[Spirit of Lust 2] Chapters 659 & 660.

Chapter 659: Invited to Diana’s house.

That next Wednesday, we all got together at Diana’s house, surprisingly at her own insistence. It started with her calling me to ask if I had time to continue my bartending training, and when I said I did, she called everyone else to be my taste testers.

Diana wasn’t normally the one to suggest we got together, even if she always freely offered her place for it. That she did it this time made me pretty happy. She was growing more comfortable with us.

I walked around the bar counter in the living room and studied the bottles on the shelves while the rest of the girls got comfortable in the couches and chairs. Now all of these bottles made more sense to me, I recognized the names, brands and I even understood why Diana had two different bottles of vermouth. I used to think the second one was simply in case she ran out, but the two types were actually used for different drinks.

Climbing the stages of competence is as encouraging as it is discouraging. Before, I didn’t understand anything. Now, I understood just enough to realize how long the road ahead was. It happened when learning guitar, too, and with cooking and driving as well, only I reached a level of competence in those last two and wasn’t in too much of a hurry to get better. That would come with time. Bartending, though, I had to put more conscious effort into it.

“So how did things go yesterday, Sarah?” Diana asked the blonde.

“Better than I hoped, but I know it’s not gonna be an overnight change,” Sarah answered. “The kids still don’t like the idea of me leaving, but they’re starting to accept it. At least, I think they understand I’m not doing it because I want to get away from them or because Oliver is stealing me. Actually, what DID you tell them when you were alone with them?” she asked me.

“That’s between me and them. If they want to tell you, then sure, but I’m not saying anything,” I told her.

“Well, whatever you said, it really made a difference. In fact… I didn’t see it before, but now I’m starting to believe Cole started guitar lessons because of you.”

“What?” I asked.

“Didn’t he start them like two weeks ago, though?” Mila asked.

“No, I think she means Cole sees Oliver as a cool grown up and wants to be like him,” Grace said, smirking teasingly at me.

“Oooh! Ahaha! Look at you, being a role model!” Mila said, mirroring Grace’s smirk.

“I don’t think that’s… correct?” I half-asked, looking at Sarah.

“I think it’s possible,” Diana said.

“Yeah,” Alice agreed. “I mean, he’s practically hitting puberty, isn’t he? His body is starting to change, his interests and priorities too. And you’re a handsome, fit, talented guy that’s popular with girls. Of course he’d want to be like you.”

Noelle chuckled. “When you put it like that, it makes a lot of sense.”

“His dad is a better role model,” I told them.

“He’s also, you know, an adult,” Diana told me. “You’re closer in age, so you’re a better reference.”

“I think it’s cute,” Sarah said. “I think it’s obvious I couldn’t have picked a better role model for him if I tried.”

“Just make sure to tell him the main reason he’s popular with girls is because he’s polite,” Mila told Sarah. “You don’t want him turning into a fit, talented asshole, do you?”

“Shit, you’re right…” Sarah said, holding her chin. “Ugh, but I’m gonna leave the house, so I won’t be able to watch over him…”

“Oh-uh… Sarah’s second-guessing herself,” Grace said. “Now she won’t move in with us.”

“Nah, she doesn’t have it in her,” Alice said teasingly. “She just confessed to me on the drive here that she went to see Oliver on her own on Monday because she was super horny and couldn’t stop thinking about him.”

Sarah’s face turned red as a tomato in mere seconds. “A-Alice! You snitch!”

“And you wanted to keep it a secret because…?” Grace asked, trailing off so Sarah could answer.

“N-No reason. Just… It was kind of embarrassing.”

“And you told Alice to get it out of your chest?” Noelle asked.

“...Pretty much. But now I know better, and she’s never getting another secret out of me, ever.”

“Oh, come on. I just said it because I thought it was really cute!” Alice argued, smiling from ear to ear.

“Right!? Sarah always tries to act tough, but when it comes to Oliver she just melts. I love to see it,” Mila said, giggling.

