Friends with Benefits

by Amy Brent

  When you screwed me over.

  I cranked my car and decided to head home. I wasn’t sure what to think of the message, nor did I understand why it made me so angry. I wanted to sleep on it. To give myself time to think and piece it all together. If she didn’t wanna come to dinner, that was her fucking loss.

  What I didn’t understand was why the idea of her not being excited to see me angered me so badly.

  “I’m not fucking in love!” I roared.

  But then again, maybe I was.

  Chapter 14

  Olivia

  I had it. All of it. I ran my software, tracked down all of Wesley’s aliases he’d used thus far, and printed off all the pictures. It was Wesley all right. Same face, same jaw structure, and same mischievous glint in his eye. I printed off sixteen different pictures of him with older women wrapped around his body, and it made me sick. Brown eyes with blond hair, green eyes with red hair. Black hair with blue eyes, and some with streaks and blond tips. Gray eyes with silver hair, and wild-colored hair for the midlife crisis women who had just gone through hefty divorces.

  And in every single picture, he was there smiling.

  It absolutely boiled my blood. What the hell did he think he was doing? He was wrapping these women around his stingy little fingers, playing with their hearts, and then robbing them blind. I cross-referenced the pictures of the women to find their names and see if any of them had filed police reports for stolen things. I was going to burn him. Make him pay for what he was doing to these women.

  But with every single woman I identified, none of them seemed to file a police report about anything. I couldn’t check private detective files because they didn’t operate on the same open network, but as far as regular police action was concerned, there was none. Destiny would be the first to file a report on him, it looked like.

  I printed off all the pictures before pulling out a manila envelope. I scribbled Wesley “Fox” Wilton across the front of it, and then I placed the pictures I’d printed out inside. I pulled the phone records of all his aliases and burner phones and put them all on a thumb drive and then stuck that thing in there as well. By the time I was done gathering all this evidence, I’d hand over enough to the police for them to lock him away for years.

  But then, a final picture flashed up on the screen. A picture of the two of us from high school. The software was still running in the background so I shut it down, but not before I got a good glimpse of the person he used to be. That beautiful blond, shaggy hair and those golden gray eyes. His smile was so soft in high school. A boy who was all arms, legs, dreams, and passions.

  I sat back in my chair and sighed. What had happened to Wesley? There were always rumors of the bad home life he had, but he always came to school with a smile on his face. The girls gravitated toward him, sure. He was a horny bastard, too, but what teenage boy wasn’t? I thought back to all the wonderful memories. Memories of my first kiss underneath the goal on the football field. Memories of my first homecoming dance and how we first met. I’d been stood up by my date and was crying in a corner. Wesley had come over and asked me if I wanted to dance, and he held me close the entire night.

  I closed my eyes, smiling at the memory before another thought hit me.

  It didn’t matter who he was then. The truth of the matter was, he was robbing women blind.

  I shoved the manila envelope into my desk and locked it before I grabbed the real estate paperwork. Clipping them with a paper clip, I strode from my office and down the road to my lawyer’s office. Nelson Wainwright was the local lawyer I used when I needed help with a few things, and I figured I could have this conversation in person. I walked into his office, blowing right past his wife-slash-secretary, and then knocked on his door before I called out.

  “Nelson. It’s me. We gotta talk.”

  His door flew open and there he stood. His thick, black-rimmed glasses slid down his nose as his dark brown eyes pierced directly into my skull. His lips were downturned, frowning heavily at the intrusion. But the look of panic must’ve been evident in my eyes because he quickly stepped aside and let me in.

  “Sweetheart, cancel my plans for the next couple hours,” he said.

  “Will do, honey,” his wife said.

  The door shut with a thud behind me and I jumped. Nelson stared me down all the way to his desk before he ushered me to take a seat. I slid the papers to him, and he studied them closely, cocking an eyebrow when he saw they’d already been signed.

  “Buying some property, I see?” he asked.

  “I’m actually working undercover on a case,” I said.

  “I take it the punchline is you need them filed but not really filed,” he said.

  “Yes.”

  “All right. Back up. What’s going on?”

  “You know my friend Destiny?” I asked.

  “Everyone knows Destiny,” he said. “Go on.”

  “Well, she was robbed about a week ago. By a guy she’d been sleeping with for a few weeks. Apparently, things were going well, so she asked him to stay the night, but when she woke up, all four of her credit cards were taken, as well as all the cash in her wallet.”

  “Any jewelry stolen?”

  “Nope. Just a quick grab and go. I’ve figured out that she’s not the only person he’s been doing this to, however. I’ve got sixteen different pictures of him in different outfits with different colored hair and eyes. Different names, too. It’s pretty extensive.”

  “And you’ve posed as a what, this time?” he asked.

  “Real estate developer and investor,” I said. “The name he lives under legally is Wesley Fox, and he works at a cabana bar on the beach. He was selling a piece of split property right there on the ocean, so I posed as someone interested in buying it.”

