Harem House Chapter 37 Part 2

Despite her early lead due to surprise, Selene’s running pace was no match for Arthur’s. He ran too far ahead of her after he passed her and slowed to let her catch him. He kept her a few paces behind him for the rest of the run. 

He reached the apartment complex first, but Selene had to get her phone and keys from her apartment. They made a slight detour and noticed Mindy watching for them from his apartment window. She waved, and Arthur waved back. She held up her phone and pointed to it. Arthur checked his. 

Whore: Good morning, Boss! 

Arthur smiled at his phone. 

Boss: Good morning, Whore! We’ll be up in a sec. Slut has to get her stuff. 

Mindy reacted with a smiley face and a heart. Arthur responded with a heart, and when he looked up to the window, Mindy was gone. 

He waited for Selene on the main landing in her building. She returned with her things, a duffel, and the trench coat, and they hurried across the parking lot. 

To Arthur’s surprise, his apartment was bustling when he entered. The two extra mattresses were up against the wall. Someone had returned Arthur’s mattress to his bed, which they’d made. 

Rani and Kat sat at the kitchen table with Venti Starbucks coffees in their hands. Rani yawned into her elbow as she and Kat waved. 

Arthur yawned, catching it from Rani, as he closed the door. Mindy knelt between them and the TV on the far wall, demure and ready for the day. She’d washed her hair and pulled it into two braided pigtails on either side of her face. Her white button-down blouse had sleeves that covered her shoulders and not her arms. It tucked into a black pencil miniskirt that was ruched on each side as if she’d pulled a long skirt up to make it mini. Beneath it, her black stockings stretched over her tan skin to her shoeless feet, which she tucked behind her. 

“Welcome home, Boss!” Mindy said, bright and cheerful. “Mistress is in the kitchen, Pet’s finishing in the bathroom, Brat and Concubine are still waking up.” 

“Thank you.” Arthur said, taking stock of where everyone was and what they were doing. Plates of half-eaten eggs, croissants, and bacon on Kat’s plate suggested they’d gathered it from multiple sources. His pantry had no croissants, though the eggs and bacon might have been his. He didn’t mind sharing; he just had to update his grocery list. 

He added organizing the house groceries to his to-do list. Breakfasts like this would be more common once they were all moved in and living in the same place. 

The bathroom door opened, and a freshly showered Katelyn stepped out in a pair of fresh pink panties with pictures of white kittens on them. She wore nothing else but kept her arm with the pulled shoulder at her side. 

“Well, hellooo, Sir.” Katelyn said in the same intonation as some cartoon characters said, ‘Hello, Nurse.’ She saluted with her good arm and chuckled as she strode past them into the kitchen. 

“Slut and I need to shower, then we’ll join breakfast.” Arthur said. 

Mindy nodded. “Yes, Boss. Do you need any help? I already ate.” 

“You look pretty freshly showered and ready for the day.” Arthur said, raising an eyebrow. “Is everyone else showered?” 

“Kat and Rani haven’t if you’d like one or both to assist you.” Mindy answered. 

“I think we’ve got it.” Arthur said. “Let them finish their coffee.” 

Kat raised her coffee cup in their direction as a silent thank you. Arthur laughed and offered his hand to Selene, who took it and squeezed. They entered the bathroom together and closed the door. Despite their nakedness and the availability, their shower was mostly about utility. They fondled, washed, rinsed, and enjoyed each other, but took their turns under the water and bathed first and foremost. 

The water sluiced their sweat away. Both had worked up quite a bit on the run home from the park, and the park before that, and the run before that. Selene smiled as she scrubbed her master and closed her eyes as he washed her. The exchange didn’t last long, and neither did the hot water. It was probably good that they’d showered together and were more economical about it than usual. 

Arthur stepped out, drying himself as Selene rinsed her hair. She’d let it out of its braid, washing it despite the work that went into it. The water had turned cold by the end, and she did her best to keep her body away from its spray, letting the water rinse away the suds. 

