“But why?” Counter girl wasn't satisfied with Olivia's answer.

“Why what?” My girlfriend asked back. “Why am I fine after knowing that he has other women beside me? Why am I fine with him having plans to bed, or something beyond that, even more girls? Perhaps, are you curious why I don't see you, in particular, as a nuisance?”

Not going to lie, I was feeling pretty interested as well. About the answers and questions alike.

“Um… All three, I guess,” drawled Claire after a minute or so. “I don’t want to come off as being nosey, but… I can’t help but feel puzzled by your reaction. Hell, I still have trouble wrapping my head around the fact his stories were true…”

“Why would I lie about something like that?” I didn’t know how to feel about her words. “From my experience, it’s much easier to score if you tell people what they want to hear. Who, in their right mind, would tell a girl that he is stuck with two other girls already, while the third one is still in the air?”

“You wouldn’t believe what sort of bullshit stupid men spout, trying to get some attention from an attractive girl, honey,” Olivia interjected, while Claire just nodded in agreement.

“Huh?” I was genuinely shocked here. “Like what? Give me an example.”

“One time, a dude tried to get my best friend’s number, and told her that he is a young master from the direct line of one of the Three Families,” said the counter girl.

“Oh, which one? Kouzuki or Long?” I asked, fighting back a smile.

“Smith,” Claire replied.

I lost it. Bloody hell. I cackled like a madman, imagining what sort of expression would’ve been on Helen’s face, after hearing that she has a long-lost brother. A moment later, the volume of my laughter doubled, as I imagined her grandfather trying to explain himself to her.

“Ah, that was a good one, indeed,” I wheezed, still not quite done with my moment of levity.

“You know, my friend had the same reaction. Well, maybe a tad bit tamer. Not sure why, though,” the girl on the other side of the table noted.

“Ugh. I’m pretty sure it's publicly available information, but still recommend not to repeat what I’m about to say on every corner,” I decided to enlighten her. Olivia also had a hint of interest in her eyes, so why not? “Direct bloodline of Smiths currently is down to just two people. Heiress, and believe me, you wouldn’t mistake her for a man, and Clan Head, who is a grumpy old geezer.”

“Oh…” both girls synchronized there for a second.

“Oh, indeed,” I wasn't sure what else to add.

Just like that, the conversation died down, leaving behind an awkward silence.

“So, about the three questions…” I decided to change the topic back.

“Honey?” Olivia questioned.

A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

“What? I would love to hear your answers,” I replied.

I left my desire to see Claire's reactions unspoken. Nefarious plans and all that.

“Would you really?” Followed another question from my girlfriend.

“Of course I would,” I confirmed. “Olivia, I said it many times. I'm always happy to learn more about you.”

For my words, I got rewarded by a quick kiss on the cheek. Not a bad trade, if someone asked me.

“Um, I'm still feeling curious as well…” Counter girl said, while having a strange expression on her pretty face. Too bad I wasn’t quite able to decipher it.

“Very well,” Olivia gave up. “Which one should I start with?”

All three questions were of equal interest to me, so I left the actual choice to Claire. It was her question in the first place. Counter girl dived somewhere deep into her head, leaving our table in, if you can call it like that in the middle of a nightclub, a moment of quiet.

“I feel like it would be the best if you go through them in order,” Claire voiced her decision at last.

“Hm, the first one was about him having multiple women, right?” Olivia asked for a reminder.

“Um, something like that, yes,” the girl on the other side of the table confirmed.

“You know, there are a multitude of reasons for that, but most of them are very personal, with some being hard to understand and/or believe in, even to myself. I don’t think it’s a good idea for me to even speak them aloud. No offense, Claire, but I just don’t know you well enough to tell you the whole story of my life right now,” said my mistress, receiving an unsure nod from the girl she addressed. Then she turned her beautiful face towards me and proceeded with her talk. “Honey, if you want to hear the full version, I will tell you later. Better yet, as you said before, I will simply act with it in mind. All the way until you won’t have a choice but to actually believe me.”

I gave her thigh, where I kept my hand all this time by the way, a reassuring squeeze.

“Now that I actually think about that, all three questions are interconnected. Answering one leads to the answers for the other two as well,” the girl by my side continued her speech. “Ignoring all the personal stuff I just mentioned, what is left is a very basic concept. I’m being realistic. To put it into plain words, honey is the best option I have right now, and, most likely, will be the best option I will ever come across.”

Claire tried to say something, but Olivia raised her hand to show she was not yet done talking.

“He is tall, fit, handsome, rich, well-connected, incredible in bed, and knows how to make me feel, if not loved, then at the very least cared for. I can’t speak for everyone, but in my own dating experience, he is a few heads above every guy I’ve ever met. He isn’t perfect, yes. But nobody is. I don’t see the line of princes, who are just waiting to scoop me into their arms and carry me off into the sunset, either.” My mistress chuckled a bit at her own words. “And here we go. I can’t say that sharing him with other women isn’t a big deal, but that’s not an instant dealbreaker to me. It’s something I can, at the very least, work around and make a compromise. Because the pros outweigh the cons. Does this make me a materialistic girl? Sure. But that’s who I am.”

“Not going to lie, I have no idea what to think about your words, but it’s not my place to judge you in any way either,” Claire reacted. Olivia took a break to catch her breath and take a sip of cocktail. “But… Tian, are you fine with what she said?”

“Frankly, I would’ve been disappointed if she tried to spin a tall tale about falling in love with me at first glance, and now loving me so much that she is fine to share me with whoever else.” I replied. “On the other hand, it’s not like I got attracted to her for some deep reason, either. I liked her looks enough to take my shot. She found me valuable enough to respond positively. It is what it is. As for anything else? Words are cheap, time and actions would tell.”

“I don’t understand you,” concluded the counter girl.

“And I don’t understand why you continue chasing the guy who clearly isn’t into you,” I shrugged for… whichever time it was tonight. “For fairness’ sake, I don’t understand how and why that dude manages to ignore you, either.”