Friends with Benefits

by Amy Brent

“That’s okay.” I felt her little hand wrap around my waist. For a long time, we simply held each other close.

  At last, she said, “But you’re still upset about something.”

  “Yes, dear. You heard Danielle talking, and she’s mentioned it to me before. Hospitality has been a dream of hers forever, not nannying.”

  “So?”

  “So I could give her her dream job. Concierge. Manager. Maître d’. In a second, I could make all her dreams come true.”

  Maggie’s eyes glowed. “But Daddy, that’s wonderful! What’s the problem?”

  “Well…it would mean that she would stop being your nanny.”

  “Oh.” She looked at the floor. She was still small enough that her feet didn’t touch the tiles.

  “I know how happy you’ve been. How happy we’ve both been. And if it were just me, I’d offer her the spot in an instant, but it’s you I’ve got to worry about. You’re the most important woman in my live, Mags. I hope you always know that.”

  “I know it, Dad,” she said, and kissed me on the nose. Then, she took a deep breath and began organizing her papers, suddenly businesslike.

  “It’s obvious what we should do,” she said. “We’ve got to give Danielle the job. It would be selfish otherwise, don’t you think?”

  I gazed down at her, so mature and articulate. Her sufferings could have easily made her a spoiled brat, but they didn’t. Instead, they’d made her wise beyond her years. Smart, caring, and considerate. So much like her mother.

  And, I thought, so much like Danielle.

  “I think you’re right,” I said at last, and I have to admit my voice cracked a little. “I love you, Maggie.”

  “I love you too, Dad.”

  And then we spent the evening together, just her and me.

  Chapter 16

  Danielle

  I spent the whole night trying not to worry about Roger. I knew something was bugging him. I was also fairly confident that, whatever it was, we would be okay. I think we liked each other enough for our relationship to survive the minor squabbles.

  That still didn’t stop me from worrying, though.

  What compounded my anxiety further, however, was that I’d still not seen Veronica. She had plenty of friends in this crazy metropolis, so I wasn’t worried about her having somewhere to sleep. I was more worried about our friendship. We’d left off after saying some pretty mean things to each other, and I wanted to make it right.

  The next morning was one of my days off, so I slept in, watched TV for a while, read, cooked, and cleaned the house. It was nice to be both productive and lazy, but I’ll admit it – I was lonely and bored. I wanted one of them – at least Roger or Veronica – to call. I didn’t know which one would call first.

  So when my phone buzzed that afternoon, I answered it eagerly.

  “Hello?”

  “Hello? Danielle?”

  It was Roger. That deep, steady, constantly cheerful voice was definitely not Veronica’s.

  “Hey, Roger,” I said.

  “Hey, Danielle…I wanted to apologize for yesterday. I snapped at you because I was upset. You did nothing wrong.”

  “Thank you, Roger. I appreciate that.” Then, I hesitated. Would he explain why he was angry? The silence seemed to stretch out between us for ages, far longer the geographical distance of the call.

  Finally, he said, “I’m calling to offer you a job.”

  An immediate, confused panic set in. Offer me a job? Did that mean I no longer had one? Was he firing me?

  “Am I…what are you talking about?”

  “I know that your dream has always been to work in hospitality. Well, I just talked to Rita, and she agrees that, with some training, you would make the perfect concierge, and we’d like to offer you the job. Are you interested?”

  Was I interested? Christ, it took all my self-control not to leap into the air shouting stupid phrases like, “Gee whiz!” And “Gollie!”

  “Yes, I’m interested!” I squeaked. It was all I could manage. I felt like somebody had kicked off a sunny rock concert in my brain, equipped with cymbals and a cheering crowd and all.

  Then, something occurred to me. A dark cloud over my sunlit festival concert. “But…what about Maggie?” I said.

  Roger answered immediately. “I talked to her about it, and she agrees that this is the best thing for both of you. She promises to keep working hard, and that her grades will stay up, of course.”

  “Really?” I asked. I needed to make sure it was real. That this whole thing wasn’t a dream, that I wouldn’t wake up sticky and hungover in my apartment bed.

  “Yes, Danielle. Really. Can you come to the hotel tomorrow at nine? Meet Rita in the lobby?”

  “Of course! Of course!” Hell, I would have met her on Mars at four in the morning, if that’s what he wanted.

  I was going to be a concierge!

  Roger must have heard my excitement, for he was now chuckling over the phone. “So that’s when you need to come into work,” he said, “but I was wondering if perhaps you wanted to come in today to celebrate. A bottle of champagne and some lovemaking on the roof of the hotel, perhaps? I can make sure we aren’t interrupted.”

  I thought about that. Pictured the pair of us sprawled out on a red checkered blanket, drinking expensive booze and gazing upward at the glowing city skyline.

  It was perfect. Utterly perfect. Everything – all of it. All of my dreams were coming true!

  I was still worried about Maggie, but I figured that being Roger’s girlfriend was an equally good way of keeping an eye on her.

  “Of course, Roger!” I gushed. “That sounds wonderful! I’ll meet you in an hour?”

  “I’ll send the car.”

  The car! A cherry on a lovely and already very delicious cake.