Drying her hair took longer than it took Arthur to dry his entire body. He had time to go through his morning routine at the sink without shaving. He didn’t have time for that today, so the stubble on his chin and jawline would shift from noticeable to prominent by the end of the day. He typically shaved every day, but letting it go for one wasn’t the worst thing in the world. He hoped. It was a little itchy, but he made way for Selene to use the sink and left her to it as she patted her hair dry with a towel. 

Arthur slipped naked from the bathroom into his bedroom and quickly threw on the clothes someone had laid out for him on his bed: black and comfy boxer briefs, an olive green button-down shirt, a pair of gray slacks, a matching suit jacket, and a gray tie. He wore tan brown leather dress shoes and a brown belt. He left the bedroom and entered the kitchen, where everyone stopped and stared at him. 

“Damn!” Rani said. “That’ll wake you up.” 

Arthur looked up to see what he’d missed, but Rani didn’t even have her coffee cup anymore, having finished it. She was apparently talking about him, and he blushed slightly under everyone’s scrutiny. 

The small kitchen was at capacity, with Rani, Kat, Katelyn, and Mindy sitting at the kitchen table. Kelly stood at the stove, and her smile grew as she beamed at him. She’d done her makeup and hair already, and she looked drop-dead sexy in nothing but a plain black apron, heels, booty shorts from last night’s costume, and pearls. Their chokers were about their necks, and Kat and Rani were naked from the night before. Kelly kissed Arthur’s cheek as he approached, her heels clicking on the kitchen tile. 

“One of you needs to get up so Master can sit.” Kelly said, looking pointedly at the table. “I’m sure one of them would be happy to serve you while you eat.” She said, prodding Arthur toward the table. 

“I have to shower, shave, and shit anyway.” Rani said, rising from her chair. “Sit here, my King.” 

Arthur wasn’t sure if the third thing on the list was a fill-in word or something she meant literally, but he didn’t ask. He took her seat after she vacated it, and she rubbed his shoulders briefly. He patted her ass as she stepped away, enjoying the jiggle of her massive cheeks from the smack. 

“Mm.” Rani said, leaving him there as she walked away. “I’m gonna think about you in the shower.” 

Arthur chuckled softly but appreciated the view as she walked away. Kat rolled her eyes and took another sip of her coffee. 

“You guys made a Starbucks run while I was out?” He asked, knowing neither Rani nor Kat had left the apartment. That, or they’d been quite daring without him. 

“Mindy and I made the run before my shower.” Katelyn said, raising her hand softly. She’d dressed in her clothes from the day before while he was in the shower with Selene. “Kelly was getting ready, and these two were grumbling about you not having a coffee maker, so I made myself useful.” 

Arthur nodded, understanding the impulse. “Thank you.” 

“You're welcome!” Mindy said.

“I'm glad there’s one nearby.” Katelyn said. “And they open stupid early.” 

“At least the house has a nice coffee maker.” Kat said, sighing dreamily. “I can’t wait.” 

Arthur chuckled, leaning aside as Kelly placed a plate before him. Half the plate contained a spinach omelet folded in half and cooked to golden perfection. Several strips of hot and crispy bacon, ringed by strawberries, filled the other half. She placed a glass of water before him and kissed his cheek. 

“Thank you!” He said, not surprised but impressed. “Kelly, this looks amazing.” 

Kelly smiled and retreated to the stove in several quick steps. Arthur adjusted how he was sitting as he watched her high, peach-shaped ass walk away. 

“Hey, how come he got five strips and we only got three?” Kat grumbled, looking at Arthur’s bacon. 

Kelly raised an eyebrow at Kat and put her hand on her hip. “Because he’s my favorite.” Kelly said, pointing at him with her spatula. 

Arthur motioned for Kelly to come to him, and she did. The pair shared a kiss. “Seriously. Thank you, Wifey. This looks amazing.” 

“You’re welcome.” Kelly said, kissing him again. “Now eat up.” 

“I’ll have to be quick. I’m running behind schedule, and Mindy and I need to get to work.” Arthur said, picking up the fork that Kelly set for him. 

