After Penny left, he was still feeling raunchy, so he decided to shoot a message to one person he was sure that not only would be awake, but out and having fun.
Haley.
She responded him with an address.
He didn’t leave immediately.
He spent five minutes tidying the house, while also pondering the rewards.
It was a big one.
[Achievement complete.
Seduce Penny into a blowjob while her boyfriend is in the same room.
Challenge: Daring]
[+25 Attractiveness
1 Random Platinum Skill
1 Random Platinum Reward]
[Bonus achievement complete.
Netori effect in play]
[+25 Intelligence
Matching skill found.
Upgrade Adept Cello
1 Random Platinum Reward]
It was a tough call.
He was tempted to upgrade his Cello skill another step, but after a momentary consideration, he decided the Intelligence reward was better.
The reward he got from Penny was more difficult.
Technically, a lot of things Penny was competent in also fit his style, tempting him.
He might have taken the risk … but not when increasing Attractiveness meant it finally surpassing a hundred, which meant Perks.
[Attractiveness Perk unlocked]
[Choose One!]
[Style Intuition: Develop an instinctual understanding of clothes, colors, and grooming choices to maximize your appearance.]
[Photogenic Excellence: Have an exceptional understanding of light and camera whenever being recorded.]
[Graceful Movement: Move with natural elegance and fluidity.
Your walk, gestures, and posture are aesthetically pleasing; you never seem awkward or clumsy.]
“Well, that’s … underwhelming,” he muttered slightly.
Technically, all three were valuable perks, but they were also mostly covered by other Stats and Skills to a degree.
After some thought, he decided to go with graceful movement.
It overlapped with Agility, but he still lacked dancing skill, and some extra grace would help him if he wanted to learn dancing, or if he wanted to direct people.
He hummed as he turned his attention to the next part, the comic pack.
He pulled it, and saw that they were several old comics, but they were also signed first editions.
A quick search on the web showed that their value flactuated, but even a pessimistic estimation put them around ten thousand dollars.
He put them on a high shelf, then left.
It was too late to deal with such a thing, and he still needed to meet with Haley.
Once again, he took a cab, but this time, he wasn’t bothered by the cost.
The silver reward had a price around four thousand, while the gold reward was at the north of ten thousand dollars.
Meaning, if he really needed, he could fund himself by selling rewards; at least the ones that could be sold easily.
He doubted that trying to sell expensive sheets would be a lucrative business.
He sent another message to Haley when he was about to arrive, and when he did, she was waiting outside, wearing a sexy navy dress, with a neckline that hit the precise midpoint between elegant and dangerous.
She knew exactly how to push her natural beauty to the next level.
“You look incredible,” he said.
“I know, but you’re not too bad either,” she replied, even as she tucked her arm through his with practiced ease and they walked in.
“Tell me, why did you call me at the last minute?” she asked, teasing.
“Date fell through?”
“Somewhat.
I was working with a model, but her jealous boyfriend decided to make an ass of himself by getting drunk,” he said.
That made her stiffen.
“Don’t tell me you’re having trouble with yours?” he added.
That made her pause.
“You know— I mean, I don’t know what you are talking about?”
He chuckled.
“Haley, you’re not a good liar when you’re surprised,” he teased, but when her arm slackened to pull back, he wrapped his arm around her waist.
“And, you…”
“What?
I don’t mind?
We’re friends,” he said.
Also, he was confident in his skills, particularly when he knew his rivals, and they were hardly impressive.
She glared at him, but he didn’t miss that she actually relaxed.
“Friends, is that what we’re calling that?”
He let his hand dip down and cup her ass, her short skirt easily bypassed.
“Feel free to share if you have another word,” he replied.
“God, you’re such a bastard,” she said, but considering she leaned further against his hug while making no mention of his hand, her insult had no bite.
“You’re lucky that I’m in a bad mood.”
“Anything you want to talk about?” he asked.
“No.
I just want to dance,” she said, then glared.
“And if you start complaining about being tired after ten minutes, I’m going to break your hand for molesting me.”
“I received the payment in advance, so I need to pay up, right?”
“Exactly,” she said, trying to sound serious.
He smiled as he squeezed her ass again.
He was confident because Endurance was enough to ensure that he would stay there, and it wasn’t like he hated dancing, especially when he had a sexy woman pressing against him, wearing a scandalously tiny dress.
Once they arrived at the dance floor, he said nothing, just wrapped his hands around her body, and let the rhythm take them, Agility and his recent perk Graceful Movement helping him to dance better.
