Hilarious SPA surprise

Chapter 2: Dinner Dilemmas and High Heel Dreams

Mark stared at his hands in disbelief, the deep navy blue polish still gleaming under the soft kitchen light. It had been two days since his "manicure surprise" at the spa, and as much as he'd tried to ignore the polished nails, the gel was impossible to forget. It was as sturdy as a rock, and no amount of scrubbing, soaking, or sulking had made a dent in it.

Now, to make matters worse, Lisa had just dropped another bombshell.

"We're having dinner with Karen and Sophie tonight," she said casually, pouring herself a cup of coffee.

Mark frowned, his heart sinking. "Dinner? With your work friends? Lisa, I'm not going anywhere looking like this!" He held up his hands, as if she needed a reminder.

Lisa rolled her eyes, unfazed. "Oh, come on, Mark. It's just a little polish. No one's going to care."

Mark scoffed. "I care! What if they think I'm... I don't know, weird?"

"Trust me, they won't," Lisa said, giving him a sly smile. "They'll probably love it."

"Love it?" Mark echoed, incredulous.

"Yup!" Lisa chirped. "Karen and Sophie are super open-minded. They'll think it's fun, maybe even trendy."

"Trendy?" Mark muttered, still skeptical.

"Look," Lisa said, her tone softening as she placed a hand on his arm. "I really want you to come tonight. You're always saying you want to meet more of my friends, and this is a chance to get to know Karen and Sophie better. Besides," she added with a playful grin, "you'll be the star of the show."

Mark let out a deep breath, his resolve weakening. He didn't want to disappoint Lisa, and, honestly, he was curious to meet her colleagues. Maybe it wouldn't be so bad. Maybe they would find the whole thing funny and leave it at that.

"Fine," he said reluctantly. "I'll go. But I'm not talking about my nails."

Lisa beamed. "Deal."

Later that evening, Mark found himself sitting at a chic little restaurant, nervously tapping his glossy blue nails on the table as they waited for Karen and Sophie to arrive. Lisa sat across from him, looking calm and collected, which only added to Mark's anxiety.

The moment Karen and Sophie walked in, Mark felt his stomach flip. They were both stylish, confident women, and he could already sense their curious eyes darting toward his hands. Lisa stood up to greet them, and after a few warm hugs, everyone sat down.

"Mark, it's so great to finally meet you," Sophie said, smiling warmly.

"Yeah, Lisa talks about you all the time," Karen added, her eyes twinkling as she glanced at his nails. "Though I have to admit, I wasn't expecting this." She nodded toward his hands, her smile widening.

Mark froze, unsure of how to respond. Lisa, on the other hand, jumped in with a grin.

"Oh, you like them?" she said. "It was a little spa surprise. Mark fell asleep during a mani-pedi, and I thought... why not give him some flair?"

Karen and Sophie both burst out laughing, but not in a mean way—more in that infectious, amused kind of way.

"That's hilarious!" Sophie exclaimed. "And honestly, Mark, they look really good. Navy blue is a great color on you."

Karen nodded in agreement. "Yeah, you're pulling it off way better than most men would."

Mark felt a strange sense of relief wash over him. They weren't mocking him or making him feel awkward. In fact, they seemed to genuinely like the nails. As the conversation flowed, he started to relax, even cracking a few jokes himself.

Just as Mark was beginning to feel like maybe this whole dinner wouldn't be a disaster, Sophie leaned in closer to Lisa, a glint of mischief in her eyes.

"Okay, Lisa, I have to ask... have you ever had Mark wear high heels?"

Mark nearly choked on his drink, his eyes widening as he looked at Lisa, hoping she'd laugh it off. But instead, she smiled—that smile, the one that meant trouble was coming.

"Not yet," Lisa replied, her tone teasing. "But that's not a bad idea."

Mark shook his head, holding up his hands as if to stop the conversation from spiraling further. "Whoa, whoa, whoa. Let's not get carried away here."

"Oh, come on, Mark," Sophie said, giggling. "It's all in good fun. And besides, heels would look great with those nails."

Karen nodded, her eyes sparkling with amusement. "You've already come this far. You might as well see how it feels to wear heels."

Mark shot Lisa a pleading look, but she was clearly enjoying this far too much.

"Maybe just a little try," Lisa suggested, her tone playful but insistent. "I mean, you're already the talk of the night with those nails. A pair of heels could take it to the next level."

Mark slumped back in his chair, groaning. "I can't believe this is happening."

Sophie grinned. "Tell you what—after dinner, we'll pop by my place. I've got a pair you can try on. Just for fun!"

Mark looked from Lisa to Karen to Sophie, all of them grinning like they were in on some secret joke. He sighed in defeat. Maybe if he went along with it, they'd get a good laugh, and that would be the end of it.

"Fine," Mark muttered, rubbing his temples. "But if I twist my ankle, you're all paying my medical bills."

The table erupted into laughter, and though Mark still felt ridiculous, he couldn't help but smile a little. What had started as a harmless dinner was quickly turning into an unpredictable adventure.

After dinner, true to her word, Sophie invited them over to her apartment, where she rummaged through her closet and pulled out a pair of sleek, black stiletto heels.

"These should fit," she said, handing them to Mark with a grin.

Mark stared at the shoes like they were some kind of alien artifact. "I can't believe I'm actually doing this."

Lisa, Karen, and Sophie watched eagerly as Mark slipped off his shoes and hesitantly slid his feet into the heels. To his surprise, they weren't as uncomfortable as he'd expected—though standing up was an entirely different story.

"Whoa," he said, wobbling as he tried to find his balance. "How do you guys walk in these things?"

"It's all about practice," Lisa teased, stifling a laugh. "You're doing great, though."

Karen clapped her hands. "I'm impressed! Look at you!"

Mark took a few unsteady steps, feeling both ridiculous and oddly amused. As he wobbled around the living room, the three women cheered him on, their laughter filling the room.

And though Mark would never admit it, there was a part of him that almost... enjoyed the challenge