WIP: Harem House - Chapter 31 Part 1

Beth took a deep breath and held her head high. Parked in the restaurant parking lot, she still didn’t see Arthur’s car. She couldn’t be sure if he was already here, but six o’clock was approaching, and she didn’t want to be late. She’d left work early, taking a half day to give herself time to prepare. She checked her face and makeup in the mirror for the third time. Not that there was much point. This wasn’t a date. Not exactly. 

She left the car and walked into the restaurant in small, tentative steps. The hostess met her with a bright, practiced smile and the faint mark of confusion that always accompanied a party of one to an upscale restaurant. 

Beth brushed at her skirt, smoothing it and making herself more presentable. The dress was new, and the neckline more daring than she typically wore. The scooped neck framed the girls in their pushup bra, two plump mounds of soft tissue with traceable light blue veins stretching through them. The skirt was definitely a new experience, though. Short for her, the hemline settled two inches above her knee, and a slit in the side of the overlapping fabric sliced to the top of her left thigh, a daring proposition. 

“Can I get you a seat at the bar?” The hostess asked. 

“Oh, no. I’m uh… I’m here to meet someone. Arthur Clarke? Do you know if he’s here?” Beth asked. 

The hostess checked her screen and shook her head. “I see a dinner reservation for two under that name, but he hasn’t arrived yet. Would you like me to show you to your table?” 

Beth glanced behind her at the doors, then sighed. “Sure.” 

“Follow me!” The hostess’ chipper attitude didn’t flag at Beth’s unsteady answer. She smiled the entire way to the table, and Beth followed. 

The restaurant was nicer than Beth expected. The name, Frenchy’s, didn’t suggest an upscale restaurant, but judging by the dim candle-lit atmosphere, this wasn’t the kind of place one came for French fries unless they were sitting next to a seventy-five dollar steak. The tables were primarily two-seaters, each far enough away from the others with dividers between to give the semblance of privacy. 

The hostess took Beth past a few sections to a four-person booth in the corner. She took her seat to face the direction they’d come from. The hostess told her someone would be by shortly, and she’d see Arthur to the table when he arrived. Beth thanked her and then sat alone with her thoughts. She stared at the menu, not taking in any of the cursive print on the starch white cardstock in the black leather booklet the hostess left for her. 

The weekend had not gone as well as Beth hoped it would. The last week or so had been a whirlwind, ever since her sister’s bachelorette party, now more than a week past. The handsome, sexy young man who worked for her at the University turned out to be the same attractive, sexy young stripper her aunt hired. Beth hadn’t realized it until her tongue was scraping tequila off his rigid abs, and he looked down at her. His sparkling eyes mocked her as his handsome face broke into a grin. She licked her lips at the memory, mortifying herself further as shame heated her face. 

That was the start of things, but it was far from its end. When they’d finally spoken about it, Beth was so horny and wound up that she practically shoved Arthur into one of her masturbation fantasies. He was the dark villain, coercing her to do those detestable sexual acts her conscience would never allow. She took the things he said and twisted them until she was undressing in her office before Arthur stopped her. He stopped her. A man stopped a woman from offering her body to him. When he realized what she was suggesting, he rejected her, which stung. She lashed out, but he stopped her, and they brokered an uneasy peace. 

Then she caught Mindy skirt-up and panties-down bent over his desk. Arthur spanked her while everyone else was at lunch. The sight had sparked a wildfire of emotion in Beth. Fresh anger at the rejection burned her heart, envy roasted her, and lust consumed her until she tried to flood the wildfire away with the moisture between her legs. 

Arthur caught Beth watching, and fantasy swept Beth away again. She lost herself, forgetting what was real or fantasy, joining Arthur and Mindy at Arthur’s command. He stepped into the role she cast him in and played her villain to a perfect T. His voice had been as strong as his grip, and she’d followed him to orgasm, even if he never put his thick cock into her virgin pussy like she wanted. 

Beth thought that she might have been fine if that had been the only indiscretion. Not knowing he was the stripper and mistaking his intentions were simple misunderstandings. But once she’d joined them and spanked Mindy, she’d crossed the line. She might have been able to take it back, but when given the chance, she crossed it again at the next opportunity. Now she was well and truly fucked. 

Not literally. Not counting fingers, she was still a virgin. An older virgin, having turned thirty. She didn’t like to think about that or the age difference between her and Arthur. With a birthday at the start of the school year, he was older than most college seniors but hardly mature. Even if he could act maturely and handle himself as if he knew how to dominate and lead. 

