“Are you sure you need to leave?” Monica muttered, dazed as they lay on her bed. She was exhausted. Understandable, as after the kitchen, they had a little shower trip which exhausted her even more, enough that they weren’t even able to test her bed properly, limiting them to a quickie…
“I don’t want to, but I have a prior appointment,” he said. “And, I fulfill my promises.”
“Fine,” she said, then blushed. “What just happened…”
“Was a beautiful, friendly dance, one that I would love to repeat,” he said, kissing her. “But first, I need to clean the kitchen, because that can’t be left to dry, or you’ll spend a week cleaning.”
“The kitchen, yes!” she gasped, finally remembering its messy state. She made a move to stand up.
“Sleep, Monica. I’m not a bad cleaner, and if you don’t like it, you can always finish it tomorrow.”
“Fine. I would help, but … I still can’t feel my legs.”
He smiled. “I’m just that good.”
Monica, surrounded by her soft bed, fell asleep before he could finish putting on his jeans. He left with them, but didn’t bother putting on a shirt. For one, it would make cleaning easier.
Also, there was a chance Rachel would return, and he would never miss a chance to tease her. Too bad, since he had promised to meet with Max and Caroline, it would have to stay as flirting.
A man had to have a code … and for him, following his promises was that code. It meant meeting with them when he made a promise … or actually cleaning the kitchen properly as he promised rather than giving a half-assed effort.
Luckily, one underrated benefit of Strength was that he was able to scrub really well. He was halfway to cleaning when the door opened, but this time, it was an even smaller crack. “Come in. Nothing scandalous is going on,” he said.
The door opened more, showing Rachel. She blushed the moment she saw him, still shirtless.
“I would say a shirtless man is scandalous, but considering the previous time, it’s a big improvement…” Rachel muttered.
He shrugged, perfectly aware just how good it looked with his naked shoulders, evidenced by the way Rachel traced his movement with a dazed expression. “Sorry about it. We were baking when Monica toppled a mixing bowl and … things got dirty.”
Rachel blushed. “Well, I can imagine how it continued. You’re like Monica’s dream man. A hunk that can bake.”
“How do you know I can bake? Maybe I just hung around while Monica did all the work.”
Rachel chuckled. “That’s impossible. Monica is obsessed with her kitchen,” she said. “It doesn’t matter how good you look. She would have kept you away.”
He shrugged again. “Good point. Do you want a cupcake?” She seemed hesitant. “Don’t worry, nothing with chocolate. That batch had been … repurposed,” he said, making sure that his voice dipped just enough to send Rachel’s imagination wild.
Luckily, while Rachel was shocked, she wasn’t a shy person. Instead of retreating, she walked forward and took a bite of the sample cupcakes … only for her eyes to widen. “It’s sweet yet spicy!” she gasped. “It’s disgusting!”
She took another bite.
“That’s the wasabi cupcake,” he said. “It’s more of an experiment. Try the walnut one if you want to taste something simpler.”
She did, humming. “Damn, these are good! Are you a chef as well?”
“Actually no. Cooking is more of a fun activity for me. I’m more of a drifter.”
“Really?” she asked. “Is this why in New York? Fun trip.”
“Unfortunately, no,” he replied. “Even a drifter needs to have money, and I occasionally dip my toes on the dark side.”
She chuckled. “Perfectly understandable. What’s your real work?”
“Depends,” he said.
“On what?”
“Whether you’re asking about which job I enjoy the most, or which job actually pays me the most?”
Her smile turned intrigued. “What do you enjoy the most?” she asked.
“Music, hands down,” he said. “Occasionally, I work as a session musician for recordings, playing the piano. It pays well, and it’s a blast.”
“And, what pays the most, yet you don’t like?”
“Fashion photography, no contest,” he said. It was only a half-truth, as he certainly loved his work in fashion photography, but if he acted aloof, Rachel would be very grateful for his ‘sacrifice’ of talking fashion with her.
“Why?” she asked, her eyes wide. “That sounds absolutely fascinating. I mean, it’s fashion!”
“It sounds that way until you’re asked to take three hundred pictures of twenty different blue shirts with patterns that were outdated at the turn of the century,” he said.
“Still,” she said. “Anything specific you’re working on?”
“Well, this and that,” he said, deliberately dismissive, which made Rachel even more interested.
“Please. I’ll even put in a good word with Monica!”
