New Year New Man (1/2)

Dismantling a harem can be tricky business. But when buttressed by supernatural psychic abilities, it becomes much more manageable. The control Jonah leveraged over his harem was three-fold: hormonal, mental, and social.

Jonah had liberally used his pheromone abilities on the women around him. It made every other step in the process easier. While the sexual aspect of the power was what he first utilized, with some practice, he learned that he could incite other base feelings in others and at various degrees of intensity. The problem he faced with ending his sexual pheromone use was its addictive qualities. He decided to turn off his pleasure-increasing aura cold turkey. It would make for a difficult couple of weeks for his women, but it was necessary. They would have to find indulgence elsewhere as his touch left their system.

The psychic control Jonah held over his harem with the help of Miss Martian would be the most sensitive to remove. It represented the most significant breach of ethics and privacy of the whole process. Jonah and M’gann spent hours detangling the roots of manipulation that they had previously snaked into the women's minds. They removed all personality-altering commands and as few memories as possible. The brain’s natural ability to fill in gaps would take care of the rest over time.

The social nature of their relationships would be impossible to remove. Despite the full extent of their relationships being hidden. Jonah had been in structured sexual relationships with four women. People had noticed and that time still existed in their minds. If Jonah wanted to start a serious romantic relationship with Kendra, he would have to end all other attachments. Starfire and Black Canary were easy. Jonah’s relationship with them was that of friends with benefits. Almost purely sexual, if perhaps overly kinky. Black Canary even welcomed the transition. She fully supported Jonah’s burgeoning relationship with Kendra.

Cassie Sandsmark, Wonder Girl, took it the hardest. She remained stoic when it happened, but Jonah could sense the sadness in her. It was a real break-up, and Cassie was a passionate individual. Jonah felt terrible about hurting the young woman’s heart, but he knew she would get over it. He was not the right man for her and never was. She would recover soon enough. Once, she had spent a couple of weeks sulking.

The most difficult ‘break-up’ for Jonah was with Miss Martian. So much so that he didn’t go through with it; he couldn’t really. Jonah and M’gann had shared too much of themselves with each other. They were too close. On a practical level, Miss Martian’s power kept the Jenga tower up while they fixed things. But more than that, Jonah couldn’t let go of that connection. The sex and any lingering romance would stop, obviously; however, M’gann would keep her memories, and the two would remain close friends. Miss Martian was so shy with the greater hero community that nobody knew about the saucier aspects of their relationship anyway. For all they knew, the two had befriended each other on the job and made an authentic platonic connection.

Thanks to his measured social maneuvering, Jonah managed to survive the holiday season without incident. A time that was usually a reminder of all he lacked became one of frantic reorganization. A trade he’d make any day. With his affairs sorted and the weight of guilt partially lifted off his shoulders, Jonah could welcome the new year in peace.

“You look nervous, kid.” Oliver Queen, aka the Green Arrow, said while stroking his elaborate blond goatee in a vain attempt to seem more learned.

“It’s a fancy dinner, Ollie; there’s going to be a lot of fancy people. Businessmen and politicians and stuff.” Jonah clumsily fingered his new cufflinks into place in a vain attempt to look sophisticated enough.

“Nope. That’s not it.” Oliver turned Jonah away from the bathroom mirror and adjusted the younger man’s tie for him. “I know you don’t care what rich people like me and my friends think about you enough to get this nervous. It’s something else.”

“I care what you think about me. You’re my boss.” Jonah retorted with a lopsided smirk.

“You’re deflecting.”

“It's nothing, really, Ollie.” Jonah turned to wash his hands for the second time that trip to the bathroom.

“It’s about Kendra, isn’t it?” The sound of the tap running was Oliver’s only reply: “You’re scared of her.”

“Petrified.” Jonah chuckled and turned back to the billionaire. “How’d you know?”

“Trust me, kid. I know what a strong woman like that can do to a young man’s heart.” Oliver replied with a knowing smile.

“What did you do to get over it?” Jonah matched Oliver’s smile “She’s just so-”

“Strap in for the ride, and don’t let go, kid.” Oliver casually tossed a used paper towel into a distant garbage bin. “All the heartache is worth it.”

“I hope she feels the same.”

