I stood in the bathroom of my humble apartment. Once, I had thought that the room was unnecessarily large but with a girlfriend, and three other women, sleeping over more nights than not the counter was starting to overflow with all variety of cosmetics and toiletries.
You might want to think about moving into a bigger apartment,
I mused, and I filed the thought away under "deal with later" on my mental to-do list as I worked at the knot of my simple black tie. I was dressed in a steel-grey button down and the only pair of dress shoes I owned, the simple outfit I wore only making me feel more outclassed by the beautiful women around me.
I shared a rueful grin with myself in the mirror.
Your own fault,
I told mirror Chance, and he just grinned back at me. I never would have expected that I would need an UberXL to fit all my dates in one car, but I certainly wasn't complaining as I fished my phone out of my pocket and set our destination.
"Where are we going?" Daisy asked, hugging me from behind as she peeked over my right shoulder. Her breath was warm on my neck and I felt the tickle of a stray hair that had escaped her elaborate braid. She and Carmen wore matching silver and black dresses but had each braided their red hair to a different side, creating a unique but pleasing mirror effect. Bookend sylphs, one for each arm.
I grinned, pleased, but tried to act nonchalant. "I seem to recall someone wishing for a fancy French dinner the other night..." I trailed off thoughtfully, letting a playful frown of concentration crease my brow.
The twins both let out a squeal of delight and Victoria gave me an approving smile in the mirror, looking dignified but ravishing in a tight maroon dress whose v-neck dipped enough to show a tasteful amount of cleavage. She had arrived home from work early, removing our need to tell her of our evening plans from the road.
"Mmm..." Amber murmured, planting a kiss on my other cheek and wrapping her arms around my left bicep in a soft hug. "Our man has exquisite taste."
I felt my smile broaden. "Only under the direction of my exquisite ladies." My phone vibrated, and I glanced down as it notified me that our ride was just two minutes away. "Time to go," I said, and we trooped out of my bedroom and down the narrow front hallway out of the apartment.
***
It was still a squeeze in the interior of the sleek black van that pulled up out front of the building, and Victoria took shotgun.
The Uber driver, a middle-aged Indian man in a sharply-pressed button down, gave her only the slightest glance before he turned around to check the backseat. "Chance?" he asked, his voice touched by a light accent.
"That's me," I replied as I pulled back the middle row of seats and let Amber climb into the back. The app told me his name was Tushar, and I briefly admired his willpower. He may have been the first man I'd met who hadn't immediately checked out at least one of the gorgeous pornstars who accompanied me.
I chuckled inwardly. He probably thought I was some sort of movie star or internet millionaire. No ordinary man, surely, would be going out on a random Monday night with a whole bevy of beautiful babes.
Carmen clambered in after Amber, followed by me and Daisy. I was now snugly wedged between my twin 18-year-old lovers, with my bombshell girlfriend behind me and my boss-turned-paramour in the front seat.
What a way to live
. I sighed contentedly as we rolled into the street.
The ride was only ten or fifteen minutes, but it felt much quicker as I engaged in idle chatter with Carmen, Daisy and Amber while Victoria messed around on her phone in the front seat. It felt so natural to talk with them, and I wondered how I had survived years of my life without the constant presence of these exceedingly-enjoyable women.
We pulled up outside
Delicieux
, a popular French restaurant downtown, and piled out. I gave Tushar a hefty tip on the app β I was using Mike Lassiter's card, so why not? β and a five-star rating, then stood outside the front door as the van pulled away.
I realized with a hint of surprise that I felt nervous. I'd never really had the money to frequent expensive establishments before, and I wondered whether I was making a mistake. I didn't want to use the wrong fork and look like an idiot in front of my girls.
Victoria gave me a look like she could read my mind and a smile curved across her full lips. "Don't worry, Chance," she purred playfully. "I can take care of you." She winked, and I chuckled but blushed a little at the same time.
"After you," I offered gallantly as I stepped forward to open the door, and my four companions swept into the restaurant.
The interior was well lit but not bright β
Romantic
, I thought β and was already bustling with patrons.
"Do you have a reservation?" the cute blonde hostess asked, smiling from behind her podium. She was taller than average with wavy, shoulder-length hair and a crisply pressed white shirt that made her look official.
I felt the bubble of happiness in my stomach pop and begin to deflate.
Idiot,
I fumed at myself.
You didn't even think about it.
"We do not..." I managed to mutter guiltily, shooting an embarrassed glance at Daisy and Carmen.
The woman looked immediately contrite. "Unfortunately, we're fully booked forβ" she started to say, but Victoria interrupted her.
"Actually," she murmured, stepping forward confidently, "we do have a reservation. Victoria Carmichael."
Glancing down at the computer screen in front of her, the blonde missed the kiss that Victoria blew my way, and I realized that that was what she had been doing on her phone. She'd been getting us a reservation on the drive over.
I grinned back at her, relieved.
The hostess was all smiles as she looked up brightly. "Carmichael, party of five," she said, looking us over. "Right this way." Grabbing a stack of menus, she led us further into the restaurant.