Chapter 9: The Favor

“So ... ah ... I was wondering if I could ask you two for a favor...” Skylar stated with an uncharacteristic insecurity in her voice as she, Naimh, and I walked out the door of Northside Café after having lunch together. I’d seen the beautiful, busty blonde bombshell twice a week for E10 - my first-year Engineering and Design Analysis class - and throughout all my interactions with her to date she’d always carried herself with a confident, authoritative presence befitting an older, wiser grad student who had already seen and experienced it all, both academic and interpersonal.

Whether she was assisting students during weekly labs, fielding questions about grading, or even just exchanging pleasantries before or after class, Skylar exuded a sense of poised composure at all times.

All times except for now.

Oh, Skylar had kept that air of self-confidence when greeting me and my girlfriend on the walkway and then engaging us in amiable chit-chat for the short walk to Hearst Ave. Upon learning that Naimh and I were heading to Northside Café to pick up lunch, she remarked that she was on her way to the same place to get her usual hummus wrap and laughed musically in delight when Naimh invited her to join us as if nothing else in the world could’ve possibly made her any happier.

Perhaps buoyed by our recent discussion about making friends (and her recent orgasm), Naimh was in peak conversational form: ebullient and gregarious, warm and welcoming. The girls giggled together like they’d been lifelong friends instead of a pair of near strangers only meeting for the second time in their lives. By the time we arrived at the restaurant and got in line, I found myself something of an afterthought left with nothing better to do than study the menu - nevermind that I’d been here enough times to know every single item listed on the large, framed posters mounted on the wall behind the counter.

Luckily for us, a couple of guys vacated a two-person table by the window and the girls slipped out of line to take possession of it before anybody else did. I dutifully minded my own business for the next four minutes, rather pointedly keeping my attention up on the wall-mounted menu while I waited. I needed something to focus on in order to keep myself from repeatedly looking back over my shoulder and attempting to lip-read whatever the two girls were saying to each other right now without me. Intellectually, I knew I was better off being patient and not giving myself an aneurysm pondering all the possibilities of their little conversation.

In the end, I ordered Naimh’s turkey cran club, Skylar’s usual hummus wrap, and my go-to steak sandwich. I then took my receipt over to a nearby table where a student wearing Bose QuietComfort noise-cancelling headphones couldn’t hear my initial inquiry and I resorted to waving a hand in front of her face to get her attention before asking if she minded me stealing the extra chair at her table that she clearly wasn’t using. The girl gave me a thumbs-up in lieu of a verbal reply, and I dragged the chair over and parked it between Naimh and Skylar, spinning it around backwards and straddling the chair while folding my arms atop the backrest.

I listened to the girls chat about Christina Aguilera, Destiny’s Child, and then get into a mild argument as to which was the better boy band: NSYNC or Backstreet Boys. Perhaps attempting to include me in the conversation, Skylar asked for my opinion, to which I immediately held up my hands and insisted that while I’d put up with my girlfriends listening to either one, I honestly didn’t have a preference. I then asked both girls for their thoughts on the English boy band Take That, which sent both of them down a rabbit hole of angsty thoughts and feelings that carried the conversation until the café staff called my order number and I returned to spin my chair back around to face the right way and then set out everyone’s meals.

A few minutes after I brought the food, Naimh switched topics from boy bands to Engineering, of all things. My girlfriend wanted to know more about the class, given that her usual attempts to get the nitty-gritty details about my academic life from me were typically fruitless. Skylar was more than happy to tell Naimh that I was a model student: studious, diligent, and intuitive.

“And more importantly for me, he’s one of only three boys in the entire class who don’t ogle me like a piece of meat,” Skylar added while leaning forward with an air of conspiratorial secrecy. “And I’m pretty sure the other two are gay.”

Naimh put on an expression of deep puzzlement. “Well now THAT doesn’t sound like the Matty -I- know. He’s very good at expressing his visual appreciation for the female form with me and his other girlfriends!”

Skylar giggled with Naimh and turned her attention to me with a warm smile that made me feel like she was about to reach out and rub my forearm, although she didn’t. Instead, she sighed and remarked, “I consider it a testament to how content he is with you and his other ... girlfriends? Oh my, that plural feels odd rolling off the tongue. Belle and Sam, right?”