“Do you need us to grab anything for you?” Kelly asked, looking at Mindy, who stood to run the fetch quests. 

“Uh… I need my backpack.” Arthur said, having never unpacked it from last night. “And I need to swap out the textbooks.” 

“What books do you need?” Mindy asked as Kelly returned to the stove. 

Arthur listed out the three textbooks he needed for his classes. The notebooks and his laptop were in there already. “Oh, and my phone is on my dresser.” Arthur said, patting his pockets. “Can you grab that for me?” 

“You got it, Boss.” Mindy said and hurried to the second bedroom where his textbooks were. 

Arthur ate while she did that, and Kat and Katelyn finished their plates with him. 

“You really didn’t have to make all this.” Arthur said, smiling. “I appreciate it, obviously.” He said. “I just don’t want you to think you have to cook breakfast like this every day.” 

“Don’t ruin this for us.” Katelyn said, her voice harsh. “She’s really good at it.” 

Kat chuckled and sipped her coffee.

“I don’t mind.” Kelly said to Arthur. “Honestly, it’s kind of nice to make breakfast for so many people again. I haven’t done it in a while. Plus, it’s fun to pamper you.” She added a glass of orange juice to Arthur’s place setting, which he immediately took a sip from. 

“You’re amazing.” Arthur told her.

“Someone has to take care of you, Mister.” She winked at him, and Arthur squeezed her hand before she left the table again. 

If someone asked him what his secret with women was, he didn’t know it. He’d done nothing to deserve Kelly’s affection or her doting, but he resolved to strive to be worthy of it. He’d take care of her as much as she took care of him, and that was the least he could do. 

He ate, as did the others. Selene joined them at the table, her hair down and sweeping behind her like a cloak of blonde waves that covered her back from crown to butt as she walked. Otherwise, she wore nothing but her collar. 

“Oh my god!” Katelyn said as Selene sat down. “Your hair!” 

Selene looked alarmed for a moment, wondering what was wrong with it. She reached for it, touching it between her fingers and feeling its silky strands still warm from the hair dryer. 

“It looks amazing!” Mindy said, returning from the other room. 

Kelly turned to see and smiled. “Wow. It really is beautiful down like that.” 

Selene blushed, pushing her hair behind her. “Thanks.” She smiled. “I’ll braid it once it’s fully dry.” 

“I don’t know how you handle it down that way.” Kat said, shaking her head. Her short blonde curls made her point for her. 

“You should do pigtails!” Mindy said. “We can be twins!” 

Selene glanced at Arthur as if asking permission. 

“I like pigtails.” Arthur confirmed. “But I like your typical braid, too. It’s very you.” 

“And in true guy fashion, I’m willing to bet you like it down, too.” Katelyn said, rolling her eyes. 

“Well… yeah.” Arthur said, smiling slightly as he looked at Selene. 

“You take good care of it.” Katelyn said as if noticing how long and well-maintained it was for the first time. 

“Her hair is probably the only thing she cares more about than that collar.” Kat said, gesturing to Selene’s neck where the brown leather choker rested. 

Selene touched her choker, then tilted in surprise as Kelly placed a plate of eggs, strawberries, a croissant roll, and bacon in front of her. 

“Wow.” Selene said. “Thank you, Mistress.” 

“You’re welcome, Slut.” Kelly said as she returned to the stove. “Eat up. Something tells me you’re going to want the calories if you went running with Mister Marathon over here.” She patted Arthur’s shoulder on her way past. 

“He can be a slave driver.” Kat said, chuckling to herself as she shamelessly stole Selene’s bacon.  

Mindy giggled. “Definitely a taskmaster.” She nodded. 

“He rides us all pretty hard.” Katelyn added. 

“And always on the lookout for any excuse to punish us.” Kat said, gesturing to Arthur. 

“Like for stealing other people’s bacon, for example?” Kelly asked, gesturing to Selene’s baconless plate with her spatula as Kat took the last strip. “How’s your ass doing, by the way, Brat? It looked pretty beat up last night.” 

Kat bit her lip and shifted in her seat. “It’s fine.” 

