The Bet (10 Dates)

The Bet (Ten Dates)

Mallory stomped up the four flights of stairs, cursing. The elevator was out of order again for the umpteenth time since they'd lived there. With her arms struggling to cope with carrying six grocery bags, she'd have cheerfully killed the landlord at that moment. Or her husband and his friends. The choice was open!

She was doubly pissed because she'd buzzed up for help, and Steve hadn't answered. She had a damn good idea why. Pushing the door to their apartment open, she winced at the volume spewing out of the TV as the guys listened to the pre-game celebrations and smack talked at each other. No wonder nobody answered her need for help. They wouldn't hear shit with all the noise, much less a buzzing intercom!

Stumbling into the kitchen with her burden, she found the counter covered with spoiling food removed from the fridge. There was no room for her bags. Dropping the groceries on the floor, she opened the refrigerator and found exactly what she suspected. Eight dozen beer or what remained had taken over the newly made space. The beer count was easy, the empty cases casually tossed on the kitchen table. Already empty bottles took over another section of the counter.

Her pent-up rage erupted. She strode over to the pantry and slammed the door open. The electrical panel was just inside. With an incensed sense of satisfaction, she flipped off the main power switch. The TV and lights died abruptly. The shouting in the living room turned to dead silence when the men realized the TV was gone.

They were just starting to moan about the death of the game. She stomped into the living room, the tension in her body and her beet-red face catching their immediate attention. In the sudden silence, you could have heard a pin drop.

She couldn't help herself from screaming at them, "I just spent an hour grocery shopping, spending my own money to buy six bags of goodies for your game today. Only to have no one answer the phone and come down to help me. I had to carry all six bags up the stairs by myself 'cause the elevator is out. To top it off, I find our fridge stuffed full of your beer and the groceries I have to pay my hard-earned money for left spoiling on the counter. You're making so much noise up here, I'm surprised we haven't had one of the neighbours over complaining."

She took a deep breath. "You act like a bunch of spoiled little children, not adults. You get off your asses and into the kitchen. Clean it up. Put the groceries away where they belong and get your goddamn beer out of my fridge. If you need it cold, head for the corner store and buy some ice. Grab the cooler and ice your beer in there. You can turn the power back on and watch the game, but if the noise gets out of control again, I'm kicking you all out. Are we clear?"

They sat there, stunned eyes staring at her. "MOVE!" she screamed, stomping her foot, satisfied to see them scramble.

Still pissed, she headed for the bathroom and started running a bath, pouring a good measure of bath salts in. She needed something to relax after all that. In her mind, the kids were clearly out of control. And considering they were all over twenty-five and heading toward thirty, that didn't sit well with her.

It wasn't that they were terrible people, quite to the contrary she liked Steve's friends. But there were times they acted like the world didn't exist except for them and whatever it was that had captured their fleeting attention span. The games were a good case in point. If they weren't screaming at the ref, it was the coach or the idiot player that just made a foul play. In between, they insulted each other and anyone else that happened to disagree with their way of thinking.

At least they weren't still living at home, but all had roommates, which is why they liked congregating at her and Steve's place.

A quiet tap at the door interrupted her soaking.

"Yeah?"

Steve answered, "Brought you a glass of wine, sweetie. Can I come in?"

"Sure."

He sat on the toilet, handing her the glass and waited while she took a sip. "We talked, and the guys are sorry. You're right; we all misbehaved and want to apologize."

The warm fragrant water had calmed her considerably. "Okay, let's get past it all. Just try and keep it reasonable out there."

"We will, and they swear they'll try to do better in the future for you."

"Nice to hear," She told him, but suspicion was running rampant in her mind.

'Trust but verify!'

What that meant, she had no idea. She needed to think the whole matter through. Steve and Ethan weren't bad, but the other four? The thought of having a whip in hand, laying a good beating on them, made her smile. It certainly reflected her current mood. They needed fixing.

How could she tame them and their bachelor ways, she mused?

Taking another sip of wine, she decided to shelve the matter and enjoy her bath. Sinking down into the suds, she breathed out her frustration and relaxed. The alcohol wended through her bloodstream until she could feel her muscles relax. Calmness found her again.

