Friends With Benefits

by Alaina Marks

  Why the hell was she getting home this late? Why did she just go run to take a shower? Did she sleep with him? She probably slept with him. Dammit! Neal stormed off the couch and went into his bedroom. Ten minutes later, he heard the shower turn off. Yea…I won’t be long. Since when was five hours not long? You can do a lot in five hours; dinner and God knows what else.

  “Neal, are you awake?” Brandi said, just above a whisper.

  “Hey.” Neal turned over slowly towards the doorway. “What time is it?” He asked, in a sleepy voice.

  “It’s almost two in the morning.” She climbed into the bed with him and kissed him on the neck. Neal smelled the fruity alcohol on her breath. Brandi was even more of a freak when she was tipsy. She sucked on his earlobe. The urge to take Brandi right then and there came all over him. He almost gave in. No. He wasn’t giving in. He didn’t know if she had just been with her ex or not? There was no way she would be gone that long with a dude she claimed she wanted to get rid of unless she was still attracted to him.

  “Brandi, I’m going back to sleep. I’m tired. I guess you should’ve come home earlier.” He turned his back to her, pulled the sheet up to his neck, and closed his eyes.

  “Are you serious?” She asked. He remained silent. Neal had never turned her down for sex.

  ~oOo~

  A few hours later, Brandi woke up to the sound of Neal’s shower. She was just as horny as she was when she came in. She walked into Neal’s bathroom, took off the tank top she had slept in, and stepped into the shower with him. He didn’t turn around to acknowledge her presence. Brandi caressed his back with soft kisses. Neal finally turned to face her. He turned her around, placing her hands up against the wall. He put her right leg onto the edge of the tub which gave him easy access to her goodies. He massaged her pleasure box with the head of his cock until it became slippery wet. He pushed inside of her. Brandi moaned softly.

  He gripped her hips tightly, moving in and out. She met his aggressive thrusts, giving it back to him, following his rhythm. Neal leaned close to Brandi’s ear. He went deeper inside of her.

  “Yeah, that’s it, Tori, baby, take that.”

  Brandi jerked her head around to face Neal. “What? Tori? Neal, you just called me Tori!”

  “What? No I didn’t. I wouldn’t call you Tori. Come on Brandi.”

  “Yes the fuck you did!” Brandi pushed back from the wall, Neal pulled out of her. She stepped out the shower and ran to her bedroom. She snatched open her closet door and tossed her duffle bag onto her bed. Her nose flared in and out. Ten, nine, eight…she tore open her dresser drawer; seven, six, her heart clenched in her chest; five, four….she stuffed as much as she could into her bag. Neal came up behind her.

  “Brandi, wait, what are you doing?”

  “I’m leaving Neal. I don’t think this is going to work. I just need some time to think about this.” She opened her second drawer and threw a pair of jeans onto her bed.

  “Think about what? Us? Think about what Brandi?”

  “THIS!! Us! I mean, I shouldn’t be crying because you called me your ex’s name! Apparently something’s going wrong here.” She put on her jeans, a tank top with no bra, and her sneakers. She picked up her duffle bag, purse, and keys and headed for the front door.

  “Brandi.” She jerked away from his grip. “Please, where are you going? Let’s talk. What do you mean something’s wrong here?” He followed behind her.

  “Neal…” Brandi bit down on her trembling lip and closed her eyes. She held onto the door knob with a vice grip. “I need some time to myself to think. I’m going to Chloe’s house. Don’t contact me. I will come back when I clear my head.” She didn’t even look at him.

  “But Brandi…” The door slammed in his face.

  Chapter 11

  Two days had passed since Brandi walked out on Neal.

  “Go ahead Chloe, say I told you so.” Brandi looked at her friend as she sat across the bed, reading a magazine.

  “Nope, I’m not going to say that. I’m not happy you’re hurting, Brandi.”

  “I miss him Chloe. I really do and it sucks. I thought it would be an easy thing to do, this no strings attached relationship but, I ended up falling for him. I’m so stupid.” She covered her face with Chloe’s pillow.

  “Brandi, look at me. Don’t beat yourself up for it sweetie, you’re human and a woman, it’s not as easy for us to separate our feelings like it is with for guys. I’m sure the fact that you guys lived together didn’t make it any easier.”

  “The more time I spent with him the more I liked him, beyond sex. I knew going in that we weren’t going to be a couple or anything but, when he called me Tori, his ex, the one girl that he said broke his heart to the point that he never wanted to be in a relationship again, my heart stopped. I knew then that I had broken the number one rule, I got my emotions involved.” Chloe leaned over the bed and hugged her. “I don’t even know why I’m crying, Chloe. It must be my period. I do get extra emotional when I’m on. Fucking mother nature.” They looked at each other and burst into laughter.

  ~oOo~

  Neal couldn’t get Brandi off his mind. He respected her wish and hadn’t contacted her. There was only one person he could call and talk to about this.

  “Hey Em, what’s up? You have a minute to talk?”

  “Hey big bro, what’s wrong?”

