One of the Guys

by Jessica Strassner

  One of the Guys

  Jessica Strassner

  *

  “So, how is it that you’re not married?”

  Kate gritted her teeth, her hands poised over her keyboard. If she had a dollar for every time a client asked this question, she wouldn’t even have to work. She flexed her fingers, continued typing in her notes, saved the file, printed two copies of the document, and closed it. “I’m so busy here at work that I don’t get to date much,” she said. “I guess you could say I’m married to my job.” She pasted a smile on her face and leaned over to grab the papers out of the printer. She slipped one into the client’s folder and put it in her basket. She stapled the other copy and handed it to the beaming bride, who now seemed at a loss for words.

  “If you have any questions about your proposal, just let me know,” she said. “When you decide which colors you’d like to go with for your bridesmaids’ dresses, we’ll talk a little bit more about things like your bridal party flowers and decorations for the ceremony and reception. And remember, this is just an estimate.” The bride nodded and Kate continued. “I’ll get in touch with some caterers to arrange for some tastings. All you have to do right now is just find those bridesmaids’ dresses!”

  “Thank you, Miss Thompson!” the bride said, getting to her feet and smoothing down her sundress. She reached across the desk to shake Kate’s hand. Kate smiled at her, shook her hand politely, and walked her out of her tiny office, into the small waiting room, and to the door.

  “Please. Call me Kate. I’ll be in touch,” Kate said, opening the door. The young bride rushed out onto the sidewalk, hugging her proposal to her chest. Kate couldn’t help but smile at the sight of the young girl, so happy, so excited… so ready to spend her parents’ money.

  Kate locked the door, crossed the waiting room, and stuck her head into her boss, Julia’s, slightly larger office. “I got asked again.”

  Julia was shutting down her computer and shouldering her purse. “About why you’re not married?” she chuckled.

  “It’s so annoying,” Kate complained. “It’s not like I’m a crusty old lady.”

  Julia grinned at her and started rummaging around in her purse for her keys. “At least she didn’t offer to set you up with anybody.”

  Kate folded her arms across her chest and leaned against the door frame. “That’s not such a bad idea…”

  “Sorry,” Julia said, locating her keys and swinging the ring around and around on her finger. “Like I’ve told you before, I don’t know anybody. And all Alex knows are boring teacher-types.”

  Kate heaved an artificial sigh.

  “Besides, don’t you go out with guys all the time? What about that one photographer we always use?” Julia flicked her light off and slipped past Kate into the waiting room.

  “I don’t go out with any of them,” she said, screwing up her face. “We hang out, I guess. We play poker on Saturday nights.”

  “But aren’t you sort of… seeing one of them?”

  “Kind of, sort of,” Kate said, waving off the idea. “But that was dumb. Bad idea. Nothing will ever happen there. It’s not serious.”

  “Someone will come along,” Julia said. “When you least expect it.”

  *

  Kate got out of bed and grabbed the satin bathrobe hanging on the closet door knob. She shimmied into it and tied the belt quickly around her waist. “Lucy will probably be home soon,” she said, glancing at the clock as she undid her ponytail and shook her hair out.

  Still sprawled in the bed, tangled in her sheets, Max smiled lazily up at her. “How come you never want to cuddle?” he asked, sitting up and leaning on his elbows.

  “If I wanted to cuddle, I’d get a dog,” she replied.

  “I thought we were supposed to be friends with benefits,” Max said. “Come cuddle,” he lunged forward and grabbed the hem of her bathrobe, pulling her back down onto the bed with him.

  “We are,” she said, playfully slapping at his pawing hands. “And the benefit is that we get to have sex with each other, no strings attached.”

  “So we can’t even snuggle?”

  Kate shook her head and tried to wriggle away, but Max held on tight. He managed to swing his leg over the top of hers and pin her down. Kate, unable to resist, allowed him to kiss her.

  “We can’t even snuggle a little?”

