Friends with Benefits

by Olivia Gaines

  “It was no problem. I am glad I was able to help and it was nothing too serious. The dog will need to be seen by the vet, though,” she told him while nodding her head.

  “I understand, but what you saw today, and what you did, was a big deal. Marquez has not said more than five words in the last two years.”

  Uncle Arthur explained that his mother had died two years ago and his only child, his son, Terre, the boy’s father was killed three years ago in Afghanistan. Terre had been their only child. The dog had been a gift from his Mother, who was on her way to Korea to visit family, and was killed in a car accident. “That dog was the only thing he spoke to, and as you can see, he only speaks to it in Korean. His interaction with you today has been ground breaking.” He hugged her closely. His wife, Delia, sat there wiping away tears of joy.

  Charlize was again overwhelmed, her life was so closed and sheltered, but today, she had reached a child. Maybe there was a chance she could be a good mom after all. This was the first time that the idea of motherhood had ever truly crossed her mind.

  THE REST OF THE PICNIC went well and the family celebration was ended on Sunday morning at the hotel, with a banquet breakfast. The whole thing felt more like a family reunion, but Grayson assured her that the Christmas celebration was so over the top, that he had to wait to break it all down to her later.

  They left Warner Robins at eleven a.m., amid hugs and handshakes. Charlize made sure she found Marquez and checked on the bandages on Bok Choy, who again licked her face in appreciation. “That is a really cool dog. I guess he gets it from his owner,” she gave Marquez a fist bump and climbed into the front seat of Grayson’s car.

  “Can I get like a business card or number in case Bok Choy has a problem, and I need to call you?”

  She eyed him closely and understood that this young boy had lived more than many twice his years, and was seemingly wiser than most his age. She took a card from her bag and handed it to him, and when he saw the Falcon’s logo, his eyes lit up. Normally, she would hand out a generic card, but her stock just rose in his eyes, and she felt good about it. “You can call me if you need anything as well,” she scribbled her cell phone number on the back. She gave him a hug, and planted a sloppy wet kiss on his cheek.

  Grayson whispered something in the boy’s ear, gave him a fist bump, and they were on their way. She looked over at her best friend, and thought, maybe, just maybe. He smiled back at her but she was able to read his thoughts, “Sorry, Big Guy, you are going to have to wait until Friday.” He stuck his bottom lip out in a pout. Even pouting, her body was reacting to the close proximity of him. Clench. She was truly appreciating and liking this man more and more. Grayson, was very impressed with the way she had handled the dog and his little cousin, and was starting to see his best friend and a different light.

  And that was when Grayson Broche began to envision Charlize as the mother of his children.

  Chapter Fifteen

  THE WORK WEEK SPED by and Friday morning she walked into the offices of Broche & Associates with a smile and a plan. His schedule had been cleared by his assistant for the remainder of the day as well as Monday and Tuesday. It had dawned on her last Tuesday that she still had a key to his condo, and when she knew he was at work, she snuck into his place and packed a suitcase for him. Bags packed, tickets in hand, she stood before him wearing a soft pink shirt dress and a holding a beach umbrella.

  “You look adorable, where are you headed?” Grayson asked as he looked over the top of his computer monitor.

  “I came to surprise you for our date. I am taking you out for something special,” she told him as she leaned forward placing her weight onto the umbrella. His body had an immediate reaction. He wanted to close the door and make love to her right on top of his desk, but that would break his cardinal rule; no hanky and no panky in the office. There would never be an opportunity to win back the trust or respect of a client who catches you in an indiscrete moment in the work place. Grayson often emphasized to his staff, reputation, is everything. If a client cannot trust you to control yourself, they will not trust you to help control their careers.

  “So, what are we getting into today?” He said with a smile.

  “Grab your keys, wallet and a plug-in charger, we have to get moving.”

