Friends with Benefits

by Amy Brent

  “This is a private elevator.” he explained. “When you arrive for work, you can get a manager to let you up.”

  I thanked him, and tried not to watch too closely as he dialed a number into the pin-pad on the wall. The elevator doors slid elegantly open, and before I knew it we were inside.

  “You live where you work?” I stammered, trying to be witty. “Talk about a short commute!”

  He smiled and said, “One of the many things that makes me lucky. The best one you’re about to meet: my daughter, Maggie.”

  The elevator slid to a halt. It opened, revealing a view of a large door with an ornate brass lock. In silence, and with a grin on his face, Roger opened the door.

  I gasped. The penthouse inside was incredible. Huge, continuous windows lined the far war of the living room, giving me a million dollar view of the New York skyline. Comfortable but expensive furniture stood on oriental rugs, making the place look like it had survived in a time capsule for a hundred years, that’s how fancy and ornate everything was. Then, there was the size. As we strode inside, I could see already a living room, a billiards room, a kitchen, a dining room, and a library – all branching off from the site of the front door. Each, by all appearances, had a fully-stocked, working fireplace, and enough decorations to please a museum.

  “Wow,” I muttered under my breath. I wandered further in like a woman under a spell.

  “Dad?” A soft voice interrupted, making me jump. I whirled, and saw a young girl, balled up in silk pajamas probably worth a grand, emerging from one of the darker hallways to greet her father and me.

  “Maggie!” Exclaimed Roger, scooping her up and whirling her through the air. I could tell by the surprised look in her eyes that this was not Roger’s usual behavior – but it was also a behavior she was not opposed to.

  “Is this her?” She asked, her glance slicing right towards me. By the appraisal in her gaze, I could tell immediately that this girl was smart, and not one to be taken lightly.

  “It is,” I answered for him, striding forward to shake her hand, just as if she were an adult. “I’m Danielle, and I’m here to help out around here. Homework. Chores. Whatever you need.”

  She raised an eyebrow. “You mean you’re my nanny?”

  I shrugged. “I figured a girl like you seemed a little old for a ‘nanny’ – but yes, if you want to call me that. I am your nanny.”

  Maggie’s eyes narrowed. I could tell that I’d surprised her. She was realizing that she was going to have to watch what she said around me. That was good.

  “Okay, Maggie,” interrupted Roger. “Why don’t you go get ready for school? I’ll give Danielle the tour, so she’s ready when you are. Got it?”

  “Yes, sir,” she said. She was eyeing her father mysteriously. He, for his part, kept glancing from Maggie to me, a huge grin on his face. Suddenly, I felt like I’d become the punchline to somebody’s joke without even realizing it.

  It was an uncomfortable feeling.

  Maggie went back to her room to change, while her father beckoned me to sit down on the living room couch. Then, he went to the kitchen.

  “To celebrate,” he said, raising a bottle of champagne and two empty glasses. “I know it’s morning, but hey! This could be the start of many fine mornings for the pair of us.”

  I blushed, and accepted his offer. Normally, I would not have drank so early in the day, but I had studied enough about champagne to know that this was a very good bottle. Turning it down would be like locking yourself in a dark room on a bright and sunny day.

  I sipped. It was delicious, but I forced myself to remember that I was at work. “So, Roger, tell me about your daughter. I can tell right off the bat that she is very sharp.”

  Roger sighed, sipping deeply from his glass. “She is, she is. And I wouldn’t be looking for a nanny at all, except that her grades suddenly went haywire…”

  I listened to him explain how, even after her mother’s death – A widower! I had thought guiltily – Maggie had continued to do very well, until, just – BOOM! I listened carefully, and wondered, What is this girl up to?

  She emerged a few minutes later, looking very smart in a preppy school uniform. She informed us that she was going to school, gave me a scrutinizing look, and left.

  Roger handed me a laptop. “All her curriculum information is right there. I want you to spend today getting acquainted with what she’s learning, so you can better help her with her homework. Help yourself to anything in the fridge, and feel free to order out. All the local restaurants have my tab.”

  I blinked at him, feeling suddenly nervous. “You want me to stay here all day and…study? Are these paid hours, sir?”

  I felt shitty even asking, but I had to know.

  “Of course!” He exclaimed. “Every moment you’re here is paid! I will spare no expenses for my daughter!”

  “Damn right,” I muttered under my breath. This guy was so unreal, half the time he seemed too good to be true, and the other half he seemed crazy. I took a moment to wonder what he’d been like as a husband. Had he been this eager to please?

  Smiling to himself, Roger took our empty glasses and brought them to the sink. I was surprised to see that he didn’t have a butler – but, I realized, some men like their privacy. I took another moment to wonder what he was like as a bachelor.

  “Okay, Danielle. I’m off. I have hotels to run. If you need anything, here is my cell phone number. Don’t hesitate to call.”

  “Yes, sir,” I replied timidly. Here is was, this handsome billionaire, giving me his number. Even though it was for business reasons, I still felt overwhelmed.

  He bid me a jaunty farewell, donned a traveling cloak, and left, leaving me all alone in this huge, expensive apartment.

