Just Good Friends

by Ruth Ann Nordin

  “I thought it was great. Too bad my mom wasn’t here to take a picture of his face. That was classic.”

  “Any more surprises, and he would have wet his pants.”

  His comment only made her laugh harder. “It’s not like you to be so mean, Tyler.”

  “I’m not being mean. I’m being honest.” They boarded the plane, and he added, “If I was mean, I would have told him exactly what I think of him. But I didn’t. I kept my mouth shut. It’s like my mom always says, ‘If you can’t say anything nice, don’t say anything at all.’”

  “Now you understand why I don’t bother when my sister gives me trouble.”

  “Okay, I get it. But I’m still glad I told everyone we were married at dinner that day.” He sat beside her and took her hand in his. “If I hadn’t, we probably wouldn’t be on this plane.”

  “You’re right. We wouldn’t. I guess I should thank you.”

  “Or Zoe. If she hadn’t annoyed me so much, I wouldn’t have blurted it out.”

  She kissed his cheek. “All that matters is we’re on the plane.”

  “It is, and there’s nowhere else I’d rather be.”

  “Ditto,” she replied and rested her head on his shoulder as they waited for the plane to take off.

  ***

  Even though it was just the two of them, Tiffany couldn’t stop the butterflies fluttering in her stomach. This was really happening. And best of all, it was happening with Tyler.

  She’d never wanted a big wedding. All the hassle of trying to get the event together never appealed to her. It was enough that they had stood in line to get a marriage license. Once they got it, Tyler called a chapel with less than a half hour wait time. The chapel was a cute one. It was small and simple with soft music and pretty flowers. Tiffany thought it was much better than the wedding Zoe had, especially with the awful bridesmaid dresses. The memory of that horrible thing still gave Tiffany nightmares.

  “Are you having second thoughts?” Tyler asked.

  “No,” she assured him, taking his hand in hers and leading him to the bench.

  “You winced as I was signing us in.”

  “It wasn’t about being here. I was thinking about the bridesmaid dress I had to wear.” She kissed him and snuggled up to him. “I’m glad we’re getting married. There’s no one else I’d rather spend the rest of my life with.”

  He squeezed her hand. “Same here.” He paused for a moment. “I didn’t mention this before, and maybe I should have, but we could have gotten married by proxy. Nathan did it with Amy. He had her sign a piece of paper saying she wanted to marry him then he took a flight to Colorado and had a woman stand in for her. It might have been easier.”

  “No. I’d rather be doing it this way, even if we had to skip lunch so we could get the license. This is a big day for us.” They’d shared so many other things together, and it only made sense this should be one of them. “I can’t imagine doing it without you.”

  He clasped his other hand over hers. “You’re the best thing that’s ever happened to me.”

  Returning his smile, she said, “You’re the best thing that’s ever happened to me, too.”

  They waited in silence for a few minutes before he pulled out his phone. “Want to see what your mom is up to on Facebook?”

  “Why not? It’ll help the time go faster.”

  They scrolled through some of the pictures she’d posted up and saw that her parents were having a terrific time with his parents at a restaurant and again at his parents’ house. “Hmm,” Tyler commented. “I don’t think they even need us to have a good time.”

  “They don’t. They can manage it all on their own.”

  The wedding coordinator came out to tell them it was their turn. Tiffany took a deep breath and walked down the aisle toward the minister who greeted them. Since they had no one to witness the wedding, the wedding coordinator filled in that spot, and the ceremony was underway.

  The butterflies fluttering in Tiffany’s stomach only increased as she repeated her vows to be with Tyler for richer or poorer, in sicknesses and in health, in good times and bad, forsaking all others as long as they both lived.

  “I now pronounce you husband and wife,” the minister concluded. “You may kiss the bride.”

  Tyler turned to her, his smile so wide that she knew he’d never love anyone but her, and she felt the same way. It would only be them. Always and forever. He lowered his head and kissed her, sealing the bond that no one was ever going to break. Yes, she definitely preferred this to a proxy wedding, nerves and all.