“Right!” Naimh confirmed. “And maybe Lily now.”

I coughed and shook my head. “We are NOT counting Lily.”

“But you two have started to...” Naimh winked, clucked her tongue, and then started to form her hands into a rather vulgar gesture before I grabbed her forearm and glared at her to cool it.

“Have you been taking lessons from Belle?” I asked with mild exasperation before turning my attention to Skylar and stating plainly, “I’m very content with my three girlfriends who are already all I can handle and can we please change the subject? Tell us about yourself. How’s grad school? I’ve considered going for my Master’s in Engineering as well. Or were you going all the way to get your PhD?”

Skylar smiled and was happy to tell us about her grad school and her future goals. She had very strong career aspirations and indeed wanted to get her PhD someday. I asked her for advice on which professors to prioritize getting to know better (and which professors to avoid), and she was more than happy to give me the inside scoop. She asked me pointed questions about which Engineering disciplines I was thinking to specialize in, gave me advice on course selection, and even offered to let me borrow her books so I could take a sneak peek at the subject material.

Skylar and I got so into our conversation that it took me by complete surprise when Naimh exclaimed out of the blue, “Ah, shite. Is that the time? I’m gonna be late for class.”

I quickly checked my watch and realized that indeed, we’d better get going. I didn’t have class myself for another hour, but Naimh would have to get a move on. We’d burned a good chunk of our time having the janitor’s closet quickie after all.

At least Naimh had finished her turkey cran club already. I’d inhaled my steak sandwich in the beginning while the girls had been discussing boy bands. But Skylar still had half her hummus wrap left after spending all her time talking. She quickly packed it up and placed it back into the paper bag, and the three of us stood up from our table.

“I need to crack on, but it was great chatting with you,” Naimh said jovially. “We should do this again sometime.”

“That’d be great!” Skylar replied enthusiastically before her tone of voice shifted as she began, “But ... ah ... before you two head off...”

I was leading the way and pushed open the café door. Naimh and Skylar both followed me outside, and just after we did so, my girlfriend and I turned back to look at the blonde.

“So ... ah ... I was wondering if I could ask you two for a favor...” Skylar stated with an uncharacteristic insecurity in her voice.

Naimh and I glanced at each other momentarily before Naimh arched her eyebrows and asked curiously, “A favor? What kind?”

Skylar blushed bright pink while staring down at the cement sidewalk before pushing her glasses up the bridge of her nose and putting on a semi-nervous smile. “I need to borrow your boyfriend.”

It was only at the end of the day, just before dinner, when all three of my girlfriends were finally in the same place at the same time. Sam was the last one to arrive, looking a bit ragged but otherwise normal as she popped into the kitchen to give me a quick hug and a kiss before returning to her room to change out of her daily business suit and into “home” attire: sweatpants and a t-shirt.

Lily and Eva were also with us, per usual, and Eva helped me bring out dinner and set it on the table for the whole group. I would be remiss not to point out that Eva had made dinner for everyone tonight while I had merely been the assistant chef. It was a common occurrence by now for the Hawaiian girls to both take turns prepping meals for the group instead of mooching off our hospitality. While Eva insisted so far that she didn’t think of herself as an “official” member of The BTC (and certainly had no interest in performing one of the formal initiation rites Belle had only half-jokingly suggested), we all considered her part of the group, at the very least.

The six of us enjoyed a pleasant meal and comfortable conversation with friends. But as soon as Sam finished her plate, she pushed her chair back from the table, excusing herself by stating, “Got a lot of studying to do.”

“Hold up a minute,” Naimh interjected, raising her right index finger. “There’s something we need to discuss in committee.”

I blinked and leaned back in my seat. “‘In committee’?”

“You know what I mean.” Naimh smirked at me.

Belle leaned forward. “What’s up?”

“A pretty girl wants to take Matty out on a date,” the redhead explained.

Three pairs of eyeballs all darted straight to Lily. The petite Hawaiian girl looked shocked and jerked her head back. “Wait, what?”

“No-no-no,” Naimh interposed with an apologetic look, gesturing with both hands to re-draw the attention of Eva, Sam, and Belle. “I’m talking about Skylar, Matty’s Engineering T.A.”

