"Whoa! First, we need to decide if we will take them up on this." THAT started a whirlwind!
"You didn't snatch it up right away?" was a common refrain from the ensuing babble. The girls were shocked that he had not already locked us in. The idea that he wanted to talk it over and vote on it was met with a sort of bemusement- somewhere between 'bless his heart. At least he tries hard' and 'what an idiot. At least he has a big cock!'. Ginger was on the phone confirming the deal before Jack could get a word in edgewise, and the 'K's' were getting some (cheap) champagne to celebrate with.
The next several weeks were insane. The many issues involved with buying a business and setting up a partnership took up huge chunks of his time, his 'real' job was in its busy season, all of the girls were involved in their own businesses or duties (most of them worked a regular job, and in multiple areas that Paladin Enterprises was involved with), and there just weren't enough hours in the day.
OK, if Jack was being truthful about this period, he would have to admit that he was still in a funk. Angel was still gone. The other girls were wonderful, but they just weren't Angel. His typical day involved whichever one or two of them was sharing his bed waking him up and helping him get ready- sometimes even laying out his clothes. Whoever was on kitchen duty would make sure he had a healthy breakfast and packed lunch and was out the door in time.
Jack found work a welcome solace lately- the familiar routine was just challenging enough to help him keep his mind of the insanity of the Mad House and the situation with Angel... most of the time. While not performing to full peak, he was doing well enough to earn back some of the goodwill he lost in the recent insanity.
Buying the business involved a lot more stuff than he would have guessed. Legal forms, inventories, building walk throughs, training sessions, insurance, city inspections... there was just so much of it, even with the Beaumonts doing as much as they could from their end. He often had to take long breaks from work to meet with various people, which meant working longer days to make up for it. There were also still the day-to-day operations of the Mad House and Paladin Enterprises. Kuni generally briefed him when he came home and laid out stacks of materials for him to approve, sign, initial, or whatever. On top of this was the on-going work involved with some of the Enterprises themselves and the near-daily upkeep the Mad House took. Fortunately for everyone's sanity, the girls had arranged for several handymen to deal with lots of the maintenance and upkeep in return for 'alternative payments'.
The girls were being neglected, however, and Jack knew it. It was easy to find some excuse, and they loved him enough to not push it, but it was not optimal for any of them. One day, Jack found himself being frogmarched by Sammy and Candy into a room with Bunny and Kiki. The two were cuddled in bed and seemed to have been crying. Jack's heart melted when he realized he could not remember the last time he spent any quality time with either of them lately.
He sat between them and hugged each, begging for forgiveness. Bunny laid her blonde head on his shoulder while Kiki snuggled her raven locks into his chest. The three of them just sat there for a bit, the two girls occasionally sobbing or sniffing softly. Jack pulled out a hankie to offer to Bunny, and his shirt tails for Kiki. She blew her nose on them, then gasped when she realized what she did. Jack stroked her hair to reassure her and slipped his shirt off. Now, he could feel their warmth against his skin. The heat of their breath, the weight of their chests... He began to realize how nice they smelled, and how smooth their skin was under his hands.
Jack began to stroke the two girls along their sides. Bunny moaned and hugged him harder. Kiki sighed and let her hands slide along his lap and thighs. Soon, their hands were so tangled up in each other's most private places it would have taken a really skilled and dirty-minded Boy Scout with a good knot guide to unravel them.
At one point, Jack was flat on his back with Bunny bouncing delightfully on top of him while Kiki was in full geisha mode and rubbing a warm fragrant oil on their skin. With every sense pushed to the limit, the two came loudly and wetly, blindly seeking a three-way kiss as they rode their peaks.
Kiki used more of the oil and her deft fingers to first relax, then re-engage Jack... or at least his cock. She slid on him like he was some sort of slip and slide toy, dragging her tight nipples on his warm, slick skin. Jack reciprocated by lightly stroking her armpits, one of her favorite off-beat erogenous zones. Once she was giggling happily, he slid her up and kissed her long and deep as if trying to make up for all the lost time.
Bunny took charge of the situation and Jack's cock and rubbed it on Kiki's lower lips until the small girl was groaning, then slipped it in- basically fucking her with Jack's cock as a living dildo. As Kiki or Jack tried to take some initiative, Bunny would laugh and change tempo or angles, or just grip his cock closer to the head to limit depth. Bunny started to laugh harder as Kiki started to cuss her out with her adorable accent.
"Darn you Bunny! Stick it in me deep! God you are such a meanie! Fuck me! Fuck me with Jack-san's big cock! Oh, please Master! Fuck me!" Bunny relented and surrendered control back to Jack who proceeded to pound several orgasms from the quivering shell of a girl.
A Payment was made, the legal stuff around the store was winding down, the new ads were doing well and Red's was beginning to rake in some real money, sex was happening more often around the Mad House lately and things were... well, not great, but better. Jack was making a point to spend real time with each girl one-on-one and in small groups, alternating dating-like activity, helping with one job or another, or just hanging with them. He still missed his beloved Angel but the sheer variety of kinds of affection he got from the others was helping fill the void... some.
Lily was a good example. She was quiet, demure, tender, and just plain sweet. She was the perfect companion for going to a romantic comedy movie date or sitting and watching the stars. Sammy was like that girlfriend that swept you along in her wake. She could club and dance til the wee hours and still have endless energy.
Candy was a bit of a surprise. She had a real love for opera and theater and was the perfect companion at galleries and his company's social events. It obviously helped that she was stunning in that sort of clothing, and she was intelligent and witty. Kuni took Jack on an amazing date to the zoo and botanical center. Jack knew she had a good head for business, but he had not known about her love for plants and animals until he saw her face glow as she wandered the butterfly garden exhibit. (of course, being Kuni, she also pulled Jack into a small semi-hidden glen for a quick fuck and went pantiless the rest of the day.)
Penny helped him rediscover the joy of the mall and shopping while Ginger taught him ballroom dancing. Kiki accompanied him to a nice spa and Bunny took him bungee jumping. Jack loved all of it and loved them all the more for trying so hard to make him happy. By the time the next Payment rolled around, he was... if not truly happy, at least content. Then he got 'The Call'.
Mrs. Murphy wanted to meet with him. The two had seen each other mostly during meetings with the Beaumonts or at some social events at the Mad House, or when she and her daughter would do something together but they had not spent time together since she moved out.
The two met for a generally uncomfortable lunch at the diner they had their last real meeting at. They exchanged small talk and caught each other up on events. Maddy seemed relieved that The Payments were going well but she still seemed... uneasy... to Jack. "I don't mean to pry, Mrs. Murphy, but is everything OK?"
She ducked her head and sighed. "N... not really, Mr. Allen... Jack." When she looked up again, there was a little moisture in her eyes. "I miss the girls and the house."
Jack was confused. "I'm not sure what you mean."
"I've tried to be a good Christian woman. I joined a church and several clubs, tend my garden, and everything I am supposed to. But I really don't have any friends other than the girls and the Beaumonts. The other people I've met don't really interest me, and all the clubs and such just feel like busy work. I miss the warmth the girls have for each other and even shared with me when I let them. I even find that I like working with Ginger at the store when I help with cleaning or inventory."