  “Thank you for marrying us,” Tyler told the minister when the kiss was over.

  “It’s a pleasure,” he replied then handed them their marriage license.

  Tiffany slipped her arm around Tyler’s and couldn’t help but test out the name Tiffany Jackson in her mind. And she decided she loved the sound of it.

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  The next morning, Tyler was kissing Tiffany long before the alarm went off. They hadn’t slept much the previous night, despite the two plane rides to and from Las Vegas. They had enjoyed lovemaking a couple times already. He thought that his desire would have been quenched by now, but it wasn’t. If anything, it only seemed to be stronger.

  The alarm beeped, and he stopped kissing her so he could roll over and turn it off. Bringing her back into his arms, he kissed her, this time keeping it short. “The last thing I want to do is go into work,” he admitted. “And considering how much I enjoy my job, that’s saying a lot.”

  She giggled and snuggled up to him, her body pressing very nicely against the male part of him which thickened in response. There was no doubt about it. He wasn’t going to be able to concentrate on work when he was as hard as a rock.

  “I’m going to call Nathan and tell him I won’t be coming in today,” he told her then shifted to the edge of the bed so he could grab his smartphone off the nightstand.

  “Don’t you remember that I’ll be gone today? I promised my parents and Beth that we’d go to the zoo,” Tiffany said.

  “Is that today?” he asked, glancing up from the phone.

  “It’s why we had to go to Vegas yesterday.”

  Right. In all the excitement, he’d forgotten all about it. “What time are you going there?”

  “Ten thirty.” Shooting him a wicked smile, she reached down and ran her fingers over his penis, which wanted nothing more than to be inside her again.

  “You’re not playing fair, Tiffany.”

  “I’m not trying to play fair. I’m trying to convince you to play hooky.”

  “In all the years I’ve known you, I had no idea you had such a mischievous streak in you.” He chuckled. “Alright, let me give my boss a call.”

  He dialed Nathan’s cell phone number and sat up so that she couldn’t fondle him anymore. There was no way he could concentrate when she was touching him.

  When Nathan picked up the phone, Tyler cleared his throat. “Hey, Nathan, I’m going to take the day off.”

  “But I thought you wanted to come in,” Nathan replied in what Tyler suspected was mock surprise. “You said you were going to be bored with nothing to do and that you couldn’t wait to get back to your report.”

  “I said nothing of the sort and you know it. Tiffany’s going to take her parents to the zoo, and I haven’t been there in years.”

  “Of course.” Nathan chuckled. “That’s exactly why you want the day off. So you can look at some fish and monkeys.”

  “There are some new things they put in over there that I haven’t seen yet.”

  “You think I was born yesterday? I know why you really don’t want to come in. Take the whole week off. Stay in bed late. The tax deduction you get from being married is nice, but the bedroom is a lot more satisfying.”

  Despite his sigh, Tyler couldn’t help but be amused. Nathan was right. But then, Nathan was always right. “See you next Monday unless you interfere in my life first.”

  “Ar
e you kidding? I got to finish up your report. I don’t have time to make sure you’re not disappointing your wife in bed.”

  “I’m going to pretend I didn’t hear that. The report is pretty much done. It’s in the-”

  “Top drawer of your desk. You put everything important there. Now go on and please your wife. I got everything under control.”

  After saying good-bye, Tyler hung up and turned back to Tiffany who was watching him. “Did he give you a hard time?” she asked, a slight smile on her face.

  “He said I could take the week off as long as I don’t call him up for some advice on how to be a better lover,” he said and put the phone aside so he could settle beside her.

  “He didn’t say that,” she replied, giggling.

  “Not in so many words, but it was implied.”

  “You have nothing to worry about. You’re perfect in every way.”