“Alright, stop teasing the poor girl. It’s not like any of you are any better,” Diana said.

“Oh, and you are?” Noelle asked her, grinning teasingly back at the older woman.

“Of course,” Diana answered, standing dignified. “I am the very picture of composure.”

“Um…”

“Oliver, you should be mixing drinks,” Diana told me before I could say a thing.

“Yes, ma’am.”

The girls laughed while Diana helped me get everything set up. This was the kind of atmosphere I liked the most. Casual, fun, relaxed. The only issue was…

“So… I’m making real drinks now?” I asked her.

“Yes. Don’t worry about wasting alcohol. Luke gave us a training budget.”

“Well, that’s a relief. I think.”

“Are you sure we can stay the night, Diana?” Alice asked. “You still have to work tonight, don’t you?”

“Yes, but it’s fine. If you’re going to drink, I don’t want you driving. And I trust my dog enough to keep you all in check while I’m gone.”

She joked, but that she trusted us to stay in her house while she was away was even further proof that Diana was comfortable with us. Maybe Maria was right and we wouldn’t have to wait long before Diana gave in and decided she wanted to move in with us.

“Yeah, about that… I don’t think you can trust your dog today. He seems busy,” Sarah said. We all glanced towards them at the same time. 

I… brought Cake with me so she could play with Red, and the two were having a staredown in the living room that broke when Cake bolted down one of the hallways with Red chasing after her.

“They’re quickly becoming friends.” Noelle said, giggling.

“Aren’t they almost the same age?” Alice asked.

“Red is older by a couple months, I believe,” Diana said.

And there was another barrier overcome. With our pets getting along, Diana moving in with us would be even easier. Of course, I didn’t say anything so as not to push her or pressure her, but… You know, mind reading.

Pretty sure Diana had an idea as to what I was thinking.

************

Chapter 660: Drinking amongst friends.

We did feel awkward when Diana left for work and we were all alone in her house. It reminded me of that feeling in high school when you had to enter a classroom that wasn’t yours. Like… We weren’t supposed to be here.

We considered leaving, but for one, Diana invited us and we’d feel pretty bad leaving before she came back, and two, everyone had at least three or four drinks in them. Well, everyone except me. I was supposed to be practicing, so no drinking for me. Yet.

“How can she trust us like this and leave us alone in her house?” Mila asked, pouting with a mojito in her hand as she sat in the living room with the girls while I stayed behind the counter.

Mojito: lime, brown sugar, mint leaves, white rum, crushed ice and soda. Relatively easy to make, but I was sure there were some details I was missing. Still, Diana told me to focus on getting the basics down and learning the drinks before I started trying to add details or my own spin. Made sense to me.

“I mean, I watched something in the news the other day… Rather, like two weeks ago,” she continued. “A college girl invited friends over to her house whom she’d known for two years and they robbed her blind!”

“You watch the news?” Sarah asked her after taking a sip of her daiquiri.

Daiquiri: light rum, lime juice and simple syrup. Shaken with ice, then strained. Garnished with a lime twist. It broke when I tried to bend the lime, though.

“...My mom told me about it,” Mila admitted. “My point stands, though!”

“So what you’re saying is we should rob Diana blind,” Grace said, gesturing towards her with her glass of Tom Collins.

Tom Collins: gin, lemon juice, simple syrup, ice cubes and soda water. It’s built in the glass itself and stirred. Garnished with a lemon wheel.

“Of course not! Why would you think that?”

“I do agree that it feels weird to be trusted to this extent,” Alice said, lightly stirring the Tom Collins in her hand with a metal straw. “But I mean… We’re the ones coming to her house, to drink alcohol no less. It goes both ways. And with a certain someone linking us all together…”

“Right,” Sarah nodded. “She trusts him and he trusts us.”

“I won’t be made responsible for anything you do,” I told them. Then I let out a sigh and shook my head. “Oh, who am I kidding?”