“Fine,” he said with a sigh. “But, let the record show that I didn’t want to talk about it.” She nodded. “It’s lingerie work. I’m working with a new brand and it’s … well, let’s just say it’s tricky to talk with a beautiful woman I have just met without coming across as creepy.”
Rachel blushed, then giggled. “I think that ship is sailed for us.”
He made a show of pausing. “I guess you’re right,” he admitted.
“Can you show me? I absolutely love fashion.”
“I can’t. Confidentiality agreements,” he said, and she looked disappointed.
“Can’t you do a favor? You owe me one after making it impossible for me to eat in my kitchen.” He chuckled, pointing at her plate, already empty, two cupcakes she had gone through. “Metaphorically,” she added, blushing.
“Fine. A few questions, then,” he said, and used his fashion knowledge to quiz her. She answered them. “Alright, that was impressive. You know what, I’ll write to the owner, and ask her opinion. She might be interested in hearing some external ideas. But, it might not be a paid position.”
“Fine. Just working in fashion is amazing. I don’t need to get paid!”
“Perfect,” he said. They chatted a bit, and all the while, he stayed half-naked, cleaning, never missing the opportunity to flex properly.
Too bad he had made a promise to Max and Caroline. He would have loved to stay and see just how determined Rachel was to get a job in fashion…
He wanted to see exactly what Max and Caroline had planned.
&&&
Once he was back at their apartment, he met with disappointment. Max and Caroline seemed to be late due to a chain of events in the diner, extending their departure time just before their departure.
He didn’t waste his time, split doing three things. He chatted with Haley, Alex, Penny, and Bernadette, though not for long. Haley was busy dealing with the suppliers, Penny had her hectic shoot schedule, and Alex and Bernadette were busy with academics. Though, he had to admit he couldn’t complain.
Their busy schedule and their general ambition worked to his benefit.
It was what made their unusual relationship work.
He spent most of his time adjusting the two fashion websites. The initial frenzy for Haley’s platform had cooled down somewhat … which meant their daily sales numbers had dropped around two hundred thousand dollars rather than the million-dollar peak it had shown the first few days.
And that was without launching the second product line with Mia; let alone launching the lingerie line. Though, he didn’t mention the lingerie line to Haley. According to the show, Rachel was supposed to be another hidden fashion genius.
Why not let her take over and see if she would work just as well.
The third thing he did, he wrote an investment contract for Max. Well, more accurately, he had written two, with different conditions, one generous, the other harsh, prepared for multiple eventualities.
Max and Caroline came home sometime after midnight, and they looked exhausted. He recognized the look because he had worked as a waiter for a long time. It was the bone-weary exhaustion, the kind that was born from a terrible day getting further ruined by a nasty combination of annoying customers and infrastructure mishaps alike.
Max entered first, kicking off her shoes with violence, filing a complaint against life itself. She didn’t even acknowledge his presence as she threw herself on the couch, pressed a pillow to her face, and let out a loud cry.
It must have been horrible if Max was reacting like that.
Caroline followed directly by going to the kitchen and pulling the tequila bottle, looked at the glass, then decided to drink from the bottle directly. “Bitter,” she gasped only after a large gulp. "I hate everyone," she announced. "Every customer. Every person who has ever ordered a meal and expected it to arrive with a smile while leaving a dime as the tip."
Max shouted into the cushion once again.
“Bad day?” he asked.
“It might be the worst since I had started working there, and believe me, there’s some stiff competition. Is this what I should expect, Max?”
“No,” she answered, her face still buried to the pillow. “I mean, the diner is no heaven. But, today was a special kind of hell. Especially that idiot hipster who sent the burger three times because the ketchup was too aggressive. If Earl hadn’t intervened, I would have fed him the plate.”
“You know what? Why don’t you girls go take quick showers while I mix something better than straight tequila from the bottle, and then we can talk.”
He didn’t say anything else when first Max disappeared into the shower and Caroline collapsed on the couch, choosing to shout into the pillow to relax. Meanwhile, he dug around the kitchen, doing his best to mix an interesting cocktail.
First, it needed to be light in alcohol. They were frustrated, and the last thing he wanted was for them to drink themselves into a stupor. However, he couldn’t go for something soft like a piña colada either, because they needed something substantial.
In the end, he decided on a weird signature cocktail where he used tequila and chili powder as a base, and he added several other ingredients including some cilantro and a touch of agave to smooth the profile so that it didn’t feel like a cheap gimmick.
It was a drink he would never have touched if he had seen that in a menu, but the result even impressed himself. Mixology skill might not be as useful for making money as photography, but it had a great quality of life improvement.