  Grayson eyed the stack of contracts on his desk and clicked the mouse to check his calendar, and squinted, clicked again, noticing his calendar had been cleared through Tuesday. Charlize was still standing there looking exceptionally pleased with herself. This is when Grayson noticed the sparkle in her eyes and how genuinely happy she appeared. That was enough for him; he did as instructed, grabbed his keys, his charger, cell phone, and wallet, “Let’s do it.”

  A quick word to his assistant and he followed Charlize out of the door. A town car waited for them at the entrance, and once inside, the driver smoothly pulled away from the curb and entered I-85 headed towards Rollins Airport. Grayson’s eyes were wide as they pulled into the private airfield to see the corporate jet waiting for them. The driver unloaded the luggage from the trunk. Grayson’s eyebrows went up when he saw his stuffed suitcase. Once aboard, he watched while Charlize expertly performed the cross checks with the pilot, and within minutes, they were taxing down the small runaway.

  A bottle of wine was taken from the cooler as they reached a cruising altitude; she poured a glass for them both, “To a fantastic weekend.” The glasses were clicked to honor the toast, but Grayson was uncertain about several things.

  “This is a very pleasant surprise,” as he tried to find the right segue to open a dialogue.

  “I have a few more for you,” she said as she sat down the glass, rose, and started to unbutton the cute pink dress. Underneath, she wore thigh high stockings, a very small pair of underpants and a bra that gave her more boobs than she actually possessed. Grayson nearly spilled the wine as he tried to set the wine glass down.

  Charlize had not bothered to remove her high heels as she drug him over to the couch and straddled his lap, “First, I want to be initiated into the mile high club,” and she peppered his face with wet kisses.

  “And what would you like to happen after that?” His hands were removing the dress from her shoulders, sliding it down her arms.

  “Second, I want a replay of what you gave me at the lake last month,” she told him as she began to move suggestively on his lap.

  “That I can do. Will there be enough time? I need at least forty-five minutes,” he said with a coy smile, hoping this would give some clue as to where they were headed.

  “Lover, you have three hours before we land, ” this was the only answer that Grayson was going to get and at this point he didn’t care where they were going, because he was about to enter into his own private Heaven.

  THREE AND A HALF HOURS later, they landed feeling sated, elated, and somewhat free. Charlize was feeling extremely close to Grayson and was showering him with an unusual amount of affection that he seemed to relish. He was very careful to not get too touchy-feely with her, but returned the affection without exceeding her boundaries.

  A car was waiting for them at the airport. Once the luggage was loaded up, Grayson looked around as they road along, “Charlie, where are we?”

  “Right now, San Juan, but we are booked at the Marriott in Condado, and I know this great little place within walking distance to grab a superb lunch,” she told him as if they had just arrived in Kennesaw at the mall.

  “Are you saying we are in Puerto Rico?”

  “Yes, for the whole weekend.”

  “So,” he turned in the seat to look at her head on, “for our date, you took me for a weekend in Puerto Rico?”

  She grinned at him, “That’s how a baller does it, Baby!”

  They both broke into laughter. The hotel check-in was quick, the staff was pleased to see her and greeted her, “Welcome back Dr. Filleman, your suite is ready for you.”

  Grayson was surprised to know that she came here often and commented on i
t. “I travel a great deal, Grayson. Usually, I will leave on a Saturday afternoon and stay through the week.”

  For some reason, her admission of a life outside of her time with him, made him prickly; was he a booty call? She knew the bellmen, she knew the staff; the people assigned to her room, she also knew. His discomfort, she sensed immediately, “I always come alone, or with Melanie or my Mom.” She saw him relax. She changed quickly in front of him, not bothering to go into another room, which also surprised him.

  He did the same, removing his work clothing while going through the suitcase to review her choices. Grayson was pleased with everything she selected. They left the hotel to walk across the street to Budatai, an Asian-Fusion restaurant, manned by Chef Roberto Treviño. The moment they walked into the restaurant, the Chef was notified and came out to the table. She introduced Grayson to the chef, but was careful to omit a title which would define their status.

