Present time...
The alarm on his phone went off. Leo reached out from under the covers of the presidential suite bed to shut the annoying buzz. He briefly looked at the mobile phone screen, it was past 10 a.m. The sheets beside him rustled, and a woman's hand seductively reached out. Before she could touch his bare chest, he got off the bed. A one-nighter was all he could give her because it was about meeting the desires of his body, nothing else.
Leo called his assistant, Li Hong as he walked to the bathroom. "I want her out before I finish showering."
While in the shower, Leo discerned movements and grasped the essence of the conversation. He didn't need to see to understand Li Hong's actions. Such incidents were uncommon, but his assistant was adept at managing them. He would have made certain the woman took the morning-after pill, agreed to a non-disclosure deal regarding the Zhang heir's affairs, and left with a substantial cheque.
* * *
Close to midday, Leo hurried to join his friends at their preferred eatery in a 5-star hotel, affectionately known as their den. He navigated to their table, where two waitresses were arranging an array of dishes. The women in the restaurant suddenly burst into loud laughter, some batting their eyelashes and others pouting, as Leo strolled by, sporting a roguish grin directed at no one in particular.
"Look who's here: 'The Mighty Rider'!" said one of his four friends raising his wine in a toast. Leo smiled as he was expecting someone to call him by his nickname. A name to be proud of in this playboy's group.
"We thought you'd skip our date," Qin Zihao commented saluting at Leo.
"We thought she might be still licking you now," added Wu Yichen with a wink when Leo raised his eyebrow in query. One of the waitresses giggled and hurried off with her empty tray.
"And why would that be?" asked Leo taking a sip of his drink.
"Coz she practically started making out with you in the club last night," chuckled Wang Jian Yu leaning forward.
Leo chuckled as he took his seat. He leisurely savored a long sip of his wine; he wasn't going to indulge his friends anymore. They could speculate for all he cared about now was food.
Jian Yu almost smirked at Leo "Last night we all tried to get the girl in red and you won. So, what's your score now?"
What Jian Yu meant was pretty clear to Leo. He was always more competitive towards Leo. Had been like that since college days. Whether it was about gambling or horse betting or business profits or women in this case, Jian Yu always wanted to be higher than Leo.
"You know I don't care about scores or counting the number of women I fuck for that matter."
"Fix, Fuck and Forget. We live by these rules," Zihao gave a broad grin always coming to Leo's rescue or agreeing with him in almost any situation. The two were actually very close mates since school days. Leo would do the same for Zihao anytime.
Leo attacked his roasted lamb uncaring of the fact that he didn't even order his meal. Surely someone must have ordered for him.
"The lion's famished today" joked Yichen draining his wine.
"Yeah" agreed Leo between mouthfuls. He fingered his collar to loosen the irritating tie. He had a business meeting with his old man today. An important deal for the business so Leo had to be present whether he liked it not.
Zihao whistled at Leo, "I don't think your old man would be happy to see his heir turning up at a billion-dollar business deal meeting with an obvious hickey."
"Hell yes, can't help it now. Guess it's my effect on women," boasted Leo directly looking at Jian Yu.
The arrow stuck the target. "Get that from an innocent maiden especially the Plain-Jane types and I'll do a strip tease in a bar full of gays!" challenged Jian Yu nonchalantly.
"What is in there for me?" shrugged Leo though the idea of Wang Jian Yu the tycoon of hotel industries striping in a bar was very tempting. But he knew Jian Yu wasn't serious yet.
"We'll give you the title of an all-rounder the mighty rider" added Yichen biting a drumstick.
"I already have that."
Jian Yu put his fork down and carefully started, "Ok we are all filthy rich or our family is. So, we are men who want no attachment or strings involved in any relationship, if we have any. Generally, we go for one-night stands because we all know women can be mercenary bitches and mind you, even though we all can afford several gold diggers, we don't want dramas. As a rule, we generally avoid the innocent types or the Plain-Janes as we call them. Because we don't want to be trapped by maidens or be stuck with ugly ducklings on our arms and be the talk of the town."
Leo had this feeling that he wouldn't like the final part of Jian Yu's proposal. What was he trying to prove anyways?
"And the catch is?'' asked Zihao motioning his fork in circles.
Jian Yu continued, "Let's do something different, for instance, date a Plain-Jane for three months. I mean real date. She should be able to make it to the magazines or media for that matter."
"What's so difficult about it? I can get any women I want" cut in Leo raising his eyebrows.
"You mean to say given our reputation, billionaires with good looks like us four can get any woman we want" clarified Zihao digging further into his plate. He was handsome in his own right but didn't have the six pack abs like Leo and Jian Yu. He was more of a carefree foodie type.
"The point is to try a different dish", grinned Yichen with a knowing look. "I guess the wager is between Jian Yu and Leo, isn't it?" Understandable that Yichen didn't want a part in this because he was always last to get hooked perhaps because of his height. What he lacked in height at around five foot six inches he made it up with his charms. None of them could beat him in that!
"How about we add to this wager?" Zihao waved his fork again and once he finished chewing, he added, "You two", he pointed at Leo and Jian Yu, "Hook a Plain-Jane and do all the right things you will do with a girlfriend in three months."
"If they both end up dating for ninety days, how do we decide who's the winner?" asked Yichen.
