The Circle Ch. 02

Jim said, "So, what now?"

Matt said, "According to Alice, we keep doing research on them, try to figure out what they're thinking about our date, and then maybe try a couple's date, but something totally platonic. We continue to take it slow. Alice assured us that we had to take it slow with our ice princesses so that we win them over, gain their trust, and move them out of their icy state. There's some background there we may never understand that put each of them off men, and we're trying to break through that veneer to the real woman inside. Alice called it 'their inner slut' and laughed her head off."

Bob said, "Keep sweating the details, and I have another couple of success factors for my secrets to life."

We nodded for him to continue.

"They're two short ones, but powerful. First, you have to focus your effort. We're doing this on the girls. Keep focused and minimize distractions. My other new secret is to live in the Now. Get rid of the past, except to harvest any lessons learned. Also, stop worrying about tomorrow -- it'll come in due time. Prepare but don't worry."

He continued, "For the girls, this means we learn what we can about dealing with ice princesses, but we don't let their past slow us down. We haven't exactly been the most social and cool guys in college either, so we also put that behind us, and start being who we want to be without the burden of the past. Remember to be role models of masculine perfection."

Matt made a gesture of sticking four fingers down his throat to gag.

Jim said, "Maybe we should share your list with the girls -- not our goal to bed them, but the general principles."

Bob said, "Maybe later, or on one of our dates. For now, stay focused on what we need to do. In case you didn't hear her Friday night, Alice invited us all back again before our next date with the girls."

Matt said, "Her strategy did work. Even as sexy as the girls were in their bathing suits, I didn't blink any eye or get a hard-on as I might have otherwise. We just were nice guys out for an afternoon of fun with some people we wanted to know better."

Jim volunteered, "My kid sister Tracy is best buddies with Zoey's younger sister Lisa. Want me to play through that link and see if I can glean any intelligence that way?"

"Hell, yes," Bob said. "Did they like the date? What do they think of us?"

"I'm on it."

Jim approached his seventeen-year-old sister like an explosives expert approaches a live bomb. He'd strategized the discussion and picked an approach he thought most likely to achieve results with minimal damage.

"Tracy, I have a question for you. I know you like to know all about my dates, so here's an opportunity. You are BFFs with Lisa Frye, Zoey's sister. As you know, last Saturday, Matt, Bob, and I took Zoey, Monica, and Sheila to the lake for the afternoon. We were wondering if you'd heard any comments about how the date went or what the girls thought of us."

Tracy sized up her brother as he stood in the kitchen with her. Finally, she firmly said, "It'll cost you twenty bucks."

Jim shrugged and said, "Oh, too pricey. Forget it. We just wondered whether to ask them for a second date, but I'll tell the others to forget it. We'll look for company elsewhere." So far the exchange had gone as planned.

Tracy was hooked, "What? You don't want to know if the trio including Lisa's sister liked you?"

"Nah. If they should ever ask, we'll just tell them we tried to find out, but no one wanted to help provide a little back door feedback to help build some new relationships."

"But ... but then they'll know that it was Lisa who didn't provide the information. She'll say she never got the request from me. I'll end up being the bad guy."

Jim shrugged again.

Before she could speak, he said, "Tracy, the world turns on cooperation. People don't negotiate deals on every transaction when someone asks for help from another, particularly within a family. I'll remember that you tried to extort twenty dollars from me for some relatively simple information -- information that Zoey has probably already shared with her sister."

Tracy was speechless for a second.

Jim continued, "For your information, Matt, Bob, and I had a very enjoyable time with the girls. We talked about all sorts of things, but I confess that we were each a little nervous. We are interested in follow-on dates, maybe even as couples rather than as a large group date. We were trying to avoid embarrassing the girls by finding out whether we should even bother to call, but I guess the result of this conversation is either don't call at all -- a definite possibility given your attitude, or call and create the potential for an embarrassing situation for each girl if they don't want to go out with us. Thank you Tracy." The last comment was dismissive.

Jim turned and walked out of the room, leaving Tracy speechless.

Two hours later Tracy knocked on her brother's open door. He looked up from the book on relationships he was trying to finish. "Come."

