Perfect Strangers

by Kasa Stephenson

  “I'm sorry, sir, but my shift is just coming to an end. It is not the hotel policy to mingle with guests in ways that aren’t professional—”

  “Come on, that is a bunch of crap,” Tyler interrupted Rick before he could complete his sentence. “Rules are meant to be broken. How do you think I became a billionaire? You have to learn to be the one who makes the rules. Anyway, I respect your views. How about you take me out and show me what you young folks do in the evenings out here in Miami? In return, I could give you some tips on how to make money. Does that sound like a good deal?”

  Much as Rick wanted to deny it, that was the best offer that he had ever gotten, getting mentored by an actual billionaire and even hanging out with him. He could already imagine the looks of people he knew as he arrived a venue in a limo. Who wouldn’t want to be a part of such a lifestyle? At least if he could not make it in other things, Rick could at least try to make it as a billionaire if he borrowed some tips from Tyler. Who knows, Tyler might even offer him a more exciting job than being a concierge.

  “I'm not really sure that you'll be very comfortable in the places that I hang out,” Rick found himself telling the man in his forties.

  “What makes you think that? I would like to have some positive young energy around me,” he said, walking to the mini bar in the suite and getting out a bottle of tequila and two glasses, filling them with the drink and handing Rick one as Rick entered the room. “Maybe there is something that I'm missing out on. Do you know that my wife left me and the kids for a younger man?

  The man seemed sad as he took a sip of his drink and Rick found himself feeling sorry for the guy. Rick could tell from his tone the way that the divorce had actually weighed down on Tyler.

  “One morning she just announced that she was leaving and that was the last time that I saw her. The next thing that I knew was her attorney serving me with divorce papers. It was a long tussle in court because she had wanted me to give her some of my wealth. It was a good thing that she had signed a prenuptial agreement before we got married. Anyway, I would have given her what she wanted, but the fact that she hit me where it hurt most made me fight it tooth and nail,” Tyler said, sitting down on one of the couches in the living room and summoning Rick to sit down on a chair beside it. “If it weren’t for the kids, I really don’t know what I would have done. They gave me the strength I needed to move on.”

  “I'm really sorry to hear that, sir, but that is just one of the realities of life and you'll have to learn to overcome it,” Rick found himself taking a huge sip of the tequila in his glass and almost chocking as he felt it burning down his throat and through his stomach. “Women are some of the most complicated creatures and that is the reason why we have to find suitable ways of dealing with them.”

  “Why do I get the feeling that you also went through the same sort of situation?” Tyler arched his eyebrows to look at Rick.

  “Well, it's something that I usually don’t like talking about, but yes, the bitch packed up and left, probably because she thought that I didn’t have enough money. It’s funny the things some women do for money,” Rick said.

  “I really wouldn’t say that if I were you. I have more than enough money and she still left me. I think that is the way that they are wired, and they never know what they let go until it is too late,” Tyler sat back on the couch, staring into the air. “You know what? I think you and I are very similar in many ways and I think that we can become very good friends.”

  “To say the truth, that is the last thing that I had expected in the beginning,” Rick laughed, although he couldn’t quite understand why he did so.

  “I can come across as a very difficult guy to cope with, but the truth is that within, I'm just your normal human being, one that is still hurting from a broken marriage,” Rick noted the way that Tyler actually seemed very remorseful despite the fact that it was a hard thing for him to be.

  “Hey, think nothing about it. I've been down that very road, where I was very irritable,” Rick said thoughtfully as he took another sip of the drink. “Things have never really been the same, but I guess I somehow figured how to fit in and get back to normal. I'm pretty sure that you'll get over it and probably find someone that is more suited for you. After all, it isn’t the end of the world, huh!”

  Chapter 4

  Tyler Gray

  Tyler looked at his watch and realized that they had been talking for almost an hour, and that he was running late for an afternoon engagement.

  “I've got some business to take care of,” he said, draining his glass and getting up. “Give me a moment so that I can freshen up.”

