The Reality Engine Ch. 11

A moment later, and everyone entered the commons, and found what they wanted to eat. As they sat down to enjoy their meal, Scott told everyone what Adol had offered him that afternoon. Five minutes later, he had 10 people ready and willing to attend the football game on Saturday against Tick Tock Tech. Alania sent Margaret a text message asking if she wanted to come too, and Margaret texted back that she would, making 11. Scott sent Adol a text message telling him to set aside the tickets for Saturday's game.

"So, are we also running the naked mile on Saturday night?" Chad asked.

"I did that once, my Freshman year," Sonya said. "I've never done it again since."

"Oh, why not?" Chad asked.

"It was a lot of fun," Sonya said. "Problem is, it's almost all Wassamatta U students, for obvious reasons. I stripped down to my undergarments to run the last time I did it, and it was weird being in my underwear amongst so many strangers. If I had more friends with me, it would have been more fun, but it was early in my Freshman year and I didn't know anyone yet."

"You should go again," Chad said. "We'll all go with you, right guys?"

Everyone agreed to come along, and Sonya agreed to go.

The evening passed on in quiet conversation, with everyone in high spirits. After dinner, Scott returned to his room, he checked his email, and he found more documents from Dr. Karlov. He reviewed these for a few hours, before falling asleep.

The next morning went normally. Scott arrived at work at 5:50 AM, and started on the day's duties. He ate breakfast, and didn't see Dr. Karlov all morning, which was expected, as Tuesdays and Thursdays were his teaching days this quarter.

At half past noon, Lory showed up to deliver lunch, and Scott motioned her into the lab, and offered her a seat at the lunch table.

"Hey, I heard about what happened to you on Friday night," Lory said.

"Good news travels fast, I guess," Scott said.

"I think you saved that girl's life," Lory said. "Some might say you're a hero."

"I'm actually more of a 22-year-old guy than a hero," Scott said, as Lory laughed.

"I mean it, Scott," Lory said. "You did good."

"Thanks," Scott said, as he pondered for a moment. "Hey, can I get your advice on something?"

"Sure," Lory said, with a smile. "What's on your mind?"

Scott told Lory all about Ted and Frank's dilemma (suppressing all details about the sex contests, of course), about the football game coming up on Saturday, and the naked mile race on Saturday night.

"It seems to me," Scott said. "That I vaguely see how to help Ted and Frank, by inviting them to the naked mile race. It would be a more laid-back setting for them to meet, and get to know, Elizabeth and Jessica than an actual first date."

"I think you're onto something," Lory said. "While Ted and Frank are well past the age of being college students, if you have Adol vouch for them, you won't have any trouble getting them invited to the event. I'm sure party girls like Elizabeth and Jessica go to each running of the race, and also always strip all the way down. I think your idea is promising."

"I also think a communal atmosphere, with a lot of other people, and a lot of distractions, will help them feel more comfortable," Scott said. "This is more like setting up an arranged marriage than it is getting people to fall in love."

"I can see that," Lory said. "It's not really about love, is it? The girls want comfort and all expenses paid, the guys want wives and kids. It's an equitable exchange, one of the oldest in human history. It seems to me that the key is to make sure that whenever they first meet, both sides see clearly that the other side can provide them with what they want."

"I don't know how I feel about marriage without love," Scott said.

"My grandpa is one of the wisest people I know," Lory said. "He always says that money is what sustains a marriage, not love."

"The statistics bear him out," Scott said, with a chuckle. "When we introduce Ted and Frank to Elizabeth and Jessica, the sooner the girls get naked, the better."

"You're counting on pure lust to give this thing just that extra little kick to get it across the finish line, huh?" Lory asked.

"Yeah, I think that's the right strategy," Scott said.

"Oh, it's absolutely the right strategy," Lory said, smiling. "The naked mile race is tailor made for this kind of thing. That's why you're the smart one, Scott Laird Cooper. Like I said before, you see the connections that people like me just can't."

"Thank you, and I am glad to have you here, to bounce these ideas off of," Scott said.

"There is just one thing I would caution you about," Lory said. "From what I know of these two girls, they will do their part to seduce Ted and Frank, so long as they are absolutely certain that they will get what is promised to them."

"Yeah, that's pretty clear to me as well," Scott said. "What do you suggest?"

"Before Saturday night, organize all the receipts," Lory said. "Gather up Ted and Frank's financial info, tax returns, mortgage statements, disclosure of any investments, insurance paperwork, and what not. Make sure the two girls have seen all of it, and you will get a much better performance from them on Saturday night."