"I am still talking man," Zihao frowned at Yichen, and "You gain more points if you get a girl ASAP because that will give you more days to date her. This bet will expire exactly ninety days from today. We all meet again and see who did the most towards this bet. Such as did you manage to get a beauty, mind you some simple women have beautiful features, it's just that they are timid or unsophisticated. Moving on, number of days you dated her, did you sleep with her, note, its more points if you do and the icing on the reward is if you end up getting a virgin."
"We all know the two of you have never slept with a virgin before. You gotta try all types of women. It's a shame for a playboy to have never tasted a virgin. Come on what kind of ladies' men are you?" chimed Yichen from the background.
"That's because virgins are a bore," defended Leo a bit uncomfortably as he didn't like the fact his friends knew that he had never slept with an innocent. He wanted to enjoy sex not to console a woman just because she was in pain and for that matter spoiling everything. On the contrary some first timers were not bad at all but there was no way of knowing it in advance. It was only his luck that he never came across any virgin, not that he was deliberately avoiding them. But at the same time a naughty thought crept in his mind, others had no way of knowing whether the girl is a virgin or not. He smiled inwardly at this loophole.
"And don't forget, it's hard to get some virgins to spread their legs for a night's fun. Such types are only willing when you put a ring on her finger, can you handle that?" asked Yichen.
"It's a sham on my playboy image if I can't get a girl to sleep with me," stated Jian Yu with a twist of his arrogant lips.
"I can get any girl to sleep with me," Leo confirmed with confidence.
"Yes, but some virgins are different, they can cost you dearly. And I don't mean money," argued Yichen.
"Don't frighten them, Yichen. Okay whoever gets most points is the winner. The loser on the other hand will have to do two things; first do a strip tease in the wildest gay club of Shanghai and second let go of a precious thing that the other wants." Zihao leaned back on his seat with a satisfied grin of a businessman.
"And who said we are going ahead with this silly wager of yours?" asked Leo dryly still looking at his plate as if all this bored him.
"Not if it's your only chance to get my 57S Atlantic," Jian Yu offered with a devilish grin.
Leo winced inwards as he remembered his loss because he couldn't make it to that auction. It would be a jewel to his crown to an already impressive collection of vintage cars that he had. Now this was getting interesting. "And I am sure you want to get your hands on my Katana swords collection" offered Leo with narrowed eyes. Everyone knew about Jian Yu's fascination with Samurai swords and his interest in such fights.
"Then it's a deal," boomed Jian Yu with shiny eyes of a boy who was just about to get a precious toy.
"Gentlemen, remember there are few rules to this game; you should not hurt the woman you choose, when the time comes part with her in good terms and most important of all you will not sleep with any other woman for the duration of this challenge," advised Zihao.
"Yeah, Zihao and I both will be keeping a close watch on you two. If you slip and take a whore you lose straightaway," added Yichen chuckling.
Leo leaned back on his chair and narrowed his gaze at Zihao and Yichen. Tapping his left fingers, he asked the two, "A close watch? Is that the catch here?"
"Trust a businessman's son to always look for the fine print," grinned Yichen giving Zihao a conspiratorial wink. Jian Yu's lips thinned as he looked at Zihao and then Yichen and then Leo as if cursing himself for not being able to think of it before.
"I like it when we think alike," Zihao clapped Yichen's shoulder and like a school headmaster about to lecture two of the most notorious students he eyed Leo and Jian Yu. "Money can buy a lot of things nowadays, even an innocent Plain-Jane to act as your girlfriend for three months. You know contract relationships." Leo stopped tapping his fingers and Jian Yu said something inaudible under his breath. "Finally getting under your skin are we now? This wager is not about buying your way into a girl's undies, but to actually date a simple girl. If you think it will affect your public image, then pull out of this wager now. Because Yichen and I are here to see there is no cheating at all."
Yichen pushed his chair back and circled the dining table including his friends. "We will closely monitor you like a 24hour surveillance camera. Private detectives and video recording included. We'll crush in your homes uninvited and accompany you overseas too," Yichen finished with a satisfied smirk.
Leo crooked his handsome face towards Yichen, "Isn't it a bit too harsh for just a wager?"
Yichen clarified, "It's not just a wager but THE WAGER in the history of the playboys. No filthy rich handsome heir of a billionaire dates a plain innocent girl simply because they are not in their circle of friends and family. For instance, will you take that cleaner," he briefly pointed at a girl mopping an enclosed dining area and continued, "As a girlfriend and introduce her as a cleaner in a restaurant? Hell no! Even if you do date her, you'll quickly transform her to suit your status. Am I wrong?" Yichen eyed his friends with a knowing look. "So, if you date a Plain Jane for who she is, you'll make the headlines in no time. The fun is you have to stick to the girl till the ninety days of our bet period expires."
"Apparently it will go up on the Bachelors' Circle website because we are all members of this group," Zihao informed. Leo winced inwards at the mention of The Circle because it meant that many filthy rich playboys would be betting on them.
"What if the girl falls in love," asked Jian Yu with an uncomfortable sideward uplift of his thin lips.
"All is fair in love and war. It is for you to decide what you are in it for. Love or fame?" laughed Zihao.
"All right I am in it," sighed Jian Yu extending his perfectly manicured hand towards Leo.
"Then it is a deal mate," offered Leo grabbing Jian Yu's hand.
Both Yichen and Zihao grinned from ear to ear and clinked their wine glasses, "The wagers on, good luck boys."