Tracy stepped into the room, and said in a contrite tone, "Monica, Sheila, and Zoey had a good time. They like you guys, and would enjoy further dates as a group or individually. They would like you to call soon too, not that they're anxious or anything -- but they probably are. Sheila is a little skeptical of your motives too, but is more than willing to be part of everything. Lastly, I'm sorry I tried to extort money from you for that meager bit of information."

"Why, thank you Tracy. I assume you passed along my remarks, so the three girls know that we were suitably impressed with them."

"I did."

"Good. I will do something special for you sometime soon." He gave her a warm smile. If he'd been any younger he would have engaged in her earlier games, but those were for angry teens and not games for people in their cool twenties.

After Tracy had left, Jim texted his friends, 'Game on.'

By agreement, Jim would call Sheila, Bob would call Monica, and Matt would call Zoey. These pairings would certainly get the ball rolling in the right direction. Jim believed he had the toughest date dealing with Sheila and her cynicism. He hoped she could shelve the ice princess attitude long enough for a decent date.

By noon the next day, three separate couple dates had been arranged for the following Saturday.

Matt let Alice know that Bob, Jim, and he would be over on Friday evening. This time he suggested that the guys bring some Chinese take-out to share before the main event.

* * * * *

A week or so later, Bob sat high on the usual picnic table the three guys staked out many evenings along the north edge of the town commons. Sunday night was always quiet. He announced to Jim and Matt, "My date with Monica was splendid. Since she's athletic I suggested a bike ride. We did about fifty miles, consequently I can hardly move, but I toughed it out as though I did that every day. Thank God I'm in decent shape. When we got back, we went to dinner at Rosetti's, and then I had her home by nine o'clock."

Jim asked, "Did you kiss her goodnight?"

"No, but I think she was hoping for something like that. She kept licking her lips as we got out of the car when I walked her to the door, like the perfect gentleman I am. It was sort of awkward, but I shook her hand, thanked her, and then left."

Matt said sarcastically, "Probably getting the last of her dinner off her lips."

Bob said, "So, how'd your dates go?"

Matt jumped in, "I took Zoey to the opening of the new art exhibit at the museum in the city, but we also toured the whole museum. She's very smart, and I'm glad I did my homework on her. She loved the day. We had an informal dinner at TGI Fridays on the way home, and like you Bob, I dropped her off about nine o'clock, thanked her for spending the day with me, and I think I left her wishing for a kiss. I detected no trace of the ice princess. I think she's resolved to put that behind her."

Jim said, "Sheila and I did an early evening movie and an ice cream after, but then I took her right home. I think she was surprised that I didn't try to put the make on her. I almost gave in and tried something like a kiss, but then I remembered Tracy saying that Sheila was the skeptic of the group, and was highly suspect of our motives. Alice had also advised treating her with kid gloves until she starts to just have fun and stops trying to attribute ulterior motives she doesn't like to everyone."

Matt mumbled, "But we do have nasty ulterior motives."

Bob said, "It's time to introduce a little confusion into their ranks. We will call up tomorrow, and ask for dates, only not with the same girl we took out."

"Why do that?" Jim asked.

"Alice suggested it. We want our girls to be affectionate and loving with whomever they're with, not with one specific guy. We like each of them, and want them to like each of us. We need to show them that we each care about each one of them, even love them if it comes to that. This time, though, kisses are allowed, but nothing further, not even French kisses. No petting, that's maybe for the next date. Keep it plain and simple."

"What if they turn us down because they just dated another of us?"

Bob said, "Explain that the guy she was just out with is asking one of the others out, and that we're really trying to get to know each of them really well -- really, really, really well. If that doesn't do it, just take a pass. If all of us strike out we'll reevaluate Alice's strategy. Just remember, we care about these women, they are our goal -- or one of them, and we must believe in ourselves and our abilities to make them happy. Focus your efforts. We want the three girls in our constellation of friends -- a group of guys with a circle of girls."

Tuesday night after work, Jim called Monica, Matt called Sheila, and Bob called Zoey. Although they were each surprised at the shift from the previous Saturday, they accepted the dates.

Friday night, the three men took Alice to a three-band outdoor rock concert. There was a lot of dancing and carrying on, that Alice loved. She'd dressed really slutty, and the guys loved it and the way she teased them. They gave her much attention, just what she wanted. She rewarded the guys handsomely when they returned to her apartment.

To be continued