"The better the performance, the higher the lust, and the higher the lust, the more likely a deal can be made," Scott said, as he finished eating his lunch, and he walked with Lory to the lab's front door. "Same time Thursday?"

"Always look forward to it," Lory said, with a smile. "Take care of yourself, until then."

With another quick smile, Lory left, and Scott went back to his work.

4 PM came by, in Fuggville, Minnesota, and Calvin drove up to Shauna's house in his car, and rang the doorbell. Her mother opened the door, and smiled at Calvin.

"Hello dear, come right in," Mrs. Lomb said, as she led Calvin into her home. As she did, Calvin couldn't resist staring at her ass. Shauna's mom absolutely still had it, despite being in her mid 40s with 3 kids.

"Hey Calvin," Shauna said, as she raced in from her room and leaped into Calvin's arms. "It's good to see you again."

"Good to see you too," Calvin said, as he smiled.

"So, what are you two kids planning to do today?" Mrs. Lomb asked.

"Calvin is going to take me for ice cream," Shauna said. "We're headed to Aesop and Son ice cream parlor, and I'm going to introduce Calvin to my best friend, Mia."

"Such a nice young lady," Mrs. Lomb remarked. "What time will you be home, dear?"

"That depends," Shauna said. "Calvin, didn't you say you wanted to show me something?"

"Yeah, it's at home," Calvin said. "Plan on being back here by 8 PM, 9 PM tops. We'll call you if we're going to be later than that."

"That's fine, have fun, sweetie!" Mrs. Lomb said.

"You handled that better than last time," Shauna said, with a smile, after she and Calvin were in his car and on the road.

"Wasn't used to people being so nice to me," Calvin said, with a smile. "It gets easier after I've encountered it a few times."

"Do you know where Aesop and Son is?" Shauna asked.

"Yeah, I got it, we'll be there in five minutes," Calvin said. "I'm looking forward to meeting your friend."

A few minutes later, and Calvin and Shauna walked into the front-door of Aesop and Son ice cream parlor. It was a small shop, in the center of a large strip mall. The first thing Calvin noticed about the place was the absolutely drop-dead gorgeous girl behind the counter.

Mia Colonokova was a half Italian-half Czech girl, who was about 5'3, and had blonde hair, blue eyes, and all the fixings. Shauna had warned Calvin that her best friend was pretty, but Calvin hadn't expected her to be this lovely.

"Hi Shauna!" Mia exclaimed, as she dashed from behind the counter and hugged her best friend. "How are you?"

"Terrific," Shauna said. "This is Calvin Longfellow."

"Oh, so you're Calvin," Mia said, and the way she had said it made Calvin uncomfortable. Her words were pregnant with meaning, and Calvin felt like there was a part of this story he was missing. "How are your three dates with Shauna going?"

"They are going well, at least, I think so, as I'm having a great time," Calvin said. "I don't know whether my sister and her friend, Scott, will achieve out of this what they want to achieve."

"I've talked on the phone with Scott," Shauna said. "He's a real intellectual type, always looking for patterns and answers and stuff. A wee bit above my head."

"So, what will it be, my friends?" Mia asked, introducing the business angle into the conversation, as Shauna and Calvin both ordered a single scoop ice cream sundae, and Calvin paid for it. Mia went about the business of filling their order.

"Is everything okay?" Calvin asked Shauna as soon as they were alone again. "That conversation was kind of weird."

"Mia and I both applied to be the girl who went on three dates with you for $400," Shauna said. "I got the gig, Mia didn't even get a phone call back."

"I don't know what to say, I didn't have any input into the selection process," Calvin said.

"I know, and I remember that very specifically from when I got hired," Shauna said. "Scott was the one who interviewed me, and he was the one who told me I got the job. Your sister signed off on it because Scott picked me."

"Is that a problem?" Calvin asked.

"Why the fuck was I picked over Mia?" Shauna asked. "Look at her, Calvin, she's way prettier than I am. Who sees the two of us, and decides I'd rather have someone I care for date me over her? If Scott and Bridget had called Mia, and she bombed the interview, fine, but from what I know, they never even called her. We've been trying to figure out why ever since it happened. It doesn't make any sense to us."

At this juncture, Mia came over to Calvin and Shauna's table with the two ice cream sundaes they had ordered, and, she pulled up a chair to join them at their table.

"Mind if I sit and chat for a while?" Mia asked. "The store is quiet."

