Friends Without Benefits

by Dena Blake

  “Unfuckingbelievable.” Juni shook her head. “That’s it. No more blind dates set up by Grace. She’s a miserable matchmaker.” She blew on a spoonful of her potato soup before she slipped it into her mouth. “It’s like she’s setting you up with losers on purpose.”

  “She wouldn’t do that.” Dex glanced at her food, then back at Juni. “Would she?”

  “I bet she would. She doesn’t really want you to find anyone. If you do, you won’t have time for her.”

  “That’s not true. I wouldn’t ignore her just because I have a girlfriend.”

  “Why not? Now that she’s married, she ignores you.”

  “She does not. She calls me a couple of times a week. More since the blind dating started.”

  Juni tilted her head. “But how often does she respond when you call her?”

  Dex thought about it for a minute and realized Juni had a point. “Not very often.”

  “See? It’s on her timetable.”

  “She’s just busy getting used to her new life. That’s all.”

  “With her new husband. The center of her world.” Juni enunciated each word slowly.

  “What do you propose I do?”

  “Stop jumping when she calls.” Juni took Dex’s hand. “My God, Dex. You are so strong in every other aspect of your life. Stop waiting in the wings for something that’s never going to happen.”

  Dex pulled her hand away. “I’m not doing that.”

  “Yes, you are.” Juni dropped her spoon into her soup. “Listen, Dex. I love you. I’ll support you in whatever you do, whatever relationship you choose. But I’m not going to lie to you.” She glanced up at the counter. “Even Josh sees it.”

  “What? Don’t you two have better things to talk about than me?” She glanced over her shoulder. “If I’m what you talk about in bed, you clearly have a problem.”

  “That would be a problem.” Juni chuckled. “Don’t change the subject.”

  “But really, is it good with him?” She wanted this subject changed. She’d heard enough about Grace’s faults for one day.

  “Okay. I’ll lay off for now, but think about what I said. And no more blind dates set up by Grace.”

  “Gotcha.” She took a few last bites of her sandwich and pushed her chair back. “I gotta get back to work. It doesn’t look good if the boss is late.”

  Josh brought a jug of to-go coffee and a stack of cups to the table. “This should keep your crew warm for a while this afternoon.”

  Dex stared at Juni and let her mouth drop open. “That’s so sweet, Josh.”

  “Gotta keep my girl happy. That means keeping you happy too.” He winked at Juni before walking back behind the counter.

  She hooked a thumb over her shoulder at Josh and whispered, “Fucking gold mine.”

  “I know.” Juni stood up and gave Dex a hug. “Be careful out there, little sister.”

  “Always.” She put on her jacket before she swiped up the coffee and cups and headed out the door. It was becoming perfectly clear that Dex was going to have to find the perfect woman on her own. But that would mean making time in her schedule to do it, and she didn’t have any of that right now.

  Chapter Nine

  Grace took all the ingredients for the chicken piccata from the refrigerator and laid them on the counter before she checked the recipe on her phone. It seemed like a crazy jumble of complication that Grace had a hard time wrapping her head around.

  She wasn’t used to being domestic, but since she and Brent had gotten married, Brent seemed to expect dinner when he got home. It had been a fun adventure at first, but now it was just frustrating. She’d gone through all her standard easy recipes when they’d returned from their honeymoon. She really should’ve given the living-together thing a trial run before the wedding. Dex was the only reason she was surviving this domestic whirlwind now. Thank God she was always there to help when Grace needed her.

  When the call screen popped up and Grace saw that it was Dex calling, she immediately answered. “Hey. I’m so sorry about last night.”

  “That’s the last blind date I let you set up for me.”

  “I really had no idea she had a girlfriend.”

  Grace made sure she sounded distinctly surprised as she reached into the lower cabinet and took out a skillet. Ruby saw several women on a regular basis, but Grace actually hadn’t known she had a specific girlfriend now. “Hang on a minute. I’m going to put you on speaker.” She set the phone on the counter and hit the button. “Can you hear me?”