Caroline went to the bathroom silently once Max disappeared to her bedroom, the towel barely enough to contain her incredible assets. He worked on the cocktail until Caroline finished showering, wearing a fluffy bathrobe, and stumbled toward the kitchen counter.
She took a sip, and her eyes widened. “What’s this?” she gasped. “It’s amazing. Kind of amazing that I only tasted when I was rich, and those cocktails required bottles that cost more than what we pay for rent … yearly.”
He winked, amused at her reaction. “I’m just that good, princess. Now, take Max’s drink as well, lie on her bed, and wait for me.” Her eyes widened, assuming that he was ordering a threesome. But, she must have really liked the drink he prepared, because she was thinking about it despite the rough delivery. “What you need is a massage.”
Caroline gulped. “Can you move in forever?”
“I might be encouraged for a more regular visit schedule, but only if you be a good girl … or a really, really bad one,” he said with a wink, enjoying her blush. “Go and lie down. I’ll be there in a second.”
He didn’t hurry up, because he wanted them to be chatting for a while. Instead, he walked to his luggage, and pulled out the massage oil he had purchased, something he had brought for situations such as those.
“We’re ready,” Max shouted a minute later. He walked to a beautiful scene. Both women were naked as they lay on the bed, with folded towels on their lower half just enough to make the moment even more seductive. He walked in. “I hope the massage is not just a lie to trick us into a threesome, because after the day I had, I need one!” she declared.
“Don’t worry,” he said as he showed his massage oil.
He was glad for his Agility even as he took a position right between them, because it meant he didn’t have to choose who to start first. All he needed was to cover their backs with a generous dash of oil and start working.
Immediately, he was glad that he had actual medical skills, which included anatomy, because he suspected their backs qualified for actual treatment. Max’s, in particular, because what she experienced went beyond simple tension and became something structural.
She had a hard, stressful life, and he suspected her rather incredible breasts couldn’t be easy to carry around.
Caroline’s situation wasn’t as bad, but only in comparison to Max’s desperate need. Both of them needed the relief of a proper massage, and their dazed moans confirmed it. Max immediately buried her face in a pillow and started crying again, though this time her tone was more of joy than frustration.
"Oh my God," Caroline moaned once his thumb demolished a persistent knot. “Amazing drink, excellent massage. Harem application is officially submitted,” Caroline moaned, unaware how close her teasing words were to the future he envisioned.
He could have turned it into another threesome easily, but he decided that after the day they had, they deserved to see the end of the massage … even if when he finished, both were sleeping soundly.
He decided to lay between them, enjoying the way two naked beautiful women hugged him to sleep.
[Achievement complete. Give Caroline and Max a perfectly restful night that makes them forget their unfortunate lives.
Challenge: Daring]
[+25 Any Stat
1 Platinum Skill Upgrade
1 Platinum Reward Upgrade]
The reward was a welcome surprise, and it came before he could fall asleep. He went with skill upgrade, and decided to go with Driving skill. He had relatively few Adept skills, and between Cello, Fashion, Acting, and Driving, driving seemed to be the most critical one.
Though, only because he had too many women with fashion expertise around him, and upgrading it was easier.
[Expert Driving]
[Elite Skill: You are an exceptional driver. You can handle anything with wheels, and some with wings, incredibly well, and you’re good enough to be a professional racer.]
And, since he was being kind, he even woke up to Max’s alarm, and silenced it before he went and actually baked her cupcakes before sneaking back to her bed. He only woke to Max’s second alarm, which told her that she needed to leave for deliveries.
Max jumped up. “No,” she gasped. “I’m late!”
Caroline jumped as well, then she started blushing as she realized she was completely naked, watching Max rush.
“I … this,” Caroline muttered, her heartbeat going wild.
“Come to the kitchen,” he said, and he led her to the kitchen without letting her dress. Caroline blushed, but followed. They found Max gaping at the sight.
“Where are those cupcakes come from?” she said.
“I baked them. You need uninterrupted sleep once in a while,” he said.
Max’s eyes widened, then she hugged him, ignoring their nudity while she buried her head in the nook of his neck. “Thank you,” she whispered. “This might be the nicest thing anyone has ever done for me.”
[Achievement complete. Make Max Black feel a lot of confusing and warm emotions without refusing them.
Challenge: Daring]
[+25 Charisma
1 Random Platinum Skill
1 Random Platinum Reward]
He was tempted to risk a roll, but thinking of all the skills Max offered, he didn’t think any that was better than substantially improving his Charisma. He picked the stat that he had lagging behind.