  Groaning, Kate sat up and shoved with all of her might. Max flopped back onto the bed, laughing. “What is it with you? The whole point of this was so that we could call each other up and have sex whenever we wanted, not get all kissy and cuddly.” She tightened the knot on her bathrobe and raked her fingers through her hair. “Why do you have to keep making it so complicated?”

  “Why do you have to keep fighting this?” Max asked.

  “Fighting what?”

  “This. Us. I don’t know why you’re so against giving us a shot. A real shot,” he added, before she could protest. “We get along great. We have lots of fun. The sex is great. Why not just see what it’s like as a couple?”

  “Because, Max. We were friends first. And if the whole couple thing doesn’t work out, how do we go back to being friends?”

  Max sat up and scooted to the edge of the bed. He reached for her again, but this time he held his hand out instead of grabbing at her. Kate placed her hand in his and allowed him to gently tug her closer. “I think what you’re really afraid of is that it just might work out, and we’ll be an awesome couple.”

  Kate looked down at him and ran her fingers through his thick, dark, choppy hair. She wished she believed that what Max was saying was true… “I don’t know, Max…”

  Max put his hands in the air. “I don’t want to rush you, Kate. I just want you to think about it.”

  Kate nodded and took a step back from Max again so that he could get to his feet. It seemed like every other time they got together like this, they ended up having this same conversation. She watched as he went around the room, gathering articles of clothing and pulling them on.

  He was adorable, he had a good job, and they really did get along well. But they had been friends first, and that’s what scared Kate the most. She was worried enough about the whole “friends with benefits” thing going awry; she didn’t want to get wrapped up in a relationship with Max, only to have it flop and destroy their friendship.

  Because that would ultimately destroy her friendships with Chris, Kevin, and Jackson as well. Well, maybe not Jackson; she’d known him for too long. But if it came to taking sides after a bad breakup between mutual friends, Chris and Kevin would most definitely side with Max. And she didn’t want to lose them. Aside from Lucy and Jackson, the guys were her only friends.

  *

  Kate stared down at the cards in her hand, hoping that she didn’t show any signs of excitement at what she’d been dealt. A pair of aces, a diamond and a heart. Max dealt the flop. King of hearts. Two of hearts. Three of hearts. She looked around the table. It was just her against Chris, the last two players of the evening. Chris had managed to take out Jackson, Kevin and Max, and now for the past hour, he had been doing battle with Kate, who’d managed to whittle his pile of chips down so that they were pretty equal. Max was dealing; Jackson and Kevin were both leaning forward, elbows on the table, watching the game. Kate assumed they were somehow figuring out what cards she and Chris had in their hands. She wished she was better at the game or that she could pay better attention to what cards had been played, but somehow she managed just fine. Chris checked.

  She checked. Max dealt the next card. Nine of clubs.

  She studied the cards on the table. If Chris had kings, he could possibly have three of a kind. Or maybe he was working on a straight with the two and three. And the nine… Ugh. She n
ever understood how the guys could figure out what their opponent held in their hands. He checked, then looked at her and raised his eyebrows, daring her to take her turn.

  She checked again. Max dealt the river. Queen of hearts. Another heart. With her pocket cards, she had an ace high flush. She looked at the cards on the table to make sure that she was really counting five hearts. I’ve got this! Kate thought. Chris studied his hand and then checked again.

  Kate paused and considered her stack of chips thoughtfully. “I’m all in,” she said, taking a deep breath. Max let out a whistle and Kevin winked at her. Chris’s head jerked up and he looked at her in surprise. His mouth twitched and Kate prayed that he would think that she was bluffing. However, he took his time, comparing his stack with Kate’s.

  I’ve got more chips than him, so if he calls, I’ll take him out and the game will be over! Kate slid her stack of chips into the middle of the table.

  After a few moments’ deliberation, Chris finally nodded, flipping his cards over. “I’ll call,” he said.

  Kate leaned over the table and looked at the pair of kings that Chris had chucked onto the felt. Combined with the king on the community cards, his hand was a three of a kind. Kate beamed.