  He blew out a long breath. “I fucked up, royally this time. You know I told you about Brandi, well, I got upset with her and acted like a total ass. I called her Tori while we were having sex.” Neal waited on Emily’s wrath but the only thing that came through the phone was silence. “Emily? Why are you so quiet, did you hear what I said?”

  “I heard you, Neal. What do you want me say? I can tell you’ve already beaten yourself up a thousand times over this so there’s no need for me to add a few more bruises to the mix. Where is Brandi now?”

  Neal rested his forehead in the palm of his hand. “She left right afterwards, she’s staying at her best friend’s house until she clears her head. She told me not to contact her. So, I don’t know what she’s going to do. I mean, as soon as I did it, I wanted to take it back but I was so angry, and a little jealous, because she had gone out with her ex-boyfriend and she didn’t get in until like, after one in the morning. You can understand that, right?”

  “Neal, what I understand is that you have gotten yourself into a situation where you thought it was going to be one way and now it’s going in a whole other direction. You thought that Brandi was going to be another Yoanna and she’s not. You’re actually falling for this girl and you don’t know what in the hell to do about it. You have to tell her how you feel.”

  “I don’t know sis, I’m the one that made the rules, what do I look like breaking my own freaking rules. How am I going to be the one that asked for a no strings attached relationship and now I’m the one attached? It’s crazy. I didn’t expect to like her so much.” Neal sat back on his couch, pinching his eyes close with his fingers.

  “Well, it’s apparent she likes you too big bro. If she didn’t she wouldn’t have gotten upset about you calling her Tori. If I was just with a guy for sex, I wouldn’t care what he called me, as long as I was getting my rocks off.”

  Neal laughed, he couldn’t imagine his sister being with any man just for sex. Emily had only had two boyfriends in her whole life, and the second one is now her fiancée; but he understood her point.

  “Well her stuff is still here so she has to come back. I just hope she doesn’t wait until I’m at work or out of town to come back to get her things, because I really want to talk to her. I need to explain myself.”

  “Give her time Neal, I mean, it wasn’t that terrible even though it was terrible, it’s not like you cheated on her or something. It’s forgivable in other words.”

  Neal walked into Brandi’s room. He flopped down on her bed. He put her pillow to his face. It still smelled like the Japanese blossoms body spray she loved to wear. He inhal
ed deeply. “I don’t want her to leave me, seriously Em, I really like her; I think I even love her.”

  “Well tell her that, Neal. Stop being a fool. If she’s as great as you say she is, stop being afraid to let her know. You both been hurt before, so I don’t think you will do that to each other. Take a chance big bro. She sounds like she’s worth it.”

  “You may be right, Em.” The locked clicked at the front door. “Em, I’ll call you back I think that’s her!” Neal pushed the end button on his cell phone and hurried into the hallway. Brandi walked into the condo, carrying her duffle bag. Neal watched her from the hallway. It took all he had not to run up and hug her to show her how happy he was to see her walking back into his apartment; into his life. Brandi gave him direct eye contact as she made her way down the hall, passed him, and entered her bedroom.

  She placed her bag and purse on the floor. Neal stood silently in her doorway. “Hi,” he said, in a shaky voice. He cleared his throat.

  “Hi Neal.” Neal could tell it was still serious because she didn’t have that perkiness that she normally had whenever she spoke to him.

  “Brandi, I’m sorry.” She sat on her bed, looking down as she fiddled with her keys. After a few deep breaths, she finally spoke.

  “Tori? So you’re still thinking about your ex from years ago, while you’re having sex with me, Neal?” She looked up at him, “Do you always fantasize about Tori when we’re having sex? I know that was your true love, but really?”

  “Brandi, you went out and had dinner and God knows what else, with your freaking ex! You came home at one in the morning! How do you think that made me feel? I was planning to take you out to dinner that night. I was going to take you out on a date.” Breaking rule number two. “But you blew me off for some loser; someone you claim you don’t want anymore. But I can’t tell.”

  “Oh…so that’s what this is all about? Me having dinner with my ex?”

  “If it was just dinner. I mean, I don’t know, you came home in the wee hours and first thing you did was hop in the shower. That sounds like someone trying to wash off another man’s scent after sex to me!”

  “Oh give me a fucking break, Neal! I did not sleep with him. I had dinner with him; I told him that I didn’t want to be with him ever again for him to stop contacting me. It wasn’t an easy thing to do, I did love him once. While I was out with him, Chloe texted me saying she was nearby and wanted to see me. She needed to talk about some issues she was having with her boyfriend. I met up with her, we had some drinks and time just got away from me. I came here, you were sleeping, I didn’t want to wake you so yes, I showered, sue me.” She rolled her eyes.

  “Why didn’t you call or text me to let me know that you were hanging out with Chloe?”

  “I didn’t think about it. She was upset, I was upset and I just needed to be a friend to her and honestly, I needed her too.”

  Neal sat down beside Brandi. He rubbed her thigh gently. He looked into her eyes, they were a little watery. “Brandi, I don’t think about Tori when I’m with you. I never think about her. I was just hurt when I thought that you had ditched me to go have dinner with your ex and I honestly thought that you may have had sex with him. I was hurt and I wanted you to hurt. I know that wasn’t mature of me, but it’s how I felt, so I called you Tori because I hoped that that would hurt you. I apologize for being so stupid. I promise I will never do anything like that again. I know that if I’m feeling a certain way I should just talk to you about it instead of making my own assumptions. I’m very sorry. Do you forgive me?”

