A Very Friendly Neighborhood Ch. 04

On the one hand, this was an incredible and unbelievable opportunity for us. I could date, and get to know all these amazing girls, and they seemed to all have the understanding that in the end, if everything went perfectly, I could still only marry one of them.

On the other hand... I had put up all of these objections, and Aurora had put the deal up to me, saying if it didn't bother my dating options... I'd cooperate and do my part. Now, maybe Aurora had gotten vibes from these girls last night. Maybe she had plans. Maybe she was a fucking prophet. I didn't know, but bottom line, Aurora had just won our deal. I now had... six girlfriends.

That was a crazy thought.

I didn't think my mom and dad would be super excited about this idea, so I'd let them know... later. Maybe once things settled down I could let them know, but right now things were likely to be crazy.

"Well, um, you girls doing anything tonight? I haven't had dinner yet, can I treat you two to dinner?"

Eve squealed, "Yes! I'm available."

Hope nodded too.

"So, what are your favorite restaurants around here?" I asked.

In the end, we chose a local mom-and-pop Italian place. Hope went for a shrimp scampi, Eve went for a Tuscan Chicken pasta, and I went for a sauteed mushroom risotto. Hope had driven the two to my house, so she avoided alcohol, and I drove us to the restaurant so I did the same. Eve enjoyed some wine with her Tuscan Chicken, and at the end we shared a piece of chocolate cake and ice cream.

It was nice to just have a chance to talk to them about them. I learned that Eve was a Finance Major and Hope was a Music Performance Major. Eve had been a cheerleader in high school while Hope had been in theater and drama. While they still enjoyed those, Eve was getting into rock climbing and Hope had discovered snorkeling, which she loved doing with Alice when they could find the time. Eve loved movies, so they would compromise and for every movie they went to together, often with other girls from the group, Hope would take them to a theatrical performance.

It was a goldmine for date ideas.

I learned a bit about the other girls too. Mia was a Business Administration Major, Harper was a Research and Experimental Psychology Major, Alice was in the Registered Nursing program, and Lucy was a Communication Major. And for such a tight group of friends, they had a wide variety of interests. Mia loved surfing, reading, and writing fanfiction, though she was too embarrassed to post them or really share them. Harper had been doing Taekwondo since she was small and was starting to get into horseback riding and painting. Alice loved snorkeling with Hope, but spent a good amount of time in the kitchen, learning to cook from her mom, and was also usually the one who played the piano while Hope sang. Lucy was always trying to get the other girls to watch some new anime with her, or join her in her morning runs or in learning the latest dance routines.

I was getting more and more excited about this idea of the "dating pool" as the girls had taken to calling it. Not only did having all six of them available mean that even with their busy college schedule, someone would usually be available for dinner or an evening adventure. Also, the variety of interests and hobbies would mean that I could explore my new local opportunities in Florida with a bunch of locals who already kinda knew what was going on.

Unfortunately, the date came to an end. The food was done, and we were holding up a table that the next diners would want. Plus, having worked as a server through college, I knew that if someone held up a single table too long it could really hurt your tips at the end of the night.

"Now, don't get any ideas." Eve teased as we left the restaurant. "We might be a thing now, but we had to promise Mia we wouldn't take advantage of being the messengers and hop in your bed first."

"Yeah," Hope admitted with another blush, "We wanted to make sure everything was fair."

"It's okay," I laughed awkwardly, "It's been a crazy day, and I don't mind waiting."

Before I knew it, they were ready to head out. Eve gently pulled me down and kissed me.

"I'm excited to see how this all works out." She murmured with excitement.

Hope was clearly anxious, and I took the initiative, giving her a gentle kiss as well, making her blush a touch and I could see her breath catch.

"Drive safely. We'll be sure to do this again soon." I told her.

She just nodded vigorously, then hurried with Eve to the car. I could see Eve starting to laugh and tease the blushing driver as they pulled out and drove down the street and out of the neighborhood.

I sat on my doorstep.

The stars were starting to appear as the sun was finishing setting. It felt surreal and crazy as I caught my breath and tried to just process my way through the day. Unfortunately, it didn't last nearly long enough, as the mosquitoes discovered me and I had to retreat inside.

A cold shower later, I lay in bed and found myself falling asleep with ease for the first time in days.