Seven Roses (Haremworld)

“Yeah, I guess so.” I shrugged and looked down at my phone.

“I know you’re not convinced that this arrangement can work. Your body language is worse than Anders.” He let out a sigh. “I wish you would give it a chance.”

“I haven’t said no, but come on, Charles. This is all for publicity, right? I’m the king of controversy. I know how Hollywood works. This is just a stunt to get the websites grinding away with the story you’re planning to feed them.” I looked up from my phone. “I make my living doing shit like this every day.”

“No—I mean, it will be quite the story, but my motives are true. I don’t know how you’ve managed to spend so much time in the spotlight. I’m tired of it. This has been building for a while. I took my job as the host of Seven Roses because it was a good opportunity. I never expected to end up running the whole thing.” He shook his head back and forth. “When I was interviewing Lyn for her spot, something inside of me snapped—I started to feel like nothing more than a pimp.”

“Well, you are...” I chuckled. “None of the relationships you put together last. You feed the tabloids gossip, just like I do. You give them something to report and then that echoes through the rest of your endeavors. It’s the life we lead.”

“I know the relationships don’t last. I put a girl with a guy, give them a shot at happiness, and then wait until it all comes crashing down. The cycle repeats—again and again—it’s fucking exhausting.” He let out another long sigh. “I chose you for Seven Roses because I thought you could relate to that.”

“I can.” I nodded in agreement. “I don’t like being nothing more than a cover boy for some tired actress who needs to make headlines by being the latest girl to bang a former teenage heartthrob. That doesn’t mean I buy into this shit, though.”

“Lyn deserves better than Seven Roses. Do you know what she told me she wanted?” He walked over and started to pour a glass of Scotch.

“I have no fucking idea.” I shrugged. “A guy with a big dick?”

“All she wanted was a nice guy.” He lifted the glass to his lips. “Guess what—the kind of guy she’s looking for? They don’t exist. They’re inside of all of us, but can one guy be that kind of man for her? John—maybe? He’s the best shot.”

“What about Anders, he got a perfect match.” I raised my eyebrows. “Surely he’s the kind of guy she wants.”

“Nothing about that sits right with me.” He sipped his Scotch again. “I believe what she’s looking for is inside of all of us, but we’re just too foolish to see it.”

“You really are serious.” I narrowed my eyes at him. “You think we could somehow come together to make the perfect man for her...”

“I do. I’m being straight with you. I wasn’t sure what to expect when I set this up, but after seeing how she has reacted, I’m more convinced than ever.” He finished his drink and put it next to the bottle. “Just keep an open mind.”

THE ORIGINAL PLAN I had for a date with Lyn was to take her to a red carpet premiere and show her how good it was to be seen with me. After talking with Charles, I started to regret that idea. Lyn deserved more than that. She deserved more than tabloid fame and a publicity stunt to get more people to watch the show. I wanted to be better than the man I had let myself become in the pages of the newspapers. Lyn was definitely a shot at that. She was a chance to find th

e kind of companionship I needed while letting the life I had turned into fade away. That was worth more than a cheap plug in a magazine—that was a true shot at happiness.

I called a meeting in the living room with all of the other guys and laid out a new plan that involved everyone except for Charles and Anders. It wouldn’t be fair to bring them into it until they had a date with Lyn of their own, but I wanted to give her one hell of an amazing date. I wasn’t competing with anyone else. We were all trying to succeed at the same goal. For the first time in a very long time, I felt like I had a sense of direction and the chance at becoming part of a family. When Lyn walked down the stairs for our date, I was ready to show her that she was everything I wanted.

“That’s a very beautiful dress.” My eyes drifted up and down her gorgeous green gown, pausing to admire the curve in her hips and her voluptuous breasts pressed against the fabric.

“You’re not so bad yourself, Mr. Tuxedo.” She grinned and took my arm. “Where are we going?”

“Somewhere special.” I let my hand rest on her fingers as we walked towards the car.

It was time to pamper our princess. She didn’t need to see the red carpet or wander in the majesty of celebrity, she needed to be shown exactly how good life could be if she was with us full time. I was ready to make the commitment. I was ready to show Lyn that there was a good guy lingering inside all of the men she had dated, and one she hadn’t—me.

It had been a long time since I actually put effort into a date. I was used to stumbling drunk out of a limousine and letting the paparazzi guide the evening. We got into the car and I immediately popped the cork on a bottle of champagne. Lyn was resistant at first, but once I had a glass, she decided to loosen up and have one of her own.

We weren’t headed anywhere fancy. The night was going to be all about her. The cover of darkness provided a nice disguise when we pulled up to the front doors and she looked at a little warily about the building when she didn’t see any lights. I pulled the door open and she stepped inside where everything was waiting.

“Welcome.” Markus stepped forward with a smile, wearing a tuxedo that rivaled mine.

“Markus?” She looked at him and then back at me. “What’s going on?”

“I decided that you needed more than a simple date.” I took her hand. “Tonight, you are going to see what life will be like if you agree to this arrangement.”

“What do you mean?” She looked around the room as the other guys walked out into the main lobby.

“This is a spa, but we sent the staff home.” I grinned and took her other hand, turning so that she was facing me. “We’re going to take care of you tonight, and make you see how awesome life can be with a horde of men who only want to make you happy.”

“Oh my...” Her face flushed for a moment as she looked around at the group.

I walked with Lyn into the main part of the spa. I led her towards one of the chairs and she gave me a look of bewilderment. She took a seat in one of the chairs and her face continued to reflect confusion.