  “Sure,” Rick replied, watching Tyler as he headed toward the wardrobe.

  He figured that he had nothing to hide since they were both men. Tyler went ahead and removed his clothes, tossing them onto an empty seat as he walked to the closet in just his boxers. He didn’t have to look at Rick to realize that he was staring at him, because Tyler could feel Rick's eyes burning into his flesh. It actually occurred to him that he had not been naked with a man in one room since back when he was in high school. Back then, they shared the swimming pool changing rooms and would all change together. Today, it felt awkward although Tyler took very good care of his body, even going to the gym a number of times a week just to make sure that he was in great shape.

  “Whoa, that is one great body for a person your age,” Rick said, echoing what Tyler was thinking.

  “I guess it’s all about eating the right foods and working out correctly,” Rick said as he pulled a fresh suit and shirt out of the closet.

  “I guess you're right. We are the ones who decide how our bodies should be,” Rick said as Tyler began to get dressed.

  “Now that your shift is over, how about you take me out on a couple of errands, after which we can go out,” Tyler said thoughtfully, now that he actually liked Rick. The fact that they had walked the same road made him feel very close to Rick. “I'm pretty sure that you're dying to see how a billionaire’s afternoon looks like.”

  Rick brightened up as he looked at Tyler, although Tyler could see that he still had some doubt in his eyes. For some reason, Tyler wanted Rick to be with him, to accept him.

  “Don’t tell me that you're having second thoughts about it?” Tyler asked.

  “Well, no, the thing is that I had promised to take my mom to visit an aunt of ours and I wouldn’t want to disappoint her,” Rick said. “Maybe we could—”

  “Both go and pick her up and we can drop you off at your aunt’s home. My chauffeur can pick you up and drop you back home once you're done,” Tyler completed the sentence for Rick, who seemed to think it over.

  “Are you sure that I won't be interfering with your schedule? I mean, I'm pretty sure that you must be a very busy man?” Rick said after some time.

  “Hell no, remember what I said about being the one that sets the rules?” Tyler asked. “The same thing applies to time. I'm the one who sets the schedules in my life so that they work in my interests.”

  “Well, I guess that if it’s okay with you, then it will be fine with me,” Rick said to his new friend.

  “Perfect, I'll be ready within no time,” Tyler reached for a tie and began tying it around his neck.

  Chapter 5

  Rick Staten

  “Rick, what are you doing with a limo, whose car is that? Don’t tell me that you landed yourself a rich girlfriend?” his mother asked as she opened the door for him.

  “No, Mom. How can you think something like that?” Rick said, kissing his mother on the cheek. “That belongs to a friend that I met at the hotel. He is a guest there. He offered to drop us off and then later on, I'll get to hang with him.”

  “Oh, I didn’t know that you had access to such rich friends,” his mother couldn’t seem to get her eyes off the limo and escorts.

  “Quit staring, Mom,” Rick said to her. “Are you ready to go?”

  “I'm not staring. I'm just surprised that you actually
have such friends,” she said as she locked the door, taking Rick's hand as they headed down the stairs and past the reception, toward the driveway where the limo was parked.

  The chauffeur got out of the limo and opened the back door for Rick and his mother, who entered the limo.

  “Um, Mom, I would like you to meet Tyler Gray. Tyler, this is my mom, Mandy Staten,” Rick introduced the two as he sat on the seat next to his mom, both of them adjacent to Tyler.

  “It is a pleasure to meet you, Ms. Staten,” Tyler said politely as he took her hand and kissed it lightly on the palm, just as the limo started moving. “You have a brilliant young man here that I would like to mentor and see if he can follow in my footsteps.”

  “Thank you, Mr. Gray,” she replied politely.

  Tyler and Mandy seemed to get along just fine, talking politely with Rick chipping in every now as then the limo sped to the outskirts of the city where his aunt lived. Within no time, the limo pulled up outside his aunt’s place, and she too was surprised to see a limo pulling into her driveway, accompanied by two escort cars. Her eyes were wide as she walked out of the house wondering who had arrived in the limo.