“Let's get going. We don’t want to leave the ladies waiting, do we?”

Oliver Queen and Jonah Richardson exited the bathroom together and entered the luxury hotel foyer where they had left their dates. It was December 31st, 7:00 pm.

After ending their sexual relationship, Jonah had maintained a strong platonic and working relationship with Oliver and Dinah. His personal connection with the CEO of Queen Industries had been a great boon for Jonah’s career. Oliver moved Jonah to the R&D department as an administrator. There, he could learn the ropes of the business and better introduce products from his universe, which had yet to be popularized in this one. It was a win-win for both men.

The event the quartet was preparing for was the New Year’s Eve party at the Seattle Space Needle. Seattle was one of the largest corporate hubs in America and home to many billionaires. While headquartered in Star City, Queen Industries had a large campus in the area, so the Emerald City was a familiar stomping ground for the Green Arrow. Oliver Queen was invited to the exclusive party as one of the city's leading men. Dinah invited Jonah and Kendra so she wouldn’t be stuck in a room with only the least likable people in the western US. Jonah gladly accepted. It was the perfect opportunity to impress Kendra and to prevent him from being alone for the holiday.

“And here I thought women took a long time in the restroom.” Dinah Lance called to the approaching men, her hands placed firmly on her hips in a display of sarcastic intimidation.

“Probably gossiping about work again.” Kendra joined in on the playful ribbing.

“I’m sorry. My shoelaces were untied, and my assistant wasn’t answering my calls.” Oliver continued the joke with a self-deprecating slant.

Jonah couldn’t help but marvel at the women. Kendra was wearing a black and gold business casual double thigh-slit dress. Her strong legs, powerful arms, and golden-brown skin perfectly harmonized with the cuts and folds of her dress. A gold-infused smoking eye look accented her piercing green eyes.

Dinah Lance was wearing a thigh-high sparkling silver dress with a deep V, over which she wore a leather jacket. Her blonde hair had been blown out to increase its volume and natural waves.

The men wore standard dark two-piece suits accented with colors that matched their date’s dresses.

“Did I mention how beautiful you look tonight?” Jonah whispered to Kendra.

“Once or twice, but it couldn’t help to remind me.”

Jonah gently kissed her hand. “Absolutely gorgeous.”

Kendra felt a warmth spread over her face as she turned away from Jonah. “Save that for later, Dinah said the limousine is almost here.”

“Limousine!” Jonah said with genuine excitement.

“What? Did you think we were going to take a cab?” Oliver said with a chuckle. “I have a certain appearance to maintain, after all. There won’t be any press, but Queen industries must represent the best at all times.”

“Sorry, I’ve just never been in a limo before.” Jonah suddenly felt very silly for his outburst.

“I’ve never been in a limo before either,” Kendra whispered to him, soothing over his embarrassment.

The prophesized limousine did arrive soon after. The long black luxury car rolled smoothly over the hilly streets of downtown Seattle. It wasn’t a long drive, but Jonah made sure to enjoy it to his fullest. He pressed every button and explored every corner of the back of the vehicle until he felt satisfied with his exploration of the possibilities that wealth provided. Ultimately, it was mostly a regular car, except he had more legroom and wasn’t pointed in the direction of the car’s movement.

Seattle Center, where the Space Needle is located, was bustling with activity. The city’s main fireworks show and TV broadcast were centered around the district, and many of the local museums and venues were hosting events of their own. Jonah and the others were quickly ushered through the tower’s ground level onto the main structure's many elevators.

Before the main observation deck, a slowly rotating restaurant was at the top of the Space Needle. It had been decorated and filled with the things that business people loved. Representatives of all the great corporations of the West Coast surrounded and passed between the standing tables of the innermost ring. Champaign was being handed out liberally, and small appetizers were presented passively to each guest on round silver platters.

Jonah grabbed two glasses of sparkling wine and handed one to Kendra. He raised his glass to her and said, “To new beginnings.”

“And new memories.” Kendra clinked her glass against his and drank.

Jonah could see the pain in Kendra’s eyes. It had been a challenging year for her, one filled with battle, strife, and ****. It hadn’t been easy for Jonah either, but he could do nothing about that. He will support Kendra in the next year. They would help each other to make the next year better.