"The upside of being here at half past 4 PM, I suspect," Calvin said.

"Yeah," Mia said, with a wide smile. "The after school run has ended, and the after work run hasn't started yet, so it's kind of dead right now. This is usually a time when we mop the floors and restock inventory, but that's already done and everything is ready for the night shift."

"So, what is it you want to ask me?" Calvin asked Mia, responding to her body language rather than her words.

"It's okay, Mia, I already told him," Shauna said. "We want to know why I was picked to be your date."

"You mean, why you were chosen over your friend?" Calvin asked.

"No, not just over me," Mia said. "Do you know how many girls applied for the position to date you?"

"No idea," Calvin said. "This wasn't my call, in any way. Scott and Bridget were the brains behind it, and I know they have a bunch of other friends of theirs at Frostbite Falls University who were involved in various stages of planning it, but no one told me anything until the night before my first date with Shauna."

"Over 30 girls applied," Mia said. "Shauna and I are friends with a few of them, since we both saw the ad for the position online, and shared it with our social circle. That's a lot of very lovely girls who didn't get a nibble, while Shauna was tapped for it."

"Oh, I see," Calvin said. "I had no idea, honestly. If you want an answer to your question, you need to ask Scott or my sister. Only they would know."

"You want to know the weird thing?" Shauna asked. "I've spoken with Bridget over the phone like 3 times so far, and the last time was on Saturday night, to review the date on Friday night. Bridget says that I'm doing better than she could have dreamed of, and that she's ecstatic with my work, but, that's really hard to believe, you know?"

"Why do you say that?" Calvin asked. "By every measure, your performance has been exemplary."

"I'm not pretty, Calvin, and nothing can change that," Shauna said, with a smile. "I'm not Mia, or any one of a dozen pretty girls who applied for this job, and I shouldn't have been picked. Look at Mia, and tell me you wouldn't be happier dating her. In fact, that was why we arranged this meeting today. I think you should take Mia out on the last two dates you have with me. I'm giving up my post."

"I'm happier dating you," Calvin said, as he picked up Shauna's hand and kissed it. "I'm sure Mia is a very nice girl, and she's certainly beautiful, no doubt there, but I want to keep dating you."

"Why?" Shauna asked, nearly in tears. "I'm not pretty, Calvin, and nothing can change that. Why would you rather date me when you could be dating her?"

"I don't know what to say," Calvin said. "Honestly, I don't know how to handle this conversation, if I'm being honest."

"Huh?" Mia asked. "What do you mean?"

"I mean, I'm a total lost cause who lives in my mom's basement," Calvin said. "I'm 25 years old, I've accomplished nothing, and my family hates me, all except for my baby sister. From where I sit, I don't remotely deserve to be in the company of either one of you two, and I wish that you would stop being so nice to me. It makes me uncomfortable. I know $400 is a lot of money for girls your age, but I'm not worth being fought over."

Mia and Shauna exchanged a look.

"Do you have any idea how hard good men are to find, mon ami?" Mia asked. "You're very smart, not at all bad looking, clean, you don't smoke, don't do drugs, don't drink excessively, you aren't fat, and you're not abusive towards women. You have a talent for fixing computers, you know how to write computer programs, and you have a strong work ethic, when you want to. You are still young, and you have plenty of time to improve your situation in life. All someone like you needs is an avenue to channel your talents in order to find success."

"Meanwhile, no amount of hard work, or hoping, or praying, will make me beautiful," Shauna said. "I don't understand why you want to date me, Calvin."

"You are incredibly beautiful," Calvin said, as he kissed Shauna's hand again. "The combination of your terrific personality, and your immense beauty, make you someone I thought was completely out of my league. It takes a special kind of person to see the good in me, and to encourage me. Even my own family can't manage that."

"Congratulations, my friend," Mia said, as she gave Shauna a light kiss on the cheek. "He's a keeper, and you should date him for as long as you can."

With that, Mia left the table to attend to her job, and Calvin and Shauna finished their ice cream and headed out. They went to Squaw's Ankle Community Park next, which was a local picnic ground, with rolling grassland terrain and plenty of trees, all nestled around a large, central lake. Calvin and Shauna casually walked, arm-in-arm, around the lake a few times.

"Uh-oh," Shauna said, as the couple was near the far side of the lake from the parking lot. "I need to pee."

"Now?" Calvin asked.

"Really soon, if not now," Shauna said, as she turned around and spotted a small grove of pine trees near the lake shore. "Over there looks like a good place."