Friday, he’d taken her in hand, and she’d loved it. The way his arm flexed as he fingered her made her wet and spiked her desire. She had never experienced simultaneous fear, shame, joy, and lust until Arthur made her count the number of times his palm struck her ass cheeks. Until she saw the look of passion burning in his eyes as he watched her jiggling flesh, and for once, she felt empowered by her body rather than ashamed of it. Just remembering it, she was starting to get overheated, so she did her best to stop. 

Saturday had been a pitcher of cold water on any hot thoughts anyway. Arthur had not one but five girlfriends. Mindy was one, obviously; then there were the others, Kelly, Kat, Rani, and Selene, whom she’d briefly seen on Saturday. Seeing him outside the office, with her drunk sister ogling him, her aunt trying to recruit him, and Arthur being surrounded by young, beautiful women, Beth realized how foolish her fantasies had been. Of course, she’d known he had five girlfriends, but knowing and seeing were two different things. 

They were all stunners, too. From what she could tell, the man didn’t have a type other than young, hot, and down to fuck. She didn’t blame him for that, but realizing she didn’t fit that mold still stung. Any fantasies she entertained about joining them or Arthur choosing her over them fled her at the sight of the bevy of beauties. 

Saturday night and Sunday were spent trying to forget about Arthur as she nursed Krissy, her sister, back to health. Passing her back to her fiance would have been a better option, but he was having his bachelor party that weekend, which was why Krissy thought it was okay to get drunk. God, she was such a lightweight. And she was insatiably horny for Arthur, who she only knew as the stripper from her party. 

Krissy had begged Beth to track him down on campus, not for Beth’s benefit, but so that Krissy could have ‘one last hurrah’ before she got married. Beth refused. She didn’t want her sister to cheat on her fiance and throw her future happiness away, even if the man was a small-dicked, unimaginative lover. Her sister needed stronger boundaries. 

Seeing Arthur at the office today had been a reminder of everything, and their quick discussion this morning was enough to confirm their plans for tonight. Other than that, Beth successfully avoided him and Mindy by eating lunch in her car. 

Beth checked her phone. No messages. Plenty of signal. Ten minutes to six. 

“Hi! My name’s Darla, and I’ll be your server today. May I get you something to drink while you look over the menu?” The waitress startled Beth by her sudden appearance beside her. Her eyes had been straining to see through the partially populated dining area for Arthur’s approach. 

“Oh! Uh…” Beth frantically searched the menu for some indication of drinks. “Water, and uh… what’s your strongest cocktail?” 

“Our strongest cocktail would have to be the Aunt Roberta.” Darla answered. “It’s–” 

“Perfect. I’ll take that.” Beth said almost frantically. 

“Okay.” Darla said, nodding. “Nervous for your date tonight?” 

Beth looked alarmed, turning to face the waitress. Darla was a pudgy-faced caucasian woman with dark black hair in a bob that scooped the bottom of her face. She’d tucked the white collar shirt she wore into a long black skirt, which a black apron covered. The pen in her left hand finished scribbling on the pad in her right, and she put it in her apron pocket. 

“A little.” Beth admitted, swallowing. “Is it that obvious?” 

“Honey, you’ve got nothing to worry about. You look great.” Darla assured her. “Blind date?” 

“No.” Beth said. “Not technically a date, either.” She added quickly. “Just a dinner.” 

“Gotcha.” Darla said. “Well, I’ll be right back with your drink, and I’ll bring an extra water for your not-technically-your-date dinner partner.” 

Beth smiled at the awkward joke, too nervous to laugh. 

Darla retreated, stopping at another table on her way to the bar. 

Beth looked at the menu, finally, and her eyes flared. Well, shit. This was going to be an expensive dinner. 

“Hey, there you are.” Arthur said, startling Beth with his and the hostess’ sudden arrival. 

“Shit!” Beth said, slamming the menu down. 

The hostess looked alarmed. Arthur looked surprised but amused. He wore a suit she’d seen before but looked good in it. He’d undone the top button, flaring the collar open at the top. The deep purple shirt spread beneath the open charcoal suit jacket, tucked into a pair of charcoal slacks. Her large eyes lingered above his belt, remembering the sculpted abdomen beneath.

“Are you okay?” Arthur asked, taking his seat in the booth across from her. 

“Yeah, sorry.” She apologized to Arthur and the hostess. 

“Not a problem.” The hostess said, restraining laughter as she placed Arthur’s menu in front of him. “Your server should be by soon.” She said and left them. 

“Have you been waiting long?” Arthur asked. “I thought I was early.” 

Beth’s phone said he still had five minutes, but she shook her head either way. “No, I just put in my drink order.” 