Belle arched an eyebrow. “English girl? Tall, blonde, blue eyes? With really big tits and power suits just like Sam?” she queried.

Naimh giggled and tapped her nose. “I should state that she’s expressed she has no romantic interest in Matty or anything like that.”

“Then why does she want to take Matty out on a date?” Sam asked with clear suspicion in her voice, her eyes narrowed.

“This is gonna sound like déjà vu,” I began, sitting up straight while turning my attention to Sam. “Skylar said she has a wedding she has to go to and would like to have a social escort to keep the ... well ... to keep the wankers away, you know?”

“She’s between boyfriends at the moment and doesn’t have any other guys in her life she wants to deal with,” Naimh continued. “She’d resigned herself to attending solo and just putting up with the unwanted attention. But then she ran into me and Matty by chance today, we had a nice conversation at lunch, and then as we were leaving, the idea popped into her head to ask if she could borrow Matty for a night.”

“She knows I have a girlfriend, clearly,” I added, gesturing at Naimh. “She knows I have three girlfriends, actually.”

“She appreciates how Matty’s been a perfect gentleman during class unlike all the other immature boys who stare at her like a sex object,” Naimh continued. “And she thinks he’s intelligent and handsome.”

I arched an eyebrow at the redhead. “Not ogling her, sure. But Skylar did NOT say either of those other things.”

Naimh rolled her eyes. “I can tell she thinks you’re a prize catch, and she’d date you in a heartbeat if you were available.”

I frowned. “Well if that’s the case, then we should probably tell her ‘no’.”

“I thought you said you wouldn’t mind.”

“‘Wouldn’t mind’ escorting her to one wedding, not actually dating her.” I shook my head.

Naimh rolled her eyes. “Nobody’s expecting you to actually date her. She’d have to get in line. Anyways, I told Skylar that the decision wasn’t mine alone to make, and that I’d run it by the two of you.” She gestured at Belle and Sam.

Sam waggled her head. “Not such a big deal. It’s just one wedding date.”

Belle arched her eyebrows. “Have you forgotten how your one wedding date ended?”

Sam blinked in surprise that Belle had brought up that particular event, and she frowned with a disappointed expression. “Did you really?”

Belle shrugged. “I’m just saying: we don’t need any greedy bitches trying to sink their claws into our boyfriend.”

Lily giggled. “What if she’d let you watch Matty pin her wrists to the mattress while he slammed his sausage into her?”

Belle looked surprised. “Do YOU want some greedy bitch getting Matty’s lala-hu into her punani before you do?”

Lily blushed and then held up both hands. “I’m not Matty’s girlfriend. I don’t have a say in this.”

“No, you have a say in this,” I disagreed. “This is already more complicated than I thought it would be. Forgive me for being a stupid, dense male and not realizing this would be a bigger deal than I’d thought. When Skylar first asked and made clear she had no romantic interest in me and just needed a bodyguard for a night, I honestly thought, ‘Sure. Why not?’ But now I realize why not and I’ll call her right now to tell her it’s a no-go.” I reached into my pocket to pull out my phone.

“Wait a second,” Sam said, holding a palm out to me before turning her attention to Naimh. “Let’s think about this. Now I realize full-well how my own wedding date with Matty spiraled out of control, but this really isn’t the same situation. From everything you know of this girl, would she try to pull a fast one on us and seduce him?”

My redheaded girlfriend shook her head in the negative. “Skylar definitely thinks he’s a prize catch, but I don’t think she’s the stealing type. The wedding is this Saturday afternoon, and she was totally prepared to go it alone. It was only because we bumped into each other and had such a great conversation that she got a chance to stop and assess Matty and realize that he’s a safe guy to be around, with other girlfriends he’s loyal to and therefore no threat to her. She wouldn’t try to seduce him.”

“And even if she did try, she’d never succeed,” Belle interjected. “Matty would never do that to us, would you?”

“Of course not,” I insisted. “This isn’t a real date. I’m not pretending to be her boyfriend. I’m not even gonna hold hands with her, let alone get into any kind of situation where I might betray you. I’d purely be there to stand next to her and keep unwanted wankers away. But at the same time, we don’t really need this kind of complication in our lives. I mean, why would I want to be away from all of you on a Saturday?”