  “If you’ve got the information to nail him, why don’t you just do it?” Nelson asked.

  “Because I need a bit more time to put everything together. If I’m going to get him off the street and into the hands of the police, I need everything in order. Some things are taking a bit more time.”

  “Like?”

  “Nelson, do I poke and prod at this type of detail with your work?” I asked.

  “All the time,” he said, grinning. “Spill.”

  “I’ve got his pictures, the names and pictures of the women he’s done this to before, phone records for all his aliases on a flash drive, but none of the women, other than Destiny sought out help. There are no local police reports, and it’ll take me a couple of days to contact some other P.I.’s in the area and ask them if they had anyone approach them about it. But since he’s still on the street, I’m assuming—”

  “No other PIs have been looking for him, got it,” Nelson said. “So, you need that one last thing to tie him to everything. Thinking it might be in his personal possession?”

  “I was honestly hoping not to go there.”

  “Why?”

  “Because I know the man I’m targeting,” I said.

  “How so?” Nelson asked.

  “We dated in high school.”

  Nelson sat silently in his chair as his hard glare bored into my forehead. His black suit draped over his towering form, and he shifted in his chair before he placed the papers on his desk.

  “Are you using your personal connection to get closer to him?” he asked.

  “In a way. I’ve positioned myself and dropped a few lines here and there that I’m a wealthy individual. If I can catch him in the act or rummage around in his home for a few things I could use, then I’m done. Filing but not filing this paperwork will buy me time to do just that.”

  “And you’re certain that’s all this is?” he asked.

  “What the hell else would it be, Nelson?”

  “Olivia, you don’t get out much. Now, you’ve been pulled into a world that isn’t simply about tracking down a con man, but it’s a con man you once enjoyed being around. That can take an emotional toll. I’ve got no issues taking care of the paper
work. I’ll do it right here and hand them back to you. We’ll make it look legitimate, and I can even file some fake paperwork in my system just in case he wants to poke around or something. But I want to make sure you’re all right.”

  “I’m fine, Nelson. Really. And thank you for helping.”

  “Anything to get a man like this off the streets,” he said.

  I watched him witness and notarize the paperwork before he took it to his computer. I sat back and sighed with relief, crossing one leg over the other before I closed my eyes. The past week had been a whirlwind, to say the least, but the moment I closed my eyes, the memories of yesterday came flooding back. The way his lips felt on my neck. The bruises his fingertips left behind on my hips. The sweat that dripped between my breasts and the dried fluids I washed off my body when I got home.

  I shivered in the chair before my phone vibrated on my hip.

  “Feel free to take that,” Nelson said. “I’ll be a few more minutes.”

  “Thanks.”

  I picked up my phone and slipped out of his office. I nodded to his wife who gave me a polite wave before I went and stood in a corner. I wanted a bit of privacy the moment I saw Destiny’s name pop up because I knew I would have to answer some case-sensitive questions.

  And possibly cover my ass.

  “You must’ve felt your ears burning,” I said, grinning.

  “I did, I did. Everything all right? How’s the super-secret sting operation going?”

  “I’m getting the real estate papers signed and notarized by my lawyer now, and he’s been briefed on everything. He’ll make it look legit, and that’ll buy me until at least Friday to gather absolutely everything. I’m about halfway there.”

  “What all did you find?” Destiny asked.

  “I’ve got sixteen or so different pictures of him,” I said. “All different types of outfits, personas, hair colors, even eye colors. I’ve also got the names of the women he had on his hip during those times as well. I tracked down some of the aliases he used and pulled records that are blatantly indicative of burner phones—”

  “How do you know that?” Destiny asked.

  “Because the phone records underneath his aliases only have incoming and outgoing calls and text messages from one number. Sometimes two. And he’s got multiple records of those. They’re all burner phones, trust me. Including the number he gave you.”

  “Oh, my gosh,” she said. “This is incredible. We’re gonna get this son of a bitch. We’re gonna nail his ass to the wall!”

  Her excitement at the situation was a bit off-putting to me, which shocked me even more. I furrowed my brow while Destiny went on and on about how he had it coming, and I couldn’t have agreed more. I knew I had good reason to drag this out, what with the evidence and everything, but I couldn’t deny that part of me was going to enjoy dragging this out just because of what he was doing.

  And obviously, how long he’d been doing it.

  But when Destiny started saying things like “rotting in prison” and “never seeing the light of day” and “dirty rotten bastard,” I tensed. My shoulders rolled back, I drew in a deep breath, and then a thought ran through my mind.

  What the hell’s wrong with her? Doesn’t she know she’s playing with a man’s life?

  I had no idea why I felt the need to defend him. I knew what he was doing was illegal, wrong, and manipulative. Usually, I took great pride in putting people like him in the hands of the police. In my mind, I was taking the cases they didn’t have time for and handed them all the credit in a manila envelope, along with the person who did it.