Arthur nodded and checked the menu. If the prices listed there surprised him, he didn’t mention it. Then again, he’d recommended this place, so he must have known the prices already. Beth wished she’d Googled first to know how many dollar signs the populace attached to the restaurant. That was the real mark anyone cared about. Michelin stars? The average diner just knew it was impressive but assumed it was purchasable. The accurate indicator of whether she would dine somewhere was how much they expected for their food, and she never would have come here if she’d realized how much this breakup dinner was going to cost her. 

Not that they were breaking up. Technically, they weren’t dating. Yet she’d come here steeled to do the right and mature thing and make sure he knew what had happened twice now couldn’t happen again. No matter what, they couldn’t flirt, and they certainly couldn’t fuck. 

She looked up at his face to see him lift his eyes from his menu, meet her gaze, and smile. 

Fuck. 

“How was your weekend?” Arthur asked. “Krissy looked like she had a good time at homecoming.” 

Beth scoffed. “She paid for it later. I’m sorry about her.” 

Arthur held up his hand to deflect the apology with a shake of his head. “Why? Were you her bartender?” 

Beth laughed, then blanched as she realized her laugh was too strong, too high, and girlish. She pressed her lips together and lifted the menu, trying to hide behind it. 

Arthur didn’t draw any attention to it. He looked up as their waitress arrived with two glasses of water and smiled to greet her. Beth watched him as he turned his face, the strong line of his jaw shifting as he said: “Thank you.” When the waitress placed a glass of water in front of him. 

“Hi! My name’s Darla, and I’ll be your server this evening. Can I get you anything else to drink?” 

“Just water for me, thanks. Though that looks good.” Arthur said, eyeing the wide chalice-like cocktail glass Darla set in front of Beth. The dark amber liquid in its center looked mysterious, swirling with cloudy liquor and dark as obsidian glass at its edges. 

“The Aunt Roberta.” Darla said, gesturing to the glass. “Would you like one?” 

Arthur shook his head. “No, thanks.” 

“Well, I feel guilty drinking if you’re not.” Beth said, frowning. 

“Don’t.” Arthur assured her. “It’s not a drink thing. It’s a calorie thing. My workout this morning was rough with all the junk I’ve eaten over the weekend, so I’m trying to watch my intake.” 

Darla nodded. 

Beth’s frown deepened his words poking at insecurities in her soft stomach. She wasn’t fat, but she had fat in places she didn’t want. Her thighs were a little too jiggly for her liking, her hips a little too wide, her breasts too fatty, and her stomach too flabby. Then again, her version of working out was walking on a treadmill once every couple of months and dieting when she remembered to, so she didn’t complain. At least not to anyone else. 

“I might take a sip of yours, though, if it’s any good and you’re willing to share.” Arthur said. 

Beth’s heart woke up, pumping in her chest as her eyes flicked to his smiling lips. Her tongue darted over her bottom lip, and she nodded. She lifted the glass to her lips and took a sip. 

The drink punched her in the face, making her lightheaded at the first swallow and walloping her tongue for its stupidity. Heat stung her cheeks, nearly making her eyes water. 

“Holy cow!” Beth gasped. “That is… strong!” 

Darla smiled, shifting her stance in nervousness. “You uh… you asked for our strongest cocktail, and…” 

Beth waved her away, trying to cut her off before she said anything incriminating. “It’s good!” She gasped. “But wow!” 

Darla’s smile relaxed slightly, happy not to deal with a Karen. 

Arthur’s eyes sparkled with his mirth, and he closed the menu. 

“Are you ready to order?” Darla asked, taking out her pen and pad. 

“I am if you are.” Arthur said, looking at Beth, who was still recovering. 

“You go first.” Beth said, frantically reviewing the menu. 

“Okay.” Arthur nodded. “I’ll take the smoked haddock and spinach entree.”  

“That comes in a white wine sauce. Is that okay?” Darla asked. 

Arthur nodded. 

“And for your sides?” Darla asked. 

“The baked asparagus and the roasted carrots.” Arthur answered, passing Darla his menu as she reached for the book. 

“And you?” Darla asked, turning to face Beth. 

“Uh…” Beth said, eyeing the menu. “I’ll have the chicken entree. With the baked potato and uh… the sweet potato fries.” 

The waitress nodded, taking Beth’s menu as well. “That’ll be right up. Would you like an appetizer while you wait?” 

“Yes, please. The sea sliders.” Arthur said. The waitress gave him a nod and walked away. 

“You really like seafood, huh?” Beth asked, surprised.