“Should I add a few spanks with this spatula for thievery?” Kelly asked, holding the spatula and flicking it with her wrist like a tennis racket.

Selene giggled. “It’s okay that she took my bacon. I’m vegan, so she was eating it for me.” 

“Oh, I’m sorry.” Kelly said, dropping her smile and shaking her head. “I completely forgot.” 

“It’s okay.” Selene said. “It’s a personal thing. I don’t push it on others or make a big deal of it. I really hate the whole obnoxious vegan stereotype.” 

“She’s more likely to convince someone to fuck her boyfriend than she is to convince them to turn vegan.” Kat sniped, which made the others laugh. 

“Seriously though, Kat, how is your backside?” Arthur asked. “Are you still in pain?” 

“No, I’m okay. It’s only sore if someone hits it.” Kat said, smirking at Arthur. 

“You should put some more ice on it.” Arthur said. “Use the lotion if there’s any dry skin, chafing, or chapping.” 

“See?” Kat asked the room at large. “So bossy.” 

“How anyone stands him is a mystery.” Mindy said, though she barely made it through the sentence before breaking into giggles. 

The girls laughed, and Arthur laughed with them. Sitting, eating, and sharing a real moment together was nice. No one was making demands of him or asking him to solve anything; they were just enjoying each other’s company. Moments like this made him realize how lucky he was in life. This, even more than sex, seemed an oasis in his life's tumultuous sea of drama. 

He finished his food but didn’t want to end the moment. Only his glance at the phone Mindy delivered made him leave the table. His time was up. As it was, he and Mindy were about to be five or so minutes late to work unless whatever god was in charge of traffic decided to smile on him today. 

“Alright, Mindy.” Arthur said, getting up from the table. “Grab your stuff. We’ve got to get to the office.” 

“Yes, Boss!” Mindy said before running into the other room. Her run was stilted by the constriction of her skirt, but she slipped on her high heels by the door in record time. 

Arthur smiled and followed her. By the time he had his things together, the girls had lined up by the door, forming something of a wall. Even Rani came trotting out in a towel, which she dropped once she was in place. Her naked body was always something to behold, enhanced by the gold jewelry she wore on her nipples, navel, nose, and eyebrows, in addition to her toe rings, finger rings, bracelets, and anklets. 

“Gorgeous as always, Concubine.” Arthur said, giving her a kiss goodbye. 

“Have a good day, my King.” Rani said, patting his ass as he stepped down the line to Katelyn. 

Katelyn shifted awkwardly at first, but she squeezed his shoulder and kissed him. “Have fun at work, I guess?” 

Arthur chuckled. “Thanks. Have a good Thursday. We’ll be in touch, obviously, now that you’re added to the chats.” 

Katelyn nodded, waving as he stepped aside to Kat. 

“Behave yourself today, Brat.” Arthur said, bending slightly to kiss Kat. 

“Make me.” Kat said, smiling through her kiss before Arthur stepped to Selene. 

“Wear something cute and anime-themed today.” Arthur said, noticing how she was still naked. “Send me a pic, but you have my permission to decide for yourself what counts as cute. Doesn’t have to be slutty.” 

“Yes, Master.” Selene said, bowing slightly. 

Arthur lifted her chin and kissed her, locking lips with her for several slow moments before he broke the kiss and stood before Kelly. 

“Thank you for breakfast and everything you do to keep this harem running smoothly.” Arthur said, smiling softly at her. “I know you’re not a hundred percent right now, so feel free to take it easy. Let the others do the dishes or rinse them and leave them in the sink, and I’ll take care of them when I get home tonight.” 

“Drive safely, Mister.” Kelly said, kissing Arthur with an amused smile as if she knew he was dreaming if he thought she’d leave him the dishes. She fixed his tie, adjusting it as she spoke. “And don’t worry about the dishes. You might want to make a grocery run after class, though. You’re out of… almost everything.” 

Arthur laughed. That tracked. “Thank you, Misses.” 

