1. All characters are 18+
2. No characters represent real people
3. Enjoy the fiction
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CHAPTER 8
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I spent Sunday afternoon with Melody, taking her to two lingerie stores. I had no problem with shelling out a little money to buy her new underwear, since I was the one who would be taking it off her. At the first store, she sent me selfies of the outfits she was trying on. But at the second store, she was able to sneak me into the try-on room so I could watch. We didn't have sex in the booth, but it didn't stop us from getting a glare from the saleslady as she saw me leave the booth.
Monday morning, I found Ricky and talked to him about the double-date with Melody and Harmony. We set it up for Friday night, and I texted Melody with the news. I also told Ricky to give me some money and I'd buy him some flowers for Harmony. "I'm getting some for Melody anyway," I told him, "so I can save you a trip."
"Cool," he said, giving me a twenty dollar bill. "Grab me a good bouquet."
Of course I had a special bouquet in mind for him. If he gave Harmony some glittarium flowers, she would hopefully latch on to him and leave me alone. I still wrestled with the fact that I was setting up my girlfriend's sister with a jerk, but I didn't see another good option.
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Friday afternoon, I stopped into the flower shop to see Chen. As always, he was happy to see me. I picked up a normal rose bouquet for Melody, and a glittarium plant for Ricky to give to Harmony.
The plan was for me to meet Ricky at my place and give him the flowers. Then I'd pick up Melody and he'd pick up Harmony, and we'd meet together at Bruno's for dinner. Sounds complicated, I know, but that was the best way I could figure where Harmony would receive the glittarium without me there.
Ricky was waiting outside my place when I got there. He was nicely dressed, decent enough for a first date. "Got the flowers?" he asked.
I looked down at the flowers in my passenger seat. Roses for me and glittarium for him.
But I had a vision just then, of a heartbroken Harmony, crying over being used and tossed away by asshat Ricky. Melody was in the vision too, consoling her sister, and yelling at me for introducing her to Ricky in the first place.
I couldn't do it. I couldn't give the glittarium to Ricky. I gave him the roses. "Here you go," I told him. "See you at Bruno's."
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Mel and I were waiting at Bruno's when Ricky and Harmony arrived. Harmony was smiling, but as expected, there was no wild, sexy look in her eyes. Not like there was in Melody's eyes, after I'd given her the glittarium flowers. I knew she'd be all over me tonight.
But I watched Harmony and Ricky. I could tell that Ricky was trying to get attention, but it wasn't as effective as he wanted. Melody and I both tried to keep the conversation going with him, learning more about him, and helping him to learn about Harmony. Typical double-date stuff. But at the end of dinner, everyone could tell they weren't quite fitting. Ricky was a cocky jock, and Harmony was an intellectual musician.
"Hey man," Ricky pulled me aside, close to the end of the night, when the girls had gone to the restroom. "I don't think Harmony's jiving me."
Inside, I rolled my eyes. "Yeah, I'm getting that feeling too," I said honestly. "Worth a shot, though, right?"
He kinda shrugged. "Actually, I kept getting this feeling that she's into you."
"Really?" I feigned ignorance. "What makes you say that?"
"She kept looking over at you. Like, she looked at you more than she did me, but I was her date."
I did notice that. "Hmm. I guess I didn't notice that," I lied. "Sorry if it's not working out."
In the end, Ricky and Harmony parted ways. She kept the roses, and shook his hand, but there was no kiss or even a hug. As much as I wanted Harmony to get off my back, I couldn't bring myself to hurt her.
When Ricky left, I realized that he'd been her ride. Now I was going to have to take Harmony home. She climbed into the backseat of my car, behind her sister. The drive back to her parents' house had normal chit-chat, but every time I looked in my rear-view mirror, I caught a glimpse of Harmony. Each time, she'd see me, and wink, or pucker her lips into a kissy face. I looked away.
When we dropped Harmony off, Melody walked her to the door, and I stayed in the car. It wasn't until then that I realized the glittarium was still in my car. I reviewed the past few hours in my head: I picked up Melody, with the flowers in my passenger seat. She had them in her lap on the ride to the restaurant. But she moved them to the backseat when we got there. Which means that Harmony was getting a full whiff of them as we drove just now.
I was in deep trouble.
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Driving back to my house, Melody had her hand on my crotch. I was trying to forget about Harmony and focus on Mel's hand, and the fun that was surely going to be happening as soon as we arrived.
Melody then asked a question I wasn't ready for. "So Ricky told me you got the flowers for tonight. How come you didn't get two of those?" She pointed at the glittariums in the backseat.
"Well, I figured Harmony would like roses instead," I lied. I had lied to Ricky a little while ago, and didn't care. But I didn't like lying to Melody.
"No way, she would've liked these way more," she said, pulling them into her lap, and taking another smell. "And she's smelled them before."
"Yeah, I guess she has."
I could almost feel her thinking it through. She was putting it together. "What's so special about these flowers, that you only want me to have them?"