Looking at myself in the mirror, I looked… like I was wearing a suit. I didn’t see the appeal, but Courtney did, and she was the one that mattered.
“Let’s see,” Courtney noted. “The reservation is at 5:15… that doesn’t leave a lot of time.”
I looked at the clock; it was nearly 11.
“I sent for Elaina to be ready…” Courtney informed me. “Let’s go.”
I grabbed my phone, and wallet and almost grabbed my keys, but they went to nothing in this state or within a 500-mile radius, so I left them.
Parker and Brin met us at the vehicle in their suits. You couldn’t tell by looking at them, but I knew both of them were armed. I swallowed and hoped they wouldn’t have to pull their weapons. Dana had never had to do anything really, being mostly safe in our college town, but I knew New York could get dicey.
Elaina pulled up in a smaller limo, not big enough for the whole harem to ride in, but big enough for the five of us, easily. With that, we headed out.
“I told Elaina to take us to one of my favorite places. They have gorgeous pieces.” Courtney gushed in excitement.
“So, what kind of dress are you thinking about? Not sure what fashion is in right now. Are strapless dresses with low backs still the thing?” I asked. “My treat.”
Courtney raised an eyebrow. “My poor college boy is going to spoil me?”
I shrugged. “I’m not as poor as I once was. Remember, your dad is still paying me to tutor you. And I haven’t had to spend more than like 200 bucks since we moved into the harem house.”
Courtney chuckled. “Already turning into a rich sugar daddy?”
I felt a touch awkward at that. “I wouldn’t say that…”
“I mean… that’s basically gonna be your cover with the girls.” Courtney pointed out. “You’ll be the rich man willing to put his name on the birth certificates of these poor girls you are taking care of.”
“I guess…” I admitted. “Now, about that dress?”
The almost three-hour drive to the heart of New York City was spent talking about dresses, and the previous times she’d been to the Daniel. Turns out it was one of her father’s favorites when he was in town, which was probably why Clarence was able to help Berkley get us a reservation. I didn’t know enough about designers to know what she was talking about with dresses. Cindy had never made me watch any runway shows, and when my mom had watched Project Runway I mostly left to do other things. So I just smiled and nodded as we made the trip.
Nothing, and I mean nothing, prepared me for New York City. It was fucking HUGE, and we were down in the middle of it. Elaina dropped us off in the heart of Manhattan, where we walked into a place called B&B Couture.
A well-dressed woman in a business-like skirt-suit that came down almost to her knee greeted us.
“Welcome! How may I-” She started then cut off. “Ms. Carmichael, is that you?”
“Blair! So good seeing you again.” Courtney laughed, and they shared a brief hug.
“How’s your mother? I haven’t seen her in a while.” Blair asked.
“Well… She and Dad are divorced now. And I don’t know what is going on with her, nor do I really want to.” Courtney informed the woman.
“Oh!… It’s like that, is it?” Blair gasped.
“Yep, but we’re here for me today,” Courtney notified her happily.
“And who, may I ask, is this fine gentleman?” Blair prodded, finally acknowledging my presence.
“This is my boyfriend, Tom.” Courtney introduced me.
“You have quite the girlfriend, young man.” Blair teased, shaking my hand lightly.
“Don’t I know it.” I agreed.
Courtney quickly got down to business and in short order, Blair pulled her into an unused area and they began trying on dresses. Parker stayed with her as she went to try on dresses and Brin stayed near me.
“So, she says you are paying for this today.” Blair gently asked as Courtney was trying on a dress. “Do we have any budgetary concerns?”
I tried not to show how nervous I was… I had money, but I wasn’t sure how much we were talking. “What range are we talkin’?” I responded.
“Well, most of the dresses Ms. Carmichael was looking at range from $300 to $1, 500. I believe she did have one of our $2, 000 dresses in the pile though. If that’s outside your range, I can put it away. I’m sure she’ll understand.”
Two Thousand dollars? It might sound crazy, but that was something of a relief to me.
“No, that’s fine. I’m good for it.” I told her. “I just… I’ve never…”
“Understandable. Most people haven’t gone shopping in an area like this. And Ms. Carmichael said you grew up with a blue-collar father?” Blair prodded.
“Yeah, things have been going really well for me recently. It’s a bit of an adjustment.” I admitted.
“Well, don’t go too crazy. Things can be very expensive here in the City.” Blair told me.