  “Olivia?”

  I whipped my head around and saw Nelson standing there with the papers outstretched.

  “They’re notarized and in the system,” he said. “Just understand that when he files them on his end, they’ll kick back because they’re fake. If you give them to him Friday, you’ll have the weekend. But if you give them to him before that, you’ll have about twenty-four hours before he’s got proof that you aren’t what you say you are.”

  “Thanks, Nelson,” I said.

  “Who’s that?” Destiny asked.

  “My lawyer, Nelson Wainwright. I’ve got the papers we’re gonna use to get what I need before we bring this to a close.”

  “Give that man a fucking blowjob for me,” Destiny said.

  “He’s married, but I’ll pass on the sentiment.”

  “No, thanks,” Nelson said, wrinkling his nose. “Whatever it is, we’re good.”

  “He says ‘thank you for the imaginary blowjob since I’m married,’ and I’ll call you once I can get everything else gathered, all right? Just hang tight, Destiny. It’s almost done. Any luck with your credit card companies?”

  “Once we can get them this information and get the police to file an actual report, I’m golden,” she said.

  “Beautiful. I’ll talk with you in a few days.”

  “I’m definitely looking forward to it,” she said.

  I hung up my phone before Nelson’s wife-slash-secretary started giggling. I threw my head back in laughter as Nelson made his way back into his office, and the slamming of his office door caused me to jump.

  “Don’t mind him,” his wife said. “It’s been a rough week. That was a good little giggle, thank you for that.”

  “What can we say?” I asked. “You’ve got a sexy husband, apparently.”

  “Don’t I know it,” his wife said, winking. “Have a nice day, Olivia. Good luck catching whoever you’re chasing.”

  “Yeah, thanks,” I said.

  But when I left the office, I didn’t feel like I was any step closer to relief. I didn’t feel any closer to a normal life, or a normal world, or even to a better world.

  All I felt was confused, worried, and anxious.

  Suddenly, I felt my hip vibrate. I saw Wesley’s name scrolling across the screen, and then I swiped my phone open to see what he’d sent. It was a text message from him, asking me if we were still on for tomorrow night. I closed my eyes outside of the office building, allowing the dinnertime rush hour of people whizzing home to overwhelm me as I tried to clear my mind. If I went to Wesley’s house and poked around in his stuff, I could leave the papers and have him nailed by Friday morning at the latest. If I put him off, it would get me more time, but it might be at the expense of Wesley thinking I was rejecting him.

  And if he thought that, then pulled away, the only lead I really had with this case would be gone. So, I opened my eyes and took a deep breath before my fingers flew across the screen and sent him a response.

  I guess.

  I had a decision to make about the paperwork, and I just didn’t know what to do.

  Chapter 15

  Wesley

  I knew I must’ve lost my mind. I never entertained company at my home, much less women I was trying to seduce. Everything I did, every transaction I made to get close to a woman like Olivia, was done in hotels or at their homes. On a few occasions, I would even take them to sex clubs. Some of the women I seduced were so uptight, and they got their rocks off by having a younger man show them how to let loose. On more than one occasion, the woman would actually want to go back to those clubs.

  I loved those types of adventurous women.

  But this was different. I had invited a woman over to my house to cook for her, and I still hadn’t thought about taking her money. In fact, I wasn’t sure I wanted to take anything from Olivia at all, minus that beautiful body she was holding onto.

  When I had gotten home from work last night, I calmed himself down. An “I guess” was better than a “no,” so I decided I was going to make the time worth her while. I’d confirmed the date when I woke up that morning and still got a “yes” from Olivia, so I headed to the grocery store to pick up everything. I was going to make her the most succulent salmon she’d ever tasted, and then I would offer her a nice moonlit walk on the beach. If I was lucky, she would accept, and if I had my way, she’d be enjoying a night on the be
ach she’d never forget.

  I would turn that “I guess” into a “fuck, yes,” and I’d go to sleep with her pussy juices on my lips tonight.

  Even throughout all our encounters, however, I knew she had a wall up. I wasn’t sure if the wall was from high school or if she always kept people at arm’s length, but it was a new thing for me. The Olivia I knew in high school was so willing to accept others into her fold. She was always wanting to talk to other people and hang out. Maybe get to know their story or figure out how they ticked. The Olivia I enjoyed in high school had no issues letting me close emotionally, but now, things seemed to have changed.

  She would practically throw her body at me, but emotionally, she was throwing up the wall.

  I didn’t want that. I wanted her to be as comfortable as she could possibly be. I hated this barrier that seemed to sit between the two of us, and I was hoping a good dinner with a bit of wine would go a long way. If I could fuse the sexually-free Olivia with the emotionally-free Olivia from high school, I’d be golden. I wasn’t sure why I wanted to do that, but the thought made me smile.