Yeah. I was supposed to visit Esme and Cora… but that plan was officially dead.

Mendy's idea had bulldozed straight through every intention I had for the evening. Watching me… no—watching us. The thought alone made my stomach twist. It was either going to be painfully awkward or dangerously unforgettable. And the timing? Of course today had to be the night we'd agreed anal.

Yeah. No. This was going to be awkward as hell.

I leaned back into the couch and stared at the ceiling for a moment, letting out a slow breath. Waiting at Mendy's place, knowing exactly what we were walking into—it felt surreal. Awkward didn't even begin to cover it. Strange. Uncharted. My chest felt tight, like I'd stepped onto thin ice on purpose.

Mendy shifted beside me, the couch creaking softly. She tucked one leg under herself, then untucked it again. "Um…" she said quietly. "It's ten thirty. Should we…?"

"Oh—yeah." I got up a little too fast. "Yeah. I'll—uh—I'll call Kayla. We'll pick her up too."

She nodded, then hesitated. Her fingers twisted together in her lap. "Mm… wow. Is it bad that I… kind of regret what I said?"

I turned to her immediately, hands lifting without thinking. "No. No, not bad. Not at all." I shook my head. "If you don't want to go, we don't go. You can stay. I'm not forcing you into anything."

And I meant it. Completely.

She looked… fidgety. Like her thoughts were bouncing around faster than she could keep up with them. Doubt sat heavy on her face, and I couldn't blame her. Anyone sane would be second-guessing this.

Still, selfishly, I wanted her to come. Not for the night itself. For after. For what it might change between us. Mendy wasn't just another person in my life. She mattered. More than she probably realized. Hell, she was the reason I was tangled up in Dierella's mess instead of Karamine's in the first place.

She stood and walked toward the window, hugging her arms around herself. Snow brushed past the glass outside, the streetlights painting everything orange and white. She stared out, then glanced back at me. Then back to the window again. Back to me.

She did that a few times before letting out a sharp breath.

"Screw it," she said suddenly, grabbing her coat from the chair. "I'm game. Let's go before I change my mind, Evan. Please."

My heart jumped. "S-sure."

I grabbed my coat too, my movements clumsier than usual. We stepped outside together, the cold biting immediately. She turned back, fishing her keys from her pocket with shaky fingers and locking the door. Once. Twice.

I couldn't tell if she was trembling from the cold or the nerves.

She finally turned toward me, lips pressed together in a small, tight smile. We didn't say anything—just walked to the car and got in.

"Oh, shit," I muttered as I started it up. "I'm freezing." I cranked the heat. "There we go."

"Y-yeah," she said, rubbing her hands together. "Oh… god."

I eased the engine to life, released the handbrake, and waited a moment for the car to warm. When I glanced at her, she was staring straight ahead, deliberately avoiding my eyes. Embarrassed. Nervous. Cute. Dangerously cute.

I smiled without meaning to, then shook my head and focused back on the road as I pulled out. Snow whipped past the windshield, the wind louder now, but visibility was still decent. The storm was real—just not violent. Yet.

"I… I never asked before," she said after a moment, turning slightly toward me. "Where do your parents live?"

"England," I said. "They moved there a couple years back."

"Oh. Why?"

"My mom's from there. Dad's Australian," I said. "When my grandma got sick, they moved to take care of her. And when she passed… they decided to stay."

"Oh." Her voice softened. "I'm sorry."

"It's okay," I said. "We weren't that close."

She tilted her head. "You didn't like her?"

"No, no. It's not that." I shrugged. "I just didn't have enough interaction to decide whether I loved her, hated her, or tolerated her."

She laughed quietly. "That's… oddly honest."

"Yeah."

She relaxed a little after that. "What about your parents? You mentioned them once—at dinner with Penelope and Kayla."

"They're decent people," I said. "Not perfect. But good to me." I glanced at her. "What about you?"

"I love my mom," she said without hesitation. "She's always been there. No matter what."

"You're lucky."

Well… this really wasn't the kind of subject you talked about while driving toward your penthouse for group sex, but I guessed it was better than sitting in awkward silence. At least she was talking. And weirdly enough, I was glad she brought up my parents.

I really did need to call them sometime. Let them know how I was doing. Ask if they needed any help with money. Last I heard, they were fine, but still—asking wouldn't hurt.