The group split up and rubbed elbows with the movers and shakers of the city. Unfortunately, Jonah didn’t feel particularly moved or shaken by any of the people he spoke with. He felt out of his depths, struggling to make conversation or pull enough cultural context to stay relevant. The only pleasant individual he spoke with was a reporter. He was disappointed at first to discover that Jonah was a nobody but quickly relaxed when they found a comradery in their outsider status.

Around 8:30 p.m., the evening's guests were presented with their seats at four-person tables on the outer ring of the restaurant. Each table had uninterrupted views out of the large windows, which looked onto the Seattle skyline.

“Y’know, this is where Kendra and I had our first date.” Jonah said with a mischievous smile.

“It is not!” Kendra slapped Jonah’s hand lightly. “Our first date was Honolulu.”

“And you call me a wasteful spender,” Oliver said to Dinah, shaking his head in fake disbelief.

“But you did come here together?” Dinah prodded.

Kendra sighed. “Yes, but it's not like that. It was after a long mission, and I was tired and hungry. Jonah said he knew a place.”

“Tired and hungry after a long mission, where have I heard that one before.” Oliver stroked his goatee, and Dinah laughed behind her hand.

“She’s right; it's not like that.” Jonah admitted, “I was just teasing her. I was obviously instantly attracted to her, but there was no funny business on either of our parts.”

“Of course, no one was doubting you.” Oliver offered in a tone that insinuated the opposite.

“We all take winding paths in life. It's best to enjoy the journey while you can.” Dinah added genuinely.

“Here here.” Oliver slapped the table. “Now, where’s dinner? I’m starved.”

The dinner consisted of four courses served over an hour. The appetizers had already been served during the chatting time. The starting soup was Thai red curry soup, the entrée was marry-me chicken risotto, and the dessert was a chocolate lava cake topped with sea salt cream.

Jonah was surprised that the food options weren’t fancier on arrival. He had always imagined that events like this were all about obtuse French cuisines with small portions. However, his disappointment in the menu quickly vanished when he began eating. While he had tried versions of everything presented to him, what he ate was simply better. The ingredients were fresher, and the balance and preparation were more meticulous. The soup was incredibly flavorful without being filling. The moist chicken was marinated with the perfect blend of savory and bright zest. And the cake was indulgent but, when paired with the impossibly light cream, became the perfect cap to the evening’s meal.

“I’m sure we can get you an extra bowl if you’d like sport.” Oliver directed to Jonah and his meticulous cleaning of his blow. He had spent the past couple of minutes observing the younger man etch any remaining cream and chocolate from his dessert bowl. A process he had started with his soup and risotto.

“It's just so good I can’t stop. If I don’t finish my food, then did I really deserve to eat it?” Jonah answered with an embarrassed smile.

“You can the rest of mine. I’m done.” Dinah pushed her bowl across the table.

“You don’t have to eat it if you don’t want to. It's your food; you can do what you want with it.” Kendra lightly starched Jonah’s back. She recognized an unhealthy relationship with food when she saw it. She herself had gone down a similar path when she first became Hawkgirl. A struggle that was born from a fixation on her body’s appearance and strength rather than past economic insecurity.

Jonah compared Kendra’s message to the words in his heart. He pushed away the extra bowl, stating, “It's fine. I think I’ve had enough.”

“Well, if you’ll excuse me, I need to visit the little archer’s room,” Oliver said before strutting towards the bathroom.

“I’d better go along with him.” Dinah stood to follow Oliver, “Between courses, I saw him pulling up passages from Karl Marx. He always gets so preachy during these sorts of parties. He thinks it'll be worth it if he can convert at least one billionaire to his way of thinking, no matter how many hours it takes. He may be boneheaded, but at least he’s passionate.”

Once Dinah was gone, Jonah slumped into his chair with a sigh.

“What’s wrong?” Kendra asked while tapping the corners of her mouth with a white napkin whose thick material revealed its cost.

“Just a bit tired is all.” Jonah sat up straight in his chair again. “Keeping up with their conversations can be difficult.”

“They're your friends Jonah.” Kendra reminded him.