Enough that he didn’t have to think about anything, and instead let the music take him.
With Haley in his arms, they danced for a long while, until Haley suddenly grabbed his shirt, and dragged him to an empty room; likely some kind of storage room currently in disuse.
That was all he registered as he pushed a couple of boxes with his feet to create space, still hugging her.
“What happened to your dancing challenge—” he teased her, only to be interrupted by her kiss.
“Shut up and fuck me, you bastard,” she responded instead, biting her lips desperately.
“My pleasure,” he said while she unzipped his pants.
“I have only one question.
Slow and gentle, or hard and fast?”
“Hardest and fastest,” she replied, her smirk almost challenging.
“My pleasure,” he said as he lifted her easily.
Her legs wrapped around him while he slipped, then he started moving, her tiny body locked between him and the wall, her feet impossible to touch the floor.
Then, he started moving, merciless and aggressive, his hands squeezing her ass.
She whimpered, pressing her hands to her mouth to contain her moans, her beautiful eyes widening further.
Their gazes connected, making the moment even more intense.
He could have slowed down, but her eyes told him that she needed it, so instead, he picked up speed.
Yet, despite the aggression of his hips, he managed a perfect rhythm, above and beyond what his Agility was already giving.
An unexpected, but very welcome, benefit of his new Graceful Movement Perk.
He took her hips in both hands, pumped her hard.
He didn’t change his pace and just drilled her.
Sometimes, a girl just needed a long hard fuck, and he was happy to provide.
The speed of her climaxes showed that he was on the right path.
Somewhere halfway, he also pulled her dress down, occasionally paying attention to her breasts, his improved finger flexibility driving her even crazier.
“Oh, yes,” Haley moaned again and again.
“Just what I needed.
More,” she begged, delirious.
That continued until he reached the edge, then he pulled out, pushed her down, and did something he had been longing to do since he met her.
He sprayed her face with his seed, coating thick.
Her eyes fluttered open after the contrast with her fragile beauty and his addition perfect.
She didn’t say anything, too busy trying to catch her breath after everything even when he helped her to stand up, and they sat on one of the discarded boxes.
Haley dipped her finger in his seed absentmindedly, and brought it to her mouth.
[Achievement complete.
Give Haley the best orgasm of her life in an abandoned storage of a club.
Challenge: Hard]
[+10 Attractiveness
1 Random Gold Skill
1 Random Gold Reward]
[Bonus achievement complete.
Netori effect in play]
[+10 Charisma
Matching skill found.
Upgrade Adept Fashion
He decided to go with Attractiveness from Haley, and pick Adept Fashion from her poor boyfriend Rainer.
While he wanted to roll the dice, Attractiveness was simply too valuable.
[Adept Fashion]
[Rare Skill: You are a skilled stylist.
You’re competent at picking clothes, enough to operate your own stylist business serving minor celebrities.]
He hummed while Haley finally managed to get her words back.
“What the hell was that?” she whispered, squeezing his hand desperately.
“You asked me to go hard and fast, and I did,” he replied.
She took a deep breath.
“Yeah … but this was something else.
Different from the other times.”
“One of them, we were in a public park, and the other, we were in a semi-open VIP section.
Hardly places to push myself, right?” he asked.
“Also, blame your gorgerous eyes.
Whenever I look at them, I make them shine with pleasure…”
“Sweet talk,” she muttered, then paused.
“Do you have a tissue?” she asked.
He passed one.
“Don’t think your sweet words will make me forget you came on my face.
I hate that,” she said.
“Really.
From my side, it didn’t look like you hated it.”
“Fine,” she admitted.
“I might have been distracted by an orgasm or two?”
“Or five, by my count…” he teased.
“Maybe,” she said.
“I have never been good at math.”
He chuckled at the way she changed the topic.
“Fine, tell me exactly what got you so annoyed.”
“Nothing important,” she said.
“Just silly girl stuff.
Nothing interesting.”
He was familiar enough with her tone to catch a deflection.
She clearly didn’t want to talk.
He could have let it slide, as that would have been easier.
He decided against it.
He liked Haley; and more importantly, in the show, around this time she started to completely lose her confidence in herself, abandoning the independent path she had been determined to create.
“No, that doesn’t sound like your words.
I think you tried to confine someone, and they dismissed it as silly stuff.
But, I don’t think that’s the case.” Haley looked at him, surprised.
“Now, we’re going to leave this place, take a cab to mine, and once we’re there, we’re going to talk.”
“And what if I don’t want to talk?” she asked.
“Then, no orgasms for you,” he said.
She chuckled.