  “Holy shit!” I exclaimed, leaping into the air with joy. How lucky could I be? One night I’d been in New York and already I’d landed a greatly paid job for Roger fucking Clifton.

  Still, I could not help but feel a twinge of sadness. My dream was to work in hospitality. And working for Roger, in his hotel, not as his nanny would have been amazing. Not only amazing, but perfect. Incredible. An answer to my dreams.

  “Still, Danielle,” I told myself. “You have to start somewhere.”

  Therefore, I sat down with the laptop, and began to work.

  Chapter 7

  Roger

  The whole rest of the day I was distracted. I stared off into the distance at business meetings, was late for an interview with the board, and all in all acted like a sloppy intern rather than the head of a large hotel conglomerate. Not that it mattered much though. Since Victoria’s death, I had been maintaining, really. Since I’d worked so hard in the beginning to make sure my hotels ran smoothly, they didn’t take that much effort now to keep up.

  I kept wondering about Danielle, and how she was doing with Maggie’s schoolwork. She seemed a smart girl, but one could never be sure when it came to academics. Twenty years’ business experience certainly taught me that. It therefore was some great excitement and also trepidation that I went home with that night. Maggie will have arrived before me, which meant she and Danielle would already be working together by the time I got home.

  I took the elevator up, opened the door to my apartment, and was greeted by a sight that at once filled me with contentment, and struck me in the gut.

  You see, Danielle and Maggie were sitting together at the kitchen table, bent over their labors with identical frowns of concentration. It pleased me that they were working so hard, but what wrenched at my heart was how much the pair of them reminded me of how Victoria and Maggie used to look, before she died. For a moment, the grief was so great that I considered firing Danielle on the spot, but then Maggie looked up at me and smiled.

  “We’re doing great, right Danielle?” She exclaimed, nudging her nanny with her elbow. Danielle jumped, then looked up as well, a broad smile blooming on her face.

  “Excellent,” she agreed, and then Maggie leapt to her feet.r />
  “I’ll go wash up for dinner!” She declared, giving me a swift hug before dashing off to the bathroom.

  I sat down beside Danielle. “Is it really going that smoothly?” I asked. “After all those weeks of tantrums?”

  Danielle blushed. “Actually,” she admitted, “it was a little rocky at first. It’s been a long time since I’ve done any of this, and I was rusty. But Maggie! She knew it instantly, and has in fact been tutoring me!”

  She leaned in then to whisper the following words. I could not help but glance down her blouse as she did so. “Actually,” she murmured. “That’s a really good strategy for smart but troubled kids. When they feel that someone else is depending on them, they jump into action.”

  “Right,” I said, shaking my head as I tried to marshal my thoughts. Her breasts were amazing, even in that modest shirt. I had to force myself to keep from staring.

  Come on, Roger! I scolded internally. You told yourself you’d focus on Maggie! And that probably means not jumping right into her nanny’s panties.

  Though, I’m sure, they were titillating wonderful panties.

  After that, Maggie emerged, and the three of us sat down to dinner. I’m sure whatever the chefs sent up was delicious, but to be frank I was far too distracted to notice. I was busy watching Maggie and Danielle laugh and talk together. I felt like it had been ages since I’d seen her so animated. Even I, who usually ate in silence or read business reports, found myself joining in on the conversation. Danielle was sweet and naive, that was clear, but underneath that I sensed a tough earthiness that lead me to believe she could excel in any kitchen, with any family – even one as broken as mine. This made me glad, for it confirmed for me that she was a good choice. Her hiring process hadn’t exactly been conventional, remember.

  After plenty of chatter, and a bowl of ice cream for Maggie, my daughter went off to bed, leaving Danielle and I alone.

  “A drink?” I offered, rising and heading to the liquor cabinet.

  “Why, thank you,” Danielle said, nodding happily. I was glad she wasn’t a prude or a teetotaler. I bet that would have annoyed me over time.

  “So tell me about your brothers,” I asked, genuinely interested. I felt like any story this woman told had life automatically breathed into it. She was vivacious and open, and actually looked forward to the future.

  It occurred to me that I hadn’t talked to anybody like that in a long time. Maybe it was her youth. Maybe it was just something unique about her.

  Either way, I intended to find out.

  Before we knew it, we had shifted from the table to the couch. Hoping to show off just a little, I used a remote to dim the lighting, switch on soft piano music, and light a fire in the automatic fireplace, all at once.

  Danielle grinned, obviously impressed, and I felt her thigh touching mine. It was electric, her flesh as hot as the fire.

  What are you doing, Roger? A small voice fought to be heard in the back of my brain. This is Maggie’s nanny!

  Yes, she is, a more confident voice interrupted. But this feels really good. And it’s been so long…

  I trailed off. I didn’t want to follow where that trail led. It was probably dangerous.

  Instead, I filled our glasses yet again, and shifted even closer to her on the couch.

  My hand found its way to her knee. I swear it did it of its own accord, but as soon as my fingers closed around the delicate muscles there my brain instantly went, Ah. That’s good. I found myself leaning closer, smelling the sweet perfume of her hair, loving the way the shadows flowed like liquid down between her breasts.

