Outsiders Pt. 05

"Ah, yes," Ben said. "I've mastered two new spells, perhaps the last two I'll ever learn, and one of them lets me transform raw materials into finished products. I'm guessing that will make me rich, but I don't know exactly what I should make with it."

He explained the power and limitations of the Fabricate spell to the girls and they spitballed a bunch of ideas, most of which Ben shot down on the basis of the final products being made from more than one material.

"It's got to be something like... titanium aircraft parts," Ben told the girls. "Those are milled from solid blocks of titanium in an expensive process after which the leftover titanium dust is recycled in a complicated and expensive process that radically increases the price of titanium parts for airplanes."

"Well, why don't you just make those," Raven asked.

Ben shot her a look. "Two reasons. The first is that, as I've just said, titanium costs. A lot. The second reason is that I can't just drive over to Boeing and offer to sell them spare parts on the cheap. There are rules and federal regulations in place for these things. No self-respecting aircraft manufacturer is going to even think about buying anything without first vetting me, inspecting my manufacturing plant and quality assurance process, checking out my official registrations... You know, the things I don't have and can't get."

Krista looked thoughtful and opened her mouth to say something, but Ben pointed a finger at her and said, "Don't even! I don't wanna hear it!"

She spread her hands and said, "You don't even know what I was going to say."

"You were going to suggest a way to fake all that I need to be able to get in bed with airplane manufacturers," he said, "and I'm not interested."

"Spoilsport," she muttered into her chin as she wilted in her seat.

Conversation died out at that point and the four of them sat in the den saying nothing. Ben gave his girls a good look. Krista was looking out the window and up at the sky. Lisa was surfing news channels and Raven was sitting and idly twirling a lock of her hair as she stared at the wall.

He focused on his links to their minds. He could feel how the sight of all that open, blue sky was making Krista aware of how boring and uneventful her life under Ben's heel had become. He could feel her desire to run free and see something new. She was sick and tired of being stuck in his shitty, little house.

Surfing the channels was making Lisa agitated. She was hoping to come across another spell drawn somewhere and give them another chance to catch the cultists and, at the same time, she was dreading the thought of coming across it. He thought that he could plainly see on her face that there was much more brewing behind her eyes, but the constant flipping of channels didn't resonate with those emotions and thus didn't give him insight into them.

Raven was eyeing the peeling paint in the corner and the sight of it was making her feel nauseous. She wanted better. She felt that she deserved better. The close quarters were making her reconsider how okay she was with sharing Ben with two other girls.

Ben rubbed his temples and sighed. He hadn't really used his telepathic link to their minds since the incident in his home town and it hadn't been just because he wanted to preserve their mental privacy. The real reason had been taking them for granted ever since Lisa saw the spell drawing at the base massacre. He was so focused on this terrible conspiracy that he let the girls fade from his mind.

He wasn't feeling at all sure that he would be able to defeat whoever was behind this apocalyptic plot. In eight months and two weeks, the world might literally end and he suddenly realized he didn't want to spend the last of his days on Earth sitting in a dingy house with three frustrated girls. He wanted them all to live life to the fullest, whether they survived March the twentieth, or not. He softly grunted to himself.

"You say something," Raven asked him.

Ben cleared his throat and said, "I just wanted to say that I'm sorry for, uh, ignoring you since the whole thing at the army base." The girls looked at him. "I feel like a jackass. You girls deserve better than this." He gestured at the sad state of the walls around them. "I'll see to it that you get it." He shut his laptop and stood up.

"Where are you going," Raven asked.

"To make money," he said and left.

The girls followed him to the front door and watched him drive off in his car. "He could have left the car," Krista said. Lisa shot her a look. "What? The man can teleport! Why does he get the car?" Lisa shook her head and went back inside to continue her TV vigil. "What?" Krista followed her in.

Raven took another look around and saw some young men ogling her from the front stoop of a house up the street. She shuddered in disgust and went back inside, shutting and locking the door behind herself.

Ben drove into town, to go sit in a coffee shop and use their free wifi to research a way to use the Fabricate spell to make money. He turned on the radio to pass the time. "Brown Sugar" came on.