  “Loud and clear.”

  “Did you two at least have a good time? I mean, until the girlfriend showed up?”

  “Yeah. We had a great time. We had some things in common, but I’m not into sharing.”

  “Well, I am sorry about that. I knew she’d been dating a few women, but I really didn’t know she was involved with anyone specific.” She reached inside the refrigerator and took out a bottle of chardonnay. “Hey. I’m trying to make your chicken piccata for Brent before he gets back from his parents’ house. Can you help me?”

  “Um, sure. Do you have chicken, capers, and a lemon?”

  “I do.” She let her voice lilt up. She was proud of herself for remembering the ingredients. She’d watched Dex make it for her hundreds of times but had never really paid attention to how she did it.

  “First you need to pound the chicken flat.”

  “The butcher did that for me.”

  Dex laughed. “Taking the easy way, eh?”

  “Is that bad?” The thought of actually touching the chicken made her shiver.

  “Not gonna lie. I’ve always done that myself, but I’m all for process improvement.”

  “Okay, what’s next?”

  “You’re going to need a couple of eggs and some flour.”

  Ingredients she had on hand but hadn’t considered. She took a carton of eggs from the fridge and the flour from the pantry. “Got it.”

  “Now Google chicken piccata.”

  “Dex.” She sang the name in a sweet melody.

  “You know I’m working now, right?”

  “Please, please, pretty please?” Again with the sweet melody.

  “All right, but I have to make it quick.”

  “Yay.” She squealed into the phone.

  “Hang on a sec.” Dex’s voice was muffled, “Mike, take over for me for a few minutes. I’ll be right back.” Grace heard what sounded like a car door slam. “Okay, you ready?”

  “As I’ll ever be.” Grace said. She wasn’t much of a cook but was willing to try anything to please Brent.

  Grace followed all Dex’s instructions and managed to somehow get flour all over herself in the process. She’d just finished cleaning up when she heard the front door close.

  “Hold on a minute. Brent’s home.” She met him at the entrance to the kitchen and fell into his arms as he kissed her. “Say hi to Dex, honey. She’s been on the phone with me while I’ve been fixing dinner.”

  “Hey, Dex.”

  “Hey, Brent. It sounds like you’re in for a treat tonight. Grace has been slaving away at this chicken piccata.”

  “Yeah? It smells awesome.” He lifted the lid and scooped out a spoonful of sauce. “Tastes awesome too.” He leaned in and kissed Grace again. “What have you two been talking about besides piccata?”

  “My disastrous date last night.”

  “Isn’t that the third in a row?”

  “Wow. Grace has been keeping you up to date on her matchmaking.”

  “Who’d you set her up with this time?” Brent asked as he ate another spoonful of sauce.

  “Ruby.”

  “Ruby?” He clanged the lid back onto the pan. “Ruby has a girlfriend.”

  “I found that out last night when she showed up for dessert.” Dex laughed.

  He chuckled. “Did you get extra whipped cream?”

  “Brent.” Grace’s tone sharpened.

  Brent pulled his brows together. “Just stating the o
bvious.”

  “I didn’t know they were exclusive,” Grace said softly.

  “Apparently, they’re not.” He went to the refrigerator and pulled it open. “She’s not the kind of girl you want to set Dex up with.”

  “Thank you, Brent!” Dex’s voice came through the phone loudly.

  He took a beer out of the fridge and twisted off the cap. “Listen, Dex. I have a friend at work who I think you might like.”

  “No, thanks. I’ve had enough blind dates for the time being.”

  “Who are you talking about?” Grace asked. This was a new development.

  “Emma. She’s single, smart, and cute. Perfect for Dex.”

  “I thought she was involved.” Grace knew she wasn’t.

  “Nope, not since last year.” He set his beer on the table and slipped off his jacket. “How about we have a little get-together here at the house, Dex. You come, she comes. If you don’t like her, no harm done.” He raised his eyebrows at Grace. “We can do that, right, baby?”