  I paused, right in front of her, my lips parted and waiting. I could feel her breath on my skin, and I knew she could feel mine, too.

  Like some leaping into a mountain spring, she closed her eyes and closed that final gap.

  Our lips touched. She was delicious, soft, smooth, warm. I kissed her, not thinking about it, for once in my life not thinking about it, just enjoying it. My god, it felt so good to be enjoying myself…

  My hand shifted down further between her legs, loving how strong and smooth they felt. Warmth was growing there, and I dipped down between her thighs, eager to find what was waiting there –

  “Oh!” Danielle gasped, suddenly leaping to her feet. She yanked down her skirt from where I had shifted it up, and like a doe darted to the other side of the room.

  “I really must be going!” She squeaked, her face pale and her hands shaky. “I’ll see you tomorrow! Bye!”

  And like that, she was gone.

  “What the hell, Roger?” I moaned, half in annoyance and half to cool down the throbbing hard-on I had forming between my legs. “That was Maggie’s nanny! Her nanny! And you fucked it all up!”

  Grumbling to myself, knowing that I needed to apologize to Danielle – but also knowing that I should wait until I was less buzzed and horny – I went to bed. There, in the privacy of my own thoughts, I could finish what Danielle and I had started.

  As I worked my hand up and down my shaft, ready to pop, I did not envision any of my typical finishing shots. I wanted her to have the real deal. Though some might say it’s not as “erotic”, I finished to the thought of her on her back, with me on top, pumping her full to the brim with my manhood.

  Chapter 8

  Danielle

  As soon as I left that apartment, I wanted to go back. Embarrassment pounded through me. He wanted you, Danielle, and you fucked it up! I kept thinking over and over. And it’s not like I didn’t want him! Just thinking of those blue-grey eyes, the rich, textured hair, and the way you could tell he had a six pack even through his tailored suit made me want to…

  Ahh!

  That was the problem. As badly as I wanted it, to feel his manhood throbbing in my hand, I was absolutely terrified. Roger was so…cultured. Sophisticated. Experienced. How would a silly little virgin like me even keep up with him? How could I possibly please him?

  I was terrified, so I left.

  Though it was getting late, I knew that Veronica would be available. Immediately I called her, and asked her to meet me at a bar after she got out of work. After all, with my new hourly wage, I could afford to knock back a few – or many – at a New York pub. I arrived early, and began doing just that.

  Veronica must have sensed that something was wrong by the look on my face, for as soon as she walked in, a knowing, sympathetic smile stretched across her lips.

  “What’s the matter, sweetie?” She said, patting me on the shoulder. “Did the new job blow up already?”

  “Not exactly,” I said, then launched into the story of what happened. Veronica listened in wide-eyed silence until I petered out self-consciously.

  “Oh, Danielle, Danielle,” she replied at last. “He was just drunk and horny, that’s all. He’d go for any pussy available. Men like that always do.”

  As soon as I heard her say, “Men like that,” I got annoyed. What the hell did she know about Roger? But I waited as she continued on anyway.

  “Quit overreacting,” she advised. “I don’t think you need to worry about him harassing you or anything. He’s probably not really that interested. I mean, why would he be?”

  I had nothing to say to that, for I was thinking exactly the same thing.

  Veronica sipped her cocktail. “Either way, you made your intentions clear. You weren’t interested, so now he definitely won’t care.”

  “But, Veronica,” I said hesitantly. “I think I am interested. He seems like a really great guy. Loves his daughter and everything. It’s just…as soon as he started touching me, I freaked out.”

  Veronica laughed, snorting into her mai tai. “Well, you better get over that reaction real fast,” she said, “or you’ll never lose that virginity.”

  I nodded grimly, knowing it was true. It’s not that I was so desperate to toss my V-card. It was more that I thought it was getting in the way of having actual relationships. Like everything would be so much easier once it was gone.


  “You’re right, Vee,” I said tiredly. “As usual. Now, I should get going home. You want to split a cab?”

  “No, thanks,” she said, eyeing some guys down the bar. “I think I’ll find my own way tonight. See you later!”

  “Later,” I mumbled, then got up, paid my bill, and left.

  Strangely, my conversation with Veronica had not made me feel much better, and by the time I got back to the apartment I was convinced not only that I’d die an old spinster, but that I’d lost my first job in the bargain. Those grim thoughts followed me down into my sleep, giving me troubled, and fitful dreams. At least tomorrow is Saturday, I kept thinking. You can sleep in. He won’t both firing you until Monday at least.

  So, when Roger Clifton called the next morning, I was both confused and terrified. Instantly awake, my hand shot to my phone, answered, and held it trembling to my ear.

  “Danielle!” He exclaimed, sounding way too excited for anyone on a Saturday morning. He definitely didn’t sound angry.

  “Yes, Mr. Clifton?” I replied. “Is something the matter? Do you need me to come into work today?”

  He chuckled. “No, no. Maggie is fine. She’s got her equestrian lessons all morning, anyway. Actually, though, I was hoping I could see you – for a, uh, non-working endeavor.”

  My mouth hung open, unsure of how to respond. Was he hitting on me again? Why, after last night’s disaster?