Ben sang along with Ryan Adams. "Gold Coast slave ship, bound for cotton fields. Sold in the market down in New Orleans." He gasped as he finally figured it out. Clothes were the answer. No one bothered with any checks when it came to fabrics. All that mattered was price and quality and he could deliver on both. He smiled and sang along with the radio when Beth Orton joined in.

"Brown Sugar, how come you taste so good? Brown Sugar, just like a young girl should!"

He drove to a café and quickly found everything he wanted online. He hired an empty warehouse and ordered five tons of raw cotton. In under an hour, he managed to find people willing to pay good money for denim, lacy dresses, underwear, sheets, towels, T-shirts, bandages and other things made from cotton.

He drove to his warehouse and got the keys and security codes from a sweaty, fat man with a beard. He waited for the cotton delivery and cast a dozen Fabricate spells as soon as he was left alone with it.

The buyers soon started rolling in, complete with workers to pack up and move the finished products. Ben wore a wide smile the whole afternoon. Even selling everything at half price or less, he still made a ridiculous amount of money. He locked up after the work was done and drove back home. He told the girls to get dressed, which they did in short order, and took them out to dinner. After dessert, he said, "What do you girls want to do next?"

"Go dancing," Krista said.

"Yeah," Raven said. "Hit some clubs, strut our stuff... that'd be great!"

Lisa shrugged and Ben asked for the check. He slipped fifty bucks to a cabbie that was parked outside the restaurant and learned of an exclusive club on the north side of town. They took Ben's car to the club and were admitted right in.

Once inside, Ben couldn't help but grin. As soon as his girls started dancing around him, the floor spontaneously cleared a space for them and the rest of the club just bopped along with the loud music and watched the three hotties undulating around him. Ben mostly stood still, or swayed his shoulders to the beat, while the girls busted move after move. Even Lisa cut loose after a few songs.

They had just gotten in the groove when the rest of the club stopped watching. The crowd slowly started dancing again and coming closer to them. Before they knew it, they were surrounded by writhing flesh on all sides. Men took advantage of this and hands started accidentaly slipping to brush up against the girls' curves.

With the girls' mood thus ruined, Ben lead them towards the exit, glaring at grope-happy assholes along the way. They left the club and drove to the riverbank to have a nice walk along the levy. The night was warm and the four of them just talked and walked until they were tired. Then they drove back home and made out. Pretty fast, the four way petting session led to Ben doing Krista doggy style on his bed.

As soon as he finished, Lisa rolled Krista over and put her mouth down to her pussy to suck his cum right out of it. Ben got hard watching Krista writhe next to him and Raven took the chance to ride his erection. She slammed her hips down on his, again and again, driving his cock deeper into herself. He lay back exhausted and barely summoned the strength to reach up and fondle her huge, heaving breasts. Raven came twice on his shaft before he joined her in her third orgasm.

He started to doze off pretty soon after that. The last thing he saw before he fell asleep was Lisa sliding over to suck his cum out of Raven's pussy.

He woke up with his face burried in Raven's cleavage. Felicia was napping in a shaft of light in the kitchen, Susan was telling a random stranger in the checkout line about aliens and the girls were still asleep. He glanced at the clock. It was almost ten a.m.

After a quick stop at the bathroom, he woke the girls up. He answered their protests with, "I'm meeting my business associate at one at this fancy restaurant uptown and I need style and fashion assistance."

"Who's this associate," Raven asked.

Ben squeezed through the piles of boxes and went to his wardrobe. "It's one of the guys I sold the clothes to," he said. "It's the guy I sold most of the clothes to, actually."

"Why are you meeting him today," Krista asked with suspicion as she got up to peer over his shoulder. "Didn't he pay you already? Please, Ben, tell me you didn't just give him the mountain of clothes without getting paid! Oh, God, please don't tell me you let a honey-tongued devil dupe you when you had me on call!"

"Geez, of course not," Ben said. "Lighten up, will ya? The man paid me the full amount in advance, cause I only charged him half the price for top quality merchandise." He rifled his wardrobe, looking for clothes. "He's gonna hook me up with some lace and fabric dealers that I'm gonna supply in exchange for ridiculous amounts of money in the very near future."

"Are these dealers going to be at the lunch meeting, as well," Krista asked.