  “Uh, sure. I guess it’s about time we had a housewarming party.” She was stuck. She couldn’t very well tell him no. She picked up her phone from the counter and took it off speaker. “I’ll make all the arrangements and let you know the date, okay?” She turned away so Brent couldn’t hear the rest of the conversation. “You’re going to have to help me with the food.”

  “You just made chicken piccata. You’re a champ now.”

  “I’m serious, Dex.” Grace’s voice was low and demanding as she whispered into the phone.

  “Okay, sure. Just let me know when.”

  “I will. You can count on that. Oh, and thank you for your help tonight.” She wasn’t quite sure how she’d gotten herself roped into this one.

  “No worries. I have to get back to work.”

  “Bye, Dex.” Grace hit the End button on her phone and slid it onto the counter before she spun around to Brent and planted her hand on her hip. “Emma? Really?” Emma was probably the last person Grace would pick for Dex. She was arrogant and mouthy. The woman had no filter.

  “Yeah.” He shrugged. “They both like sports, they’re both alone. Perfect for each other.”

  “Women need more in common than sports to date, Brent.”

  “It’s a start. What happened to opposites attract? That’s how we got together.” He tugged her to him. “You hate sports, but you watch them with me anyway. Because you love me.”

  She took in a deep breath. “I do, on both counts.”

  “And I definitely didn’t marry you for your cooking.” He kissed her again before he smiled and slapped her on the butt. “But that tastes awesome.” He pointed to the pan on the stove. “When’s dinner? I’m starving.”

  “Go change. I’ll plate it.” Grace wasn’t sure about the match between Emma and Dex. Emma was strong, smart, and passionate about her opinions and the things she loved. Not unlike herself. She was the kind of girl who could fill Dex’s world with tumultuous happiness, but also fill it with pain if it didn’t work out. Her passion for life rivaled Grace’s, and she’d clashed with Emma on more than one occasion over the years. The woman was as blunt as they come, and Grace wasn’t used to being called on her shit. She might very well throw a huge monkey wrench into her friendship with Dex.

  * * *

  When Emma got to the office that morning, she was actually glad to see Brent. She hated to admit it, but she’d missed him while he was on his honeymoon. She’d kept an eye on his accounts while he was gone, and he’d taken an extra week off to move in with Grace. He’d logged in a few times over the past week, but he’d checked in with Emma only via email and text a few times when she’d had questions. It had been three weeks since she’d actually seen him. He could be a big pain in her ass at times, but the sight of him, gloriously tanned, standing in the break room in his usual I’m-Mr.-Wonderful manner, made her surprisingly happy.

  “Aren’t you going to welcome me back?” he said as he picked up the coffee decanter.

  “Were you gone?” she said as she took a mug from the cabinet and let him fill it with coffee.

  “Ha ha.” He bumped her with his shoulder. “I know you missed me. I have tons of pictures to show you.”

  “How about you help me out with some of these new clients first, Mr. Three-weeks-off?” She headed to her office and he followed.

  “Two weeks in Greece and it was awesome! Sex and wine every day.” He waggled his eyebrows.

  She slipped in behind her desk and sat in the chair. “Seriously? Sex every day?”

  “Sometimes twice. Grace is a savage in bed.” Brent slid into the chair across from her.

  Emma scrunched her brows together. “I would’ve never thought that. She seems so uptight.”

  “It’s how she works out her aggression.” He winked.

  Emma threw her hand up for a high five. “Sweet!”

  Brent bolted out of his chair, slapped her hand, and sat again. “How are things going with you? I saw that you brought someone with you to the wedding.”

  “She’s just a friend.” She sighed. “She actually met someone there and ended up leaving early.”

  “Well, then, I want you to meet someone.”

  She shook her head. “Oh, no. No setups.” Those never work out well.

  “Come on, Em. I know you’ll like her. What could it hurt?”

  She raised an eyebrow. “Do I need to remind you of the last time?”

  “She was a little crazy.” He gave her a huge smile. “But she was a freak in bed, right?”