“You’re welcome, Mister.” Kelly kissed him again, holding onto his lapels and then flattening them with her palm to separate them as she stepped away. “Do well at work!” 

“I’ll do my best.” Arthur said, nodding as Mindy slipped ahead of him through the door. He made his exit, then held the door open. Mindy dashed through the door again, kissed Rani, Selene, and Kelly, and returned to his side at the top of the stairs. 

Kelly waved goodbye as she closed the door, and Arthur returned the gesture. Then he and Mindy hurried down the stairs, knowing they’d be late but knowing it was worth it.

The drive to work didn’t go Arthur’s way. By the time he made it to campus and parked, he and Mindy hustled to the office to find they were fifteen minutes behind schedule. 

Mindy let herself into Beth’s office, where her desk was now, and Arthur went in the main way, so at least it didn’t look like they were coming in together. 

“Beth wants to see you.” Tara said before the door had even closed behind Arthur. 

He sighed and nodded. He set his bag down, put his suit jacket over the back of his chair, straightened his tie, and faced his doom. Beth hated it when people were late, and she had every right to lay into him for it. It was entirely a lack of planning on his part. He only hoped she didn’t yell at Mindy. 

There was no yelling when Arthur entered Beth’s office, but another person was sitting across from Beth. Mindy stood between the external door and her new desk, clearly mid-conversation with the two older women. All three of them turned to stare at Arthur as he entered. 

“Please close the door behind you, Arthur.” Beth said, all business and much calmer than he expected. 

Arthur closed the door, nervously looking between her and the woman sitting on his side of the desk: Liz Marino, the head of the HR department. 

“Why don’t you sit here?” Liz asked as she rose from her seat and offered it to Mindy. 

Mindy glanced at Arthur but took the seat Liz offered her. Liz circled Beth’s desk and stood beside her. She looked at Arthur expectantly, and he got the hint. He took the seat beside Mindy. 

“It’s come to our attention that you two have recently begun dating.” Liz said, still standing over everyone. “Is this accurate? Are you a couple?” 

Arthur and Mindy nodded without looking at each other. There was no use in denying it; they’d made the necessary changes at the office to facilitate it. Mindy worked directly for Beth now. It was their casual sex relationship with Beth that no one could know about. 

“Well, congratulations!” Liz said, her voice suddenly very excited as she smiled. “We’re very happy for you.” 

Arthur wasn’t sure how to respond, so he stayed silent and waited. Her sudden swing from stoic to happy was bad acting, and as a theater kid, he hated bad acting. 

“In case you weren’t aware, office romances between coworkers must be reported to HR as soon as possible.” Liz said, still smiling but taking on a matronly, almost condescending tone. “Unfortunately, my office found out about your relationship from an anonymous source, so we had to investigate.” 

“I–” Beth started interjecting, but Liz silenced her with a look. It wasn’t a mean or accusatory look, but a patient ‘I wasn’t finished’ expression that made Beth shut her mouth. 

“Miss Rian did tell me that you made her aware of your relationship when it started, which resulted in the restructuring she requested to make you her personal assistant.” Liz said, speaking with Mindy. “So that you weren’t reporting directly to Mister Clarke, which would be a serious conflict of interest.” 

“Right.” Mindy said, nodding as if she agreed with everything Liz said, or at least the last part of it, whichever Miss Marino wanted to believe. 

“Failing to disclose your relationship to HR is a serious violation of the employee handbook policies. I’d expect a supervisor to pay more attention to such things in the future.” Liz said, leveling her gaze at Arthur as it turned accusatory. 

“He wasn’t a–” Beth started, but Liz silenced her with another glare. It didn’t matter that he wasn’t a supervisor when they started dating or was recently promoted to the position. He had to be held to a higher standard as someone in leadership. 

Arthur nodded. “You’re right. I should have remembered that, but it slipped my mind. I apologize, but Mindy shouldn’t be in trouble for that. She’s new to the office.” 

“Yes.” Liz agreed. “You’re a freshman, correct, Ji-Min?”  

“Mindy.” Mindy corrected. “And yes.” 

