by Harper West
“No, no,” I smiled. “I mean, maybe later. But I was going to ask you if you wanted to stay for dinner.”
“Oh,” her eyes lit up. “Sure. I’d be thrilled.”
“Excellent,” I said. “Maybe I could just order a pizza?”
She raised an eyebrow.
“All this money and you don’t know how to cook?” she teased.
“I do,” I said. “I just... simple things, remember?”
“Pizza sounds fantastic,” she replied. “I’ll just text Ricky to tell him I won’t be home.”
“Do you think you’ll also be telling him he has a new home?” I asked her.
“Indeed,” she replied. “I think it’ll be perfect. Thank you so much for the offer.”
“Anytime,” I said as I led her towards the kitchen. “Now, let me show you my array of pizza menus. It’s quite the collection.”
“You fit right in at school,” she said as I handed her a stack of them.
“I try,” I smiled at her. I didn’t know what the rest of the night held, but this sounded like a brilliant way to find out.
How’s it going? John texted me.
Game is set at 1-1, I said. Your move.
Or a team move, he texted back. I looked up at Natalie and then smiled.
Why not? I asked. You have a plan?
I do, he replied. Wait and see.
I had trusted John all my life and he had never led me astray. I couldn’t wait to see what he had in store for all three of us this time.
Chapter 9
Natalie
“It’s huge!” Ricky said when we walked into Reed’s mansion.
It had taken a few days to convince him to pack up again, but when I told him that Reed’s place would give him his own space and he would probably never run into Reed most of the day, he finally agreed. I didn’t mention the fact that I had slept with him right outside the bedroom that he would be staying in. I didn’t mention that I had also slept with Reed’s best friend. I felt like that was information that I could share at a later date.
“Yeah,” I said. “Apparently, he comes from a ton of family money and so he bought this house and his car, and than he acts like a professor the rest of the time.”
“That’s insane,” he said. “If I had this much money…”
“I know, I know,” I said. “But Reed is... different.”
“Different?” he said. “Is this the one that you are talking about? Falling in love?”
“Yes,” I said. “He’s... I don’t know. It’s weird.”
“I’ll say it’s weird,” he said. “Because I thought you were going out with someone else tonight.”
“Oh my God, Tyler,” I said. “I totally forgot about that.”
“What?” he asked. “Did you double book yourself?”
“I mean... maybe,” I said with a grin. “I didn’t mean to... but geez. It’s like I’m one of those cheerleader girls in undergrad.”
“Nothing wrong with those,” he said and sank onto the bed. I watched him quietly for a moment.
“You OK?” I asked him.
“Yeah,” he said after a moment, “It’s just a big change at once.”
“Well, yeah,” I said. “But do you think it’s helping?”
“What?” he asked. “Being here? I mean, there are no memories of her everywhere, so yes, that helps. But it’s still in my head.”
“I get it,” I said. “And I noticed that you haven’t set up any of your doctor’s appointments.”
“Natalie,” he said. “I am an adult, you know. I’ve taken care of myself for this many years.”
“I know,” I replied to him. “I know. I’m just worried.”
“You should worry about getting ready for your date,” he replied. “Who’s it with?”
“It’s with Tyler,” I said. “Technically, he’s a student, but…. yeah. I don’t know. We’ve been circling each other for awhile and I’ve flaked on him a couple of times. So, I really need to just do it.”
“Do you not want to do it?” he asked me.
“No,” I said. “I mean I do... last week, I did. But things have changed.”
“What’s happened?”
“I just... there have been other... people,” I replied. “Reed is one, you’re right, but... you know. I’m young. I’m exploring.”
“Yeah, and I’m old and dying,” he replied.
“You are neither of those things,” I said quickly.
“Well, I feel like I am never going to fall in love again,” he replied. “And that’s bothersome.”
“You will,” I promised him. “I’m sure it’s written in the stars for you.”
“What if I don’t want to?” he asked, and I shrugged.
“I mean, that’s OK too,” I replied. “You know, I think you’re lucky.”
“How am I lucky?” he asked, perplexed.
“You’ve experienced love at all,” I said. “And that makes you lucky.”
He shook his head.
“Go on your date,” he replied. “I’m sure you’ll blow him away.”
“I hope so,” I said. “I feel bad that I’ve been putting him off so long. Now, I know that Reed isn’t home tonight so…”
“Caitlin is actually going to come and hang out,” he said. “She wanted to see this giant house, I think, secretly.”
“She probably wants to see you too,” I said. “Text me if you need anything.”
I didn’t want to appear overbearing, but I was worried about Ricky. I was glad he had moved closer, if not to just give me some perspective on the situation I was in. As I got dressed for my date with Tyler, my mind kept drifting back to Reed and John.
Specifically, my mind kept drifting back to their hands all over my body and their lips on mine. If you asked me to choose between them, I knew I would have a difficult time. After all, they had both made me cum harder than I ever had, and I felt like I would sleep with either of them in an instant.
Or both of them.