Arthur smiled. “My parents bring me here for birthday dinners.” He explained. “And my mom hates the smell of fish. So, she doesn’t cook any, and it was always my one chance to get really good seafood.” 

Beth smiled, which faded when she remembered her last birthday dinner, pizza with her sister and her sister’s fiance. They’d tried, but the night was a letdown for a benchmark birthday. 

“So, how was the rest of your weekend?” Arthur asked. 

Beth shrugged, but the movement didn’t drop Arthur’s gaze like she’d hoped. “I spent most of it taking care of Krissy.” 

“Is that usual for you two?” Arthur asked. “She drinks too much, and you’re left holding the bag?” The expectant expression meant he’d intended the question as a pun, but Beth missed it. 

“Sometimes.” Beth shrugged again. “She’s usually pretty responsible, but she’s been drinking more often recently, and she’s a terrible lightweight.” 

“I remember the bachelorette party. She was gone by the end of it.” 

Beth nodded, falling silent at the reminder. Arthur also remained quiet. She couldn’t tell if he was watching her or remembering the party. 

“I reached out to your Aunt, by the way, to see if she could get me some more bookings.” Arthur said. 

“Really?” Beth asked, surprised. 

Arthur nodded. “Just to discuss it.” 

“Has she gotten back to you?” Beth asked, curious. She hadn’t seen her Aunt Diane since Saturday, but she knew the woman was usually busy on the weekends. A professional event planner, her Aunt worked when everyone else was off. The schedule sucked, but the pay was good, apparently. At least when she wasn’t offering her services to her engaged niece for free. 

“She messaged me earlier today. She has a booking for next week that would work. Something about a Halloween-themed hen night.” Arthur said, moving the conversation steadily in the direction of Beth, picturing him naked. Her body responded before her imagination caught up to the idea. 

“So you’re going to supervise student workers at the office and stripping?” Beth asked. “Does that violate the code of conduct or anything?” 

Arthur shook his head. “I’ve looked into it. So long as I don’t do it on campus, I’m fine.” He sipped his water. “And from what Diane said, it’s independent contract work. My resume and the bank will say Derby Event Planning, event staff. Selene thinks most people will assume I’m some kind of caterer.” 

Beth nodded. “I’ve done some catering for Diane; that was on my resume, too.” 

“No stripping for you?” Arthur asked, but he didn’t laugh when he said it. 

Beth shook her head, blushing at the thought. She could never. “Never.” She said. “Not that there’s anything wrong with it!” She added hurriedly. “I just mean… I don’t have your body.” She gestured to him. “No one would pay to see this.” She gestured to herself. 

“Hey, don’t put yourself down.” Arthur said, smiling. “You look gorgeous tonight.” 

Beth’s blush deepened, and she dropped her gaze to the table between them. Her pale skin blushed easily, and Arthur always seemed to smile whenever the rosy color of shame flushed across her cheeks. She twisted the napkin in her hands, lowering them to her lap. 

“I uh…” She hesitated. “I followed your orders if you wanted to check. I’m not wearing any… uh…” She couldn’t bring herself to say it. 

Arthur looked confused momentarily, and then something clicked inside his head. “Panties?” He supplied. 

“Yeah.” Beth said, not saying it. 

“You’re not wearing any panties right now?” Arthur asked with mischief in his eyes. 

“You told me not to!” Beth said. “On Friday! You said–” 

“I know.” Arthur said, cutting her off with that tone that warmed her core.

She squeezed her thighs together, wringing the napkin in her hand. “So I didn’t.” 

“Good girl.” Arthur said, and Beth’s innards melted, flooding out of her from below in a way she hoped wouldn’t stain her dress. 

“Don’t.” Beth said, shaking her head. “Don’t do that. We can’t do that here.” She glanced around. 

“Well, we should talk about it anyway. That’s why we’re here, right?” Arthur asked. 

Beth nodded, still refusing to lift her eyes to his. 

“Enjoy.” Darla’s voice made Beth look up to see her place a large round plate between them. Oyster shells stuffed with a seafood mixture ringed the plate like petals surrounding a mound of blackened tuna. 

“Thank you, Darla.” Arthur said, and the waitress seemed impressed that he remembered her name. 

Beth frowned but said nothing about the pudgy but pretty girl’s dimpled smile. 

“You’re mighty welcome.” Darla said. She placed two small porcelain plates before them. “Your food should be out shortly. Do you need any refills?” She glanced at the water and cocktail on the table, but they’d hardly touched their drinks. 

Arthur shook his head, and Beth didn’t answer. 

“Well, enjoy!” Darla said and made her retreat to take the order for another table. 

“What is this?” Beth asked, looking at the food between them. 