“Wait?
Are you bribing me with sex?
I’m the one that’s supposed to do that!”
“If it works, it works,” he teased.
Her playful smile was beautiful.
“Fine, but we need to stop by the bathroom first.
I need to reapply my makeup.”
He nodded.
They didn’t talk much while she left the club, or on the cab ride back.
She paused when they arrived at his house.
“Nice place,” she said.
“Cozy and … professional,” she added, glancing between the decent drinks bar and the large set.
“It works for me,” he replied as he mixed her a light, coconut-based cocktail with very little alcohol.
Their exercise, both the dancing and the hidden encore, meant she was fully sober, and he didn’t want her tipsy for the conversation.
“Tell me, what’s been eating you up?
Boyfriend troubles?
Or family?”
She looked at him; her gaze the most serious he had ever seen her.
“Do you really want to know, or is it a way to score brownie points?” she said, then immediately continued in a lighter tone as she grabbed his wrist.
“Because, let me tell you.
You don’t need any brownie points.”
He didn’t move because he could see that it was a way for her to avoid the talk, and his extra knowledge allowed him to contextualize it.
He could understand her thought process.
No one took her seriously.
Not even her family.
They loved her.
They cared for her.
But they didn’t take her seriously.
It wasn’t some kind of grand abuse, nor was she a tragic victim.
A big part of it was her own past behavior, and her reluctance to truly push herself to the limit.
She was afraid to truly push herself, only to fail again and confirm her worst fears, that she was as worthless as she feared.
It was a pity.
She had the potential to shine, yet she remained meek.
“I really want to know, Haley.
I am not just an amazing, handsome musician who’s also a god in bed.
I also want to be your friend, if you let me.”
“God, you’re such a narcissist,” she whispered, but it came with a big smile.
“Fine, I’ll talk.
But fair warning, it’s silly.”
“If it’s bothering you this much, it won’t be silly.
It might sound silly, but it won’t be,” he said, squeezing her hand to encourage her.
“Fine,” she said.
“I don’t know where my career is going.
Club promotion is a fun job, but I know it’s only temporary.
Local clubs are fine, but if I tried to expand it, it touches a lot of shady stuff,” she said, then looked at him.
“I know most people think of me as naive, but I know where the limit is.”
“Smart move,” he said.
“So, club promotion is a temporary gig about to reach its expiration.
I’m guessing your frustration is about what’s next.”
She nodded.
“Part of it.
I had six interviews with stylists and three with boutique design firms just this week, all dead ends.
They didn’t even listen to my ideas or check my portfolio.
Just hearing that I didn’t graduate from college or have no fashion experience other than an internship, the interviews died.
The annoying part of it I even have it on my CV, yet somehow it still…”
He squeezed her hand.
“That’s not all of it, right?”
She shook her head.
“No.
If it were just that, I wouldn’t mind.
I can’t talk to my family and ask for help.
Not when I got kicked out of college, and still live in their basement.
It’s already shameful enough,” she said.
Ethan knew that it was not the case, but he said nothing.
For one, Haley must be aware of it as well.
It wasn’t that her family wasn’t willing to help her, but it was about her pride.
She wanted to achieve something on her own, to prove them that she could do it.
That she wasn’t just the useless airhead of the family.
“And, that brought the phrase ‘silly girl stuff’ to the surface?”
Haley blushed.
“My boyfriend … no, my ex-boyfriend,” Haley suddenly said with a sudden realization, reached for her phone, and rapidly sent several messages in sequence.
Then, refused a call, and sent another message.
[Achievement complete.
Directly trigger Haley and Rainer Shine’s breakup.
[+10 Charisma
1 Random Gold Skill
1 Random Gold Reward]
A pity, he decided, even as he picked Charisma.
Rainer was such a good source of easy rewards.
No more.
“Let me guess, he wasn’t very supportive,” he said.
Haley dismissed it with a laugh.
“When I told him, his answer was I didn’t need to waste time with silly girl stuff, that he could arrange a secretary job for me… Like I hadn’t spent hours talking about all my plans.
He always nodded and told me that they were good plans … only then I realized he didn’t listen.
He just acted as if he had.”
“I can’t say I will miss the nameless guy,” he said.
“You don’t think that I’m a …”
He chuckled.
“Haley.
Two days ago we had a threesome in a VIP club.
Do you think I’m someone that can judge you?” he asked.
Technically, he could, as it was different than cheating, but somehow, he doubted that particular high horse would end up in explosive orgasms, so he kept his mouth shut.
She sighed, then smiled.