  Though he was sure there was some room for improvement, he knew she was being sincere and was glad she was happy with their lovemaking. Lowering his head, he brought his lips back to hers, more than happy to pick up where they left off. She parted her lips, accepting him into her mouth, and his tongue brushed hers, deepening their kiss.

  She wrapped her leg around his waist and wiggled closer to him. He groaned in appreciation and slid his erection along her moist folds, allowing his tip to dip into her then pulling back out. He’d discovered this manner of teasing her increased their arousal, and he especially liked the way she moaned and shifted more intimately against him.

  He cupped one of her breasts in his hand and traced her nipple with the pad of his thumb. When she shivered in pleasure, he continued his ministrations. Her leg tightened around his waist, and he let his penis slide halfway into her before slipping back out. She was wonderfully wet and hot, her flesh more than willing to welcome him.

  His heartbeat picking up in excitement, his mouth left hers and went to her neck. She let out a soft cry as he traced her ear with his tongue. Then, recalling how much enjoyment she got out of him teasing her sensitive nub, he released her nipple and brought his hand between her legs, shifting back so he could insert a couple fingers into her while his thumb rubbed the spot that made her moan louder.

  In all the years he’d known her, he had no idea she possessed so much passion. He loved this side of her, and he hoped he’d see more of it in the future. For now, he concentrated on the moment, encouraged by the way she rocked her hips in time to his stroking and murmured his name.

  But instead of letting him bring her to completion right away, she rolled him onto his back and straddled him. In one smooth motion, she took him inside her, her flesh tightening around him, and this time, he was the one who groaned.

  “I want you inside me this time,” she whispered then began to slowly move up and down his shaft, her nub intimately pressed against him.

  Who was he to argue? If that was what she wanted, he’d certainly oblige her. He reached up and cupped her breasts in his hands, content to let her take the lead and guide the pacing of their lovemaking. He continued to tease her nipples while she continued rocking her hips. And before long, she grew still and cried out, her flesh clenching and unclenching around him.

  He waited until she was at the end of her orgasm before he rolled her onto her back. As much as he wanted to wait until she was completely done, he was far too aroused to stay still anymore. He slid almost all the way out of her and plunged back in then repeated the process, each stroke taking him closer to the brink of release.

  She groaned, her flesh once more tightening around him, notifying him that he had managed to prolong her pleasure, and knowing this made him lose what little control he had left. He managed one more thrust before he released his seed. Gasping, he clung to her.

  The first time they’d come together had been incredible, of course. He hadn’t known how good it could feel to be with a woman. But it seemed to him that each time they did this, it got better. Maybe it was because he was learning what best pleased her.

  Or maybe it was just like their friendship had been. The longer they knew each other, the better things were between them. Because as they got to know each other, they could tell each other anything and know they were safe in doing so, that the other would always be there for them, no matter what. And now he could truly share everything with her.

  He gave her a lingering kiss then rolled onto his side and brought her back into his arms. “You know, I didn’t think it was possible, but you’re more important to me now that we’re married than you were before. And before we were married, you were the most important person in my life. I love you.”

  Smiling, she kissed him and said, “I couldn’t agree more. I love you, too.”

  With a contented sigh, he closed his eyes and drifted off to sleep.

  ***

  “You sure you don’t mind opening the gifts early?” Tiffany asked as her mom and dad picked up the presents from under the tree in her apartment.

  “We leave tomorrow morning,” her mom said as she handed Tyler his present. “We originally planned to come up for Christmas, but Nathan said it was best if we travel before then. He said he couldn’t get the best deals otherwise.”

  Tiffany glanced at Tyler, who was sitting next to her on the couch, and grinned. It was a lie, of course. Nathan could get a good deal at any time. He just knew he’d be boxing her and Tyler into continuing on with the pretense of being married if he got her parents to Omaha as soon as possible. And though she’d never admit it to his face, she was glad Nathan did it.

  “Christmas isn’t about a specific day,” her dad said and gave Tiffany her gift. “It’s the spirit of the season, and we can celebrate it anytime.”

  “True,” Tiffany consented.

