The gallery opening was supposed to be a simple night out—an exhibition by an up-and-coming artist that Aiden had invested in. He'd mentioned it casually to several people, not thinking they'd all actually attend.
He'd thought wrong.
Aiden realized his mistake the moment he walked in with Isabella and spotted Sophia across the room. Then he saw Victoria near the wine bar. And Maya, there for security but dressed elegantly. And Jade, who'd apparently decided to emerge from her tech cave.
This was about to get complicated.
"Oh," Isabella said, following his gaze. "This is... everyone."
"I didn't plan this."
"I believe you. Doesn't make it less awkward."
They approached Sophia first. She looked stunning in a red dress, her usual casual style replaced with elegant sophistication. Her smile was polite but strained.
"Aiden. Isabella." The two women assessed each other—not hostile, but not warm.
"Sophia, you look amazing."
"Thanks. I didn't realize this would be a... group event." Her tone was carefully neutral.
Victoria joined them, wine glass in hand, reading the tension immediately. "Ladies. Aiden." She nodded to each. "Excellent exhibit, isn't it?"
The four of them stood in a circle of awkwardness that could have powered the city.
"So," Victoria said finally, her professor voice emerging. "We're all here. We can pretend to not notice each other all evening, or we can be adults about this."
"Adults about what?" Sophia asked sharply.
"About the fact that we're all involved with the same man, and everyone in this gallery is watching us to see if there's drama."
Isabella winced. Sophia's jaw tightened. Aiden wanted to disappear.
"Perhaps," Victoria continued, "we should present a united front. Show people that whatever arrangement we have is based on respect, not competition."
"That's very rational," Sophia said. "But respect doesn't make this less weird."
"Weird is relative," Jade interjected, appearing with champagne. "My grandparents had a polyamorous arrangement in Beijing in the 1970s. Weird is subjective to culture and generation."
"Who are you?" Sophia asked.
"Jade Wu. Hacker, friend, occasional voice of reason." She handed Sophia champagne. "And before you ask, I'm not sleeping with him. I'm just enjoying watching this dynamic play out."
Maya approached, her security scan complete. "We should circulate. People are starting to stare."
She was right. Whispers had started. Phone cameras were discretely pointing their way.
"Together," Victoria decided. "We walk through the exhibit as a group. Show confidence."
"This is insane," Sophia muttered.
"Probably," Isabella agreed. "But hiding in corners is worse."
They moved through the gallery—an unlikely group that turned every head. Aiden felt like he was in a dream, or possibly a nightmare. The women made polite conversation with each other, occasionally asking his opinion on pieces, but the underlying tension was palpable.
At one sculpture—a complex piece about modern relationships—they all stopped.
"It's interesting," Sophia said. "Multiple pieces that seem separate but are interconnected."
"Almost like they're stronger together than apart," Isabella observed.
"Or like they're barely holding together and might collapse at any moment," Sophia countered.
Victoria laughed genuinely. "Both interpretations are valid."
"Can we talk?" Sophia asked suddenly. "All of us. Somewhere private."
The artist had a back office. Maya secured it, and the five women (plus Aiden) crowded in.
"Okay," Sophia started, her scientific mind organizing thoughts. "This is objectively weird. We're all involved with the same person in different capacities. We're in public together. And everyone's pretending to be fine with it."
"Are we not fine with it?" Victoria asked.
"I don't know. Are we?" Sophia looked around. "Because I agreed to something casual with Aiden, but I didn't expect to be at parties with his other... what do we even call this?"
"Partners," Isabella suggested. "If we're being honest about the arrangement."
"Are we being honest?" Sophia challenged. "Because I'm still figuring out how I feel about all of this, and suddenly we're presenting some united front to the world?"
"Would you prefer we fight over him?" Victoria asked mildly. "Create drama for social media?"
"I'd prefer to not be in this situation at all!" Sophia's frustration spilled over. "But I can't seem to stay away, and now I'm at a gallery with three other women who all—what? Love him? Want him? I don't even know!"
Silence fell.
Finally, Isabella spoke. "I love him. I'm not ashamed to say it. He protected me from my family, accepted me completely. Yes, I share him. Yes, it's unconventional. But I'd rather have part of something real than all of something fake."
Victoria nodded slowly. "I don't know if it's love yet. But I care deeply. And I'm tired of traditional relationships that are just performance art."
Maya surprised everyone by speaking. "I'm not officially part of this arrangement. But if I was, I'd choose authenticity over comfort any day."
They all looked at Sophia.
"I care about him," she admitted quietly. "More than I want to. And I hate that I'm not enough by myself. I hate sharing. But I also can't walk away." She looked at the other women. "I guess what I'm asking is—can we really do this? Or are we all just delaying the inevitable disaster?"
Aiden finally spoke. "I can't promise no disaster. This is new territory for all of us. But I can promise that you all matter. Not equally, because that's not how emotions work, but genuinely. And if this is going to work, we need to communicate. Actually talk to each other, not just tolerate each other at social events."
"He's right," Victoria said. "We need rules. Protocols. Ways to handle jealousy and conflict."
"A relationship contract?" Sophia almost smiled. "Very practical."
"Very necessary," Isabella added.
They spent an hour in that office, talking honestly about boundaries, expectations, and fears. It wasn't comfortable, but it was real.
When they emerged, the gallery had mostly cleared. But those remaining watched with fascination as the group left together—not quite comfortable, but not hostile either.
The system notification appeared as Aiden drove home:
GROUP COHESION TEST: PASSEDHonesty Level: HIGHLong-term Viability: UNCERTAIN BUT PROMISINGRecommendation: Continue Communication
That night, he lay awake thinking about the evening. The tension, the honesty, the tentative understanding forming between these strong women.
It wasn't a fairytale. It was messy and complicated and would require constant work.
But maybe, just maybe, it could actually work.