“You’ve known them for longer.” Jonah retorted, attempting to imply that Kendra had an equal right to their friendship as he did.

“Maybe as professional associates but not as friends. Just because Dinah and I are both women doesn’t mean we are blessed with some unbreakable sorority. I knew her mother better, but that was decades ago.”

“I’m just trying to be on my best behavior.” Jonah ignored the reincarnation math.

“You don’t need to try too hard. They like you, I like you, and you don’t give a shit about anybody else here.” Kendra turned in her seat so she was closer to Jonah’s ear. “Besides, you have a long night ahead of you, so pace yourself.”

“Oh yeah, well, I think I may have just gotten a burst of energy.” Jonah rose and displayed his hand. “How about we take this conversation to the dance floor?”

Following Jonah’s lead, Kendra went to what could be considered a dance floor. A quadrant of the party had been sectioned off, emptied, and designated for general merriment. A local indie rock band had been hired to play music. They mostly regurgitated old classic rock and pop songs on request but managed to slip in some original pieces.

The pair of incognito heroes danced the night away and enjoyed each other’s company. They left their worries behind. There was only one purpose for New Year’s Eve: to enjoy the last moments of the year before moving on—a secular Mardi Gras. There would be resolutions and hangovers tomorrow, but tomorrow was far away. They laughed, they chatted, and they even took pictures with a pair of novelty glasses, which seemed to have a hard time fitting 2022 onto the frames.

Soon before the countdown counted down fully, Jonah slipped the young keyboardist of the band $20 to play Kendra’s favorite song. A slow ballad from the 1990s that he had never heard of.

“Thanks for this.” In a slow dance, Kendra rested her head on Jonah’s shoulder.

“It's nothing. Did you see how young he was? College kids will do anything for 20 bucks.”

“I don’t mean that. I mean, thanks for being here. For sticking with me. For taking things slow. I know that can be hard for some guys.”

“Nonsense!” Jonah shifted back so he could look into Kendra’s emerald eyes. “I should be thanking you. You had every right to leave, but you stayed. You've been through so much, yet you keep living. You are far stronger than I am.”

“You better believe it.” Kendra shadow punched towards Jonah’s stomach. “But never discredit yourself while I’m around, or I’ll show you how good I am in hand-to-hand combat.”

“I wouldn’t dream of it!”

Kendra bit her lip and gave Jonah a foggy look that sent a shiver down his spine.

“Now, now, love birds, enough gawking.” Oliver Queen called the couple, “You’ll miss the ball drop.”

The pair hurried off the dance floor and gathered with the other partygoers around a flat TV. The TV was showing the live feed of a local news show broadcasting only a mile from where they were standing. 2021 was almost at an end. A lively call began.

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“Happy New Year!” a harmony of voices rang out. Not just in the tower but in the whole city and beyond, across the entire American West Coast. A harmony that had begun hours before on the other side of the globe.

Jonah scooped Kendra into her arms and kissed her like she was the only person in the whole world. Fireworks.

Fireworks blasted all around them. Outside the window, the official Seattle New Year’s fireworks show pounded with flashes of color.

“Happy New Year Jonah,” Kendra said once she could pull herself away from the man who had wiggled his way into her life.

“Happy New Year Kendra.”

“Should auld acquaintance be forgot and never brought to mind?” Oliver sang passionately along with the din of tiny music blasting from nearby speakers. Soon, his singing reminded the others to join in the traditional song, “And surely ye'll be your pint-stoup! and surely I'll be mine! And we'll tak' a cup o' kindness yet, for auld lang syne.”

Jonah sang along with the crowd, his heart gladdened to know that this earth still followed the traditions of his youth. New Year’s Eve had always been a difficult day for him. One completely devoid of hope. But this night was different; this year would be different. Jonah looked upon all those around him. He saw tears welling up in the eyes of the almost middle-aged archer.

Soon after the song ended and the sky grew silent, Kendra dragged Jonah away towards the exit.

“Where are we going in such a hurry?”

“I’m sick of waiting.” Kendra flashed Jonah a look that told him everything he needed to know.

“Well, why didn’t you just so?” Jonah replied with a newfound sense of urgency, “I might not be as luxurious as a limo, but I can get us back to the hotel in no time.”