We were limited to what was in Courtney’s size and in stock since she wanted to wear it tonight, but I swear Courtney could make anything look good. After an array of stunning gowns that left me very glad she’d already drained my balls once today, she settled on a gorgeous blue evening dress that luckily matched my tie. It was by some designer named Nicole Bakti and had a plunging neckline and was backless, except for a few thin straps. It hugged her hips and breasts amazingly and looked absolutely jaw-dropping on her.
“An excellent choice,” Blair assured her, and I paid. The dress was about $425 with tax and it was strange being able to spend that without worry.
We waited for a minute, and Courtney stepped into one of the changing rooms to put on her new dress, as Parker called Elaina to come pick us up and drive us to dinner. I was shocked to realize how right Courtney had been about the time. With the traffic in New York, I hoped the hour we had was enough. Courtney came out, and we hurried out to catch Elaina.
As we got in the car, I noticed a dude with a camera pointed in our direction. I glanced around to see what he was snapping, but not seeing anything, I ducked into the car.
“Oh fuck. The Paparazzi find us?” Courtney noted, looking out the window. “There goes my hopes of finding somewhere for a discrete quickie before we go home.”
We made our way across Manhattan to dinner, arriving almost exactly at 5. We walked in through the rotating doors, across the immaculate lounge, past the high-end bar, to the podium where we were greeted by the host.
“Welcome to Restaurant Daniel.” The host greeted us. “What is the name on your reservation?”
“Uh… Carmichael.” I stated, feeling out of place. The place was elegant and refined. There were arches everywhere, and everyone was dressed to the nines. I mean, my suit wasn’t bad… and I could tell this was a once-a-year, if not once every few years, thing for all the people waiting. Still, as a kid from a small town only here because I got together with a rich girlfriend in college and her dad was grooming me to take over his insurance industry for him… it was a lot.
“Oh, yes!” the host declared. “Chef Daniel personally set aside our private room for the two of you… and your staff.”
Parker and Brin stood back from us, just a little, Parker scanning the establishment, while Brin kept a watch toward the street.
“Thanks.” I acknowledged, not knowing what else to say.
The host just smiled and led us through the doors, through the main dining room, and down a hall to a private room. There was a smaller room just to the side, with a table for Parker and Brin. They’d be able to watch anything going on, but we’d have our privacy.
“Wow… this is a pretty neat setup.” I marveled.
“It is for when we have high-profile individuals who wish to dine with us.” The host explained. “Chef Daniel wished to greet you, then your server will be with you shortly. I’ll be letting Chef Daniel know you are here.”
“Wonderful.” Courtney hummed happily as the host left us in peace. “I haven’t seen him in years!”
“You… know him?” I asked delicately, trying not to feel jealous of the man having such a long relationship with Courtney.
“Oh, Daddy loves this place. The food is always so fresh and delicious and Mr. Boulud is such a nice man, so Daddy likes to support him as much as he can.” Courtney explained.
“Welcome! Welcome!” A warm, accented voice greeted us as a man walked in. I immediately stopped feeling jealous. As much as I wished I had known Courtney in her childhood, Mr. Boulud was more the age of her father than a potential rival for me. He had a kind face, full of joy and it looked like every wrinkle he had was from smiling so much.
“Mr. Boulud!” Courtney squealed, rising and giving the man a warm hug. Then they kissed each other on the cheek before the man laughed.
“Oh, little Courtney, you are not so little anymore! You should call me Daniel. And who is this young man?” Daniel laughed.
It was impossible not to like the man immediately.
“This is my boyfriend, Tom.” Courtney introduced me.
“Well, Tom, it is a pleasure to have you here in my establishment. I hope you are treating Ms. Carmichael well?” He half teased.
“Well, he brought me here.” Courtney laughed.
“So… he has good taste, at least.” The man laughed. “So, tell me, how did you meet Ms. Carmichael? Did Robert introduce you?”
“No, we met at college,” I told him.
“He helped tutor me and one thing led to another and we started dating!” Courtney grossly oversimplified.
“Oh? So, that is why I had not heard of you?” Chef Daniel noted with interest. “Where is your family from?”
“My parents live in Indiana,” I explained. “My dad is a construction worker and my mom’s a teacher’s aide.”
Chef Daniel smiled broadly. “A man from humble beginnings. Do not let money and privilege go to your head. Remember to keep your passion bright! It gives you something to live for! Have you ever dined at a restaurant like this before?”
I shook my head, “No, nothing nearly this… fancy.”