Refreshed and dressed afterward, she decided to make peace. Heading for the kitchen, she got their goodies in the oven while she poured snacks into bowls and got them all a fresh beer from the cooler sitting on the deck. She got an enthusiastic cheer when she walked in with the beer and snacks. Soon she was chatting with Ethan while they all watched the half-time commentators.

It was relatively peaceful for the rest of the game; the guys were restrained and kept the noise down. In return, she made sure no one ran out of beer, delivering a fresh one to their hands by the time they were taking the last sip. It was a happy group that left Steve and her afterward. Their friends thanked them for the hospitality and promising to bring something besides beer next time. Every one of them apologized and vowed to do better in the future.

While Mallory counted it as a win, she knew it wouldn't take much for them to slip back into old habits.

If only they had girlfriends to gentle them. They didn't behave like savages when there were women around. No, they settled right down.

She paused at that thought. Was that her solution? Get them all hitched. Every one of them was single, except Steve, her husband. How could she hook so many guys up with girls? It wasn't like they hadn't met most of her friends already, so any hookups there should have happened. No, they needed new women. Women that didn't know how immature they were. The only exception was Ethan. The others could learn from him.

The next game was Wednesday night, and she was pretty sure they'd be back.

They arrived Wed and behaved like complete gentlemen, icing their own beer, cooking their snacks themselves. They waited on her hand and foot.

She could get used to this; she chuckled watching them.

Inspiration struck her when she watched Joshua haul out his phone to answer a text during the game. They all knew other girls. Girls they maybe wanted to take out but were too chicken to ask. They talked all the time about how hot some girl was, and they wished they could date her. They simply lacked the gumption to make that a reality. She could encourage them. No, she would kick their asses! Turn it into a challenge for them.

They'd deal with it at the next game Saturday night.

Kissing them all on the cheek to thank them when they left, she told them to be there half an hour early on Saturday for a special moment. Of course, they asked why? She just smiled mysteriously.

"It's a secret, but you'll like it," she said, smiling sweetly, lying through her teeth.

For the rest of the week, she gave the whole effort a lot of thought and drew up some strict rules. No slags with tramp stamps, it had to be a quality woman they lusted for but felt was out of their league. She could hardly wait to see the look on their faces Saturday night. Of course, she gave Steve no clue what was coming for his buddies.

It was time to tame these guys, train them into future husband material. Lord knows it was taking forever with Steve. Five future wives could thank her later.

Saturday morning dawned bright and clear. Sitting at the kitchen table staring out the window, Mallory embraced her steaming coffee cup with a grin of anticipation. The game tonight was going to mark a new dawning in their lives. Her plans were complete, and those wayward children had a new paradigm coming. She could hardly wait to see the looks on their faces.

Steve came staggering out of the bedroom, looking bedraggled and hungover. He'd been out at the bar last night with them. He poured himself some coffee, drank half of it in the first couple of gulps, then refilled his cup and sat down.

"Here," he passed an envelope over to Mallory.

"What is it?"

"The guys chipped in and bought you a spa day. There's a certificate for a massage, steam bath, body wrap, pedicure and manicure. They're terrified about tonight," he confessed with a grin.

That cracked her up! They'd better be scared. Did they really think they could buy her off, butter her up with a few baubles? Okay, maybe she could be bribed a bit, but that wouldn't save their collective asses. And the spa would be a sweet retreat afterward to savour her victory.

**********

They all looked really nervous, clutching their beers trying to judge her mood, she thought.

She gave them a nice butter wouldn't melt in her mouth smile, belying the 'you're fucked' expression in her eyes.

"So guys, I've been thinking about last week. I appreciate the things you've done to clean up your acts. Still, the truth is your behaviour resembles a bunch of out of control chimpanzees."

They all shifted around uncomfortably. It was hard to deny that truth.

"I had some thoughts about that. It doesn't happen when you have women around. In fact, you become thoughtful, courteous and helpful. The four-letter words disappear. We need to work on that. None of you are dating. I want to fix that. These games would be a lot more fun for everyone if there were more girls here to participate."

Heads nodded. She was right.

"So, Jacob. There was a girl you were talking about asking out. How is that going?"

