Crash the party

Yeah, crashing the party sounded more fun. I probably could have guilted them into inviting me too, but I didn't want to sound that pathethic.

I decided to get there early. Just so it seemed less like I was stalking them.

The Aftershots was just as I imagined, a crude little club with an actual small dancefloor. Guess it was close to our office, that was the only positive I could find. I decided to spend my extra time sleuthing, asking the bartender if he knew about a redhead named Lana. Oh yeah. She was almost a legend here. Always drunk herself to a stupor, but very rarely left with anyone. Interesting.

As the crowd started packing in, I finally saw them. In came Lana, Sophie and Ulla. All were wearing very nice outfits. Sophie's was the most conservative, just a long black one piece dress, that looked very sophisticated. Lana on the other hand had on a hot, strapless red leather dress that made her look like sex on legs. Didn't know she would ever wear something like that. Ulla on the other had on a stylish, beige grace dress that I would have called elegant.

There was a fourth woman with them, a hot blonde that I had never seen before. Someone's friend?

They all found an empty booth and sat down together. Now the question was, how to introduce myself. I could just go over there after ten minutes, or accidentally bump into one of them on the-

"Jack?"

Well it didn't matter now, Sophie spotted me. And I couldn't pretend I didn't hear her, the club wasn't that full yet. I feigned surprise, and moved over to them. They didn't look exactly happy to see me there.

"Hey! You guys! What are the chances, huh?"

Oof, that sounded bad and rehearsed.

"I've literally never seen you here before", Lana stated matter-of-factly.

"Oh yeah, well I decided to finally check this place out. I just always walk by it, but today I felt like I needed... this. So what are you guys doing here?"

Maybe they bought that?

"We were just having a workfriend gathering", Sophie said.

"A girls' night out", Ulla stated pointedly.

"Oh that's nice. Say, I haven't met you met, ms..."

"Oh I'm Henrika. I'm Ulla's wife."

Wait, Ulla's wife? So Ulla was both a lesbian and a married lesbian? How come I never knew this? I mean we rarely spoke of if we ever spoke at all, so... I guess it made sense I wouldn't know this. Well it went together with everything I knew about Ulla already. She was looking at me, probably checking my face on how I would react to this new information. I of course, extended my hand.

"So nice to finally meet you! Ulla keeps telling me the loveliest stories about you!"

She smiled and shook my hand. Ulla just looked annoyed at my lie.

"Really? That doesn't sound like Ulla at all", she said jokingly. Ulla grinned sarcastically.

"Please. Can I join you? Tell you what, I'll even buy each of you a drink? What'll it be?"

They looked at each other, and just sort of nodded resignedly. They told me what they wanted, and very soon I returned to the table with the drink platter on my hands. Perhaps this was a chance for some easy points.

"Now, each of you say 'Thank you, Jack', as you take your drinks!"

"Okay. Fuck you, Jack." Sophie said snidely as she took hers.

"Fuck you, Jack" Lana said while holding in her laughter.

"Fuck you, Jack" Ulla joined in on the fun.

Henrika wasn't quite sure what to do. Whatever. I'll play along.

"It's okay. You can say it too."

"Okay, fuck you Jack" she said as she took her drink.

Well at least that got all the ladies laughing. No points, but perhaps a good start?

Sadly, things didn't get better from there. The conversation was mostly filled with fashion, which ironically was neither one of my interests or strong points. How the hell had I been able to keep this job for so long? Guess my perverted desires to stay near these women was enough to get me through anything. Either way, I started seriously zoning out and participated less and less. Instead, I was trying to focus on Lana. She clearly drunk much more than anyone else at the table. Maybe that was the play? Just wait until she's drunk enough and make her do stuff? That sounded so wrong in my head.Meanwhile I tried to check Henrika's submission number. However, her profile was just greyed out. The app had a text on top of it that said "Not enough time spent with this person, no intial submission number. No points can be increased yet"

So apparently I couldn't just use this thing on strangers? I had to get to know them at least a little bit, I guess.