“Stuffed oysters.” Arthur said. “This was Lori’s favorite. You spread some tuna on them, drizzle the sauce over it, and scoop the innards out with a spoon.” Arthur said, demonstrating and closing his eyes at the immediate pleasure of the food on his tongue. “Try one.”

“Oh, I don’t want to take your food.” Beth said, shaking her head. 

“It’s an appetizer. I got it for both of us.” Arthur said. “It’s okay if you don’t like fish, but don’t worry about the prices or anything tonight. I invited you here. It’s my treat.” 

Beth shook her head. “I can’t let you do that.” 

“You can’t stop me, either.” Arthur said, his voice as dark as the tone he used when he told her to bend over the worktable at the office. 

“Fuck.” Beth breathed, trying to shake off the goosebumps. “Stop that.” 

Arthur smiled and placed one of the stuffed oysters on her plate. He sipped his water, and Beth took a swig of her cocktail for courage. 

The punch in the mouth woke her up, and the smell of the pure alcohol in her glass almost made her lightheaded. She had to wonder what was in the cocktail she ordered. The taste was overpowering, obliterating her senses when it hit her tongue. It soon faded into something pleasant, with a gust of wintry mint as her breath rolled over it. 

She took the tuna knife and added a thin layer, mirroring Arthur’s demonstration. She drizzled the sauce over it, then took her spoon, pried the stuffed fish from the oyster shell, and widened her eyes in surprise. She stood upon a seashore dock and plunged into the waves below before arcing to the surface and gasping for air. Her tongue tingled with delight, begging for more as her stomach welcomed the morsel and began its work. 

“Wow.” Beth said, eying the shell. “That’s delicious.” 

Arthur nodded knowingly. “Lori got them every time, usually as her entree, even though they’re an appetizer.” 

Beth furrowed her brow. “Which of your girlfriends is Lori?” 

“My ex.” Arthur said. “She transferred after last semester.” 

“Right.” Beth said, remembering. “I remember that, sorry. You started working full-time hours after she left.” 