  “Flush,” she grinned. “Ace high. Good night, boys!”

  Chris groaned.

  Max shook his head. “Dude!” he exclaimed.

  “Loser cleans up the chips,” she said, winking at Chris and draining her bottle of beer. She stood and grabbed the five twenty-dollar bills from the middle of the table. She made her way around the table and said goodbye to each of the boys: she bent and kissed Jackson on the cheek, threw her arms around Kevin’s neck, fist-bumped Max, and tousled Chris’s hair. She gathered her purse, tucked her money into her wallet, and grinned as all the guys gave Chris a good ribbing about losing to a girl.

  “Sure you don’t want to head out with us? We might go to the Sand Bar. Or the Porthole,” Jackson said.

  “I think I’ll just head home,” she replied.

  “I’ll walk you out,” Kevin said.

  She said good night and slipped out with Kevin before the guys could press her to join them out on the town. Usually after their Saturday night poker game, the guys ended up at the Sand Bar or some similar dive bar, drinking their winnings away. Kate, on the other hand, preferred just getting out of her dress, kicking off her heels, and crawling into bed.

  Saturdays were long, busy days for Kate. As a wedding planner, she met with brides all week long, and then months of planning culminated in often multiple wedding celebrations on Saturday. Kate had just wrapped up the wedding of two high school sweethearts, both recently graduated from college. The couple was so young Kate swore the groom hadn’t even begun shaving yet. It was a beautiful wedding, but of course, it always was, when Kate helped organize it.

  “You should come out with us more often,” Kevin said, as they strolled across the parking lot.

  “I will, one of these nights,” Kate said, unlocking her car door. “Promise.” She flashed him a smile and got into her car.

  On the way home, she rolled the windows down and turned the radio up loud. She drummed on the steering wheel and hummed as she drove, looking forward to getting home and getting into her pajamas.

  Kate let herself into her house quietly and tossed her briefcase and purse on the couch. All the lights were off, so she knew her roommate, Lucy, was asleep.

  Lucy was dating Jackson, whom Kate had just won twenty dollars from at poker. Even though they’d known each other since high school, they were still supposedly in the “taking it slow” stages of their relationship, with Lucy having broken off her engagement and Jackson in the midst of a divorce. Kate was glad that her two friends were taking things slow. She had all the confidence in the world that Lucy and Jackson were meant to be together, but Kate had to admit, it was nice having someone to share the house with. And if things with Lucy and Jackson ever got serious, she’d be all on her own again.

  In her room, Kate quickly shed the cocktail dress she’d worn to the wedding that evening and replaced it in the closet. She kicked her shoes into the closet and stood at the bathroom sink in her underwear, scrubbing the makeup off of her face. She grabbed her nightshirt off the bathroom doorknob and pulled it over her head. She had just squirted a line of toothpaste on her toothbrush when she thought she heard a car pull up into the driveway.

  Sticking her toothbrush in her mouth, she crossed her bedroom and peered through the blinds and out the window overlooking the front yard. Sure enough, there was a car parked right behind hers. And she knew just who it belonged to.

  Kate hurried into the living room and to the front door before he could ring the bell. She flung the door open.

  “You left in a mighty big hurry,” Max said, his hand poised to ring the doorbell.

  “Not tonight, Max,” she said, her toothbrush poking out of her mouth.

  “What? Do you have a headache?” Max whispered, letting himself in.

  Knowing that it was pointless to try to stop him, Kate let him follow her into her room. Max closed the door softly behind him and immediately started getting undressed.

  “Max!” Kate said his name like a warning.

  Max plopped down on the edge of the bed, kicking his flip-flops and jeans out of the way. “What?” he asked.

  “You know what,” Kate replied, bending over the sink and brushing her teeth. She pulled her hair back out of her face and could feel her cheeks growing hot. She knew that Max was sitting there on the corner of the bed, just watching her. She finished brushing, swished and spit, and then, drying her mouth on the hand towel, looked up at Max.