He flushed. "Honestly, Mallory, she's out of my league. She's so beautiful. Every time I see her, I get tongue-tied. I'm scared to make an attempt to ask her out."

"How about the rest of you. Do you all have someone like that?"

Heads nodded.

Mallory passed out pieces of paper. "Write the name of the girl you've admired from afar but are afraid to ask out. Write your name on the other side and put them in this pot."

With that done, Mallory grabbed her purse and pulled out the five hundred in cash she'd gotten earlier.

"I'm putting five hundred in the pot. Each of you will cough up five hundred too. Tomorrow afternoon right after lunch, you are coming here to make phone calls. Bring your money. Each of you will call the girl you're so afraid to date and ask her to the Wednesday night game here. We'll all be here to cheer you on. I'll even get on the phone and back you up that it'll be here with other girls. It's a nice safe date invitation to start out with. With all of you contributing, the pot will be three thousand dollars. The first guy to get to ten dates with his intended girl will collect half. Anybody else that gets to ten dates within thirty days will split the rest. If nobody wins, I get it all. Payment for putting up with your antics."

Heads nodded, looking excited. Mallory had to wonder if they'd be that excited tomorrow when they had to dial. She suspected not.

"One more rule, guys. This one is ironclad. You don't take no for an answer. No matter what, you keep asking until she says yes, or hangs up. You got that?"

Heads nodded around the circle again.

**********

They all showed up Sunday afternoon looking a little scared as Mallory had predicted. It was one thing to talk bravely about something after a few beers; it was another when you were faced with the reality of it. All tossed in their five hundred dollars. The pot was complete.

"Okay, Jacob, you're up!" She found his slip and handed it to him.

He stared at his phone in his hand for a minute like it would bite him. Mallory grabbed it and flipped through his contacts.

"Is this her?"

He nodded.

She punched the button and handed the phone back to him. He was nervous when he started talking but soon seemed to gain some bravado. It was going well.

"Yeah, you know Mallory and Steve's place. Yeah. Mallory's right here if you want to ask."

He handed her the phone. She put it to her ear and listened. Then started giggling. "No, it's not going to be a sausage fest. How about we'll toss any spare sausages out the window. It's only four stories. That ought to teach 'em. Okay, see you then. Ah, casual wear. I'll be in a t-shirt and shorts." They shared a laugh, and she handed the phone back to Jacob. He wrote down some information then hung up.

"Yahoo!" He thrust his fist into the air. "I got it; thank you Mallory for giving me the push."

One date down and four to go. Mallory eyed them speculatively. They were looking a little more eager now.

"Okay, guys, you heard me. Spare sausages get tossed out the window. You need a date. Let's get going. Michael, you're up!"

One by one, they got on the phone and managed to land a date for Wednesday. Mallory was stoked. Her plan was working.

She hauled out the last scrap of paper. It was Ethan's turn. Her own personal favourite. He was the shy, bashful one. She was worried about him. With all the rest having been successful, she hoped it would give him some courage. He was so unlike the rest. He loved to read. Liked a wide variety of music the others wouldn't listen to. Something about him made her want to comfort him in her arms. Somehow he seemed more like tenderloin steak than the burgers and beer the rest seemed to represent, including her husband, Steve. He had unexplored depths the others lacked. How he had fallen in with this group made her wonder. Still, all the guys seemed to like him.

She turned Ethan's piece of paper over and frowned. There was nothing but a question mark on the back.

"Ethan, there isn't a girl on here. Don't you have one you'd like to go out with? Someone you've always admired from afar and wished you could date?"

He shook his head, but something about his denial made her disbelieve him. "Ethan, you're not telling me the truth. Who is it? Come on, there has to be someone."

He turned a deep shade of red, obviously embarrassed. Shaking his head again, he answered. "There's no one, Mallory."

He was staring at his shoes, not exactly the most honest posture Mallory realized. "Why am I not believing you, Ethan?"

The rest started ragging on him. "Come on, Ethan. We did it. Man up."

Ethan looked positively miserable.

Mallory was about to give him a pass when he suddenly spoke, "Can I talk to Steve and ask him for some advice. He's married and knows more about women than anyone here. I need some help!"

Mallory shrugged. It couldn't hurt if it got him moving.

