Friends With Benefits

by Alaina Marks

  The other two ads were from people offering a room in an area too far from the city, so that was a no go. The third ad sounded pretty good, except the fact that it was a three bedroom deal instead of a two bedroom. She saved the email just in case.

  The fourth ad was interesting. It was very brief: Hi, I’m Neal. I have a two bedroom condo in Manhattan. I will offer you a room in my apartment for a “friends with benefits” type of arrangement. I’ve had this situation before, and it worked out pretty well. Let me know if you are interested and I will go into more detail. Pic attached!

  Brandi clicked on the attached photo. “Well, damn he’s fine!”

  In the photo, Neal sat at a picnic table outside, there was a Heineken bottle on the table in front of him. He smiled into the camera. He had perfect white teeth, full lips, grayish blue eyes, short curly, brown hair, and dimples deeper than the ocean. Wow. He was too fine to be serious.

  Should she reply? What the hell. She was bored and in procrastination mode anyway. She clicked reply:

  Hi Neal, I’m Brandi. Nice to meet you. You are very cute by the way, which leads me to believe that you can’t be serious about your “offer”. Thanks for contacting me, but I’m really looking for a REAL place to live.

  Send.

  Less than a minute later, Brandi refreshed her page. There was a response from Neal:

  Hi Brandi, nice to meet you. Thanks for the compliment. I assure you that I am very serious about this. I had this arrangement before, up until three months ago actually. I choose to have a “friends with benefits” type of relationship because I do not want to be in a “committed” relationship per se. I guess you can say I’m jaded. Haha! If you are interested, we can Skype. Do you have a pic?

  Brandi’s body temperature rose as she read his email. She didn’t know if it was the alcohol or the fact that this fine ass man was offering her a place to stay in exchange for a sexual, no strings attached relationship. She did need sex, and she did need a place to live, that was for damn sure. Casual sex, though? Could she really have an emotionally detached relationship with a guy? She had had one night stands maybe two or three times when she was in college, but that was easy to deal with because she knew she would never see that person again. In this case, she would be like Neal’s live-in lover.

  “Well I did promise myself to not get involved in a relationship for a year….and I do have my needs,” she bit her bottom lip seductively as she clicked the reply button.

  ~oOo~

  CNN played in the background, as Neal sat on the stool in his kitchen, checking his emails on his MacBook Pro laptop. He tapped his finger on the countertop waiting for Brandi’s response. He refreshed the page for the sixth time in the last minute.

  “Finally.” Neal opened the new message from Brandi:

  Hi Neal,

  I feel you on the jaded thing. I just ended a relationship myself. This arrangement sounds enticing. I would love to chat with you more, on Skype, just to see what you are expecting exactly. I also enclosed a pic for your viewing pleasure. :-)

  Neal clicked on the attached photo. A slim, yet curvy, brown skinned beauty stared back at him. She had almond shaped, hazel eyes, a cute, button nose, and sparkling smile. Her long reddish brown hair was pulled back into a side ponytail. Neal’s mouth hung open, slightly, as he admired Brandi’s picture. Sexy mama.

  Neal quickly replied:

  Brandi, add me to your Skype contacts, coolmanlover, I’m available to Skype now if you are!

  ttyl

  Neal

  Within minutes, a call came in through Skype. SexyCaramel was calling. Before Neal answered, he ran over to the mirror on the wall in his living room; he checked out his hair, face, making sure nothing was in his teeth. He took a few deep breaths and rushed back over to the counter to answer the call. “SexyCaramel, nice name! How’s it going?” A wide grin covered his face.

  “Umm, hi. Ummm, it’s going. This is actually my first time ever using Skype.” Brandi smoothed back her hair that was in a loose ponytail, and sat up straight.

  She was naturally beautiful.

  “Well, I use Skype all the time to talk to my sister in Boston. She’s getting married soon, so we’ve been Skyping a lot lately. So…nice pic you sent. You’re very sexy.”