"Yes," he absentmindedly said. He stood still in front of his wardrobe.

"What's wrong," Lisa asked.

Ben sighed and said, "At the risk of sounding like a girl... I have nothing to wear!" The girls giggled. "No, I'm being serious, girls. This guy yesterday... He came to the warehouse, he shook my hand, we talked, he bought my stuff, he paid me my money... everything polite and above board... but the way he was looking at me? At my khakis and shirt?" He shook his head. "I may as well have been a dung covered peasant."

Krista nodded sagely and said, "The clothes make the man, Ben."

"What does that even mean," he asked, rolling his eyes.

"It means that appearances matter, Ben," Krista said. "They matter a lot. One might even say they're everything, particularly in the business world. If you don't look successful, why would people think you're successful? And if they don't think you're a successful guy, a closer with killer instincts who can get the job done and deliver the goods, then why would they ever get in business with you?"

Ben was about to retort on how it's what's really inside that counts, but he could see merit in her words. If he looked like a winner, people would hitch their wagons to his winning train. He took another look at his wardrobe. It was a collection of comfortable, budget clothing with two nice suits he had bought for himself when he quit his job at the call center. And one of those suits had been given a clear and loud look of disapproval.

"I need new clothes," he dejectedly said.

"And arm candy," Krista added. "That also needs new clothes. What's our budget for today?"

Ben looked at the three girls and saw the excitement in their eyes. He pulled out his newly acquired black credit card and said, "We are on a time budget today. We need to be at the restaurant at one. Do you girls think you could make this shopping trip a very quick one? I promise to make it all up to you later today!" He would have cast Fabricate to make clothes for them all, but he couldn't dye the clothing he made.

The girls stared at his credit card for a few seconds and he could see their eyes glaze over as one. His brow quirked as they snapped out of their fantasies, one by one, and nodded in answer to his question.

"Ok," he said and pointed at himself with both thumbs, "so we need a killer power suit for me and," he pointed his index fingers at the girls, "an eye candy outfit for..."

"Each of us," Krista said, smiling. "Nothing says success like having a hot chick on your arm, except having three hot chicks on your arm."

"Fine," he said, rolling his eyes. "But I mean it when I say that we have to be at the restaurant by one!"

Just as he suspected he would, he needed to issue the girls telepathic orders to hurry up in order to get to the restaurant on time. He only learned that the restaurant was on the top floor of the city's most prestigious hotel after googling it. He teleported the four of them invisibly to the sidewalk in front of the hotel. They walked to the park opposite and found a spot in which no one would see them appear and Ben ended their invisibilities.

They crossed the street, found the hotel's penthouse elevator and it took them to the top. Ben exited the elevator with Raven on one arm and Krista on the other. Lisa followed them. They walked up to the hostess and Ben said, "Davis."

The elegant woman gave them each an appreciative, but quick look and said, "Of course, Sir. Follow me, please!" She extended a hand and led them through the restaurant.

The place was tastefully decorated in the Art Deco style, with giant windows looking out at the bright, sunny skies all around. Only the tops of the city's tallest skyscrapers intruded on the wonderful vista. A string quartet, dressed in white, played Vivaldi in the corner. The whole restaurant made Ben feel like he was walking into the dining hall of a luxurious, transatlantic Zeppelin and he smiled at the thought. "Why did humanity ever give up on airships," he asked himself.

The hostess was leading them to the far side of the restaurant, past many other tables. The patrons would glance up at their passage and then do a take and stare outright. Ben felt a bit uncomfortable at such scrutiny but, when he saw the looks of envy on everyone's face, he started to feel more comfortable.

He was wearing a black suit that had a sheen to it like it could never get dirty, no matter what. He wore a blood red shirt under it, with no tie and the collar popped. He had felt silly without a necktie, but Krista insisted he ditch the tie and pop the collar to project power. He shrugged and deferred to her fashion judgement. The suit was truly remarkable, he had to admit. Even he could see the difference between it and the leisure suits he had bought for himself.

As sharp as his attire was, he knew it was his girls that elicited everyone's reactions. Raven wore a strapless, red dress that only came down to above her knees. It hugged her hourglass shape tightly, revealing no lines that would denote underwear, and it was being held up solely by the perkiness of her ample bust.