Thanks to TechForge, I could afford things I never could back when I worked at the gas station. That still messed with my head sometimes. How fast things changed. How different my life was now. And yeah… it was all thanks to Nala. If it wasn't for her, I'd probably be running some sketchy massage parlor by now, fueled by the Sensual Oil thing I bought from the Shop.

"So," Mendy said after a moment, breaking the hum of the engine. "Okay. I want to get some background on the women."

I glanced at her briefly, then back to the road. "Alright."

"Jasmine," she said. "Right? How did you two meet?"

"She was my next-door neighbor," I said. "She didn't like her job, so I… helped her."

"What was her job?"

"She can… tell you. It's kind of personal."

She nodded slowly. "Okay… Tessa?"

"Jasmine's friend," I said. "She's a… strange woman. Says the first thing that comes to her mind. Doesn't care what you think."

She smiled faintly. "Just like Penelope."

"Yeah," I chuckled. "They'd probably get along way too well."

"Okay… um… Me… Mi—"

"Minne," I said. "She's our maid."

She hesitated. "Oh… you… you don't force her, right?"

I exhaled through my nose. "You did it again."

"I'm sorry," she said quickly. "I just—"

"I'm not Richard, Mendy," I said, keeping my voice calm but firm. "Please stop asking me questions like that."

"I'm sorry. I'm really sorry," she said, shrinking a bit. "I just… even your maid? That's a lot to process."

"Yeah," I said. "I get that."

She nodded. "Okay… um… Kim?"

"She was my downstairs neighbor," I said. "She had a boyfriend, Tom. I'm not gonna go into details—it's her personal life. Just know that Tom was a cunt. A certified one."

"Huh," she smiled. "Noted. Delvin?"

"Delvin?" I frowned. "Oh—Delilah."

"Right, right. Sorry. Delilah."

I stopped at a red light. "I survived my college years thanks to her. She was like a mother to me."

"Really?"

I wasn't going to tell her about Ivy. About fucking my friend's mother. I wasn't lying—just… leaving out a small detail.

She took a breath. "Okay. Jasmine. Tessa. Delilah. Kim. Minne. I already know about Nala… and Kayla."

"Yup."

"B-before you all start, though," she said carefully, twisting her fingers together. "May I talk to them first? Would that be okay?"

"Absolutely," I said as the light turned green and I pressed the pedal. "Of course. I won't even ask why."

"Thanks."

We were getting close to Kayla's place now. I probably should've called her, warned her that Mendy was coming. But honestly? A part of me wanted to see her raw reaction. Seeing Mendy in the car. Realizing she was going to watch us while we had sex.

Yeah. The system was probably right about me being a Villain.

I turned right and slowed down, the snow crunching softly under the tires. Mendy went quiet, the engine and the wind filling the space between us.

"Uh," I said after a bit. "How did you and Richard meet?"

"Through a friend," she said. "I wish we hadn't, but… we did."

"Hmm."

"You?" she asked. "Richard was your friend, right?"

"Yeah," I said. "We worked at the same gas station." I let out a small chuckle. "Guess he was good at hiding that side of him."

"Yes," she said quietly. "Yes, he was."

I stopped at another red light and exhaled. Just as I was about to check the time, my dashboard lit up—my phone buzzing.

Eleanor.

I normally wouldn't answer, but knowing about her panic attacks… I couldn't ignore it.

I pulled the phone from my pocket and answered, angling it away so Mendy wouldn't hear.

"Hey," I said. "What's up?"

"It's… nothing," Eleanor said quickly. "I'll keep this short, Evan."

"O-okay. Is something wrong? Are you okay?"

"I just wanted to thank you," she said. "For giving me a place to stay. For helping me find a job. It's really kind of you. But… I feel like a charity case right now. I need to pay you back somehow."

I smiled softly. "Just keep your room clean and we're good. Okay?"

"Evan—"

"I'm hanging up," I said gently. "Don't get stuck on small details, Eleanor. Alright? Bye."

"I… uh. Yeah. Bye."

I ended the call and slid my phone back into my pocket. Mendy looked at me but didn't ask who it was.

Good. Because explaining Eleanor right now would've been a whole different headache. I didn't need that. Especially not now.

I turned another corner and pressed the pedal a bit more. Two minutes. Maybe less. Then we'd be at Kayla's place. My chest tightened. Damn.

Yeah… this was… this was exciting.

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