Arthur shrugged. “It’s fine.” He assured her. “And yeah… about that.” 

~~~

Mindy’s Monday had been pretty busy. She’d woken up early to try and meet the others at the gym. Arthur, Kelly, and Selene were there. Kat was sleeping in, and apparently, Rani ditched them for the dorm when Arthur dropped her off on campus. 

Kelly preferred doing leg day on Mondays, so they worked through leg day, which made Mindy’s thighs and ass ache. Sharing a shower with Kelly and Selene was fun, though. Unfortunately, they didn’t get up to much fun. Mindy had to get to the office, and Kelly had to rush to breakfast and class. Selene joined her for breakfast, but Mindy only had time for a quick bite before running across campus to the office, which was not a practical thing to do in her heels. 

She rushed into the office with less than a minute to spare. Arthur was already at his desk, somehow, and the day rushed on. She got some attention from him when everyone else was at lunch, which was nice. She’d spent half the time on her knees under his desk while he pretended to work. She’d spent the rest getting railed over the worktable, and that was enough to keep her satisfied through class and work in the afternoon. 

After dinner, she’d ditched her suitemates to do some homework outside. Sara and Bella wouldn’t stop asking questions about Arthur and the harem. Rachel wouldn’t talk to her at all. Like, at all. All she did was stare at Mindy, and it was uncomfortable. So, she’d taken her bag and left them behind.

Autumn was here, and the sleepy trees dropped their leaves in great yawns as winter approached. Still, the air was warm tonight, and only a few warm nights remained in the year. Sunset burned the blue sky orange and red in shades reflecting the October leaves. The walkways on campus were well-lit, and with plenty of people hanging outside, Mindy took residence by the pond at one of the picnic tables and started working on her Freshman Orientation class assignment. 

“This seat taken?” 

Mindy looked up at once at the familiar voice, her eyes showing surprise to anyone who knew her. “Umma?” 

Her mom smiled at her and waved excitedly. “Hey! I wasn’t sure if I’d run into you or not!” 

Mindy looked around, but her father wasn’t there, just her mom. She tilted her head. “I thought we didn’t have plans tonight? I had homework, remember?” She gestured to the books and the laptop on the picnic table before her. 

“I know.” Her mom nodded. “But it’s still my day off, and I’m not here for you. I’m here for the ducks!” 

Mindy’s tilted head couldn’t tilt any further until her mother raised a bag of duck food. Corn, oats, and other assorted leftovers to toss at the ducks and geese that flocked to the pond. 

“Oh.” Mindy said, unsure of how to respond to that. 

“Can I sit?” Her mom asked. 

“Oh.” Mindy said again, looking around at the otherwise empty picnic table and unable to think of a reason why her mother couldn’t sit there. “Sure.” 

“Thank you.” Her mom sat on the opposite bench, her back to Mindy. She didn’t make much noise but reached into the bag and threw the food at the feet of some cautious ducks. The ducks soon traded caution for gluttony and came nearer the source of their satisfaction with eager, beady eyes. Mindy’s mom laughed. Mindy looked up from her work. 

“Did I tell you I found a new drama you might enjoy?” Her mom asked. “Strong Woman Bong Soon, it’s an office drama like you like, and she has superpowers!” 

That caught Mindy’s attention. “That sounds… fun.” She said. “Is it good?” 

“I haven’t watched it yet.” Her mom explained. “I saw it and thought of you, so I bought it. I thought we might watch it together. Like we used to?” 

Mindy nodded. “I’d like that.” 

Her mom smiled. “I thought maybe your brother’s wife might join us?” 

Mindy raised her eyebrow. “I thought you didn’t like her?” 

“I like her okay.” Her mom said. “She’s rude, but she’s family.” 

“Then why not use her name?” Mindy asked. 

“Pah.” Her mother scoffed. “I have mother-in-law duties to fulfill. I can’t have her thinking I approve of her. What would the world come to if mother-in-laws started liking the girls who took their sons away?” 

Mindy shook her head, sighing slightly and thinking of Deb. 

“I know she’s not Korean like you wanted, but she makes him happy.” Mindy said. 

“I don’t care that she’s not Korean!” Her mom protested. 

Mindy looked at her doubtfully. 

“Her Korean is coming along well, actually.” Her mom said, smiling. “We might not have to watch with subtitles, but it would probably be nice to put them on for her if the disc has them.” 

Mindy laughed. “Okay, okay.” 

Her mom smiled and turned to face her. “So… how have you been doing?” She asked. “How is college life treating you? Are you making lots of friends? Why are you alone here? No roommate? No boyfriend? It’s unsafe for a girl alone in a place like this.” 

Mindy scoffed. “You’re here alone.” 

“I’m an old lady. It’s different.” Her mom said. “Besides, I have a mace in my purse.” 

Mindy tilted her head back, took a deep breath, then returned to her homework. “I’m good, Umma. I have lots of friends!” 

“Well, where are they?” Her mom asked. She turned toward the pond and looked around in a comical turning this way and that. Ironically, with her back to Mindy, she missed what she was looking for. 

As if summoned, a pair of arms threw themselves around Mindy’s neck and hugged her. “Great minds think alike. Homework outside while it’s warm!” Rani plopped onto the bench. Her school hoodie and baggie jeans were modest, if unkempt. From her approach, she hadn’t noticed that the other woman at the table was with Mindy, but when the older woman turned to face them, Rani saw the similarities and familial resemblance. 

“Is this your mom, or am I racist?” Rani asked, looking between them. 

Mindy swallowed her nerves. “Uh… this is my mom. Mom, this is my friend, Rani.” The emphasis on the word friend was unmistakable. 

Rani eyed her but didn’t comment on the emphasis. Still, she looked as though she'd swallowed something unpleasant. She offered the older woman her hand for a handshake. “Hey, I’m Rani. I don’t know what Mindy told you about me, but it’s probably true unless it was nice.” 

Mindy’s mother smiled. “A pleasure to meet you. I’m Mrs. Tae.”

“Ah, formal, okay.” Rani said, nodding. “Cool. Well, I didn’t mean to interrupt. I just wanted to say hi to my–” 

Mindy cleared her throat. 

Rani frowned, glaring at Mindy as if offended Mindy thought she was an idiot. “Friend.” 

Mindy relaxed. 

“I’ll leave you two to it.” Rani said, already pulling away. 

“Wait!” Mindy’s mom called, waving her back to the table. 

Rani looked at Mindy but stepped closer to the table all the same. 

“I don’t get to meet many of Mindy’s friends.” Her mom explained. “Would you like to come over and watch something with us?” 

“Monday night football?” Rani guessed. “It’s not really my thing.” She looked at Mindy. “Kelly really got you hooked, huh?” 

Mindy shook her head. “Umma and I watch K-dramas together. I guess we’re making it a group thing?” She looked at her mom. 

“If that’s okay.” Her mom said to Mindy. “I thought maybe we’d get pizza and have a girl’s night? Mindy’s brother’s wife will join us, too.” 

Rani eyed Mindy, asking if it was okay. Her intention wasn't to intrude, but judging by her hand on Mindy's shoulder, she wanted to spend some time with her friend.

“If you want to.” Mindy said. “If you’re busy, it’s okay.” 

“No, I mean, I have some homework to do, but I can bring it.” Rani said. 

“Great! Get your things.” Mindy’s mom said, standing up. 

“Oh, I guess we’re leaving now.” Mindy said, sighing and packing up her things. 

Her mother gave a slightly apologetic smile. “If it’s okay…” 

“It’s fine.” Mindy said, putting her things away. 

Rani looked between the two of them. “Mindy, you okay?” She asked. “I–” She glanced at Mindy’s mom. “This whole filter thing is dumb.” She sighed. “You seem upset. I don’t have to join if you had plans already.” 

“No, it’s okay.” Mindy said. “I want you to come.” 

“Okay.” Rani said, clearly uncertain if she believed her. 

“Great!” Mindy’s mom clapped her hands. “Let’s go.” 