My mind briefly flitted to that possibility as I headed out the door to meet Tyler at the restaurant How hot would that be, to have both of them there, feeling me up and making me feel like I was the only woman in the room?
How hot would it be to have both of them touching me, and putting their cocks inside me?
I was so distracted by these thoughts that I almost didn’t see Tyler. He was standing at the entrance of the restaurant, in a suit that looked slightly too big for him. When he saw me, he smiled wildly.
“Hey,” he said. “I was starting to think that you weren’t coming.”
“Am I late?” I asked in concern and checked my watch. “Weren't we meeting at 7?”
“6:30,” he replied. “But it’s fine. It’s fine. I asked them to hold the reservation and they said it would be alright.”
“I’m so sorry,” I said. “I’m not usually like this. I had to move my friend into... into Professor Baron’s house actually.”
“Really?” his face fell so much that I had to ask what the problem was. “It’s just I asked Professor Baron to make sure that you were free.”
“I was free,” I replied. “This totally wasn’t on him. It was on me. He’s not even in the house tonight.”
“So, you’ve gotten pretty close with Professor Baron, eh?” he asked me as the hostess escorted us to our table.
“He offered to help out my friend in crisis,” I said. “And it seems like it’s working out pretty well.”
“That's good,” he said. “And this friend of yours is…”
“Oh, just a friend,” I said. “We met at school, in undergrad, and so it’s been a wild ride.”
Tyler looked like he wanted to say more, but instead, he sat down and opened the menu.
“This is a fancy place,” I said as I looked around. “I don’t think that I've been to a place like this.”
“Yeah,” he said. “I wanted to take you somewhere nice, because you deserve it.”
“That’s really nice of you,�
� I said. “It must be really expensive though. We can split the bill, if you like?”
“No, no,” he said. “I asked you out, and I’m going to pay.”
“Oh,” I said. “OK, well, let me know.”
He paused.
“Unless you prefer to split the bill? I know you're a modern-day woman and I don’t want to offend you.”
I chuckled at that.
“Either is fine, really,” I replied. “I’m not going to be offended, but I also don’t want you to put yourself in debt over it. This place is gorgeous, but look, a glass of wine is $20.”
“Do you want a glass of wine?” he asked me.
“Sure,” I replied with a smile. “We’ll figure it out.”
“Yep,” he said as the waitress came over to take our order. “We’d like a bottle of your finest wine please.”
“Tyler!” I hissed. The menu listed a bottle of their finest wine at over $1000. When I pointed it out to him, he turned red.
“Or maybe...just two glasses of this,” he said and chose one of the ones I had been looking at. At $20 a glass, it was still ridiculous, but it was the difference between draining the weekly paycheck and draining the literal bank account, in my opinion.
“So,” I said once the waitress had gone away. “How’s school?”
“School is pretty good,” he replied. “I finished up an assignment last night, so I feel on top of the world.”
“That’s great,” I said. “The day I finish my thesis, I’ll probably skydive.”
“Really?” he said. “That’d be awesome. I think I’d be too afraid to do it, though.”
“To sky dive?” I asked. “Do you not like heights?”
“I don’t like…” he tried to choose his words carefully. “I don’t like adrenaline Don’t get me wrong, I like to have fun. I just don’t like those rush adrenaline jobs.”
“That makes sense,” I replied, even though it didn’t. I wasn’t exactly an adrenaline junky, but I did like having fun in extreme ways sometimes. Sometimes, it was something like skydiving or sometimes it was having a threesome.
I didn’t know why I kept thinking that. I didn’t even think that they would be up for it. They were best friends, it was true, but they weren’t friends like that. At least, I didn’t think they were.
When the waitress brought us our meals, I was happy to dig in. I liked Tyler well enough, but the conversation wasn’t anything special. I was thinking about the way that John had enchanted me with his business, or how Reed’s quiet smile spoke a thousand words. The food was delicious, but when the bill came, I saw that we were going to have to split it. There was no way I was going to let him pay that much, especially since my mind was distracted. I did not think that I gave him a very good date.
“Are you sure?” he said.
“Yes,” I said. “I guess I’m going to be a modern woman after all.”
“Sounds good,” he said, and he seemed happy to let me split it.
The waitress looked surprised when we said we were going to split it, but she took it in stride. I left her a tip, and when we were done, Tyler suggested we get coffee.
“Oh,” I said. “Actually, I’m really tired. Rain check?”
“Actual rain check?” he asked me. “Or never talk to me again?”
I chuckled.
“Actual rain check,” I promised him. “I’m sorry. I’m boring.”
“No, it’s fine,” he said, and leaned over to kiss my cheek. “Thank you for letting me take you out today.”
“I hope we’ll do it again,” I said, even though I wasn't sure if that was what I wanted. He helped me into my coat and then we awkwardly stood at the doorway.
“So how are you getting home?” he asked.
“Oh, I took an Uber here,” I said. “So, I’ll just call another one. You?”
“I was just going to take the bus,” he said. “It actually comes in 2 minutes so…”
“Right, go,” I said to him. “I’ll see you around.”
“See you,” he said and headed out the door. I watched him go and then looked down at my phone to call the uber.
