front door audibly swung open. The laughing voices of Olga and Louis followed.
"Louis you can be such a jerk sometimes!"
"Those old farts had it coming though, you have to agree with me on that." His voice snickered.
Bob suddenly raised his eyebrow in surprise, but then narrowed it. He looked mad. Miriam as usual, looked like she wasn't there. Bob strode toward the foyer. Helga sprang up in delight and ran to see what would happen.
"Trying to pull a fast one on us like that. Ten dollars for a couple of little trinkets like those? Just what exactly are they trying to sell by those docks? The nerve of these..."
"Oh no, don't you start imitating George Carlin, not with Helga nearby."
"Helga's got more smarts than you're giving her credit for." Louis responded as he began to put their coats away.
Olga was about to reply when the sound of her father's loud footsteps interrupted her.
"Oh hi Daddy!" Olga gushed.
"Olga, where've you been? Your mother and I were starting to worry. You never miss up on an opportunity to cook us a fine meal!"
Louis raised a curious eyebrow at Bob. He slightly turned his head to see Miriam furiously slurping at her smoothie, but he quickly smiled when Olga began to speak.
"Oh daddy! I know this may sound a bit silly of me, but I forgot one of the ingredients that I needed, so Louis and I went out to the store to get it!"
"Eh? That isn't like you, Olga."
"I know daddy, but with all the excitement of the last few days I guess it just slipped my mind! I'll get started right away, and you're all gonna love it! Tonight we're having a full-course Turkish cuisine with scrumptious toppings and fudge tarts for desert!"
"That sounds great Olga!" Bob laughed. "C'mon let's go inside and get you started!"
Helga noticed that Louis looked on guardedly as Olga, Bob, and Miriam walked away. The two stared at each other for a moment before he followed them.
"Criminy!" Helga growled. "Why can't they ever get mad at her!" She crossed her arms and followed inside, her scheme foiled. "Wait a minute." Helga said to herself before following the others. "Where did that story about the grocery store come from?"
"So uh, Louis, you said you're familiar with Hillwood?" Bob asked.
"Yeah, my aunt lives here, so I've always dropped by every now and then. I know this city well enough, and I've actually begun to expand my business here too, so coming here was basically a hop over the bridge for me."
"What sort of business you in? Are you an appliance salesman like me?" Bob grinned.
"No, nothing like that." Louis lightly smiled. "I own a small PR consulting firm."
"PR? What's PR?" Bob asked in his usual blunt voice.
"Puh-leese." Helga muttered and lowered her eyebrow. To her surprise, she also saw that Louis stared at him an incredulous expression, though it was masked. She was the only one that seemed to notice.
"It's public relations, daddy!" Olga answered happily. "It means that Louis is in the business of helping other businesses! He puts together campaigns to get them good publicity and increase sales!"
"Oh I see." Bob answered.
"You know that sort of reminds me. Olga told me about Big Bob's Beepers, but it appears your emporium doesn't have a website. You really should get on that, or you're gonna miss the boat."
"Hmm..." Bob stroked his chin. "Never really needed one."
"The web's going to explode, maybe even over the next few months, let alone years. I did some data mining on the businesses in your field and the ones with websites are already outselling the ones without them, Mister Pataki."
Olga gushed up at Louis as Bob started to think. Helga muttered and stuffed her food in her mouth quickly. She wanted to get out of here as soon as possible. Yet again, her evil scheme hadn't worked!
"Yeah, I see, I see..." Bob continued to think.
"So Louis, you were telling me that you were from Maine?" Miriam finally spoke. Helga thought she'd taken another one of her impromptu naps.
"That's right, Misses Pataki." He answered. "Our family has a very old home with twenty acres just outside..."
"Hey hey hey hey hey!" Bob cut him off. "Miriam, who said you could butt in?! We were talking about my beeper empire! This is important stuff we're discussing! You can't just interrupt us!"
Miriam grabbed her glass and began to drink, while Olga happily served her father another helping of food. Helga crossed her arms, but again raised her eyebrow when she (and only she, again) noticed Louis looking at Bob with a masked expression that Helga was unaccustomed to.
Was that...disgust?
"So uh, Louis, what were you saying before? That thing about the websites?" Bob asked with a grin. "Oh, and do you want some more of these little bread things? What were they Olga?"
"Manti, daddy!" She gushed.
"Sure." Louis answered as Bob passed him some more.
"I'd like some more too." Helga asked.
"So anyway Louis, let's talk a little bit more about this website stuff!" Bob continued, ignoring Helga.
Helga growled.
"Well, my team and I can get it all set up for you, and I'll give you a discount because you're my dear Olga's father." He grinned, which caused Olga to blush and giggle.
Bob and Louis continued to talk. Helga moved her hand forward briskly to grab more of the food she wanted, trying to draw attention, but it didn't work. Her scheme hadn't worked. Teflon Olga won again. A typical Pataki dinner, she thought. Bob talked about his beepers, Miriam was half-awake, and Olga simply gushed about everything.
"Can I be excused mom?" Helga asked when she finished her plate. She was not quite full.
Miriam slowly looked up at her. "Yeah, sure, whatever." She acquiesced.
Helga got up and went back into the foyer, toward the staircase.
"I'll see you later baby sister!" Olga called. "And maybe I'll tuck you in too!"
Helga gritted her teeth and began to walk upstairs. Bob continued to talk excitedly with Louis who answered him more calmly. The former's voice did not drown out until Helga closed the door to her room.
Wow, it feels weird writing about how big the web was going to be. That's the 90's for you.