Chapter 9

“Put him in my section,” The redhead Talsy and I had dick-pictured the night before told the seater as Jess, Nisha, and me entered the restaurant.

“Put me in Adelaide’s section.” I said to the seater.

“Oh, um...” He looked over his shoulder at the redhead.

“Customer is always right.” I said. He nodded and took me across the restaurant under the scathing gaze of the twisted facial features of the redhead.

“You guys want anything from the bar?” He asked. I ordered a round of beers. It was clear Jess wasn’t a beer drinker and Nisha had expected to make her own decision. I shut her up with a look.

“Will!” Adelaide came back with our beers on a tray. She put them down and I got up for a hug and a kiss. “Um, hi?”

“Oh, yeah, these are Jess--”

“And Lidie.” Adelaide interrupted with a sad smile. “I sent you the pictures from Will’s phone.”

“Nisha.” Nisha said.

“She works HR. Sending the dick pic to this one nearly got me fired.”

“So it’s only the picture you sent me?” She looked over the two girls sitting with me. “And you showed it to them anyways? And there’s still Lidie?”

“It was that or get fired.” Nisha pointed. “Hi, you’re pretty. Fuck, are they all pretty? Shame we’re wasted on Will, huh?”

“What? No! He was sweet and funny.” Adelaide defended.

“Yeah, I remember him being those things too.” Jess disagreed. “Nisha really wants food.”

“Can you put mozza sticks into a poutine?” She asked.

“Like, instead of the fries?” Adelaide asked.

“Um, well, no, along with them.” Nisha said. “Gravy’s really good on mozza sticks and I’m craving fries.”

“Don’t worry, she’ll have a heart attack real soon and we’ll be down to a reasonably sized harem.” I grinned.

“Oh.” Adelaide said. “Yeah, you want something?”

“Just keep the beers coming,” I drank from my glass.

“I’ll be right back.” Adelaide promised. Jess and I watched her walk away.

“You guys can have some of my fries and stuff. There’s going to be too much for me.” Nisha said.

“Thank you.” Jess murmured.

“God, I hope so. I find the poutines here big.” I said. “You’re petite.”

“Yeah,” She said. “I usually only eat like this after sex and I’ve been underappreciated lately.”

“You’re welcome.” I smirked.

“For what?”

“For him working up your appetite.” Jess said. “Who is she and why is she staring?”

Jess pointed out the redhead. She was at the bar pouring a tray full of beers for one of her tables. I waved. She waved. She blew a kiss, looked both ways, and dashed over.

“Hi!” She said.

“Hi, what’s your name?” I asked.

“It’s Philia. It means love.” She grinned. That might’ve been cute on a precocious 14 year old. On a straddling 30 waitress, gorgeous or not, it sounded desperate.

“Hi, Will. The name means force of character.” I said. Philia and Nisha shivered. Jess frowned as she sipped her beer.

“I’m Nisha. She’s Jess.” Nisha added.

“Cool, that’s enough Philia. Adelaide has us covered.” I shooed her off and she left with a frown.

“You don’t think that was mean?” Jess asked.

“You kidding?” I asked. “The only reason Talsy fishhooked Philia was to keep her out of Adelaide and my stuff. The way I see it, I’m not adding number 5 girls.”

“Fuck you.” Nisha said. She belched. “I’m number 4, then? Someone you pimp?”

“No,” I shook my head. “I’m not willing to have a Raylea. You’re a 3.”

“She’s a little bit prettier than that.” Adelaide interjected. “She’s kinda an 8.”

“Ah, thanks.” Nisha said. “But I know, from experience, that he thinks I’m hot. He’s talking about how you’re the important number 1 girl.”

“Do you think that’s mean?” Adelaide worried. “I gotta check on my other tables too. Is that OK?”

“Be the best waitress.” I said. Adelaide looked shocked and then determined. She set off to her other tables.

“Don’t do that to me.” Nisha said. “I work hard enough at my job and you ruined my chance to find the fun in it.”

“You’re welcome.” I said.

“I don’t like her.” Jess said.

“Adelaide?” I asked.

“No, she’s fine. I mean Philia, the kicked puppy with the red hair and the big tits.” Jess said. “Can we go somewhere else? I don’t like being watched like this.”

“No, we got food coming already and I want to be around Adelaide.” I said. “But if you want to go home, I’ll see you at work on Monday.”

“I’m either in or out for the whole weekend?” Jess asked with a sinking heart.