  “Oh thanks, Neal. I took that a few months ago, but I still look the same as you can tell.” She laughed. They sat there for a brief moment, staring at each other.

  “So, Brandi, what questions do you have for me? I’m an open book.” He smiled at her.

  “Well, how does this work exactly. I mean, I move in with you, live for free, and we just have sex?”

  “Basically, yea. I’m not looking for a relationship, it’s basically about sex. I don’t want to sleep around with a lot of women, I prefer to have one woman to sleep with on a consistent basis, but without the title and all the stress that being in a relationship brings. I travel a lot for work, so you will pretty much have the place to yourself a few weeks a month at times. I have a high sex drive, I am a pleaser, I don’t have any crazy fetishes, I have great hygiene, and I’m disease free. I would eventually want to use no condoms, so we would both get tested before we go there. Are you on birth control?”

  “Ummm, yea I am. So….” She stared back at him with wide eyes. He could tell that she was trying to absorb everything.

  “Great, so that’s one less thing to worry about. The last girl I was with, Yoanna, she lived with me for a year. When I was in town we had sex daily, twice on Sunday.” They both laughed. Good, she seemed to be loosening up and getting a little more comfortable.

  “So, Neal, what positions do you like?” Brandi asked, shyly.

  “Doggy is my favorite, but I also like reverse cowgirl, I’m an ass man!” Talking about sex came naturally for Neal. He loved having it and knew exactly what it took to please him.

  Brandi laughed, “Is that right?!”

  They continued to talk on Skype for another hour. Getting to know each other’s sexual likes and dislikes. They ended the conversation with a scheduled meeting for later that day at Starbucks. Hopefully the online chemistry was the same in person.

  Chapter 4

  Brandi stood in front of her closet, trying to figure out what to wear. It was seventy-eight degrees outside, sunny, with a cool breeze. She didn’t want to look too dressed up but she also didn’t want to look too homely. She did have a nice tank top that she had just bought from Forever 21, it was a navy blue razor back tank top, the back of the tank top was all lace, it stopped right at her hips; it was cute and casual. She put on her denim capris, which hugged her hips and butt just right. She paired this with navy blue, tear drop shaped earrings, navy blue and white checkered ballerina flats, her favorite silver bracelets, and her silver ring shaped like a flower.

  Strangely, Brandi didn’t feel nervous, more than anything she was just curious to see what Neal was like in person. Before she left the house, she texted her best friend, Chloe, where she was going, and Neal’s name and phone number, just for safety reasons.

  She made it to the train station just in time to catch the train to Manhattan. It was a twenty minute ride to 34th Street. They decided to meet at the Starbucks located on 33rd Street and 7th Avenue, which was two blocks from the train station. Brandi’s not a big coffee or hot tea person but since Starbucks is practically on every corner in Manhattan, it seemed like the obvious place to meet.

  Brandi slowed her pace as she got closer to Starbucks. What if the sex is bad? What if he’s an awful kisser? What if she moves in and three months later, he meets the girl of his dreams and then she’s out on the streets?

  Brandi reached Starbucks ten minutes before the scheduled time her and Neal had agreed on. She walked into the coffee shop and immediately went upstairs to find a table. It wasn’t crowded which was great, since she didn’t want too many people around who could possibly eavesdrop on their conversation.

  She found a table for two in the corner and placed her purse on the
back of the chair before she sat down. She looked in her pocket mirror for the tenth time. A very handsome guy walking up the stairs caught her attention.

  This must be Neal. He wore an Abercrombie & Fitch dark gray t-shirt, dark denim jeans, and gray high top sneakers. He had a large Starbucks cup in his hand. Brandi couldn’t see his eyes due to his dark shades but that beautiful smile, with those to die for dimples, was hard to miss.

  Nice style. Very relaxed yet put together. Me likey. Brandi smiled as Neal walked over to her table.

  “Hi, Neal.” She stood to greet him. He gave her a hug with his free hand, and a kiss on the cheek.

