Chapter 17 – Miles
I went into the restaurant and got the four of us a good table. Nice view, away from the rest of the diners, but not too far from the wait staff. Theo and Franklin joined me almost immediately.
“Where’s Belinda?” asked Franklin.
“Fixing her makeup,” I said. “She wants to look perfect for us. Who won the game?”
“To tell you the truth,” said Franklin. “I kinda tuned out after her announcement. I don’t even know.”
“I know, right?” agreed Theo. “This girl’s in my head. Not like any other girl before.”
“How the hell am I going to get any work done?” wondered Franklin. “That look she gave me when she bit her lip? Holy shit, I thought I would lose it. If she told me to jump out a window, I think I would do it. I’ve just never been in love like this.”
“The interesting thing is,” I noted. “It seems like the more we get to know her and the more time we spend together, the more I want to be with her. That’s weird, right?”
“It is and it isn’t,” noted Franklin. “I mean, I know what you mean. Previously relationships, it always seem to fade right at the beginning, right? Nothing’s better than that first night. New person. You get to know them…”
“But it’s all downhill from there,” added Theo. “It’s funny. I always used to get bored, but with Belinda, it’s like peeling an onion. There are always other layers. New things to discover about her.”
“Plus the arrangement between the four of us,” agreed Franklin. “At first, I thought I’d be fighting over the time with her, ya know? Competing with you guys, but I’m actually glad to have you guys around. I’m sure the hot tub operation would’ve blown up in my face.”
“Oh, it was nothing a little champagne can’t fix,” assured Theo. “Speaking of.”
Theo flagged down a waiter and began ordering a bottle of champagne. He asked about the prices.
“Don’t worry about the prices,” I said.
“We got it, we got it,” Franklin assured. “Just order the best.”
“All right,” said Theo. “I’ve always wondered what ten thousand dollar champagne taste like.”
“Doesn’t even bother me,” said Franklin. “You know my ex-wife used to want things like that, but I hated giving them to her. I thought it was frivolous and stupid. But with Belinda, I just want to see the smile on her face.”
“I hope it’s a big smile,” muttered Theo.
“Speaking of being competitive,” I said. “I think it’s pretty clear who won the bet between us. I convinced her to give us a chance.”
“What about operation hot tub?” asked Franklin.
“C’mon, she was on board during the skydiving,” I assured him. “Plus in the elevator a few minutes ago.”
“Wait a minute,” said Franklin. “What did she say, exactly?”
“She said it was that first night when we all explained ourselves,” I said.
Theo looked confused.
“Which was my idea!” I reminded him.
“Technically, it was,” said Theo. “I guess you win the bet.”
“Yeah, but what did it have to do with skydiving,” asked Franklin.
“When you’re falling out of the sky, things become apparent,” I assured him. “That’s how I knew it was for real and she confirmed it in the elevator when she kissed me.”
Franklin shook his head.
“Look, I’m not following, but if I pay you can we end this conversation?” he asked.
“C’mon, fellas, give me some credit,” I said.
“I’m not following either,” said Theo. “Here’s your money.”
The guys got out their wallets and paid me.
“A pleasure doing business gents,” I said, making a big deal of it. “Anytime you want to bet about Belinda, just let me know.”
Unfortunately, as I finished that sentence I realized Belinda was walking up to the table looking very upset.
“What the hell is this?!” she demanded. “You guys had a bet on me?!”
“No-no, sweetie, it’s not like that,” I assured her. “It was a bet, but a good one---“
“What? That I’d have sex with you all or something?! What was I thinking? I must’ve lost my mind.” said Belinda, reeling.
“Please, Belinda, we would never---“
“You treated me like a plaything, Franklin. That’s what you bet on. Playthings.”
“No, honestly! You misunderstand! We’re all crazy about you! If you just let us explain,” begged Franklin.
“I can’t listen anymore.”
Belinda stormed off. We started to get up to run after her, when Theo’s sister suddenly confronted me.
“How dare you!” she yelled at me.
“I’m sorry. You are…?”
“This is my sister, Arianna,” explained Theo. “Arianna, these are my friends. What are you doing?”
“These aren’t your friends, Theo!” screaming Arianna, pointing at me. “This one was making out with Belinda in the lobby. I saw him. She’s cheating on your right under your nose.”
“No, sis, it’s not like that,” insisted Theo. “We’re her boyfriends. All of us.”
“What?” said Arianna bewildered. “That doesn’t make any sense.”
“Trust me, we are,” insisted Theo. “We love her. C’mon fellas!”
We rushed out of the restaurant and got to the elevators.
“God dammit,” cursed Franklin. “How did this happen? One minute, we were all happy and now this?”
“It’s uncharted territory for all of us,” said Theo. “That’s part of it.”
“Well, which one of us is good at calming down an angry woman?” asked Franklin.
“Not me,” said Miles. “They just get more pissed off when I talk to them.”
“And without the romance, I’m pretty defenseless,” admitted Theo.
“Dammit, we’re screwed,” said Franklin. “We’re just going to have to go up there and start apologizing. Apologize like our lives depend on it. We got into the elevator and hit the button.
“In a strange way,” said Theo. “Our lives do depend upon it. I can’t imagine my life without Belinda now.”
“I’ve never been good with this relationship stuff,” admitted Franklin. “But between the three of us, we have to make her come back.”