~~~

Beth swallowed, bracing herself for the inevitable rejection she’d feared. Speaking of Arthur’s working full-time hours, she worried what he’d say next. 

“I need to cut back on my hours at the office.” Arthur said. “Is that okay?” 

Beth looked at him, confused for a moment. “Oh.” She said, taking a beat to digest his words. “Yeah. That’s fine. By how much?” 

“I was thinking something like two to four hours a day instead of the six to eight I’ve been working?” Arthur said. 

Beth’s surprise finally overtook her expression. “Okay. Sure. Everything okay?” 

Arthur nodded. “Yeah, I’ve just become swamped. And I need to free up some homework time without calling out like I did on Thursday.” 

Of course, he was being responsible. Beth almost laughed at herself. For a moment, she wondered if his retreat from the office was because of her, but no. He was more worried about schoolwork. 

“And I’m moving, so I need time to pack everything up and move.” Arthur explained. 

“Further from campus?” Beth asked, slightly worried. 

“Same distance, more or less, but on the other side from where I live. My parents have a house about twenty minutes from here, and they want me to manage it while they move back to the city for work.” Arthur explained. 

“Manage it?” Beth asked, confused. 

“It’s something like a seven-acre property.” Arthur explained. “And I’ll be responsible for maintaining it.” 

Beth nodded. “Gotcha. Sure. Yeah. That’s fine.” 

“Is it?” Arthur asked. “You seem… tense.” 

“I’m just not sure what I’m doing. What we’re doing.” Beth admitted. “I’m… nervous. I worked out what to say tonight in my head a million times, but I’ve also been planning on backing down all day.” 

“Backing down?” Arthur asked. “What is it you wanted to say?” 

Beth steeled herself, taking a deep breath and closing her eyes. She could do this. She had to. “I think we need to… uh… stop. We need to stop doing what we’re doing.” Beth said. “For obvious reasons.” 

Arthur didn’t seem to react to her words, but he held her gaze when she lifted her eyes to him. 

“You want to stop what we’re doing?” Arthur asked. “My plan tonight was to figure out what we’re doing.” 

“It’s wrong.” Beth said. “You have girlfriends. And… I’m your boss.” 

Arthur nodded. “The employment thing is definitely an issue.” He admitted. “Though you haven’t forced me to do anything I haven’t wanted to. You respected my answer when I said no. That means a lot to me as far as trust goes. As for our weird little game with me playing the role of your… villain?” He couldn’t conjure a better word for it. “I could see how someone would get the wrong impression, and I cannot express how badly I do not want that. I think I only had the guts to do it because Mindy was there.” 

“What does that mean?” Beth asked. 

“I just… I would never have had the guts to do what we did if we were alone in the office. But it would have been a moot point. Nothing to walk in on if Mindy wasn’t there.” Arthur explained. “As for what to do in the future: I could transfer to a different office.” He offered. “That would solve things with you and Mindy.” 

Beth shook her head. Arthur was too good a worker to lose. She honestly didn’t know how she would run the office without him. She hated having to deal with the student workers. It felt like too many of them had no idea what they were doing and asked for her help with every little thing. 

Arthur’s smile softened. “As for the girlfriends. I wanted to talk to you about that.” He said. “We reached an arrangement over the weekend regarding extra partners like you.” He explained. 

“Your girlfriends know about me?” Beth asked, alarmed. “More than Mindy, I mean?” 

Arthur swallowed. “Yes.” He admitted. “I know it’s a secret, and we can’t go telling people, and they know that too. I trust them. Mindy trusts them. But I have to be honest and transparent with them. One hundred percent.” 