  “Miss Brandi…you look very nice.”

  “Thanks, so do you.” Brandi sat down. She watched Neal get settled in. She rubbed her sweaty palms on her pants leg and sat up straight. Neal took off his shades and looked her right in the eyes. Her heart melted. Wow. Brandi placed her elbows on the table, and leaned in a little. “You have amazing eyes.”

  Neal blushed, “Thanks. So do you my dear.” His hands brushed against hers as he placed his shades on the table.

  “Where’s your drink? Do you want me to go downstairs to grab you something?”

  “Oh no, thanks, I have a bottle of water in my purse. Thanks though, that was kind of you to offer.” She smiled at him. The word sexy just didn’t do him any justice. Uber-sexy, yea, that about sums him up.

  “So, I guess we should get down to business, sorta speak.” Neal bit his bottom lip.

  “I guess so. Umm, well I have to be out of my apartment in two weeks. So I guess I really need to make a decision now, so I can secure a place by the end of this week. I honestly have never had this type of relationship before, Neal, so, I mean….one of my concerns is, what if you find the girl of your dreams right after I move in…then what? I mean, I just got screwed by this chick, so I’m nervous that I’ll get screwed over again…”

  “I totally understand where you are coming from, Brandi. I am a loyal person, if I give my word, that’s my bond. I don’t go back on my word. So if you move in, and I happen to meet the girl of my dreams, which I doubt because I’m damn sure not looking for her, I will not just kick you out sweetheart. I would help you find a new place to live. So don’t worry about that. What else?” He took a sip of his drink.

  For some reason, Brandi already trusted him. That was one of her flaws…she was quick to trust people. She was a genuinely good person, and expected other people to be too, until they proved her wrong.

  “Well, what if the sex is bad?”

  Neal almost spit out his Mocha Frappuccino. “Sorry,” he said, wiping up the little drops of liquid off the table, “umm, well…I’ve never had any complaints in that department. I mean, I doubt you won’t like it…like I said, I’m a pleaser, I’m not a selfish lover by any means. So whatever you like, I will make sure I do it…and do it right.” He winked at her.

  Brandi knew her face must be bright red. She shyly turned her head, smiling hard, feeling an instant wetness in her panties. She looked back at him, nodding slowly. “Is that right? Okay, so…what are your rules? I know there has to be some rules. I know about the exclusivity. Is there anything else?” She crossed her legs under the table, hoping that would calm the desire growing between her legs.

  Neal took a sip of his drink, and cleared his throat, “Well, I like to keep things simple. Simple to me means, no commitment. I would love to have the girlfriend experience, meaning, us being exclusive, kissing, and being intimate. But that’s just in the bedroom. You have your life and I have mine, so I don’t expect us to hangout outside of the home, we can be friends of course, but I don’t expect to be treated like I’m your man. Like you can go out on dates with other guys, I don’t care, but just don’t sleep with them. Yoanna, the last girl that lived with me, we didn’t do what couples do, we just kept it strictly sexual. We didn’t cuddle, no romantic dinners, no going out on dates; she was just my fuck buddy basically.” He shrugged his shoulders.

  Brandi’s mind worked hard to process all this information. “Hmmm, I see.”

  “Do you think you can handle this? I mean I find you extremely attractive, I like your personality. I think you are a very cool girl that I would like to get to know as a friend. I’m ready to go forward with it if you are.”

  Brandi stared into Neal’s enchanting eyes. He licked his lips, and give her that gorgeous, make you do whatever he wanted, smile. “I think I can handle it.”

  “Wonderful! So you can move in whenever you want, if you need any help, I can arrange that for you. You’re in good hands Brandi, do you trust me?”

  She did trust him. “Yes.”

  They smiled at each other and sealed the deal with a handshake.

  Chapter 5

  “So you’re really going to move in with him?” Chloe asked as she wrapped a plate in bubble wrap.