“Thanks for listening,” she said.
“It’s not the end yet.
Tell me, what’s next?”
“I don’t know,” she said.
“I can’t work with my mother, because it’s admitting defeat.
Same for working in my dad’s office.” She sighed.
“I can’t believe I’m considering asking Luke’s referral for a country club job.”
“And Luke is?” he asked, playing dumb.
“My brother.
My stupid baby brother, who apparently is a hidden problem-solving genius, and crushing it in the country club,” she said, then buried her face in her hands.
“God, I’m jealous of my little brother.
I’m a terrible big sister,” she said.
“Maybe I should try it.
Money is good, and tips are better.”
“Don’t,” he said.
“It’s a terrible job.”
“Luke—” she tried, but he cut her off.
“A young man working at the country club says ambitious and connected go-getter.
A girl working at the country club says geriatric gold digger.”
“That’s unfair!”
“Oh, it certainly is,” he said.
“But that’s how it is.”
“Then, what do I do?” she said.
“It’s not like I have any options?” she said.
“You do, assuming you’re really serious about proving your path and it’s not something you’ll stop when things get hard.”
“What’s this option?”
“Simple.
A fashion website, with several social media pages run by you to draw traffic.
Can’t lose.”
He expected her to look impressed, but she sighed.
“Good idea, but I thought about it,” she said.
Then, she paused.
“Actually, I have done more than think about it,” she said.
“If you make fun of me, I’ll bite.”
Then, she forwarded him an email, one that had a breakdown of the business.
He knew that Haley prepared it herself, as he caught a dozen spelling mistakes and five significant errors in the business plan, though none that affected the final number in a material way.
It was a business plan for the exact idea he had just presented.
It was surprisingly detailed.
She even identified seven local boutiques and twenty niche upscale brands that were willing to work with small batch sizes.
Still, it required about two hundred thousand dollars to implement it, assuming it was all outsourced.
“Good, you’ve already thought about it,” he said.
“You don’t want to risk your family’s money in case it fails, right?” She nodded.
“How about I invest?”
She looked scandalized.
“I can’t take your money!”
He smiled.
Her reaction was amusing and endearing.
He could see that her refusal was not just playing coy, but determined.
“Good, because I’m too sexy to be a sugar daddy,” he replied, flicking her nose.
“I’m talking about putting in some actual work.”
“What do you mean?”
“Your plan accounts for eighty thousand dollars for the website.
I can handle it myself.
Forty thousand for photographs, marketing designs, and models is also doable.
And, with those big payments removed from the balance sheets, we can probably streamline the whole thing, and start with only one brand as a proof of concept.”
“In return?” she asked hesitantly.
“I want equity in the firm,” he said.
“You’ll have the majority ownership while I’ll take the rest, somewhere between thirty to forty percent, depending on the final details.”
She gulped.
“Really?
That’s what you want?
A stake in my business.
Like it … it is actually worth something?”
He nodded.
“Success is never certain in business, but I trust you,” he said.
“Why?” she said.
“You have three things that most people in fashion marketing would kill for.
First, you have genuine taste.
Not trained taste, the kind that requires research groups, but you actually understand what the current trends are.
That moves merchandise.
Moving merchandise makes money.”
She nodded, looking hesitant.
“Second, I checked your pages.
You understand the power of social media.
That’s where the game is going.
Organic marketing.
When brands finally realize the full impact, it’ll be too late.”
“And the third advantage?” she asked, looking at him as if he had just given her the winning lottery numbers.
“Me.”
She raised an eyebrow.
“Well, I can build websites and take product photos good enough to rival those companies, and I won’t need to deal with several iterations and business meetings so it’ll move faster,” he said.
Then, he smirked.
“Most importantly, I can give you mindblowing orgasms so that being a business owner never gets too overwhelming—”
“Shut up,” she suddenly said, and jumped up to him, her legs wrapping around him while she kissed him.
Desperately, with an intensity she had never felt before.
“I’ll take those mindblowing orgasms now, and we’ll talk about the rest later.
Understood?”
“Yes, Madam CEO,” he said, which earned another deep kiss.
Then, the notification arrived.
[Achievement complete.
Make Haley fall in love with you.
Challenge: Daring]
[+25 Attractiveness
1 Random Platinum Skill
1 Random Platinum Reward]
Huh, he thought, even as he picked Attractiveness almost instinctively.
Apparently, all Haley needed to fall in love was a handsome man who actually respected her business acumen.
Who would have guessed?
But, he said nothing, and brought her to the bedroom.
He still had many orgasms promised.