“Oh, is Min-Dee your middle name?” Liz asked, making friendly conversation. 

“Uh… no?” Mindy answered. “It’s just taking the Min part of my name and adding a -dy. It’s… like a nickname.” 

“Ah.” Liz nodded. “Well, you might want to start going by your legal name if you want your coworkers to treat you more professionally.” 

“It hasn’t been a problem.” Mindy said, shrugging. 

“Maybe not yet, but you want people to take you seriously, don’t you, Miss Tae?” Liz asked, still smiling. “I’m sure the other young ladies in your office would appreciate a more professional approach, even if you have to educate them on the pronunciation.” 

“Is it a problem if I go by Mindy?” Mindy asked, surprised. 

“No, but Mindy is a nickname, and working in an office like this one, if you want people to take you seriously as a young woman, you might want to consider going by a more professional moniker.” Liz said patient as ever as she explained her reasoning. 

“Isn’t Liz a nickname for Elizabeth?” Mindy asked. 

Liz stared at her as if no one had ever told her this. 

“Same as Beth?” Mindy asked, gesturing to Beth. “Why is my name any different? Because it’s Korean?” 

Arthur knew he couldn’t laugh. He wanted to, but laughing would only humiliate the lady from HR, and if there was one thing Arthur knew about middle-aged adults, it was that they’d sooner douse themselves in gasoline and light a match than allow a younger person to humiliate them unscathed. 

He glanced in Mindy’s direction. He wanted to high-five her but remained professional, just as Mindy remained smiling and cheerful as if she hadn’t just flipped Liz off in her mind. 

“Maybe it’s just that people think of names that end in -y as juvenile.” Liz said after a brief pause. Her easy smile returned. “That's why I don’t go by Lizzie. I suspect that’s why Arthur goes by his full name, not Arty, right?” She looked at Arthur, expecting him to back her up, but did a double take as Mindy’s smile vanished while he remained pleasant. 

“I think we got off topic.” Arthur said, cutting off whatever Mindy had opened her mouth to say. “Am I going to be penalized for failing to report our relationship to HR?” He left Mindy out of the hypothetical, taking full responsibility onto himself. If they wanted to discipline him, he’d accept it. The worst-case scenario was that they’d fire him, but if they’d wanted to do that, he imagined the meeting would have been just him and HR or him and Beth. A write-up was more likely. 

Liz looked at him, her gaze starting cold and gradually warming. “No.” She said, closing her eyes and shaking her head. “Miss Rian explained that you informed her of your relationship, and she forgot to inform my office. That miscommunication has been dealt with.” 

Arthur glanced in Beth’s direction, but she didn’t react. It wouldn't have cost her the job if she’d gotten in trouble with HR. She didn’t seem bothered by it, but her total lack of expressiveness throughout the conversation told Arthur she was being cautious to keep her expression neutral. She was hiding something, as were Arthur and Mindy. They had to hide their relationship and lunchtime activities from HR. Dating a coworker was one thing, but sex in the office? That was definitely against the rules, especially while on the clock. Team Building was only supposed to go so far. 

“We just wanted to go over some rules with you two to make sure everyone’s on the same page.” Liz said, gesturing to Beth’s computer as if Arthur and Mindy could see what was on the screen from where they sat, which they couldn’t. 

“The important thing is that we should remain professional at all times.” Beth said, nodding. 

“Yes, it’s very important that you two remain professional in the office. Outside, you’re free to consent to whatever personal displays of affection suit you, if any.” Liz said. “But in the office, you’re not boyfriend and girlfriend. You’re Arthur and Ji-Min.” 

“We’re human beings.” Mindy protested. “Not robots. We can’t turn off those parts of our brains.” 

“What Miss Marino means is that your conduct should remain professional. That’s all. Your behavior in the office shouldn’t interfere with your work performance or make your colleagues uncomfortable.” Beth said. “If you two were overly affectionate, it might make Tara or the others uncomfortable.” 