  “Yes, Chloe, I mean, it was the best option. He lives right in Manhattan, which would be a very short commute for me to work…I can basically walk to work if I wanted to. He’s a very nice guy, and sexy as hell. It’s no different from having sex with someone I’m dating. At least with this one, I know up front he just wants me for sex and I get my needs met, for once, in return. It’s a win-win to me.” Brandi shrugged her shoulders as she taped up the box marked “Kitchen”.

  “Do you have a goal? Like how long do you plan to stay with him?”

  “Honestly Chloe, I haven’t thought that far in advance. I guess I’ll just take it one day at a time. We already discussed him giving me a minimum of six months to find another place should I decide to move out at some point.”

  “So what are you, like his sex slave?”

  Brandi stared at Chloe before responding, “Chloe, no. I prefer live-in lover, it sounds sexier!” She laughed. “Look, it’s no different from living with my boyfriend. We are in a monogamous relationship; I mean we can date other people, but no sex with other people. The only difference between him and the relationship I had with Jason is, there’s no title. It’s just like when you dated Abraham and he wouldn’t give you a title after two years of dating. You were exclusive to him and you thought he was exclusive to you, as far as sex anyway, y’all just didn’t live together. Same thing here.”

  “You seem so nonchalant about this guy using you for sex.”

  “CHLOE DANIELS!! Geez girl! He’s not using me for sex! I have sex with men anyway, so why not have sex with someone whose whole goal is to make sure that my needs are met, not only sexually, but he’s giving me a free place to live which in turn is meeting my needs financially. I was having sex with Jason three or four times a week, every week for over a year, not once did he offer to help me pay my rent, not once did he offer to help me buy groceries although I cooked dinner for him on numerous occasions. What’s the difference? It was okay to have sex with Jason simply because he called me his girlfriend? Girl please, I see this as a win-win for all parties involved. “

  “Well, now that you put it that way…”

  “Don’t worry Chloe, it’s all good, girl! I got this!” Brandi laughed as she finished taping up the last box.

  Chloe shook her head.. Brandi smiled at her best friend as she thought about Neal. He was such a cool guy, someone that she would really enjoy hanging around and oddly enough, she was really okay with it being just sexual. She was determined to keep her promise to herself to have no relationships for at least a year. She needed to focus on her goals. Besides, she was tired of getting involved in one-sided relationships with these selfish, thoughtless guys. Just from the few conversations she’d had with Neal and spending that time with him at Starbucks, Brandi knew that on Neal’s worst day, he was still a hundred times better than Jason.

  ~oOo~

  Neal tipped the maid service that his building provided as they finished doing a thorough cleaning of his apartment. He wanted the place to be spotless for Brandi’s arrival the next day. He hadn’t been able to stop thinking about her since they met at Starbucks. They had talked br
iefly to iron out a few logistics for the move, but he yearned for a real conversation with her. The day before, he purchased a nice robe, new towels, bath cloths, and other toiletries that Brandi may need to make her feel at home.

  Neal tossed and turned that night. It was hard to sleep since his mind was invaded by sexual dreams about Brandi. He watched the moonlight dance across the ceiling, hands resting behind his head. If it was that good in a dream, he couldn’t wait to see what it was like in person. Despite the sexual dreams keeping him up, he actually wanted to get to know Brandi, beyond sex. With Yoanna, he really didn’t care, he was fine just keeping it purely sexual, but now…it was different. There was something about Brandi that intrigued him.

  Chapter 6

  It was moving day and Brandi was up at nine o’clock to meet the movers downstairs of her apartment building. Three extremely buffed guys wearing cutoff tees and gloves showed up. Brandi had sold her furniture since Neal’s place was completely furnished. She wasn’t sure if that was the best move in case this arrangement fell through, but that was her trusting again. She had packed all her boxes, so the movers worked pretty quickly to get all her stuff onto the truck. It would have gone even faster had it not been for those four flights of stairs…that always slowed you down. She offered them a bottle of water once they put the last box onto the truck. She gave the movers the address to Neal’s apartment and then hopped in a cab.