  The Chef attempted several times to get “La Doctora” into the kitchen with him, but she explained that it was a special occasion that should be celebrated with one of his special meals. Grayson noticed the Chef was speaking to Charlize in Spanish, and she was replying. There were many things about this woman that he did not know. Maybe this weekend would be a chance to clear the air and get some clarification. The main thing he wanted to clarify was his job title with his best friend. For some reason, he wanted her to introduce him as someone of consequence in her life. He wanted to hear her say, “This is Grayson, my man.” Or “This is Grayson, my fantastic lover.” She looked over at him to find him smiling while looking up at the ceiling. Whatever thought just went through his head, he was very pleased to have formulated it.

  Lunch was magnificent and consisted of Seared Ahi Tuna with Taro Tots topped with smoked Kombu sauce, with a side of duck fat potatoes, stir fry roasted eggplant and a wasabi Caesar. Charlize suggested a walk on the beach, which also to his surprise, was only two blocks away. She touched his shoulder with a soft smile around her eyes, “Grayson, we need to talk.”

  Chapter Sixteen

  IN AN INSTANT, THE warmth of the afternoon sun felt as if it were piercing through his breast plate and searing his heart. Surely, after such a wonderful plane ride, she wouldn’t want to change the arrangement and go back to the way things were between them? The tuna seemed as if it were starting to swim like an Olympian in his stomach; he was feeling a bit queasy. He was cool. He had always been cool. He just had difficulty remaining that way with her. In the past three months, his feelings for her had changed dramatically; handling it was becoming more of a struggle each time they were intimate. Today was no exception.

  “We can start with me not knowing you spoke Spanish,” he said in a low voice while glancing at her sideways.

  “Oh, be for real, Grayson, I speak to you in Spanish each time you speak it to me,” she laughed with her response.

  “When do I speak to you in Spanish?”

  Grayson had stopped in front of a large boulder at the water’s edge. Charlize leaned up against him, with her arms draping loosely about his waist. “Evidently, Spanish is your first language, because you think in it. When we are in bed, all of your instructions, commands and directions are given in Spanish. You just never noticed that I respond to you in the same.”

  He lowered his head and kissed her hard on the mouth, followed by smaller kisses, “I give commands and directions in bed?”

  “Yes,” she told him as she returned his small kisses, “slow down, go faster, stop pulling my hair.....get your finger out of my ass!”

  They laughed together and this felt like a perfect moment, “There is still so much I need to learn about you, the woman, versus the person I know as my friend.” There. It was out. He opened the door, and braced his foot in the jamb. It was now her turn to turn on some lights, but first, “What else should I know about you, Charlize?”

  “I don’t do fellatio,” stated clearly, factually, and without a blinking of an eye, “and the likelihood of it happening is between zero and Fox News being unbiased.”

  “Ok, duly noted,” he placed a small kiss on her forehead, “but I never asked you to do that.”

  “I’m just letting you know! I have treated far too many cases of jock itch, venereal diseases, sores, stuff seeping, pus oozing, and even last week, one of the players came up HIV positive; I am not putting one of those things in my mouth.”

  Grayson was a bit put off by the randomness of the topic, “Okay, Charlie.”

  “Is it okay, Grayson? Are you saying you don’t like it done to you?”

  “Oh, no, I like it plenty. I just have to be okay with you not doing it.”

  Her face had changed and the beautiful romantic moment of two minutes ago, was gone. “See, there’s the thing that bugs the shit out of me. If you like it and I don’t do it, then you will have some young starlet in your office after hours bobbing for apples in your pants!”

  “Wow, Charlize, really?”

  “Yeah, really. I see diabetics all the time at ice cream parlors; just because you can’t get it at home doesn’t mean you can’t slip out and get it elsewhere.”