  “Hi Melanie,” his mother said as she finally stepped out of the limo, his aunt’s eyes looking like they were about to pop out of their sockets.

  “Mandy, don’t tell me that you hit the jackpot and you didn’t inform me?” Melanie said, hurrying toward the limo just as Rick also got out of the car.

  “Rick, one hour, right?” Tyler said from within the car. “I would like you to take me down to the house and see how the renovations are going.”

  “Sure thing, Tyler, one hour,” Rick turned and winked at Tyler before slamming the door of the limo shut, just as the limo backed up and sped off.

  ****

  “Take care, you guys, and thank you Tyler for the ride,” Rick's mother said later as they dropped her back home.

  “Hey, think nothing about it. Rick is a great guy and I think that he and I have a long way to go,” Tyler hugged Mandy before Mandy got out of the limo.

  The limo pulled away from the curb as Rick stared out of the window quietly.

  “Quite a pity that the women that we marry nowadays are nothing like our mothers, huh!” Tyler said matter of factly, that bitterness returning to his voice.

  “You can say that again. Nowadays they don’t have the values that our folks had. They are more focused on material things and not actual love. I don’t know where we went wrong with them,” Rick said. “I guess it’s very hard to find a lover of substance nowadays.”

  “You can say that again,” Tyler was looking at his tablet. “You know what? I've been thinking about this right from the moment that I met you. I need an assistant of sorts to help me with my schedules. How about you become my right hand man? It will be a more exciting job compared to what you're doing right now. You will get to travel around with me a lot, and there will be many opportunities for you to make your own money. There is something about you that tells me you're the right person for this gig. We were actually about to put out an advertisement as soon as I get back to Houston.”

  “Are you kidding me, Tyler?” Rick could barely believe it. they were still strangers and yet the billionaire had already offered him a job. “I really don’t know what to say. I would be honored to work with you.”

  “Perfect, I'll have my human resource office draft a contract for you first thing on Monday. In the meantime, you might as well start getting acquainted with my life.” Tyler seemed pleased with his decision, and Rick could barely believe that this was the same man that he had despised only this morning.

  “That sounds great! I really don’t know how to thank you.”

  Without realizing it, Rick reached over to where Tyler was, giving him a bear hug that lasted a little longer than necessary. It was meant to be a brotherly hug but as he pulled away, he noticed the way that Tyler looked flushed, blushing when Rick looked at him. There was also something that Rick noticed although he really wasn’t sure. There seemed to be some sort of bulge in Tyler's pants, although his eyes were probably messing around with his mind.

  “Would you like us to celebrate your new job this evening?” Tyler said, reaching for what had to be a mini fridge in the car and pulling out a bottle of expensive champagne along with two glasses, handing one to Rick and then filling both glasses with the drink. “This can act as a warm up to the evening. I think I'm really going to enjoy hanging out with you.”

  “Me too, Tyler,” Rick said as their glasses clicked together in a toast.

  Chapter 6

  Tyler Gray

  “Wow, Tyler, this is quite a crib that you have here, and to think that nobody lives here most of the time,” Rick said when they had finished walking around the compound of his beach house.

  “I come down here at least twice a year when my kids are on vacation,” Tyler replied proudly as they entered the house, where repairs were in their final stages. “This was the one place that was my personal den. My wife never knew about it, and I only brought the kids here after she left. The sea goes a long way in bringing peace into our lives. I'm pretty sure that if you work hard you too can own a place of your own similar to this one.”

  “Ha, not sure if I'll ever get there,” Rick scoffed. “Owning such a place is reserved for the rich.”

  “That is the mindset that we would like to change if you would like to become a billionaire,” Tyler replied. “Nothing is impossible in this world.”

  “I guess you're right. I'm gonna have to change the way that I think.”