It said that it was surge pricing, which made me raise an eyebrow. It was a Tuesday night, so I couldn’t possibly figure out why they would do that. I didn’t particularly want to pay for a $90 Uber either, especially, when I wasn’t going that far. I was about to walk or look up the bus schedule, cursing that I hadn’t driven, when I spotted a familiar car in the parking lot.
There was Reed’s car, pulling into a far spot. He and John got out, and they were talking a mile a minute. I smiled and put my phone away. At the very least, I could go say hello.
At the most, my night was going to turn out a lot better than expected.
I saw Reed turn his head as he recognized Tyler running for the bus stop. He pointed him out to John and said something, and then turned to the front of the restaurant. When he recognized me, he smiled.
“Hey,” I said, coming out of the doors. “Fancy meeting you guys here.”
“We just thought we’d have a late dinner,” John said. “Are you hungry?”
“I actually just ate,” I replied. “But I could do with a night cap.”
“Well, then, my lady,” he said. “Come right this way.”
I grinned and headed back in. The same hostess recognized me. Her eyes widened, but I didn’t really care. This was going to be a night to remember, in more ways than one.
Chapter 10
Reed
I swore that I had no idea where Tyler was taking Natalie for dinner, but there weren’t many five-star restaurants in town, and there was only one that I really liked, so when John suggested that I stop by his office to do a little guest speaking and then go to dinner, I agreed. Seeing Natalie there made me happier than anything. I didn’t realize I had been missing her, but here she was and suddenly, I had an appetite in more ways than one.
“So, 3?” the hostess said to me, as we walked in. She kept looking sideways at Natalie, until Natalie spoke out.
“Yes, I was just here on a date,” she said. “And now my friends walked in. Is that OK?”
“Of course,” the hostess blushed, and I raised my eyebrow at Natalie.
“Wow, I like it,” I said to her as soon as the hostess went away. “The boldness. I’ve never seen it before.”
“That side of me can come out from time to time,” she replied, with a smirk. “Especially when she keeps giving me the side eye. Besides, what would it matter if I was here on another date? That would just mean that I was awesome.”
“I think confidence is what sells a woman,” John said. “Or anything. You know, when I started the business, I had no idea what I was doing. I just went in and sold things, and people just believed me, even though I was making half of it up on the spot.”
“Good business advice,” she said and smirked as John blew her a kiss.
“I’m just saying,” he replied. “You fake it till you make it.”
“Nothing wrong with that,” she answered as the waitress came to take our order. She, too, did a double take, and raised an eyebrow when she realized her reaction had been so extreme.
“Yes, I was just here,” she said. “And I’m here again. Is that alright?”
“Sorry,” the waitress said, and slunk away.
“So, how was your date?” John asked Natalie as soon as the waitress walked away.
“It was good,” she said. “I mean... it was just…. a date. I had promised Tyler that I would go out with him for quite awhile, so I finally came through on my promise.”
“So, it was a pity date?” I asked her.
“No,” she said. “Just... I follow through on my promises.”
“But would you do it again?” John asked and she shrugged
“I don’t know,” she said. “I mean it was fine, but…”
“But the question is, is that what you want?”
“Tyler?” she said. “He’s fine but…”
John got straight to the point.
“But you don’t want a boy,” he said. “You want a man.”
She took a sip of her drink and looked at him over the top of her glass.
“Do I now?” she asked. “How do you know what I want?”
“Oh, I think that I have a decent idea of what you want,” he said. “At least, in one area.”
“Mm,” she said and glanced to me. I didn’t say anything, but I gave her a look that let her know exactly what I wanted. The waitress came back over to take our orders, and we all ordered the same thing- a steak with a side of fries.
“Didn't you just eat?” I asked her, with a smile. “Or could he not even afford to feed you?”
“I just ordered soup,” she replied. “It was the cheapest thing on the menu, and I didn’t want to make him pay a huge bill.”
“The prices here are pretty good, actually,” John said. “But I guess not if you are a student.”
“No,” she said. “If you are a student, it’s…. crazy. Like, you have to save up your entire paycheck just to be able to afford a place like this once a year.”
“Ah, those were the days,” John said. I nodded and he glanced at me.
“Reed, I don’t think you understand in the same way,” he said with a smirk.
“I mean, I understand the concept,” I replied. “I never had to... save like that, but…”
“Exactly,” John said. “Stop trying to relate like a normal person.”
“I think Reed is a very normal person,” Natalie said. “He just... came from a different place than the rest of us.”
“Thank you!” I said. “You see, you understand me.”
“I try,” she replied.
“Hey, I understand you,” John said. “I’m your best friend.”
“I know what you mean,” I said. “You’re my best friend. But Natalie... Natalie gets me.”
Natalie smiled, and we dug into our food.
I found the conversation flowered easily, which was good. I had slept with a few girls that I could not talk to at all. Some of the girls didn’t seem to have a lot of brains behind their eyes, and I couldn’t do with that. I needed to have a girl who was smart and could actually hold a conversation.