  “I think you know me well enough to realize that I don’t date, screw, or diddle with the help. I also don’t mess around in my office; never have, never will. However, this conversation is not about you loving me with your mouth. I am saddened to hear it will never happen,” he pretended to flick away a tear, “so, tell me what is truly on your mind.”

  Charlize paused, as if to gather her courage, “Your sister told me that you were head over heels in love with me and would give me anything I asked for; is that true?”

  Without thinking he frowned and blurted out, “Absolutely not! I don’t even give my mother everything she asks for; some things have to be earned.”

  They both stood there in the afternoon sun, sweating and staring at each other. He was processing the realization, that through an act of omission, and some very clever word play by her, he had just admitted what he had been afraid to voice for the past year. She remained still, handling the realism that he was in fact in love with her, but past relationships had taught her that sometimes even love is not enough to sustain a long-term relationship. The ball was still in play, and it was in his hands.

  Grayson asked the question, “What would you want me to give to you?”

  “Would you give me your name?”

  Without hesitation, he knew the negotiations had begun, he would make the first bid, and asked, “Would you give me sons and daughters?”

  She countered his offer, “I would be willing to give you one of each, or a set of each.”

  “Nope, I am not going to come back to negotiate in five years for number three or seven years for number four; I want four or more children and a dog.”

  “Negotiate.... this is not a negotiation!”

  “Everything is a negotiation. Many marriages fail because couples fail to communicate expectations up front. I am letting you know up front what I want and what I need.”

  “You aren’t even thinking about what you are asking for; really, do you actually need to create four people? And where did the dog come from? You are not being fair to me.”

  “You asked, I told you,” he was not moving. His hands were in his pockets as he stared down at her.

  “Do you realize, that would mean for the next eight years, I would have to be pregnant every other year, with the first pregnancy being, what in six months?” She was furious, she wasn’t 22 anymore, she was thirty two, and, “It would also mean that for the next 8 years I will be up to my elbows in poopy diapers, ear infections, teething and little tiny tennis shoes that smell like pee!”

  He couldn’t help it, he broke into laughter, “You are right, those little shoes do smell like a homeless man!” He was smiling at her. “You would have help, Charlie. I would hire a Nanny.”

  “Great, I come home from work to find some chick named Helga who likes to love you with her mouth!” Charlize’s face was downturn
ed as if she had eaten something disagreeable. She realized how silly she sounded and began to laugh; soon they were on the beach doubled over in side splitting laughter.

  Grayson pulled her close and planted a kiss on the top of her head, “None of this has to be solved right away. I will keep in mind your words and you keep in mind mine, when you are ready, we will broach the subject again.”

  Charlize wasn’t ready to let it go, but he was, “This woman, that I am head over heels in love with, surprised me with a whole weekend in Puerto Rico. I am ready to get back to my surprise and later, I would like to give her another Spanish lesson.”

  With that, Charlize relaxed, and went about enjoying the rest of the getaway, with the understanding that there would be more than one lesson this weekend. The question still hung in the air for them both; did she love Grayson enough to find a compromise?

  NO PACIFICATION WAS needed for the remainder of the stay in Puerto Rico. After a long night of love making, the next morning, the happy couple enjoyed a quick breakfast and made their way to the El Yunque rain forest. As members of the tour group, anonymity was their friend as they hiked the trail in the early morning, and lounged in the waterfall at the Juan Diego stream by midday. Lunch was courtesy of a roadside stand that smelled like a bad day in Tijuana; but Grayson’s stomach was made of steel and he munched happily on something shaped like a taco. Charlize opted not to imbibe any of the high fructose drinks, or eat any of the food.

  Sunday was an easy day, where they toured the historic buildings on El Viejo in old San Juan in the morning and in the afternoon, took a tour of Castillo de San Cristobal. She never realized how much of a history buff Grayson was, and he was totally enjoying himself as he took photos of the old buildings. She was grateful she knew where he stored his camera; she had remembered to pack it as well. It hung about his neck with a high powered zoom lens. He was acting like a tourist in Paris.