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It was a Friday evening, and Hubert was checking his email one last time when his phone alarm went off.
“Hmm,” Hubert grunted, turning off the alarm. “I suppose it’s time to get ready.”
Hubert closed his inbox and plugged in his computer. Tonight, he had a date, but it wasn’t just any date: it was a “quadruple date”, as Dorothea called it. She had managed to convince him and five others to join her and Leonie for dinner and an activity, which the group decided should be bowling. Personally, Hubert would’ve preferred an escape room, but he was outvoted. He hoped the night would be fun, but he suspected that it would devolve into chaos.
Still, he had to hand it to Dorothea for planning this whole thing.
Dorothea was warming up her shower. She was looking forward to tonight’s quadruple date, the one she and Leonie so expertly planned.
The idea was born from Leonie wanting to spend more time with Dorothea’s friends, since she and her used to run in different circles back in high school. So, instead of meeting all of them individually, Dorothea thought it might be fun to get everyone together for one big night out. She hoped it would go well. She’d been on her fair share of double dates, even a few triple dates, but never a quadruple date. None of her friends had.
Dorothea’s phone buzzed. It was a text from Leonie.
Hey Doro , it read. Looking forward to tonight. See you @ seven
Dorothea smiled, and hopped in the shower.
Leonie dragged the brush through her hair one last time before setting it back down on the counter. She wanted to make a good impression in front of Dorothea’s friends, after all. Although, she was glad a few of her friends would also be coming on the quadruple date, so that she’d know more people than just Dorothea.
She checked her phone. Still no replies from Dorothea, but she was probably taking her time to get ready, which was fine with Leonie. But she still had a few minutes before she was due to set out, so she texted Claude, instead. Ready for tonight
you bet, Claude replied. i’m going to kick-ass at bowling
We’ll see about that von Riegan
Claude started the engine to his car. He was going to pick up Annette and Mercedes, since they lived together. It was a deal he’d struck with Hubert beforehand.
So, who is going to pick up Mercedes and Annette? Hubert texted him a day before the event. It would be inconvenient if we picked them up separately.
how about whoever gets ready first picks them up? Claude answered him.
That sounds like a good idea.
okay, so, if i get ready first, then i'll pick the girls up, and i’ll tell you that you that i’m picking them up
Yes. I shall do the same if I am ready first.
So, Claude sent Hubert a text.
hubes, i’m going to pick Annette and Mercedes up. see you at the restaurant
Mercedes was sitting on the couch in her apartment, next to her best friend Annette. They were waiting for either Claude or Hubert (they were also notified of the deal) to pick them up.
“Are you excited, Mercie?” Annette asked, checking her phone.
“Of course!” Mercedes smiled. “It’s not very often we get to go out with all of our friends like this.”
“Yeah. Oh! Claude should be here soon to pick us up.”
“Do you think we should wait outside for him?”
“Yeah, that’s a good idea.”
Annette and Mercedes were waiting outside of their apartment building for Claude to pull up. He was very punctual when it came to meeting Annette for dates, and it seemed today would be no exception.
The two had been on lots of dates before, mostly them going out and exploring the city, but they’d been on a few dates like the one planned tonight. Annette always enjoyed going out with Claude, no matter what they did on their date.
Just then, his car pulled up. Annette got in the front next to him, while Mercedes slid into the backseat.
“Do you know if anyone else has left?” Mercedes asked, buckling her seatbelt.
“I don’t,” Claude shrugged, “but knowing Ferdinand, he and Felix are already probably there.”
Felix sat in the shotgun of Ferdinand’s car, scrolling through his phone. Admittedly, he wasn’t much looking forward to this “quadruple date”, since so many people would be there, but he was looking forward to beating everyone in bowling.
He checked the time. It was 7:20, and they were already almost at the designated meeting spot.
“Don’t you think we left too early?” Felix asked, and Ferdinand stopped humming along to the song on the radio. “We’ll be there ten minutes early.”
“Ten minutes is not so bad,” Ferdinand said. “And it is always better to be early than to be late.”
“You say that every time.”
“They are words I live by!”
Felix laughed a little. “Of course they are.”
Ferdinand smiled and shook his head, and started humming again.
Ferdinand pulled into the restaurant at 7:25, five minutes before their designated meeting time.
“See? We are only five minutes early!” Ferdinand said, turning off the car. “That is not so bad!”
“Yeah, yeah, only five minutes early,” Felix rolled his eyes, “But that’s still five minutes of extra waiting.”
“That is not so bad. We could have ten minutes extra to wait. Or perhaps fifteen.”
The two took up positions against the wall of the restaurant, waiting for the others to arrive.
First, it was Dorothea and Leonie, which was to be expected.
“Here already, you two?” Leonie asked.
“You’re even earlier than the hosts,” Dorothea added.
“Of course!” Ferdinand said. “It is always better to be early than to be late.”
Felix rolled his eyes, and Dorothea said, “Ah, Ferdie. I expect nothing less from you.”
Next, it was Claude, Annette, and Mercedes.
“Ready to lose at bowling, everybody?” Claude said, getting out of the car.
“It’s on ,” Felix and Leonie challenged, and everyone else exchanged glances. The rivalry between these three was certainly going to spice bowling up.
Finally, Hubert pulled up to the restaurant.
“It is only 7:31,” he said, exiting his car. “How am I the last one here?”
“It’s just the way it happened, Hubie,” Dorothea shrugged. “Anyway, we're all here now. Shall we start our quadruple date?”
The group nodded, and they each headed inside.
In the end, the quadruple date was a rousing success. The food at the restaurant was lovely, and the three-way rivalry in bowling was incredibly entertaining (it was Claude who came on top in the end, much to the ire of Felix). Overall, everybody finished the evening satisfied, and in-agreement that they should do this again sometime.