And now Arthur knew who they had to thank for this lovely visit from HR. He wouldn’t make a big deal of it, though. No one was being reprimanded. These were just the official policies from the handbook being repeated to them for training purposes. However, it did put them on thin ice. Now that they’d received an official reminder, they’d be in trouble (i.e., fired) if someone complained that they’d broken one of these policies. No kissing in the office. 

“You’re to absolutely abstain from any displays of public affection.” Liz said, agreeing with Beth. “Including hand holding, kissing, and excessive flirtation.” 

Mindy’s face scrunched in confusion. “What’s excessive flirtation? Like what’s the normal amount of flirtation versus the excessive level?” 

“It’s probably best to avoid any type of flirtation while in the office.” Liz said. “Professionalism between you is of the utmost importance.” 

Mindy frowned at that answer but had enough sense not to argue. Liz wasn’t here to have a conversation. She was here to lay down the law.  

“And obviously, you need to avoid any kind of favoritism or preferential treatment.” Liz leveled her gaze at Arthur. “Or anything that someone else might claim is biased deference.” 

“Oh, don’t worry, Arthur doesn’t defer to me. He rides me harder than anyone else here.” Mindy said, giggling. 

Arthur winced. 

“That is a perfect example of the kind of joke that will make other people uncomfortable and should be avoided to maintain a professional environment.” Liz said. “You cannot make that kind of remark in the office, even as a joke. Do you understand, Miss Tae?” 

Mindy tilted her head, appearing genuinely confused. “Why? What did I say?” She asked, exuding her innocence and naivety like a flood that made even Arthur question if she was oblivious to her innuendo. 

Liz shook her head, not engaging it either way. “You need to be very careful, Miss Tae.” Liz explained. “Romantic entanglements with older men who take advantage of younger women like yourself can ruin careers, and I’d advise you to be very careful, especially when dating someone so much older and less innocent than you are.” 

Arthur raised an eyebrow. Did she think he was a lecherous old man taking advantage of a naive schoolgirl? Mindy was an eighteen-year-old college freshman dating a twenty-two-year-old college senior. He had more experience, but she was far more perverted than she appeared. It surprised him sometimes, but he was getting used to it. 

“I’m sorry. Do you think Arthur is taking advantage of me?” Mindy asked, surprised. 

“We can discuss that later if you’d like to speak to me about anything in private.” Liz said, glancing at Arthur. 

“But–” Mindy said, but Liz cut her off mid-word. 

“When you break up, we expect both of you to remain professional and respectful to prevent tension in the workplace.” Liz said. “No matter what the cause is out there, you leave it out there. Do you think you’re capable of that if Arthur were to cheat on you, or–” 

Mindy frowned. “Don’t worry, Miss Marino, we’re both adults and fully capable of remaining professional no matter what.” 

Arthur appreciated the vote of confidence, but his mood was souring on Liz the more she talked. He didn’t know what about him pissed her off, but something had. He’d had maybe two whole conversations with her in the past, and none had anything to do with the others. She didn’t like him, and Arthur had the sneaking suspicion that she wanted him fired. Maybe he was being paranoid, but what had started as a ridiculous passing thought had grown into a recognized pattern of confirmations. 

“Well, feel free to reach out to me if any work-related issues arise between you two, or you and any coworkers, as a result of your romantic entanglement.” Liz said, resuming her more professional expression. “Do you have any questions?” 

Arthur and Mindy looked at each other, reading their expressions to see if they had anything to ask. 

Mindy shrugged. “I’m good.” 

“Are there any documents for us to sign, or anything we can address with our coworkers directly?” Arthur asked. 

“No, no signatures are necessary. We have your relationship on record, and we’ll keep track of it to ensure everything stays above board.” Liz said. 

“How?” Arthur asked. 

“What do you mean?” Liz asked. 

“How will you be tracking our personal relationship?” Arthur asked. 

“Oh, I just meant that we’ll stay in touch with your coworkers and manager to ensure everyone remains comfortable with the situation and that no policies are violated.” Liz explained as if it were Arthur’s first day in Kindergarten. “And we’ll be keeping a close eye on your behavior.” 

“Understood.” Arthur said, nodding. 

