As we walked into the Bahia Rodizzio, the restaurant was packed. I pushed my way through the crowd to the Maitre d's podium and gave him Dean's name. He was dressed in a tuxedo and was very regal looking as he towered over everyone else but me. He didn't even check his list. He just smiled and asked if my party was present. I nodded and turned to motion them forward. As they pushed through the crowd, everyone turned to watch. Some because of the beautiful women and others because they were pissed that these kids had just walked past them as they waited. It was interesting how easy it was to tell the difference just from the looks on their faces.
Alexis led the way with Josie and Dean behind her. Then the pathway closed as someone stepped in front of Nina blocking her way. Jan and Yu-Gin piled up behind her. I saw what had happened from my vantage point but Alexis, Dean and Josie continued toward me unaware. Nina's immediate reaction was anger and she pushed at the person blocking her way before she even looked up to see who it was. When the person didn't budge, she looked up. Way up. 'Tall guy' was smiling down at her. He stuck out his hand and said, "Hi Nina. My name is Bryce. We met earlier in the pool." Nina hesitantly put her hand in his. Her hand was so tiny compared to his.
Nina said, "How do you know my name?" Jan and Yu-Gin looked way up to look at the seven foot tall Bryce as they picked their way past Nina and Bryce to continue toward the Maitre d'. Bryce grinned and said, "I've seen you and your gang on TV off and on for six months and besides, there were about a thousand people chanting your name at the pool this afternoon." Nina grinned up at him and eased her hand from his. Nina noticed two guys standing pretty close to Bryce listening to their conversation and she glanced over at them. Bryce said, "Nina. This is Trey. We play college basketball together." Trey was a black guy who stood about six foot seven. He reached out his hand. She smiled up at him and gave him her hand. Bryce continued, "This is Nam. He's our point guard." He stood six foot tall. Nina pulled her hand from Trey's and offered it to Nam. She had been going to the college's home basketball games to cheer on the team so she knew what a point guard was.
I apologized to the Maitre d' for the delay and he checked his list and called out a name as I pushed back through the crowd toward Nina. From the grin on Nina's face I knew she wasn't in any trouble. When I moved up beside her, she looked up at my six foot five and said, "I've got to hang out with shorter guys. You're all giving me a kink in my neck." Then she introduced me to her new friends. We all shook hands. I glanced back at Alexis and noticed that the Maitre d' was walking another couple into the dining room.
Nina motioned for me to bend down so she could whisper to me. I bent down to her five foot four inches and she said, "Do you think we could ask them to join us." She glanced up at Bryce and smiled. "He's nice. I like him. His friends might get on with Jan and Yu-Gin. They have things in common."
I looked back toward Alexis as the Maitre d' returned to his podium. I walked back to the podium and asked him if we could add three people. He didn't hesitate a second before he nodded and disappeared back into the dining room. When he returned he motioned for us to follow him. I motioned for Nina and her new friends to follow. Nina said something to them and they nodded and followed Nina.
We were by far the largest party seated in the restaurant. I handed a twenty dollar tip to the Maitre-d'. He smiled and graciously accepted it. Nina introduced her new friends. They weren't shy and immediately struck up conversations with Jan and Yu-Gin.
Dean and Josie and Alexis and I conversed about the day through dinner and drinks and we were getting our buzzes back on. The other six talked and laughed together like we weren't even there. It didn't take long for Jan, Nina and Yu-Gin to succumb to the alcohol as they were all giggling. Bryce, Trey and Nam kept checking on me like I was the protector-dad or something. I admit that I kind of felt that way. Dean had no such parental feelings and he pretty much ignored the new guys as a more than buzzed Josie kept running her hand up his thigh to his crotch while he scanned the room to see if anyone was watching.
The Bahia Rodizzio is a steak restaurant and the food was incredible. Dean proclaimed that his steak was the best he'd ever had, which was a testament to the quality. The quantity, at least for Dean, was insufficient though. Since it was an 'All Inclusive' resort, he wanted to order another steak but Josie put the clamps on that as she lightly patted his 'Buddha Belly' as she called it. He relented as he knew she was right. The weight that he carried was not good for him even if a good portion of it was muscle.
The empty plates were collected as I checked my watch. I figured that we had time for another round of drinks before heading out to the clubs. After a full day of partying and drinking, I was feeling the effects. I was glad I wouldn't be driving anywhere tonight.
Nina and I made eye contact and she mouthed the words, 'thank you'. I just smiled at her and she returned her attention to Bryce. Jan and Trey were laughing together. He was teasing her about something and she playfully punched his arm. Yu-Gin and Nam were doing much the same. I leaned over and kissed Alexis, who was talking with Josie. She broke off her conversation to kiss me back.
Alexis leaned into my ear and whispered, "Things might just get a little wild tonight." I looked around the table. Nina had a sultry look on her face that Bryce would have had to be dead not to notice. Jan and Yu-Gin weren't far behind and Josie was nearly ready to drop to her knees right there in the restaurant. I thought, 'Jesus, I hope we can make it to the limo.' When Jan leaned in and kissed Trey, I knew it was time to go. I made a show of checking my watch and announced that it was time.
There was no chance that Jan, Yu-Gin and Nina were going to go out clubbing without their new friends in tow. I had noticed that they all had the party bracelets on so I asked them if they would like to come in our limo. Their eyes lit up at the word limo. The limo would be tight with ten of us, but I knew we would figure it out.
Bryce, Nam and Trey all assisted their dates with their chairs which prompted Dean and me to do the same. I thought back to Alexis and my first dates when I did the same thing. I chastised myself briefly for lapsing on that courtesy common to newly dating couples. Alexis teased me as she said, "Why thank you kind sir." Josie was too drunk to even notice as she concentrated on walking straight. Dean took her arm to assist.
I had texted Ramon on his cell phone and as he promised, our limo was at the door from the lobby when we walked out. I told Julio that we had three more and he smiled as he moved inside and flipped down a jump-seat behind the front partition. Then he held the door for the ladies before retreating to the driver's seat. It wasn't nearly as cramped as I had anticipated. Everyone had a seat. They were closer to each other than before but there were no complaints about that. I told Julio to take us to 'The City'. It was a nightclub only five miles north of the resort. If it was much longer, I figured that Nina and Bryce would be going at it. They felt each other up during the entire short drive. Alexis looked up at me and giggled at Nina's antics. She whispered, "I don't think I've ever seen Nina hornier than she is right now."