“You deserve to be pampered as well, sexy,” he whispered and kissed her, and dragged her to the couch. Max was ready to turn that into an explosive treatment, while Caroline was split between running away and joining.
“Yes,” Max muttered.
“Speaking of pampering, you know you can’t continue juggling four jobs without having a mental breakdown, right?” he whispered.
“Less talking, more kissing,” Max muttered. “I need to leave for deliveries. Caroline can have you after I leave.”
“Before, I want another idea. What would you say if I become investor in your cupcake shop —“ he started.
"No."
“Listen first, refuse later,” he said, even as he spanked her ass hard, making her gasp.
“You can’t spank me into obedience,” she declared.
He smirked. “I probably could, but this one, I prefer not to.”
“The answer is no, then,” Max said, determined. “I won’t take your money.”
He smiled at her determination. Most women would be more than happy to jump at the opportunity, even thinking they deserved it just for having sex. Max was the exact opposite, refusing the money aggressively.
“Wait, what investment? Ethan, how do you even have money?”
“I told you that I did some photography and web design work for a startup, but they didn’t have the money to pay me, so I got some equity. Apparently, the business is doing better than I expected.”
“How well, and what’s the equity ratio?” Caroline asked.
“A revenue around two million, with very healthy margins,” he said.
Caroline sighed. “Ethan. Max is right to refuse. Projected yearly revenue of two million sounds good, but even with thirty percent margins, your share wouldn’t be high enough that you can take risks. And, there’s no guarantee that the revenue will actually meet the projections. While I believe a cupcake shop will be a good investment, you can’t take such a risk. Even a conservative investment estimate is a hundred thousand, and we’re nowhere near close enough to collect it.”
“You heard the blonde. Now, less talking, more fucking,” Max muttered. “I appreciate the offer, but never speak of it again.”
He chuckled even as he grabbed Max’s hips, and impaled her. “Two things. First, I’m not giving a gift. I want to invest because I genuinely believe it’ll be profitable. Second, two million isn’t the yearly revenue. It’s the revenue for the first week.”
Caroline’s eyes widened. “You’ve got to be kidding me. Are you sure it’s not a scam!”
“Nope. Check the website,” he said and gave her the address.
Caroline immediately started searching while he continued fucking Max, amused by the unusual business negotiation. And the fact that Caroline was actually distracted by the business enough to ignore them.
“You’re pushing your luck,” Max gasped.
“Look, Max,” he said even as he stopped impaling her, but still staying inside. “I’m not offering to invest in a cupcake shop because I want to give you a gift. If that had been the case, I would have wired you some money. I want to invest, and I want some real equity back.”
“Really?”
“Yes. Max, your baking is exceptional. Your technique is rough, but you have a real talent, the kind other people would kill for. Not to mention, you have the perfect personality to create a viral sensation. Your weirdly charming insult will be catnip to the rich idiots in New York would wait in line for five hours just to share pictures."
Caroline muttered. “This website is … legit.”
“Girls. Not to brag, but I don’t think I need to lie angling for a threesome, right?” he said, pointing at their naked state. “I’m making the offer, because I believe in you.”
Max gulped. “I never actually managed a kitchen. It…”
“We can handle it, Max,” Caroline said.
He chuckled, remembering all the mistakes they had made in the show. Caroline had excellent business school training, but it hardly prepared her for a real startup kitchen, and Max was too chaotic to bring order. “Oh, you certainly can’t, so my investment will be conditional to having an experienced chef as consultant for at least three months, teaching you two. Restaurant business is no joke.”
Max paused, his insistence on having a supervisor actually making her relax. “This is an offer, a real one.”
“Yep,” he said. “Caroline, be a dear and bring my laptop,” he said. Caroline stood up. “And, no dressing. I’m loving these negotiation outfits. Very professional.”
“Jerk,” Caroline muttered, but she followed his request while Max chuckled. He opened the contracts he had prepared. “Why two?” she said.
“Max has the option. One is the one I want her to accept, the other is the one she’ll insist on taking,” he said.
Caroline read them quickly, then paused. “This is not even a choice,” she said. “One of them is so much better than the other, it’s ridiculous,” she said.
“Alright,” he said, even as he grabbed Max’s ass, and started moving her. “Why don’t you explain the conditions to her so that Max can make a choice…” he teased.
He knew Max’s choice already, but watching Caroline go crazy would be fun…