  “Definitely not worth the aggravation, though. Do you know she showed up at my parents’ house and made a huge scene? I thought my mother was going to have a heart attack.”

  “What an awesome way to come out.”

  She scrunched up her face. “Ha ha. Thank God they already knew.”

  “Dex isn’t anything like that, I promise. If she is, I’ll do all your copy for a month.”

  “Grace’s best friend, Dex?”

  “Yeah. That’s her.”

  Dex…That could be a handful. Emma remembered how drunk she was at the wedding. She also remembered how absolutely stunning she was. Huge green eyes with vibrant yellow sunbursts in the middle. Even as drunk as she was, Dex was absolutely dreamy.

  Brent tossed a wadded-up sticky note at her and pulled Emma out of her thought. “Well? What do you say? Deal?”

  Emma raised her eyebrows. “A whole month? That’s a big promise, Mr. Vacation.”

  He nodded. “Yep, but I’m not worried. You’ll like her.”

  Emma knew she’d like her, just didn’t know if she was up to the challenge. “Okay, then. Where and when? You have to be there or it’s a no-go.”

  “We’re having a little housewarming party next weekend. I’m going to invite some other people from here, and Grace is planning to invite some of her friends.”

  “Ugh. Grace’s friends are ridiculously spoiled.” Just like her.

  “Most of them are, but Dex is actually pretty cool.”

  She surveyed him carefully to make sure he wasn’t bullshitting her. “Does she know I’ll be there to meet her?” She trusted Brent, and it had been a long time since she’d been out with anyone.

  “Of course not. You’ll just be two people that I randomly introduce.”

  “Sounds doable.” Stunning green eyes with rays of yellow flashed in her head. Dex was definitely doable. One-nighters weren’t Emma’s style, but sometimes they were worth it.

  His lips curved into a big smile. “Believe me, she’s definitely doable.”

  “You’re such a dude.” And apparently so was Emma.

  “To the core.” He gave her a fist bump and headed to his office.

  Emma had gone out with friends a few times since her breakup last year with Amy, but it had been a long time since she’d been on an actual date. She took in a deep breath, took a gulp of coffee, got up and took the same path to her office door, and closed it. They’d been friends since the day h
e started five years ago. She’d shown him the ropes of marketing and public relations, and he’d become an awesome buddy. She trusted him, even if the last chick he’d set her up with had been a total freak in more ways than one.

  Chapter Ten

  The party appeared to be in full swing when Emma took her first pass by the house. There were so many cars on the street, she’d have to park halfway down the block. She should’ve worn more comfortable shoes, but her flats didn’t go with this particular pair of skinny jeans she’d chosen tonight. As it was, she hadn’t had any time to do anything to her hair. She’d just twisted it up and pinned it to the back of her head. She probably should’ve put more effort into the whole thing, but her day hadn’t gone as she’d planned. She parked and retrieved the housewarming gift from the back seat before heading up the sidewalk and then the pathway to the house.

  She knocked on the door and then fidgeted as she waited for someone to answer. She wouldn’t have even come if Brent hadn’t called her this morning and begged her. But that wasn’t totally true. The prospect of starting something new had pushed her to make an appearance as well. After the miserable day she’d had at her parents’ house, a nice hot bath and a movie sounded so much better tonight. They were in the process of downsizing, and she’d been there most of the day, which meant they were pawning off their unneeded crap on Emma and her brothers.

  She had enough crap of her own she hadn’t dealt with since last year when she’d moved out of the house she’d shared with Amy. The move had been her choice, to a certain degree. The other woman had just made it happen sooner than she’d expected.

  When the door swung open, she was met with scowling blue eyes. “You’re late.” Grace planted her hands on her hips.

  She shoved the gift into Grace’s stomach. “Brent said any time after seven.”

  “Within reason.” Grace twisted her wrist to check her watch. “It’s almost nine.”

  “Listen, Grace. I’ve had a tough day, so can you save your satire for later?” It would be nice if the woman could cut her a break once in a while.

  “Fine.” Grace slammed the door behind her. “Brent’s out back.”