Krista wore a turquoise, off the shoulder dress that went well with her red hair and brought out her green eyes. She drew almost as many gazes as Raven. Lisa walked behind them with her eyes cast down in submission. Her outfit consisted of a little, black dress and narrow, black choker. Each girl wore an assortment of jewelry and stiletto heels. The jewelry stop had almost made them late and Ben had to cut it short with telepathic orders. He didn't even have time to haggle down the ridiculous prices.

He spotted the back of Clarence Davis, his contact, at a table packed with young, Asian men. The hostess led them over and leaned in to whisper briefly in Davis' ear. Davis turned around and his eyes went wide as he took in the sight of Ben and his suit. His jaw dropped when he saw the girls on his arms. The rest of the men at the table had similar reactions.

Ben kept his self satisfied smirk in check and extended a hand to Clarence as the man got up and said, "Kidder! You're here! Welcome! Welcome." The two of them shook hands and Clarence smiled a wide smile.

After gazing at Raven and Krista for a few long seconds, Clarence shook his head to himself and introduced Ben to the other men at the table. They all had oriental names, and Ben feared he might need an interpreter, but each spoke English fluently with an American accent.

Ben was seated with Krista and Raven at his sides and Lisa remained standing behind him, keeping her eyes trained on his back. Ben didn't introduce her to anyone and acted like she wasn't even there. Whenever Ben, or the girls, wanted anything, she would do it. She poured their water for them and ran to find their waiting staff to relay their orders. She gave the impression of being Ben's servant, or slave. Her behavior confused the other men and put them on tilt. It was all Krista's idea and Ben had to admit that Lisa played her part magnificently. Between Raven's looks, Lisa's subservity, Krista's wit and Ben's honeyed, silver tongue, the men stood no chance. All the questions that they'd otherwise ask of a potential business partner were simply forgotten.

It helped that they had been expecting some kind of rube, based on what Clarence had told them. Ben's show of force overwhelmed them and they quickly agreed to get in business with him for a decent price. He was going to make millions in no time, just by occasionally making clothes that they would then distribute to retailers in the US, Mexico, Canada and the Orient. The men all turned out to be second, or third generation Americans with strong family ties to the countries of their ancestors.

After lunch, they happily toasted their future business arrangements and exchanged contact information before parting ways.

As soon as they exited the hotel, Krista jumped into his arms and kissed him, plunging deep into his mouth with her tongue. When she finally ended the kiss and let go of him, Ben breathlessly said, "What was that for?" Krista just smiled and shrugged.

"Cause you made money," Lisa muttered from behind them.

Krista gave her a glare and said, "No!" She smiled up at Ben and said, "It was for starting to live up to your potential."

"Oh," Raven said excitedly, "does this mean that we're gonna move someplace nice?"

"Yes," Ben said, making them squeal in excitement. "Finding a place suitable for our needs is our first priority. I make only one condition! It has to be a penthouse with its very own roof. Everything else, I leave up to you."

The girls skipped in place happily and gave him a group hug. They started chatting away, discussing which neighborhood to start looking in. Ben hailed a cab and they quickly found themselves in the tastefully appointed offices of a reputable real estate agency.

The realtor, an older gentleman, received them gladly and managed to keep himself from ogling the girls too much, which endeared him to Ben. Ben stated his demand to the man and he showed him a set of photographs that depicted the only property the agency had listed that had its own, large roof. Ben liked them and the girls all ooohed at them, so he asked the realtor to show it to them as soon as possible.

The realtor smiled and offered to drive them over there at once. They got in his Mercedes and were soon there, looking over the property. It was a two storied loft with a large, open space lower floor and six luxurious bedrooms upstairs. There were five bathrooms in the apartment and it also had all the amenities one could want.

The girls, however, looked unimpressed and started commenting on the furnishings in a negative manner. They began to complain about every single aspect of the place and Ben focused on his links to their minds. He nearly laughed out loud when he felt that they were actually in love with the place and were only acting dissatisfied at Krista's quiet suggestion. Ben jumped on board with the redhead's hasty plan and began using his charisma on the realtor.