  We said goodbye, and as soon as he hung up I leapt to my feet and began getting dressed. I couldn’t exactly go to Roger Clifton’s sexy roof date looking like a schlub, now could I? As I prepared, I decided to call Jacob. I realized that I hadn’t spoken to him to a while, and despite all the exciting things going on in New York, I still missed my family.

  “That’s awesome, Danielle, fucking amazing!” He said over speakerphone, after I told him about my new job. He knew how much it meant to me, so he could really appreciate the news.

  After that, I went on to tell him all about Roger. At first, I was worried he’d react like Veronica, but he simply said, “Hey, I know you got a good head on your shoulders. If you trust this guy, then so do I. Just don’t forget about us little men, huh?”

  I laughed. I could only imagine my family’s reaction when they found out I was dating an amazing billionaire. I really didn’t want to make it about the money – because it wasn’t – but I had to admit that that was fun to say: I am dating an amazing billionaire.

  Eventually, with my lashes mascaraed and my body squeezed into a snug little sun dress, I told Jacob that I loved him, hung up, and then dashed outside.

  Roger’s driver was right on time, as usual. I started chatting with him from the get-go, finding out that his name was Gregory and that he was a really nice guy. I was feeling really good by the time we arrived at the hotel. Everyone around me, whether they were humble chauffeurs or extravagant billionaires, seemed decent and honest and kind.

  They’re all wrong about the city, I thought. Everyone’s great.

  I said goodbye to Gregory, entered the hotel, and was about to make my way to the private elevator. I was surprised, therefore, to see Roger standing in front of the main ones, looking sexy but incredibly mundane in a pair of khaki shorts and a polo shirt, carrying a basket.

  “Can’t get to the roof from my elevator,” he explained. “So today, we’re roughing it.”

  There was a ding as the main elevator door opened.

  “Right,” I giggled. “Roughing it.” Even from where I stood, I could see that his picnic basket contained a five hundred dollar bottle of wine, several expensive cheeses, and a b
owl of freshly picked exotic fruits. He kissed me, and I felt the happy feeling in my heart spread all the way from the chest down to my toes.

  We rode the elevator up in high fashion, giggling every time someone else entered. The people we ran into kept casting us confused looks, but I suppose they knew better than to give Roger Clifton and his girlfriend a hard time.

  His girlfriend. I had to try very hard not to squeal.

  Eventually, we made it to the top, where a security guard in a black cap unlocked a door for us.

  “Make sure we’re not disturbed,” said Roger, all serious and stern. About five seconds later we both cracked up laughing. It was in these straights that we emerged, panting, onto the roof.

  What I saw took my breath away.

  The city – the whole city! Every landmark and side street, every gleam and shadow, opened in a magnificent vista before us. Even the roof itself was beautiful, with cobblestone walkways like one would find in a garden and enormous potted plants everywhere. The day was sunny and warm, but not too hot, and I have to admit I would have been hard pressed to imagine a more idyllic spot.

  I was so enraptured by the view that I didn’t even notice Roger setting up the blanket until he beckoned me to turn around.

  There he was, lying on a red blanket in the sun, surrounded by leafy ferns that cast just enough shade to be comfortable. He had two full glasses of wine, and the open bottle beside him.

  “Come here, Danielle,” he said. “Let’s celebrate.”

  Within ten minutes, all that wine, cheese, and fruit had been forgotten. We were lying naked in each other’s arms, our clothing tossed carelessly beside the food.

  He kissed me, long and deep. He tasted of port and fruit juice, a well suited mix. His tongue was warm and soft, exploring my own as we lost ourselves in our embrace.

  As my whole body warmed to his touch, he pulled away and said, “Let me show you how a woman like you can be rewarded.”

  We started on my stomach. His body shielded me from the sun, and felt myself in a warm and dark cocoon, surrounded by pleasures. He rubbed his cock against my butt, the inside of my legs, warming me up, making sure I was soaking wet before he entered me. He kissed behind my ears, and all the while, his hands shifted under me, stroking and squeezing my tits until I felt utterly melted by pleasure.

  Then, with his body completely on top of mine, his chest on my back, his hips over my butt, he entered me.

  It was a slow penetration, less like being doused in hot water then stepping into a warm pool. I moaned into the blanket, loving how soft and comfortable it felt, and how, with him on top of me like this, I felt entirely enveloped. I was his, and he was mine, and together we were joining into one single being of pleasure.

  I felt my orgasm building, in rhythm to his panting on my neck. It was a full body thing, not just in my pussy, and when it finally hit, my whole being shook and trembled and rocked with the strength of it until all the strength went out of me, and I felt myself a warm puddle on the ground. I expected him to finish, too, but he did not. He must have thought that my endurance was growing, for he slid out of me, and whispered, “Get up.”

  Get up. Easier said than done when you’ve just had your brains fucked out of you. I took a deep breath, focused on sending my awareness to the more relevant parts of my body, and finally managed to stagger up onto my elbows.

  That’s when I felt Roger’s arms encircle me, and heave me off the ground.