  Tyler was surprised at how much Rick knew about architecture, suggesting changes in certain parts of the house. As a matter of fact, his ideas seemed much better than those of the architect and contractors Tyler had hired, and he immediately instructed them to follow Rick's ideas. That wasn’t the only thing that Rick seemed to know a lot about. He seemed knowledgeable on almost every topic that they talked about. It was as if he was one of those very well-read and intelligent people who just hadn’t gotten the chance to showcase their skills. That was something that Tyler intended to change for the young man.

  He suddenly remembered how grateful Rick had been when he had offered him a job. That hug Rick had given him had sent some sort of electric wave through his body right to the very core. It was something that Tyler had never experienced before. He had also been shocked at the way that his body had reacted. As Rick's stubble had brushed over his cheek, Tyler had felt his dick hardening with desire. There was something about this young man that not only made Tyler want to associate with him, but this man also aroused him sexually in the strangest ways. There was something alluringly sexy about Rick that he couldn’t quite place his finger on, probably due to the fact that they had both been through near similar experiences with their spouses, making it feel as if they were one.

  “The infinity pool will look very good if you give it those desired effects,” Rick was telling one of the technicians.

  Tyler stood behind them staring at Rick. He was a tall lanky boy with short blond hair. He had one of those baby faces that were instantly likeable, and he looked like he was somewhere in his mid-twenties, almost half Tyler's age.

  “I think that will do for now, unless there is anything else that you would like to add, Tyler,” Rick said, turning around to catch Tyler staring at him.

  “No, I think you’ve got it all covered,” Tyler responded quickly. “Where did you get so much knowledge regarding architecture and interior design?”

  “I actually trained as an architect but didn’t finish my studies because I didn’t have enough money,” Rick said thoughtfully. “As for interior design, I think that is something that I've always had an interest in.”

  “Hmm, looks like you're going to be even more useful to me,” Tyler thought about the interior design company that he had been thinking of starting for a long time. “I'm in manufacturing, and I've been thinking of setting up an interior design company where we can m
anufacture furniture and other household accessories. I just might let you control that if things work out right and you prove your worth to me.”

  “I'm pretty sure you won't be disappointed with my work,” Rick said as they headed out to the waiting limo.

  “We’ll see about that. Time will tell.”

  Chapter 7

  Rick Staten

  “Pretty interesting place where you young fellows hang out,” Tyler said as they sat in one of the booths of Acapulco Bar.

  Music was playing loudly but quiet enough for people to hear themselves talking.

  “I know that this isn’t what you're used to, but I sure hope you enjoy it,” Rick said, raising his hand and signaling a waiter to come and serve them. “You're going to wanna try out some of the beers they sell in here. They aren’t as expensive as the stuff that you're used to, but they are very good and get the same results.”

  “I guess I'm in your hands today,” Tyler said to Rick as the waiter approached their booth and Rick ordered beer and steaks.

  Rick felt himself relaxing. This was the sort of place where he felt at home, and it felt good knowing that Tyler was actually stooping so low to become his equal just so that they could become friends. Rick already liked the guy since Tyler was a go-getter that also looked very handsome when compared to many other people of his age. The beers arrived moments later in beer mugs and Rick watched as Tyler took a sip, draining it completely.

  “Mmh, this is actually very good stuff,” Tyler said as he licked froth off his lips, “And it is just the right temperature for this heat.”

  “Now that’s what I'm talking about,” Rick was over the roof with joy since he had been a little nervous, thinking that Tyler wouldn’t like the beer he had ordered for him. “For a moment there, I thought you wouldn’t like the drink.”

  “Hey, there might be something that you didn’t know,” Tyler said thoughtfully as he signaled the waiter for another round. “I started out at the bottom, and once upon a time, this was my life. I hung around with the rest of the guys in college and drank draft beer, although I don’t remember it being this good. Come on, there’s this game that we used to play back in college. We called it Jumanji, although I can't quite remember where we got the name. Wanna try it out?”