"Okay," Calvin said. "Go ahead and do your business, I'll wait here for you."

"It's not that simple, and I need your help," Shauna said. "See, I'm not coordinated, so I can't maintain my balance, crouch, and pee all at once. I might make it, but chances are, I'll fall over, and get my clothes soaking wet with piss."

"So, what do you want to do?" Calvin asked.

"I'll pee in that small grove of trees," Shauna said. "However, I need to hand you my purse, my shoes, my socks, my jeans, and my panties. You have to keep watch over them while I piss, and then hand them back to me, one by one, so that I can redress myself, okay?"

Calvin was deeply uncomfortable with this arrangement, but he nodded his head in assent, looked away from Shauna, and kept a Stoic watch. One by one, Shauna handed him her purse, then her shoes, then her socks, then her jeans, and finally, her panties. Calvin wanted to look at her panties, hold them up to his nose, and smell them, but was well aware that she was watching his every move. He heard the sound of her peeing, and his heart was sent aflutter. Calvin desperately wanted to turn around and take a peek, and it took every ounce of self-control he had not to.

"Hey Calvin, there should be some tissue paper in my purse, can you hand that to me?" Shauna asked.

Calvin opened her purse, found the tissue, and handed it behind himself without moving his head to look. She snatched it from him, to wipe herself, and then, he handed her back her panties, her jeans, her socks, her shoes, and her purse, in order.

"Here, do you want a little memento of this occasion?" Shauna asked, as she handed Calvin the wet tissue paper.

"Thanks, I'll throw it away as soon as we get near a trash can," Calvin said, as he took the tissue paper from Shauna, put it discreetly in his pocket, and started to walk back to his car with her.

"Thanks for not taking a peek back there," Shauna said.

"It took every ounce of self-control I had, and I don't know that I have enough to resist a second time," Calvin said, and the instant he had said those words, he regretted them. "Never mind, let's get going."

Shauna didn't understand Calvin, and she was getting mixed signals from him. He seemed to enjoy the time they spent together, but he also seemed content to say and do things that were getting him friend-zoned, despite Shauna wanting things to be more romantic. She decided that she needed someone to help her figure things out.

Calvin drove Shauna back to his house, and when they arrived, Calvin's mom was there, and she welcomed them both home.

"Hi, Mrs. Longfellow, it's good to see you again," Shauna said.

"Can I get a moment of your time, alone, dear?" Mrs. Longfellow asked.

"Sure thing, mom," Calvin said. "I have to get the thing I want to show Shauna anyway, and it will take a minute. Go ahead and talk, and Shauna, come to my room when you're done, okay?"

"What's up, Mrs. Longfellow?" Shauna asked, as soon as they were alone.

"How are things going with Calvin?" Mrs. Longfellow asked.

"Good, I think," Shauna said. "Your son is an extremely kind, charming, young man, whom I am glad to know."

"I am happy you feel that way," Mrs. Longfellow said. "I only feel terrible for how his life has gone, and I wish I had called in someone like you a long time ago."

"Yeah, about that. . .," Shauna said.

"What is it, dear?" Mrs. Longfellow asked.

"Calvin is a great guy, and I love being around him, but, he's not aggressive, you know?" Shauna asked. "I lay out bait, and he doesn't bite. What gives?"

"Be patient, is my advice," Mrs. Longfellow said, with a smile. "He is utterly inexperienced with women. He'll figure it out, but he needs you to be willing to give him the time to do so. He does like you, an awful lot. He's just awkward, since he never had any girls notice him before you did. It will come in time, if you stay patient, I promise."

"Thank you, so much," Shauna said, as she hugged Mrs. Longfellow. "That was exactly what I needed to hear."

"Our entire family is rooting for the two of you," Mrs. Longfellow said, as she returned Shauna's hug. "If you ever need anything, even just to talk, we're here to help."

With a few parting words of goodwill, Shauna headed off to Calvin's room. Her confusion over Calvin's actions had left her. She knew what she had to do.

Shauna entered Calvin's room, and he was holding a shoe box, with a small, gray stone inside of it.

"What is that?" Shauna asked, as she raced up to the box, and took a look at the stone inside of it.

"This is what I wanted to show you," Calvin said.

"A rock?" Shauna asked.

"Not just any rock," Calvin said. "I'm about to tell you a story I've never told anyone else, not my mom, not my sisters, not my dad, not my friends, no one but you. You have to promise never to tell anyone, okay?"