  “I once read somewhere that if you have a headache, that sometimes an orgasm can release that tension, causing your headache to go…”

  Kate closed the door on him and leaned back against it. She wasn’t sure what the problem was. Max was definitely a good looking guy. The sex was always good. She just wanted more than that. And even though he was constantly pressing her to give their relationship some more serious thought, she just wasn’t sure if it would work with him.

  “Okay, fine,” Max said from the other side of the door. “I’ll be good, if we can just spoon. Please?”

  Shaking her head, Kate opened the door. “Just spoon? Seriously?”

  Max nodded.

  Kate studied his face. He looked serious enough. “Okay, come on,” Kate said. “But don’t try anything. I have to get up early in the morning. And you better be out before I leave.” She crawled across the bed and curled up on her side, with Max close behind her. He scooted up behind her so that he cupped her close with his body; his chest against her back, his knees against the backs of her knees, their feet intertwined.

  *

  Kate awoke at seven when her alarm went off. She could hear Lucy puttering around in the kitchen, so she didn’t bother to hit snooze. She got out of bed and stretched, noticing that all of Max’s clothes were gone. He must have left bright and early, like he usually did when they’d had one of their encounters. Kate went to the bathroom and headed out into the living room, expecting to see Lucy sitting at the kitchen counter.

  Instead, it was Max. Eating a doughnut.

  “What are you doing?” Kate hissed.

  The refrigerator door closed and Lucy leaned against the counter, pouring orange juice into a glass in front of Max.

  “I… was just… leaving?” Max began, licking the powdered sugar off of his lips.

  Lucy grinned. “I scared the crap out of him coming out of your room this morning, so I invited him to have breakfast with me. I went out and bought doughnuts and he came out just as I got back.”

  Kate shook her head. “Great.” She hopped up onto the stool next to Max as Lucy poured her a glass of juice as well. “Nothing happened,” she said.

  Lucy opened the box, selected a sticky glazed doughnut, and took a bite. “You don’t have to explain to me.”

  Max finished his doughnut. “Ho
nestly, I just came over and spent the night. Nothing happened.”

  Lucy held her hands up in the air. “Whatever you guys do is fine with me,” she said.

  “We, um, just don’t want anybody to know,” Kate said. “Like Jackson,” she added.

  Max nodded in agreement.

  “Don’t worry. This is all your business. I won’t say anything,” Lucy said.

  “I better go,” Max said, sliding off his stool. He looked at Kate for a minute and then held out a fist. She fist-bumped him.

  “I’ll call you,” she said.

  Max gave Lucy a quick hug and then let himself out. Shaking her head, Lucy hopped up next to Kate and shook her head. “Girl… What are you doing?”

  “Nothing happened.”

  “I come home from the store to find him sneaking out of your room, scare the living daylights out of him, and nothing happened?”

  “I swear. Cross my heart. We just spooned!” Kate exclaimed.

  “Spooned?” Lucy giggled. “You expect me to believe that a guy like Max came over and you just… cuddled? Riiiight.”

  “I swear! It’s not like that with Max!”

  “It’s not like what with Max?”

  Kate took a sip of orange juice. “I don’t have feelings like that for Max. He’s not the kind of guy you end up having a relationship with.”

  “But he’s the guy who comes by at night so you can spoon?”

  Kate groaned. “I mean, he’s the kind of guy you hook up with every now and then, but you don’t date him.”

  “So you have hooked up with him?” Lucy grinned.

  Kate smacked Lucy playfully on the arm. “Just don’t say anything to Jackson, please?”

  *

  Kate pulled her stack of papers off the printer and sat down at her desk to file her notes on the weddings she supervised the day before. Julia stuck her head in the door. “I’m out of here,” she said, slipping her sunglasses on. “Allie isn’t feeling well.”

  “Oh, I hope she’s all right,” Kate said, spreading her clients’ folders out on her desk.