  Besides, she and Tyler would celebrate Christmas day with his parents, so it was probably best they spent this time with hers. Given how well their parents got along, they might forget she and Tyler were in the room.

  “Okay,” her mom said as she pulled out her phone. “You can unwrap your gifts now.”

  “You’re going to wear that poor phone out,” Tiffany said.

  While her mom took pictures, Tiffany held up a green sweater with white snowflakes sewn on it. Thankfully, her mom had better taste than her sister. “Thanks, Mom.” She smiled and waited while her mom took the picture.

  When her mom was done, Tiffany turned to see what they got for Tyler. After he unwrapped his gift, he showed her the watch they’d bought him.

  “I noticed your watch needed replacing and thought I’d help out,” her dad explained.

  “Thanks. It’s nice,” Tyler said then took off his old one to put the new one on.

  “I know it’s just like the one you already had, but I wasn’t sure if you wanted different features or not.”

  “I liked my watch just the way it was, so this is perfect.”

  Since her dad seemed pleased by Tyler’s response, Tiffany figured it was time to give her parents their gifts.

  Her dad opened his present first and laughed. “I got the very same Nebraska shirt at the airport when we got here.”

  Tiffany glanced at Tyler whose eyes widened. She turned her gaze back to her dad. “I haven’t seen you wear it,” she said.

  “There’s no point in wearing a Nebraska shirt while I’m here. I’m waiting until I get to Montana. But,” he pulled out a matching cap, “I didn’t get this.”

  “We saw that shirt in plenty of places around here,” her mom said as she took a picture of him holding up the hat and shirt. “They must sell well.”

  Catching Tyler’s amused grin, Tiffany went over to her mom. “Why don’t I take your picture while you open your gift?”

  “Good idea,” her dad called out. “It’s about time she put a picture of herself up on Facebook.”

  “I’m not that bad,” her mom said as she unwrapped her present. “Corrine, who lives down the street, is always posting pictures of herself. She calls them selfies.”

&nbs
p; “I think anytime someone takes a picture of themselves, it’s called a selfie,” Tiffany told her.

  “You’re telling me she didn’t make that up?” her mom asked, not looking convinced.

  “Nope. It’s all over the Internet and TV shows.”

  Her mother shrugged then shook her head. “You learn something new every day.” She picked up the charm bracelet. “It’s lovely,” she said as she put it on so Tiffany could take her picture.

  “As soon as I saw it, I knew it was right for you.” That, and Tiffany and Tyler were in a hurry to catch their plane in Las Vegas so they grabbed the first piece of jewelry Tiffany liked. But hey, at least her mother couldn’t say she saw it in the Omaha airport. “Here’s your phone back. You can upload the pictures to Facebook now. And I’ll get some eggnog for everyone.”

  While her dad asked Tyler why the Huskers were so popular in Nebraska, Tiffany went to the kitchen, thinking that this was probably the best Christmas she’d ever had.

  ***

  Around seven the next morning, Tiffany and Tyler took her parents to the airport.

  “Thanks for coming,” she told them after giving them a hug.

  “We were glad we could finally afford it,” her mom said. “And remember what I told you. Tell us when something bothers you. Okay?”

  She nodded. “I won’t hold it in anymore.”

  “Good.”

  Her dad shook Tyler’s hand. “Take good care of my little girl.”

  “I will, sir,” Tyler replied.

  “If you two want to come back for next Christmas, I’m sure Nathan can hook you up with another good deal,” Tiffany said, glancing at Tyler.

  “I’m sure he can manage it,” Tyler replied, “though next year, I think you two can stay at our house. We plan to move into one soon.”

  “Good idea,” her mom replied. “It’ll be a good place to grow your family.”

  Though Tiffany rolled her eyes, she laughed. She knew her parents had been thinking of grandchildren during the whole trip after seeing Nathan with his daughter, but to their credit, they managed to restrain their enthusiasm. So she’d let this little slip go.