“I’m cool with it if he’s willing to go,” Sam stated to the other girls with a shrug.

“Wait, what?” I exclaimed in surprise. “Saturday nights are Sam nights.”

“And you’d still be coming home to me afterwards, right? I don’t mind waiting up for you.” Sam smiled at me. “I rather like the idea of lying in your bed wearing some wispy, sheer lingerie, almost idly rubbing myself while fantasizing about my handsome boyfriend walking through the door looking sharp in a nice suit ready to rip it off and start ravaging me.”

I blinked twice. “Umm, okay...”

Belle sighed. “I suppose it’s fine with me too. Like I said: even if Skylar tried to seduce him, she’d never succeed. And it looks like you’re saying she’s not the type to try.” That last bit was directed at Naimh.

The redhead shook her red-haired head. “She’s not. Skylar’s a cool chick. She’s smart, witty, and she’s got a wealth of Cal Berkeley experience. I think she’d be a great friend to have, especially for Matty.”

I arched my eyebrows. “A friend for me?”

“Older, wiser, experienced,” Naimh explained. “You two talked Engineering and professors and which classes to take and all that for more than twenty minutes. Networking is an important part of growing your career. You’ll be doing her a favor and then she’ll owe you later on. She’s still your T.A. and has influence over your grades.”

I frowned. “I wouldn’t want her fudging my grades or anything for this.”

“No, no, of course not,” Naimh insisted. “And she won’t be your T.A. forever. I’m serious: you should do this.”

“So there you have it,” Sam pronounced. “Your three girlfriends all agree.”

“Well Lily hasn’t voted yet,” I pointed out.

The petite Hawaiian hottie’s eyes opened wide. “Me? I’m not a girlfriend.”

“Perhaps, but our relationship is more than ‘just friends’ and I would never want to do something that would upset you. You still get a vote.”

Lily blushed but couldn’t help but smile really, really wide. “It’s fine with me,” she replied almost shyly.

“So it’s agreed,” Naimh stated with a grin for me. “Unless for some other reason you don’t want to go. But there are far worse things you could be doing on a Saturday night than spending it in the company of a beautiful blonde.”

I rolled my eyes. “It’s the fact that she’s a beautiful blonde that makes me think I shouldn’t do this.”

“So what?” Eva unexpectedly interrupted. “Why should you be worried about anything happening with her?”

I blinked and arched an eyebrow at her. “Huh?”

Eva pointed at herself. “Did you not mean it when you told me that you don’t do things for girls simply to make them happy and without an expectation of reward?”

“I did mean it,” I insisted.

“Then so what if Skylar’s a stacked blonde? Matty’s just doing another favor for a girl, right? Every girl in the room is apparently cool with you going. But if you can’t do something nice for a girl without hoping for anything more depraved than career advice in return, then what the hell am I doing here?”

“Of course I can do something nice for a girl without hoping for anything in return.”

“Then that settles it,” Eva challenged. “Go out with her, jump in when she needs ‘Tzeitel’ rescues, come home to your hot girlfriends, and that will be that.”

I took a breath and turned towards Sam. “You’re really okay with me escorting her?”

My Head Girlfriend shrugged. “Our love is unbreakable. I’m not worried about Skylar in the slightest.”

“She’s cool,” Naimh added. “And I’d be happy to see more of her.”

“Well now I find myself torn,” Belle complained. “Now I kinda DO wanna see Matty pin her wrists down to the mattress and then fuck the shit outta her.”

“Belle,” I warned.

My impish pixie waved me off. “It was just a thought.”

I rolled my eyes and then exhaled, first meeting Sam’s gaze, and then Naimh’s, and then Belle’s and Lily’s and Eva’s as well. All five of them either shrugged or nodded their approval.

“Alright then. It looks like ‘the committee’ has decided,” I finally pronounced. “I’ll call Skylar and tell her that I’m in.”

“Wow ... This is pretty nice,” I commented as Skylar and I walked side-by-side (but NOT holding hands) through the front doors of the Auberge de Soleil resort in Napa Valley. If I had to pick a fancy word to describe the place, it would be “posh”. Absolutely everything in sight screamed “Money! Expensive! Luxurious!” from the décor to the fine linens to the expansive terraced view.