  Brandi sat quiet for a moment. A tear fell from her eye. Neal gently wiped it away with his thumb. His soul ached to see her like that. He tilted her face toward his brushing his lips across hers. He waited for her response. Brandi leaned in, inviting him for kiss. He smiled, pleased to accept the invitation.

  Chapter 12

  Brandi walked out of her office building just in time to snag the next available cab coming down the street. “Sixth Avenue between 11th and 12th streets.” She closed the car door and the cab sped off.

  Brandi was on her way to meet Neal for dinner at one of his favorite Thai restaurants. This was their first date. It was like she was sixteen all over again; going on her first date with Greg Clemmons. She had had a crush on Greg since she was twelve years old. She stared out the window, biting down on her nails. Neal was standing in the front of the restaurant when she arrived. He opened the car door for her. She stood on the curb while he paid her cab fare. He placed his hand on the small of her back and escorted her into the restaurant.

  “Good Evening, Mr. Calhoun, so nice to see you, it’s been awhile,” greeted the hostess.

  Brandi smirked, looking at Neal.

  “Hi CeeCee, it has been awhile. How long for a table for two?”

  “Oh, about 15 minutes, Mr. Calhoun.” She smiled a little too hard, never once looking at Brandi. Brandi laughed at the obvious crush the young CeeCee had on Neal.

  “That will be fine CeeCee, thanks.” He looked at Brandi. “What are you laughing at?” He joined her in the giggle fest.

  “Neal Calhoun, well I’ll be damned!” A tall blonde, modelesque woman escorted by a dashing older gentleman, approached Brandi and Neal. She and Neal embraced in a very friendly hug. Brandi glanced at the gentlemen. He gave her a slight nod.

  “Yoanna, so nice to see you again. What are you doing here?”

  “Oh I’m just visiting my friends here; I’m only in town for a few more days. Who’s this lovely lady?” Brandi met her gaze.

  “Oh, this is Brandi. Brandi, Yoanna.” Yoanna extended her hand to Brandi.

  “Neal Calhoun on a date?” She looked Brandi straight in the eye, “You must be special, because Neal doesn’t date,” she stated with a singe of jealousy. Neal blushed at Yoanna’s comment. Brandi smiled, pleased.

  “Well, Neal it was nice seeing you again. Brandi, nice meeting you dear, take good care of him…he’s a keeper.” Yoanna walked out the door without bothering to introduce her date. The older gentleman followed suit, giving Neal and Brandi a nod.

  “So that was the infamous Yoanna?!” Neal walked behind the hostess when she motioned for them to follow her to their table without responding. He pulled out Brandi’s chair. She waited for him to take his seat. He avoided eye contact. “Mr. Calhoun, so you don’t date?” Neal hid his face behind the menu. “I must be special, huh?” Brandi got a kick out of seeing Neal blush. His face was beet red.

  Neal peered over the menu. “Are you done?”

  Brandi sipped her water. “I’m done. I just thought that was a funny comment.” She smirked.

  “Well, I haven’t been on a date in many years, and that was something that I told her when we had our arrangement. I wasn’t interested in her in that way, it was strictly sex with her. So in that sense, yes, you are special.” He winked.

  Brandi cleared her throat, now it was her turn to blush. The waiter came within minutes of their seating and took their order.

  “Brandi, thank you for coming out to dinner with me. I had planned to bring you here that night I came back from Boston. Speaking of Boston, my sister is having her engagement party this weekend; would you do me the honor of being my date?” He gave her that boyish grin she loved so much.

  “Wow, Mr. Calhoun, meeting the family…that’s a big step.”

  “Oh. Well, you don’t have to come I just thought I would ask…” his words trailed off.

  “Sweetie, I would love to come with you. I think it would be great to meet your family.” Neal took both of her hands into his across the table. They sat in silence allowing their eyes to do all the talking.

  Chapter 13

  “Brandi, relax sweetie, there’s nothing to be nervous about. My family is really cool.” Neal looked across the seat at Brandi as they rode down the street in a taxi.

  “You can tell I’m nervous?”

  Neal held up the hand. “Your palms are starting to sweat.”

  “Oh…” Bran
di wiped both her hands on her dress and sat up straight. She placed her hands in her lap. Neal shook his head with a smile.

  Neal’s parents had rented a venue on the Upper Westside of Manhattan for the engagement party. Only close family and friends would be there. Neal helped Brandi out of the cab when they reached the venue. “You okay?”

  “Well, my sweaty palms are under control but now my stomach is all in knots and my mouth is dry.”

  Neal kissed her on the cheek.

  ~oOo~

  When they entered the building, they followed the sound of voices into the dining hall. Everyone was gathered around talking, laughing, and drinking champagne. Brandi scanned the room. She had seen photos of his family members in his apartment. The first person she recognized was Neal’s sister, Emily.