“Oliver?” Noelle spoke, staring into what little light green liquid remained of the Grasshopper I convinced her to try. This was her second, actually.

Grasshopper: creme de menthe, creme de cacao, heavy cream. Shaken with ice until well-chilled. Garnished with grated nutmeg.

“Yes?” I asked.

“Would you still love me if I was a wyrm?” she asked out of nowhere.

“A wyrm?” I asked to confirm.

“A wyrm.”

“I would. Actually, I’d probably love you more. It’d be pretty cool.”

“What do you mean ‘cool’!?” Mila asked, raising her voice.

“Shit, that’s clever, haha!” Grace laughed.

Noelle started giggling, all too proud of her little joke.

“Wait, how is that clever? That’s the forbidden question,” Sarah said, frowning. “You’re only supposed to ask that to test your boyfriend.”

“No, no. She said wyrm, not worm,” Alice clarified, grinning.

“Explain,” Mila said.

“A worm is a worm. A wyrm is a dragon,” Grace said.

“Oh. Wait, where the hell did that come from, Noelle?” Mila asked her, raising an eyebrow.

“I don’t know. I just came up with it,” the redhead said, giggling.

“Oh, she’s drunk already,” Sarah said. “You can see it in her cheeks, her eyes, and the way she’s giggling.”

“I’m not… Okay, maybe a little,” Noelle admitted, still giggling.

“You and Oliver are the biggest lightweights out of all of us,” Grace said. “You need to build some tolerance.”

“I like my liver the way it is, thank you,” I told her. 

“I promise I’ll only drink when I’m with you all…” Noelle said, now pouting.

“Yeah, you need to be careful in university,” Alice said. “I’ve heard some stuff about freshmen parties…”

“And that’s why she needs to build some tolerance,” Sarah said, agreeing with Grace.

“I said I won’t drink unless I’m with you all. Besides, I don’t even like parties. I’m not going, even in university.”

Mila sighed. “Not going to at least one or two will label you as a wet-blanket, though…”

“But I kind of am,” Noelle said. “And not like I care if they think of me that way. I only care what you guys think. Am… Am I a wet-blanket to you?”

“Are you kidding? That’s Alice. She’s the one who gets pissy when we eat inside the car,” Grace said.

“I don’t…! I mean…! You’re not the ones who’re gonna clean the seats!” Alice grumbled.

“I don’t like it, but she has a point,” Sarah admitted.

We all shared a laugh at that.

“But seriously, Noelle. We don’t think you’re a wet-blanket,” Mila told the redhead. “We love you just the way you are.”

“You’re way too quirky to be a wet-blanket,” Sarah told her. “I mean, a V-Tuber? Seriously? I didn’t even know what that was before I met you!”

“And you girls don’t even watch her streams,” I told them. “She can say some wild stuff.”

“W-What do you mean? What did I say!?” Noelle asked me, her face falling and her face reddening even more.

“What was it? Something about how you didn’t want to talk about how much your boyfriend satisfies you?” I teased.

Noelle’s eyes went wide. “I didn’t say that!”

“I think I remember you saying something like that.”

“I bet you a blowjob I didn’t! But if I’m right, you go down on me!”

Actually, now I wasn’t so sure that was exactly what she said, but… Eh. “Alright, sure.”

“Alright! Mila, bring up the clip!” Noelle ordered.

“Um… What am I looking for?” Mila asked, bringing out her phone.

“I think Isabelle clipped it,” I said, looking at my phone. too.

“WHAT!? SHE WATCHED IT!?”

“What’s wrong? I thought you were confident you didn’t say anything of the sort,” Sarah teased, smirking devilishly.

“Um…”

Turns out that what Noelle actually said during her debut stream was ‘If you get yourself someone who makes you believe heaven on earth exists, keep them.’

We all argued for a while if we should take that to mean sex or not, and after much debate we decided it could go either way, so Noelle and I compromised to a sixty nine… when she was a little more sober.