Beth frowned. She hated more people knowing their secrets and not having any control over who knew, but he had a point. They were his girlfriends, after all, as weird as that was to contemplate. “What… what did they say?” 

“They’re fine with us having our fun.” He said, assuring her. “More than fine in Mindy and Selene’s cases. Mindy really likes you, and Selene wants me to sleep with as many people as possible.” 

Beth raised her eyebrows at that. “Mindy really likes me?” 

“She’s bi.” Arthur said as if that explained everything. 

“But me?” Beth asked, gesturing to herself. “I figured I was just a pity fuck for you, and she joined in out of... I don't know, a sense of security from knowing she was hotter than me?” 

Arthur looked confused. “You are not a pity fuck.” 

Beth looked down at her hands in her lap, wringing the napkin again. 

“Beth.” Arthur said. 

She hated the patience in his voice. 

“Look at me.” Arthur commanded. 

Slowly, she lifted her eyes to look at him. He stared back at her, meeting her gaze in such a genuine way she took another sip of her drink for courage, or she wouldn’t be able to hold it. 

“You are not a pity fuck.” Arthur repeated himself in a calm and steady tone. “I’ve told you before I’m attracted to you, and I’ve fantasized about you before we ever did anything.” 

Beth’s face flooded with heat, and her body clenched as if seizing his words and holding them inside for fear they might escape and prove ephemeral. She had difficulty believing him, but the repetition helped. Her chest heaved in a breath. She’d forgotten to breathe for too long, but Arthur held her gaze steady. Was he attracted to her? He wasn’t even looking at her body the way he should if he wanted her. Still, whether his eyes dipped or not, he'd seen her.

“If you do that again, I’m going to burst through my slacks.” Arthur said, swallowing. “I’m trying to treat you with respect and decency right now. And I told my girlfriends I wouldn’t sleep with anyone without one of them present, like you, me, and Mindy in the office, but I’m regretting that right now.” 

Beth looked up and swallowed as she saw the heat in his eyes. 

“If I had my way, I’d order you to crawl under this table and give me some relief.” Arthur said, some unidentifiable effort straining his voice. “But that’s not the arrangement we reached. And I wanted tonight to be the two of us so we could talk without getting distracted.” 

Beth took another stuffed oyster and repeated the ritual before swallowing it down. 

“Are you…” Beth glanced through the solid mahogany table over his lap. “Are you hard right now?” 

“Like a rock.” Arthur said, taking a deep breath. 

“Can I see?” Beth asked. 

“Don’t believe me?” Arthur asked, raising an eyebrow. 

Beth bit her lip. 

“Go on.” Arthur nodded. 

Beth ducked to the side, looking under the table and across it to see Arthur’s lap tenting his slacks. Her eyes widened at the reminder of how giant his too-thick cock was, and her mouth watered. She sat straight, blushing. 

“Now…” Arthur said. “Even with all of that. If you want to end our… arrangement, I will obviously respect that.” 

“We can’t keep doing it at the office. I don’t want to get fired. And if it progresses any further…” Beth said, taking a deep breath to steady her nerves. “I want my first time to be special. Not part of… whatever we’re doing during lunch.” 

Arthur looked confused, tilting his head as he looked at her. 

“We could get fired.” Beth said. “Both of us, but mostly me.” She said. “Especially since you’re on the clock when we do that.” 

Arthur shook his head. “I’ll clock out then, but no, not that.” He waved away her concern. “The other thing. Your first time? Are you telling me you’re a virgin?” 

“I mean…” Beth’s face turned a shade of red, generally reserved for brick fireplaces. 

“I’m so sorry! I didn’t know!” Arthur said. “I never would have guessed that you–” 

Beth frowned and waved her hands in front of her frantically, fending off the attention and apologies she didn’t want. “Don’t apologize.” She gasped. “That’ll just make me cry. It’d be like you regret what we’ve done.” 

“Do you?” Arthur asked. 

“No.” Beth said quickly. “I mean, yes. But not because of what we did, so much as where. The office is not where we should… not that we should at all, but–” 

“I know what you mean.” Arthur said, assuring her. “Okay. So… wow. You’re a virgin.” 

“I mean, I’ve used… toys. And fingers.” She glanced at his hand, spotting the index and middle fingers he’d pushed into her sopping cunt as she straddled his hand. 

Arthur wiggled his fingers and winked when she blushed. He took another oyster. 

“Okay.” Arthur said. “So, whatever happens, we’ll reserve the main event for a better atmosphere than the workplace.” 

Beth relaxed a little. Of course, that meant they’d keep doing whatever they were doing, which wasn’t what she’d come here to decide. Even if it was exactly what she wanted.