The resort lobby was the textbook definition of five-star accommodations. The restaurant off the lobby advertised its Michelin Star rating. A champagne fountain of Riedel crystal featured prominently. Wine Country, by its nature, was an expensive place to be. And if I had to guess, the Auberge de Soleil resort might very well be the most lavish of them all.

“Ehhh, it’s fine,” she drawled noncommittally in reply to my comment.

I arched an eyebrow. “Not posh enough for you or something?”

Skylar blushed and shook her head. “It’s not that. Some people feel the need to advertise their wealth as if the number of zeroes in their bank account were the most important measure of their value in society.”

I coughed into my fist and remarked, “I take it you don’t agree with that particular philosophy?”

She shrugged. “Don’t get me wrong: I’m not so naïvely idealistic as to believe money doesn’t matter or that the world would be better off without it. I just ... I never liked...”

Her voice trailed off as she searched for the right words, and on a whim I finished for her, “It’s not your style?”

“Right! Exactly.” Skylar flashed me a beaming smile that made her even more radiantly beautiful than she already was.

The tall, buxom blonde bombshell was impeccably dressed in a sleek, dark gray dress that simultaneously hinted at her voluptuous curves without quite putting them on display. The one-shoulder design covered all of her cleavage from view while simultaneously form-fitting around her massive melons that left no doubt she had an incredible Double-D rack, albeit without any exposed bare skin. The tight fit highlighted her narrow waist before flaring out around her bubble butt and wide hips. But the flowing silhouette and ankle-length hemline obscured what I knew to be very long, very well-toned legs. And I could barely see at the moment what I’d previously noticed to be elegant high heels suitable for a high-class wedding.

Skylar was absolutely gorgeous, and she knew it, but she also didn’t go out of her way to show off or call an undue amount of attention to herself - nor did she really need to. She carried herself demurely on campus but didn’t try to hide her attractiveness. She was never loud or provocative. She wore makeup but kept it muted. And it occurred to me that I’d never seen her wearing anything colorful; thus far her wardrobe had consisted entirely of the colors black, white, gray, and brown.

Okay maybe there had been a dark navy blue in there somewhere as well, but you get the point.

Skylar and I had arrived fashionably late in her black hardtop ‘67 Chevy Camaro Z/28. She’d needed to drive since - believe it or not - I didn’t know how to drive a stick. Minivan guy, remember? We made our way to the wedding venue and Skylar took the lead in approaching the table just outside the restaurant with its seating chart. After a quick scan she told me we would be at Table 3, the low digit reminding me that Skylar was a relative of some importance to the bride and groom.

It was her twin brother getting married, after all.

Both Skylar and her brother Sebastien had attended Cal Berkeley at the same time, and a large percentage of the guests were their friends from school. There were no other relatives nearby save for their parents, and the remainder of the guest list were Mum and Dad’s friends and business colleagues.

“Sky! You actually came! I was beginning to doubt myself a little,” a friendly female voice in a familiar English accent called from across the room, and we looked up to see a pretty brunette scampering towards us as best she could in skyscraper high heels and a slinky tube dress that unfortunately restricted her knees from moving more than a foot apart.

“Aisha!” Skylar replied with a warmer smile than I’d ever seen from her, immediately stepping away from me and opening her arms in greeting. The pair came together, holding each other’s elbows and leaning forward to exchange air kisses to either side of each other’s cheeks that wouldn’t ruin anyone’s makeup. “It’s so good to see you! What has it been, three months?”

“Four, Miss I’m-Gonna-Be-A-Student-Forever,” Aisha teased.

“We really should get together more often. That’s my fault, I know,” Skylar apologized.

“Of course it’s your fault,” Aisha drawled before parroting, “‘I’m just so busy.’ ‘I’d rather read books than go out with my friends.’ ‘My career this’ and ‘My career that.’”

“I’m sure I’ve missed out on a lot, but it doesn’t mean I don’t care.” Skylar squeezed Aisha’s arms. “Would you catch me up? Tell me everything.”

“Nevermind all that. Aren’t you going to introduce me to your handsome date?” Aisha said dismissively while almost crudely moving Skylar out of the way. While my date had initially walked away from me to greet her friend, by now I’d moved alongside them, and the pretty brunette flashed me a saucy look and a pearly white smile while greeting suggestively, “Helloooo. I’m Aisha.”