That wasn’t what I had meant. Even after the whole hotel event, I was still prone to seeing her as that girl from work that said hello with a smile. I can’t believe how much that one idiotic dick pic had gotten me. I was smiling like a cat stuffed full of canaries.

“Here you go.” Adelaide appeared and swapped out my empty glass for a full beer. She kissed my ear. “Her food’s up, I’ll be right back.”

Jess and I watched Adelaide’s ass walk away again.

“You seem more interested in her than Lidie or Nisha.” I said.

“So do you.” Jess said. “It probably wouldn’t be so bad with her. If you weren’t distracted with anyone else.”

“Or it’d be worse because instead of focusing on you, you’d have to share attention with the higher ranked girl in the threesome.” Nisha accused. I looked at her and frowned.

“How do I make you happy?” I asked. It was a strange question. I didn’t like it. I had like a dozen girls to work this out with. I knew I wasn’t going to get a straight answer. I knew her answer tonight would be different than her answer tomorrow. I asked it like they were nails through my wrists and into the cross I was going to have to bear.

“How about being liked for starters?” Nisha said. “What do you do for fun?”

“Drink? First person shooters? I’m still playing Counterstrike with Ike, Felix, and Raylea.” I shrugged. She huffed.

“Do you paint? Write? Do anything artistic?”

I painted your face. I had wanted to say. Instead, I shrugged.

“Do you have any hobbies? What shows do you watch?” Jess asked.

“You guys ever see Barry?” I asked. Raylea had insisted I watch it. I had fought for months. Such a mistake, it had been awesome. Otherwise, “It’s about all I’ve watched since Breaking Bad finished.”

“Great. Movies? Concerts?” Nisha asked.

“I’m more of a home and pub kinda guy. Sometimes we play pool.” I suggested. Adelaide checked in with a warm rub across the back of my neck. I squeezed her thigh and smiled.

“Hey, you. You’re going to sit down and watch a show with Will.” Nisha demanded.

“Am I? What show?” She asked. “I don’t like most science fiction besides Star Trek. Next Generation, not the original. But I’m willing to try anything.”

“We’ll watch Barry!” I decided.

“No, that’s him.” Nisha said. “What would you want to sit down with him to watch?”

“Oh! Gordon Ramsey’s Kitchen Nightmares!” She beamed. “Would you? I love those kind of make something beautiful out of something that’s not working kinda shows.”

“That explains your taste in men.” Jess sighed. “Our taste in men. I love that show.”

“Oh, well, I’ll give it a try.” I said.

“I’ll be back with another round. Gotta go be a great waitress.” She squeezed my shoulder and headed off again. Nisha sighed.

“Well, I guess if you’re going to make me happy, you’re going to need to do something and include me in it.” She raised a hand at my creepy leer. “More than orgies.”

“I like bike riding. I have a spin class you could come to.” Jess suggested. I smiled and made no commitment.

“I got a thing tomorrow afternoon.” Nisha said. “Softball. Lidie too, though I think our team has cut her for her bad attendance anyways.”

“You want me to come by and cheer you on?” I asked.

“Yes!” She cheered but Adelaide was here with her food and I didn’t know who she was cheering for. I was smiling and when she laid out the massive heaping pile of mozzarella, cheddar curds, French fries, and gravy. It smelled amazing.

“This is awesome, thank you.” I said. Adelade kissed me.

“I’m glad you’re happy.” She said. I wasn’t going to ask Jess like I had Nisha, so I didn’t ask Adelaide what I needed to do to make her happy in front of Jess. Too much on my plate. Holy Crap, mozza sticks covered in gravy are as good at tasting as they are at hardening arteries.

I wasn’t send-a-dick-pic-to-the-girl-I-had-miraculously-asked-out drunk. I had no more than nine beers. Jess had nursed her second all night. Nisha was conked out on my arm after her seventh. I was drunk enough that I should’ve slapped her cheek a little softer had I been soberer. She shot up and flashed her eyes.

“We’re going to head outside so Adelaide can clean up her booth and come home with us.” I told the green haired girl.

“She better cuddle.” Nisha mumbled.

“She’d better not.” Jess said less under her breath than she had wanted. Jess blushed, apologized, actually under her breath, and took Nisha’s purse as I led the petite girl out the front doors of the pub.

“Good night.” Philia said.

“Great night!” I exclaimed. She looked worried. I smiled. The next lot down had a bus stop but it was four AM and they weren’t running. That’s where we waited for Adelaide. I sat Nisha down.