  “Whoa!” I gasped, as I felt myself spun through the air. Automatically, my legs closed around him, fastening around his back in a sort of martial-arts grip. I buried my forehead against his neck, breathing in his warmth, the smell of strength and mastery.

  My butt touched cool stone. He had set me down on one of the garden walls, which was the perfect height to match me sitting with his standing.

  He entered me. I gasped in pleasure in through my arms around him, latching on as he began to thrust.

  “Did…you…design…the walls…to be this height?” I panted as he pummeled me. He chuckled in response and kissed my neck, but did not answer.

  It was incredible. The sun on my shoulders, his arms wrapped around me, holding me close, and that deep penetration as he rocked me to my core. Each thrust struck my innermost self, the deepest any man could have gone.

  “I’m gonna cum in you,” he grunted, and I felt him speeding up. Eager to help, I squeezed my legs tighter around him, and I felt the muscles of my pussy clasping in response.

  He groaned. His hands became frantic on my back. My nipples rubbed against the hair of his chest, spiking my whole body with pleasure. Then, all at once, he exploded.

  Rich, creamy, red-hot wetness spread inside me. My vision blotted out, and I was aware of nothing but the pulsing of his cock as he pumped me full. His breaths came in great heaves against my skin, slowly diminishing along with his thrusts. I could feel him trembling, a fine sweat filming his skin.

  With him still inside me, he scooped me off the wall and placed me gently back on the picnic blanket. I felt like I’d just ridden in an incredible rollercoaster, and now the train was pulling back into the station. His warm dick softened and slid out of me, leaving us both breathing deeply and basking in the sun.

  “Think planes can see us?” I asked dreamily, nuzzling into his shoulder.

  He laughed. “Well, if they can, then we’ve given them quite a show.”

  Together we lied there, stirring only for a bite of cheese or a drink, until the sun dipped below the New York skyline.

  Chapter 17

  Roger

  It was Monday. The morning after Danielle started her first day as the concierge. I deliberately left my lunch schedule open so I could check in and see how she was doing. I rode my elevator down into the lobby, spotted Rita sitting at the manager’s desk, and made a beeline right for her.

  “So, how’s she doing? Is she great?” I asked, without salutation.

  Rita looked at me, a smile quivering on the corner of her lips.

  “Who?” She asked.

  “You know damn well who, Rita! Danielle!”

  Her smile broadened.

  “She is doing…”

  “Yes? Yes?”

  “Very well, Roger.”

  “I knew it!” I exclaimed, though my sigh of relief sounded like a punctured paper bag. Rita giggled at me.

  “She is young, definitely, and inexperienced,” she said, “but I bet, within a few weeks, she’ll be like an old pro. And given a few years, she could be the best of the best.”

  “That’s good,” I said, feeling warm and mellow. Had part of me been worried that I’d been thinking too much with my dick rather than my brain, and that Danielle might not be qualified? Perhaps part of me. A very small, businesslike part of me.

  Rita seemed to have read my mind, for a second later she said, “Don’t worry, Roger. Your dick made a good decision this time.”

  I scowled at her, but was saved coming up with a retort because at that moment, Danielle arrived.

  “Roger!” She said, rushing over to leap into my arms. “It’s going wonderfully!”

  “So I’ve heard,” I replied, loving the way her cheeks were glowing and her eyes were bright. “Rita hasn’t been working you too hard, then?”

  “Of course not! I’m happy to work. There’s so much to learn. It’s incredible, being in this city! So much to do…”

  She trailed off as something behind me caught her eye. “Veronica?” She said to herself, frowning. Then she looked to me and said, “I’ll be right back.”

  Then she marched towards the lobby.

  My eyes followed after her. I wanted to catch a glimpse of this ‘Veronica’ I’d been hearing so much about. However, it wasn’t meant to be, for at that moment Rita decided to bring something up that was so much more important.

  “So, you hired a new nanny yet for Maggie?”

  “No,” I sighed. “To be honest, I haven’t even started looking. I’ll just never be able
to replace her.”

  Rita smiled, then clapped a hand to my shoulder. “I know you’re bummed, Roger, but you need to get on this. I’ll start looking, and send you anyone that looks promising. Okay?”

  “Thanks. What would I do without you?”

  “Crumble and burn,” she said with a wink, and then returned to her work.

  In the meantime, I set off to rejoin Danielle.

  I found her a moment later, rushing back towards me and looking rather flustered. She got about halfway to me before exclaiming, “My purse!” and dashing back into the crowd. I waited for her, smiling, until she returned.

  “You got everything there, sweetheart? Head still attached then?”

  She rolled her eyes. “Sorry, but it has been a crazy sort of day. And now there’s something going on with Veronica…”

  “Ah, yes. So what did she want? Are you two fighting again?”

  “No! And that’s the strangest thing. She didn’t seem to want anything. She said she just showed up to congratulate me on the new job. It was so weird…”

  “What, is she not usually happy for you when something good happens?”

  From what little I had heard about Veronica, that wouldn’t have surprised me.

  “No, she usually is. It’s just that, normally, she’d insist we go celebrate, get drunk somewhere, that sort of thing. But today, she was all stiff and formal…I don’t know. Maybe she’s intimidated by all my sudden success?”