I had taken advantage of the intervening time to give the newcomer the once over. From her skin tone and facial features, she seemed to be of South Asian descent, and the name ‘Aisha’ suggested Pakistani to me. She was of medium height and build, although my expert eyes recognized a D-cup chest when I saw one, with two hemispherical globes pushed up into view above the top of her strapless hot pink dress. She had large, expressive brown eyes and a face that clearly spent most of its time smiling. As first impressions went, I could tell she’d be a fun friend to have around.

I put my hand forth for a shake and greeted, “Hi. I’m Matt.”

“Helloooo, Matt,” Aisha replied while giving my hand a firm shake before turning her attention back to Skylar. “You didn’t tell me you had a new boyfriend!”

“Matt and I are just friends. We aren’t dating,” Skylar explained.

I smiled and nodded in silent confirmation. On the drive over, Skylar had asked me not to mention the fact that I was a freshman and five years younger than her, or that I was a student in a class she was T.A.’ing.

Skylar gave me a tight smile, finishing, “He’s here to keep the wankers away.”

Aisha made a face and glanced across the room. “Jerry’s here. So’s Adi.”

Skylar sighed. “I figured they would be. I can’t say Sebastien has the greatest taste in friends, but there’s nothing I can do about it now.”

“Fortunately, the groomsmen are sequestered with the groom for now. But you let me know if you need any help,” Aisha stated seriously, all business for once before giving me a tight smile. “Thank you for being here for Sky, Matt. But please be warned that some of those guys aren’t very good at taking ‘no’ for an answer.”

I stood up straight and nodded once. “Thanks for the heads up.”

Aisha gave us an apologetic look and then glanced back over her shoulder. A guy who looked to be her date was staring over at us while semi-participating in a conversation with a few others, and Aisha bid us a quick “See you later” before returning to that group.

I raised both eyebrows as Skylar and I turned to face each other. “So? Jerry and Adi, right? Wanna give me the 4-1-1?”

“I’m sorry, give you the what?” Somehow Skylar’s accent made her sound even more perplexed than she already was.

“Sorry. I should know better than to use too many American idioms. I was asking if you had any information to give me that might be helpful.”

She pursed her lips, took a deep breath, and let out a long sigh while bowing her head. A moment later, she stood up straight again and pushed her glasses up the bridge of her nose, and even through the lenses I could tell her light blue eyes were a bit cloudy.

“Jerry and Adi are a pair of arseholes whom I’d prefer never get the opportunity to say a single word to me today,” she explained tersely. “I realize that may not be possible without causing a scene, and I’d prepared myself to just keep my mouth shut and walk away if either one of them approached me.”

“That was before you asked me to come here and be your date. I’m here now, and it’s my job to keep assholes away from you.”

“I’d hoped your presence alone would be enough of a deterrent, and maybe it will be. But you shouldn’t feel obligated to ... to defend my honor or anything like that.” Skylar gave me a brave smile. “I appreciate you accompanying me, but you don’t owe me anything and I’m not asking you to go above and beyond.”

I chuckled. “Perhaps not, but I really do intend to do whatever I can for you. That’s just who I am.”

Skylar gave me a shy smile and nodded slowly. “Thank you, Matt.” And then she stepped forward and wrapped her arm through my right elbow.

I reached up to pat her forearm, giving her a reassuring smile. “You’re welcome. Now come on. Let’s have a good time.”

I suggested that Skylar and I head on over to greet her college friends, but she shook her head dismissively and stated, “Most of them are Sebastien’s friends, not mine. Let’s head outside.”

The wedding ceremony itself would take place on a large, outdoor wood deck overlooking the rolling hills of the lush, green valley. White flower petals adorned the main aisle and rows of bamboo Chiavari chairs draped in white linens were arrayed in neat rows to either side. And at the end of the aisle was a circular hoop covered in vines and flowers, making for an excellent photo backdrop.

“You said that all of this luxury wouldn’t be your style,” I began conversationally as we walked out to the end of the deck by the railing and glanced around. “What would your ideal wedding be like?”

“That’s easy: barefoot on the beach,” she replied immediately. “Small. Intimate. With only a few close friends in attendance.”