“Anything other questions?” Liz asked, looking at Mindy expectantly. 

“If I think of any, your office is upstairs, right?” Mindy asked. “Near the President’s office?” 

“Yes, that’s correct.” Liz nodded. “Where you signed some of your paperwork.” 

“Great!” Mindy said. 

“And you can come and talk to me whenever you want.” Liz said as if speaking to a dear friend. “My door is always open to you, Miss Tae.” 

“Will do, Miss Marino.” Mindy said smiling, but Arthur could tell Liz annoyed her.  

There was a moment when Arthur wondered who was supposed to release them or whether Liz planned on leaving. When she remained standing beside Beth with a smile on her face aimed at Mindy, Arthur hesitated. 

“Am I dismissed?” Arthur asked, pointing at himself. 

Beth glanced at Liz, who nodded. “Yes, Mister Clarke, you may return to work.” 

“Miss Tae, why don’t you hang back.” Liz said. “I have something else to discuss with you. A separate matter.” 

“Sure. My desk is in here anyway.” She pointed to the small workstation set up in the opposite corner, toward the other wall. Liz nodded.

“Perfect.” Liz said her smile still in place. “Please close the door on your way out, Arty.” 

“Don’t call him that.” Mindy said, her tone harsh. 

Arthur even looked at her in surprise, and Beth and Liz did, too. 

“He prefers to go by Arthur.” Mindy explained, shifting back to her cheerful demeanor. “I go by Mindy. It’s not hard to call people by their preferred names.” 

“My apologies.” Liz said. “It was an honest mistake, Arthur.” 

“No worries.” Arthur said, rising from his chair. “It was nice to see you again, Miss Marino.” 

Liz nodded at him and waited until he closed the office door behind him to resume speaking. Arthur released a ragged exhale, and Sarah, Tara, and Linda did their best not to turn in his direction. 

The rest of his work shift went quickly. On his way from work to class, he texted Brad and Mark to touch base about Friday night. 

Arthur: I know I haven’t been around much, but are you guys down for hanging out tomorrow night, Friday? 

Mark: I thought that was the plan?

Brad: Yeah, I put it on my calendar last night.

Arthur: Oh, did Selene already get in touch with you guys? 

Mark: Nah. Maria told me. 

Brad: Jen told me. 

Arthur stared at his phone. 

Arthur: Selene told me. 

Mark: Did our girls set us up on a bro date? 

Brad: Maybe they want us out of their hair for a night so they can have a girls’ night? 

Mark: Sure, but then wouldn’t Arthur’s twenty other girlfriends have to talk to him about it, too? 

Brad: lol. 

Arthur: Selene did say the others had talked about it. Kelly confirmed. 

Brad: Oh, maybe it is a setup for a girls’ night. 

Mark: Weird. 

Brad: Oh well. What do you guys want to do? 

Arthur: Well, if you guys want to go to the house I’m moving into, it’s got a big-screen TV/home theater system. We could have a movie night? 

Mark: Ok, hear me out. We’re going to the Ren Faire on Saturday, right? 

Brad: Yeah. 

Arthur: Yeah. 

Mark: So there’s this old movie, A Knight’s Tale. Absolutely hilarious. We should watch it. Very Ren Faire vibes. 

Brad: I’m down. 

Arthur: I’m down. 

He’d already seen the movie, but he’d watch it again anytime. It wouldn’t win any awards for historical accuracy, but the film held up and had a stellar cast, even if the music was slightly dated. 

Mark: Awesome. Text us the address. 

Brad: And what time? 

Arthur: I’m available around five or so. We can grab dinner at the cafeteria, then head over to the house? 

Brad: Works for me! 

Mark: Me too! 

Arthur smiled. A night hanging out with his friends, catching up, and shooting the shit after an enjoyable movie sounded like a blast. Much more fun than classwork, but he was here to learn. He took his seat in Business Leadership III and sighed as the professor presented his slides on their end-of-semester group project. His life was a cycle of stressors; try as they might, not even his girlfriends could alleviate everything.