"...and that's what my article is about. The fucking male toxicity that's destroying this nation. It's everywhere."

Sounded like they were finally off the fashion, and into Ulla's social justice issues, which was even more boring. So this is what she had been writing about all week?

"There are still way too many male designers out there. Most clothes are still made purely to accommodate the male gaze. It's like you think this at least was the one business where you wouldn't get the alpha male bullshit smeared on your face every day. But no, us women still have to keep fighting every day for our right to excist."

"Well, we have a male right here on our table. What are your thoughts, Jack?", Lana suddenly turned to me. Wait? What? I was supposed to have an opinion? How to I say kindly to Ulla that her monologue was absolute discriminating bullshit?

"Well, I..."

"No, I'm not talking about Jack. The problem with toxic masculinity is with alpha males. Jack is more like a harmless beta. Or sub-beta or something. Yeah he imitates the problematic behaviors of his kind but he hasn't the ability to iniate them."

"That's awful!" Lana said as she laughed. "Calling Jack a sub-beta..."

Yeah, I agreed. It was awful. And I would have normally probably gotten really angry and probably even blown up in her face. But things had changed a lot for me in the last week, and I knew that I just had to keep holding on and play it cool. I would get her. One day she would be sucking my dick under this very table.

But I had to say something.

"The thing here is Ulla, I think you are misunderstaning the true meaning of the word 'sub'"

"Oh yeah? Care to inform me?"

"Oh yes. Very much so. At some point in the future"

Silence.

"What the fuck does that-"

Suddenly a loud party beat starting blasting in the club.

"Oooh! This is my jam!" Lana shouted and got up quickly. We just stared as she made her way to the dancefloor and started swinging.

"Come on Ulla, you promised!", Henrika said as she nudged Ulla.

"Okay, fine", they both got up as well and headed to the dancefloor. Whew. Literally saved by the bell. I had no idea where to take that conversation next. And now it was just me and Sophie. Sitting awkwardly in the booth as the three other danced.

"You're not going?" I asked her.

"Fuck no. That's the last thing I'll ever do."

Fine. So it was just us. We sat there silently, while I watched Lana, thinking about my next move.

Five minutes later, I was still thinking whether or not I should join them. Could I use the dancefloor to my advantage?

"Just go. This is probably the best chance you are gonna get", Sophie said all of a sudden.

"Excuse me?"

"Oh please. You don't think I haven't seen you stare at her tits all night? And all the endless little conversations you have in the office? You hide it about as well as she dances", yeah Lana clearly wasn't an expert dancer.

But wait? Me and Lana? I mean, she is the one I talk to mostly in the office... But there's never nothing flirty there. Or is there? Wait what am I thinking? Do I have an actual shot with her? Is that the simplest solution here, seducing her?

"Wait Sophie, you think I have a shot with her?"

She snorted. "Yeah right. I only said that this was probably your best chance. I'd still say it's about 0,1 percent."

Hmmm. I was watching her dance. And she shot an interesting gaze towards me. I never thought about it like that before. Maybe there was something there. "You wanna bet?"

"Sure. Let's say... If you don't bang her tonight, you have to wear a schoolgirl's dress to work for a week"

Woah, where did that come from? That was a real risky bet, but oddly sounded kind of kinky coming from her. Maybe I could play with the same rules.

"That's a pretty big demand. Tell you what. This is the bet we are going to make. If I win, I'll bring you her panties, and you have to sniff them for five seconds?"

"You fucking pervert."

Silence.

"Fine. I'll see you at the office tomorrow. And naturally I'll need proof that you guys banged and they are actually her panties. Otherwise it's schoolwear shopping for you." (SOPHIE: +5SP) (-53SP)

Sophie got up.

"You're leaving?"

"Yeah, had enough of these drunken apes for one night. Good luck, Casanova."

That certainly was a weird conversation. But enough of that. The plan was set. Time to seduce miss Lana Douglas.