He and Steve went down the hall into the bedroom. They were there for a few minutes then came out.

"Ethan's good to go," Steve announced.

Ethan turned toward the window and started dialing. Just as he lifted the phone to his ear, Mallory's phone started ringing. She looked at her screen. Steve was calling? Why would Steve be calling her when he was standing a few feet away. She looked at him. He was holding his phone to his ear. He nodded at the ringing phone in her hand.

She really wanted to be free to encourage Ethan, but Steve calling her had her curious. She almost declined the call, but Steve nodded again to the ringing phone.

"Why are you calling me now, Steve?" She answered tentatively.

"Hi Mallory, this is Ethan. Some friends of mine are having a party for the game Wednesday, and I wondered if you'd like to go with me?"

Her lungs stopped breathing. It felt like her stomach dropped into her shoes. She felt faint, a roaring sound in her ears as she listened to Ethan asking her out. For a moment, she thought she might pass out from shock, but recovered.

"Ethan, you can't ask me out. I'm married!"

"I asked. Steve said that it didn't matter. You didn't make a rule against it, so I'm asking. Would you consider going with me to the party Wednesday?"

Ears were perking up as the other guys realized what was going on. They checked out Steve, who was grinning like a baboon at Mallory's discomfort. Figuring he was comfortable with what was happening, they started ragging on Mallory and Ethan.

"Get her, Ethan."

"Don't take no for an answer."

"Your rule Mallory. He can't accept no!"

"Give it up, Mallory. He's got the right. It was your idea! Don't shoot him down."

Mallory put the phone down by her side, appealing to her husband. "This isn't right, Steve. We're married. I can't date another man."

He grinned, obviously enjoying her distress. "Why not, Mallory. This was your idea. Don't like being hoisted on your own petard? Live with it. He's asking and, as per your instructions, not taking no for an answer."

"STEVE!" she shrieked. This wasn't helping.

"Sorry, Mallory, but it makes me laugh to see you trapped by your own idea and rules." He chuckled.

Asshole! That pissed her off. She put the phone back to her ear. "Ethan, I'd love to go with you."

A scream of triumph had them all staring at Ethan while he pumped his hand in the air. Realizing everyone was watching, he let it drop. "Sorry," he said sheepishly. "I got my date," he said somewhat unnecessarily.

Mathew suddenly spoke up, "Wait a minute. Now we've got a spare sausage. Steve doesn't have a date. He can't come!"

Now it was Steve that looked uncomfortable. "Ahhh?" was his response.

"Come on, Steve. Man up. You need a date." That was Michael egging him on.

Steve stared at Mallory, his eyes questioning.

"Back at ya," she said, smiling sweetly. Wait till Steve found out he was cut off for the next month for his perdition.

"Okay," he said uncertainly. Trading Ethan's phone back for his, he went through his contact list.

Mallory realized he had given Ethan his phone, so she would answer, thinking it was him. Maybe she'd make it two months of no nookie for his backstabbing betrayal.

Steve found what he was looking for and dithered, staring at Mallory as if questioning himself as to whether he should do this. It occurred to her if he was phoning a girl in his contacts to ask for a date, it revealed something about their relationship. Was that the basis of his reluctance?

He finally tapped on whoever he was considering and put the phone to his ear. "Hey, it's me. Listen, I find I need a date for Wednesday night at my place to watch the game. There's a bunch of people coming. Would you like to come with me?"

Steve listened for a moment. "No, we're not fighting. It's the weirdest situation. I'll tell you about it at work tomorrow. It's funnier than hell, you'll laugh. Anyway, everybody will welcome you here, including Mallory. Okay, see you tomorrow, let's do lunch, and I'll confess everything."

Mallory had more information now. It was someone he worked with and knew his voice without even asking. That said lots, none of it comforting. She didn't care for the offhanded manner of the casual lunch invitation. She had the impression it was a common event. The acceptance had also been easy. There didn't seem to be that much trepidation over the showing up with his wife there.

With everything settled, the guys turned the TV on to catch the sports channels. A stunned Mallory moved on into the kitchen and sat at the table, staring out the window. Her cool little plan to get these guys tamed and moving on to the next stage in life had stumbled into a pothole.